Gibson Les Paul Lo-Z pickups by EMG?

[Basvarken]

I stumbled upon this blog:

http://uniqueguitar.blogspot.com/2009/10/les-paul-recording-guitar.html

where someone cites from a book or magazine:

"In 1971 Gibson introduced the Gibson Les Paul recording guitar. The guitar was designed to be much like Paul's specially designed personal guitar which was equipped with low impedance pickups.

The Les Paul Recording came with two slanted low impedance pickups with Gibson logo molded on covers. The guitar was equipped with integral transformers to make the output impedance compatible with normal high impedance amps or low impedance. In other words,with the transformer off for recording in a studio plugged directly into the board, the low-impedance mode gave much cleaner tracks and broader frequency bandwidth, that could be tweaked in the mix.

For live performances, the Les Paul Low-Hi Impedance Tonal Circuitry was switched to high impedance, allowing the guitar to be played directly through standard guitar amplifiers. The pickups were produced for Gibson by a company that eventually was known as EMG."


That last sentence struck me as kinda suprising.
In all those years where I've -unsuccesfully- tried to trace the origins of the Gibson Lo-Z, someone just claims they were made by EMG??

Really?

[sniper]

"EMG History

EMG, Inc. is the current legal name of the company with seat in Santa Rosa, California, started in 1976 manufacturing guitar pickups, which have always been called EMG pickups. "EMG" stands for "Electro-Magnetic Generator". The company was originally called "Dirtywork Studios"; this name was changed to "Overlend" in 1978, and then to the current name in 1983."

garnished from this website:

http://www.activemusician.com/EMG-History--t2i99

the truth might lie somewhere in between

[the mojo hobo]

From EMG's web site history it is possible. Someone needs to ask Rob Turner about it.

From http://www.emginc.com/pages/company

ROB TURNER: 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!

[Basvarken]

Don't you think making pickups for the Gibson Les Paul Recording, Professional, Studio and Bass guitars can be considered "business"?

Mind you: that was 1969! So the years don't match by far.

[Dave W]

IMO it's false. Rob Turner has given a number of interviews about the company's history, he was a high school kid experimenting with his bandmates' guitars back when the LP low impedance pickups appeared. He's quick to mention the Steinberger connection but has never mentioned a connection with the LP Recording etc. Somehow I doubt Norlin's designers would have contacted him.

[doombass]

My guess is there has been a misunderstanding or confusion at one point. The connection between Gibson low impedance pickups and EMG is that EMG's are indeed low impedance pickups using a built in preamp instead of transormer to achieve a proper signal for high impedance inputs.

[exiledarchangel]

EMG's aren't low impedance, they are normal high impedance pups, they just have their preamps built-in.

[uwe]

I always believed that they were low impedance too. You certainly don't hear much of a signal without the battery!!!

[dadagoboi]

EMG's aren't low impedance, they are normal high impedance pups, they just have their preamps built-in.

Without the battery the perceived output of EMGs I've experienced is very low...are you saying if you could somehow remove the built in pre from the circuit you would get enough output (for our purposes 'impedence') as a passive pup?  If not, how can it be a 'normal high impedence' pup?  What is the threshold of low vs high impedence?

[hieronymous]

I was confused by the name Ron Turner - I thought it was Rick Turner, who did a lot of work early-'70s with Alembic, who pioneered low impedance pickups (although Ron Wickersham was doing the electronics), and who are now stationed in Santa Rosa. But ignore me, it's all coincidence...

[exiledarchangel]

Without the battery the perceived output of EMGs I've experienced is very low...are you saying if you could somehow remove the built in pre from the circuit you would get enough output (for our purposes 'impedence') as a passive pup?  If not, how can it be a 'normal high impedence' pup?  What is the threshold of low vs high impedence?

I don't think there's a "threshold" on high/low impedance, the "normal" thing is that high impedance pickups don't need "aids" like special transformers or preamps to be heard.

As for the EMGs, one guy on a pickup makers forum had disassembled (and destroyed ofcourse) one EMG and posted pickups. Just a normal pickup with a built-in preamp. I think its DC resistance was about 12k or something.



edit: found it. DC is about 4k for each coil. This is the thread about the disassembly

http://music-electronics-forum.com/t2145/

and this is a very interesting thread about gibson les paul lo-z pickups

http://music-electronics-forum.com/t3737/

[dadagoboi]

Thanks E!  Way over my head but now at least I have an idea what Lo Z really means!

[exiledarchangel]

No problem mate, most of this stuff is way over my head too! 

[Dave W]

Guess it depends on your definition of low impedance.

At any rate, I still think it's very unlikely that Rob Turner of EMG had anything to do with the design or production of the LP Recording pickups.

[Highlander]

I always thought it was something to do with dancing elves...