EMG DG20

Pickup features: Single active
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Am Strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Dimarzio virtual vintage
Other pickups on guitar: Heavy blues
Artists using this pickup: DG
You musical style(s): Rock/Blues
Reason for pickup change: I was very disappointed with the dimarzio pickups. A complete waste of money actually. The EMG DG20 system absolutely blows anything else out of the water.

Perceived output level: better than duncans.
Tone: Very flexible tone balance. You can get any sound you want with these
Sonic evaluation: I use a Strat thru my Flextone XL. Also use POD to record thru cakewalk. This combonation with the emg's provides more flexible sounds that I have ever had in 20 yrs of playing. I have tried them all. I also have a couple LP's, a Strat with duncans and a hotrodded tele with hotrails which rocks. But my american strat with the emgs really is my main axe now.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: These pickups are great for any kind of music. With my flextone, I can get anysound.

Comments: I have been playing for over 20yrs. I love my les pauls, but my strat with the emgs has really opened up my playing. I love this system. I have tried different combos of duncans and dimarzios. Save your money and buy the DG20 by emg. It is easy to install if you have soddered before. I would buy these again in a second.

Pickup features: Active Single Coil, EXG,SPC
Impedence or other specs: pickguard that looks groovy

Model of guitar or bass: Strat mx.
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Gilmour
You musical style(s): Floyd/Gilmour/Zep
Reason for pickup change: Gilmour is the most amazing guitarist.

Perceived output level: Hot, So hot you don't need an amp ;o)
Tone: Very diverse, stock, to bright 'n chipper, to mellow, to overdriven, to thick blues
Sonic evaluation: Fender stand. Strat, DG20, Tuner, Boss CS-2, Proco. Rat2, Fender Bronco. This thing is to die for. My post is two down, I want to give a better experienced review. It is amazing, I like any begginner, though it would make me like Gilmour, it didn't you have to learn that, playing some songs, Shine on you crazy diamond, comfortably numb, these babes can pull it off. Its what he has

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Basicly for classic rock/floyd

Comments: If it were destroyed you'd see me die. This is the best set up pickups you can get, along with the SPC and EXG. I love everything, I hate nothing about it, their beautiful. This is THE SOUND if your looking for floyd.

Pickup features: Active single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Standard Strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: ???
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup: It's the David Gilmour system, so....
You musical style(s): Rock, Blues, pop, metal
Reason for pickup change: It was installed on the guitar

Perceived output level: No noise (unlike passive single coils)
Tone: With the controls turned down, brassy. With the Expander turned up, bright enough to pierce eardrums. With the Prescence turned up, a trebly brown sound.
Sonic evaluation: Used with a Crate Blue Voodoo half-stack. I can get highly varied tonal flavors by just mixing the Expander and Prescence controls. The sound is always brassy and bright, a result of the single coils. This may not be suitable for all sounds (Black Sabbath), both the DG20 was not designed for that.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: The DG20 is excellent for rock, alternative, and pop, and can bring whole new dimensions to blues (if you like to experiment).

Comments: If stolen, I'd weep (because the Strat it's in is also great). The DG20, while expensive new (~$350), provides vast amounts of tonal space to explore, and sounds excellent in most of that space. There are applications (i.e. metal) for which this system is definitely not suited, but overall it provides a great amount of flexibility to the session guitarist.

Pickup features: Single Coil-active EXG, SPC
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Mex. stnd. Strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: David Gilmour
You musical style(s): Basicly Floyd, blues, rock, progressive
Reason for pickup change: Well I just got my first electric guitar two weeks ago.
And David Gilmour of course being my favorite artist, it made
sense to hunt the setup down and pay the huge price.

Perceived output level: Output is very nice, I don't have alot to compare to
Tone: Crystal clear, or mellow
Sonic evaluation: Fender Bronco 15 watt-lookin for a hiwatt soon
thats it. The setup was really my first priority.
I'm not big on effects, mostly cause I just don't have the money.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Sounds nice on what I play

Comments: If it were destroyed I have a breakdown
;o) It would be atleast a year before I could
scrounge the money to re-buy it. Been playing on acoustic for
6 months, electric for 2 weeks. I love the fact that david gilmour has the same thing. I am too new to this stuff to really appreciate the features, right now I am disappointed as it didn't get the tone I imagined, but I'm sure I will come around soon, I tend to have giant expectations. It is silent-in the fact that there isn't any hum at all. Again I can't really say that much review of it, as I have nothing to compare it with. But someone once said learn with the best.

Pickup features: Three active single-coils, mid boost, bass and treble boost, all in a perl pickgaurd
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Mexican Strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock mexican single coils
Other pickups on guitar: all EMG SA
Artists using this pickup: David Gilmour, hence the name
You musical style(s): From Jazz to heavy metal, but mostly rock
Reason for pickup change: Single coils were ver noisy and harsh, couldn't practice with my computer

Perceived output level: By themselves hotter than single coils, with the eq circutary on it so hot I have to roll it back sometimes
Tone: Whatever you want it to be with the EQ
Sonic evaluation: I am running my strat into a Line 6 Flextone

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Suitable for all styles except for jazz and cassical can't really get that mellow acoustic sound.

Comments: These pickups are the best single-coils out there. If I could have I woul have replaced them with EMG 89, ut my guitar can't accomendate to that. The EQ can give me any sound I want, the bass and treble boost almost makes my guitar sound like as steel string acoustic.

Pickup features: Active Single Coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Mexi Strat
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: stock passive
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: David Gilmour
You musical style(s): Floyd primarily
Reason for pickup change: Tired of passive pickups; no matter what amp I used through my effects chain distortion sounded downright muddy.

Perceived output level: Any amp you plug into, prepare to melt.
Tone: Balanced, if you need mids, play with the SPC tone pot, want treble play with EXG tone pot.
Sonic evaluation: Fender Mexican Stratocaster (EMG DG20s) -> Boss CS-2-> Ibanez CP-9 -> Boss MZ-2 Metalizer -> Sovtek Big Muff Pi (green pedal in a wooden box reissue) -> Chandler Tube Driver 911 -> ProCo RAT II -> Electroharmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress -> Boss CE-2 Chorus -> MXR Digital Time Delay ==FINALLY==> Fender Frontman 15 Amp (POS I know, but hey I can't afford Hiwatt units)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: From Pumpkins to Clapton to Metallica, Whatever you play (even though only Clapton is respectable of those three) these pickups can get there.

Comments: I've been playing for 13 years and since I've been a fan of EMGs for awhile -- after testing those on a demo unit there, I was hooked. Lost or stolen? I wouldn't let these out of my sight to begin with! I've tried from the scratchy sounding SD Invaders all the way to Fender Lace Sensors, and I've got the pickups that has them covered.

Pickup features: Active single coil
Impedence or other specs: low impedance, active, great S/N

Model of guitar or bass: early '71 four bolt hardtail Fender Stratocaster
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: David Gilmour
You musical style(s): Rock/blues/grunge/metal Not a pro, play as a hobby.
Reason for pickup change: I live in a severely polluted RF/EMI environment, right down the street from three TV/radio transmission towers. The stock pickups were WAY TOO NOISY!

Perceived output level: Tone boosts off: hot as humbuckers. Boosts up: VERY hot, no need for overdrive pedals.
Tone: More balanced than stock pickups. Tone boosts make them VERSATILE!
Sonic evaluation: I play into a rackmount Chandler Tube Driver with a long plate "D" getter Mullard feeding a Marshall 50W master volume Mark II JMP 2204, into 4x12 Hiwatt with Fanes. (Various effects, as my mood dictates).
These pickups sound very good. They give single coil tone, but are DEAD QUIET!
I was skeptical about the design of the tone boosts. One is a mid boost. The other is a "presence boost," kind of like scooped mids, boosts highs and lows at the same time. They work great. If you're running high gain with distortion, the mid boost really pushes the creamy over-the-edge distortion sound. When your amp is run clean, the presence boost makes it ring like a bell, glassy highs with SOLID bottom end, unlike any other strat p/u I've heard. Crank both boosts and it gives you a balance full tone *extremely hot* output.
Again, VERY VERSATILE!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play various types of music and I haven't been disappoint by the DG20 yet. No pickup will do everything, but these come close for single coils. I also have a Les Paul with Seymour Duncans. Between the two guitars, I think I pretty much have it covered.

Comments: If destroyed or stolen, I'd replace them in a second.
I've been playing since about 1970, but not on a professional level. Also own Epiphone Slash Les Paul Classic with Seymour Duncan Jazz neck and JB bridge and a series/phase/parallel push/pull modification of my own design. Five string Yamaha bass with active pickups and Fender BXR 300C. Various effects, vintage pedals...
I love everything about the DG20 but the price. I'm still giving them a 10 because I think that with the versatility gained by the active circuit boosts, lack of noise, and the fact that I can easily convert my vintage Strat back to stock, they are worth the $250. Besides, they were a Christmas gift from my wife, so I guess I can't complain about the cost.
I wanted the DG20 because of my noise problem, and was prepared to make compromises. I ended up happier than I thought I would be.
If you love single coils, but hate the noise and low output, the DG20 may be for you! If you thought that you'd have to resort to humbuckers designed to give a single coil tone, by all means, try the DG20 instead. I've never heard a Strat make so many different tones, and this WITHOUT NOISE.

Pickup features: 3 SA single coils on pearloid pickguard, SPC & EXG circuits, 9V preamp
Impedence or other specs: low

Model of guitar or bass: 1994 Fender Strat Plus
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: 3 gold lace sensors
Other pickups on guitar: N/A
Artists using this pickup: David Gilmour
You musical style(s): progressive rock, blues rock, funk, jazz
Reason for pickup change: stock pickups did not have high enough output to compare to other guitars (mostly Ibanez's) that I own, wanted additional flexibility

Perceived output level: hotter than either of the Dimarzio humbuckers direct mounted into my Ibanez JPM (that says quite a bit!)
Tone: your choice... it's always clear, but the flexibility allows you to be bassy, middy, trebly, or balanced--your choice!
Sonic evaluation: Top notch! I run the strat through a Morley PWV into a Johnson Milennium. The variety of clean tones is AMAZING! I've fallen in love with the clean presets on my amp again. Distortion is amazingly smooth--it's possible to get the 'smooth as glass' solo sound. Has thickened up the tone of my strat at least 10 times... much more flexible than any other pickup setup I've ever used.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: sounds great in all positions; great for blues, jazz, funk, & general rock playing, great for spacey clean parts, great for cutting through lots of effects, great for solos with long drawn-out notes; pickups are okay for shredding, but who shreds on a strat anyway?

Comments: Been playing for 12 years... own many other electrics (Ibanez RG/JEM/JS/UV/JPM, PRS, Gibson, Parker, Steinberger)--most versatile guitar I've owned. Was somewhat difficult to install--I'm not really gifted at soldering, and it seemed to be a challenge to get the pots and battery to fit into the existing cavity on the strat. I'm not looking forward to changing the battery, since I'll probably have to remove all the strings from the guitar then. If this guitar was stolen, I'd definately have to get another strat with EMG's. The only reason I rated it less than a "10" is because of the high price, problems I had with installation, and difficulty in changing the battery.

Pickup features: active single coil with EXG/SPL active tone controls
Impedence or other specs: low!

Model of guitar or bass: USA Strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: David Gilmour
You musical style(s): floyd, pumpkins, suede, kula shaker.....
Reason for pickup change: stock pickups weak and noisy + wanted better tone control.

Perceived output level: conciderably hotter than the stock pickups. Allow solos using the amp's OD, without any pedal boosts
Tone: balanced to middy. Lack the trebly 'bite' of the stack pickups
Sonic evaluation: Great vintage Strat sound. Very different to stock pickups. Lacks the 'DeltaTone' treble bite in the bridge position, which had it's uses for choppy chords. Can compensate with EQ though. Pickups are very warm. The EXG (middle knob) boosts the highs and lows, giving clean sounds a glassy, transparent edge, which really was pleasantly surprising. Lands your sound somewhere between Hank Marvin and a telecaster. Really nice. The SPL (lower knob) conversely boosts the low mids, which brings out the blues. Adds balls to OD settings, and is the key to the Clapton/Gilmour blues tone. Rolling off both knobs gives you an unmodified tone, like standard tone on 10, but with a bit less bite. Turning up both at once effectively acts as a 'flat' boost.
The pickups are loud, with good sustain. I thought that there seemed to be less differentiation between the 5 pickup positions, as compared to the stock electrics, but it is hard to say without being able to do an A/B type of parallel comparison. I may be wrong. Effectively zero unwanted hum and buzz, unless you are standing right up against your amplifier. The tone controls are confusing at first, but once mastered give you real tonal versatility and diversity. Makes standard tone controls seem very 'dead' in comparison. I would like to try a strat with stock electrics in parallel, so i can give a better retrospective comparison. I think that the stock guitar would sound weedy, thin, noisy but maybe more 'honest', which is a common criticism of the EMG SA pickups. I would not change back though. (I don't hear anyone bitching about them when in the hands of David Gilmour!). The pickups are creamy and hot, almost hot humbucker output (i have an Ibanez Jem, so i know what i am talking about!) and the mids are just gorgeous. Takes some of the effort out of sqeezing out those harmonics and singing feedback, although some people seem to like battling Strats to get them to obey. I would really miss the EXG and SPL now if i didn't have them. If you like thick blues, and lovely vintage clean sounds, without the crap you nornally get from Strat electrics, then this is the kit for you.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: think these pickups would suit almost any style. I can even get convincing thick metal power chords out of them, like Billy Corgan for example, which is something a stock Strat is weak on. If you like slicing treble though, you may find the SA pickups a b

Comments: Would buy again without question. Lovely set-up, and nice pearly scratchplate too!
9/10.

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender American Standard Stratocaster
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: David Gilmour
You musical style(s): Smashing Pumpkins/Pink Floyd
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickups sounded muddy and too shrill especially on my crappy amp.

Perceived output level: they're very hot pickups
Tone: incredible tone it goes from very bright to humbucking low. It does all that and everything in between
Sonic evaluation: i'm using the american strat with a crappy fender champ 110, but i can get decent sounds with these pickups

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: these pickups rock for all styles it is great for Blues sounds, is great for classic rock, and even better for alternative like The Smashing Pumpkins where you go from quiet bright sounds to low bottom end laden distortion

Comments: