Replacing actives with passives?

I was just ogling an expensive high-end electric that looks simply awesome - except it has active pickups, which I don't like. Just out of curiosity, is it possible to replace a guitar's stock active pickups with passives without dramatically rewiring the guitar?

Short answer: No.

Longer answer: Active pups have a preamp and a battery, which would have to be removed, plus the control pots are usually very low values, which would totally choke passive pups, so they would have to be replaced. But hey, I applaud your preference for passive pickups. :)

I would just find another guitar with the pickups you like (They HAVE to have the same model with passive pickups).

Put a 496R/500T in anyway, lol

Originally Posted by: Gargy(They HAVE to have the same model with passive pickups).

Since when? :confused: Do you have any examples?


Good on ya for wanting to stay with passives! :D

Passive is the way to go....EMG :p Electro Magnetic Goo

Originally Posted by: GargyI would just find another guitar with the pickups you like (They HAVE to have the same model with passive pickups).

The model I was looking at was the quilted maple archtop version of the ESP Standard Eclipse - as far as I know, they don't have a version with passives in :( (they do have other paintjobs etc that have passives, though).

Thanks for the responses - I'll just have to stick some good old high-end passives in my current Eclipse.