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just a thought here. there's a a lot of pickup makers out there, but does anyone know any small time builders making active pickups? I just don't think I've ever seen any myself.

There's something about switching to active pickups in which you lose the 'original TONE' known
for that 'particular' guitar. I installed active p'ups on my strat long before a guitar player
(who's known to endorse their p'ups) who is the guitarist for P**k Fl**d. Yes, the p'ups
are a lot quieter, however you lose the 'signature sound' of a Strat. As for small time players,
sorry, I do not. ......

EMG SA's sound like Strat pickup with out the noise but are slightly Compressed .

it's really just out of curiosity. I'm not even into active pickups, it just seems that there's plenty of micro passive pickup makers, but none that I know of in the active world. all I can even think of is EMG and the seymour duncan line that makes them at all.

Aaron, add Bartolini to the group, and I think you'll have the main 3 companies .

JP Marx also made some in the 80's.

Gibson was one of the first companies to install active pickups on their then 'LP Recording Model.'
Les liked these p'ups so much, that he continued to use these the rest of his life, although he may
of posed for photo shoots now and then for some new LP that Gibson might of produced later.
Not sure if Gibson actually made these pick-ups themselves, and if not, Gibson just may of been one
of EMG's first customers ......

wow I had no idea that those large gibson logo pickups on the LP recording was active. the LP Recording model is more of a contraption then a guitar in my opinion, lol. but i love it!

The Gibson Les Paul Recording models (as well as the Professional and Personal) had low Impedance pickups, but were never active.

Les Paul originated the idea of low impedance pickups back with the "log". In fact he reportedly used a winding from an old alarm clock for the original coils. In the late '60s Gibson produced these guitars as a way to get back in good graces with Les Paul, so that he would again let them use his name on their guitars, which at that time were again becoming popular.

Unfortunately the public didn't care much for the low impedance idea and they never really caught on.

i think I played one long ago at a old timey music store called picker's supply in fredericksburg, VA. if anyone is in that area you should check them out. they have all kinds of rare instruments, first time I ever played a mandocello was at that place. this was almost 20 years ago though.