I put the EMG 81/85 set in MY LP Custom, and it's not what I expected - Please Help

[PEMAMETAL]

Hi everybody,

I'm a huge fan of Zakk Wylde and I've been reading stuff and searching his tone for a while.

Everyone says that the EMG set is a big part of Zakks tone, So I decided to try them in my Les Paul Custom (498T & 490R), because now I have a second Les Paul to play classic stuuf.

The 498t 490R have a very good tone, I missed some definiton and some bite with bridge pick up, but it was a very good tone for soloing, kind smooth thing. But Now with the EMG81 in the bridge I have tons of bite, riffing is amazing, but soloing the sound is very trebly, harsh. and feedback problems are worse. That sounds nothing like the huge tone Zakk gets with his bridge pickups. In fact, I think I was closer to his tone with the 498T than with the EMG 81.
EMG 85 in the neck is nice, I liked a lot, don't have any problems.

But that's ok. What really is anoying me is a ****ing bird noise that comes when a hit E string doing those fast pentatonic patterns that Zakk uses a lot.
I've tried lowering the pickup height, raising action, tried different setting in the amp, different settings in the pedals but nothing helped. The noise still there

Does anyone ever had a similar problem? Does anybody have any idea what is going on? Suggestions? Maybe the wood of my guitar is too bright, or the amp. or I have a bad pickup.

Here is a video where it happens a lot.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCyqtzzvouc]YouTube - Zakk Wylde Medley Gibson les Paul Custom EMG Marshall JCM 800 2204[/ame]

 

[Lungo]

Now with the EMG81 in the bridge

EMG 85 in the bridge is nice, I liked a lot, don't have any problems.

For clarification, which pickup went where?

You shouldn't have problems with feedback. I suggest going over everything and double checking the installation.

Something else to consider is running at 18 volts. It's a simple mod and in my opinion makes an improvement.

 

[PEMAMETAL]

For clarification, which pickup went where?

You shouldn't have problems with feedback. I suggest going over everything and double checking the installation.

Something else to consider is running at 18 volts. It's a simple mod and in my opinion makes an improvement.

Sorry man, EMG85 in the NECK!!

Yeah I have problems with feedback. But when I run a cable out of the room and close the door, it stops. The feedback I am pretty sure that is because I play very loud in a small room, but the emg81 feedbacks more than the 498T. I think zakk doesn't use his pickups with the 18 volt mod. Since I'm after his tone, would make more sence to use the way that he uses.

 

[onvacation]

I think it's advant garde...you mix heavy metal in a room that looks like a warehouse with the organic wood of the guitar and chirping birds. You my friend are ahead of your time.

 

[mcbattle]

Hey!

Real nice playing, lot`s of good licks. I noticed when you go into Funeral Bell it sounded as if you didn`t tune down all the way. Zakk is down a hole step (I think) and then drops E two more. The thick gauge on his signature strings (0.010 - 0.70) lets you tune down and still keep that bounce. A big part of his sound..

I have a theory on your birdsounds: a thick pick used right over the pickup with heavy force produces it. It may be the attack of the pick on the string.

For your feedback problem there are some measures; it sounds like you are pushing hard into to amp, go down on pre amp and up on master volume.

Less compressed sound might also help with the bird thing. A gate is good, like a Decimator or similar. Not Boss.

Hope it helps.

 

[TheImmaterial]

What's with all these birds sneaking into recordings? There's a duck in this one and it managed to get to no. 1!

YouTube - WHIGFIELD - SATURDAY NIGHT

 

[PEMAMETAL]

Hey!

Real nice playing, lot`s of good licks. I noticed when you go into Funeral Bell it sounded as if you didn`t tune down all the way. Zakk is down a hole step (I think) and then drops E two more. The thick gauge on his signature strings (0.010 - 0.70) lets you tune down and still keep that bounce. A big part of his sound..

I have a theory on your birdsounds: a thick pick used right over the pickup with heavy force produces it. It may be the attack of the pick on the string.

For your feedback problem there are some measures; it sounds like you are pushing hard into to amp, go down on pre amp and up on master volume.

Less compressed sound might also help with the bird thing. A gate is good, like a Decimator or similar. Not Boss.

Hope it helps.

Thanks for the "nice playing", I Try hard to be a good player, but I'm never satisfied.
In funerall bell the tuning is everything half step down. Then the the low Eb, more 2 and 1/2 steps to Bb. I use 0.010 - 0.052 (it's 10 top and 12 bottom), it's nice, still soft to play.

About your theory, It can be, but Zakk also plays with thick pick, and no one hits harder than him, and I don't hear any bird noises coming from his sound. Man I really don't know what is going on, but with neck pick up it doesn't produce it.

As for the amp setting, Zakk uses pre amp on 10 and master on 4-6. I have already down the preamp to 8 and master up to 7.

Well that's it. Thanks for traying to help.

 

[rcole_sooner]

I don't know about the bird sounds. If it is only in the recordings, maybe it is just the mic clipping.

I know your playing is excellent.

I know, now, where I'm putting my EMG 81/85 set, in one of my Epi LPs.

I know I liked the sound of that JCM 800.

 

[Ace1432]

my guess is that you may need to work with your signal chain a bit.

what i mean is the path the signal takes when it leaves the guitar and enters the amp.
the order that you have your pedals set up may be whats causing the noise. if you use multiple pedals at once while riffing one pedal may not be able to tweak the signal and add its effect while another is on.

TBH though, im prolly just blowing smoke, im no genius when it comes to these things, but i know i was having some problem with my effect chain; id be playing with my distortion pedal and then go to hit some Wah pedal and the Wah would barely have any sweep. i moved my wah to the very end of my effect chain and problem solved.

 

[bruce bennett]

the bird "chipping "noise is very likely from the wah/rotovibe/chorus fighting each other, as the filters modulate, they are boosting similar frequencies in each others modulation sweep. that plus the fact that your playing very loud in a small room..

zak has a whole stage to work with... your in a tiny enclosed room. also you could back your treble off a bit and see if you can find a spot where your guitar and amp are not feeding back. some Marshall users find that less treble, but more presence, gives the better tone. and While I'm not positively sure .. doesn't Zak use a scooped mids tone?

Don't be rigid about amp settings or what Volts some guy runs at.. amps knobs are NOT all created equal.. what settings sound great on amp "A" may not sound so good on amp "B" same goes with pickups guitars speakers and effect pedals... the tone is what counts, NOT the settings.

 

[excessive81]

sounds alot like my goth thru my jcm 900. i think above mention of amp setting causing most of it. also the emg kick ass for metal suck for tone.... 18 volt mod supposed to help the tone on the non distorted side

 

[PEMAMETAL]

the bird "chipping "noise is very likely from the wah/rotovibe/chorus fighting each other, as the filters modulate, they are boosting similar frequencies in each others modulation sweep. that plus the fact that your playing very loud in a small room..

man I have this bird sound even with all the 3 pedals off, just the sd-1 turned on

some Marshall users find that less treble, but more presence, gives the better tone. and While I'm not positively sure .. doesn't Zak use a scooped mids tone?

Zakk setting are not scooped is like pres 2, bass 10, mid 5, treble 5, preamp 10 and master 4-6, and the sd-1 with everything on 6. That's what I'm usually set my amp, and pedal, sometimes I change just a litle bit, bass on 8 and preamp on 8.
But I've tryied to put treble on 0 and didn't help, just get muddy.

 

[SludgeBurns]

To my ears it sounds like it's the pick is scraping the string on those fast licks. Kind of as if your hitting the string with the edge of the pick just slightly enough during (or milliseconds before) the attack.

I could be wrong but that's my first impression.

 

[PH Noleto]

Great playing, man! Really!
Well, I also think the bird noises might be the pick rubbing the strings while you're playing. That happens if you have a lot of gain and play with a rather thick pick. And the bigger the pick's angle to the strings (like playing almost with the sides of it), the more noise you get. Try playing with the pick kind of parallel to the strings and see if the noises are reduced. Either that or try some less polished picks, like the tortex type.

 

[SludgeBurns]

And nice playing too.

I like that you even played some Pride & Glory.

 

[PEMAMETAL]

Great playing, man! Really!
Well, I also think the bird noises might be the pick rubbing the strings while you're playing. That happens if you have a lot of gain and play with a rather thick pick. And the bigger the pick's angle to the strings (like playing almost with the sides of it), the more noise you get. Try playing with the pick kind of parallel to the strings and see if the noises are reduced. Either that or try some less polished picks, like the tortex type.

Yeah man, I feel that is related with the pick atack to the strings, specially on the downstrokes. But other guitars I have don't do the same, They do a litle bit but not at the point to anoy me. So I think this noise is related to the sharp and bright tone that the EMG81 have too. I think I will have to change my picking technic to see if gets better.

But Does anyone here have ever had this kind of noise with the EMG?

Thank YOu

 

[Pushead]

I've had it, and the suggestions about pick attack were correct in my case. Play around with different size and material picks. Also try different ways of holding the pick or where you are physically hitting the string (closer to the neck is what I needed.)

*edit - after watching part of the video, as you get to the high strings, you really have your wrist turned so the neck side of your pick is hitting the string first. Try rotating your pick so you're hitting the string more flat, and you'll get rid of some of the noise. I know most guitarists dislike hearing this suggestion, but perhaps raise your strap a bit to help your picking angle.

The EQ settings and the amount of gain you're using aren't helping you much, either. It might work in Zakk's rig, but he's probably running a lot of back-end stuff in his rig that you don't have access to.

 

[PEMAMETAL]

I've had it, and the suggestions about pick attack were correct in my case. Play around with different size and material picks. Also try different ways of holding the pick or where you are physically hitting the string (closer to the neck is what I needed.)

*edit - after watching part of the video, as you get to the high strings, you really have your wrist turned so the neck side of your pick is hitting the string first. Try rotating your pick so you're hitting the string more flat, and you'll get rid of some of the noise. I know most guitarists dislike hearing this suggestion, but perhaps raise your strap a bit to help your picking angle.

The EQ settings and the amount of gain you're using aren't helping you much, either. It might work in Zakk's rig, but he's probably running a lot of back-end stuff in his rig that you don't have access to.

Yeah I think You're right in almost everything. But I know Zakk's rig is very simple, there's nothing more than a Les Paul with EMG=> Jimi Hendrix wah, Dunlop Rotovibe, boss sd-1, boss ce-5 => 2 marshalls jcm 2203 with 6550. Monster Cables or Wireless.

 

[ehamady6]

I put an EMG81/85 set in my Custom and initially had that noise as well as the harsh, trebly tone wash. I deduced that the culprit was the bias of my Marshall's tubes because I plugged into a friend's amp and didn't have the problem. It wasn't noticeable when I used passive pickups, but the active EMGs really exposed it. Marshall's recommended bias for my JCM2000 tubes is 90mV, and when I checked mine it was at 97mV which was way too hot, hence the harshness. I was able to get a thick Zakk tone dialing the bias down to 88mV.

 

[SGMM]

Did you use the included tone control(s) when you wired the EMGs....if so - are the tone controls on "10" ??