best pickups for a floyd rose

[kharvelan]

I've read online about problems using emgs (talking about the active 81 and 85s) with floyds, (specifically sustain issues and tone loss).

I'm looking at upgrading my schecter damien FR with pickups and don't want to throw emgs in it and be sad I did.

I'm asking all of you who use floyds, what pickups do you prefer? I want something with similar gain to emgs, this will be a dual humbucker configuration (active or passive is fine). Any youtube (or other vids) that show tone differences you can link would be great as well. Rock on fellow Marshall users and thanks in advance!

 

[amplifier]

You'll get more sustain using actives than passives. Being active the pickups are super sensitive to any vibration. The biggest problem I've had was that it was picking up the tremolo springs in the back of my guitar after putting my hand across the strings to shut them up. This was after swapping them formerly using passives that didn't have that problem on the same guitar. That was annoying but easily fixed with tape holding the springs together.

Usually there is no problem and the rewards are well worth it. I did an a/b comparison with passives and actives and to my surprise the actives had a much MUCH smoother breakup than passives dispite the higher output on the actives, I have no idea why and I was expecting the opposite. The clarity was also much better. I did this with humbuckers and single coils and the results were the same.

 

[kharvelan]

That's good info, I'd heard that the higher gain from the actives coupled with the more powerful magnets in emgs could cause breakup to get muddy when using floyds. I may just toss another 81/85 set in the floyd and see how it plays, I just hate to spend 200 bucks and then not be happy with the results.

How did you tape the springs? I've never heard of this, can you supply a pic so I get an idea what you did?

 

[RachelMorgan]

* Get a Tremlo-no. You can thank me later.

* I have a Duncan Blackout in the bridge of my Alexi. Another player I know has a DiMarzio activator there. The Alexi has a FR trem. No problems with sustain. There's a tonal difference.

I like the Blackouts better than the EMGs which came stock on my Schecter Hellraiser (which now has a JB/'59 set). I found the EMGs kinda lifeless. Not so with the Duncan Blackouts. I have played on a BC Rich Mockingbird (with all the switches) that had Dimarzio actives. Nice tone there, too.

 

[Plankenstien]

I've got a set of EMG '81 & '85 (Zakk Wylde set) in a OLP MFF1. Can't realy say that i've had any problems with tone loss or sustain issues, if anything it has improved both sustain and tone (that's just my view others may disagree).

I have seen that the high end Jackson guitars use EMG pickups, so i think if there was any major issues with them that they would not be used. One thing i could sugest is to try a guitar with a floyd and EMGs in it.

 

[st.bede]

I will say I do not have a lot of experence with tremlo bars but,

the PU I have and use and love are: jason lollars (changed my life), WCR, and I am getting a set of WBs (people sware by them but, I have not had a chance to give them a try yet)....just throwing some stuff out for you to take a look at....those all include HBs

 

[amplifier]

That's good info, I'd heard that the higher gain from the actives coupled with the more powerful magnets in emgs could cause breakup to get muddy when using floyds. I may just toss another 81/85 set in the floyd and see how it plays, I just hate to spend 200 bucks and then not be happy with the results.

How did you tape the springs? I've never heard of this, can you supply a pic so I get an idea what you did?

EMG's have LESS magnetism than passives. They don't get muddy, the distortion is well defined on mid to high gain settings, however they breakup faster than passives on cleaner settings due to the higher output. A good way around that is the 81 tw. Personally I can get good clean sounds from the 81's with a few eq tweaks but it would suck if you have a shared eq in which case I'd get the 81 tw.

You can just as easily wedge a bit of foam on or under the springs. I used tape because I didn't have any foam at the time. It's very easy, just slap it on and scew the cover back on.

 

[spaceforlease]

im still not convinced that EMGs are more lifeless than passives like dimarzio or duncan

well... steve vai used tissue to cover up the sound from the springs.

 

[sojatriani]

The EMGs are cool, they are THE metal pickup, I have them on my RG550 with a Floyd and they do fine. Compared to my JB in the Les Paul the EMGs are a little cleaner, more defined and more compressed. They sound the same no matter how you strike the string and the louder you play , the better they are. If you do the 18v mod, they strait up sizzle. I prefer passives for touch and feel stuff but for hard, palm muted, screaming lead stuff, EMGs or Blackouts sound awesome. The Dimarzio D-Activators are good, not as good as actives and not a great passive, kinda stuck in the middle, but good still. I only play the EMGs like twice a month, That said, I will always prefer noisy, weak single coils.
Lifeless is just an opinion, if metal is life to you ,they are full of life, if Eric Johnson is your man, they may sound a little lifeless. All in the ear of the individual.

 

[spaceforlease]

becker is my man!

 

[Unknown3]

I have Seymour Duncans on my guitar. Of course, the tremolo is only a floyd rose licensed (by jackson), but nevertheless, I think it has some great sustain.

My Epiphone Les Paul Standard has also a lot of sustain for that matter - which is surprising, considering its cheapness

 

[sojatriani]

becker is my man!

Becker is insane!!! Albert Lee too!!!

 

[HOT TUBES 70]

seymour duncan JB in the bridge , the worlds largest selling humbucker for a reason.
IMO.

 

[pinto79]

I've been using a Duncan PATB-1 in one of my Roadstars and a Duncan Crazy 8 (Custom Shop) in my Saber for a while now. Both have Edge Tremolos (FR Licenced) and sounds great. Full and dynamic with lots of sustain.

My RG750 with a DiMarzio Mega Drive sounds awesome too.

I've used EMG 81s with Floyds in past with success too.

JB + Trem = Fail IMO. I've only ever had a JB sound good in a Poplar short scale Strat.

 

[HOT TUBES 70]

I've been using a Duncan PATB-1 in one of my Roadstars and a Duncan Crazy 8 (Custom Shop) in my Saber for a while now. Both have Edge Tremolos (FR Licenced) and sounds great. Full and dynamic with lots of sustain.

My RG750 with a DiMarzio Mega Drive sounds awesome too.

I've used EMG 81s with Floyds in past with success too.

JB + Trem = Fail IMO. I've only ever had a JB sound good in a Poplar short scale Strat.

wow!!! i got a kramer beretta w/ a floyd and a jb and it sounds pretty good.
it sounds as good as some of my jacksons i had years ago.

 

[sojatriani]

wow!!! i got a kramer beretta w/ a floyd and a jb and it sounds pretty good.
it sounds as good as some of my jacksons i had years ago.

Is that Kramer Basswood. My JB sounds dang good in my Basswood RG550 with the Original Floyd Rose.... In my LP it was too dark, Mahogany body I'm sure, the Dimarzio SD sounds great in the LP.

 

[HOT TUBES 70]

Is that Kramer Basswood. My JB sounds dang good in my Basswood RG550 with the Original Floyd Rose.... In my LP it was too dark, Mahogany body I'm sure, the Dimarzio SD sounds great in the LP.

its from the 80s , i don't really know for sure its a american beretta
countless guys played them then , mick mars , ritchie sambora , etc
but it still sounds good to me , original floyd rose bridge !!
and its white!!!!

 

[bigdawgnate]

well i have a kramer 5150 replica and i think with the floyd in it the seymour duncan jb is a really good choice, also you can never go wrong with a 498t or r or watever gibson bridge those are sweet!!!

 

[poeman33]

I had a Kramer Baretta in the 80's that I used as my main guitar. It had only one pickup originally, and it was a Schaller I believe. Supposedly a guitar designed for/by EVH according to the ads at the time. Alone that pickup sounded great with the Floyd and a Marshall. I added a Dimarzio HS-1 in the neck to get the single coil sound and a switch to combine the two. On the one guitar I have now with a Floyd I have a Seymour Duncan Custom 5 Trembucker and Fender SCN's. It's not overly hot, just a nice full sound.

 

[HOT TUBES 70]

well i have a kramer 5150 replica and i think with the floyd in it the seymour duncan jb is a really good choice, also you can never go wrong with a 498t or r or watever gibson bridge those are sweet!!!

quick story:
we took the stock gibson 498 out of a les paul and put them in a
epiphone les paul , and they sounded the same in both guitars
i swear it made that epiphone sound just like the 3000$ les paul
and i was not the only one who thought the same , it shocked me
that the tone was so good from the epi , makes you wonder ??