Swap Passive Pickups to Active... How Easy Is It? | Guitar Tech Tips | Ep.81 | Thomann

[@jicklesjingles8134]

Tip from my practical experience : I put single coil EMGs in my Strat. The 9V battery perfectly fits in the cavaty next to the pickup switch. Be advised to wrap the battery in foam! But: if the battery has to be swapped you will have to unmount the pick guard.

[@SirBoopBoop]

I did this for years until I got the bravery to buy a battery box and a battery box router template. I then bought a cordless router and ball bearing router bits. Get the router and make a permanent solution, you'll thank yourself later when you have to pull off your pickguard again lol. From that day forward, if they didn't have one I've now added battery boxes to all my active guitars and basses.

[@insidious.92]

Extra tip: if you had an anctive pickups, don't leave your guitar plugged 😎😁😉

[@PooNinja]

That’s why I prefer passives, because I leave mine plugged in very often.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Yes. YES! That. 👍 //Kris

[@insidious.92]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses respect bro, you're no.1

[@yetimatzenightcat8702]

😄🏂

[@naits95]

wait what, so I dont have to take out the battery? i just have to unplug it? omg my life is a lie

[@endrwenigr]

The rechargeable battery packs from Fishman are great! I have the one for Strat in combination with Fluence loaded pickguard. Easy installation, no soldering, no drilling!

[@1337million]

EMG also sell solderless switches, so it's possible to do a 100% solderless EMG swap! Only thing I dislike is the mess of cables if I want to avoid cutting and soldering cables to shorter lengths

[@blazeshark1]

When you are talking about switches, do you mean the switch to change pickup positions? If so, does that mean a guitar with only a bridge pickup would be completely solderless?

[@1337million]

@@blazeshark1 I'm talking about pickup selectors, yes. So a single EMG pickup can be done solderless too! You could even skip a volume/tone control if you so please

[@blazeshark1]

@1337million cool, if i was going to do it, i would definitely keep the volume. Mine doesn't even have a tone control

[@blazeshark1]

@@1337million also, since i am going from passive to active, do i need to do any soldering to the output jack?

[@1337million]

@@blazeshark1 You shouldn't have to do any soldering, the included cables simply clip onto the output jack! You don't need a ground wire for EMGs either, so you can clip it off. Or tape it off in case you want to go change back to passives. (I believe Fishman pickups also need a ground wire, in case you want to try those in the future) The box for 1 pickup should have: The pickup 1 volume pot 1 tone pot 1 stereo jack 1 battery clip 1 battery bus a bunch of cables 1 cable hub + Instructions for various layouts

[@stephanematis]

Excellent condensed details Kris. I recommend folks watch your series on the modifications. Eye opener!

[@cover-me]

Episode 81 for some good EMG-s haha good one

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Nice! You actually found the "easter egg". 💪😆 I wasn't really expecting anyone noticing this little joke. Thanks!! //Kris

[@cover-me]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses So did I win that Harley Benton ? :D ;)

[@PanosOikonomopoulos]

I bought a 2 x 23A 12V battery case and a 9V converter plug for my EMG modded Epiphone Explorer. The overall size is a bit smaller than a 9V battery and you also get a non-permanent 24V mod. The 9V battery clears the pots cavity cover without modding for maybe a hair thickness

[@MainPrism]

I just did exactly this and installed EMG's into one of my PRS's. Gotta love the extra headroom you get with the 24 volt mod. I also have another PRS running EmG's but with 18v that I rigged up using 9v connectors wired in series for extra headroom. I would've done 24v on it too but I installed an Afterburner in place of the tone pot & they're only rated for 18v max. Either way both sets sounds phenomenal now. Much more headroom and clarity with increased attack response. Just awesome, easy, reversible mods!

[@agatzebluz]

Ohh the amazing silver sparkle !!! I changed my pickups to Thornbucker and Thornbucker + in mine and I couldn't be happier. They are not active but are much clearer and defined than the stock ones. But they almost double the price of the guitar :-) Thanks Kris for all the content at Thomann's channel and yours. I always look forward to your videos.

[@JarrettMeyer]

BEAUTIFUL REVV in the background!

[@k.d-l5w]

i bought from these guys a lot of stuff very helpful best prices and shipping withing few days in uk briliant

[@DamianGto]

Kind of fun, as I wonder about this. So I just bought a cheap guitar (HB) from Thomann, that I waiting to be delivered in a couple of days. I will use that like a test and fun guitar. So it was nice to see a spot on video from you 🙂

[@Kakascrot]

Put a white EMG 81/55 in my Jackson soloist the other day, whole guitars white, looks angelic

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Awesome! I love this kind of attention to details. What do you think why I put matt silver Fishmans in my silver guitar with matt silver hardware? 😆 Cheers buddy //Kris

[@joermnyc]

Actually a Les Paul might have just enough space for the 9v battery under the control cavity cover. While it’s for the piezo bridge, the new Jerry Cantrell signature just has a battery clip glued or taped to the cover. Of course the electronics got that system are all on the back of its own volume control, miniaturized parts really solve the space issues.

[@SlightLeeBased]

If you're installing EMG pickups and I suggest you buy their solderless switch. The switch will act as the buss to plug in all of the solderless connections making the entire process completely solderless

[@carryoutflame9447]

What about the pots

[@nicholasquintero1080]

I've been using old analog cell phone LiPo batteries along with the step down circuit in these phones for the rechargeable feature if I can't fit a standard 9v in the existing routing.

[@PooNinja]

Sparkle!!!! It would be similar when adding a sustainiac 🤘🏽!

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Exactly! Actually it would be very similar! :) Are you still sure you want that sustainiac? Haha! //Kris

[@PooNinja]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses oh I’m sure I just don’t know what to put it in, I’m thinking my Jackson RR V, but what if I get a JEM jr to Quell my lust for the Pia? It would look awesome in a Jem! Decisions decisions decisions, maybe I just need an e bow, no cutting required 🤣

[@sundroppunk1280]

Groovy! Thanks for sharing! 🤙

[@skullndguns]

This week I finally made the decision to swap out my passive pickups for active ones, only problem was to find the right pots. As a lefty I would need antilogaritmic (antiLog) potentiometers AKA reverse audio tapers, which are somewhat hard(er) to find and when I do find them they are the standard 250K and 500K or for Fender amps. I (hope I) finally found 1 pot (on the entire internet) that would work on the site from Conrad. Do you guys sell or know how to get hold on to the right potmeters? On a different note: it might be a good idea to offer installation kits (like the ones from EMG) for different wiring and pickup configurations, containing the needed supplies (right kind of potmeters, some wire, batteryclip, output jack) and maybe even a wiring diagram, could even be with quick connects terminals to create your own somewhat solderless system?

[@gardenofnightmare]

I think my Harley Benton R456 has more than enough space in the pot cavity for extra electronics. Could anyone confirm?

[@najtrows]

Swapping for actives on a 2 vol 2 tone guitar is the easiest. I have a pot that isn't plugged in and only used as a "dummy", I have the battery right underneath and since there are no cables around that pot it works great. I don't need 2 tone pots anyway since I only play death metal and other extreme styles.

[@najtrows]

Also I'm pretty sure I've always used regular jacks for my active guitars without issue about battery drainage as long as I unplug it. Is the stereo jack a new thing or have I just been lucky with long living batteries?

[@MetalGodOfLegend]

And for the reverse? I saw a guitar with active pickups, but i dont like them and i love the guitar. Is it possible to change from active to passive?

[@wlmirand]

I was thinking to put EMG Zakk Wylde in my Cort CR250. Besides all stuff that comes with the Kit, do I need to buy a preamp too ?

[@jasonmcentire3541]

So. Do you still need to worry about F spacing on bridge ? Or long or short legs ?

[@panagiotiskaroutas6859]

Hello, very useful and interesting all your videos! check them constantly! can I ask you if I can change easely EMG's retro active hot 70 with EMG's 81-85 in a H.B. Fusion T EMG HT? Thank you

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Hi, that shouldn't be a problem. Guitars with EMGs already have the place for the battery and have the right 25k pots, stereo jack, etc. You should be able to simply remove the original EMGs and put in the new ones. Cheers! //Kris

[@panagiotiskaroutas6859]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses Thank you very much!

[@jeremiechastel]

I bought the same guitar around the same time you did. I also switched pickups twice, just like you did. I have trouble bonding with the guitar, because it lacks clarity and high end sparkle (despite the sparkle top :), regardless of the pickups in it. I thought about actives to bring back highs, although somewhat artificial. Is that what happened here, hard time making it sound as sharp as it looks ?

[@fraenkiboii]

Hey Kris! If you're reading this: I know, old video, but: I want to buy the HB Fusion-III EMG HT roasted in SBK. It's got EMGs in it, but I don't want active pickups. First I thought "Easy! pickup swap, battery out, little bit of soldering here and there". But you mentioned something about high impedance pots??? WTF??? Thanks in advance, mate!!!

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Ohh don't you worry, I'm reading this. 😄 If you swap active pickups back to passive you have to swap the pots and most probably the capacitor too. You can keep the switch and the stereo jack (just ignore the sleeve and use it as a standard mono one). If you put humbuckers in the guitar use 500k pots and a 22nF capacitor. That's a little fiddly but electronics don't cost much and you'll find wiring diagrams for every guitar type online. Here's a question though, why buying an active guitar if you want it passive? There are many Fusion III models with passives to begin with. 🤔 Cheers //Kris

[@fraenkiboii]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses Thanks for getting back man! Ok, new pots, new caps, easy. I was hoping you asked about that particular model. Actually, I would in fact prefer a different model. But they all seem to have a trem and I couldn't find a fixed bridge model I like...

[@yetimatzenightcat8702]

Hey Kris, Das mit den pickups versteh ich ja noch aber kann mir vielleicht mal jemand erklären wie die heidelbeermarmelade auf meinen kopf kommt 🤷‍♂️ und vor allem, warum hab ich ständig neue an den fingern hängen irgendwo muß die doch sein ???

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Hmm... also ich denke die Decke von deiner Wohnung muss undicht sein. Ich hab gehört, dass über dir Bären eingezogen sind. Die fressen das Zeug pausenlos und es tropft halt runter durch die Risse an der Decke. 🤓 //Kris

[@yetimatzenightcat8702]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses 😅🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊 heiliges kanonenrohr lololooool warum bin ich da nicht selber drauf gekommen 😄😄😄😄🚀

[@LemonMeIon]

I need to do the opposite for my bass. Tired of replacing 2 9-volt batteries every other week lol.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Haha, yeah, that's a good enough reason to go passive. Even though batteries should last veeeeeery long, so I assume there's something faulty with your electronics. //Kris

[@LemonMeIon]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses I think most of the problem lies with leaving it plugged in too long, but most importantly as the batteries weaken, the signal starts to die and I lose headroom and it’s not the quickest fix in the middle of a gig.

[@PooNinja]

Exactly!

[@isolatedmortalityband5718]

What if you mistakenly buy an active pickup, will it still work in a passive guitar?

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Hey, unfortunately not. You will need a battery connected, otherwise you'll not get any sound out of those active pickups. And then there's the value of the pots etc. Active pickups need low impedance pots (25kOhm) to sound good, so those need to be swapped too. Best is to return the active pickups if you're not planning on converting the instrument to active electronics. Cheers //Kris

[@isolatedmortalityband5718]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses Ok, my SD is passive then. I will say though, the pickups in my active guitar always work, and I've only changed the battery once in the 10+ years I've had it.

[@MBA380Aviation]

Ich möchte passive EMGs durch aktive tauschen und es wäre gut wenn man durch ein Video im Detail erklären könnte was genau hier zu tun und zu beachten ist.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Passive EMGs sind genauso wie alle andere passive Pickups, man muss also genau das machen, was ich im Video aufgelistet hab: Pickups, Potis, Buchse tauschen und Platz finden / machen für die Batterie. Statt 500k Potis braucht man 25k, statt mono Buchse braucht man eine stereo Buchse und die Batterie (bzw Batteriefach) braucht natürlich extra Platz, was oft nicht ganz so einfach geht. In der Regel muss man leider die Oberfräse auspacken. Ciao //Kris

[@MBA380Aviation]

Dankeschön dann liege ich hier richtig, wollt mich absichern da mir mal gesagt wurde es müsste "nur" durch die Verkabelung der Batterie erweitert werden, da Quick Connect ja schon da ist. Logisch dass da dann neue Potis und auch die Ausgangsbuchse geändert wird. Fräsen muss ich zum Glück nicht, Platz reicht.@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses

[@KanariasLibre7]

Awesome

[@torringames]

Seymour duncan invader passive enters the chat and chokes the life out of EMG 81 Active

[@RicardoBuquet]

why you would even do that.. I can understand changing your active for passive once you learn they are shit... but the other way around?

[@yaboifavian8036]

Mayor of frowntown over here

[@noel3422]

Aaaah, another clip on vid, not the guitar i have, oh well.

[@boomerbassmeme]

My solution is just buy another guitar with active pickups. Then again can barely walk in the studio from all the guitars and basses 🤪

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

That's a good point actually. Also, imagine modding an instrument for active pickups and then not liking it. That hurts... the guitar will not be worth a lot anymore thanks to the mods. 🤷‍♂️😅 //Kris

[@badagon]

Heresy :D

[@MrBones105]

Just a warning to folks: EMGs don't fit in Harley Benton Fusions, so don't buy them!!