EMG, Inc.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
EMG, Inc. is the current legal name of the company with seat in Santa Rosa, California, started in 1976 manufacturing guitar pickups, which have always been called EMG pickups. "EMG" stands for "Electro-Magnetic Generator". The company was originally called "Dirtywork Studios"; this name was changed to "Overlend" in 1978, and then to the current name in 1983.
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[edit] Overview
EMG has over the years garnered a reputation as the most popular manufacturer of active pickups for electric guitars. Their pickups are standard equipment on some high-end models from guitar manufacturers such as ESP Guitars and Jackson Guitars. EMG active pickups tend to have much higher output than passive pickups of similar design because of the on-board preamp. The high output has made them popular with hard rock and heavy metal guitarists because they overdrive the input stage of guitar amplifiers more dramatically than a lower output pickup could.
In addition to pickups, EMG inc also have a line of guitar/ bass accessories, mainly for altering the guitars EQ settings, and designed to work with EMG pickups. This can be seen in companies such as Schecter, who ship almost all of their basses with EMG EQ shaping circuitry,
Players and bands who use or endorse EMG pickups include Southern Hostility, Cannibal Corpse, Nickelback, Tom Morello, John Campbell, David Gilmour, Steve Lukather, Reb Beach, Prince, Metallica, Slayer, Machine Head, Metallist, Les Claypool,Kurt Ballou,Zakk Wylde, KMFDM, Dave Kushner, eX CaVe, Judas Priest, Deftones, Dir en grey, Rammstein, Killswitch Engage, Trivium, Still Remains, Claudio Sanchez, Vince Gill, Evergrey, Slipknot, Dethklok, The Bleach Boys and Gamma Ray, amongst many others.
It should be noted that EMG active pickups (Such as the 81) are filled with black epoxy, which disperes if the cover is pryed off/removed, thus destroying the pickup coil. It is unknown whether this is a gimmick or to prevent companies such as Seymour Duncan (With their rival Blackout range) from copying EMG's winding etc.
[edit] Active EMGs - Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages
- Because of their incredibly high output, active EMGs are ideal choices for heavy metal and hard music in general. They have a warm and rich tone when used without distortion, being good choices for other music styles as well.
- Their output blends extremely well with alder, maple or mahogany -- three of the most common wood types in guitar building.
- Because it's fully shielded outside, the EMG pickup prevents dirt, dust and sweat from going inside.
- It's by far the most silent pickup on the market. Depending on the amplifier, effects and overall setup, players may not even need any type of noise gate to filter the sound.
- They're really easy to install after a bit of research thanks to the "Quick Connect" cables.
Disadvantages
- Active EMG pickups catch the string vibrations more than passive pickups, creating excessive oscillation with open notes. This problem is particularly noticeable on guitars equipped with the Floyd Rose tremolo. Active EMGs enhance the vibration created by the tremolo springs and all the metal parts working together on a Floyd Rose, creating a dirtier sound. This issue is clearly shown on a YouTube video titled "Jackson King V vs. ESP MII Guitar Comparison." Active EMGs perform better on guitars with fixed bridges.
- They're expensive, and most luthiers will charge a substantial fee to install them. It's recommended to buy guitars that already come with active EMGs rather than paying for post-factory installation.
[edit] Product Range
EMG Inc have two distinct product ranges; EMG (standard series), with its respective sub categories, and EMG Select (branded as 'Select, designed by EMG').
[edit] EMG (standard)
These are the 'flagship' pickups developed and distributed by EMG as high quality, pro choice pickups. Made in the USA, these pickups are the items of choice for many musicians from Metal to Jazz genres. All are active pickups, except for the HZ series.
[edit] Select Pickups
The Select series (sold as 'Select, designed by EMG') is the low cost, entry level pickup version of the EMG standard series. They are similar in design to the EMG standard series, but with less precise manufacturing, lower quality materials, and a slightly different design. All the pickups in this series are passive.
