difference between active & passive pups

[tot_Ou_tard]

Godin has a new pup, with a button that switches between active & passive.

http://godinguitars.com/godinpressvelocity.html

Ummm, but just what *is* the diff?

 

[Spudman]

It is the circuitry that is either active or passive on the Godin. The pickups are passive all the time on the Godin guitar.

What is happening with this guitar is that you are just engaging a preamp circuit. I have the same thing on 2 guitars. I also have 3 active pickup guitars and to answer your question there is a difference there.

I have found the active pickups to be quieter and cleaner sounding over all. It's a little harder for me to get a raw tone from an active pickup guitar. Think 'pristine sound' and maybe you can get an idea of active pickups. There are exceptions. Some manufacturers make some high output active pickups. Many people say that the active pickups are 'lifeless' compared to the passive pickups they are used to. I have to say that my experience is that they take some getting used to.

My favorite guitar now is the OLP Luke and it has active pickups. Once I adjusted to the sound of the pickups and did a little knob adjusting on amps and things I just fell in love with the sound.

Now the other design (Godin) is circuit preamp. I have this on the Ibanez ST200 and it is similar to the Godin. The Ibanez is from the 1970's and I'm glad to see someone else doing it again. This design will simply boost the guitar's output by a preset db level. This can really make an axe sing going into a tube circuitry amph. Godin may be on to a good thing with this. So be sure to buy stock in Duracell if these guitars start selling.:AOK:

In actuality I think the same thing can be achieved by using a clean boost pedal though.

 

[kiteman]

Spud got it covered well but I like to add something about active pups like the EMGs on mine. I have the 81 in the bridge and the 60 in the neck of my lp copy. I put the batteries (I'm using two 9v batts) in the control cavity.

After I installed them in my guitar the first thing I noticed was that they're awfully quiet. Yep, no hum. It was recommended that I disconnect the ground wire from the bridge and tape it off. That means the strings are not grounded (and everything the strings touches) so that's a safety factor there.

How do they sound? Terrific! You can hear each note even if you're playing heavy distortions and power chords. Very good clarity and definitions and my guitar don't really sound any different than a good guitar with a set of 58s. Sounds real good clean so ignore the folks who say they're only good for metal.

The only thing I noticed was that the active pups loses a little nuances and dynamics you get from the passives but I don't seem to miss 'em.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

In actuality I think the same thing can be achieved by using a clean boost pedal though.

Thanks Spud!

Why then do the call it a revoicer, rather than a booster?

The only thing I noticed was that the active pups loses a little nuances and dynamics you get from the passives but I don't seem to miss 'em.

Is this because the load on the pickup is being control from by the active circuitry & is not affected by the amp?

 

[Spudman]

Thanks Spud!

Why then do the call it a revoicer, rather than a booster?

I'm not sure.
It could be that it does activate some circuitry designed to change the tonal characteristics a bit, or...it makes it sound more special, kind of proprietary which is important in selling new guitars.

 

[marnold]

Why then do the call it a revoicer, rather than a booster?

Just a WAG: someone in marketing had an idea . . .

 

[kiteman]

Thanks Spud!

Why then do the call it a revoicer, rather than a booster?



Is this because the load on the pickup is being control from by the active circuitry & is not affected by the amp?

Maybe because the magnets are real weak and the circuitry boosts it so maybe the magnets don't pick up the little things or the threshold's too high.

I doubt you'd use the emgs for fingerpicking.