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ACTIVE PUP USERS' ADVICE


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I'm thinking about my next build: A Strat with active pickups. 

I have a very solid background in analog electronics. I've looked at various schematics and specs on active pickups and I understand the circuitry.

A lot of attention is paid to "tonewoods" with regard to passive pickup response. And rightfully so. 

Question: With an active pickup setup, how much of an effect will tonewoods have on the output tone?

 

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What?

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I can't see the wood type in a solid body having a huge impact on tone. If I were embarking on a custom build, the appearance of the wood would affect my choice, especially if it was a transparent finish. I have active pickups on a few guitars and have mixed feelings about them. These guitars all happen to have ebony boards and sound fine. One was retrofitted with EMG's before I owned it, and battery access was terrible. You actually have to remove the neck to get at the pick guard where the battery was, as no proper compartment was installed in the body. I would never retrofit a guitar like that again. I had high output Fender passive pups installed in that one, and the EMG'S now live in a different axe. Batteries can last for years, but ya gotta unplug the axe during breaks or the battery will drain way faster. My gripe is that they require that bit of extra attention. As a guy who can read schematics, you no doubt already know this, but I never gig with just one axe, and one is always passive, just in case.

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Never a DUH! moment! Well, almost never. OK, OK! Sometimes never!
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On a Strat, you won't hear much difference between alder and hard rock maple for the body. You WILL notice the difference in weight, alder will be much lighter. 

Most Strats have a maple neck, some with maple fretboards, some with rosewood and some with ebony. The differences in tone are so subtle it probably doesn't matter much. I like the look of a maple board, the classic Fender look. If you like a more transparent finish, consider getting a beauty wood as a top layer only and better still a chambered body to reduce the weight. 

 

These things WILL affect tone, most of them not enough to notice. The bridge: stamped saddles or cast? Locked down saddles like a Floyd Rose bridge? Blocked vibrato bar or floating? The frets will make a small difference in tone and a BIG difference in how the guitar plays. I prefer the larger frets, Dunlop 6100 super jumbo is my first choice unless the neck is scalloped. I like the compound radius necks. 

The tuners, a heavier locking set will provide slightly more sustain than a lighter weight standard set. They will also allow you to change strings quickly, which is one reason why I only bring one guitar to a gig. 

 

I've been a guitar tech for decades and I switched over entirely to EMG pickups in the late 80's. Yes, you should unplug after use - the battery will last much longer. 

I've had zero reliability problems with them in 30+ years of gigging, they don't hum and the magnetic field is very low, which means your strings will intonate better and have more sustain. 

I always put an EMG SPC in my single coil builds, if you are going for a dual hum bucker sound try an EMG HB (Steinberger bass pickup and my secret weapon) in the neck position. It's an EMG P bass pickup in a humbucker form factor, great sounding neck pickup. I usually use an EMG 85 in the bridge but if you want the snarl, the 81 will deliver. You don't need an SPC in a hum bucker guitar but you can put one in there and it will work. 

 

I had a Tele with a Moses Carbon Fiber neck for a while but I didn't bond with it and the neck was really heavy. I sold it, don't miss it. 

And, I don't like the middle pickup so I don't put one in the guitar. 3 way switch, volume, SPC. I've never used a tone control for anything, don't care for that muted sound. 

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It took a chunk of my life to get here and I am still not sure where "here" is.
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On electric solid and hollow body guitars, the pickups are the tone setters IMHO.  Tone woods can make a tiny little bit of a tone difference on archtops, semi and hollow body electrics (solid vs laminate, maple vs spruce, etc.).  I prefer passive 57 USA Gibson humbuckers with 2 volumes, 2 tones and a 3way.  Tone woods make a big difference on acoustic guitars mostly on the tops (Cedar vs Spruce).  I prefer ebony fretboards on both acoustic and electric guitars.  Don't forget the clean amp settings with a touch of reverb LoL! 😎

Take care, Larryz
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  • 2 weeks later...

I have my Les strat with EMG humbucker in the bridge and EMG single coils(not active) in the middle and neck S/S/81 set , I built this with an alder body the first time, then to finish the guitar with a no trem, using a Tune-O-Matic bridge I used a Poplar body blank, I never noticed any tonal disenable difference. Tone woods are for the most part for electrics is subtle if you add in an active pickup you'll never really hear the diffence IMO. This guitar has also had a JB bridge and fender middle and neck single coils once again never really noticed much of difference, now a difference that I did notice was a cheap TOM vs a good one(top end is better with a nash ville vs a Dean import bridge). 

Lok

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1997 PRS CE24, 1981 Greco MSV 850, 1991 Greco V 900, 2 2006 Dean Inferno Flying Vs, 1987 Gibson Flying V, 2000s Jackson Dinky/Soloist, 1992 Gibson Les Paul Studio,

 

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I have Teles made of:

Alder

Pine

Poplar

Swamp Ash

Ash

 

They all sound like Telecasters.  The guitar world subjects themselves to too much self inflicted Jedi mind tricks. 
 

I’m installing a Fishman power bank on my 74 Strat with EMGs.  It  directly replaces the rear cover. Plug into a USB phone charger and a the guitar is good for a mega-zillion hours.  Well not that long, but they are convenient as all get out. 

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"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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