EMG SPC Presence Control

Coupled with EMG SA's which are single coil active pickups.

MIM Strat with Warmoth Pro neck, stainless frets, SRV contour.

Replaced all 3 pickups. Came standard with humbucker in bridge.

David Gilmour

Not only do I love David's sound. With the SPC you pull off a PERFECT maybe even a little more than perfect driving blues tone that sounds like your Stevie at el Mocambo.

What's the output level like? High while retaining the single coil feel.

What style of music do you play? Is this a good match? I use this guitar for blues, lots of SRV stuff. A perfect match would be an understatement. I feel safe saying that the SA/SA/SA SPC combination is what Stevie Ray Vaughan would have played himself had he had the opportunity. For examples of the tone www.steviesnacks.com

I would replace again instantly. I highly doubt there is anything better for blues players. The only thing I want to tell everyone is the fact that there is a battery in your guitar only helps your sound 10 fold. The only way you should not have this setup is if you are afraid or too lazy to remove the pick guard four times a year! FOUR TIMES A YEAR IS NEVER LETTING THE BATTERY GET 3/4 USED PLAYING EVERYDAY FOR HOURS! Just don't leave it plugged in. You must unplug the guitar when you are done but for this tone you really have no other option if you really care about getting the best blues sound out there.

Also keep in mind for you anti-active people (I don't hate you I understand your point of view I just know you'd switch if you could try my guitar) but think about this. If you buy one of those lithium ion 9V batterys... you would MAYBE have to change the battery once a year. maybe... and thats again playing everyday and unplugging the guitar when you are finished.

Pickup features: Active Mid Boost
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Mustang and Strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: Variety
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues and Rock
Reason for pickup change: Wanted more midrange for certain leads

Perceived output level: Does what is supposed to, it boosts mid frequency. When used with a Fender guitar with a humbucker type pickup it can really fatten up the tone.
Tone: Middy. It can sound creamy through the right amp/overdrive setup.
Sonic evaluation: I use this with Fender tube amps which tend to be very bright sounding, in my opinion, the way a strat should sound most of the time. The SPC gives you the ability to add more mid range warmth for songs that have a PRS or Les Paul type of solo sound.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mostly Blues but do play some Santana tunes as well. The SPC goes on when the Santana tones are needed.

Comments: I think the EMG EQ products are great. I must say that you have to add their PA-2 pre-amp in order to use their EQ products with passive pickups. They will make custom set ups of their EQ products for you if you call them first and order it through a dealer. I find that the SPC works best for me in either a full on or off position so I had them make me one with just a toggle instead of a pot. The SPC adds a little hiss to your sound when it is on but that is due to the mid range boost it is adding. When you are done using it just turn it off and the additional hiss goes away. 1 point knocked off for the hiss, although most frequency boost products suffer from this as well and you really don't notice it much when you are playing a solo.

Pickup features: Active mid boost
Impedence or other specs: 6 db. increase in output

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Les Paul Standard
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: n/a
Other pickups on guitar: n/a
Artists using this pickup: n/a
You musical style(s): Metal, 80's cock-rock (Dokken, Poison, etc.)
Reason for pickup change: n/a

Perceived output level: Adds an extra 6 db. of output
Tone: A rounder and thicker tone when maxed
Sonic evaluation: I have a PAF Pro in the neck and a Duncan Distortion in the bridge and wanted a hotter sound without sacrificing a pretty good clean sound. I use this when soloing and it adds infinite sustain through the 5150. Chords sound fatter and rounder and sustain longer. I can get my amp to feedback right away.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Like I said, for 80's cock-rock, this boost works perfect

Comments: Extra-gain for $40, why the hell not! Not like I used my bridge tone anyway. I've been playing for about 6 years. My whole setup is my Les Paul into a Bad Horsie, a Boss Chorus Ensemble, to the high gain input on the 5150, then a 482 BBE sonic maximizer, then a Boss DD-3 delay. I love this sound! For $40, you can't lose on this deal!

Pickup features:
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender American Standard Stratocaster
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: EMG-SV
Artists using this pickup: me
You musical style(s): classic rock
Reason for pickup change: passive single coils didn't cut it

Perceived output level:
Tone: mid boost
Sonic evaluation: Clean amps, distortion pedals.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: It is a mid boost. It's loud thru distortion. But it works great for a ton of things. On my strat I have 1 volume, 1 tone(connected to the neck and middle pickups), and the last tone replaced with the mid boost for all of the pickups. If you use the neck pickup as is, or with the tone off like a vintage Santana tone, then the mid boost can roll up just enough tone to bring the neck pickup out of the dark, and give it some nice attack. The mid boost is a bit loud and hissy if you use it with a ton of distortion, but over all I think it adds to the tonal diversity of the guitar. Great value.

Pickup features: Add-on Preamp (mainly used for Active single coils)
Impedence or other specs: low

Model of guitar or bass: Fender American Std. Strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: n/a
Other pickups on guitar: EMG-SAs
Artists using this pickup: David Gilmour
You musical style(s): Rock, Blues, Metal, Jazz, Country, Funk, Experimental - you name it!
Reason for pickup change: Experimental--now I wouldn't play the Strat without it!!!

Perceived output level: MONDO midrange boost (approx. 6db)
Tone: Major Mids while cutting highs and lows -- inverted "V" eq shape which makes it FAB for soloing!
Sonic evaluation: Whoa! Talk about something so hot it makes your tongue sweat--this
unit is definitely the ticket for all you EMG single coil users out
there! This, of course, is the add-on midrange boost unit made famous
by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour. He uses it on a separate pot thus
allowing him to dial in the amount he desires, whereas I had EMG's
TekMasterSupreme, Paul Gnat, put mine on a mini-toggle switch between
my volume and tone knob (I moved the volume pot to the middle tone
knob position and run a standard tone on the end tone knob which
controls the tone for all three pickups). By the midrange being
on a switch it's either off or it's FULL ON, baby! I use EMG-SA
pickups, which by themselves sound great, but with the SPC my solos
sing and cut through like never before. Also, since my band plays
rock that's anywhere from straightforward and bluesy to balls out
and hard edged, I leave the SPC on almost all the time thus making
my Strat sound like a studio Les Paul with P-90's! The added
crunch factor this unit gives is simply amazing. Now my so-called
"wimpy" single coil Strat can cut and chunk right along with my
other guitarist's Ibanez and Les Paul. I literally have TWO guitars
in one now--the best of both worlds, if ya ask me! This unit is an
absolute must for the EMG single coil user who wishes to get the
most possible tonal flexibility out their axe!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Better for rock applications IMHO, but if one used it on a separate pot (as it should be) it could be tailored for just about any style. Granted, all this is relavent to one's own outboard gear, of course.

Comments: Buy it again?--Yes, for any Strat-style guitar that used a single coil
in the bridge.
Love?--Makes my solos cut like a Ginsu, and fattens up my bridge
single coil to make it sound as if I'm playing a Studio LP or
perhaps an SG with P-90's, albeit MUCH quieter than P-90's due
to the active circuitry.
Hate?--Nothing.
Wish?--Wish I had more control via a concentric pot (one for
the SPC and one for the EXG), but overall it's the sh*t!
Searching?--This unit gives me a sound like no other, and so
for now I can truly (and finally) say I'm satisfied with my
Strat!
Share?--You EMG single coil users want a more "Stevie Ray-ish"/
Vintage Fendery tone out of your SA's? Then check out my review
on the EMG-EXG Guitar Expander!