Curse those EMG's...

[xCJx]

Ok so I have a slight problem...

I've always wanted EMG 81's and 85's (like Zakk Wylde). So I managed to get a fairly good guitar with the exact specs I wanted. A Cort X-TH. Floyd Rose, EMG's, Thru-neck, wicked colour etc... The perfect metal guitar for what I paid for it!

But...I matured. Still a metalhead and all, but I've been interested in blues and jazz recently. And the EMG's aren't doing that great.

When I want a clean and smooth tone, they distort. I've tried turning the gain down on the guitar and my amps but it's still distorted. I believe that because they are such high gain pickups (active).

How can I fix this?

[garageband]

Get a different guitar. Like a guitar player needs an excuse to get another chick...err...guitar (insert appropriate smiley here).

Don't use a racehorse to pull a plow.

[Audio~Geek]

Try lowering the pickups too, are they the 18 volt ones or 9 volt?

But yeah, probably the best option is to get a guitar that is appropriate for blues and jazz. Semi hollow electric would be my first thought, but a Les Paul may be just fine.

[guitargod09]

Swap the pickups for some passives. Think about the EMG HZs theyre passive. Look at some Seymore Duncans. Great for both applications. You dont have to buy a whole new guitar if you dont have the money.

[garageband]

Good plan. Then you'll have a guitar that suits no kind of music well and that you're still not happy with. And poorer for the expense of new pickups.

[dangercityskyline]

you've got a choice: new guitar or new pickups.
you could just head over to musician's friend and pick up a your standard Les Paul for not too much, or you could swap out those pickups for Seymour Duncans or some EMG H4s. I thought I heard something about the H4 and the H4a being discontinued though, so I don't know.
but if you're looking for a good blues and jazz tone, try some P-90's, i've been dying to get some for a while now. they'll definitely give you that thick bluesy twangy tone.

[garageband]

dangercityskyline has my vote. I've taken a $99 Les Paul Jr., a Dremel tool and a P100 and P90 and made an immense-sounding jazz/blues machine. Someone could spill beer on it or walk off with it and I wouldn't be too sad. In addition to my other guitars.

[xCJx]

9 volt pickups.

Well I still want to jam metal, and the EMG's are just soooo brutal when it comes to shredding it out, but when I wanna slow things down...and switch off the dist, it's still too rough for that elegant jazzy tone I want.

P90's will do the job but I don't want to get rid of the EMG's. I have a Jackson JS30RR, maybe I can get the EMG's into the Jackson with some drilling and hammering and put a set of Seymour Duncan Phat Cats in the Cort?

Btw buying a new guitar is not an option!

[jclampitt]

Originally Posted by xCJx

9 volt pickups.

Well I still want to jam metal, and the EMG's are just soooo brutal when it comes to shredding it out, but when I wanna slow things down...and switch off the dist, it's still too rough for that elegant jazzy tone I want.

P90's will do the job but I don't want to get rid of the EMG's. I have a Jackson JS30RR, maybe I can get the EMG's into the Jackson with some drilling and hammering and put a set of Seymour Duncan Phat Cats in the Cort?

Btw buying a new guitar is not an option!

exactly, if you have two guitars why not just have the emg's in one and passive's in the other.

[dangercityskyline]

P90's will do the job but I don't want to get rid of the EMG's. I have a Jackson JS30RR, maybe I can get the EMG's into the Jackson with some drilling and hammering and put a set of Seymour Duncan Phat Cats in the Cort?

that'd work fine. i personally prefer P-90's but it's your choice. if it was me though i'd stick the EMGs in the Jackson and put P-90's in the Cort.

some drilling and hammering

ehhh, umm, probably not.
the jackson has standard humbucker slots, unless it's extremely thin i don't see how you'd have any problem at all putting them in.