EMG 35TW Pickup Review

Wow, I really like these pickups. I'm able to get a wide palette of sounds from the combination of the single / dual coil selections.

In my installation, the position of the bridge position straddles the location between the jazz bridge position and the placement of the musicman pickup position. The single coil side of the pickup is placed closest to the bridge since this would approximate the traditional placement of the jazz pickup.

Conversely, the neck pickup placement is between the placement of a precision bass and the location of the jazz bass neck placement. The single coil side is closest to the neck to approximate the placement of the jazz pickup.

The single coil selection is actually a stacked setup which looks similar to EMG's custom replacement for the Telecaster bass. Theoretically, using the neck pickup alone in single coil would sound similar to the Telecaster sound, where dual coil (humbucking) gives a precision sound.

The bridge pickup in single mode with the neck in dual gives a P/J configuration.

I've never really played a musicman but the dual coil pickup is the one EMG lists for a replacement for one. So the bridge position in dual coil alone would sound similar to the musicman. This position does have a really good sound with slapping. The neck pickup in single coil added to it has a neat sound.

These pickups are quiet. Both pickups in single coil have a very clear and clean jazz bass tone. The humbuckers are deep with a lot of punch.

The downside is the difference in volume between single and dual coils. There is a modification that can be done to equilibrate the differences, but I don't want to lessen the punch of the humbuckers permanently.

I rarely use any on board equalization. I have a EMG BTC control installed for tone control. The system is powered by 18 volts which is suppose to increase headroom. Product support is excellent.