Okay buddy lol I’m gonna subscribe, and I’m not sure if you have merch but When it comes to EMGs I need to get a shirt :) do these guys have a merch line too?? And by the way dude this is really cool to see this, I had no idea this was such a not small operation but I figured this would be an enormous factory. It’s good to get the info of such an amazing product. Never know what goes into the making of these.
EMG were just the coolest with me when I needed some support. I don’t use their stuff all the time, but I will always recommend them based on customer service alone. Really great people.
I second this, a real person picks up the phone every time, they're both friendly and super knowledgeable and they get your issue sorted, no matter what it is! The 81 is the best metal pickup for me too, hands down.
Same!! Since 98 I have had one in my Jackson. And I just ordered 3 a while ago for my new guitar, 1 single coil EMG SA and Zack wylds licensed 81 and 85. This guitar is going to be incredible!! All EMGs and the best ones for metal and shredding. And probably instrumental ballads as well :)
I love factory tours! EMG revolutionized guitar pickups and they're not afraid to try something new, nice to see behind the scenes of that great company!
Awesome pickups and an awesome company! A lot of people don't know this but these pickups could actually save your life! Passive pickups ground off on the strings and then to you. Electricity wants to travel the path to least resistance to ground. An active EMG is a closed circuit that does not require ground wires. So the strings don't ground off on you!
What an absolutely fascinating operation. Seems like a really nice atmosphere with the staff there. I grew up dreaming about owning real EMG's. When I got a guitar with humbuckers I stretched some electrical insulating tape to make it look like they were EMG's. Happy memories. Thanks for sharing the tour, very enjoyable to watch
I kinda prefer the lower output ones but if you like the 81/85 you may want to consider going to higher voltage. Glenn Tipton had his on 18V for Painkiller and anything after that. Possibly before. I know his reverse Explorer by Hamer was running 18V from the start.
I have to say, EMGs were THE pickups of my teenage years. They made any guitar sound better than it ever had a right to. And, on one occasion, I had to request some parts that were missing in my ZW set, and they sent me ALL new pots, caps, ect. That kind of customer service just tells a guitarist like me that EMG actually cares about their customers. I kinda miss the soldering sets of the 90s, but I have an old set that will finally graduate to an Explorer after all these years, and I can’t wait or revisit EMGs!
When I was still in high school (1987) I converted my Squier Stratocaster to a SuperStrat using a chisel and files. Each pickup receive a mini-toggle so I could learn what each pickup sounded like. The EMG 81, the S, and the SA were then loaded into a custom built guitar with a single toggle, 81 or SA/S pair. This gave me fast access between my favorite two sounds and made possible playing Dokken Alone Again! These are old pickups with the wire molded into the housing, no quick connects. I’ve watched over the years as EMG continued to evolve, and can’t say enough good things about their single coil pickups, nice low noise, great sounding. Thanks for the tour, folks. -Fan of many years.
John is such a great host. He always comes across as gracious and seems to put the people he interviews at ease. Thanks to both PG and EMG for a great tour!
@@5barkerstreet I don't know about that, but he is super awkward and that comes across to make me uncomfortable. That stance with his arm holding his other arm across his body? John dude... get comfortable so I can be comfortable too.
@@MikeCarlyleWMass go check out his interview with Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein. When Doyle is being interviewed by other people, he is distant and just not into putting up with them. With John, he seemed to actually have respect for him and was very present, open and relaxed. John doesn’t make the interview about him even though he could probably outplay most of the guitarists he talks to. It’s nice to see a humble guitar nerd who is genuinely excited to be doing interviews.
Awesome shop tour! My go to pickup since 1994. First one being an 89. Countless 81’s and 85’s, spent some time with the 57/66 set, now my favorite is the Hetfield bridge pickup.
EMG makes some of the best pickups on the market and no, they aren't just for metal. They are great for most styles of music, they retain clarity as the volume is reduced at the guitar, always hum-cancelling, no grounding needed, no signal loss with long cables (low-Z), wide range of models...what's not to love? I've used them since 1980, still do.
I may have stopped using EMG as ive come away from active pups but as a company when you need help these guys are unbeaten! Brilliant customer care and the product is great! Crackin vid is this :)
@@Nightwinflyer the passives could be a good shout, do like how well made EMG pups are made. Cheers for the suggestion :) will have a look for a set online :)
I have EMG’s in about 8 guitars. They are very consistent, low noise and reliable. Not to mention they sound great. Rob seems like a great guy and this was fascinating.
I put the Het Set into my 84 Explorer and it surprised me, although in hind sight it shouldn't have. I installed it all myself and it went flawlessly. Incidentally, I got the first generation Het Set and the covers got a nice blueish/copperish patina on them that compliments my guitar. Powerful and articulate, I was always a DiMarzio guy but I came around and enjoy EMG's in a couple of my guitars where aggression and focus are what is needed. They drove my amps hard and deliver great tone.
I've been using EMGs forever. Love how they play. I plan guitars to buy/build to try out different models. Finally put the parts together for a P bass last year with an EMG and an active EQ. Very nice. Great seeing the factory and Rob!
Thank You,EMG!When I started learning to play guitar over 32 years ago,I had the worst pickup know to man,it was lifleless in my Charvel gunslinger,EMG was the only choice and it was one of the extremely very rare correct choices I made in my life at the time at 19,That EMG helped me become a guitar player, and I have and will continue to use EMG'S ,Forever grateful!
I would love to see Seymour Duncan, Larry DiMarzio and Rob Turner sit down and talk about pickups. There probably is a video with that, but that would be a cool thing to see if Premier Guitar wanted to do something awesome *nudge nudge*.
81 and 85 are the best I love you guys !! Nothing beats an EMG in my book, I mean some say it’s a typical sound but that really depends on the head and hear you have.
I started using the EMG 85 in the bridge in 1985. To this day, I am still using them. EMG's just work in many situations, I just prefer the Alnico for a bit of balls and growl.
The first time I played with EMG pickups, they were in a LTD guitar from around 2006 and after that my first guitar with EMG was a LTD EX360 (81/60) in 2010 and that was my main guitar for years. Now I have 3 guitars with EMG (2 from factory and 1 Les Paul I upgraded to Zakk Wylde's 81-85 kit). Love EMG and will always use them. Thanks for the tour! Great video!
@@dannfeltrin Gotcha. I asked because I have an Ex-350 that is set neck but the Sinclair. I think they only came in oxblood. It didn't have EMGs but I put 81/85 in it with 18v mod. I think it's little older than yours, early to mid 90's. I've seen ex-400's with your setup. Have you messed with the 81x or 85x? If so what did you think?
I love EMG pickups. Not only the sounds they make, but the ease and flexibility of installation. The solderless plug in cables and absurdly easy-to-follow wiring diagrams, are outstanding, and they're a lot cheaper than most of the competition, which only arrive with typically a couple of bare wires and no instructions. I bought a single fishman pickup for one bass I have. The pickup is (let's face it) utterly brilliant, but the installation requires some 20+ solder points and I had to write to Fishman to get a wiring diagram. EMG scores so much more highly on that front. The only thing I don't like about them is the mediocre knobs they come with. They should give the knobs the same finish as the pickup housing. But great to see how they're made. Thanks for the video!
I've just discovered the EMG signature HET James Hetfield humbuckers recently and I can confidently say they are the best pickups I've ever heard in 40yrs of playing every type of pickup.
Cool tour! I've been an EMG fan since I parked an '81 in my Kramer in 1986. I've owned many more since and now have the 81TW/89 set in a strat and it rocks.
In my heart, I believe EMG is still the best. In recent history, I took all the wiring out of my Les Paul Studio (the PCB board went bad), and I wired it up with a 57/66 set, and it was like the Les Paul was brought back to life. One of the best clean humbuckers I’ve ever heard.
EMG user since 1984, endorser since 2014. These days I’m mostly about the Geezer Butler P, but I have a couple active setups as well. I also have one of their soundhole acoustic guitar pickups and it’s fantastic. Great to see how Rob built up the company to such a high level and keeps it always relevant.
Rob looks good! I hooked up with Rob and Gary somewhere around '82? They were having problems selling pickups because nobody had ever heard of them. The guitar magazine ads they ran were just awful. I was a graphic designer years before Apple changed our business with the early Macs, switching over from drawing ad designs and graphics by hand, to the massive change to digital everything. I interviewed with them, showed them my portfolio etc. About 6 months later they called me to look at some ad designs someone gave them for free and wanted to know my opinion of the ideas. I couldn't hold my tongue and told him it was all CR*P. Rob agreed. They paid me to do some ideas, and being a guitar player, I knew exactly what they needed. They liked the ideas and instead of them wasting piles of money on bad ideas and full page color ad space costs, came up with very simple quarter page ads in black and white. The ad featured a guitar pick with the EMG logo and the words "Take Your Pick" and a photo of the top of their typical black plastic pickup. If you called their phone numver, they would send you a catalog and their guitar pick. They ran the ads and the phone began ringing off the hook. Good thing, because even in Santa Rosa, nobody knew who they were. They were my client for about 12-16 years and I left California for Oregon, because I had a partnership offer up there. The funniest thing is that after 35 years as a designer, I got into making pickups myself and I fired my last client, Shrapnel Records and went full time with pickups. I ended up specializing in certain vintage pickups nobody had ever been able to copy. , I learned reverse-engineering the hard way, but was helped by materials experts in related corporations. Its been 22 years and have been featured in several guitar magazines and books and online. Back then I don't think Rob even wound pickups in house, they would get most of their work done in Korea. I don't miss Santa Rosa, they had a terrible gang problem and little kids were shooting eachother, I left there at a good time. Nice seeing how they've grown from the small operation they had when I was there. Doing their ads, catalog and NAMM show graphics was a lot of fun, nice memories......
My first experience with EMG pickups was when I purchased the Cort CR 300 LP which came with EMG Retroactive Fat 55 pickups. The sound was so heavenly when paired with my Laney tube amp! Later I added the following pickups for my other guitars: EMG 81/85, EMG James Hetfield set and EMG 57/66 set. My Schecter bass also came with EMG-HZ passive pickups.
Fat 55 are great I have them in an SC550+, I like it a lot more than the others. Although 67/55 can sound great, Richie Faulkner uses them on all his records and I think his tone is great. In studio it's a JCM800 and a 1959SLP and some drive in front
This is great, ive been fascinated by EMGs ever since i started playing 20 years ago and always hungry to see more insider info on how they are made. And to echo lots of other comments yeah their customer service is top of the line, every time i order from them i usually have some questions and theyve been more than happy to offer opinions and suggestions towards how to get the best thing for my guitars. Plus the pickups have never disappointed me, always sound excellent and best of all NOISELESS. and I've tried a lot of their lineup by now. Highly recommended for any genre. I love how if you order a set of 2 you can choose whichever setup you want with no troubles (master volume+ master tone? Or 2 volumes.. either way no prob!). If you're ordering a set I also recommend their accessories like the phase switch to give you more tone options!
EMG are the best. I love my pickups I bought direct from them, and can confirm their customer service is second to none. My pickups arrived at Auckland Airport in NZ around 24 hours after I pressed the button to buy them. Installing them was easy, and they sound massive. These pickups need to be number 1 again. I much prefer them to Fishmans.
Forum nerds claiming EMGs are compressed are wrong. They just have more output and wider frequency response than your average passive. They're very dynamic. Arguably more dynamic than a passive because they have such a high signal to noise ratio. Plus the volume control is an actual volume control, that has no effect on tone like a passive setup, so backing off the volume just gives you the exact same signal at lower volume. There's really nothing to dislike about them. They solve just about every problem with guitar pickups and electronics.
Back in the 90s when i discovered Zakk Wylde in Ozzy Osbourns band, my first taste is when i heard the No More Tears album, i t was an eye opener for me to maybe get me playing serious and i had to look for those EMG pickups. I remember having a Les Paul before which i regret letting go. From that year i went on and off EMG and tried many pickups. Even got into the fishman which i really didnt like at all, lasted a few months. It was only last year when i started getting back to EMGs full time. It was like why did i stop using EMGs in the first place became it was the pickup that really made me happy. So i am never gonna stop using EMGs. And just to share it was only this year March when i got an email from EMG to be a start up artist which is an honor to be part of even though i am not a great guitar player or influential, but they were able to give out support to small time artists like me. EMG is simply the best. Oh yeah i love 81s, but now the 81-x is da shiznits!!!
I have 5 guitars with EMG's. They are pretty good pickups. Iike them. My audio interface has an active/passive switch, so it brings out the best of whatever I throw at it.
One of my friends wife had bought him an Ibanez 7 string universe guitar in 97’ . Being an EMG aficionado and utilizing from early years , a set of 7 string was the most logical choice , right ?! He contacted the company and asked if they were able to make the version he needed . One of the techs at the time had said he made a set of the 85/81 that would be what would now be known as the 707 before they were a thing for b string guitarist and their guitars . Had a black mirror pickguard for the EMG custom set , and had it assembled and it was off and running ! Clean it has a shimmering effect ,stable low acoustical quality that’ the 85/81 set is known for . No hiss or feedback ever ! Dirty sounds are precise and edgy while maintaining its Amazing mids , containable highs , and low frequency was balanced perfectly for the universe, and nailed its job with superb precision! This guitar is still in use at times , and is one of my most favorite guitars ever that he uses . I myself use a 707 in a Japanese 99’ Ibanez RG in the bridge . Never lets me down , and I can hear the clarity in every note , dirty or clean . EMG makes the impossible possible, anything else is an imitation of the master built quality that EMG has provided for almost 40 years ! Here’s to the next line of players and lovers of this amazing musical instrument unto itself
I have a Gibson Les Paul Standard Raw Power that came with EMG 81,85 stock. Bought it in 2005 and recently changed them to Fat 55's Retroactive pickups for a more passive feel and Wow. Totally blown away by them. Fantastic pickups.
simply amazing the machines in shops like this and just inside the manufacturing industry and industry lines in factories due to the resources and lack of computers to help create it all
Once those contacts get broken off the epoxy brick, good luck digging it out... Made my evening with that broken off Galaxis Bass rail pickup contact, digging it out and trying to solder to something that's left was a PITA. I hope these metal pins go deep.
I have had EMG T's since the 80's on two different Tele's. The last Dire Straights album was 80% EMG's. Then there is Prince, Gilmore, and Gill. If anybody out there still has any doubt, then check out The Tragically Hip's first two albums. The albums are called "Up To Here" and Road Apples". They are all Tele and Strat EMG's. Songs to look fore are "New Orleans is Sinking", "Blow at High Dough", and "Little Bones". These pickups are dead quiet, pristine cleans (*because the active nature means that it is an input buffer built in), edge of break up is magic, hyper-visceral OD and Distortion, and sun exploding fuzzes. I have had them for 35 years with no interest in changing.
Not a fan of his products but what a nice guy and great inventor. Its always amazing to see these guys from the 70s who wanted to revolutionize the instrument.
I have a TX set the in my Tele with an SPC control (like from the Gilmour set) instead of tone knob. It’s epic. I also put a set of their passive Revelation pickups in my Charvel. They epic too. 😀👍
I've known Rob since the very early 70's. I met him at Long Beach City College. Some of the first pickups he made were put in my guitars way before EMG was in business. One of the first was in my 1960 Les Paul Jr. DC when we were at LBCC. Fast forward almost 50 years later and I'm still using them. I've always paid for them, even in the beginning, that way when I suggest them it's because I use them. I was a professional guitarist for more than 40 years before I had to retire due to medical issues about 10 years ago so I can tell you that these pickups hold up with the test of time.
Pink Floyd's David Gilmour used EMG pickups on the Pulse live concerts, and they can be heard used by Steve Rothery on many of the classic Marillion albums - and they sound beautiful.
I've loved and enjoyed emg 81s and 60s since the 90s...its 2024 and both of my main guitars are emg systems...if you can't get a tone from an emg. It's not the pick ups fault.
I remember the EMG man comin to the music store I worked at, it was 81 or 82? Their pitch was all about the radio stations in downtown chicago playin through guitar amps in the clubs. EMG rejects radio signals that was their whole purpose.
I first see this brand because of Metallica . Always liked that solid looking pickup . And thought it would make me play metal like a machine ! Turns out , the clean sounds from an EMG inspired me just as much as the distortion .
I can relate to the engineering procedure. The electronic part of active pickups is cryptic. Lol. My Japanese Jackson strat has active pickups and they rule.. More about the preamps would be helpful.
I like EMGs, but I tend to forget to pull my guitar lead, so the battery ends up flat. I'd like the electronics to be able to sense if the guitar is not being used and switch themselves off to save the battery, but instantly turn them back on when the guitar is in use. That sounds much easier than training guitar players not to forget their lead. 😅
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Fabulous content! Facinating.
Okay buddy lol I’m gonna subscribe, and I’m not sure if you have merch but When it comes to EMGs I need to get a shirt :) do these guys have a merch line too?? And by the way dude this is really cool to see this, I had no idea this was such a not small operation but I figured this would be an enormous factory. It’s good to get the info of such an amazing product. Never know what goes into the making of these.
EMG were just the coolest with me when I needed some support. I don’t use their stuff all the time, but I will always recommend them based on customer service alone. Really great people.
That’s really good to hear. A lot of big companies don’t care anymore. Seems like a nice guy.
Thanks for sharing!!
I have to second this. Above and beyond is how I would describe EMGs customer service. 🤘
Spot on, When Ive reached out via phone before, it took no time, and someone picked up. That is a rarity these days. Their customer service is superb
I second this, a real person picks up the phone every time, they're both friendly and super knowledgeable and they get your issue sorted, no matter what it is! The 81 is the best metal pickup for me too, hands down.
EMG is the one of the last companies with pure and right philosophy about their products and their customers.
Just amazing💯
The EMG 81 has been my favorite metal pickup since forever. Thank you for the factory tour. 🤘🔥🎸
Rock on!
My favorite humbucker too!
Same!! Since 98 I have had one in my Jackson. And I just ordered 3 a while ago for my new guitar, 1 single coil EMG SA and Zack wylds licensed 81 and 85. This guitar is going to be incredible!! All EMGs and the best ones for metal and shredding. And probably instrumental ballads as well :)
"talk into it" reminded me of Hatfield laughing at the end of a recording of a song and laughed at the end and it went through the pickups
I love factory tours!
EMG revolutionized guitar pickups and they're not afraid to try something new, nice to see behind the scenes of that great company!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love EMG's in my early 90's ESP strat I bought year ago. Two SC and a '85. First time I use active pups and I'm not disappointed at all!
Awesome pickups and an awesome company! A lot of people don't know this but these pickups could actually save your life! Passive pickups ground off on the strings and then to you. Electricity wants to travel the path to least resistance to ground. An active EMG is a closed circuit that does not require ground wires. So the strings don't ground off on you!
I've been a dedicated EMG customer since 1995. Absolutely love em.
What an absolutely fascinating operation. Seems like a really nice atmosphere with the staff there. I grew up dreaming about owning real EMG's. When I got a guitar with humbuckers I stretched some electrical insulating tape to make it look like they were EMG's. Happy memories. Thanks for sharing the tour, very enjoyable to watch
Love the 81/85 pair. they're such great pickups. Their clarity through high gain is great for tight, fast metal riffs.
I kinda prefer the lower output ones but if you like the 81/85 you may want to consider going to higher voltage. Glenn Tipton had his on 18V for Painkiller and anything after that. Possibly before. I know his reverse Explorer by Hamer was running 18V from the start.
I have to say, EMGs were THE pickups of my teenage years. They made any guitar sound better than it ever had a right to. And, on one occasion, I had to request some parts that were missing in my ZW set, and they sent me ALL new pots, caps, ect. That kind of customer service just tells a guitarist like me that EMG actually cares about their customers. I kinda miss the soldering sets of the 90s, but I have an old set that will finally graduate to an Explorer after all these years, and I can’t wait or revisit EMGs!
When I was still in high school (1987) I converted my Squier Stratocaster to a SuperStrat using a chisel and files. Each pickup receive a mini-toggle so I could learn what each pickup sounded like. The EMG 81, the S, and the SA were then loaded into a custom built guitar with a single toggle, 81 or SA/S pair. This gave me fast access between my favorite two sounds and made possible playing Dokken Alone Again! These are old pickups with the wire molded into the housing, no quick connects. I’ve watched over the years as EMG continued to evolve, and can’t say enough good things about their single coil pickups, nice low noise, great sounding.
Thanks for the tour, folks. -Fan of many years.
John is such a great host. He always comes across as gracious and seems to put the people he interviews at ease. Thanks to both PG and EMG for a great tour!
he really gay
@@5barkerstreet I don't know about that, but he is super awkward and that comes across to make me uncomfortable. That stance with his arm holding his other arm across his body? John dude... get comfortable so I can be comfortable too.
@@MikeCarlyleWMass go check out his interview with Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein. When Doyle is being interviewed by other people, he is distant and just not into putting up with them. With John, he seemed to actually have respect for him and was very present, open and relaxed. John doesn’t make the interview about him even though he could probably outplay most of the guitarists he talks to. It’s nice to see a humble guitar nerd who is genuinely excited to be doing interviews.
John is like a big kid in a candy store in all these tours. I'm a fan!
John is well cool!
Awesome shop tour! My go to pickup since 1994. First one being an 89. Countless 81’s and 85’s, spent some time with the 57/66 set, now my favorite is the Hetfield bridge pickup.
EMG makes some of the best pickups on the market and no, they aren't just for metal. They are great for most styles of music, they retain clarity as the volume is reduced at the guitar, always hum-cancelling, no grounding needed, no signal loss with long cables (low-Z), wide range of models...what's not to love? I've used them since 1980, still do.
Way back in the 90s, I bought an EMG 89 to replace an 85 and give me a single coil option on the bridge position. Still playing it!
I may have stopped using EMG as ive come away from active pups but as a company when you need help these guys are unbeaten! Brilliant customer care and the product is great!
Crackin vid is this :)
You might try their passive ones, I have a set of H2's and they sound great.
You might try their passive ones, lots of options. I have the H2 set in a Epi Lee Paul, sounds great.
@@Nightwinflyer the passives could be a good shout, do like how well made EMG pups are made. Cheers for the suggestion :) will have a look for a set online :)
@@AnimalJohn85 You bet. I was torn between the more vintage H2 set (alnico neck, ceramic bridge) and the REV set (Prashant Aswani signature).
I have EMG’s in about 8 guitars. They are very consistent, low noise and reliable. Not to mention they sound great. Rob seems like a great guy and this was fascinating.
I put the Het Set into my 84 Explorer and it surprised me, although in hind sight it shouldn't have. I installed it all myself and it went flawlessly.
Incidentally, I got the first generation Het Set and the covers got a nice blueish/copperish patina on them that compliments my guitar.
Powerful and articulate, I was always a DiMarzio guy but I came around and enjoy EMG's in a couple of my guitars where aggression and focus are what is needed. They drove my amps hard and deliver great tone.
I've been using EMGs forever. Love how they play. I plan guitars to buy/build to try out different models. Finally put the parts together for a P bass last year with an EMG and an active EQ. Very nice.
Great seeing the factory and Rob!
Thank You,EMG!When I started learning to play guitar over 32 years ago,I had the worst pickup know to man,it was lifleless in my Charvel gunslinger,EMG was the only choice and it was one of the extremely very rare correct choices I made in my life at the time at 19,That EMG helped me become a guitar player, and I have and will continue to use EMG'S ,Forever grateful!
Isn't the Gunslinger a BC Rich?
@@fredericadda Could be...someone said that and I always just said it!
I would love to see Seymour Duncan, Larry DiMarzio and Rob Turner sit down and talk about pickups. There probably is a video with that, but that would be a cool thing to see if Premier Guitar wanted to do something awesome *nudge nudge*.
John you are the best at these. Your personality just let's people be themselves. I hope you do this for a long time
Amazing walk-through! Thanks John and Mr. Turner!
81 and 85 are the best I love you guys !! Nothing beats an EMG in my book, I mean some say it’s a typical sound but that really depends on the head and hear you have.
I started using the EMG 85 in the bridge in 1985. To this day, I am still using them. EMG's just work in many situations, I just prefer the Alnico for a bit of balls and growl.
I've got the Vince Gill setup and it's magic.
This is very cool, especially those custom machines. I love EMGs, got them in pretty much every guitar I own, passive and active.
The first time I played with EMG pickups, they were in a LTD guitar from around 2006 and after that my first guitar with EMG was a LTD EX360 (81/60) in 2010 and that was my main guitar for years. Now I have 3 guitars with EMG (2 from factory and 1 Les Paul I upgraded to Zakk Wylde's 81-85 kit).
Love EMG and will always use them. Thanks for the tour! Great video!
@dannfeltrin Was that a set neck explorer with a floyd (sinclair)?
@kastiaskinner2683 nope, it was the tone pro bridge similar to Les Pauls
@@dannfeltrin Gotcha. I asked because I have an Ex-350 that is set neck but the Sinclair. I think they only came in oxblood. It didn't have EMGs but I put 81/85 in it with 18v mod. I think it's little older than yours, early to mid 90's.
I've seen ex-400's with your setup.
Have you messed with the 81x or 85x? If so what did you think?
@@kastiaskinner2683I have both sets, the 81+85 and the 81+60. I like the 81+85 more, the 85 is slightly brighter than the 60
@kastiaskinner2683 yeah, I haven't tried the X version yet... Only the "normal" 81, 85 and 60
I love EMG pickups. Not only the sounds they make, but the ease and flexibility of installation. The solderless plug in cables and absurdly easy-to-follow wiring diagrams, are outstanding, and they're a lot cheaper than most of the competition, which only arrive with typically a couple of bare wires and no instructions. I bought a single fishman pickup for one bass I have. The pickup is (let's face it) utterly brilliant, but the installation requires some 20+ solder points and I had to write to Fishman to get a wiring diagram. EMG scores so much more highly on that front. The only thing I don't like about them is the mediocre knobs they come with. They should give the knobs the same finish as the pickup housing. But great to see how they're made. Thanks for the video!
I've just discovered the EMG signature HET James Hetfield humbuckers recently and I can confidently say they are the best pickups I've ever heard in 40yrs of playing every type of pickup.
Cool tour! I've been an EMG fan since I parked an '81 in my Kramer in 1986. I've owned many more since and now have the 81TW/89 set in a strat and it rocks.
What a great tour, as an engineer that has been with many startups, I can say that this is a great production line.......
In my heart, I believe EMG is still the best. In recent history, I took all the wiring out of my Les Paul Studio (the PCB board went bad), and I wired it up with a 57/66 set, and it was like the Les Paul was brought back to life. One of the best clean humbuckers I’ve ever heard.
EMG user since 1984, endorser since 2014. These days I’m mostly about the Geezer Butler P, but I have a couple active setups as well. I also have one of their soundhole acoustic guitar pickups and it’s fantastic. Great to see how Rob built up the company to such a high level and keeps it always relevant.
That GZR set is ridiculously good
Rob looks good! I hooked up with Rob and Gary somewhere around '82? They were having problems selling pickups because nobody had ever heard of them. The guitar magazine ads they ran were just awful. I was a graphic designer years before Apple changed our business with the early Macs, switching over from drawing ad designs and graphics by hand, to the massive change to digital everything. I interviewed with them, showed them my portfolio etc. About 6 months later they called me to look at some ad designs someone gave them for free and wanted to know my opinion of the ideas. I couldn't hold my tongue and told him it was all CR*P. Rob agreed. They paid me to do some ideas, and being a guitar player, I knew exactly what they needed. They liked the ideas and instead of them wasting piles of money on bad ideas and full page color ad space costs, came up with very simple quarter page ads in black and white. The ad featured a guitar pick with the EMG logo and the words "Take Your Pick" and a photo of the top of their typical black plastic pickup. If you called their phone numver, they would send you a catalog and their guitar pick. They ran the ads and the phone began ringing off the hook. Good thing, because even in Santa Rosa, nobody knew who they were. They were my client for about 12-16 years and I left California for Oregon, because I had a partnership offer up there. The funniest thing is that after 35 years as a designer, I got into making pickups myself and I fired my last client, Shrapnel Records and went full time with pickups. I ended up specializing in certain vintage pickups nobody had ever been able to copy. , I learned reverse-engineering the hard way, but was helped by materials experts in related corporations. Its been 22 years and have been featured in several guitar magazines and books and online. Back then I don't think Rob even wound pickups in house, they would get most of their work done in Korea. I don't miss Santa Rosa, they had a terrible gang problem and little kids were shooting eachother, I left there at a good time. Nice seeing how they've grown from the small operation they had when I was there. Doing their ads, catalog and NAMM show graphics was a lot of fun, nice memories......
My first experience with EMG pickups was when I purchased the Cort CR 300 LP which came with EMG Retroactive Fat 55 pickups. The sound was so heavenly when paired with my Laney tube amp! Later I added the following pickups for my other guitars: EMG 81/85, EMG James Hetfield set and EMG 57/66 set. My Schecter bass also came with EMG-HZ passive pickups.
Fat 55 are great I have them in an SC550+, I like it a lot more than the others. Although 67/55 can sound great, Richie Faulkner uses them on all his records and I think his tone is great. In studio it's a JCM800 and a 1959SLP and some drive in front
Interesting and informative. Thank for the tour. Nice to see how my pups are made.
Thanks for watching!
This is great, ive been fascinated by EMGs ever since i started playing 20 years ago and always hungry to see more insider info on how they are made.
And to echo lots of other comments yeah their customer service is top of the line, every time i order from them i usually have some questions and theyve been more than happy to offer opinions and suggestions towards how to get the best thing for my guitars. Plus the pickups have never disappointed me, always sound excellent and best of all NOISELESS. and I've tried a lot of their lineup by now. Highly recommended for any genre. I love how if you order a set of 2 you can choose whichever setup you want with no troubles (master volume+ master tone? Or 2 volumes.. either way no prob!). If you're ordering a set I also recommend their accessories like the phase switch to give you more tone options!
EMG are the best. I love my pickups I bought direct from them, and can confirm their customer service is second to none. My pickups arrived at Auckland Airport in NZ around 24 hours after I pressed the button to buy them. Installing them was easy, and they sound massive. These pickups need to be number 1 again. I much prefer them to Fishmans.
Emg fan boy here since the late 90's have 4 emg sets I'm about to install.
Great video. I put a set of EMG H4/H4A in a Schecter C-1 and I'm totally thrilled.
I love these types of videos. EMG has always been my favorite pickups.
Awesome! Love the "behind the scenes" stuff.
Love the 81/85 set in my Jackson! Every EMG has been get sounding and alot more dynamic than people expect to.
Forum nerds claiming EMGs are compressed are wrong. They just have more output and wider frequency response than your average passive. They're very dynamic. Arguably more dynamic than a passive because they have such a high signal to noise ratio. Plus the volume control is an actual volume control, that has no effect on tone like a passive setup, so backing off the volume just gives you the exact same signal at lower volume.
There's really nothing to dislike about them. They solve just about every problem with guitar pickups and electronics.
Cool video! Thanks guys. Really interesting to see different manufacturers build their products.
Glad you enjoyed it!
What a nice dude!
Another great Factory tour guys.
EMG sent me a needed part because I had an Ibanez S. Did not even ask for it. EMG will ALWAYS have my business for Active Pickups.
I have around 20+ sets of EMG pickups. I love each one of them. Thank you Rob.
Back in the 90s when i discovered Zakk Wylde in Ozzy Osbourns band, my first taste is when i heard the No More Tears album, i t was an eye opener for me to maybe get me playing serious and i had to look for those EMG pickups. I remember having a Les Paul before which i regret letting go. From that year i went on and off EMG and tried many pickups. Even got into the fishman which i really didnt like at all, lasted a few months. It was only last year when i started getting back to EMGs full time. It was like why did i stop using EMGs in the first place became it was the pickup that really made me happy. So i am never gonna stop using EMGs. And just to share it was only this year March when i got an email from EMG to be a start up artist which is an honor to be part of even though i am not a great guitar player or influential, but they were able to give out support to small time artists like me. EMG is simply the best. Oh yeah i love 81s, but now the 81-x is da shiznits!!!
It's quite fitting that the first thing you see on this video is the man that probably inspired a lot of us to get EMGs.
Excellent interview - good job!
I have just put T-system in my Squire Tele and it sounds amazing! I'm planning to switch all my guitars to EMG!
I have 5 guitars with EMG's. They are pretty good pickups. Iike them. My audio interface has an active/passive switch, so it brings out the best of whatever I throw at it.
One of my friends wife had bought him an Ibanez 7 string universe guitar in 97’ . Being an EMG aficionado and utilizing from early years , a set of 7 string was the most logical choice , right ?!
He contacted the company and asked if they were able to make the version he needed . One of the techs at the time had said he made a set of the 85/81 that would be what would now be known as the 707 before they were a thing for b string guitarist and their guitars . Had a black mirror pickguard for the EMG custom set , and had it assembled and it was off and running ! Clean it has a shimmering effect ,stable low acoustical quality that’ the 85/81 set is known for . No hiss or feedback ever ! Dirty sounds are precise and edgy while maintaining its Amazing mids , containable highs , and low frequency was balanced perfectly for the universe, and nailed its job with superb precision! This guitar is still in use at times , and is one of my most favorite guitars ever that he uses . I myself use a 707 in a Japanese 99’ Ibanez RG in the bridge . Never lets me down , and I can hear the clarity in every note , dirty or clean . EMG makes the impossible possible, anything else is an imitation of the master built quality that EMG has provided for almost 40 years ! Here’s to the next line of players and lovers of this amazing musical instrument unto itself
Great tour & video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I have a Gibson Les Paul Standard Raw Power that came with EMG 81,85 stock. Bought it in 2005 and recently changed them to Fat 55's Retroactive pickups for a more passive feel and Wow. Totally blown away by them. Fantastic pickups.
EMG is my fav sound, nice tour.
Awesome. I like that they make everything inhouse.
Recently put the (passive!) EMG Marty Friedman set in my SG, and now it positively screams. Awesome set! Love the good old 81/85 combo too.
simply amazing the machines in shops like this and just inside the manufacturing industry and industry lines in factories due to the resources and lack of computers to help create it all
Bought an 85 back in the 80's thanks to Lukather's REH video. It's been in every guitar I've ever owned, and it rages. Much more than a new 85
Rock on!
Once those contacts get broken off the epoxy brick, good luck digging it out... Made my evening with that broken off Galaxis Bass rail pickup contact, digging it out and trying to solder to something that's left was a PITA. I hope these metal pins go deep.
I have had EMG T's since the 80's on two different Tele's. The last Dire Straights album was 80% EMG's. Then there is Prince, Gilmore, and Gill. If anybody out there still has any doubt, then check out The Tragically Hip's first two albums. The albums are called "Up To Here" and Road Apples". They are all Tele and Strat EMG's. Songs to look fore are "New Orleans is Sinking", "Blow at High Dough", and "Little Bones". These pickups are dead quiet, pristine cleans (*because the active nature means that it is an input buffer built in), edge of break up is magic, hyper-visceral OD and Distortion, and sun exploding fuzzes. I have had them for 35 years with no interest in changing.
So I really appreciate this tour and seeing the process finally.
I have EMGs in my Spector bass. Love them
Outstanding product and company.
This is the most awesome thing ever
Awesome! Thanks!
Not a fan of his products but what a nice guy and great inventor. Its always amazing to see these guys from the 70s who wanted to revolutionize the instrument.
Awesome tour!!!
Could you make a tour Harmory Guitars in Kalamazoo, Michigan please?
Good luck too. Well deserved success.
Oh Yeah! 🙌
love my EMG 81/85 on my jackson soloist with 24v mod.
I think my SA EMG came from the factory so I might have even talked to one of the people there and not even known it. He was mad cool
EMG's are great! Still waiting for the solderless panel/barrel jack. Rob?
The 81/85 set rules. The Zakk Wylde set. Awesome.
I have a TX set the in my Tele with an SPC control (like from the Gilmour set) instead of tone knob. It’s epic. I also put a set of their passive Revelation pickups in my Charvel. They epic too. 😀👍
I am really happy with my 81/85 set in an old ibanez.. A better guitar now.. thanks Premier Guitar for the tour
Great to hear!
I've known Rob since the very early 70's. I met him at Long Beach City College. Some of the first pickups he made were put in my guitars way before EMG was in business. One of the first was in my 1960 Les Paul Jr. DC when we were at LBCC. Fast forward almost 50 years later and I'm still using them. I've always paid for them, even in the beginning, that way when I suggest them it's because I use them. I was a professional guitarist for more than 40 years before I had to retire due to medical issues about 10 years ago so I can tell you that these pickups hold up with the test of time.
I wish they still made the old style EMG-H with embossed molded cover. That was the best pickup I've ever heard
Pink Floyd's David Gilmour used EMG pickups on the Pulse live concerts, and they can be heard used by Steve Rothery on many of the classic Marillion albums - and they sound beautiful.
Timeless classics!
EMG909 is my favourite pickup ❤
Got the 81/85 back when it was the craze. Still like them after decades of "evolution".
I've loved and enjoyed emg 81s and 60s since the 90s...its 2024 and both of my main guitars are emg systems...if you can't get a tone from an emg. It's not the pick ups fault.
I remember the EMG man comin to the music store I worked at, it was 81 or 82?
Their pitch was all about the radio stations in downtown chicago playin through guitar amps in the clubs. EMG rejects radio signals that was their whole purpose.
Rad factory tour!
now my LTD tele installed emg 81 ftw, sound huuuugeeee! 🤘
EMG are awesome 👌
I first see this brand because of Metallica . Always liked that solid looking pickup . And thought it would make me play metal like a machine !
Turns out , the clean sounds from an EMG inspired me just as much as the distortion .
Love my EMG pickups! So cool seeing them getting filled with epoxy.
Cool! I think thats the first time I’ve had images of Hetfield, King and Wylde flashed before my eyes while some Coldplay b-side type thing plays…
Love EMGs the shipping can be painful but if im gonna change my pickups its gonna be EMG.
I just hope they keep Alexis pickups available forever
I can relate to the engineering procedure. The electronic part of active pickups is cryptic. Lol. My Japanese Jackson strat has active pickups and they rule.. More about the preamps would be helpful.
Looks like they have the right tools on the right places. No showing off.
Lol I see the found the only prescription for the rampant fever that was going around…12:59
…I gotta have more 🐮🛎️ baby!
I like EMGs, but I tend to forget to pull my guitar lead, so the battery ends up flat. I'd like the electronics to be able to sense if the guitar is not being used and switch themselves off to save the battery, but instantly turn them back on when the guitar is in use. That sounds much easier than training guitar players not to forget their lead. 😅
I set up one guitar with a switch that would turn on the pickups with a red led to remind me that it was on.
Amazing how many pickups they can put out in a day.
I love EMG