EMG J Set

i ordered these off of stevesmusiccenter.com since guitar center only had the p-bass pickups for some reason but steves music center was great fast shipping good price. i think it was around 120 for the whole thing.

these pickups rule. they sound so much better than the old standard fender pickups. the slap tone is so much better. and they are very quiet even with the treble all the way up. with the old fender pickups if you put the 2 pickups at different volume than there would be alot of noise not so with the EMGs. They complement my badass II bridge very well. installation was fairly easy. the quick connect cables help a whole lot. the soldering is easy.

string squeak seems louder. be sure you have a semi-nice bass alreay because they still wont make a $80 bass sound amazing, better yes, but still not as good as they could sound

quality pots. easy to install.no problems whatsoever.

they are the best things ever. my bass inclding all the upgrades costs about $550 i think it sounds better than the $2000 pedulla i played at guitar center.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I ordered this kit to replace the micro microphones of my age of 79 Jazz Bass Fernandes. It contains two active pickups, electronics dedicated to EMG is passive (vol / vol / tona), cables (note that the new EMG wiring system consists of sheets to be connected, no welding to do so), and that the various pieces of hardware (screws, etc. ...)).

The installation is very simple, the pattern is clear and offers a variety of cabling schemes by type of mail you want to install on his bass, you install the various parts carefree individual.
Where it gets complicated, it is for cable micro passages, if you like me a vintage bass, where cable ducts are not huge, an expansion is necessary, prepare your spins and other small drills, there will be a lot of work (for me, 1 / 4 of an hour to see the passage of the neck pickup to spin, 2 days for pickup by going there, little by little with a drill so as not to ruin all) .

After wiring is done, just to screw the pickups we realize that:

1 - The screws are of poor quality, even with a precision screwdriver and go without a nag, the screw heads and threads are deteriorating at great speed, so I have transferred to put the screws my old microphone instead, which are much better.

2 - Once engaged, the microphones are the same size, so I cut two small patches of moss that I placed under the microphones in order to raise the bridge pickup, and down the neck pickup.

As for electronics, if you like me a bass, with no plate to access the mail through the back of the bass, you'll have a little trouble to cram all cables, including saw the place that the battery, but with a little patience you get there
One note also, I could not put my pickguard, pickups are apparently larger and no longer match the shores of a Jazz Bass Pickguard Japanese model. The table of my bass is not shamefully dug at the neck pickup like most new productions Fender, I can play without the pickguard.

In sound, used to the original pickups with coil Copper "trapped" under a layer of paraffin (like the early Fender pickups), Growl Vintage big, fabulous grain, but obvious loss of power due to their age, I ' says he was a little disappointed at first EMG, more typical bass / lower midrange, I had the distinct impression of losing all the sonic character of my bass, to the benefit of a more powerful, easily piercing the mix.
After fine tuning the height of the pickups, the bridge and my amp, the EMG's were finally able to show their full potential.
The sound is a little less vintage, but what a punch! Bright and clean throughout the spectrum, big niaque, the microphones respond to all small loads, and have the ability to drill clean EMG easily mix.

Final verdict, it is unfortunate little trouble finding the EMG in France, in most cases it is necessary to turn to our friends at Thomann. The price is right given the content of the kit. With hindsight, and not having had the opportunity to try something new, I think I would do anyway that choice to the views of product qualities. If I had a JB rosewood fingerboard, mine a maple fingerboard, I turned over to the home kit JVX EMG which I think will be most suitable.
If I had a PB, I turned to Seymour Duncan certainly more, but that's another story =)!

Although I have this kit installed on my home warwick thumb NT 1988 bought second hand in early July.

I was able to compare with my warwick corvette std 5 string it rise in MEC.

First I find myself with the active / active (more microphones prémap) while my corvette is passive / active (passive pickups and active electro).

Basically I noticed that the egm least grumble, growl, and are less aggressive than the MEC. This is where I saw how a CME were related to the "modern" of Warwick.

However, the EMG also have their strengths. Already they are more dynamic, the slap is a real dream, can have afford to have an action (very) low because they demand it. Then we pierced the mix much more easily, the bass is present without being intrusive.

They allow full control of his game really very accurate or too much for some but I who am in the metal stack is what I was looking, of Swiss watchmaking.

After in terms of low BEAD I am and it goes without any worries.

At first I thought they were cooler than the CME, in fact they are sharp ... make their way through the mix.

Really very very good mics but if I want a really aggressive and that his discontent with my corvette when MEC is doing even better.

I think Warwick should have let some of its emg low and would not pass only because MEC has emg's really the ball.

Mounted from one month on an old Yamaha 5-string passive BBN5 up microphones origin.
I hesitated between EMG and a set of Seymour Duncan AJB5s but to get them was the cross and the banner. As there was some good advice on EMG and I'm looking for a modern sound, I went in spite of my string spacing at bridge 74mm (EMG specifies a limit to 70mm, I took the risk.)
The best part is the clean sound, no hum and breath.
Micro set to 4 mm ropes, the least serious is that the SI cut a little too high. The sound is clear is defined, but you need to boost the 32/38Hz 4 or 5 dB for the lower of the lowest notes (5-string) as deep as those of the rope Mi
With the experience I referre the same choice as for a low EQ is perfectly correct. And as the sound is pure and defined it not blur the very bottom.
I would love to see how it says the sound Seymour Duncan.
In sound, well it does not transfigure the timbre of the bass (I stayed in electronic passive pickups are active only), cons but the sound is better defined, more dynamic, the largest output level. The slapping no longer claim to boost the treble EQ (you win at the breath) and cons do not hesitate to cut with the presence Knob tone if you search for a more serious / medium frets without noise or fingerprints. It's just calibrated properly. Tone cut, bridge pickup and neck pickup to the bottom half I sound Stu Zender about Too young to die. Not bad for a low $ 200 + mics ....
All microphones and background tone I can thoroughly slapper with his hyper modern and defined, which may irritate some. But good for a bass without EQ active, it can hardly be more versatile.