Emg Pa-2 And Emg Afterburner Review
Contents |
Information
Original author: Spreedmaster
Weapon: Gain boost guitar pots
Make: EMG
Model: Emg Pa-2 And Emg Afterburner
Price: A-2 around €39 and AB around €51
Cost
PA-2 around€39 and AB around €51. I got them both with other stuff. For a rating, nothing comes to mind as a standard to rate them against, but I'll try to give a fair rating nontheless.
Description
These are two pots by EMG that you wire into your guitar which function as a gain boost. The PA-2 is a switch that boosts it by a preset amount (this is done with a mall plastic screw in the bottom of the pot), for an immediate boost in gain, perfect for a boost ust before a screeching facemelter. The afterburner is a push/pull pot, pulling it out allows you to dial in the gain boost you need, pushing it in locks it in place. Both can be set to zero, not affecting your signal. Works on both actives and passives.
Own experience
I got the PA-2 with the KFK set of EMG 81/85's. I wired everthing up and gave it a go, flipped the switch and WHAM! absolutely nothing! So I locked it up inside my guitar as I could'nt be bothered unwiring it. Just yesterday I read that Alexi Laiho uses it for solo boosts so I decided to look at it to see if I had made a mistake, and I did. I hadn't noticed the small screw in the bottom! I maxed it out and then flpped it on and WHOA! it makes such a difference. It boosts the volume and the gain, giving my guitar an overdriven sound through my amps clean channel. The overdrive it produces i so clear and notes on the lower frets ring out so clearly. As it is designed to be used with further distortion effects it doesnt break up your sound like some overdrives. Very impressive! I havent gotten around to drilling a hole for it yet so I ust leave in on all the time, no more cleans for me! . I also have a AB which I got with a second hand set of EMG-hzs and it works exactly the same way but in a pull, twist, non-instant way, delivers the same exact overdrive, if not slightly more overdriven, than the PA-2. Its a larger pot than the PA-2. Just keep in mind what you want from it before you choose; instant or variable gain. Or both!
Own musical preference
Metal/Rock/shred: uits theres genres perfectly as its a gain booster! 9/10 Because there can always be better!
Ease of use
Installation: 4/10 very tricky, one you get past the funky wiring diagrams and get them all connected you still need to whip out the drill . And nobody wants to deface their prized axe! With EMG's quik-connect system you can change the pot with another one, like the phase inverter or the EXG, without desoldering/resoldering.
Use when installed
9/10 anyone can flip a switch, right? loses a point as you have to chage the battery once in a while.
Sound quality
9/10 Great quality overdrive when used in the clean channel, and fattens up any distortion. Also boosts the volume so perfect for solos.
Reliability
10/10 I HAVE to give it a 10! Its a pot so with normal care it should stand the test of time under normal conditions. But what it really gets the ten for is the fact that when I got the second hand AB, it was DEMOLISHED! it was wrenched out of a guitar with a pliers and the previous owner asumed it didnt work, and he was wrong . I Just pushed the metal casing back together and it worked perfectly!
Summary
These things are great and I highly recommend them, and I really want to try out EMG's Pi2 and EXG now. I dont know if I mentioned this but they're perfect for solos , which I suck at!
Would love to put up some sound clips but have no recording gear, hopefully I can in future!
