EMG X Series

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EMG X Series

EMG Inc, a leading manufacturer of pickups and accessories, has released a new line of high-output guitar and bass pickups for all styles of playing – The X Series.

These pickups have an exceptional organic nature to their overall sound due to a newly designed internal pre-amp, which allows for more gain to come from your amp and instrument, rather than from the pre-amp.


The effect of this new design is to provide more headroom and overall body while still maintaining the clarity and response that EMG’s are renowned for. Lows will be rock solid, high-mids will cut through like the sharpest knife and the treble will be sweet and never grating on the ears. So if you are going for chunky low-string riffing or want screaming string bends in the high register, the X series covers all techniques while retaining superior dynamics. The EMG X Series is only available at authorized EMG dealers.


EMG X-Series 81X, 85X and SAX Pickup Review
by Kenny Rardin

We see what kind of an upgrade the X-Series offers to EMG's classic lineup


The New X-Series

The samples I received for review were the 81X, the 85X, and the SAX. The first thing I noticed upon opening the packaging was the new pickup wiring buss. For the last few years, EMGs have had a slide-on connector on the pickup end of the pickup lead. This made it very easy to change between EMG models in the guitar. Now they have taken it a step further. This new pickup buss eliminates the need for any soldering. The rest of the wiring harness attaches to convenient screw terminals on the pickup buss. This makes for a clean, neat, simple way to make pickup and power connections in your guitar. Changing pickups takes no time at all with the new EMG models.

So get your NEW X-Series Pickups today!!!

NOW AVAILABLE @ GPDUSA.COM

The HT-5 Ultimate Studio and Practice Amp

HT-5

The HT-5 is the ultimate studio and practice amp, packing all the great tone and innovative features of the award-winning HT valve pedals into a two channel, footswitchable valve combo. The patent-applied-for ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) circuit gives you infinite adjustment over the characteristics of the tone control network and takes you from the USA to the UK and any where in between. So now you can effectively design your own tone and finally find ‘the sound in your head’.

*ISF (Infinite Shape Feature)

This fully interactive control allows you to infinitely adjust the response of the tone control network between any of the traditional voicings. In this way you can design your own sound and truly find the sound in your head.

ISF works in conjunction with the Bass, Middle and Treble controls to give you access to infinite new sound possibilities.

The Black Star HT-5 COMBO AMP

Get your AMP HERE TODAY

: http://www.gpdusa.com

The pickup that redefined the Texas blues sound.

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This is the pickup that redefined the Texas blues sound. 

Texas Specials boast plenty of midrange chirp, crystal highs and tight vass, along with increased output. Construction of Texas Specials are overwound, calibrated, vintage style Stratocaster pickups which feature Alnico 5 magnets and enamel coated magnet wire. The middle pickup is reverse wound/reverse polarity for hum canceling in positions 2 and 4. Bridge: DC Resistance: 6.7K, Inductance: 3.58 Henries. Middle DC Resistance 6.5K, Inductance: 2.6 Henries. Neck: DC Resistance 6.2K, Inductance: 2.4 Henries. Set of 3.

Check 'em out here:

Guitar Parts Depot

The Boosta Grande delivers up to 20dB of clean gain without changing the original signal's sound.

Boosts gain without changing the original sound.

The Boosta Grande delivers up to 20dB of clean gain without changing the original signal's sound. Use it to drive your preamp tubes to the max, or as a line buffer/driver if you're experiencing degradation from other effects in the chain.

The Boosta Grande is built to last, and features hardwire bypass, single op-amp design, LED operation indicator, non-slip rubber bottom, and an easy-access 9V battery compartment. Includes AC power supply!

BBE Boosta Grande Clean Boost Effect Pedal Specifications:

Input Impedance: 1 MOhms

Output Impedance: 1 kOhms

Hardwire Bypass: Yes

Power Requirements:

DC inlet: +9VDC min. 200ma

Battery: 9VDC

Battery Life: 300 hours

Dimensions: 3-7/10"W x 1-4/5"H x 4-7/10"D

Shipping Weight: 3 lbs.

BBE Boosta Grande Clean Boost Effect Pedal 

Features:

20dB of clean gain boost

Hardwire bypass

Single op-amp design

LED indicator

Non-slip rubber bottom

Easy-access 9V battery compartment

Includes external AC adapter

Kick your sound up a few notches with some 

serious clean gain. Order now!

http://www.guitarpartsdepot.com/BBE_Pedals-BBE_Boosta_Grande.html

I ordered this pedal and a MXR micro amp. I use an A/B box to switch between and electric and an acoustic guitar. I needed to boost the volume on my acoustic to match the electric. After using both pedals I found that the Boosta Grande makes the tone "FATTER" while the MXR is almost transparent until about 3 oclock. BUY THE MXR.

Posted by Kshaw from southeast on Jan 28, 2009

Not much to say about it... It gets the job done! Nice and clean, true bypass, exactly what should be expected from a clean boost. I went to the store looking for an MXR micro amp, but they were out of stock. They recommended this one, at the same price, so I went for it.

A couple of downsides: First of all, there is no reason for a simple clean boost to take up that much space. There are pedals out there that do the same thing at 1/3 the size. Also, the paint job is god awful. On the other hand, anyone that spends $200 + for a boutique gain booster is an idiot. In a blind test, maybe 1 out of 100 people would be able to tell the difference. There are plenty of pedals under 90 bucks that will get the exact same job done.

I'm using this to boost the output of my strat (Tex Mex pickups) to match my Telecaster's hot rail pickup, and Les Paul's Burstbuckers. I have it at the front of my effects line, right before my Turbo Tubescreamer, which runs through my other effects and to a Vox AC15 with and Alnico Blue. I didn't need it to drive the tube so much as to get a little more signal to my tubescreamer. Again, gets the job done perfectly.

Posted by PaintItBlack999 from NC on Aug 16, 2008

Please take a look at the YouTube Videos Provided referencing this blog topic:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=search_playlists&search_query=boosta+grande

The Floyd Rose Tremolo - Part 1

The Floyd Rose Tremolo - Part 1

Floyd Rose is the organization that licenses, distributes and manufactures the Floyd Rose Locking Tremolo invented by Floyd D. Rose. Made by Schaller in Germany, the Floyd Rose tremolos are some of the best, if not the best tremolo offered on guitars back in the 80's. Even today, most "metal" guitarists will agree there is no better locking tremolo on the market than these trems. Floyd and Kramer (a young guitarist/machinist), worked together to develop and distribute this unit. In fact, Kramer was the sole distributor of Floyd Rose trems in the 80's, even ones that were sold individually (not on guitars).

The Floyd Rose Tremolo is a full (floating¦ tremolo, pivoting on two large screws in the face of the guitar body, that allow upward movement as well as downward. It was best well known for its ability to stay in tune even after the most demanding of abuse. The Floyd Rose tremolo, contrary to popular belief, does not require the cutting of the ball¦ at the end of the string. However, it is held into place by six, vice-like clamping assemblies, one within each of the saddles. You can string the Floyd by placing the ball ends into the Tuner on the headstock as a "stop" and place the other end of the string in the base unit, then wind. Its fine tuners also have much better access since they are on the top of the unit, just past where the hand would rest on the tremolo for the muted effect.


The History of the Floyd Rose

Picture a freezing Reno, NV, practice room in the dead of winter, and a Hendrix-loving, whammy bar-crazed guitarist whose '57 strat just won't stay in tune. "This has got to stop," he says to himself disgustedly, and shlumps home determined to solve his problem once and for all. "I started at the E string" recalls Floyd Rose, inventor of the locking tremolo system, "and noticed that friction at the nut prevented the string from returning to pitch. My thought was that the string shouldn't move at all. So I glued it! This worked, but of course it wouldn't be practical for very long. But since I was making jewelry at the time and had lapidary tools, I got some brass and whitled a nut with clamps that held two strings each. With that, the instrument almost returned to tune, so I figured the bridge end was causing the rest of the problem."

Although tougher to solve, the hitch was the same-how to reduce the friction caused by metal-to-metal contact? Suspending the bridge in midair was impossible, so Floyd tried drilling two inverted cones into the underside of the bridge block and balancing it on two sharpened pivot points. This was an improvement but adjusting the height of the strings now became too difficult. The third and most workable choice was to use a fulcrum system, where the whole bridge assembly balanced on a single knife-edge and rocked back and forth with an action similar to a Jazz master’s "floating" bridge.


Rose drew up a patent design using a Les Paul, modifying its Bigsby tremolo with parts cast at the foundry where he worked. For his third prototype, though, he wanted machined parts and was shocked when a shop wanted $600 for the job. "I was so broke my parents had to pay," he admits sheepishly. "It worked really well for about 15 minutes, until the knife-edge went dull. I realized then that I needed to experiment with tougher materials, so I started studying metallurgy; and, after watching Mr. $600 work I decided to improve my shop skills too."

STAY TUNED FOR PART 2

Please check out GuitarPartsDepot.com’s selection of Floyd Rose Tremolo Systems.

If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call so we can show you our excellent service first-hand. Toll Free: 866-631-4473

EMG Pickups

EMG Pickups

"Our mission is to be the undisputed technological leader in the pickup industry, creating exceptional products that empower musicians around the globe to explore and express their passion for performance."

History

In 1974, I started EMG in the back of my parents' garage by building various electronic gadgets and repairing amplifiers. I had played around with pickups as early as 1969 but didn't get around to "business" until a few years later.
We got our first business license under the name of Dirtywork Studios in April 1976. In 1978, we changed the name to Overlend, because we were overextended on credit and it sounded nice.
In 1983 we became EMG, Inc. (the big time) and haven't looked back. Through all the company name changes the pickups were always known as EMG Pickups. Not many people know why we called them "EMG", but we'll let you in on the secret now - EMG stands for Electro-Magnetic Generator!

WHY EMG PICK-UPS?

Easy Installation - EMG's are easy to install. Each pickup features EMG's own Quik-Connect header and mating cable for quick installation. Included with each pickup are pre-wired volume and tone controls, battery clip, output jack, and diagrams. All models are designed for direct replacement into most standard instruments. There are instances where "direct" replacement isn't possible, but a minimum of work should be required.

Construction - There is no other pickup built as well as an EMG. The coils are precision wound, matched both resistively and inductively, and finally, vacuum sealed. All internal preamplifiers are Surface Mount Technology (SMT) for quality and reliability. Each pickup is tested for audio quality and reliability before encapsulation and again before shipment.

String Interface - The first choice in design is the string interface. The selection of a bar magnet or individual pole pieces is also an important one. All initial EMG designs use a bar magnet for two reasons - Pole pieces place too much magnetism under the strings and cause the lower ones (primarily low E, A, and D) to go "out of pitch" with a Doppler effect. This is especially true of the Fender Stratocaster* where 3 poles under each of the strings push and pull them through a variety of unnatural movements. Poles can also make intonation and tuning difficult. On the other hand, pole pieces have the benefit of a percussive attack giving the pickup much more of a "plucky" sound. Designs featuring a bar magnet have a much more linear (balanced) output from string to string. Its attack is less pronounced than the pole piece design resulting in smoother distortion, and much better sustain. String bending is smoother because the output doesn't fade when you bend strings. By relying on the internal preamp for gain the bar magnet can also be smaller, further limiting the magnetic "pull" on the strings. And, the continuous magnetic field of the bar allows for any string spacing. Perfect for any multi stringed instrument, and the less conventional instrument. Most EMG Pickups use a magnetic bar. Single coil pickups are available in both bar and pole-piece designs. There are fewer negative attributes to the bar and it's preferable, but if you like pole-pieces for your playing style then there is an EMG model for you.


Magnets - It's not really necessary for a pickup to have a magnet at all, but it helps. The magnet acts as the juice for the signal flow. The shape and type of magnet used in each EMG Pickup is different. Ceramic magnets don't affect the inductance of the coil but have a much stronger magnetic field. Alnico material exhibits less magnetism yet greatly increases the inductance of the EMG design. Each has an affect on the resultant output and frequency response of the pickup. The addition of steel poles (either bar or screw/stud) increase the inductance of the pickup design and further change the results.

Coils - Tall and skinny, short and squat, long and wide, every EMG Pickup has two and they are the basis of each EMG. There are different types and sizes of magnet wire that can be used, combining their attributes with the shape of the coil has a tremendous affect on the tone. A long, skinny coil will have more resistance yielding less low frequency response, while a short, squat coil will have less resistance, and more inductance. It's a balancing act to achieve the style of tone you want. In all cases, EMG Pickups have two coils. This is necessary for noise reduction, while providing the vehicle for the distinctive EMG tone. Coils are sometimes placed side by side, or stacked, but in both cases each coil is treated independently by the preamp. Instead of having the coils in series or parallel with a single output, they are electronically summed so their attributes can be controlled individually.

Internal Preamp - The preamplifier used inside each EMG Pickup is no ordinary preamp. Built directly into each pickup, the preamp is an integral part of the pickup design assuring quality of sound performance, incredible noise reduction, and simplicity in installation. It provides a variety of benefits for us as the designer and for you as the player. A natural by-product of the preamp is gain. It allows us to design a pickup for its particular tone without concern for the pickup's output. After the coils have been modeled, any amount of output needed is available from the preamp.

And many more Features:

• Noise Reduction
• Low Impedence Output
• Power
• Tone Modeling

There truly is no comparison between active EMG's and conventional pickups. EMG's frequency response is shaped much differently. Conventional pickups typically exhibit a dry "peaky" frequency response, while EMG's have a much broader bandwidth that's better for harmonic pull-offs and chord definition. Individual notes have better presence and are dynamic. Playing styles are more pronounced and different techniques can be easily accommodated.
The pickup designs used by the guitar companies are simply old technology. They are easy to design and inexpensive to produce, so there isn't any incentive to improve them. The problem for the player is that those pickups are as outmoded as black and white TV. Until you've experienced playing an EMG equipped instrument, you'll never know how great your playing can be. By using an integrated preamp it's possible to achieve better results than when designing with magnets and wire alone. The internal preamp in each EMG Pickup assures quality of performance, full noise reduction, simplicity of installation, and much greater output.
Professionals all over the world rely on EMG for their performance in the studio and on stage. EMG's are being used for every kind of music, from Rock & Roll to Jazz. Even the best Country artists choose EMG because they need a great performance each and every time.

Each EMG-HZ guitar pickup is created for its unique sound quality and includes features from over 25 years of EMG's design experience. Players all over the world agree that EMG is the leading authority in pickup technology. EMG-HZ: advancing the art of the passive pickup.

Please check out our line of EMG Pickups. GuitarPartsDepot.com is here for all your Guitar's needs!

Schaller Megaswitch

Schaller Guitar and Bass Hardware

Schaller has been serving the classical and modern music world for more than 50 years. Whether it is craftsmanship or mechanical high-tech - Schaller stands for high quality to smallest detail.

Schaller Megaswitchs

The Schaller Megaswitch has been developed to get the best possible sounds out of a guitar equipped with a strat-type 3-way or 5-way switch. The best materials, such as solid metal switch housing and gear along with gold plated soldering terminals to guarantee optimum function and long life.


A company with tradition

Schaller’s colorful history now stretches back well over 60 years. Helmut Schaller, who founded the company in 1945 as a radio repair shop, has built the company into one of the world’s leading manufacturers in the music industry.

• Thanks to his inventive talent, Helmut Schaller has had a significant influence upon developments in guitar making. Numerous patents are proof of his untiring search for the perfect instrument, for an inimitable sound.
  




• For many years we have been striving to provide the world’s discerning musicians with performing pleasure through our precision products.
  




• Tradition and requirements demand that each individual component - whether cast, turned or punched - be manufactured in our own factory.
  




• This is the only way we can ensure the highest quality for the innumerable product variants and modifications demanded by our customers.
  

"I ordered a couple of the Schaller "E" megaswitches from GuitarPartsDepot.com and Sounds like it'll do the trick for the Ibanez RG1220, and I may even put one in the PGM500 I'm in the process of rewiring. "

--B Duersch, Cincinnati

Every Schaller employee is a specialist in the manufacturing of his component and, therefore, produces a perfectly coordinated part, which ultimately ensures the excellence of our products. It has been my privilege and duty for the last 30 years as Plant Manager, to utilize my mold-designing knowledge for the development and manufacture of Schaller’s unique products, and to support our customers in the realization of their ideas and patents. For more than 60 years, Schaller has had regular discussions and exchanges of ideas with guitar producers, dealers, and of course with musicians from all over the world. This resulted in numerous good ideas that have meanwhile become a standard on every guitar. We are in touch with numerous professional artists from all over the world - this way we're able to keep track of the developments, helping us to continue to further improve our products.

"Well, I finally got around to installing the 5-way switch on the Ibanez RG1220. Two words:
Kick a$$! "

­-Brent, Virginia

Manufactured by SCHALLER and designed for guitarists, the Megaswitch features heavy-duty die-cast construction, noise-free contacts, and the best "feel" of all our lever-action switches.

The original E-Model is for 3-pickup combinations of single coils or humbuckers, or for 2-humbucker guitars. It allows wiring arrangements not obtainable with a standard 5-way guitar switch, including automatic coil-tapping and special hum-cancelling connections.

Chrome screws, black plastic knob and wiring diagram included. 1-3/8" body cavity depth, 1-5/8" screw spacing, and 1/16" x 1-1/16" lever slot are required.

The P-Model Megaswitch is for two humbucking pickups. This 5-way lever-action switch duplicates the combinations of Paul Reed Smith's rotary control.
Positions:1 Bridge pickup2 Inner pickup coils, parallel3 Outer coils, series4 Outer coils, parallel5 Neck pickup

Chrome screws, black plastic knob and wiring diagram included. 1-3/8" body cavity depth, 1-5/8" screw spacing, and 1/16" x 1-1/16" lever slot are required.

Please check out GuitarPartsDepot’s line of Schaller Megaswitches.

Check out this cool site for answers to your guitar related questions: http://music-electronics-forum.com/archive/index.php/f-9.html

KTS - Titanium Guitar and Bass Parts

KTS - Titanium Guitar and Bass Parts

KTS has a long history of crafting Titanium parts for other products such as watch bands, eyeglass frames, medical equipment and other precision machineries. We took all of our knowledge regarding titanium and our master builder has put in so much effort and time, which would probably equal the effort of creating an entire guitar, into these just small parts.

The results were amazing: Titanium produced an overwhelming longer sustain, clearer tone, more tonal response to picking, and other excellent sound qualities which far exceeded our predictions. KTS's ultimate goal is that, with help of the Titanium Products, every guitar player will be able to bring out the truest and least distorted sound, which their guitars inherently have. As a result, it will greatly enhance their joys and musical experiences, which will then take them to the higher state of creativity.

Here's what you can achieve with KTS Titanium Saddles and Bridges: - Increased sensitivity and stability are very apparent - Vibration and sustain have been taken to the limit - The notes are more focused and the intonation is purer - The harshness was taken away and became clear - String-to-string definition and clarity improved dramatically.

"I am SO sick of digging out cracked block with a screwdriver! It sounds like your Ti-Block is something that is going to make me happy for years! Thank you so much!" - Reb Beach

FACT:

Q: Can you please tell me which Ti saddles will fit my American Gibson Les Paul Standard. It is a normal 2003 model with the Tune-O-Matic bridge?

A: There are two kinds of Gibson bridges. One is the Vintage ABR-1, and the other is the Nashville. Please refer to the photos and check your bridge. If your bridge is ABR-1, our PR-02 will fit it. If your bridge is Nashville, our PR-06 will fit it.

Jennifer Batten and Chris Juergensen at the KTS booth - KTS parts users Jennifer Batten and Chris Juergensen make an appearance at KTS' booth at the 2008 NAMM show. There was a lot of interest in KTS this year at the NAMM show as titanium has been gaining popularity. Thanks to everyone who came by and we hope to see you again very soon.


"These Titanium bridge pieces are the BOMB!! Try them for yourself" - Jennifer Batten

FACT:

Q: Can you tell me which type of your Strat saddles I would need to replace the ones on my Eric Clapton Strat? (American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo)

A: Our "PR-11" will fit your Clapton Strat.

Recap:

By installing KTS Titanium Saddles:

You will enjoy unparalleled durability, an exotic appearance, and best of all, a dramatically improved sound due to titanium's acoustically superior characteristics.

Here are some of the key benefits:

Increased sensitivity and stability
Maximized vibration and sustain
Much more focused notes and purer intonation
Less harshness and improved tonality
Dramatically improved string-to-string definition and clarity

Click Here and let our wonderful staff assist you in your need for reliable Guitar Parts.