Emmons std H/B pickup

stingray · Post by **stingray** » 8 Dec 2003 9:58 am

I was wandering if anyone has compared the sound of a E66 to a Emmons std H/B pickup
I noticed they have the same imp. Gary !

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Gary L.Converse
(teach a kid how to play steel) KEEP PICKING!

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 8 Dec 2003 10:09 am

I haven't done a side-by-side comparison in the same steel, but I imagine they would sound very similar.

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 8 Dec 2003 8:59 pm

Gary, I have a LeGrande II D10 with Emmons humbuckers, (the medium one), and the guitar is a great sounding guitar. I don't think I would ever consider changing them with anything else.
Jerry

Dave Robbins · Post by **Dave Robbins** » 8 Dec 2003 10:15 pm

Gary,
When I originally ordered my LeGrande III, I special ordered the E-66. I had been using the E-66 in another Emmons guitar and it hard worked great. When I received the L-III with the special ordered E-66, I at first approved of the sound...at least until I got a chance to play it "live." In a low volume setting, it sounded pretty well, but when I had to play loudly or into a heavy crowd, the E-66 began to sound too thin. This started a long trail of different pickups, experimenting with all the George L pickups, etc. I still was not totally happy with the sound and felt there must be something I was missing. After a talk with Jack Strayhorn at the factory (at that time), he convinced me to try the #108 (medium range) Humbucker pickup. I was tickled with the sound of it and found that it really "evened out" the sound across the tuning, as well as sounded more like the original type single coil pickup, but without any noise.

While the single coil stock type pickup might still have a slight edge over the #108, it is just too noisey. I found the #108 to sound very similar to the stock Emmons single coil in the range of about 18-19K, based on comparisons I have made, but without the 60 cycle hum associated with single coils. I found the #108 to be a lot more "even" than the E-66 in the L-III and had a lot more power.

There are many brands of pickups today and many different guitars. I can not speak for any other brand of guitar, but as for the Emmons LeGrande III, the #108 Humbucker proved to be just the sound I was looking for. Afterall, who better should know what pickup will work best in an Emmons but those who build the Emmons. It didn't change the sound of my Emmons, it only made it sound more like an Emmons!

Dave

By the way, The E-66 ohm ratings are in the 17-17.5K range, while the #108 is wound in the 20-22.5K range. However these ratings have nothing to do with each other due to the designs of each pickup. To my ears, they had a similar darkness to the tone, yet a different "curve" to the sound.[This message was edited by Dave Robbins on 08 December 2003 at 10:21 PM.]

stingray · Post by **stingray** » 12 Dec 2003 5:30 pm

Hi Guy's
"Hey" thanks for all the great input! sounds like something that I may want to try.. I like the 66's but they were a little to ringy... on the top for me...
I did notice the one I checked the imp. on was about the same as the 66's..around 17,000
ohm , but again, there is going to be some var. "Thanks again " Gary !

Great info!!

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Gary L.Converse
(teach a kid how to play steel) KEEP PICKING!

Dave Robbins · Post by **Dave Robbins** » 12 Dec 2003 9:59 pm

Gary,
if you found an Emmons H/B that was wound around 17K, this would not be the #108 Humbucker that is the normal standard version Emmons humbucker. It probably would be the "lighter" version of the Emmons humbucker, #106, known for being a "brighter" version.

Emmons Co. also made a mellow version of the humbucker (wound around 25K, if memory serves me correct) which would be the #110.

In the Emmons parts list, the three humbuckers would be listed as: #108B (Brite single position series humbucker pickup), the #108N (Normal single position series pickup), and the #110M (mellow single position series humbucker), accordig to the 2002-3 Emmons catalog.

Like I said the "normal" or standard humbucker (#108) would be in the 20-22.5K range.

Hope this helps,
Dave

stingray · Post by **stingray** » 13 Dec 2003 5:26 am

Dave !

"Thanks Again"
There was no number on pkg. on the one I checked, I will go back & check it again!
This will help in my choise.I don't want to end up with bright sound . a lot of the new dig. power amps are bright by there self.

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Gary L.Converse
(teach a kid how to play steel) KEEP PICKING!

Mike Sweeney · Post by **Mike Sweeney** » 13 Dec 2003 8:59 am

Dave,

My experience with the E-66 is that in my p/p it sounded thin on top and boomy in the bottom and a very large dip in the midrange. I'm familiar with the 10-1 and it's a little too dark for my taste. Where does the Emmons pick-up fall in that range?
I know I need to go back to a H/B pick-up but I want it to sound as close to my single coil as possible.

Mike

Dave Robbins · Post by **Dave Robbins** » 13 Dec 2003 10:59 pm

Mike,

to my ear, the #108 and the George L's don't compare. Their "tonal" curves are completely different. The George L's all have a distinctive curve that generally cuts mids some. That's fine if the sound you want or the guitar you have, requires it. The #108 sounds more even and straight across. In other words, a flatter curve, which to my ear sounds more like the typical Emmons single coil curve that we all like.

The single coil (Emmons) seems to have the edge in the "harmonic overtones" over the #108, but not by much. The one thing that I noticed about the George L's, was that they just didn't have the harmonic overtones that the single coil had. The #108 does have the overtones, not quite as much as the single coil, but a close second. In other words, the #108 sounds more like the typical single coil sound and curve, but without the noise.

The single coil will always sound a little better to me, but if you "record," the #108 will be a blessing!

One disclaimer!... the #108 can't make up the differences between one persons ear and another...And...don't forget that "every" guitar is different.

These days I play my LeGrande III more than anything else. After trying many pickups in it, I settled on the #108. It sounded best and because I record, it was super quiet with a lot of power! I still sometimes think about putting a single coil in it, but everytime I fire up my old push/pull with it's single coil type pickup and here that 60 cycle hum I ready to go back to my LeGrande with that quiet humbucker. Now, I would never change the old stock pickup out of my old push'pull, but I'll probably never depend on it for my first string guitar ever again, either. If I were playing a push/pull today, I would give the #108 a try first, and then go lighter or heavey with the 106 or 110, if it required a chnge in either direction. But I'd just about bet that the #108 would stay!

IMHO,
Dave

Mike Sweeney · Post by **Mike Sweeney** » 14 Dec 2003 12:47 am

Dave,

You heard the same thing I heard in the E-66. And yes I've got to do it because I'm booked on some heavy sessions the first of the year. I knew I'd lose some of the overtones but that's not my main concern. That would be, no great big dip in the mids and not thin on top and boomy in the bottom.
Thanks for the insight.

Sweeney