EMG 57/66 pickup set - Josh Middleton of Sylosis

Gear demo/review of the 57/66 set from EMG pickups.
You can buy these here goo.gl/UFrcGS
You can buy my solo album from www.joshmiddleton.com/shop/
Other links:
Facebook: / joshmiddletonofficial
Twitter: / joshsylosis
Instagram: / joshsylosis

[@MetalxMasters]

There's something about these pickups, man. I bought them because of this video. They basically forced me to play a lot tighter because you can hear every nuance in your playing. I love the 57/66 set so damn much.

[@thehoppo]

They sound fantastic dirty and clean, cant tell they are actives, sound organic...

[@themonotropicguitarist]

Based on your recommendation and a few others I have decided to give these a shot. After playing them for four hours straight I am glad I did. These are some of the best sounding pickups I have ever played. Great video. Gave a lot of insight on these pups.

[@StormAdams]

Actually, have you ever thought about doing an EMG TV play through? You seem to be an avid fan of EMG's, and they're great ways to get your music more "out there". I can't even count how many good bands I found threw them.

[@JoshMiddletonOfficial]

Yeah next time we go to America I'm aiming to do something with them for EMGtv

[@StormAdams]

Awesome. I'd love to see it. I pre ordered the mega bundle for Dormant Heart. Can't wait to hear it. If this record sounds anything like what I have already heard, I'm sure it will be phenomenal!

[@JoshMiddletonOfficial]

Storm Adams Thanks a lot! appreciate it

[@SixString_J5]

Great Video even 7 years later! I have a 57/66 set in the mail to swap out my 81/60 set. Honestly I just found a deal on a set because I was looking to class up my guitar with some metal covered EMGs. Had these pups in her for about 15 years.

[@SuperCharleh]

All demo riffs are songworthy...! Josh = riff machine.

[@ssdravidian]

.....that settles it.....the 57/66 set it is...

[@chadhudson2046]

Best demo of these pickups by far. Sure wish somebody would do some classic rock though.

[@boxer4engine]

BEAST mode riffage man!

[@harmoniousmonk469]

Great vid. Thanks for putting it together.

[@johnsguitarmusicanddemos]

Those things sound meaty man! I love the tones!

[@DolusXIII]

Right on dude, very helpful! great playing!

[@mlhgurkan]

watching your right hand is like a lesson :)

[@vasileapocalipsescu2411]

Best demo of the set. Solid playing. Nice tones and educational too. Thank You!

[@buzzsaw63]

I have been playing on the oool 81/85 combo for years and couldn't find anything better (including all types of Duncans, you name it) until I recently picked up this set. They really are as advertised. Great balance and clarity. 57 Rips like an 81 but pulls back more and is a bit brighter. I still think the 66 neck pickup could be a little better but the set together overall is better IMO. Thanks for the upload and nice riffing :)

[@chzzyg2698]

I tried them in awhile back, probably when this video came out, didn't like them much and swapped out for something totally else. After all these years I'm about to try them again now that I've built up some skills and got better gear. How've you been, Josh? Can't wait to hear a new album. Sylosis always motivates and inspires.

[@SuperCooldude24]

I LOVE U JOSH UR THE MAN

[@SGEbony13]

I got to try these pickups not too long ago and they smoke! They do everything and do it better. They are definitely going in my next guitar.

[@raul21md]

Nice vid, awesome tone. I’m putting these on my Gibson Les Paul Studio this week!

[@themaggot8]

8:00 that would sound epic with a delay set up to 16th notes and just 1 regeneration.

[@metalgear4199]

It sounds sick! 😮

[@joshuahumphries7358]

Thanks for the videos recently Josh, I appreciate you taking the time to do these to get a more in-depth look as you a guitarist (gear, playing ect). If you wouldn't mind, would you do a video on your Marshall heads? You've mentined how heavily modded they are so I'm quite curious about them. Also, thanks for the music. As well as 'Justice For All...', 'Conclusion of an Age' was an album I learned front to back on guitar to help build my chops. Same goes for your other albums, obviously

[@Gholdwayne]

Thats some good tone man!

[@xdx2653]

they sound like passive.and sound really goodddddddddddddd

[@MrScrofulous]

I want an ESP Eclipse with these, but they are only doing that Granite Sparkle colour this year, and it's a bit out there. I don't see how aren't the commonest EMG sold these days.

[@johnronkar2290]

Josh, will you be recording and sharing a video explaining your approach to singing and playing at the same time?

[@currerbell-eyre606]

Any tips on tightening up my right hand? Yours is insanely tight man. It's rad. Nice tone too.

[@JoshMiddletonOfficial]

I'll be doing a video on rhythm playing soon

[@currerbell-eyre606]

Josh Sylosis Thanks man. I'm subbed now. Stoked for the vid.

[@edgars2113]

Can we expect the same "this is how we actually sound" approach on DH as you had on Monolith?

[@JoshMiddletonOfficial]

As in no over-playing or editing and keeping it raw and live sounding? Yep

[@edgars2113]

Josh Sylosis Nice

[@Ibanezrgplayer00]

6:29 minor pentatonic scale

[@ryanhatch2384]

Which amp did you use for the cleans? it sounded great.

[@Metalfeak3]

These pickups don't require a battery correct? My biggest gripe with actives is not being able to hear characteristics of the wood of the guitar and you lose dynamics but they have always been consistent especially for live purposes. These are different and I'm honestly pretty impressed with these pups, and this is coming from a Seymour Duncan guy. It seems to satisfy both worlds. Looking forward to Dormant Heart Josh. Couldn't resist the mega bundle haha

[@JoshMiddletonOfficial]

Thanks man! Yep they're active but feel like passives and dynamic. The way they clean up really shows that (as heard in the tone clips towards the end)

[@EdricDK]

What is the other passive pickup you pair with the EMG H1A? I feel like you have covered this in another video but I cant seem to find it. Stoked for the new album!

[@abacuclopezortiz]

New album? lml :D

[@MetalHeadPyro510]

Do I really need an overdrive if I put these pickups in my guitar and plug into a vintage GX130C Crate head? 😕

[@5urg3x]

What guitar is that? Looks like an explorer but it has curves like a firebird...I actually like it and I don't really care for gibson... EDIT: Nevermind, it is a firebird, the black pick guard I think threw me off! Great looking guitar..These pickups, like all actives IMHO sounds 100% amazing when at full volume, but sound like shit when you roll off the volume or want to play clean...I know there is not a lot of this in metal, but still, it's good to have a versatile guitar that can handle anything. In my opinion, EMG has promised this "tone of a passive" but "with the power of an active" pickup thing many times before, and the James Hetfield set was touted by them as doing this exact same thing, most recently -- I tried the JH set in my ESP Eclipse; they sounded terrible...they were just so high output and overall a noisy mess; even when playing with distortion. I went back to the 81/60 on that guitar before I sold it, and sold the JH set on eBay...no regrets about that, the 81/60 definitely owned the shit out of the JH. Haven't tried the 57/66 in person though, so I will reserve final judgement until I do, but I am very skeptical at this point of EMG saying that any of their active pickups can actually reproduce the tone of passives.

[@disengagetattoos5074]

Gat damn!! Buying the fuck out of these

[@ExcessiveFreedom]

Hi Josh, Amazing sound and play. I would be very interested by having more detials about your modded JMP, what was the purpose of the mods? more gain, different EQ, differents tubes, etc? Cheers!

[@JoshMiddletonOfficial]

Thanks. Videos on my modded amps coming in the very near future

[@davidwprince]

Hey Josh how to you think these would sound in a lower tuning? I'm currently in B standard tuning and using the EMG 81/60 setup.

[@HeyItsAsmus]

you think the EMG 57 can handle Pop Punk without sounding Muddy and over Gainy??

[@MrSephor]

Hey Josh, What passive pickup set can you recommend? I'm using a PRS Custom 24 with coil-tap.

[@5urg3x]

+Mr Sephor I'm not Josh but I can still throw ya a recommendation...In my Maryland made PRS Custom 24 I use the Seymour Duncan Alpha / Omega...I just got them a few weeks ago, they are *insane*, but very expensive. These are the same pickups that come pre-installed on the new Mark Holcomb PRS custom model; for now Seymour Duncan consider them a "custom" pickup set, which is why they are so expensive at the moment, but if enough people buy them, they will probably go into the standard Duncan lineup and the price will drop...but if you have the dough to spend, I would say go for it. Worst case, you don't like them, and can sell them on eBay and at least get your money back -- best case, you love them and your PRS gets an upgrade. My Custom 24 came with the 59/09 set; overall I think they're great, but for high gain stuff they are just too chimey, too bright, too whatever -- I have to roll down the tone knob many times when I play rhythm parts...for leads though they're great. Got the Duncan Mark Holcombs and sold the 59/09s and have not looked back.

[@ericvalverderosado2046]

this is a more loose pickup set than the 81/85...im buying them hahaha

[@javiersands1184]

not, you are josh from architects

[@360MandaloreX]

'Dormant Heart' bonus instrumental at the beginning? ;)

[@JoshMiddletonOfficial]

Nope just some throw-away riffs written for the demo

[@ashlyace438]

Josh Sylosis Throw-away riff? Josh,it's not serious.I can not throw away this riff from my head for 4 days already.You must write a song with this riff!It's amazyng!

[@bstockwellc]

Is that a Jazz III XL 1.14 pick?

[@darknessonaleash]

dude i think you should make a backing track and get everyone to compete on making a best solo or leaks etc.. ;) just an idea :D

[@JoshMiddletonOfficial]

leaks or licks? or leeks?

[@darknessonaleash]

hahaha... sorry bad english//// guitar licks.... ;)

[@JoshMiddletonOfficial]

Armin Wayne It's fine, just messing around. I might do something like that in the future

[@darknessonaleash]

that would be great man.... i think it would be a great thing to do when you release the album.... plus , this time the winner gets to be sponsored by Nuclear Blast to come and meet the band members :D ...lol just an idea !

[@philippev1000]

Hi ! Is your pickup installation all welded ? Because I'm not sure I like the wiring included with all those terminals and quick connectors...Do you ?

[@Max_94]

Why wouldn't you like it? It's awesome.

[@theoryofthrash]

ever tried a gibson explorer?

[@JoshMiddletonOfficial]

yep

[@theoryofthrash]

Josh Sylosis what'd you think? surprised you don't have one.

[@FloSoundMaker]

Hey Josh, how does the EMG 57 sound for you in comparaison with a Ducan JB ? I will probably replace my EMG 81 soon, has the EMG 57 a similar feeling as a JB ?

[@JoshMiddletonOfficial]

It's hard to compare because you really need to hear how they each sound in the same guitar but I would say it's a balance between a JB and an 81

[@TheBluezInc]

Can these pickups be installed on my guitar with a tremolo bridge, will the pole pieces and string spacing align?

[@DanzoSrife]

EMG makes an F spaced version

[@sinisterminister9920]

What sylosis song is this

[@deftonedigga]

Is this standard 12 volt?

[@ShredworthyDave]

9v

[@honigdachs.]

The newer EMGs like the Het Set, 57/66 and 81X are less way compressed than the classic 81 and don't require battery mods.

[@arthurmayhem]

I've noticed that in your playing you change your tones with your palm muting to tighten the sound a little bit, do these pups catch the difference in tone?? I'm a little skittish about actives and you are a very big influence in my playing so a little advise would be appreciated. can't wait for the new record btw!

[@JoshMiddletonOfficial]

Thank you! These are really responsive. Ignore what anyone says about actives. People regurgitate the same old stuff they've heard other people say (I'm not accusing you of that, of course). But last time I did a demo for this set, people were commenting "I much preferred your tone on.." and listed songs/albums where I'd used actives ha. Best thing is to try and try a set out if possible. It's the type of thing you need to feel for yourself as you play. They feel like passives for sure

[@arthurmayhem]

Josh Sylosis thanks for answering, it helps a lot :)

[@danmaynez9664]

what is the grey thing behing the nut and under the strings?

[@yallevereatenbeans2723]

+Daniel Maynez It looks like a piece of foam just to stop the strings from ringing out in the recording.

[@danmaynez9664]

+Smith Smithson hey man, thanks for letting me know, does this have a huge impact on your tone?

[@yallevereatenbeans2723]

Not on your tone really, its more to do with when you hit a big chord and then mute the strings, sometimes you can hear the strings above the nut vibrating out of key, and once you notice it you can't unnotice it. I use a hair tie, tied around the strings above the nut, works just fine for me.

[@danmaynez9664]

+Smith Smithson so it wouldn't affect sustain either correct?

[@yallevereatenbeans2723]

Daniel Maynez Can't say I've noticed any difference in sustain. Another cool thing about the hair tie is that you can move it past the nut to dampen all the strings during a tapping section just to make it sound cleaner.

[@kniferiusz1361]

Actually they sound like passives

[@silverdragon0000120]

Watching this video made me realize it’s not the pickups that sound bad. It’s just my horrible playing lmao I’ve decided to give up playing. I’m gonna donate my guitars to real musical people who can actually use them. I’m absolute trash, my low iq impedes me from actually playing anything remotely musical. great video tho 👍🏻

[@marcusblackfellow2850]

Sounds good, but I had to watch this video with my eyes closed because the guitar is so ugly. I hope you've moved onto cooler-looking things by now.

[@deathbastardable]

Hey Josh, will you be doing technique lessons, like not necessarily your songs but purely legato and trem-picking, etc?

[@JoshMiddletonOfficial]

Yeah I'll be doing all that kind of stuff in the future

[@Bierce88]

+Josh Middleton for a wider range of music witch would you recommend these or the Het Set?