Jim Reilly Book on Rob Turner and EMG Pickups Now Available

Too often, the innovators of the music industry don’t get the recognition they deserve. Author Jim Reilly has been fixing that issue by writing biographies of the important gear gurus. After releasing a book on Ned Steinberger, he’s turned his attention to Rob Turner and EMG pickups.

Chasing Tone: How Rob Turner & EMG Revolutionized the Guitar’s Sound is a wonderful deep dive into the pickup maker’s life and creative process. From modding his friends’ instruments to building sets for the world’s most famous rock stars, Turner has gained many insights into tone and how to achieve it.

Part of what makes this tale even more interesting is how Reilly weaves in the stories of the players that use the pickups. Interviews in the book explore how each guitarist and bassist worked with Turner to find their sound. EMG artists include Prince, Pink Floyd, Metallica, Toto, James Taylor, Keith Richards, and many more, but the list of bassists alone is staggering. Reilly includes interviews with Victor Wooten, Joel Landsberg, Robert Trujillo, and Bobby Vega.

The pages with Vega are especially interesting, as the bassist worked with Turner to develop their bass pickups. Vega helped develop the X Series, and Turner used the bassist’s 1960 Fender Precision to model the Geezer Butler signature pickup.

If you’re an EMG fan or just interested in the quest for tone, Chasing Tone should be on your list. It’s available now in hardback and Kindle editions.