Magnets: Consider what part of your tone you want to highlight. Alnico magnets tend to be warmer and darker in nature, while ceramic magnets tend to have a more aggressive high end and tighter lows. Pickups made with Ceramic & Steel tend to be a bit warmer than ceramic-only pickups, with a more pronounced mid-range. Magnet style also plays a role, bar magnets tend to offer more sustain while pole pieces add to the articulation.
Preamp: EMG offers both passive and active pickups. Within our active pickup offering there are three different styles of preamps; EMG’s Original Recipe, X-Series and Retro Active
ORIGINAL RECIPE: This preamp style is what you are probably most familiar with, this is the preamp inside the 81/85/60 and bass models like the PJ/J/35DC models. These pickups are defined by their consistency, cleanliness and low noise. The pickups were first designed by Rob Turner in the late 70’s and have remained the most popular.
X SERIES: Most of the original recipe pickups are now offered with the X Series style preamp. This preamp is similar to the original design but offers more headroom, a more dynamic and “open” response from the pickup. X Series pickups are best used in conjunction with the “VLPF” or “Active Tone Control” that come with the pickups. The VLPF is designed to roll-off (attenuate) high frequencies, similar to a typical passive tone control. The result is a noiseless pickup that closes the gap between active and passive.
RETRO ACTIVE: The newest of the EMG preamp designs is the Retro Active. Using a completely different style preamp than anything EMG has designed before; this new design offers the most passive feel of any active pickup in the industry. The preamp design offers the benefit of a low-impedance output; virtually no hum or added noise but with a classic look and feel that makes you question whether you are playing active or passive.
