EMG Pickups - Possible to install in a Jemdbk

kylemac · #1 08-05-2001, 01:56 AM

Is it possible to install the EMG-84 pickups as the bridge and neck humbuckers in an ibanez jem7dbk. *If so will they still produce a good sound or will it conflict with the jem body and tone in anyway? *Thank you!

kylemac · #2 08-05-2001, 02:12 AM

And im replying to myself...........sorry i had a typo i meant EMG-81 pickups not 84 sorry. *thanks again.
* * * * * * *-Kyle

P.S. What kind of pickups does vai use on the recordings of bad horsie and erotic nightmares, those songs have some good crunch in them, just not the EMG style zakk wylde ultimate crunch i might try to install.

Patrick Deno · #3 08-05-2001, 07:07 AM

You can install 81s in a 7DBK but might I make a suggestion? It sounds like you want ultimate shred so try something else before you have to make a bunch of mods to the guitar. Try a Dimarzio Steve's Special first. I dumped one in the bridge position of my 7DBK and have never looked back. This guitar is a monster now and my main axe. You'll get that gawd chunk without the extra noise and trouble of EMGs.

my .02$ worth.

LJ

wilch · #4 08-05-2001, 07:21 AM

i'd mod my amp first, or tweak my preamp settings, or get a better pre amp before I changed the breeds.

I dunno. The breeds through my setup can go from sweet singing, to Nevermore chug on the low E rhythmic type stuff.

I've never found pickups to make a guitar "sound" more suited to metal. Unless your going from a low output crappy pickup to a high output one.

either way... that's just my opinion. I could be totally wrong.

But I'm sure you'd be able to fit the emg's in there with some funky wiring.
wil..

(Edited by wilch at 10:22 pm on Aug. 5, 2001)

chromeboy · #5 08-05-2001, 01:47 PM

Hi Kyle,

Have you tried the EMG-81's? I am trying to dump my ESP that came with 81's. To me they have no low end, I play it though a 5150 and it's real "raspy", then I plug *my JEM10 or Wolfie into the 5150, and with passive pickups they blow away the EMGs.

I'd try LJ's suggestion...the Steve's special.

Good luck.

kylemac · #6 08-06-2001, 12:46 AM

The steve's special pickups sound interesting. *Only one problem, my guitar was factory ordered with EVO's because i really liked them when i played the jem7vwh but i didnt want to spend the money for a 7vwh. *What would a steves special in the bridge or x2n in the bridge with the evo at the neck sound like? *Like warmness and loudness or whatever. *Also i just had a big problem, today.....sunday, with the guitar. *The wire that connects the 5th position on the selector switch to the pickups either shorted out or has a bad connection as it no longer works. *I took apart the guitar and saw that a red wire is not completely soldered so that might be the problem, but ive had a history of destroying things trying to solder them, so im just gonna take it to a guy i know and put in a new pickup configuration, id like to keep one of the evo's, probably at the neck, any suggestions for what i should put at the bridge for a nice loud sound, ozzy osbourne, steve vai, slash, metallica type sound? *(or should i just keep the evo's for that?) *Thanks a lot for your help! *-Kyle

kent · #7 08-06-2001, 05:09 AM

I agree with Wilch about working on the amp end of your sound first.

Having said that, I have to tell you that I have a Jem loaded with all EMGs and it will certainly get the sound you're describing. I've got two EMG 89s (the dual sound model) and an SA in the middle. I also have a five way "super switch" that turns on a preamp when my guitar is in the 2 and 4 position to boost the sparkling strat sound of those positions and keep those settings from losing their volume. I've been using EMGs for over 12 years so for me it's a great setup and I know exactly what it can and cannot do.

Chronic pickup switching can be very frustrating and while it sometimes seems like a relatively easy and cheap way to quickly alter your sound, it can prove costly and time consuming. On the other hand, if you do have time an money, pick the one artist you really want to emulate and start building a copy of their rig. If it's Zakk Wylde, get a Marshall and a Les Paul with EMGs, grow out your hair and drink alot of beer.

Good luck.

Angelos · #8 09-03-2001, 10:55 AM

Hi Kent,

I was thinking about putting EMG's to my Jem, the exact setup you describe without the booster.

Did you have to physically modify the guitar; ie drill holes or extra space for battery etc ? or it was a direct replacement ?

Why did you choose to replace the original pickups ?

Give me a clue ...

YngVaiTriani · #9 09-03-2001, 11:47 AM

Breeds are heavier than EVOs?

kent · #10 09-03-2001, 05:04 PM

I have used EMGs for a very long time in many different guitars so I always know what to expect from them and how to tweak my amp to get whatever sound I need; from very heavy to sparkling clean. I have had the best luck with the 85s or 89s (an 85 with coil splitting capablilities) as humbuckers and the SA for single coil along with the EXG preamp. As far as the modifications to my Jem, I can't really remember what had to be done specifically but the guitar wizard who works on my stuff keeps great records and if you email him I'm sure he would send you specifics of what he did. His name is Ron Pace and his email is axmaster@mindspring.com. If you have trouble getting hold of him let me know and I will get you the info as soon as possible. The thing I like the best about my current setup is that I can switch from the humbuckers to the out of phase Strat type sound with very little drop in volume as in the original pickup configuration. Also that Strat type sound is great and can be dialed in with the tone control. Let me know if you need any other assitance or have any other questions.

7 Dying Trees · #11 09-04-2001, 06:41 AM

For EMG's you are going to need different amp settings, as they do boost a lot of frequencies! For the rest, I'd say go for it!

Get yourself an 81(bridge), and SA(or SAV) middle and an 89 for the neck. The 89 has a split coil and is cool! The wire them up in any way you like (although the bridge+neck does give a very sweet sound for soloing).

I'd go with kent's recomendation, but I would put an 81 in the bridge position, I tried an 85 there and really didn't like the sound. It was much nicer (warmer) in the neck position.

YngVaiTriani · #12 09-04-2001, 08:46 PM

How do the EVOs in your 555 compare to the Breeds in your 7DBK?

KYLEMAC - How did that route with your Lo Pro in your 555 go? Is it playing as nice as your 7DBK in terms of trem work and string tension???????

Angelos · #13 09-06-2001, 08:09 AM

Kent: Why did you choose to change original pickups with EMG ? Please drop me a few words, your opinion may be valuable to me.

kent · #14 09-06-2001, 02:37 PM

I have used EMGs for a really long time and I always know what to expect from them. At this point, any passive pickup, including the Dimarzios which came in my Jem, sound completely dull to me or have an EQ spike that I have to deal with no matter how I set my amp. For humbuckers, the EMG 85 produces all of the frequencies I need to shape my sound with my amp. I don't want a pickup that adds distortion or gain or eq. I'm talking about the 85 or 89 EMG humbucker, not the 81. There are people who love the 81 because it does get a great super-gain, over the top Zakk Wylde type sound but I find the 81 to be a little harsh after a while. With the 85 and some amp tweaking I feel I can still get the squealing harmonic properties of the 81, but with the 85 it is much easier to control and to dial it out if I don't want it.

As far as the EMG single coils, especially the SA; they are the perfect single coil sound. I have used them alone or with the EMG EXG onboard preamp and they always sound like heaven to me. Just listen to the clean tones of Vince Gill or David Gilmore and you'll know what I mean.