EMG DG-20 pre-wired pickup system review and demo

[CREWDOG289]

how do you do the 18v mod

[gillenh2o]

@CREWDOG289 wire the red wire from the prewired set to the red wire of the 1st battery clip, then soder the black wire from the 1st battery clip to the red lead of the second battery clip, lastly wiret the black wire from the second battery clip to the black wire that goes to the prewired set

[joshie4330]

Wow! You weren't kidding about the 18v mod. It made it sound like an entirely new guitar. Btw, great demo. It convinced me to try the set. I love my pickups now, but noise is forcing the (maybe a good) switch.

[gillenh2o]

@joshie4330 i feel your pain good single coils pickups sound incredible, and are incredibly noisy at the same time- lol

[gillenh2o]

@joshie4330 i forgot to say that the red and black wires that you use are the ones that are attached to the battery clip that comes with the set cut the black wire that is on the clip and then use the instructions i gave earlier

[dadocaster]

you should played something from Pink Floyd

[gillenh2o]

@dadocaster would you believe i don't know any, i am a fan, but never took the time learn any of their material

[drs1916]

Hi, this was a great demo and I am very interested in getting this pickup set. My question is was it hard to transfer the set to a different pickguard? I want the set up but to use on a black pickguard, not the white pearl, any tips on this? Thanks, you rock!!

[gillenh2o]

@drs1916 the only problem i had was that the pickup routs in the pickgaurd are a tad to snug, making pickup height adjustment a little difficult (at least on my pickgaurd). and thanks for the compliment on my review, let me know how it turns out. as far as tips take the nuts off of the exp and spc knobs and remove the height adjustment screws on the pickups and let the electroncs just drop down (but in their right configuration) then just install the knobs and pickups slowly, piece of cake lol

[Coopersboy7]

Great review man, and great playing.

[withoutajem]

nice guitar what type is it? I like the holes it makes it more unique then most strats.

[gillenh2o]

@withoutajem it is a carvin bolt-t, i added the holes myself

[Lightbulbs33]

Thank you so much for this video. I might be getting these pickups soon, and I had a question. I know these pickups are incredibly articulate and clear, but can you "dirty up" the tone and make it sound more "vintage"? Thanks so much.

[gillenh2o]

@Lightbulbs33 i haven't been able to get a great vintage tone out of it myself, but i tend to use more modern tones - which i feel this setup is more suited for. you might try a pre-wired emg pickup set with newer SA-x pickups instead, they have more of a natural single coil sound

[starassist1977]

dude, seriously, thanks for posting this vid. i'm between buying the NOS Gilmour strat for 4k or modding a standard and this vid helped for sure. you rock. p.s., is that guitar from outer space, haha, I've never seen anything like it, sweetness.

[gillenh2o]

@starassist1977 thanks man, glad i could help, picked up the guitar at alpha quadrant - lol

[gillenh2o]

@livewirefunful well you can do like i did and install a battery compartment in the back side of the guitar, or you can intall the battery in the spring/trem cavity, as shown on the fernandez sustainer website, in thier install options section - hope this helps

[javierperez]

@gillenh2o I really didnt get this how, do you have some pictures or something...?

[gillenh2o]

@javierperez i will post a demo just to show you how, give me a week or 2, i just had shoulder surgery

[gillenh2o]

@javierperez man sorry i just realized i never answered your question, i measured the size of two batteries lying side by side and routed out a section in the rear of the gutiar that was the same deminsions. I then lined the newly routed cavity with padding, then drilled a hole (small wire sized) from the battery compartment to the top routed cavity beneath the pickgaurd and ran the wires through. i fashioned a cover plate from an old pickgaurd and thats it, doesn't look the best but works

[AvonJunkies]

Very good demo, thanks!

[bentransom]

with the mid boost, and bass/treble boost controls taking the place of the normal tone controls. is it possible to roll back the tone like a normal setup? (like a clapton "woman" tone)

[gillenh2o]

@bentransom not exactly, the tone can be emulated but not in the trditional manner of just rolling the tone knob back a tad, you will have to increase the bass treble booster a tad, and turn the mid booster all the way up, and that should do it, not exactly it but close enough for coverband work

[jabman549]

could this be out on a squier standard series?

[gillenh2o]

i am pretty sure it would fit, if not just mount the electronics on the squires existing pickgaurd

[Malachi01]

I want to install just the neck pick up on my guitar, is there any place where I can buy them separate? thanks.

[gillenh2o]

any autherized emg dealer can order the individual sa pickups

[Malachi01]

thanks for the info.

[tsmilliner]

Man, I love the sound of your guitar. I just bought a '95 MIJ Fender Strat and looking at modding the electronics. Will definitely go with an Active Pickup setup. I will probably go with the Dragonfire EMG clones though. Keep doing these videos, you have a real knack for it. Really enjoyed watching.

[gillenh2o]

thanks for the compliment, and iwill have to check outh those dragonfire pickups, thanks for the heads up

[AXmichigan]

and ps

did u make it hollow or something?

whats up on the top hook thing?

[gillenh2o]

placed cosmetic holes in the guitar - poor mans monkey grip

[gillenh2o]

yes

[MUNKYTICKLE123]

you're guitar is backwards

[gillenh2o]

are you serious?

[MUNKYTICKLE123]

(sarcasm)

[AXmichigan]

lolz

[jvms111]

2:20

What does he means? If I love a Strat Sound, should I hav it or not?

[gillenh2o]

some people think that emg active sa's are stacked or like a rail which sound less like a single coil (which is the textbook sound of a strat) and more like a humbucker, some of those style pick ups loose that special bell like chime and clarity associated with typical single coil pickups and strats, the emgs are hotter, but are classic single coil in thier tone matrix, with a little more highs and a bit more clarity - thats what i meant

[21whitman]

Thank you for posting this vid for those of us looking at the DG20s I got them the other day. The clean sound is nice but I am not really able to get as crunchy a dirty sound as you. I dont have the 18v mod yet. Might that be my problem?

[gillenh2o]

the 18 volt mod doesn't really give you higher output as much as it gives you greater headroom, and a more natural response, are you running it with the mid booster fully engaged, i am

[gillenh2o]

the 18 volt mod doesn't really add more output or gain as much as it adds a much more natural response and increased headroom, do you have the mid booster fully engaged, cause i do, also try raising your pickup height - good lick

[kaleluk31]

the best mod ive seen so far for emg`s is the 18 volt mod with a switch toggle switch, problem is in a bc rich NT warlock after i had emg 81 and 85 installed there is no room to have the 18v mod as in to have another battery in the cavaty its completly filled in there, which is a shame, does anyone have any ideas how i can get around this?

[barrdogg2000]

why not drill a small hole through the back of guitar and have the batteries housed externally? would make for easier battery changing too......

[gillenh2o]

have two battery boxes installed - which just means two routed out areas in the back of the guitar, any local tech can do it, or if you have a router and a steady hand, you can do it

[klextacy]

Hey man. I was poking around today, and stumbled on your review. Great review! I put a set of the DG-20s in a Strat of mine a few years back. Usually I don't like active pickups because of that sterile sound, but these DG-20s really make the guitar come alive.

Cool posts man! Keep 'em coming!

[gillenh2o]

thanx posting three new reviews today, so check'em out

[norwaydg]

Gilmour used the EMG`s (which he installed in 4-5 guitars in 1985) both Live and Studio during the years that one of the Candy Apple ones was his main axe.

(86-94), He also did use it when he work with others live and in studio and on many tv shows (85 - 00), Then in 2005 he went back to the Black Strat has his main guitar, but still uses the Red EMG one(s) on a couple of songs during the 2006 tour. (Shine On and Wearning...)

[150peacemaker]

2005 is when he when back to the black strat

[jrtaylor559]

You should mention that bringing pickups close to strings will pull on the strings (magnetism), potentially pulling you out of tune.

[150peacemaker]

there low magnetism so it shouldnt affect it

[gillenh2o]

active pickups don't produce a strong magnetic fields the way passive technology works,so this is no problem what so ever

[IDM112]

David used EMG equipped guitars almost exclusively from 1985 to 2001.

[gillenh2o]

personally i am not sure which albums david gilmour did or didn't use them on

[gillenh2o]

thanx

[gillenh2o]

you can easilly move the set to another pick gaurd, and will not take much time either, and no the pra=eamp is not attached to the pickgaurd it is on a circuitboard that the control pots are mounted on

[jaywalking17]

Dave also used the emg red strat on the Delicate Sounds of Thunder tour as well.

[ovneb]

Great demo dude.

It's funny how so many people get these pickups because they wanna sound like David Gilmour.

But the thing is, he used stock pickups on all the albums. He only used the EMGs for the The Wall tour (crazy lighting caused crazy hum).

The EMGs are missing the glassiness of normal single coils. I think these are great pickups for metal though.

[gillenh2o]

i agree although i could use just a tad more output, not much just a tad

[George656]

Can the EMG-81 handle classic rock and hard rock?

[gillenh2o]

yep

[DickMotorman]

thanks for this, I've been looking for a good explanation of this set.

[gillenh2o]

your welcome hope this helped

[drockkclapton]

thanks, whoever the guy in this video is. I bought a used strat that had these preinstalled. I made the purchase primarily, because it was a bargain. I didn't really know about all the features of this set-up. I just found out today that they are actually active pickups. I'm gonna go home, and raise the pickups, and play with the midrange boost. thanks a lot!

[gillenh2o]

glad i could help

[LoKimLinProject]

can i install this into a deluxe stratocaster while keeping the s1 switch with it!

[gillenh2o]

probably not but i would call fender customer service on that

[boomboom1209]

cool holes in your guitar

[jdiuurdfsds]

Nice review!

Great pups and system :-)

[gillenh2o]

thanks, i just added a new emg 81 to the bridge for a tad more ooomph, the active eq section works great with that pickup also, it will give you a good mid and level boost for solos

[Noirie93]

how do wire active pickups?

[gillenh2o]

you have to use their volume and tone pots , which are about 5k pots instead of the normal 250 to 500k pots that passive systems use, and you must replace your input jack with one of theirs and install battery clip, but not to worry all that is included when you buy emg pickups, and pre-wire pickguards come completely assembled, just replace the entire pickguard and change the input jack and your done - oh yeah and disconnect the grond wire that goes to the bridge or trem spring claw

[Noirie93]

I've already worked out what im getting

two emg sa single coils and a EMG 85

could i use the vol and tone and the other parts i get ffrom the 85 set and use them with the EMG SAs, or would i have to use they're battery clicks aswell?

[gillenh2o]

you only need one battery to power all the pickups, but you can mod the kit to an 18volt set by using 2 batteries if you like - i did

[Noirie93]

with 9 volt do they sound sterile?

[gillenh2o]

50 percent of people say yes, 50% say no, i personally think the 18 volt although it doesn't add any more output, it does seem to open up the headroom a tad, making it sound better, less compressed, but on the flip side of that i had an esp kirk hammett years ago and it wasn't modded, and i thought it sounded great, it's all just personal preference

[jdiuurdfsds]

thanks for the info!

[gillenh2o]

no prob

[karatechopsueycide]

Very cool demo, my man. Also cool to see your a lefty like myself. I was thinking of going with the Lukather setup, which puts a HB at the bridge- but that single sounded pretty hot on it's own!! Now, I just have to find these versions in a lefty... any suggestions?

[gillenh2o]

first, i am thinking of putting an emg 81 in the bridge,

second emg makes this pick guard set as a lefty, but good luck finding them at guitar center, they couldn't even order it, so try smaller emg dealers, i have also seen them on ebay, me i just transfered it to a left handed pick guard that i already had - hope this helps

[Mujahadeen49]

Great video, sir. I will be buying this pickup set within the next few days :)

[gillenh2o]

hope you enjoy yours as much as i do mine

[Noirie93]

Man i like your videos

despite the fact im not really into metal tbh

good work

[gillenh2o]

thanx man, i am not as into metal these days as i used to be - unfortunately my videos don't seem to reflect much versatility though - lol

[Venix946]

Thank you soooo wonderfully much for uploading this. I've found my purpose of live now...for the moment that is.

Thanks again

[gillenh2o]

your welcome i am glad you enjoyed it, i will probably do some more demonstrations later - stay in touch

[leatherface20066]

I absouloutley love it all though since i got it I have not palyed my Fender strat deluxe or my Gibson Les Paul

[gillenh2o]

it turns the strat into a totally different creature, i love them, they are so lear and clean, yet able to pull off awesome distorted tones

[leatherface20066]

Cool vidieo just yesterday I bought an american used strat that had these pickups installed in it.

[gillenh2o]

thanx, how do you like the new axe?

[Chad11491]

thanks for the demo, it really helped me in my decisions whether or not to buy this set.

[gillenh2o]

i'm curious what did you decide

[George656]

Would you ever consider buying an acoustic/electric guitar or just an acoustic guitar? The one thing that I wished my Roland Cube 15x had was the acoustic amp found on the other Cube models. But this is what my parents and I can afford. Plus we have been living in an appartment since 2004 so a bigger amplifer is not always better for this situation. Do you agree? Plus the Vox AD50VT-XL would be too big and too loud for the appartment since my mom has sensative ears and my dad is deaf in on ear.

[gillenh2o]

the ad50vt-xl has a power level control that will take thamp from 15 to 50 watts in output level, so no it is not to big for an apartment, i am wanting a classical accustic/electric right now

[George656]

What gauge strings are you using on your Carvin Bolt T? Have you heard of the tuning drop C# which is C# G# C# F# A# D#? It is also refered to Db Ab Db Gb Bb Eb.

[gillenh2o]

i am using .009's. and yes i have used that tunning before

[darkPaillasson]

Very Good review, thank you Ghilen!

[gillenh2o]

thank you

[George656]

How do you know when the batteries in a guitar with active EMG pickups are going dead? How often do you have to replace the batteries? I heard that if your guitar has EMG pickups you should always unplug it when not using the guitar to prevent the batteries from draining. Is this true?

[gillenh2o]

that is true sticking a guitar cord in your input jack is the same as flipping an on switch to your pickups so always unplug, and you can tell when they're going bad cause the sound quality will degrade slightly and then the system will turn off - but the batteries last a good amount of time, depending on how much you play 1 to 2 battery changes a year, no more than 4, so you see thats not that much really, i just change mine about every 4 months out of habit,

[gillenh2o]

EMG says that a SA pickup should last for 3000 hours on a 9v battery (that is actual playing time) so if you played your guitar for 6 hours a day, every day it would last theoretically about 500 days, now add the fact that there are extras on the guitar drawing current and 2 more pickups, that would equal a theoretical battery change every year, so just change them every 4 months (3 times a year) and you should never have anything to worry about

[gillenh2o]

or the battery life should last for 125 days if played for 24 hour non-stop

[George656]

Does the EMG DG-20 set come in all black instead of white? Is the expander and presence boost also included in the set? Do you plan on getting another guitar when you have more money?

[gillenh2o]

the active EQ is part of the set, but unfortunately i think it comes in white only, but you can order a custom pickgaurd set and make it any color you wish, you just need an authorized dealer to place the order to EMG for you, and yes another guitar is in my plans, but which one i don't know, it's gonna be ahwile though, money's tight

[gillenh2o]

mine too

[George656]

Happy New Year to you. That was a nice review. How much does the EMG DG-20 pre-wired pickup system cost? Can I get the EMG DG-20 pickup set without the pickgard? How much does it cost?

[gillenh2o]

happy new year to you also my brother, the pick up set comes attached, or installed on a white pearloid pickgaurd, i put mine on the gold one myself

[gillenh2o]

almost forgot it is about 300.00 dollars

[gillenh2o]

thank you, glad you liked it

[gillenh2o]

thank you, glad you enoyed it

[gillenh2o]

thanx, happy new years to you also, i hope this year brings great things for you

[gillenh2o]

no actually it was played on a Vox AD50VT-XL