Description
Born out of EMG’s long-running collaboration with Steve Lukather, the SAV started life as a custom build for his Ernie Ball “Luke” signature guitar before making its way into the standard EMG lineup. It’s not just a re-badged SA — Steve asked for more meat in the windings, and EMG delivered a hotter output while keeping the pickup’s DNA firmly rooted in that glassy, articulate EMG single-coil character.
The visual and tonal signature move here is the pole piece treatment: flat Alnico 5 magnets sit tucked beneath the cover cap instead of poking through, giving the pickup a clean, uniform look along the string line. Functionally, those flat poles sit closer to the strings than a traditional staggered set, which means more output and a sharper, punchier attack without sacrificing the clarity EMG is known for. The original SA preamp handles the active circuitry, so you still get that low-noise, high-headroom EMG foundation underneath the added bite.
Whether you’re chasing Lukather’s session and stage tone or just want a stealthier-looking active single-coil with more push, the SAV delivers a familiar EMG voice with a bit more attitude.
- EMG’s exclusive Quik-Connect cable
- Prewired split shaft volume/tone control set
- Output jack
- Battery clip set
- Screws & springs
Available with Black, White, or Ivory cover cap.
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