st. krik

12 minutes ago, curtisa said:

Like I said - backwards compatibility.

Yes, understood! Just pointing out that the same problem could motivate either of the two possible solutions.

15 minutes ago, curtisa said:

Blackout active pickups are shown in the installation literature as requiring the ground wire, but will still be hum-free if you leave it out.

Good to know! Does Seymour Duncan use the same solderless connectors as the EMG "quick connect"? If so, that would be fantastic for a direct swap.

57 minutes ago, curtisa said:

... more involved to get the ground wire installed (one of the bushings has to be removed, a small hole drilled from the control cavity such that it penetrates the wall of the bushing hole, the grounding wire stripped and fed into the hole, and the bushing re-installed to create a press-fit connection with the grounding wire)....

Yes, eliminating this step avoids a lot of hassle. Which is exactly why I'm surprised nobody besides EMG has chosen to eliminate it!

49 minutes ago, Prostheta said:

It's nothing to do with cost; the preamp works by creating a balanced signal held around a virtual earth at half the supply voltage. EMGs just don't need that earthing, although it can be there. In a passive non-balanced circuit, noise will be induced in the hot part of the signal but not the side held at earth potential, so the noise adds to the signal. In a balanced signal it adds to both sides of the signal and hence cancels itself out. Entirely obsolete because of the design, not because of cost.

Thanks @Prostheta. I had asked this question in a different forum and was told:

"EMGs are grounded to actual ground the same as any other pickup, through the cable's ground. It's just that they're quiet enough and internally shielded well enough that you can get away with not grounding to the bridge."

You are saying virtual earth (contained within the pickup itself?) whereas the other answer refers to actual ground through the cable (from guitar output to amp input). Are both somehow describing the same thing in different ways? Or would you say the other answer is simply incorrect?

To clarify my original question:

Other manufacturers have released active pickups in the years since EMG first appeared. Yet, all other manufacturers have chosen to retain the traditional connection to the guitar bridge. So, I'm wondering what disadvantage (not necessarily monetary cost) they see in the engineering decision that EMG arrived at.

EMG pickups do not require a ground connection to the bridge. I'm curious why this is, and why other pickup manufacturers have not made the same choice.

There must be some engineering cost-benefit analysis involved in the design decision. From the end user's perspective, I see only benefit in eliminating the need for a ground wire. What is the "cost" that prevents this from being a more popular design?

Not much activity here. Anywhere else I should ask?

Looking to order a one-off custom gig bag (i.e., not a bulk oem order) for an odd-shaped guitar. Any recommendations for places that will make one from custom measurements?

On 6/20/2020 at 4:50 PM, argytar said:

...and now I got a spare gold set....

gotta think carefully, if I am going to start a new project!

Headless! You could install those tuners in the body behind a tune-o-matic.