ES-18 Page 2
Existing EMG installations using the ES-18:
If you have one or more instruments with EMG Pickups installed, you can use the the ES-18 for all of your guitars by installing a shorting clips onto
the existing battery clips. Simply remove the existing batteries, install the included shorting clips and close up the instrument.
You will be using the stereo cable to all your EMG equipped instruments from now on. If your stereo cable is broken, simply remove
the shorting clips, re-install the batteries, and use a standard guitar cable like you used to.
Diagram #1
One Pickup
One Volume
New installations using the ES-18:
If you plan on using the ES-18 exclusively to power your instrument, follow the instructions that come with the pickups, install the battery buss and
battery clips as shown in those instructions. Then install the shorting clips as shown below to use the ES-18.
This way if you ever find yourself without a stereo cable you can still use your guitar with a mono cable.
In that case simply unplug the shorting clips, install batteries, use a normal guitar cable, and you’re ready to go.
Diagram #2
OUTPUT
T
S
R
OUTPUT
T
S
R
Battery Choice:
It is always best to use an Alkaline or Lithium Battery for EMG’s. Re-chargable batteries and inexpensive carbon batteries are not recommended.
Alkaline and Lithium batteries are also easily recycled. A battery is a the cleanest supply you can have and guarantees low noise.
Using an AC Adapter (Battery Eliminator):
Using an AC Adapter is not a great idea. They tend to be noisy. EMG has yet to spec or design an AC Adapter. Effects pedals tend to be noisy because they usually
add a lot of gain. Since the pickup is the first element of the chain it’s best for it to have as quiet a power supply as possible, thus a battery.
If you can tolerate the extra noise from an adapter the choice is yours.
9 / 18 Volt Switch:
This switch allows you to supply your EMG’s with either 9 or 18 Volts. 9 Volts is fine for single coil pickups, while 18 is preferred for Dual-Coil pickups as well as for
Bass Pickups. THIS SWITCH IS ONLY OPERABLE WITH BATTERIES INSTALLED IN THE ES-18. If you use an external supply (AC Adapter) the switch is defeated and
whatever voltage the AC Adapter is rated at will be the supply voltage to the pickups. Some guitar players prefer the sound of EMG’s operating at 9 Volts.
There is a compression that takes place and gives the pickup a louder more direct sound. Experiment.
Diagram #3
INSTALL THE SHORTING CLIPS
BATTERY
BUSS
+9 OR +18 VOLTS COMING FROM THE ES-18
REMOVE THE BATTERIES
TO PICKUPS
TO PICKUPS
BATTERY
BUSS
FROM PICKUP
OUTPUT
T
R
S
OUTPUT CABLE
VOLUME
INSTALL THE SHORTING CLIPS
TO PICKUP(S)
