EMG Turns 40 – ‘You Can’t Sit Still in This Business’

2016 marks four decades of EMG, Inc., innovative designers and producers of pickups, EQ accessories – and more! (read on) – that have been embraced by players across a number of styles.

MMR recently spoke with company founder, Rob Turner, to learn more about the origins and evolution of EMG, his observations on the changing MI landscape, and what’s on the future for the company he began back in 1976.

With this being the 40^th anniversary, lets do some brief reminiscing. What prompted you to start the company in the first place?

Rob Turner: I grew up in electronics. My dad was in the ham radio business, so I was surrounded by a bunch of engineers who wouldn’t leave me alone. I have always loved audio. So mixing the two was more of a natural progression. I started by building and repairing amplifiers and the like, but always found them a little boring. My thought was to go into the microphone business, but the entry cost was just too high. So, I set my sights on something easier to conquer that was in sore need of a major tune-up, the guitar pickup. Since I’m a musician and played in bands I had a ready and willing group of guinea pigs to try things out on and I knew that low-impedance was the way to go – Les Paul had said it himself, more than once.

There are mainly two things that prompted the start of the company. First, I hit upon a design that simply worked really well, I worked hard at it and eventually hit a homer. Second, my father said, “If you want to be happy in life, work for yourself.” It takes two ingredients to catalyze, so there you go!

Back in 1976, how many employees were there, total? And can you describe the original set-up and facilities?

In 1976, there was just me. My dad’s first shop was in the garage in Long Beach, California, then he moved his business to a larger building, so I took over the garage and started there. It was actually an addition on the back of the garage. My mom was really crafty, and she had her painting, stained glass, upholstery, and all in the same shop. She played piano out there too.

I called the business “Dirtyworks Studios” because I spent my time cleaning up after other people’s messes, and I mean the electronic kind. My brother and I joined forces in late 1978 when I moved the business to Santa Rosa and we worked together for many years.

Cut to the present-day: How many current EMG employees and how big are the facilities?

We now have a “Flex” workforce for assembly of over 50 people. But have a permanent administrative/sales group of 16 or so. We also have the EMGTV Studio crew that has a permanent crew of three, and expands to seven or so for a video production. The current facility is 30,000 sq. ft. The video studio is at a separate location and is around 3000 sq. ft.

How pivotal to the company’s success was the ’81 hookup with Steinberger guitars and basses?

The Steinberger days were definitely a big boost for us. Not only because we finally had a customer who sort of fit our ethos, but we also met a group of people who we are working with still. Hap Kuffner was really the third ingredient we needed to finally push ourselves into becoming a real business. He led us by the nose to Frankfurt and helped put us on the international map, as well as domestically. I still do a lot of development work for Ned Steinberger and work closely with him on most of his projects. It’s been a long relationship.

If you were to name the five most significant events – partnerships, trade shows, product introductions, and the like – in EMG’s development, what would they be?

As you can imagine, after 40 years I’ve had many people in my life with whom I’ve had “partnerships.” “Business Partnerships” are really people partnerships, especially in the music business. I’d first have to mention my late brother Bill, as well as Gary Rush, who worked for EMG for over 30 years. Of course, Hap Kuffner, Ned Steinberger, and one of our early partners John Carruthers, who helped us immensely. As far as “business” partners go, I think ESP Guitars, Schecter Guitars, and for that matter the major players, both Gibson/ Epiphone, and Fender have been worthy of praise. Trade shows have always been an important part of what we do, and like our business they have morphed over the years. I find the shows have fewer “players” as the retail industry has consolidated and with the addition of online retailing, we’ve really had major changes take place. I still love a good trade show – it gives me a chance to not only sell and promote products, but I always learn

something new from someone at every show. Most of our product development comes from trade show input from customers, and I love talking to players at the shows.

Can you talk a little bit about what the embrace of EMG by metal and hard rock guitarists has meant to the company?

This is a case of “be careful what you wish for.” EMGs were originally designed for studio work – to be quiet, have clean, clear tone, and we used that mantra for years and years. Eventually word got around that EMGs were good for metal/hard rock and then we were off to the races. We took advantage of the situation by marketing to the group who most loved us. Why not? For years we were kings in Hollywood, New York, and Nashville with the studio players and then we were kind of kidnapped by heavy metal. I’m sure Leo Fender never expected Jimi Hendrix to come along. Life is a bowl of cherries. Metal has been great for us, and for the players, so I’m glad the market has embraced us.

What’s the current best-seller for EMG?

Our biggest seller has always been the 81/85 humbucking combination for guitar. The DG-20 (David Gilmour) Strat set has been great for us as well. We have always done well in the bass market. The latest releases of the JH Set (James Hetfield, Metallica) and 57/66 have been really well accepted. Our focus over the next year will be making systems that are truly “replacement” systems for guitar and bass that are solderless installations that anybody can install. Solderless has been really good for us, so we’re going to push it further.

For a company that used to pretty exclusively make and sell pickups, EMG offers a ton of gear now, from pedals and knobs to guitar straps and cables. What was the thinking behind expanding the range and, aside from pickups, what the hottest selling item?

We have never just been a pickup company. Pickups are what we’re known for, but we are also a design and manufacturing firm for many other companies in the MI. We are a great source for “Made in the USA” OEM products and we do it well. Moving into sales of accessories for guitar seems a natural for us. As you know, we sell some products online direct to customer. It isn’t any secret. We make so many different products that dealers could never stock them all, so we protect dealers by pricing our most popular products higher on our site, but make accessory items available direct to consumers. Again, it’s a natural progression that once you’ve got a customer on your website, why not encourage them to purchase more of what they like. As any retailer or brand knows, you cannot let customers get away because there are too many options a click away. With other products we saw brands that didn’t have representation through retail and consumer sales channels, so we saw an opportunity to offer more products to both. We don’t want to invest in making pedals or cables when there are very good companies out there, that complement our brand and product, that have been building their products/brand for as long as I have been building pickups. We have very good retail partners and so are looking forward to offering great new products from EMG and other brands in the New Year.

Any special plans – celebrations, product, and initiatives – in the works to mark the 40^th anniversary in 2016?

We’re not having a big to-do at the NAMM Show. I think we’ll wait for the 50th for that. We’ll be celebrating with our longtime employees and families – they deserve it more. There’s a bunch of products coming, it’s just a matter of getting them all done! We have been working with builders, artists, and dealers more so than ever before on products and marketing that 2016 is shaping up to be busy in many areas. Not to mention EMGtv is going into its seventh year with more artist’s performances, product demonstrations, commercials, and contests, which gives us a good platform to promote our 40th.

Expectations for the coming year?

Doing what we do best, and hopefully more of it. You can’t sit still in this business there’s too much change going on and you have to stay on top of where your business needs to be. We’ll be around for a while – plain and simple, we have a lot of plans. The expectations are to stay very, well, active.