EMG HB

Pickup features: Active Humbucker, with the size of a standard guitar humbucker. (It?s the one that came in the original graphite Steinberger L-series basses)
Impedence or other specs: Resonant Frequency 4.5 kHz, RMS output voltage:1V, peak output voltage: 1.4V; Output Impedance:10 kOhm; Max String Width: 2.25inches (5.7cm) Info taken from the EMG website.

Model of guitar or bass: A cheap korean copy of an Ibanez TR 4-string
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock anonymous pickup
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: Everyone that uses original graphite-neck Steinbergers L-series. John Taylor of Duran Duran used one during their "Wedding Album" & "Thank You" CDs and early 90's tours. Also, there?s an 80's concert video of Rush where Geddy Lee appears using one Steiny L bass.
You musical style(s): Rock, Metal, Boleros, Latin, Caribbean & Brazilian music. As you can imagine, the latter are the ones that brings me the food.
Reason for pickup change: As I said, I brought the bass just because that pickup was mounted on it. The rest of the instrument was completely rotten, but since I'm into guitar repaiing, it was just a bargain I couldn't miss. (in fact, I think the pickup is more expensive than the instrument)

Perceived output level: Its output is very strong. I don?t have an amp, because I just plug it into an old Yamaha organ (direct to its amp with no EQ) when I want to hear it loud, or into the 'aux. input' of my domestic sound equipment (the input ussually used to patch a CD player or stereo TV), when using headphones. When a passive axe is going through the organ, the output is usually modest, to say the least; but this EMG sounds so loud I?ve been capable of playing rehearsals with a full drumkit and a Keith Emerson wannabe cranking the organ without getting myself buried. And with headphones, I can overdrive the amp if I pluck the strings with the volume knob near full.
Tone: Precise & balanced: EMG seems to have defined the clean and bright and full sound of modern basses. But if you want the vintage sound, better check out other thing. Also: I?ve been in front of a massive PA cabinet without touching the strings, and there?s absolutely no hum. Great!
Sonic evaluation: Look above

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This PU will be at home in hard-sounding enviroments like rock andfunk, bot I've got to be areful when playing Julio Iglesias ballads, because if I pluck just a litle harder, then the PU believes it?s the Rock Zone and I?d be on trouble! (Some singers doesn't like that hot output behind them...)

Comments: I?ve been playing seriously for about 5 years, and since I?m still in the university I need an instrument with solid tone and construction. So, since my bass doesn?t have the solid construction I need, the EMG do the miracle of getig it into the pro sound area. So be careful when testing an EMG equipped axe: these pickups have the potential to hide some features of the sound that you could like but you will have a balanced, recording friendly sound with no hum. If you really want to hear the tone of your instrument, I suggest to try it first unplugged in a quiet room, and then through some quelity headphones, since enclosures can give their own color to the sound.