EMG Telecaster - Really Low Output?

[Jarick]

I ordered a set of EMG Telecaster pickups and installed this morning. There's a couple issues I'm finding, one is the neck pickup cutting in and out which seems like it may be a bad connector or pickup.

However overall the output is pretty low. I was expecting them to be at least the volume of traditional pickups and it's close but overall weak and dull sounding.

I've tried a bunch of things to troubleshoot -

Swapped batteries, both brand new measuring 9.6V
Checked all connections multiple times
Wired the pickup switch directly to the output (bypassing pots)
Wired the pickup directly to the output on volume (bypassing switch)
Pulled everything out and tested each pickup directly with the output (to avoid any potential ground issue with shielding)
Swapping white/black leads on output (no sound in one, weak sound in the other)
Measured voltage in the circuit at 9.8V

Before I initiate a return or reach out to customer service, I want to see if the EMG Telecaster pickups are just weak and low output by nature?

 

[Blix]

Yeah I have a set too, not in use at the moment but I also found them surprisingly low output.

 

[Jarick]

Yeah I have a set too, not in use at the moment but I also found them surprisingly low output.

Thanks for the feedback, that's a bummer if that's the case. I was hoping for something more stout.

EMG support got back to me pretty quickly with a detailed reply, they did say it should be on part with vintage output but it's not high output by any means. I'm going to rewire everything and send in a picture of the connections to them.

Most likely I'll try to return them and look elsewhere. I want something a little stronger and bolder sounding than passive pickups.

 

[metropolis_4]

I don’t find them to be really low output, but they’re not any higher output than typical passive Tele pickups. Don’t expect them to be high output rock monsters like an 81. Have you double checked that you’ve got all the polarity are correct and the pickups aren’t accidentally out of phase?

They definitely shouldn’t sound weak or dull, or lower output than standard pickups. Their thing is being quiet, clean, and having lots of clarity and articulation. I love them, they’re some of my favorite Tele pickups.

 

[Jarick]

I ripped everything apart, checked to make sure nothing was grounded (I fully shielded the guitar with copper tape), added some electrical tape in spots pickups may have touched, then rewired checking the connections again, raised the pickups way up.

I'm getting sound and it's fine but it's probably half the output of passives. The tone itself is nice very clear but they are just really quiet. I've flipped around every connection just to test as well and in those cases there's no sound.

Will see what EMG support says.

 

[metropolis_4]

I'm getting sound and it's fine but it's probably half the output of passives.

Something isn’t right, they shouldn’t be that low output.

 

[Jarick]

Something isn’t right, they shouldn’t be that low output.

Yeah it’s weird. I just never used them before so I don’t know how it should be.

They don’t sound bad at all if I crank the gain way up. It’s a more balanced tone than traditional single coil. Extremely low noise. Kind of a weird attack that I can’t describe.

 

[metropolis_4]

Yeah it’s weird. I just never used them before so I don’t know how it should be.

They don’t sound bad at all if I crank the gain way up. It’s a more balanced tone than traditional single coil. Extremely low noise. Kind of a weird attack that I can’t describe.

How do you have the pickup height set? EMGs should typically be set higher than passive pickups.

More balanced tone, extremely low noise, and the attack all sound like EMG T pickups! They have a very immediate attack that has a bit of an edge to it

 

[Jarick]

How do you have the pickup height set? EMGs should typically be set higher than passive pickups.

More balanced tone, extremely low noise, and the attack all sound like EMG T pickups! They have a very immediate attack that has a bit of an edge to it

I had them a little higher than passives which seem to be around 5/64 (between 1/16 and 3/32 on my ruler) with the string pressed down on the last fret. I raised them up closer to 1/16. They're a bit hotter now but brighter.

Does the battery make a difference? I’m using new generic alkaline 9v measured at 9.6 volts. Do I need fancy batteries like energizer max?

Immediate seems like the right word for the attack. At first I thought it was distorted but then I thought it’s probably the opposite, it may be quicker transients that comes across more like distortion.

 

[Jarick]

After messing with the pickup heights I think they're good now. They're maybe 25% closer to the strings than regular passive pickups.

I compared the EMG T to my Fender Strat which currently has a set of K-Line 64 pickups, they are obviously vintage style Strat pickups but supposed to be one of their hotter sets. The EMG's have a little more output. Maybe the Suhr ML pickups are really hot or the Ibanez is just a loud guitar.

Big difference is that the EMG tone is really balanced sounding. Where the vintage style pickups seem to sound more scooped or have a more peaky sounding high end, the EMG is a lot flatter. I wonder if the resonant peak is much flatter, because if I run a high gain amp like the 5150 III the Strat bridge pickup sounds louder and like it's getting pushed a lot more in the upper mids (near treble frequencies). The EMG in comparison sounds duller and lower gain but with more lows. However if I adjust the EQ and push the treble and gain up, the EMG sounds really good almost like a cross between a humbucker and single coil.

But the noise difference is insane. I can run the EMG T bridge with the 5150 gain cranked up and no noise gate and hear literally no noise at all. On the neck pickup there's the tiniest bit of noise if I face my monitor which is the direction that 60 Hz hum is worse in my office. Flip over to the single coils and the buzz is just about as loud as the signal, completely unusable. Even with a noise gate on cranked up it's still very noticeable. There's less noise on the EMG single pickup than there is with the Strat in a 2/4 position.

I also got a really detailed, thoughtful response from their support person pretty quickly. Really helpful in giving some things to check but also noting I may just need to adjust to the different tone which seems to be the case. She asked me to send in detailed pictures of the connections and double checked everything looked good.

So I picked up an 85 humbucker over the weekend as they were only $109 at my local shop and they include all the wiring stuff too, volume and tone pot with an input jack and solderless connectors. For a USA made product that's pretty good IMO. I'm hoping to drop it in to my detuned guitar and see what their humbucker is like. I could definitely see changing over my favorite guitars to EMG sets if I like the humbucker tones.

 

[metropolis_4]

After messing with the pickup heights I think they're good now. They're maybe 25% closer to the strings than regular passive pickups.

I compared the EMG T to my Fender Strat which currently has a set of K-Line 64 pickups, they are obviously vintage style Strat pickups but supposed to be one of their hotter sets. The EMG's have a little more output. Maybe the Suhr ML pickups are really hot or the Ibanez is just a loud guitar.

Big difference is that the EMG tone is really balanced sounding. Where the vintage style pickups seem to sound more scooped or have a more peaky sounding high end, the EMG is a lot flatter. I wonder if the resonant peak is much flatter, because if I run a high gain amp like the 5150 III the Strat bridge pickup sounds louder and like it's getting pushed a lot more in the upper mids (near treble frequencies). The EMG in comparison sounds duller and lower gain but with more lows. However if I adjust the EQ and push the treble and gain up, the EMG sounds really good almost like a cross between a humbucker and single coil.

But the noise difference is insane. I can run the EMG T bridge with the 5150 gain cranked up and no noise gate and hear literally no noise at all. On the neck pickup there's the tiniest bit of noise if I face my monitor which is the direction that 60 Hz hum is worse in my office. Flip over to the single coils and the buzz is just about as loud as the signal, completely unusable. Even with a noise gate on cranked up it's still very noticeable. There's less noise on the EMG single pickup than there is with the Strat in a 2/4 position.

I also got a really detailed, thoughtful response from their support person pretty quickly. Really helpful in giving some things to check but also noting I may just need to adjust to the different tone which seems to be the case. She asked me to send in detailed pictures of the connections and double checked everything looked good.

So I picked up an 85 humbucker over the weekend as they were only $109 at my local shop and they include all the wiring stuff too, volume and tone pot with an input jack and solderless connectors. For a USA made product that's pretty good IMO. I'm hoping to drop it in to my detuned guitar and see what their humbucker is like. I could definitely see changing over my favorite guitars to EMG sets if I like the humbucker tones.

That sounds like my experience with them. Two things to keep in mind when you’re looking at other EMGs to checkout:

- “A” designates it has alnico magnets instead of ceramic

- “X” designates it is the newer version with the updated preamp

I typically like the “ax” versions best