I owned these pickups before. “Clarity” is the main thing I noticed, basically how “clear” and “even” sounding they were. Everything I played seem “even” or let’s say all the strings sound balanced. They sounded a bit compressed but the benefit in that was that there were no string dropouts like I experience with regular single coils. No noise, even quieter than Fender noiseless pickups IMO. The cons? Well, they don’t have the bite characteristics like regular single coils. I definitely think these pickups are beneficial especially when playing somewhere there are a lot of electrical interference. Good for recording purposes because of their clear sound. More sustain. I did a concert once and noticed that these pickups in the video sounded much better than the regular single coils I used.
So I got about three minutes in and HAD to stop and praise you on such a well done comparison video; the best I’ve seen, at least in a long time! The back and forth shows the differences so well. Thank you 😊
Nice review! I like that you show all kinds of styles. It shows that these pickups are really all-round. EMG pickups are often misunderstood in a way that people think that because they need a battery, that they are high-output/metal pickups. For the people who don't know: All active EMG pickups are two low-output coils with a "differential" mini-amplifier behind it that amplifies and filters the sound. Like a microphone with an XLR-connector, this filters out all noise. They are noiseless. The battery uses very little power, it should last at least a year. Since the magnets are fairly weak, the string-pull is very low, so the guitar sustains better (less damping).
Thanks man! To be honest, this video doesn't really do justice to the EMG pickups, though. They were sitting pretty low in the pickguard when I did this video, and when I raised them higher since then, they really started to sing. I could be wrong, but I think the regular single coils in the black guitar were pickups from an American strat from the 80s. Thanks for watching!
Daniel Rettberg Peter Well I am looking at purchasing a strat and one has EMGs. I like the brightness of vintage strats because my old deluxe really shines with a bright guitar. I was sceptical of EMGs but I better see how they sound plugged into my amp. Thanks again for your video.
I agree. I was thinking about buying one of those pre-wired pick guards but after watching this video, I think I’m going to keep the stock pickups in my strat. The EMG’s still sound great but I definitely like the stock better.
Cameron Hyde I change my Duracell battery every 4-6 months. Make sure that you unplug your guitar when you’re not using it.. The battery will drain. Thanks or watching!
One thing I love about the emg's is the have zero hum when compared to the stock fender pickups, and the also have zero problems with microphonic feedback (non musical squeal)which happens to some other pickups when playing at high volumes.
Both pickup sets sound great - The EMG SA's are more balanced, and even. Less "traditional" sounding (which is a good thing) depending on your application. Red grapes, green grapes they're both sweet!
Nice job on the Mahavishnu don’t hear that often. Vince Gill uses EMG só does Gilmore at times. They are great pickups for playing venues with a house amp, they are very quiet, the Tele ones rule. Heavy gain is where they really shine.
The emgs sound rounded and more compressed. The stock pickups were snappier and more open sounding. Both sound great nonetheless. Also, dude, nice playing !
Excellent playing. Surprisingly, on most of the riffs I did prefer the EMG's the fundamental note are coming across so clearly. I have an EMG 81 in my bridge which I love and the 89R in the neck. I usually leave the coil split on to get a similar tone to the SA's.
Mr. Big and STP, heck yeah. Also, I preferred the stock pups mostly, but I did enjoy the sound of the SA's. I think these would be great for someone's second strat
I had a set of EMG SA in my closet for 5 years for a Charvel/Jackson strat....so 2 days ago I installed a PRS CE bridge in the charvel strat and I said let put those EMD's in.......WOW what a Guitar I have..and your video seal the deal..NICE playing and Great product..
I got mine about a few weeks ago on a sweet deal from reverb ! Being installed in Ibanez Jem replica Lucite body with and EMG 81 and 85 both Zack Wylds pickups. And the SA will be in the middle. The guitar has the Tree of life with Blue Led lights up the fretboard. Will be tuned to B standard. And will be my only guitar in that tuning every other is in D standard and a Fender Strat in E flat. No more guitars for me after this! Lol and I’m content! And on this pickup it has a beautiful sound. Can’t wait !!
Great comparison. I usually add compression to my single coils and either boost the low ends or mids. Some of that is already built into the EMG SA sound. I will just have less control over the amount of compression and type of boost than with pedals and have no noise.
Great! Before, I was debating between the Fat 50's and the Billy Gibbons Red Devils. Now I have to consider these too. Having to use a 9v battery might be the deal breaker when there are other pickups that sound nice without burning through batteries.
I'm like in an inbetween situation like, the stock pickups had that little "something" to them on clean guitar, but in distorted guitar, the EMGs get the gold, like, different pckups for different styles
Sergio Velázquez Thanks man! I really appreciate it.. you’ll definitely like them. My only suggestion is to experiment with the pickup height.. it really makes a difference with these. Thanks for watching!
The EMG-S pickups bring back some of the highs that you’re missing from the SA’s. For those who think the Fender stock pickups sound better and chime-ier, go for the EMG-S pickups. I’ve owned both. In my opinion, EMG’s shine for studio recording. For percussive, organic tone, stick with traditional single coils.
Great playing man.. I am building a strat now with a japanese body with 3 EMG Sa's and no SPC or other controls or preamps.. I purchased a Warmoth neck with stainless frets and maple fretboard.. Can't wait to try it.. Usually I use two humbuckers or a humbucker in the bridge and single coil in the neck. If I don't like the bridge pickup I'll change it to an EMG 85 or 57 probably and leave the SA in the neck only as I don't typically like middle pickups as it gets in my way when playing rock and metal as I hit the guitar pretty hard I think with my right hand.. ;-) Great demo, they do have more sustain and they are so quiet and articulate. I love that .. I have had them in several guitars with humbuckers, never had the Singles, but EMG makes the best pickups.. I like passives too, and just can't get enough.. I like anything guitar.. I'm a guitar pig.. :-p Thanks man for the demo! Tim
Clean - the standard passive single-coils sound WAY better IMO. IF you like metal playing (I don't) maybe you go for the actives, though I don't know why you'd get a strat for playing metal.
My first new guitar to me was was a Strat Fender Bullet. And that was 98 I had a hot rail pickup in the bridge and the sound was sick. First band was a metal/ hardcore band next one was hardcore and by then I had a Jackson with An EMG. variety is nice. And though most say all EMG sound the same I disagree as it depends on what your running for an Amp. I run a 5150, but have several guitars. And a lot of times I just run the clean channel and use a G3 zoom with diezel distortion. Whether it’s through my Jackson with an EMG81 Ibanez iron label, which is stock pickups all passive. Or Les Paul the sound is always heavy as all get out. And the Les Paul and Jackson don’t sound too far off from one another using that pedal setup.
Great review! Keep in mind though that the SPC and EXG controls (the tone knobs) have a huge impact on the sound... if they were both on 10 for this video, the EMGs would be at max midrange and output. Turning both down to 1 will get it closer to a stock strat
Very good comparison of the EMG versus the passive fender pickups in different styles. I have EMGs in a PJ bass I built and I love them so I've wanted to build a strat using them as well but was unsure if I would like them. Thank you for helping me with my decision. 😎👍🎸🎶
Good Demo, Daniel,the RMG pickups are hands down, the nicest clean sound,and the Fenders will still sell,but the EMG demonstration,proves how clean,and versatile the sounds they can produce, noisy single coils, are a hard sell these days,good one!⭐⭐⭐
amazing sweeping ! i wanted to try the SA for a strat but what i notice here: is a lost of the strat blues tone which is bad to loose this.Then, the Knopfler tone = 2d and 4th position is lost too to a cold and powerful tone. SO, i think that when we don't really like the blues and funk we can buy the EMG SA. I have the EMG SV and it's the tone of the vintage strat but the real tone not the SA which is like a boost strat.Then we don't know which pickups yo have in your strat/.Vintage noiseless? N4? N3? other? yeah for maximum precision you prefer the EMG and it's good for u ! good playing but i will stay with the Fender pickups or SV +BOOst would be better .IMagine the SLV which are powerful than the SA ! lol and it's know to sound like a strat for a LUKE ! lol i really don't think so /.A strat does not need the powerful pickups (because of the battery) like SA and SLV except if someone does not like the sound of a strat like Clapton or B Guy have and they have a boost too :) but not an EMG boost.
There was some stuff I liked a little better with the stock. However, that's just personal preference. For instance, if you were recording, I would appreciate a guitar with both style of pickups. I do like the clarity, yet warmth that the EMG active single coils bring. They do seem a bit warmer, and darker which is good for most stuff. Maybe, I am a geek, but sometimes I like to hear the jangly-scratchy sounds of strings as you're riffing one out. But, for the most part, I am liking how the EMG's are sounding, at least from RUclips. I like the clarity without the extra noise, and the way they can take distortion and other effects ect., and, I have had active EMG Humbuckers and they did have better sustain.
It was a good comparison, and it really shows the differences. When using clean tones, the EMG are too smooth in the top end and don't have the spank of the true single coil. When using a bit of gain, the EMGs seem to do the job.
I've got a strat w stock pups and one w EMG SA pups. Both slay, but the difference is huge. But it's like strawberry and raspberry... both are great but not really interchangeable. Good comparison! I think the biggest difference is in position the mixed positions, as well as solo bridge.
Chances are the stock pickups use ceramic magnets while the EMG SA use Alnico magnets which sound warmer. Using the standard EMG strat pickups will give you a similar bite to the stock pickups. The EMG X series sounds better than any passive pickup out there in my opinion. I thought about updating my EMG 40DC set to a 40CSX set, but I'm broke so that will have to wait haha! Pickups sound good man!
Thanks man! This video was made a year ago, so I've messed with the pickup height/angle since then. I'm a big fan of regular strat pickups, too. Thanks for watching!
You know, to me EMG sounded better than Fender stock only in "Green tinted 60-s mind". Great vid, want to upgrade one my budget guitars (cannot sell it as it has sentimental value for me) with 81 and the H model, which is a SA in humbucker shell.
They’re less scooped but a little less top end, but easier to play. I wonder what 24v would be like. I just hooked up an 81tw and SA in a cheap Kramer. The single in the TW seems weak, but it’s too close to the bridge. Gonna get an angled pickguard.
Both sound good but the regular single coils have a little more character IMO. A little more brittle on the high end but that can be adjusted. You play really well thanks I enjoyed this. Am looking for a noiseless set for a custom shop strat I have w Texas specials which I am not digging too much
I see what you're saying. One of the big mistakes that I made while making this video was that I didn't EQ my amp to the guitar with the EMG pickups. I EQ'd my amp to the guitar with the regular single coils, then I switched guitars without making any adjustments to the amp. These EMG pickups sound way better than this video presents them to be, in my opinion. Thanks for watching!
Nice review. It's also important to note that you are also comparing a unbranded Stratocaster style guitar against a original fender Stratocaster. The pickups IS a major part of the sound of the guitar but stuff like wood, bridge, strings, frets and nut does play a role in sustain and tone. To get a real apples to apples comparison you'd need to A/B switch the pick guard on one of your guitars and that's a lot of work I know 😣 Anyway, I feel that the EMG single coils get a lot of unnecessary flack from the single coil purists even tho I preferred the stock fenders on the bridge position, I feel the mellow tones of the EMG better suited the neck PU. But that's just my opinion tho
more body, less high end than stock pickups... like some posters said, I prefer the stock pickups but I could see some applications for the emgs, like using more gain or playing in noisy environments
Hey Daniel another great video, its hard to find review videos on these pickups so I was very exited when I saw that you had uploaded this video. A few questions, if you had to choose between these pickups and some passive strat pickups which would you chose? Also are the pickups versatile enough to sound fatter like a P90 or a humbucker in some situations as i am a fan of HSS configurations? Thanks again for the great vid man and keep at it.
Thanks a lot, man! I'm glad you're diggin' the videos. Hmmm.. a regular passive strat pickup is hard to beat. There's something very classic sounding about them.. The hum/buzz and the signature strat sound. At the same time, I love the sound of EMG single coils. Very tight and warm sounding.. I'm a fan of Steve Lukather, and back in the day he was using EMGs on a lot of recordings, including Michael Jackson's Thriller. I'm about 95% sure that he used EMGs on the song Human Nature.. It has that familiar EMG sound. I'd say that I like both, but I've been getting a lot of compliments on these SA pickups. The second part of your question.. When I play a strat, I'm always a little hesitant to put it on the bridge pickup and play riffs. Why? Because single coils have a lot of highs and not enough thickness. It's a lot more satisfying to play a Zeppelin riff on a Les Paul compared to a strat.. Humbuckers have so much depth to them. However, the EMG SA pickups have a fair amount of bottom-end to them. I wouldn't say that they're as fat sounding as a P90 or a humbucker, but they definitely have higher output and more warmth than a regular single coil. When I play riffs and heaver music on my strat with EMGs, it definitely sounds more in its element. I like HSS style myself.. The humbucker in the bridge is hard to beat, but a SA single coil in the bridge isn't that bad. To me, these EMGs add a little bit of gain, so I can play AC/DC and stuff on this strat and it sounds great. Hope this helps and thanks for watching, my friend!
Could you add some Chorus? Could you try to mimic Alex Lifeson's sound from the live album "A Show of Hands?" I've been looking for that sound, but not sure if I should invest in these SA EMG single coil active pickups. Thanks!
That's a great live album, and I believe he used EMG pickups in that white guitar that he used. These pickups are pretty similar.. I would say a little bit closer to 80s Steve Lukather tone. Thanks for watching!
That white guitar was the Signature Aurora, a guitar Alex helped design and he co-owned the Canadian company itself. The pickups in that guitar weren’t typical EMG SA’s but were a EMG/Fernandes active single coil that I guess were more specifically made for Signaure. I believe he might’ve also used the Evans Eliminator (E1) in one of them because some models earlier on in the Signature lineup had them, or at least from what I read.
Thanks man! These are EMG SA pickups.. Here's the exact pickguard that I have. Thanks for watching! www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/emg-emg-gc21-sa-prewired-pickguard-set
You're welcome! You know how most single coil pickups have that little bit of "hum/buzz" to them? The SA pickups are pretty much noiseless.. you don't hear anything at all. They're clean and warm sounding at the same time. I play live with this guitar a lot, and when other musicians see that I have EMGs in my guitar, they say "Ohhh that's why it sounds good."
To my ear the EMG strat sounded dull and lifeless. Like the strings were in desperate need of changing and the standard single-coiled strat sounded like it had brand new strings. Very open and chimmy. Every example I preferred the standard single-coil by a lot. I just bought and had shipped out a preloaded EMG Steve Lukather pickguard and now I regret it.
I made this video years ago. What I should’ve done was EQ the amp to each guitar, instead of just plugging each guitar into the amp with the same settings. I had a Lukather preloaded pickguard in one of my strats, and I regret selling it. I would definitely give it a shot with your own amp settings.
Thanks man. To be honest, this video doesn't do these EMG pickups justice. I made the mistake of not EQ'ing the amp before filming the EMG portion of this video. I've raised the height of each pickup since then and they sound great.. Maybe I'll redo this video soon. Thanks for not being too harsh lol.
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I owned these pickups before. “Clarity” is the main thing I noticed, basically how “clear” and “even” sounding they were. Everything I played seem “even” or let’s say all the strings sound balanced. They sounded a bit compressed but the benefit in that was that there were no string dropouts like I experience with regular single coils. No noise, even quieter than Fender noiseless pickups IMO. The cons? Well, they don’t have the bite characteristics like regular single coils. I definitely think these pickups are beneficial especially when playing somewhere there are a lot of electrical interference. Good for recording purposes because of their clear sound. More sustain. I did a concert once and noticed that these pickups in the video sounded much better than the regular single coils I used.
So I got about three minutes in and HAD to stop and praise you on such a well done comparison video; the best I’ve seen, at least in a long time! The back and forth shows the differences so well. Thank you 😊
Nice review! I like that you show all kinds of styles. It shows that these pickups are really all-round. EMG pickups are often misunderstood in a way that people think that because they need a battery, that they are high-output/metal pickups.
For the people who don't know: All active EMG pickups are two low-output coils with a "differential" mini-amplifier behind it that amplifies and filters the sound. Like a microphone with an XLR-connector, this filters out all noise. They are noiseless. The battery uses very little power, it should last at least a year.
Since the magnets are fairly weak, the string-pull is very low, so the guitar sustains better (less damping).
I liked the stock fender better except for your shedding and smooth jazz. Very good comparison.
Thanks man! To be honest, this video doesn't really do justice to the EMG pickups, though. They were sitting pretty low in the pickguard when I did this video, and when I raised them higher since then, they really started to sing. I could be wrong, but I think the regular single coils in the black guitar were pickups from an American strat from the 80s. Thanks for watching!
Daniel Rettberg Peter Well I am looking at purchasing a strat and one has EMGs. I like the brightness of vintage strats because my old deluxe really shines with a bright guitar. I was sceptical of EMGs but I better see how they sound plugged into my amp. Thanks again for your video.
Yes, not very good for the SA though. I second your opinion by a thousand!
I agree. I was thinking about buying one of those pre-wired pick guards but after watching this video, I think I’m going to keep the stock pickups in my strat. The EMG’s still sound great but I definitely like the stock better.
@@dtom1642 look at the DiMarzio Area series strat pickups
You made me buy an EMG SA set and i am very satisfied with it, it have exactly the sound i was finding.
Ubiratan Guimarães Awesome man! I’m glad that you’re happy with them.. Thanks for watching!
Do you have to change a battery?
Cameron Hyde I change my Duracell battery every 4-6 months. Make sure that you unplug your guitar when you’re not using it.. The battery will drain. Thanks or watching!
Daniel Rettberg Peter . Ok thanks for that. Also some mint guitar work there.
One thing I love about the emg's is the have zero hum when compared to the stock fender pickups, and the also have zero problems with microphonic feedback (non musical squeal)which happens to some other pickups when playing at high volumes.
you absolutely killed that grace intro it sounded just like buckley man‼️
I loved the "Green-Tinted Sixties Mind" intro. Hadn't heard that in a while!
Jamie Quam Thanks man! I try to throw these “less common” guitar examples in there to see who hears them lol. Thanks for watching!
Loved Starship Trooper
Watch this comparison video once in a while! Each time it blows me away. Hands down the best EMG presentation vid!
Both pickup sets sound great - The EMG SA's are more balanced, and even. Less "traditional" sounding (which is a good thing) depending on your application. Red grapes, green grapes they're both sweet!
a Miles Davis riff, an STP riff, a Yes riff, a Peter Gabriel riff, a Jeff Buckley riff, a Rush riff - all in one video. Nice!
Don't forget Living Color.
Also Green Tinted Sixties Mind by Mr Big, and Smile in a Wave by Screaming Headless Torsos at the beginning. 🤘
Nice job on the Mahavishnu don’t hear that often. Vince Gill uses EMG só does Gilmore at times. They are great pickups for playing venues with a house amp, they are very quiet, the Tele ones rule. Heavy gain is where they really shine.
With the gain up the Emgs sound much better to my ears !!
The emgs sound rounded and more compressed. The stock pickups were snappier and more open sounding. Both sound great nonetheless. Also, dude, nice playing !
This guy sure can shred!
Excellent playing. Surprisingly, on most of the riffs I did prefer the EMG's the fundamental note are coming across so clearly. I have an EMG 81 in my bridge which I love and the 89R in the neck. I usually leave the coil split on to get a similar tone to the SA's.
Mr. Big and STP, heck yeah. Also, I preferred the stock pups mostly, but I did enjoy the sound of the SA's. I think these would be great for someone's second strat
I love EMG, been using them since I got my Jackson in 99. And I hope someday to be endorsed by them they will always be my favorite pickup.
I had a set of EMG SA in my closet for 5 years for a Charvel/Jackson strat....so 2 days ago I installed a PRS CE bridge in the charvel strat and I said let put those EMD's in.......WOW what a Guitar I have..and your video seal the deal..NICE playing and Great product..
John Franklin Thanks a lot, man! I really appreciate your kind words..
I feel like if the stock Strat had compression the difference would have been next to nothing.
Nice job on the style of this review. The quick side by sides helped and it was to the point which is a nice change.
Thanks a lot, man! Glad you liked the video.
I got mine about a few weeks ago on a sweet deal from reverb ! Being installed in Ibanez Jem replica Lucite body with and EMG 81 and 85 both Zack Wylds pickups. And the SA will be in the middle. The guitar has the Tree of life with Blue Led lights up the fretboard. Will be tuned to B standard. And will be my only guitar in that tuning every other is in D standard and a Fender Strat in E flat. No more guitars for me after this! Lol and I’m content! And on this pickup it has a beautiful sound. Can’t wait !!
2:43 It’s not often you hear Starship Trooper played in a guitar demo.
In my opinion I think the stock pickups sound much better than the EMG'S . Cool video.
Also, much more dynamics than the EMG
Great comparison. I usually add compression to my single coils and either boost the low ends or mids. Some of that is already built into the EMG SA sound. I will just have less control over the amount of compression and type of boost than with pedals and have no noise.
Great! Before, I was debating between the Fat 50's and the Billy Gibbons Red Devils. Now I have to consider these too. Having to use a 9v battery might be the deal breaker when there are other pickups that sound nice without burning through batteries.
You dont burnt through batteries. I have a emg hetfield set and play almost every day and i change battery once a year
I'm like in an inbetween situation like, the stock pickups had that little "something" to them on clean guitar, but in distorted guitar, the EMGs get the gold, like, different pckups for different styles
Amazing demo, I’ll buy that set! Thanks!
Sergio Velázquez Thanks man! I really appreciate it.. you’ll definitely like them. My only suggestion is to experiment with the pickup height.. it really makes a difference with these. Thanks for watching!
Daniel Rettberg Peter Ok! I’ll check that! Thanks!
This was a great pickup demo vid Daniel.. well done! I'm also a huge fan of the SA's.
The EMG-S pickups bring back some of the highs that you’re missing from the SA’s. For those who think the Fender stock pickups sound better and chime-ier, go for the EMG-S pickups. I’ve owned both. In my opinion, EMG’s shine for studio recording. For percussive, organic tone, stick with traditional single coils.
I didn’t expect to hear Peter Gabriel when watching this, pleasant surprise
Great playing man.. I am building a strat now with a japanese body with 3 EMG Sa's and no SPC or other controls or preamps.. I purchased a Warmoth neck with stainless frets and maple fretboard.. Can't wait to try it.. Usually I use two humbuckers or a humbucker in the bridge and single coil in the neck. If I don't like the bridge pickup I'll change it to an EMG 85 or 57 probably and leave the SA in the neck only as I don't typically like middle pickups as it gets in my way when playing rock and metal as I hit the guitar pretty hard I think with my right hand.. ;-)
Great demo, they do have more sustain and they are so quiet and articulate. I love that .. I have had them in several guitars with humbuckers, never had the Singles, but EMG makes the best pickups.. I like passives too, and just can't get enough.. I like anything guitar.. I'm a guitar pig.. :-p
Thanks man for the demo!
Tim
Clean - the standard passive single-coils sound WAY better IMO. IF you like metal playing (I don't) maybe you go for the actives, though I don't know why you'd get a strat for playing metal.
My first new guitar to me was was a Strat Fender Bullet. And that was 98 I had a hot rail pickup in the bridge and the sound was sick. First band was a metal/ hardcore band next one was hardcore and by then I had a Jackson with An EMG. variety is nice. And though most say all EMG sound the same I disagree as it depends on what your running for an Amp. I run a 5150, but have several guitars. And a lot of times I just run the clean channel and use a G3 zoom with diezel distortion. Whether it’s through my Jackson with an EMG81 Ibanez iron label, which is stock pickups all passive. Or Les Paul the sound is always heavy as all get out. And the Les Paul and Jackson don’t sound too far off from one another using that pedal setup.
Great review! Keep in mind though that the SPC and EXG controls (the tone knobs) have a huge impact on the sound... if they were both on 10 for this video, the EMGs would be at max midrange and output. Turning both down to 1 will get it closer to a stock strat
great playing man : very versatile !
Thanks a lot, man! I really appreciate your kind words.
Is this the Dave Gilmour set? I’m not sure about the differences between the normal pots for Emg’s and the Pots with the DG set. Nice demo.
awesome! i now know what pickups i'm changing to on my strat in the future XD
Thanks man! I'm glad you liked the video.
Wow great video, thanks for sharing! Definitely getting an EMG SA set for me.
Very good comparison of the EMG versus the passive fender pickups in different styles. I have EMGs in a PJ bass I built and I love them so I've wanted to build a strat using them as well but was unsure if I would like them. Thank you for helping me with my decision. 😎👍🎸🎶
Good Demo, Daniel,the RMG pickups are hands down, the nicest clean sound,and the Fenders will still sell,but the EMG demonstration,proves how clean,and versatile the sounds they can produce, noisy single coils, are a hard sell these days,good one!⭐⭐⭐
All the 'glassiness' of the passive traditional pick up goes way...noticeable difference, if that's what you are looking for.
The stock start got more presence, treble and character ... however on distorted sounds the EMG seems to give a somewhat more pleasing sound
amazing sweeping ! i wanted to try the SA for a strat but what i notice here: is a lost of the strat blues tone which is bad to loose this.Then, the Knopfler tone = 2d and 4th position is lost too to a cold and powerful tone. SO, i think that when we don't really like the blues and funk we can buy the EMG SA. I have the EMG SV and it's the tone of the vintage strat but the real tone not the SA which is like a boost strat.Then we don't know which pickups yo have in your strat/.Vintage noiseless? N4? N3? other? yeah for maximum precision you prefer the EMG and it's good for u ! good playing but i will stay with the Fender pickups or SV +BOOst would be better .IMagine the SLV which are powerful than the SA ! lol and it's know to sound like a strat for a LUKE ! lol i really don't think so /.A strat does not need the powerful pickups (because of the battery) like SA and SLV except if someone does not like the sound of a strat like Clapton or B Guy have and they have a boost too :) but not an EMG boost.
Pretty sure Knopfler used 85/SA/SA in his Suhrs.
There was some stuff I liked a little better with the stock. However, that's just personal preference. For instance, if you were recording, I would appreciate a guitar with both style of pickups. I do like the clarity, yet warmth that the EMG active single coils bring. They do seem a bit warmer, and darker which is good for most stuff. Maybe, I am a geek, but sometimes I like to hear the jangly-scratchy sounds of strings as you're riffing one out. But, for the most part, I am liking how the EMG's are sounding, at least from RUclips. I like the clarity without the extra noise, and the way they can take distortion and other effects ect., and, I have had active EMG Humbuckers and they did have better sustain.
It was a good comparison, and it really shows the differences. When using clean tones, the EMG are too smooth in the top end and don't have the spank of the true single coil. When using a bit of gain, the EMGs seem to do the job.
That's the next thing on my list,a guitar with some emg pickups
I've had a set of these in a box with wiring harness since the late 1980s or early 1990s. I've never installed them.
Great demo, gives you a good idea of the flexibility of this pickup set. Thanks.
Thanks a lot, man! I really appreciate it.
I've got a strat w stock pups and one w EMG SA pups. Both slay, but the difference is huge. But it's like strawberry and raspberry... both are great but not really interchangeable. Good comparison! I think the biggest difference is in position the mixed positions, as well as solo bridge.
great review and comparison.
Great video.. I got that set running at 18V it sounds amazing.
EMGs have more midrange, sound hotter than stock pickups IMHO.
nice thorough comparsion
Thanks man! I really appreciate it.
Emg SV SOUND LIKE real stat pups... sa is good...but i adored the emg SV..very consistent...bright and clear
Just ordered one man, it will be in the middle of an EMG81 and an EMG 85 :)
I like EMG but I'm not going to lie for a lot of clean stuff the stock Strat sounded better.
Can't fix what ain't broken 🤷♀️
Chances are the stock pickups use ceramic magnets while the EMG SA use Alnico magnets which sound warmer. Using the standard EMG strat pickups will give you a similar bite to the stock pickups. The EMG X series sounds better than any passive pickup out there in my opinion. I thought about updating my EMG 40DC set to a 40CSX set, but I'm broke so that will have to wait haha! Pickups sound good man!
Thanks man! This video was made a year ago, so I've messed with the pickup height/angle since then. I'm a big fan of regular strat pickups, too. Thanks for watching!
You know, to me EMG sounded better than Fender stock only in "Green tinted 60-s mind". Great vid, want to upgrade one my budget guitars (cannot sell it as it has sentimental value for me) with 81 and the H model, which is a SA in humbucker shell.
They’re less scooped but a little less top end, but easier to play. I wonder what 24v would be like. I just hooked up an 81tw and SA in a cheap Kramer. The single in the TW seems weak, but it’s too close to the bridge. Gonna get an angled pickguard.
Both sound good but the regular single coils have a little more character IMO. A little more brittle on the high end but that can be adjusted. You play really well thanks I enjoyed this. Am looking for a noiseless set for a custom shop strat I have w Texas specials which I am not digging too much
I see what you're saying. One of the big mistakes that I made while making this video was that I didn't EQ my amp to the guitar with the EMG pickups. I EQ'd my amp to the guitar with the regular single coils, then I switched guitars without making any adjustments to the amp. These EMG pickups sound way better than this video presents them to be, in my opinion. Thanks for watching!
EMG is cleaner and more powerful. Wish I could afford some. Thanks.
Nice review. It's also important to note that you are also comparing a unbranded Stratocaster style guitar against a original fender Stratocaster. The pickups IS a major part of the sound of the guitar but stuff like wood, bridge, strings, frets and nut does play a role in sustain and tone. To get a real apples to apples comparison you'd need to A/B switch the pick guard on one of your guitars and that's a lot of work I know 😣
Anyway, I feel that the EMG single coils get a lot of unnecessary flack from the single coil purists even tho I preferred the stock fenders on the bridge position, I feel the mellow tones of the EMG better suited the neck PU. But that's just my opinion tho
Really nice demo and great playing. But the stock pickups sounded clearly better.
more body, less high end than stock pickups... like some posters said, I prefer the stock pickups but I could see some applications for the emgs, like using more gain or playing in noisy environments
EMG's and Mesa Boogie were made for each other.
The EMGs lack high end, but that’s what they were advertised as
I don’t think I’ve ever heard a yes song in a guitar demo.Starship Trooper, Awesome!
Will Fudge Dude, Yes is one of the best, most musically creative bands ever.. Definitely in my top 5.
also dat Meeting of the Spirits intro
Hey Daniel another great video, its hard to find review videos on these pickups so I was very exited when I saw that you had uploaded this video. A few questions, if you had to choose between these pickups and some passive strat pickups which would you chose? Also are the pickups versatile enough to sound fatter like a P90 or a humbucker in some situations as i am a fan of HSS configurations?
Thanks again for the great vid man and keep at it.
Thanks a lot, man! I'm glad you're diggin' the videos. Hmmm.. a regular passive strat pickup is hard to beat. There's something very classic sounding about them.. The hum/buzz and the signature strat sound. At the same time, I love the sound of EMG single coils. Very tight and warm sounding.. I'm a fan of Steve Lukather, and back in the day he was using EMGs on a lot of recordings, including Michael Jackson's Thriller. I'm about 95% sure that he used EMGs on the song Human Nature.. It has that familiar EMG sound. I'd say that I like both, but I've been getting a lot of compliments on these SA pickups. The second part of your question.. When I play a strat, I'm always a little hesitant to put it on the bridge pickup and play riffs. Why? Because single coils have a lot of highs and not enough thickness. It's a lot more satisfying to play a Zeppelin riff on a Les Paul compared to a strat.. Humbuckers have so much depth to them. However, the EMG SA pickups have a fair amount of bottom-end to them. I wouldn't say that they're as fat sounding as a P90 or a humbucker, but they definitely have higher output and more warmth than a regular single coil. When I play riffs and heaver music on my strat with EMGs, it definitely sounds more in its element. I like HSS style myself.. The humbucker in the bridge is hard to beat, but a SA single coil in the bridge isn't that bad. To me, these EMGs add a little bit of gain, so I can play AC/DC and stuff on this strat and it sounds great. Hope this helps and thanks for watching, my friend!
Thats great man thanks for the reply
I noticed you do the blinking thing when you strum a chord too lol.
oh my god that Jack Johnson riff.......
i love the emg 81 but the stock fender sounds better most times lol. looking for a single coil for the neck to go with my 81 for thrash
Could you add some Chorus? Could you try to mimic Alex Lifeson's sound from the live album "A Show of Hands?" I've been looking for that sound, but not sure if I should invest in these SA EMG single coil active pickups. Thanks!
That's a great live album, and I believe he used EMG pickups in that white guitar that he used. These pickups are pretty similar.. I would say a little bit closer to 80s Steve Lukather tone. Thanks for watching!
That white guitar was the Signature Aurora, a guitar Alex helped design and he co-owned the Canadian company itself. The pickups in that guitar weren’t typical EMG SA’s but were a EMG/Fernandes active single coil that I guess were more specifically made for Signaure. I believe he might’ve also used the Evans Eliminator (E1) in one of them because some models earlier on in the Signature lineup had them, or at least from what I read.
How to set the height of those pickups properly?
Super helpful!
Great review
Thanks a lot, man! I really appreciate it.. Thanks for watching!
Are these new or “vintage” emg’s? Sounds amazing!
Hi! Your sound is absolutely grand. Could I ask which are the strings?
Thanks man! I use D'Addario Nickel Wound 10 - 46.. Thanks for watching!
Daniel, great video and fine playing. Are these the Maverick or the Crossroads pickups?
Thanks man! These are EMG SA pickups.. Here's the exact pickguard that I have. Thanks for watching!
www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/emg-emg-gc21-sa-prewired-pickguard-set
Add the SPC and EXG and that guitar will be amazing.
Thx a lot!
Ivan Kuvaldin You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!
I have a strat in that same color scheme. That includes the neck.
Good job. Thanks.
Thanks man! Glad I can help..
Lots of nice single coils but do they sound stratty?
Thank you! Very interesting. But can you compare the noise too?
You're welcome! You know how most single coil pickups have that little bit of "hum/buzz" to them? The SA pickups are pretty much noiseless.. you don't hear anything at all. They're clean and warm sounding at the same time. I play live with this guitar a lot, and when other musicians see that I have EMGs in my guitar, they say "Ohhh that's why it sounds good."
the stock fender pickups what kind? is it a mexistrat or an american as i recon the pickups are diff.
To my ear the EMG strat sounded dull and lifeless. Like the strings were in desperate need of changing and the standard single-coiled strat sounded like it had brand new strings. Very open and chimmy. Every example I preferred the standard single-coil by a lot. I just bought and had shipped out a preloaded EMG Steve Lukather pickguard and now I regret it.
I made this video years ago. What I should’ve done was EQ the amp to each guitar, instead of just plugging each guitar into the amp with the same settings. I had a Lukather preloaded pickguard in one of my strats, and I regret selling it. I would definitely give it a shot with your own amp settings.
@@DanielRettberg I'll give them a shot. Thanks for the reply and the clarification.
Nice vid! What's the song you play around 1:30? Sounds familiar but can't place it... thanks!
Hey man, it's PYT by Michael Jackson. Thanks for watching!
P.y.t Michael jackson
I live in Sonoma county home of Mesa Boogie EMG Two Rock amplifiers
The Strat pickups got the bell ring the emg no tone at all
Nice playing bud
Great video, but comparing them to stock Fender pickups didn't work out that well lol. They sounded virtually the same to me.
Thanks man. To be honest, this video doesn't do these EMG pickups justice. I made the mistake of not EQ'ing the amp before filming the EMG portion of this video. I've raised the height of each pickup since then and they sound great.. Maybe I'll redo this video soon. Thanks for not being too harsh lol.
If they sound the same then you need new ears.
Or perhaps my opinion is just different than yours.
"it has a lot of sustain"
*bends for a half not and shreds*
Yeah grace!
using a boss ge7 pedal equalizer, do you think the sound of Emg comes close to Fender?
sounds like lace sensors rainbow set pickups
Is the fender you are using Mexican or American? Im considering SA set for my player Stratocaster
What is the music you played at 5:35 ?
did u have to buy a new output jack to install the EMG’s?
8:01 is that My Cherie Amour by Stevie Wonder?
i like the stock for most things
05:30 instant like