EMG Preamp as Pedal?

[pyreweb]

Hello, I am trying to approximate a guitar sound similar to that of Children Of Bodom, which to my ears sounds very solid state (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9XUaK6_o_Y). But when I look at their guitar rigs, I see that they are using all-valve Marshall heads much like myself, with no distortion pedals to colour the sound. The only other unit in their signal chains is the EMG preamp built into their guitars. I found this layout on another website, and wondered if it might be adapted to use as a pedal:



However, this is designed to be connected directly to each output from each coil of a humbucking pickup; would anybody have any suggestions on how I could modify it to works as a pedal, for using in the signal chain long after the two pickup outputs have been combined?

Less of a request for a layout and more just asking for suggestions on how I could work with it, so I posted it here.

Many thanks.

[Beaker]

No this won't work. This is the "active" circuit that you don't normally see in a guitar, because it's tiny, and actually encased in the EMG pickup housing itself.

I'm not up on COB myself, but I know that Alexi Leiho's ESP guitars have an on board preamp/EQ circuit. I have fitted one to a guitar myself a few years ago.

Furthermore, they may not use distortion pedals, but they do run their guitars through this lot before their amps.

https://www.premierguitar.com/ext/resources/archives/b3208900-bcf1-4095-bd6e-0bf302a610a9.JPG

If only things were that simple, huh?

[pyreweb]

Thank you, so am I correct in thinking that this will not work as it needs to be part of the actual circuit with the pickups and guitar pots, rather than added after the first cable from the guitar? Perhaps I should invest in their enormous rack units too...

[Beaker]

Yes you are correct.

This circuit takes the very weak signal from the pickup (active pickups have a lot less windings than pasive ones) and converts it to a low impedance signal - this circuit is just a buffer with a slight boost. It must be wired as close to the pickup as possible to work properly, which is why they are fitted inside the pickup housing (notice all active pickups are encased in epoxy for this reason).

So there is one of these on each pickup, then a on-board preamp under the scratchplate on an active guitar, that shapes the tone, and boosts the signal.