Let me tell you how much I love my love my new EMC SPC mod

mdlestat · March 3, 2011

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But seriously, I think it's one of the best mods I could have made.

To clarify, it's an EMC Strat Presence Control, installed to control my newly-installed SB Alnico II Pro in the neck of my MIM Strat.

The module is powered by a 9v, and adds several inches to your manhood*. It's like adding a buttery-smooth variable magnifying glass to all the good sounds of the pickup.

I have no capacity to record and share, so you just have to take my word for it.

Hat tip to Caev for the suggestion-- the extended wait was worth it.

PS-- evidently there is a limited batch of bad modules that made it out into the wild. The first one I ordered was bad- it would feedback with a squeal/shriek when turned up. My installer has been in communication with EMG's factory service man, who is aware of the problem, and was excellent to deal with- he sent a replacement with a return envelope for the bad one. EMG deserves a hi-5 for their customer service. They have earned a lifetime fan and customer

* figuratively, of course

Caevan O'Shite · March 3, 2011

Gladja likedatt, mdlestat!

I knewed yew wood...

mdlestat · March 4, 2011

More people should listen to you Caev-- it's like a new guitar

pinkjimiphoton · March 4, 2011

these guys also had a nice active mid control, i put one in my shell pink strat in the bottom tone slot..battery lasts forever, and it's a gas to be able to sweep the mids, from fat and buttery to almost acoustic like. pretty cool.

especially for the price..

but all i saw there was this thing:

http://www.dragonfireguitars.com/index.php?cPath=24

no idea if it's useful or not.

pinkjimiphoton · March 4, 2011

this is actually the thing i used...now guitar fetish sells them.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Clapton-Woman-Tone-Onboard-Vintage-Booster-Circuit-F04-/390072593028?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item5ad2236a84

Caevan O'Shite · March 5, 2011

I must say, though, that I prefer the EMG SPC due to its smooth, un-hyped, natural tone and feel; you'd never suspect that a 9v battery was involved, it never sounds 'electronic' or 'effecty', it's subtle enough yet effective, and works beautifully for clean tones as well as with overdrive, distortion, and fuzz. Very low-noise, too!

pinkjimiphoton · March 5, 2011

i'll have to check one out...do they mess with the feel the way emg pickups do? i had a nice les paul back in the 80's, a showcase edition with two of them in it, it used to make me crazy...i loved the guitar, but it was like wearing tight shoes, tonally..the response and "bloom" i was used to were like, non-existant and i've avoided emg's ever since.

mdlestat · March 5, 2011

You know how, when you're taking off in an airplane and your ears feel the pressure dropping, and everything gets muted?

And then your ears 'pop', and everything sounds vibrant and real again?

That's the SPC.

There is NOTHING artificial sounding about this circuit. It just brings the tone to life. I've also found that it scales marvelously through the range-- it it remarkable, and a pleasure to play with.

pinkjimiphoton · March 5, 2011

i wish my ears still popped, lol...they can't, sucks...

google up meniere's disease...in my case it's from over exposure to crazy sound pressure levels..but i can dig what you're explaining, thanks...

but...does it mess with the feel the way the pickups do?

Caevan O'Shite · March 5, 2011

There is NOTHING artificial sounding about this circuit. It just brings the tone to life. I've also found that it scales marvelously through the range-- it is remarkable, and a pleasure to play with.

Exactly. Works great with most passive pickups, as well as the active EMG's it was designed to go with; runs on a 9v battery.

Unfortunately, EMG's fantastic EXG "Guitar Expander" module, which sculpts your tone by scooping-out mids and boosts bass and treble as you turn it up, will NOT work with passive, non-EMG pickups, according to EMG's 'site. Otherwise it makes an EXCELLENT pairing in tandem with the SPC. Note that David Gilmore of Pink Floyd has both the SPC and EXG on his EMG loaded Strats.

pinkjimiphoton · March 5, 2011

gotta love david's tone...maybe the single coil emg's sound better than the 'buckers. like i said, it's been years, so maybe my tastes have changed...but back then, i didn't like them at all.

thanks for the headsup guys! righteous...

and with endorsements from cats like you, i'll take your word!

Caevan O'Shite · March 5, 2011

Oh, overall, I prefer "standard", classic passive pickups; the active EMG's DO have their good points, but I wouldn't want my one-and-only or desert-island guitar to have 'em.

pinkjimiphoton · March 6, 2011

to me, the best sounds in the world are still the bell-tone of a strat neck pickup, the twangy spank of a tele bridge,

and the crunchy goodness of a paf...other than those three, it's all just icing.

Caevan O'Shite · March 6, 2011

Nice thing about that SPC, is it kinda has some of all of that in there, or at least will work very well with any of those cited pickup types and tones...

They (EMG) originally designed it to take their alnico SA single-coil sized pickups, and boost the output, mids and some lows while simultaneously subtly rolling back the highs, so as to make it sound a bit like it morphed into a vintage-y P.A.F. style humbucker by the time the SPC control was turned all the way up. They did a GREAT job on it; and it even sounds good on a full-sized humbucker, too.

The EXG control that I mentioned (that unfortunately WON'T work with passive pickups) does a sort of "bell-tone" treble- and bass-boost while scooping out some mids at the same time as it's turned up.

Caevan O'Shite · August 10, 2011

i'll have to check one out...do they mess with the feel the way emg pickups do?

Nope.

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