Active vs. Passive Pickup Clean Tone Comparison

[mactavishc]

Actives sound much brighter, thus warmer. Passive sound much deeper, colder and rather bland. To my ear at least.

[YourFavoriteLesbo]

While it wasn't the worst sound in the world, I have to agree that the actives sounded thin and lifeless. Non biased opinion here, as I've been putting consideration into getting actives for a while. This video helped me make the decision not to bother. It also doesn't take an audiophile to hear the difference, though if it's "good" or not is totally a matter of opinion. One thing guitarists can't seem to do is respect someone elses opinion. :)

[slobomitic]

thanks for posting. I concluded that active sounds thin and lousy. 

[VoidOfEulogy]

"I got tierd of hearing that active pickups can't produce clean tones"

Dude, you just proven yourself wrong, the active sounds like shit.

[rrgert4]

lol C aint even tuned, still passive are best, why wuold you want to pay for batteries on a pickup ?!

[MonkeyManBlues]

@rrgert4 I pay for batteries on a pickup so I can get the best sound out of my guitar.

[WorldsJungleGym]

I could tell the actives sound very brittle and stale. And passives sound warm and toneful. My opinion.

[TFIFH]

@WorldsJungleGym My opinion too.

[CrankCase08]

Active have more treble because the coils are fed directly into a high impedience pre-amp. In passive guitars the 250k - 500k pots diminish the high treble. This is why the likes of Dave Gilmour use a high impediance FET preamp fitted inside (I suspect the Tillman design), which will have the same effect. However, I don't know the details about what kind of preamp is fitted inside active pickups.

[hsvdt]

PART 1

firstly, how did you go about recording this? secondly, for the most part, when people say active pickups cant do clean stuff, it's often referred to a valve amp due to the nature that valves "overdrive" when a higher signal is put through it, generally speaking active pickups are a higher output and different impedances and tend to push amplifiers harder.

[hsvdt]

PART 2

Its also a common belief active pickups are less dynamic and more compressed (a compressor basically makes loud sounds quieter so that you can boost the whole signal without being too loud), the same concept can be applied here. Passive pickups use a higher output magnet but will respond to vibrations better, Actives use a lower output magnet and then a preamp to boost the signal, actives are less sensitive to lighter picking because the weaker magnet cant pickup vibrations as easily.

[jvmc08]

A sounded good

B sounded bad

C sounded like it needed to be tuned

The reason EMG pick ups don't sound that well clean is because they pick up every little thing. I mean if you talk on the pick up you can hear yourself on the amp, it fucking doubles as a fucking mic lol

[LessthanJake14]

You set out to prove that active pickups could produce cleans, and you failed.

[tbagabeartrap69]

y play on a mexican strat?

[krispatel1]

@tbagabeartrap69 why not use propper English?

[tbagabeartrap69]

@krispatel1 y not shut the hell up

[krispatel1]

@tbagabeartrap69 Shutting up only works when I'm talking, douche

[tbagabeartrap69]

@krispatel1 yeah douche just offends everyone doesnt it?

[krispatel1]

@tbagabeartrap69 its not suppose to offend you, it was mearly an observation

[tbagabeartrap69]

@krispatel1 then good observation

[adrs2]

EMG can't do cleans.

[JTheGuitarPlayer]

In an honest attempt to not cheat and see which is which, A sounds pretty good. B sounds shitty and so does C

I think B and C are active. I've never heard a clean active p/u but when distorted they're just missing something. I hear it here to

[BennermanFilms]

Sequence 2 was the best.

Guitar B sounded dead, like it just lacked feeling.

Guitar C sounds to "mechanical" for the song. Maybe if you were doing hardcore rock or something

[FCValle]

This is stupid, to compare pickups u have to be using the same guitars.

And, OBVIOUSLY there is a great difference between their sound, if u dont hear it, something is wrong with you.

[k9shoryukin]

the fact that you played the intro of stairway to heaven, A is sounding better. You should have played something of your own for an unbiased opinion.

[colombobogota]

wow the bass is kick ass in passive pickups

[locohellraiser]

the emg85 sound good clean...

[Masterfighterx]

@locohellraiser And the 60 :) if you play the 81 with the 60 or 85 it aint that bad either ;)

[DImaxguitar]

PREAMPS AND TUBES FOREVER

[SR5127CL]

The Emgs Almost sounded acoustic 

[Seandude223]

the sound of b was more defined and cleaner but it definately sounds you might have needed to change the battery.

[TheTritoneTerror]

I liked C the best, although it was pretty out of tune. The active pickups sounded so anemic.

[MetalCoreMagget]

I can hear a diffrence between the two right away. I like the active clean sound better.

[thesethreekings]

Dunno man, but tune the Epihphone and the Strat already.

[psichomiko]

in b it sounded like you needed to change your battery

[Anilyde]

Epiphone sounded the best. B sounded like there was no amp whatsoever and C just sounded terrible.

[44eelz]

@Anilyde Dude, A and C sounded similar, B was the worst

[warhammerIII]

I got 5 guitars for an reson, they all sound diffrent, but in this video the "B" guitar sounds crap, my les paul got emg 81 + 85 , and it sounds fat even in the 81 "bridge" , much more headroom and tone then what you get here, this in not in an nice tuba amp I hear, too bad, good Idea for a vid tho . metallica usen 81 on there records, bad sound ? I dont think soo, I like all diffrent sonuds, in diffrent songs !

[MrFranticMind]

@liamzuid

A full battery goes like 3000h

[Tom1983UK]

Not too bad. I definately got the first 2 right. Was a little confused with C (the Strat) Just because singles are quite clear, it easily be confused with an active humbucker when played like that. I notice others here have said about your amp settings too...v. plausable! However, A definatley sounded the best, muddy yes, being passive 'n' all, but so much more tonal difference with each note. You can hear the pitch gradiate, (move up and note with in the same key)!

[azz23001]

All 3 Sounded like crap.

Sounded like no amp was used at all.

[Itsooz]

Soo that's why Guitar B sounded crap and cold..

[liamzuid]

how long does a full battery go?

[Darkdevil1584]

like 300 or 3000.. i forget

[HxCDOOM]

I like Gibson stock humbuckers.

Just putting that out there.

[bladerunner12]

EMGs are pretty high end pickups. You can't be comparing then to stock bargain bin Epi humbuckers and decent single coils. Compare the EMGs to Dimarzios or Seymour Duncans. that are around the same price range.

[sk88rdude999]

C sounded best, B Sounded thinner, but more clear. I noticed that you picked a little lighter on guitar B

[letsgetcarriedaway]

Hmm I was surprised. Next time, better song? Something with bending and hitting the strings hard.

[theaccousticpunk288]

What amp are you using? That would drasticly change how they sound. compared to eachother.

[sesstreets]

Answers:

Guitar A: Epihphone Les Paul, stock pickups

Guitar B: Schecter hellraiser c-1, emg 81, 89

Guitar C: Mexican strat, bridge, neck and middle together.

So

A = Passive

B = Active

C = Passive

[marinecam]

A is active

B passve

C active

Easy. Just because your passive cleans sound weak doesn't mean that almost always will have better cleans.

[ellhow]

I got it wrong way around too...pwnt!

[pakismyname]

c sounded best. sounds active i think. A is deff active. b is passive. b sounded worst.. but it's probably rigged. passives pretty always sound better clean unless they suck ass.

[dodel1]

C sounded the best, whatever it is.

[ArmyE5]

well, i'd have to say that a is active. i'm pretty damned sure that b is passive. c is deff active too.

i'd rather use actives or very high output passives. i use emg h4's and really i've never had a problem with them. they do everything an active can do.

[Agunforxmas]

dude, READ. B is active and c are single coils in a strat

[ironmaiden20]

Cut that... only A sounds good to me.

[ironmaiden20]

B to me just sounds weak and twagy... A and c sound so much better to my ears on clean.

[xxfinnellxx]

UG!

no clue

[KISSrocks999]

Oh yeah A=Active B=Passive C=Active

[KISSrocks999]

A and C both sound like crap B sounds the best.

[Obsessed117]

Did you really have to play stairway?

[disturbedrocks992]

A is clearly active.

B is passive

C is active

[guitarparty]

i agree but could be wrong

[dmanuel95]

all i know is that YOU DON'T PLAY STAIRWAY WITH A BRIDGE PU!

[STABxYOUxRAWR]

It's not meant to be a perfect attempt at the original, he's just trying to show a specific tone newfag.

[superdan157]

A active B passive and C active sounds right, this coming from someone whos only experience with actives is on a bass, and all 3 of my guitars have passives

[SsgtJ911]

I'm gonna guess active on guitar A.