EMG 81 Sounds Weak

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EMG 81 Sounds Weak

So I was playing my ESP KH-WZ which now I've had for 2 months which was brand new and I have Ernie Ball .11-.48 on it with a string action of (bass side) 5/64 and (treble) 4/64.  2 weeks ago, I started having problems with pickups.  I took it to a guitar tech and they raised the pickups for me.  It sounded better, but still didn't sound the same as it was the first time I swapped from stock Cleartone .09-.42 to Ernie Ball .11-.48.  It has an Original Floyd Rose, R2 locking nut, and EMG 81 actives in the neck and bridge.  I put the pickup height back to stock multiple times (took measurements of everything before string gauge change) while it was at the stock height and then lowered the action again (don't think guitar tech lowered pickups when I brought it to him and it sounded way better) and it still sounds weak.  I am not concerned with the neck pickup, but more the bridge because now notes at the 22nd and 24th frets font sustain nearly as long as they did before and it sounds very bright and wreak now in general.  I have changed to new strings and have changed out batteries 2-3 times and the problem still occurs.  Could this possibly be a problem with pickup height, wiring (never messed with wiring) or maybe something else?

Ian M.

Unfortunately, it was just that the wire was still kinda touching it

Ian M.

I'm having the jack replaced now due to the corrosion on the jack.  I also plugged in my KH-25 and it had the EXACT SAME problem just WWAAAAYYY worse.  The humbuckers sound thin and quiet in my KH-25

Pushead

At this point  it's either that you're way too hard on the cable/jack connection while you're sitting down and playing or something else in your setup that's the issue.  Perhaps it's the cable (or a cable between pedals) or something in your amp.

 

Ian M.

I'm really sorry for the late response.  I didn't know it this forum went to a second page.  What do you mean by way too hard on the jack.  Another thing I noticed is that my dad's Gibson which doesn't have a single problem has sudden low output like the rest of my guitars.  I don't think the problem is my guitar, but something else.  The Gibson model is a 2014 Gibson les Paul signature.  This guitar has '50s style Gibson passive pickups  in it and they put out REALLY high output.  Not only did it have low output, but it had a problem the first time I played it with the beck pickup selected where it made like a really weird sound and I don't even remember what the sound was.  I unplugged the guitar and plugged it back in and it had the neck pickup problem go away, but overall it still had a low output overall.  I tried running it through my pedals, (a Kirk Hammett Signature Wah Pedal and an Ernie Ball Vo Jr.) through just the Wah or the volume pedal, and directly to the amp.  The amp I use is a Line 6 Amplifi 150

Pushead

I think you're sitting the weight of the guitar on the connector while you're playing, which is causing issues with the jacks. 

I'd never heard of that amp before, but I did a quick search and read up on it.  I suspect some of your problem is coming from the amp.  It seems to do so much (including acting as a bluetooth speaker) that I'd be a bit leary of how it's setup.  Make sure there isn't some weird setting that has to be changed every time you go from Bluetooth to guitar amp.

Ian M.

The way the amp works is that all of the setup is through the Bluetooth app and you can play it through that it store the setting you made into the amp itself.  I've always used the same setting and even when the tonal problems started, it was on the same setting the whole time.  Could it possibly be an issue regarding power.  The theory I have about the issue is that the more ouyput there is, the more the problem occurs.  The theory is that if I were to put the three guitars in terms of output (1 being the least ouyput and 3 the most) it would be the 1 KH-WZ because although it has EMG's, it's in standard tuning, therefore providing less bass, 2 the KH-25 becayse even though it has ESP pickups (modeled after EMG 81's but still have less ouyput) it is still half step down and this provides more bass, requiring more power to move the speaker cone, and 3, the Gibson Les Paul because the '50s pickups in the Gibson have an INSANE amount of output which requires even more power to move the speaker cone.  The evidence that supports my theory is that of all three of the guitars, the KH-WZ had the problem the least and the Gibson had a problem when I first plugged it in had a problem where it would make a sound at the 24th fret with the neck pickup selected, but it died out in a tenth of a second (I'm sure you are but just in case, if you aren't familiar with this time scale, what I'm describing would be a serious problem) yet when I plugged it back in, it worked again, but still had the worst of the problem I'm having with the KH-WZ.  Then obviously the KH-25 had more of the problem than the KH-WZ, but less of this problem than the Gibson.  Do you know of anythings that could go wrong in a guitar amp that could cause this theory I have?

Pushead

Do you have another amp, even a really crummy one, that you can use or borrow to test with?  I'm a bit skeptical of the Line 6 thing.

Ian M.

Ya. I'm gonna try my other today and Ya I kinda have my doubts about Line 6 too.  That's why I've been planning to save up for a Mesa Dual Rectifier and a whole bunch of stuff for a rack considering my life practically revolves around guitar haha.  But yesterday when I played before my index finger knuckle started gurting, it sounded REALLY thin to me.  It doesn't have that fat deep tight tone anymore trough the amplifi

Ian M.

I've tried without pedals and with already.  I only use a battery for the Wah and I changed that recently.  What I'm hearing on BOTH of my ESP's is that with it through the amp, it almost sounds like it's not getting enough power to push it through to the amp.  It's almost as if there is too much gain but not a lot of bass.  I'm gonna try to buy the brand of cable I had when I first purchased my guitar and it sounded really good.  I don't know if it helps, but I'm using a DiMarzio and a Fender cable currently and I've heard that the DiMarzio's do have more treble.  I'm not sure, I still haven't gotten around to trying out the other amp so that will most likely be the deciding factor.  I doubt that both the guitars have problems since it was suddenly that my newest one went out and then the KH-25

Ian M.

After getting the guitar back for the jack replacement from the guitar tech guys, if still had the same problem.  I then remembered this being a problem with my previous Line 6 amp as well.  After striking up a conversation about Line 6 amps with one of the store people, they said that they hate Line 6 and in fact, they don't even allow trade-ins anymore for Line 6 amps due all the issues (main one being Reliabilty).  I think I'm just gonna live with the sound now until I can get the Dual Rectifier I've wanted for a while.  Thank you VERY much for taking the time to answer all of these questions.  It has DEFINITELY helped me a lot

Pushead

Did you try plugging the guitar into an amp at the tech or guitar shop?

Ian M.

They have, but they said it sounds fine to them.  I tried playing it through the old line 6 amp and both my guitars LTD'S AGAIN had the same problem.  I'm really stumped as to what this is.  Do you know if Line 6 is know to have this problem in general

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