NEED HELP - active v passive pickups?
Hi all - and apologies in advance if this is too far off topic, but I'm sort of in a clueless haze here and I need advice from other, more expert players!!
I acquired a nice Ibanez guitar with EMG pups...when I played it, I found I couldn't get a blend of tones from the two pups.
I opened the control cavity and made an appalling discovery:
Some jack@$$ had made some ungodly alterations :x . There were two different EMG's, one active, one passive. The neck pup (passive EMG) was completely unwired, the bridge pup (active EMG) was wired direct to the pots, and the 3-way switch was unwired and not doing anything.
Now I beleive I have the ability to rewire the guitar in it's proper state; what I need to know is whether an active pup and a passive pup can coexist. HELP ME, all you guitar wrench-monkeys! :?
I acquired a nice Ibanez guitar with EMG pups...when I played it, I found I couldn't get a blend of tones from the two pups.
I opened the control cavity and made an appalling discovery:
Some jack@$$ had made some ungodly alterations :x . There were two different EMG's, one active, one passive. The neck pup (passive EMG) was completely unwired, the bridge pup (active EMG) was wired direct to the pots, and the 3-way switch was unwired and not doing anything.
Now I beleive I have the ability to rewire the guitar in it's proper state; what I need to know is whether an active pup and a passive pup can coexist. HELP ME, all you guitar wrench-monkeys! :?
Comments
Can I mix EMG's with passive pickups?
It is possible to mix EMG's with passive pickups. There are three possible wiring configurations; one is better than the other two.
Use the high impedance (250K-500K) volume and tone controls. The problem is that the high impedance controls act more like a switch to the EMG's. The passive pickups, however, will work fine. If you have a guitar with two pickups and two volume pots, with a three-way switch, there is another alternative. Use the 25K pots for the EMG, and the 250K pots for the passive pickup. This way you can use one or the other with no adverse affects, but with the switch in the middle position the passive pickup will have reduced gain and response.
Use the low-impedance (25K) volume and tone controls provided with the EMG's. The problem here is that the passive pickups will suffer a reduction in gain and loss of high-frequency response.
This is the best alternative. Install an EMG-PA-2 on the passive pickups. There are two benefits to doing this. With the trimpot on the PA-2, you can adjust the gain of the passive pickups to match the EMG's. The PA-2 acts as an impedance matching device so you can use the low-impedance EMG controls (25K) without affecting the tone of the passive pickups. You will also be able to use other EMG accessory circuits such as the SPC, RPC, EXB, EXG, etc. For this application, we recommend ordering the PA-2 without the switch for easy installation on the inside of a guitar.
I pulled this off the EMG Pickups site. http://www.emginc.com/guitar.asp
Also...go to this page... http://www.emginc.com/support.asp
Anyway...contacting this tech support would give you your best results, and they can provide you with diagrams as well as any additional parts you may need.
Hope this helps.
If you do get this wired as you want...I'd be interested to know how you like the results, and if it makes any differences worth knowing...especially with your GNX.
Is this that RG you were considering??
Actually this is another RG I found - an old RG3, not the RG470. Love the ax, but I had no idea the pups had been f****d with.
This is a 'binez config'd as follows: 2 HB pups, single volume and tone, 3-way switch. Since there isn't separate controls for each pup, it seems like it's going to be harder to balance thier output.
If anyone can come up with a config that would sort out this mess, lemme know, post or PM...otherwise I'm looking at replacing at least one pup, maybe both. That would SUCK.
Some bonehead hacker decided to yank the orignial bridge EMG and replace it with the whole active EMG 81 setup, and left the neck EMG and the switch completely disconnected. So the ax is basically running the active bridge pup, and nothing else.
So I plan to yank the active EMG in the bridge and return the guitar to it's original config and wiring...which means I'm looking for a passive EMG 'bucker, like an HZ*, and I'll have an EMG 81 active for sale, complete with pots, wiring, etc... :roll:
Too bad alright. You must not have had the oppertunity to check this out before you bought it. I'm not fimilar with this model. Sounds like a set up like my JS. Tone control w/ coil tap switch...and Volume control w/ high pass filter switch??
I haven't played my JS for awhile......... :shock: ....I gotta go.
The RG3 doesn't seem to be a very common or particularly high-end model...lists about $549. Hard tail, with Fender-type non-trem bridge.
There's no coil tap or hi-pass switch...this ax certainly isn't in the league of a JS model, but it plays nice.
The reason I've been unhappy with the EMG's (I have them in another, similar Ibanez) is that they're a little tinny, weak mids, boomy low end. I play a variety of sounds, from crunchy sustainy dist'n to smooth, crystally clean stuff, and all in between, so I need well-behaved pups.
Any other tips? Always looking for advice!!
thanks again-
You have the right idea. I hope you let us know how it turns out. It would be worthwhile...like you say...to check this all out FIRST. You may find something this previous owner was looking for. Did you have a chance to talk with him?? Probably not...or you'd have said something.
This RG sounds like a smart selection for your music. I bet you get more tone and sustain, than a wang thang axe.
I'd really like to find out this guy's opinions....cuz he's \"The Real Seal.\"
I plan to put the passive EMG's back into the 'binez, and see how I like the sound. I have another of the same model that has the passive EMG's, and I find the tone a little thin. The one that was hacked up with the active 81 sounded great, but the guts had been emptied out so the other pup and 3-way were totally nonfunctioning. So I'm restoring it to original - 2 x EMG HZ's - and we'll see how that sounds. If I like it, done deal...if not, I'll be changing them out and PGShadow'll get 'em.
Either way, I'm looking to have this ax sound good for me; if I only wanted it to be a screamer, iit'd be easy! But I need good rounded tone that works clean and dirty, and nice sustain, which I think the hard tail/strings thru body gives.
I wish I looked as good on stage as the Seal-man!!!