# Anyone Keep Going Back To EMG?



## lewis

Everything about EMG just makes me want to keep going back.

the effortless wiring, the ease of switching pickups out on the fly to try new models from them, the fact that they offer open coil actives now in the retro series and a passive/active hybrid like the 57/66 etc Even their coil split pickups in the 89 and 81TW etc etc are a breeze to install and use and sound great.

Obviously Fishmans are also great pickups, but I feel the simplicity, price and tonal options EMG offer, is still unrivalled. Ive never really got on well at all with Seymour Duncan (tried the Distortion, the 59 neck, the pearly gates bridge, the Sentient neck and the Nazgul bridge - and disliked all of them bar the 59)

not to mention, there is a reason that they (EMG) have likely been used on more albums than any other pickup company.

I dunno guys, i just feel that once the initial hype of a new product/brand dies down, i want to go back to EMG again.


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## KnightBrolaire

nope. i've never gelled with emgs despite having tried a bunch of em. i always end up ripping them out and going back to passives because there's so many options in terms of pickup choice and how you wire them.


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## MaxOfMetal

I always have a handful of guitars with EMGs. 

I have an LPC and a Washburn WI556 that I've probably tried a few dozen different pickup combos in and keep coming back to the 81/85. They just work in those guitars. 

I also have a project RG7620 with a 81-7/707 set that I keep meaning to replace, but every time I play it the need to change them just floats away.


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## lewis

KnightBrolaire said:


> nope. i've never gelled with emgs despite having tried a bunch of em. i always end up ripping them out and going back to passives because there's so many options in terms of pickup choice and how you wire them.



yeah i guess its a love/hate thing but for those that dig them, there just never feels like a reason to stop using them. Especially when you have like a Kemper/Axe fx and have so much tonal shaping, its almost irrelevant what aftermarket pickup you have, as long as it isnt a terrible stock pickup, its going to sound fantastic.



MaxOfMetal said:


> I always have a handful of guitars with EMGs.
> 
> I have an LPC and a Washburn WI556 that I've probably tried a few dozen different pickup combos in and keep coming back to the 81/85. They just work in those guitars.
> 
> I also have a project RG7620 with a 81-7/707 set that I keep meaning to replace, but every time I play it the need to change them just floats away.



thats exactly it. I THINK i need to replace guitars with EMGs in (probably because I listen to the online hype on the next new thing) but when you actually sit down and play again with them you just honestly dont have to at all.


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## Strobe

I am going to always keep at least one with EMG's. It is still a good sound, but I am mostly on the Fishman train at this point. The reason for me is not the wiring; I am pretty comfortable with wiring - I do a lot of guitar work for friends and it just kind of clicks. 

The reasons for keeping EMG's (specifically the 81 bridge) is that they have a really good attack, and the highs get rounded at just the right point to avoid being harsh. This makes them very well suited to heavy rhythm while also being sweet for leads. A lot of modern metal is using a lot of compression, so the fact that EMG's are on the compressed side (even for actives) is not actually a bad thing for most folks.

They have been popular for so long that I think they will keep a lot of folks no matter what comes out.


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## TedEH

Most of the pickups I prefer are passive Dimarzios.
I like EMGs though, just because I don't have anything else that quite sounds like them. They have their thing, and sometimes that's what you want.
I've never had any of the newer ones with the easy wiring so I can't speak to that. I've also only really ever used the 81/60 combo (I think that's what it is, I'm not really sure).



lewis said:


> there is a reason that they (EMG) have likely been used on more albums than any other pickup company.


I don't think that's true. Would need to see a source on that one before I'm convinced.


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## mnemonic

EMGs are really good at what they do but in my opinion they’re not really that versatile. The compression makes them really cool for metal rhythm and they record great. Every time I try some I like them but then get tired of them quick. 

I’ve tried a bunch of pickups from a few manufacturers, tried some Dimarzio years back when they were more popular on the forum but I never really liked any of them. Seymour Duncan is good, but I’ve now got Lundgrens in two guitars and I think they’re the ones for me, very happy with them and no desire to change.


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## DudeManBrother

Your ears will determine what you like better than any hype train. It’s nice to try something new on the menu; even if it re-enforces the fact that you only really like the one dish you always get there.


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## GatherTheArsenal

I've played and recorded exclusively with passives for a long stretch since 2010, up until 2 weeks ago when I got my new guitar in the mail (NGD post soon) which has 707's and it felt like I had an epiphany when I plugged it in. I was like ohhh ... *that's* the sound I've wanted for years! 

Quietest pickups I've played in awhile, not to mention a noticeable difference in output, compression and just overall punchiness.

I went back and played my RGA8 which I outfitted with SD Nazgul + Sentient set, those are supposed to be the best passives with "active sound" but nope, they just don't hold a candle to the 707's imo. My other 7 has the DM Dactivator bridge, I'm probably not going to be touching that for awhile, may just go ahead and sell it or refit it with a really good passive set that doesn't go for the "active sound".

I think passives should stick more to what they do best and not try to go after the "active sound". In my experience if just doesn't work without making them sound really hot and clippy.

At this point I'm convinced that I need to rethink my gear, instead of buying pickups that try to blur the lines between passive and active I think I'll just have a guitar for each. That way I might maximize both active and passive properties individually to their full potential.


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## technomancer

Lots of people get great tones with EMGs... but I am not one of them. I've had a bunch of guitars with them and have just never had a tone with them that I liked. So nope. I've gotten along better with the Fishmans I've tried, but still not something I am in a hurry to have around.


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## lewis

yeah true guys.

Also i think alot of people decide for no reason that what they were using (and fine at that) is now shit just because they jumped on the new thing.

EMGs sound great. As do Fishmans. (i have both). But i dont decide for no reason that EMGS are shit now just because I bought a set of Fishmans.


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## KnightBrolaire

lewis said:


> yeah true guys.
> 
> Also i think alot of people decide for no reason that what they were using (and fine at that) is now shit just because they jumped on the new thing.
> 
> EMGs sound great. As do Fishmans. (i have both). But i dont decide for no reason that EMGS are shit now just because I bought a set of Fishmans.


to be fair you've been pretty schizophrenic in your pickup choices over the last year or so. ZOMG BKPS ARE TEH SHIT ZOMG FISHMANS ZOMG EMGZ RULE I get being excited by different pickups but it's a bit hypocritical to try and call out other people for bandwagoning when you did the same thing. 

I've tried tons of pickups but I begrudgingly admit that fishmans are the best actives in terms of clarity/overall versatility/options out there at the moment, though that's a pretty low bar to hurdle over, considering most emgs are one trick ponies and the blackouts I tried sounded like muddy diarrhea.


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel

I think the 57/66 & Het Set are their leased compressed & most versatile of their actives. Their Retro-Actives are quite nice too. The aboves are no where in the 81/85 range when it comes to dynamics. The 81/85 is the most compressed of their lineup.


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## GatherTheArsenal

lewis said:


> yeah true guys.
> 
> Also i think alot of people decide for no reason that what they were using (and fine at that) is now shit just because they jumped on the new thing.
> 
> EMGs sound great. As do Fishmans. (i have both). But i dont decide for no reason that EMGS are shit now just because I bought a set of Fishmans.



I'm playing devil's advocate here, but on principle I see nothing wrong with finding something better and holding a negative opinion on what's not.

If x is better than y then go ahead and say with your own conviction that y is shit, it's all subjective in the end. Nothing wrong with taking a strong stance, negative or otherwise, on something like pickups.

It's all part of evolving your taste and sound, for some it's a bit floppy floppy but hey that's just how it is for them.


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## KnightBrolaire

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> I think the 57/66 & Het Set are their leased compressed & most versatile of their actives. Their Retro-Actives are quite nice too. The aboves are no where in the 81/85 range when it comes to dynamics. The 81/85 is the most compressed of their lineup.


oh yeah, definitely, the 57/66 and retro active sets are great, but they are the exceptions imo. that's why I said most of the emgs are one trick ponies. Nothing wrong with pickups that do one thing really well like the 81/85 set or say lundgren m8s, but I just never personally mesh with their lack of versatility compared to other pickups.


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## lewis

KnightBrolaire said:


> to be fair you've been pretty schizophrenic in your pickup choices over the last year or so. ZOMG BKPS ARE TEH SHIT ZOMG FISHMANS ZOMG EMGZ RULE I get being excited by different pickups but it's a bit hypocritical to try and call out other people for bandwagoning when you did the same thing.
> 
> I've tried tons of pickups but I begrudgingly admit that fishmans are the best actives in terms of clarity/overall versatility/options out there at the moment, though that's a pretty low bar to hurdle over, considering most emgs are one trick ponies and the blackouts I tried sounded like muddy diarrhea.


ive already addressed and admitted this in my initial post.

i.e I get sucked in by the "hype" online only to realise it wasnt really that warranted and didnt give me anything different than what EMGs might (and in alot of cases be more expensive and more akward than EMGs - for a variety of reasons)


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## buriedoutback

I love an emg 85 in a 6 string. My 96 ltd explorer will forever have an 85 bridge and 60 neck.
To me, its the quintessential 6 string metal pickup set. I play deathened-black metal on this guitar and the 85 is perfect.
Now, if I were to acquire a 6 string that had passive routes/hardware in it already, I'd go with the black winter pickup there (simplicity and amazing tone) but otherwise it'll be 85/60 all the way!

For 7 string, I like the paf. For 8 string I like the d-activator.


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## Descent

I've got all my gigging guitars with EMGs at this point and they're OK. I like the fact that they're uniform, back when I used passives I had to adjust settings for each guitar, noise gate levels, eq and so forth was different at every venue.

I don't really like them that much but they're quieter live and seem to be a little more dense sounding.

My other guitars have passives and I am a fan of Dimarzio as well. My favorite guitars for touch and depth of sound are MM Steve Morse and a Godin that I outfitted with Joe Barden soapbars.


BTW I don't find their new "easy" solderless system beneficial at all, having done guitar electronics I can tell from experience that those things are going to be a nightmare in a few years and the more assembly points you add, the more you signal degrades, plus you add on a lot of screws and other parts that easily fall apart. Luckily, none of my guitars have the new EMG setup.


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## bnzboy

EMG 81s got yanked out asap and have 3 of them in a box. 85s and 60s I have tried tend to stay.


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## JustinRhoads1980

Honestly after reading through this thread it has only further encouraged me to do something that I have planned on doing for a little bit now.

I wanna get one guitar that I can throw new pickups in and have it as my test guitar. I plan on trying many different pickups all from different brands and such. Active and Passive. Get clips of me playing them and such and write down what I like/Didn't like from them and go until I have gone through a whole list (right now I have over a dozen pickups) or until I find one that just absolutely blows my mind in terms of what I like.

I plan on making a thread saying I want this and what pickups would provide this. No matter if they are active or passive. I also plan on emailing a few different pickup brands and asking them the same thing and trying out what the companies suggest me and what you guys do along with stuff I heard on YT of pickups being played and such. I would say I am really happy to try something like this since I want to know what is out there and have more of a better knowledge on pickups and refine what my standards are for them. 

So far I like what I have now: Emg 57/66 in my Schecter HH and the Seymour Duncan Mick Thomson Blackouts in his Jackson Sig. Sure they lack in some things and excel in others, but I just like the way they sound. I got the DT set in my scheter solo-ii custom and although it is some amazing technology, I feel that they are a bit brighter to some degree and dont have as tight of a bass sound as I would like. Are they still goods? yes. Who knows, it could also very well be the guitar they are in that is causing the things that I dont like about it to be present.


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## JustinRhoads1980

bnzboy said:


> EMG 81s got yanked out asap and have 3 of them in a box. 85s and 60s I have tried tend to stay.




What did you swap em with?


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## bnzboy

JustinRhoads1980 said:


> What did you swap em with?


Mostly swapped with passive pickups from Duncan/Dimarzio such as PAF Pro/Custom 5/etc


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## crankyrayhanky

The top reasons to like emg in the op include that their wired super easy to yank them the f out for something else


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## Humbuck

I think with me the problem with emg's is not necessarily the sound, but I never like how they _feel_ compared to a good passive. Its like there's some sort of a blanket or coating over things that changes the way they respond, or more accurately _not_ respond, to my hands. I don't know how else to explain it.

Would I give up guitar if all I had to play was emg's? No, not at all... I'd I make it through just fine. Have I been playing over 30 years and every time I get or use a guitar that had emg's, I wish they were something else? Pretty much yes. 

I would think far and away that Fender or Gibson made the pickups that you hear on most recordings... certainly not emg's.


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## Descent

JustinRhoads1980 said:


> Honestly after reading through this thread it has only further encouraged me to do something that I have planned on doing for a little bit now.
> 
> I wanna get one guitar that I can throw new pickups in and have it as my test guitar. I plan on trying many different pickups all from different brands and such. Active and Passive. Get clips of me playing them and such and write down what I like/Didn't like from them and go until I have gone through a whole list (right now I have over a dozen pickups) or until I find one that just absolutely blows my mind in terms of what I like.
> 
> I plan on making a thread saying I want this and what pickups would provide this. No matter if they are active or passive. I also plan on emailing a few different pickup brands and asking them the same thing and trying out what the companies suggest me and what you guys do along with stuff I heard on YT of pickups being played and such. I would say I am really happy to try something like this since I want to know what is out there and have more of a better knowledge on pickups and refine what my standards are for them.
> 
> So far I like what I have now: Emg 57/66 in my Schecter HH and the Seymour Duncan Mick Thomson Blackouts in his Jackson Sig. Sure they lack in some things and excel in others, but I just like the way they sound. I got the DT set in my scheter solo-ii custom and although it is some amazing technology, I feel that they are a bit brighter to some degree and dont have as tight of a bass sound as I would like. Are they still goods? yes. Who knows, it could also very well be the guitar they are in that is causing the things that I dont like about it to be present.




Not that I woulnd't read and go through your examples if you were to do that but honestly from what I've seen even if you use the same model of guitar and same 2 pickups, they will sound different. Tone is created by the whole thing, the bridges, nut, neck, overall resonance of the guitar, body shape, that having a test guitar as a blank slate is not really doable.


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## Konfyouzd

Sorta... Yea. EMG or the Dimarzio Evo7... My ears just like them. And that new open coil series EMG released has me quite intrigued.


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## Emperoff

Coming back? Heck I can't even GO AWAY from them due to their retarded measurements of their 7-string pickups. Only recently manufacturers have started to offer their models in EMG size, and they charge you a hefty sum for it (45€ Bare Knuckle, 100€ Duncan per set). 300€ for a set of Duncans is just nuts.

So no, after putting some Elysians in my Jackson B7 what I want is to put passives in all my guitars and sell the EMGs for good.

Yeah, they have their sound, but I've been nailed to it for far too long. The difference of putting a good passive into a high end guitar compared to an EMG is massive in my experience. Maybe I'll miss them at some point, but they're so cheap used that it wouldn't pose a problem.

I wish the rest of manufacturers implemented the quick-connect cable, though. Guitarists refuse to evolve it seems


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## lewis

Emperoff said:


> Coming back? Heck I can't even GO AWAY from them due to their retarded measurements of their 7-string pickups. Only recently manufacturers have started to offer their models in EMG size, and they charge you a hefty sum for it (45€ Bare Knuckle, 100€ Duncan per set). 300€ for a set of Duncans is just nuts.
> 
> So no, after putting some Elysians in my Jackson B7 what I want is to put passives in all my guitars and sell the EMGs for good.
> 
> Yeah, they have their sound, but I've been nailed to it for far too long. The difference of putting a good passive into a high end guitar compared to an EMG is massive in my experience. Maybe I'll miss them at some point, but they're so cheap used that it wouldn't pose a problem.
> 
> I wish the rest of manufacturers implemented the quick-connect cable, though. Guitarists refuse to evolve it seems



Agree about the quick connect/solderless stuff.

Also, what emgs have you tried? Not bashing but i see alot of people claiming emgs in general are bad but have only ever tried either a 707 or an 81, which have obvious love it or hate it qualities about them.


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## Emperoff

lewis said:


> Agree about the quick connect/solderless stuff.
> 
> Also, what emgs have you tried? Not bashing but i see alot of people claiming emgs in general are bad but have only ever tried either a 707 or an 81, which have obvious love it or hate it qualities about them.


All of them. I keep a 57/66 set in my SLAT3-7 which is by far the best, that will eventually be replaced by a Pegasus/Sentient set if I can get one used at a sane price.


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## lewis

Emperoff said:


> All of them. I keep a 57/66 set in my SLAT3-7 which is by far the best, that will eventually be replaced by a Pegasus/Sentient set if I can get one used at a sane price.


Ah thats fair enough bro

I had a nazgul/sentient set in my 3-7 and hated that bridge pickup in that guitar. Pegasus would be alot better i imagine.


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## Emperoff

lewis said:


> Ah thats fair enough bro
> 
> I had a nazgul/sentient set in my 3-7 and hated that bridge pickup in that guitar. Pegasus would be alot better i imagine.


Weird. I always think that guitar can make any pickup sound good. It has a very friendly tone. Smooth highs, plenty of mids and controlled lows. I've tried every EMG set on it and all of them sounded good. Just not my thing. 57/66 are *a bit* too much mids for it, but it sounds good for leads.


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## Duraesu

I had a 57/66 set before and I am seriously considering getting them again. When I had them I got a lot of compliments from other musicians after gigs, even from emg haters lol the sound was just awesome! 

Also I prefer the benefits of active pickups.


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## lewis

_velkan said:


> I had a 57/66 set before and I am seriously considering getting them again. When I had them I got a lot of compliments from other musicians after gigs, even from emg haters lol the sound was just awesome!
> also I prefer the benefits of active pickups.




i defo find this live with active pickups.
Im always more impressed by how actives sound and cut live than passives.
Its weird but they do seem better in a live mix. Recording/album is a different kettle of fish because that doesnt matter as much.


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## Curt

I have jumped around a lot. But I often find myself wanting to go to back to the EMG 57/66 set. I love the 81/60 set as well for different reasons. My number one reason has been the absolute dead quiet nature of them, but tonally they do a lot for me too. Honestly my pickups of choice lately have been the duncan SH-5 and the SH-2, and they sound good enough, but the 57 is similar in direction to the SH-5, but a little middier and tighter, I only switched to passives for a wjileí because playing the fishman moderns for a while really burned me out on that "classic active sound"


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## lewis

TedEH said:


> *I don't think that's true. Would need to see a source on that one before I'm convinced*.



Sorry I meant on Metal albums specifically.


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## TedEH

lewis said:


> on Metal albums specifically


Seems more possible that way for sure. I wouldn't claim to know one way or another, I guess.


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## yan12

I am a passive fan. After all this time and trying most everything, passive all the way. But a couple of notes.
The best sounding EMG's I had were in a EBMM Luke...at least to my ears and let's face it, all of us like different sounds.

EMG has stayed relatively quiet in terms of new product development opening the door for Fishman and the like. My issue is that because I am a bit older at 48, I grew up with those classic passive tones and so I lean that way. I find any actives to be too sterile for me...like a CD vs. a nice record on a good turntable. I love the organic sound of passives and the fact that playing style greatly changes output with passive. I am heavy handed so I tend to work my pickups to get my tones, vs EMG that does not sound much different if I have a lighter or heavier touch. These type of dynamics are what I am after an find passives better for me.

EMG is a great brand and quality. I don't knock anyone that plays them, but Zakk really opened that door with his LP, and to me, a LP was a jazz guitar turned into a rock/metal guitar. Those sounds are not germane to what a LP really is.

Finally, I put Dimarzio and SD on one step, BKP a slight cut above, and Schecter custom at the top. For my ears, the Schecters match the organic sound of BKP, but also have a little more body to them. I am quite impressed with the Apocalypse series. They split very well, respond to rolling of the volume, you name it. And they are not cheap either.

In a high gain setting, most all of the modern pickups from anyone sound decent to good. But my eyes were opened when a well-heeled friend let me play through his axe-fx and a friedman asm 12. Just using normal presets, he was blown away at how good my guitars sounded compared to his. Very dynamic. His guitars sounded good with his "tailored" sounds, but stock sounds my guitars killed it. My monstertone singles were incredible clean and dirty and split amazingly well.

To each their own, but passives are the way a guitar should sound to me.


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## primitiverebelworld

lewis said:


> i defo find this live with active pickups.
> Im always more impressed by how actives sound and cut live than passives.
> Its weird but they do seem better in a live mix. Recording/album is a different kettle of fish because that doesnt matter as much.


Same here! Two guitars and the same rig for example in my case - 57 vs dimarzio. Noodling alone and silent practise passive sounds a lot fuller and earpleasing. Ok enough I crank things up and add full mix backing track. Suddenly I have really hard time to hear myself and rising amp(tube) volume does not mend it and it gets shrill somewhat. Emgs different story - alone practise not too pleasant but at full mix high volume everything is just perfect! Solid, cruchy, focused tone across the fretboard. Not shrill or too widespread - present and clearly audible with great authority to notes. This is the one feature why emgs are often bashed for - "sterile", meaning not too much frequency range and a little bit onedimensional sound(compared to good passives). But when Im in the middle of drums, other insyruments and the whole party this is what I NEED actually. Lol...and it takes a lot less tweaking and eq-ing to get usable sound in loud mix. Kind of foolproof in that regard. Who agrees?


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## gnoll

I love EMG 81 in the bridge. It does pretty much exactly what I want a pickup to do. You would think after all this time there would be something better out there but it seems to me like there's not.


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## Bloody_Inferno

Mostly passive here, but I always have an EMG equipped guitar at close proximity, particularly in the studio. Whenever I need that sound, it's ready to go.


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## Emperoff

I do think EMG sound is really cool for hi-gain stuff, and if I still played in extreme metal bands actively I'd still favour them. The 57/66 is a really, really good set. It improves the flaws of the previous models big time.

But as said above, EMG has been sitting on their asses for nearly 25 years. They only move when the competition does (like Intel). X-series were a response to the Blackouts, Retroactives to Fishman, etc. They also tried to monopolize the 7-string market putting their oversized pickups in every damn guitar besides Ibanez. They only released regular shaped 7-string pickups when other manufacturers started releasing the soapbars. Fuck them. They deserve the massive migration to Fishman they're experiencing.

Now they're following Fishman lead and released a truckload of signature models in a move to be relevant again. Cute. They won't see a dime of mine. That's for sure.


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## mnemonic

Emperoff said:


> I do think EMG sound is really cool for hi-gain stuff, and if I still played in extreme metal bands actively I'd still favour them. The 57/66 is a really, really good set. It improves the flaws of the previous models big time.
> 
> But as said above, EMG has been sitting on their asses for nearly 25 years. They only move when the competition does (like Intel). X-series were a response to the Blackouts, Retroactives to Fishman, etc. They also tried to monopolize the 7-string market putting their oversized pickups in every damn guitar besides Ibanez. They only released regular shaped 7-string pickups when other manufacturers started releasing the soapbars. Fuck them. They deserve the massive migration to Fishman they're experiencing.
> 
> Now they're following Fishman lead and released a truckload of signature models in a move to be relevant again. Cute. They won't see a dime of mine. That's for sure.



I think the soapbar pickups were more trying to keep costs down by just modifying their bass pickups to work for 7 string guitar rather than spending the money to make their 6-string pickups wider. 

I’m told the 707 was a modified bass pickup and that’s why it’s never been released in a passive-sized housing - it doesn’t fit.


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## Emperoff

mnemonic said:


> I think the soapbar pickups were more trying to keep costs down by just modifying their bass pickups to work for 7 string guitar rather than spending the money to make their 6-string pickups wider.
> 
> I’m told the 707 was a modified bass pickup and that’s why it’s never been released in a passive-sized housing - it doesn’t fit.



Yup. That's exactly how it was. They preferred to screw the whole ERG community to save in tooling costs. However, the massive OEM attack to all guitar manufacturers (every damn 7 string besides Ibanez had EMGs, never Dimarzio or Duncans) tells me they worked very hard to make THEIR size the standard.


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## Steinmetzify

Did for a long time. Would go back and forth from an 81 to whatever passive I wanted to try, but always went back to the 81. 

Grabbed a Fishman Modern awhile back and its everything I always wanted the 81 to be. 

They’ll be my go to for a long time to come. Gonna chuck one in my Charvel CS pretty soon.


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## lewis

steinmetzify said:


> Did for a long time. Would go back and forth from an 81 to whatever passive I wanted to try, but always went back to the 81.
> 
> Grabbed a Fishman Modern awhile back and its everything I always wanted the 81 to be.
> 
> They’ll be my go to for a long time to come. Gonna chuck one in my Charvel CS pretty soon.



I think maybe best case scenario for me would be use Moderns and 57/66 set as my main sets.

If I grab a cheap 8 string again, I will probably put an 81-8 in it for quick, fun, metal brootz.


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## Flappydoodle

I’ve never gone ‘off’ EMGs. The 81/60 combo sounds great. How many metal albums were recorded with that combo? All of Metallica, In Flames, Machine Head, Trivium, BFMV, KSE. 

I have the 57/66 set in another guitar and that also sounds great. 

I do have Fishmans in two guitars and also enjoy those, but it didn’t make EMG sound worse.


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## elkoki

I have nothing against the 81/85 set. They sound excellent for high gain metal, they're a classic for a reason. I don't have any guitars with them right now though because I sold off the only guitar that had them. They're not super versatile but that doesn't matter because we all know what they were made for. The best part is they can be found really cheap all over the internet.... 

I tried the 57/66 set, they weren't bad at all, but they don't have the same aggression that the 81/85 set has. In the right guitar i'm sure they sound excellent, but in the guitar I tried them in I didn't care for them that much. I have Fluence's right now in one of my 7's, IDK if I can say they are WAAAY better than EMG's but they're definitely not bad...


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## HeHasTheJazzHands

It's a guitar-by-guitar basis. My top 2 pickups are the Fishman Fluence set and the EMG 81/60 set. As weird as it sounds, I find the 81/60 set sounds best in brighter guitars and the Fluence Classic set sounds best in darker guitars. But I pretty much exclusively use those sets.


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## lewis

edit:

Can the EMG Solderless kit with the additional 3 way solderless pickup selector, and a long shaft push/pull solderless volume pot, work with the Fishman fluence moderns?


----------



## Science_Penguin

Mentally, yes. 

I consider going back to passives sometimes, and then I realise there's not much I can get with them I don't already get from EMGs. Plus the added bonus of no soldering, no hum, and tone controls that produce DESIREABLE changes to my tone.

Really as long as they never stop making the X or Retro Active series, I have no reason to switch.


----------



## Wizard of Ozz

I've been really loving the EMG Het set. I have them in 3 different guitars.


----------



## gunch

I like the 85 in the bridge but I've never checked out 85 bridge with the 18v mod

EMG's active preamp circuits are more interesting to me, like the variable mid control but you can't find anything about it other than like, in a bass context.


----------



## lewis

tried a band mates 81 equipped guitar tonight for the first time in about 7 months

:O holy smokes I really missed it.
That aggressive, excited sound that just jumps out of the guitar. Tracks way faster, sounds way better than anything else Ive tried


----------



## Isurez

I love EMG pickups, I have set of 57/66 (in pair with Gotoh 510 locking tuners) in my main "go to" guitar. I understand why cats like Lukather, Gilmour or Knopfler used them in the past - they're perfect for live performances (I mean all EMG pickups, not the exact set that I use). Lack of noise because of the already installed buffer and stuff like that - just perfect.


----------



## Mprinsje

Even though i prefer medium to low output passive pickups now, i always have one or two guitars with emg's at any given time. I now have three even . They're just really good at getting a particular sound, which is a sound i really do enjoy.


----------



## wakjob

Like a good 4x12, I'll always have at least one 81 around.
Like the JB, the 81 does a "thing". It's unmistakable.

And while so many people are jumping ship to the newer offerings of other companies, being one of the remaining old school diehards I feel a bit exclusive...maybe even...
*special*


----------



## Mike

Add me to the EMG lovers as well. I went on the passive pilgrimage for years and still love quite a few passive sets, but I don't think any pickup is easier to get a tight, searing metal tone out of with minimal tweaking than the 81.

The one thing I'll never understand is what idiot(s) ever thought it was a good idea to use the 85 in the neck and forever get it black labeled as such. So many novice guitarists miss out on a behemoth of a crunch machine as a bridge pickup because they think it can't/doesn't go there.



lewis said:


> ....That aggressive, excited sound that just jumps out of the guitar. Tracks way faster, sounds way better than anything else Ive tried



The "tracking faster" if you mean what I think you mean, is probably one of my favorite things about EMG's. Cable capacitance is a non issue with actives and I think this helps make EMG's just feel like they respond instantly to your playing and like the guitar is just a direct extension of your hands, zero latency if you will. If I play one of my EMG equipped guitars for a while, then move to one of my passive guitars by comparison, the passive guitar almost always feels sluggish and not as "in your face" through my amp until my hands and ears acclimate to the response and tonal differences.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Mike said:


> The one thing I'll never understand is what idiot(s) ever thought it was a good idea to use the 85 in the neck and forever get it *black labeled* as such. So many novice guitarists miss out on a behemoth of a crunch machine as a bridge pickup because they think it can't/doesn't go there.









I'll be honest, I don't like the 85 in either position.  Too smooth for the bridge, too muddy for the neck. The 81 is better for versatility IMO. But the 60 is the best neck pickup period

...Although I do plan on doing a project soon that involves an 85 in the bridge and S in the neck. But that's because I had to use my only spare 81 for another project.  But then again, this guitar is doing to be an A-tuned butt-rock guitar, so the muddiness does help.


----------



## lewis

Mike said:


> Add me to the EMG lovers as well. I went on the passive pilgrimage for years and still love quite a few passive sets, but I don't think any pickup is easier to get a tight, searing metal tone out of with minimal tweaking than the 81.
> 
> The one thing I'll never understand is what idiot(s) ever thought it was a good idea to use the 85 in the neck and forever get it black labeled as such. So many novice guitarists miss out on a behemoth of a crunch machine as a bridge pickup because they think it can't/doesn't go there.
> 
> 
> 
> The "tracking faster" if you mean what I think you mean, is probably one of my favorite things about EMG's. Cable capacitance is a non issue with actives and I think this helps make EMG's just feel like they respond instantly to your playing and like the guitar is just a direct extension of your hands, zero latency if you will. If I play one of my EMG equipped guitars for a while, then move to one of my passive guitars by comparison, the passive guitar almost always feels sluggish and not as "in your face" through my amp until my hands and ears acclimate to the response and tonal differences.




This site is really screwy for me at the moment so I hope this works as a reply

but thats exactly what I meant!. Its makes your playing feel so much more alive because of the instantaneous response time.
Forgot how much I loved that.
Ive been using my Ibanez's old stock INF pickups or whatever and going from that for months to the 81 when borrowing a guitar to get through a practice, was insane.


----------



## Tisca

I had already moved away from the old 80-series and had one with 57/66 but when I got my Tokai LPC clone I just knew it needed a 81 at 18V in the bridge. Praise the chugg!
Bonus IG photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/BflM7bUBniN/


----------



## lewis

Tisca said:


> I had already moved away from the old 80-series and had one with 57/66 but when I got my Tokai LPC clone I just knew it needed a 81 at 18V in the bridge. Praise the chugg!
> Bonus IG photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/BflM7bUBniN/


holy crap thats fucking beautiful!
What neck pup you going for? 60?

either way, dayumn. Making me miss my old les paul guitar (michael Kelly patriot black)


----------



## Tisca

lewis said:


> holy crap thats fucking beautiful!
> What neck pup you going for? 60?



Thx! The plan was no neck pup but it does look a bit empty. I did buy a plastic pickup cover to fill the neck cavity but never got around to installing. One vol pot and the rest of the holes are covered.


----------



## lewis

Tisca said:


> Thx! The plan was no neck pup but it does look a bit empty. I did buy a plastic pickup cover to fill the neck cavity but never got around to installing. One vol pot and the rest of the holes are covered.


ooh yeah good idea.
Blank cover would work well if you dont want a neck pup! good idea


----------



## Tisca

lewis said:


> ooh yeah good idea.
> Blank cover would work well if you dont want a neck pup! good idea


Btw, blanks straight from China cost like tens of cents.


----------



## TedintheShed

I love EMG's. I had them in my PRS Torero and next to.my Core PRS with \m/ pick ups they kept up nicely.


----------



## lewis

Well just got the fishman moderns installed and used for the first time. They sound great but they dont give that insane instant/agressive tracking like an 81 does.
the 81 is so fast and alive that its instantly noticeable.


----------



## Emperoff

lewis said:


> Well just got the fishman moderns installed and used for the first time. They sound great but they dont give that insane instant/agressive tracking like an 81 does.
> the 81 is so fast and alive that its instantly noticeable.



That's because they want to address issues people have with actives.

Thing is, middle grounds can never be as good in their own things. EMGs suck for crunch "in-between" tones compared to a passive, but a passive will never match the ultra-tight and explosive sound of the 81 for metal. Everything has its place.

In the end, it's all about where you put what. I have an all-maple soloist that sounds brittle and dreadful with EMGs, but in my alder/rosewood one al of them sounded great.

I just don't need them anymore, since they overdrive my clean channels/preamps and I have truckloads of gain to compensate with passives.


----------



## buriedoutback

update : I installed an 81 into the bridge of my co-guitarist's ibanez gio...(i know... he's buying a new guitar asap) and everything I previously thought about the 81 has been shattered... it sounds great!! the chuggs!
I think it has more highs and less lows than the 85 (I think the 85 is beefier and smoother = better) but I'd have no problem using an 81 if that's all that was available.
PS. we're probably gonna toss an empty pickup cover in the neck as soon as i can find a cheap one online.


----------



## lewis

Emperoff said:


> That's because they want to address issues people have with actives.
> 
> Thing is, middle grounds can never be as good in their own things. EMGs suck for crunch "in-between" tones compared to a passive, but a passive will never match the ultra-tight and explosive sound of the 81 for metal. Everything has its place.
> 
> In the end, it's all about where you put what. I have an all-maple soloist that sounds brittle and dreadful with EMGs, but in my alder/rosewood one al of them sounded great.
> 
> I just don't need them anymore, since they overdrive my clean channels/preamps and I have truckloads of gain to compensate with passives.


Yeah I get that, but what I meant was, I thought Fishmans were supposed to be even quicker to track than EMGS?

case and point - 



so it was just odd to me. I dig Matt but that line is clearly marketing BS. EMGs feel way quicker than my Moderns. (Im not saying they sound better - just talking purely about feel/attack/tracking speed)


----------



## lewis

buriedoutback said:


> update : I installed an 81 into the bridge of my co-guitarist's ibanez gio...(i know... he's buying a new guitar asap) and everything I previously thought about the 81 has been shattered... it sounds great!! the chuggs!
> I think it has more highs and less lows than the 85 (I think the 85 is beefier and smoother = better) but I'd have no problem using an 81 if that's all that was available.
> PS. we're probably gonna toss an empty pickup cover in the neck as soon as i can find a cheap one online.


thats great to hear.

I mean, whether you like EMG or not you have to hand it to them. Their pickups do make such a positive difference for the price that even in a GIO for example, it sounds huge


----------



## Mike

Emperoff said:


> ...I just don't need them anymore, since they overdrive my clean channels/preamps and I have truckloads of gain to compensate with passives.



I tried to approach it this way too but it hasn't seemed to work for me and nothing can quite replace what EMG's do to my signal chain. I figured high gain amp, hot pickups, comp and od pedals to dial in the tightness to taste, and ill have that sound available when I want it. Alas, still none of that does the 81 thing quite right imo. I just think you can't quite replicate the signal chain/tone stack/whatever you want to call it, quite right without that hot, compressed, clean, clear source being first.

As far as too much drive, I agree they can do that, but the X series stuff paired with the volume control helps tremendously with that. I pretty much exclusively stick to the middle or neck for cleans and with something like the 60x or 66 in there, the clean channel distorting isn't an issue.


----------



## Emperoff

lewis said:


> Yeah I get that, but what I meant was, I thought Fishmans were supposed to be even quicker to track than EMGS?
> 
> case and point -so it was just odd to me. I dig Matt but that line is clearly marketing BS. EMGs feel way quicker than my Moderns. (Im not saying they sound better - just talking purely about feel/attack/tracking speed)



You replied yourself. That immediacy when tracking is "the sound" of actives. The compressed (clipped) attack. Passives are saggy and juicy. If you try to make actives more touch sensitive like passives, then they lose what makes them special.


----------



## Necky379

I too stayed with EMG's. There are some Duncan models I like as much but I currently have one guitar with a Duncan and 3 more with EMG's if that says anything. Big fan of 81's bridge and neck (don't like 85's in the neck), 707 in the bridge position, 81-7's bridge or neck.


----------



## Lindmann

buriedoutback said:


> and everything I previously thought about the 81 has been shattered... it sounds great!! the chuggs!


I believe that this is a common thing.
It seems like a lot of people have fallen for prejudice against the 81.
(e.g. it is written everywhere that they sound sterile...so it MUST be true)

It might not be the best choice for every kind of tone but it definately has its place.

Some facts are true though. 
The 81 does clip and therefore compresses the signal. You can clearly see it when you record the DI signal.
But why complain about it?
Whenever you are going to record some crushing chugs you definately don't want them to be dynamic anyway.
This might be the reason why guitar tracks recorded with an 81 sit so well in a mix.
And when you play a less heavy riff the signal doesn't even hit levels where it gets clipped.


----------



## lewis

Lindmann said:


> I believe that this is a common thing.
> It seems like a lot of people have fallen for prejudice against the 81.
> (e.g. it is written everywhere that they sound sterile...so it MUST be true)
> 
> It might not be the best choice for every kind of tone but it definately has its place.
> 
> Some facts are true though.
> The 81 does clip and therefore compresses the signal. You can clearly see it when you record the DI signal.
> But why complain about it?
> Whenever you are going to record some crushing chugs you definately don't want them to be dynamic anyway.
> This might be the reason why guitar tracks recorded with an 81 sit so well in a mix.
> And when you play a less heavy riff the signal doesn't even hit levels where it gets clipped.


This reminds me so much of everyone who posted hatred in an old duncan dimebucker thread stating "dime didnt even use these garbage pickups" claiming it was another cashgrab on his name now he is dead.

Until i entered the thread showing multiple live shots of dime with damageplan showing clear as day the dimebucker being used.

Point is it seems 1 person posts disinfo online, hundreds read it, they they all think it fact and post the same and so on.

Before you know it the general opinion on the thing is completely wrong.

EMGs being "shit" fall into this category.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Also the thing about EMGs is that you definitely need to retweak your amp. If you use the original settings you had for passive pickups, it'll be a brittle, honky, thin mess. EMGs are extremely mid heavy and lack a lot of bass. Once you tweak your settings right, nothing beats them. 

Speaking of that, i got a cheap ass ESP M207 on the way. I debated on getting BKPs or Elysians... But idk. I'm debating on finally trying the 57/66 set.


----------



## mnemonic

lewis said:


> This reminds me so much of everyone who posted hatred in an old duncan dimebucker thread stating "dime didnt even use these garbage pickups" claiming it was another cashgrab on his name now he is dead.
> 
> Until i entered the thread showing multiple live shots of dime with damageplan showing clear as day the dimebucker being used.
> 
> Point is it seems 1 person posts disinfo online, hundreds read it, they they all think it fact and post the same and so on.
> 
> Before you know it the general opinion on the thing is completely wrong.
> 
> EMGs being "shit" fall into this category.



This happens so much it’s not even funny. So much dis-info on the forums.


----------



## Emperoff

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Also the thing about EMGs is that you definitely need to retweak your amp. If you use the original settings you had for passive pickups, it'll be a brittle, honky, thin mess. EMGs are extremely mid heavy and lack a lot of bass. Once you tweak your settings right, nothing beats them.
> 
> Speaking of that, i got a cheap ass ESP M207 on the way. I debated on getting BKPs or Elysians... But idk. I'm debating on finally trying the 57/66 set.



I'm gonna get spanked for saying this, but... Yes, if it's a cheapo put EMGs on it. They are much more forgiving with low end stuff than passives.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Emperoff said:


> I'm gonna get spanked for saying this, but... Yes, if it's a cheapo put EMGs on it. They are much more forgiving with low end stuff than passives.


I still wouldn't expect a great tone from it.  Ive had a range of guitars with EMGs, and they've ranged from godly chug machines to dead planks.


----------



## Mathemagician

Yes I love the 81 in the bridge and I really want to try a 57/66 set.


----------



## buriedoutback

Lindmann said:


> It seems like a lot of people have fallen for prejudice against the 81.


The above is definitely true in many cases. 
For me, my ltd explorer came with an 81 in the bridge. After I compared it to another 85 loaded guitar I had, I immediately purchased an 85 for it, and sold the 81


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Mathemagician said:


> Yes I love the 81 in the bridge and I really want to try a 57/66 set.



Same. Really can't decide between the EMG 81/60, EMG 57/66, or the BKP Mircale Man(Or Painkiller)/Cold Sweat set for my upcoming 7.


----------



## Emperoff

I was wondering... Do you guys have guitars with EMG81 and EMG81-7? I see everyone loves the 81 but really couldn't get along with the 81-7. Perhaps they're different? I know that happens with a lot of pickups...


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Emperoff said:


> I was wondering... Do you guys have guitars with EMG81 and EMG81-7? I see everyone loves the 81 but really couldn't get along with the 81-7. Perhaps they're different? I know that happens with a lot of pickups...



I find the 81-7 is a bit lower output with more mids. It still sounds a lot like an 81 to me.


----------



## lewis

Emperoff said:


> I was wondering... Do you guys have guitars with EMG81 and EMG81-7? I see everyone loves the 81 but really couldn't get along with the 81-7. Perhaps they're different? I know that happens with a lot of pickups...


this is pure 81-7.
Drop G# tuning but the low G is down to an F


----------



## mnemonic

I remember looking into the seven string EMG’s a while back, from memory, the soap bar 81-7 is quite different from the passive sized 81-7 and six-string 81-7. 

That being said six and seven string pickups tend to have some differences anyway.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I'm wondering if the 81-7 is still a tweaked bass pickup like the 707 is? I'd be curious to try the 81-7 when I get my LTD M-207 in if I don't get the 57/66 set for it.


----------



## Emperoff

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I find the 81-7 is a bit lower output with more mids. It still sounds a lot like an 81 to me.



That could very well be. I found it was just high mids and nothing else (in that guitar).


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I have other guitars that sound a bit deeper than my SC-607B. But then again, I have an EC-401B that has even less low end than the SC. I just know that the SC-607B sounds perfect to me. The first time I ever had a 7-string I actually love.

t I decided that I'm getting the 81-7H/60-7H set for my upcoming 7-er. Rather wait and try the 57/66 on one of my existing 6-strings. Like the before-mentioned EC-401B that can sound really thin.


----------



## Necky379

I hated the 81-7 so much when they first came out but I've grown to love them. It's really like HeHasTheJazzHands said, your settings have to change. The 81-7 has a lot of upper mids and the bass cut is aggressive, it's very tight. They pound through looser amps/settings. I find they make scooped settings sound really good too. When I first tried them I was (still am) a 707 user which is much different.


----------



## Emperoff

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I just know that the SC-607B sounds perfect to me. The first time I ever had a 7-string I actually love.



Wait, weren't those all-maple construction (besides the fretboard)? I'm having a hard time finding a pickup for an all maple guitar like that, and the 81-7 went straight out of the window the moment I got the guitar. Nevermind if it's the natural mahogany one.



Necky379 said:


> The 81-7 has a lot of upper mids and the bass cut is aggressive, it's very tight. They pound through looser amps/settings. I find they make scooped settings sound really good too. When I first tried them I was (still am) a 707 user which is much different.



Yup. That's a very accurate definition. I actually got a 707 to replace it since it was tight enough for me and didn't have those extreme high mids. It definetely cut like a chainsaw for sure, though.


----------



## lewis

Emperoff said:


> Wait, weren't those all-maple construction (besides the fretboard)? I'm having a hard time finding a pickup for an all maple guitar like that, and the 81-7 went straight out of the window the moment I got the guitar. Nevermind if it's the natural mahogany one.
> 
> 
> 
> Yup. That's a very accurate definition. I actually got a 707 to replace it since it was tight enough for me and didn't have those extreme high mids. It definetely cut like a chainsaw for sure, though.


have you tried using the RPC knob with the 707's to dial in the perfect amount of "tight"?

Cuts lows and boosts highs at the same time and the more you turn it the more it does that. 
Off is normal sound. Better than a regular tone knob for 7 string playing


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

The Sc607b is alder with a neck thru maple neck. Although if you get the old natural one or the recent Fishman-loaded ones, they appear to have mahogany bodies. 

Also the 707 is like the opposite of the 81-7. While the 81 is a midrange heavy chainsaw, the 707 is a scooped sledgehammer with the EQ focused in the lows and highs.


----------



## Curt

Having recently had both an 81-7 and 81-7H, they aren't very different at all to my ears. There is the expected difference between 25.5" and 27" guitars, but its not worlds apart. I guess the low end is a little closer to the 6 string version, but I wouldn't say its a night and day thing.


----------



## GatherTheArsenal

lewis said:


> this is pure 81-7.
> Drop G# tuning but the low G is down to an F




I love that track, the last 30 seconds or so is just pure energy. Great band!


----------



## Necky379

Emperoff said:


> Wait, weren't those all-maple construction (besides the fretboard)? I'm having a hard time finding a pickup for an all maple guitar like that, and the 81-7 went straight out of the window the moment I got the guitar. Nevermind if it's the natural mahogany one.










I kept the 81-7 in my maple 607 and swapped a 707 into the bridge of my mahogany 607b. When I purchased the maple 607 I just automatically ordered a 707 off eBay thinking I’m going to hate the 81-7 in maple. I had sold the exact same guitar years before because I thought it was unbearably harsh. The guitar arrived, I plugged into a recto preamp, never took the pickup out and now I have an extra 707. I thought about it, when I sold it last time I was playing exclusively through a 5150 dialed in as tight as I could get. These days I have other amps to play through, my 5150 settings are looser and I love the 81-7. What are you playing through and have you tried an Invader or 707 in the guitar yet?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

buriedoutback said:


> The above is definitely true in many cases.
> For me, my ltd explorer came with an 81 in the bridge. After I compared it to another 85 loaded guitar I had, I immediately purchased an 85 for it, and sold the 81


I have 85s in the bridge of both of my guitars, and 60As in the neck. Prefer them over an EMG 81 in the bridge and 81, 85 and 60 in the neck.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I feel like an ass for hyping myself up for getting new EMGs for this guitar. 

It came in and feels solid as fuck... But it turns out it already sounds fine as fuck. Turns out the bridge pickup wasn't a Duncan Designed, but a legit Seymour Duncan. Sounds like a Distortion. 

I'm still probably gonna get an 81-7H/60-7H set down the road, but for now it actually sounds legit.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Never forget kids and kidettes: If your tone starts sounding like shit, don't forget to change the batteries in your gits.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Never forget kids and kidettes: If your tone starts sounding like shit, don't forget to change the batteries in your gits.


----------



## Konfyouzd

Emperoff said:


> I was wondering... Do you guys have guitars with EMG81 and EMG81-7? I see everyone loves the 81 but really couldn't get along with the 81-7. Perhaps they're different? I know that happens with a lot of pickups...


I like the 85-7 in the bridge a bit more than the 81-7. I found that I like both the 81-7 and 60-7 in the neck.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

The906 said:


>


I actually use two of these weird 12v batteries. 21A or some shit like that.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I actually use two of these weird 12v batteries. 21A or some shit like that.



I see, the 24V Mod? Interesting. Is it your default EMG config?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

The906 said:


> I see, the 24V Mod? Interesting. Is it your default EMG config?


Yeah. I wouldn't buy the cheaper fake ones though. They're apparently not rated for 24v or the correct type of battery. They're rated for 3v I think. The version I have is rated for 24v and has thick enough wiring to handle it.


----------



## jonsick

Full on EMG user here. Straight up no-fuss 81 and 85 in 9v sets. I think most of my guitars are in this configuration. I did play with 18v and the like, but I prefer the sound of 9v. Just check your battery with a DMM every restring, make sure you're over 8.8v on the battery as anything below that is when they tend to sound weird. 

My 7 strings have 81-7h and 85-7h apart from the EII Arrow-7 which came with the 57/66 set. I like both fine. I do sometimes moonlight back to passives, but EMG just does what I want it to do every single time. Regardless of the style of music I'm playing.

The only one I never got on with was the EMG 60. It just seemed too weak to me. 

I also tend not to use the solderless sets. I find that they can be noisy if you haven't quite installed them right, really need a shielded cavity, and some of the interconnects are quite long (which lends to the noise) and it can look like a rat's nest in the control cavity. I'm a simple man, happiest with a single volume and 3-way toggle, but even then you can get some mega nests in there with just that. I prefer just straight soldered connections. Luckily I have a nice stock of 25k pots which does me fine, but there you go.

I've not noticed huge differences between the 7 and 6 string EMG 81 variants. Nothing that made me wince anyway.

The only passives I like are the DiMarzio Super-Distortion, Duncan JB Antiquity, Duncan Jazz and the Fender Fat-60s.

My Charvel Satchell came with Fishman pickups which were all well and nice. I did swap them out for - you guessed it - EMGs. It's just my sound!


----------



## Seabeast2000

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Yeah. I wouldn't buy the cheaper fake ones though. They're apparently not rated for 24v or the correct type of battery. They're rated for 3v I think. The version I have is rated for 24v and has thick enough wiring to handle it.


$30 for a complete snap in, no-work voltage mod? Putting it on the list for the Hellraiser.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

The906 said:


> $30 for a complete snap in, no-work voltage mod? Putting it on the list for the Hellraiser.


Make sure you get the right one.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Also, get duracells at your local hardware store.


----------



## Necky379

Konfyouzd said:


> I like the 85-7 in the bridge a bit more than the 81-7. I found that I like both the 81-7 and 60-7 in the neck.



I'm surprised the 81-7 and 81 aren't more popular in the neck, imo they sound really good there. The 85 in the neck thing i never understood.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Necky379 said:


> I'm surprised the 81-7 and 81 aren't more popular in the neck, imo they sound really good there. The 85 in the neck thing i never understood.



Same. Fucking Zakk Wylde.  

The 60 and 81 are much better. The 60 for smoother sounds and cleans, and the 81 for cutting leads.


----------



## cardinal

I'm kinda surprised the 60 isn't more popular in the bridge. I absolutely love it there. It reminded me of an 81 but just dialed back a bit.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I've never tried a 60 in the bridge, but I love the 60A in the neck.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I tried it. It's very hi-fi in the high end and more open in the low end. While the 81 is more of a br00tal sledgehammer, the 60 is smoother with a very interesting snappy high end and scooped midrange.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I tried it. It's very hi-fi in the high end and more open in the low end. While the 81 is more of a br00tal sledgehammer, the 60 is smoother with a very interesting snappy high end and scooped midrange.


Doesn't sound like something I'd like. I'll just stick with the 85 in the bridge, methinks.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Doesn't sound like something I'd like. I'll just stick with the 85 in the bridge, methinks.



If I were to describe it

85: Pure low mid sledgehammer
81: High mid razorblade
60: Very broad EQ range. 

TBH, I had a Bill Lawrence L500XL, and I felt the 60 was closer to that than the 81. But the L500XL was much more growly and aggressive than the 60. The 60 was more tame and smooth.


----------



## Luafcm

I posted a thread way back about installing EMG's into a KV2 Skulls guitar. I just ordered Dimarzio's to go into that guitar

...but yea, I'm keeping the EMG's just in case! Clearly I am fickle


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> If I were to describe it
> 
> 85: Pure low mid sledgehammer
> 81: High mid razorblade
> 60: Very broad EQ range.
> 
> TBH, I had a Bill Lawrence L500XL, and I felt the 60 was closer to that than the 81. But the L500XL was much more growly and aggressive than the 60. The 60 was more tame and smooth.


The 85 is also less harsh/more warm. With a mid heavy 80s hair metal tone, I prefer the 85. I also strongly dislike the idea of not being able to turn off the "internal tube screamer" that an 81 has. I prefer to wear too many layers of clothing, get hot, and be able to take a layer off. Compared to being out and about when it gets cold and not having a jacket, etc., extra layers are preferable. This way I can go thinner or thicker with a pedal at my feet.


----------



## Necky379

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Same. Fucking Zakk Wylde.
> 
> The 60 and 81 are much better.



SO much better 

I know what you mean though. EMG was selling the Zakk Wylde set (still is? Idk), my first introduction to EMG’s was the loaded Kirk Hammet pickguard and that was double 81’s. I dropped that in a strat. Over the years I’ve figured out 81-7’s but still would never take an 85 over an 81 in the neck. 81’s and Pearly Gates are my all time favorite neck pickups, I’ve never heard anything that could top those two in the neck. I really think if they charged 120$ for the Pearly Gates while saying it was made in a Transylvanian castle and if the 81 came out in 2017 instead of being old news they’d get more love.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Don't really want to start it's own thread, and it is off topic, but I dunno why I have a bunch of other pedals. An SD-1 -> BD-2 is great separate or stacked. Stacked, they sound like a kick ass Marshall esque tone.


----------



## Necky379

^ I love lamp too


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Necky379 said:


> ^ I love lamp too


You love lamps? Kinda odd, but... Hey dude, let your freak flag fly.


----------



## Necky379




----------



## Drew

lewis said:


> I dunno guys, i just feel that once the initial hype of a new product/brand dies down, i want to go back to EMG again.


To be fair I've never played their SAs and would be curious to give them a shot, but I've never liked EMG humbuckers. I don't like dealing with batteries and worrying if I left a gyuitar plugged in or not, but it would be worth it if I cared for the tone, and I don't. I think the 707 sounds like a heavily compressed singlecoil, which is actually kind of awesome for certain applications, but for most of the times I pick up a guitar with humbuckers, that's not the sound I'm going for. They stay well defined under heavy gain, but don't really hold up well under low to medium gain sounds, which is most of where I spend my time. 

So, good on you for figuring out what you like... But for me, it's moderate output PAF style pickups with open, clear, and round neck position sounds and midrangey bridge sounds with smooth, slightly burnished high end and upper-mid harmonic haze that blooms on the sustain... And that's absolutely not what you get out of a EMG.


----------



## BenjaminW

Drew said:


> but I've never liked EMG humbuckers. I don't like dealing with batteries and worrying if I left a gyuitar plugged in or not, but it would be worth it if I cared for the tone, and I don't.


Isn't it possible to play without the batteries?


----------



## Drew

BenjaminW said:


> Isn't it possible to play without the batteries?


No.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Drew said:


> No.


He means EMGs, you mean a preference for passives.

Drew, what you need is one of these and a stereo cable.

http://www.emgpickups.com/pedals/power-supplies/power-supplies/es-918.html


----------



## Drew

Spaced Out Ace said:


> He means EMGs, you mean a preference for passives.
> 
> Drew, what you need is one of these and a stereo cable.
> 
> http://www.emgpickups.com/pedals/power-supplies/power-supplies/es-918.html


I would be super interested in that, if only I actually liked how EMGs sounded.


----------



## Curt

I just swapped out the duncan SH-5 from my Ibanez and popped in an 81 x, my first time trying an x series out through my own rig. I love it. It is a little better for mid gain leads in a single pickup scenario, and the high end is just a little less razor sharp. Eq wise it sounds pretty similar to the sh-5, but the 81 x has way less low end for sure. Simply bringing up the low end on my amp and its basically all the changes I wanted in my sound.


----------



## waffles

I myself have 'come back' to EMGs earlier in the decade after trying my stint at various Duncans and Dimarzios. There's really just something about that 'bite' of the 81 in the bridge that makes it really perfect for metal. I mostly play thrash and death metal anyway and at this point, I really don't see any reason in replacing the 81/85 sets in two of my guitars.

Also worth noting is that once I 'came back' to EMGs, I really don't feel that need to try out other pickups anymore the way I used to be whenever I hear or watch something about some new pups a band is using, some new pups ola englund demoed or some new 'metal' pup at NAMM, etc. Probably something to think about.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Curt said:


> I just swapped out the duncan SH-5 from my Ibanez and popped in an 81 x, my first time trying an x series out through my own rig. I love it. It is a little better for mid gain leads in a single pickup scenario, and the high end is just a little less razor sharp. Eq wise it sounds pretty similar to the sh-5, but the 81 x has way less low end for sure. Simply bringing up the low end on my amp and its basically all the changes I wanted in my sound.



Thanks for reminding me to get an 81x. Really need to do some side by side comparisons with the 81, 81x, and het set.


----------



## waffles

On a side note, I just realized what a nightmare can it be to be a marketing officer for EMG, at least for the 6-string guitar segment. Most people decide on getting EMGs because of the 81 - the 85 or 60 in the neck just to accompany the former. They've sort of been pigeonholed for that specific tone and most people are overlooking their other 6 string actives as well as their 6 string passive line. But it's probably harder for the passives. I mean who thinks 'I want a passive pickup' and decides on an EMG? That's not to say passive EMGs suck but you get the picture.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

waffles said:


> On a side note, I just realized what a nightmare can it be to be a marketing officer for EMG, at least for the 6-string guitar segment. Most people decide on getting EMGs because of the 81 - the 85 or 60 in the neck just to accompany the former. They've sort of been pigeonholed for that specific tone and most people are overlooking their other 6 string actives as well as their 6 string passive line. But it's probably harder for the passives. I mean who thinks 'I want a passive pickup' and decides on an EMG? That's not to say passive EMGs suck but you get the picture.



It's EMG's fault for marketing thier passives as "budget" pickups for many years. But, seems like they're doing more with them these days, they almost have as many signature passive sets as active.


----------



## lewis

I tried the Hz passive series and they were absolutely awful.
So that doesnt help.

But i plan on trying the 57/66s, the retro active Super 77s and the X series 81/60 set


----------



## MaxOfMetal

lewis said:


> I tried the Hz passive series and they were absolutely awful.
> So that doesnt help.
> 
> But i plan on trying the 57/66s, the retro active Super 77s and the X series 81/60 set



The HZ weren't bad depending on the model. I forget which one, but the Alnico one was actually pretty in some guitars. 

I'm interested in trying the Lars set.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

The passed few years they've been trying at least starting with the SCO and really kicking it in gear with the GZR and MF sets. I'm curious about the MF pickups still.


----------



## Science_Penguin

waffles said:


> On a side note, I just realized what a nightmare can it be to be a marketing officer for EMG, at least for the 6-string guitar segment. Most people decide on getting EMGs because of the 81 - the 85 or 60 in the neck just to accompany the former. They've sort of been pigeonholed for that specific tone and most people are overlooking their other 6 string actives as well as their 6 string passive line. But it's probably harder for the passives. I mean who thinks 'I want a passive pickup' and decides on an EMG? That's not to say passive EMGs suck but you get the picture.



There just haven't been enough examples of people taking advantage of their other sets for other tones. And the few that I can think of always used it for maybe an album or two and then switched to passives or, in Townsend's case, Fluence.


----------



## gunch

EMG related stuff I always wondered about:

85 in the bridge w/ 18v mod 

85 vs 85x bridge 

x series 18v mod or does the improvements of the x series make pumping more voltage redundant

also does the 18v mod make it impossible to clean up with the volume pot


----------



## Mathemagician

Seconded.


----------



## KnightBrolaire

gunch said:


> EMG related stuff I always wondered about:
> 
> 85 in the bridge w/ 18v mod
> 
> 85 vs 85x bridge
> 
> x series 18v mod or does the improvements of the x series make pumping more voltage redundant
> 
> also does the 18v mod make it impossible to clean up with the volume pot


from what I remember the x series is basically the equivalent of doing the 18v mod to a regular series. I know that it was that way for the 707 and 808 at least. I don't remember if it applied to the 81 or not though.


----------



## gunch

Shit there's the retro active 77 and fat 55 now too


----------



## TheWarAgainstTime

gunch said:


> EMG related stuff I always wondered about:
> 
> 85 in the bridge w/ 18v mod
> 
> 85 vs 85x bridge
> 
> x series 18v mod or does the improvements of the x series make pumping more voltage redundant
> 
> also does the 18v mod make it impossible to clean up with the volume pot



It's been a while, but I had an 85 in the bridge position of an RG for a while and was able to A/B between 9 and 18 volts. The extra voltage gave me a bit more dynamics and clarity. It was something that affected the feel more than the overall sound, but was well worth the couple of dollars I spent on the extra battery wiring harness. I kept it at 18v until I sold the pickup to a bandmate. I was using that guitar as a chug machine, so I can't really say if the "cleans" aspect was improved.

I've never tried the X series, but I would be interested to try them if I can find a set for cheap.

I definitely got on the anti-EMG bandwagon for a while, but every time I played them I was less and less convinced that they suck, you know? I've worked on a bunch of guitars for friends and former bandmates with 57/66, 81/60, 81/85, and single 85 setups and I always have fun playing with them until the owner comes and gets their guitar back


----------



## Curt

I wouldn't say I ever believed EMGs sucked, but when I was doing the mid gain proggy polyphia type stuff I didn't like how the 81 sounded. Much too crunchy, not near round enough. Tried the 57 and its pretty good for that, but still not my first pick, now that I'm playing post hardcore and easycore stuff mostly these days, the chunk and crunch of the 81 is perfect. 81 x is a nice compromise between the dynamics of the 57 and the standard 81, I highly recommend it.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

So I'm in the process of installing the 81-7/60-7 set into my M207 (very badly), and it turns out the pickup I'm replacing wasn't a Distortion. It was an SH-5 Custom.

And it wasn't just any SH-5 Custom. It was one I sold a fucking year ago. I recognized it because I clipped the tabs to fit into an Ibanez and it had tape all over the lead just like mine. Just weird as fuck because I sold the pickup on Reverb but bought the guitar off Musicgoround. 

But yeah, I'll finish the installation tomorrow when I'm less lazy. Always wanted to compare the SH-5 and EMG 81, so it's fitting.


----------



## Mathemagician

Mahogany guitar, bridge pickup only: 81X or 57? I love metal core and really tight mids, but it has to double for leads and not be “shrill”. If you had one chance to not miss your shot, which would you go with?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Mathemagician said:


> Mahogany guitar, bridge pickup only: 81X or 57? I love metal core and really tight mids, but it has to double for leads and not be “shrill”. If you had one chance to not miss your shot, which would you go with?



I feel like the 81X would balance out the darkness of the mahogany.


----------



## Curt

Mathemagician said:


> Mahogany guitar, bridge pickup only: 81X or 57? I love metal core and really tight mids, but it has to double for leads and not be “shrill”. If you had one chance to not miss your shot, which would you go with?


I'm going to say 57 for this. It is the better lead pickup to my ears having both on hand currently, I love the 81x but it is still a little shrill in comparison to the 57. That said, the 81x is phenomenal for metalcore rhythm stuff.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

Don't forget about the Het set. It was designed with mahogany in mind.


----------



## Obsidian Soul

I have a guitar that sounds too dark with the standard 707 set.I've been looking for a new set of active pickups with the option to coil split while also matching the theme of my guitar makeover.So far,it's boiled down to the EMG 707TWX-R set,the Fishman Fluence Modern set, and the Fishman Fluence TA set. Which set will brighten my guitar up and give me some glassy single coil sounds, or are they almost interchangeable?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Brighten up a dark guitar = 81-7X/60-7X set.

EDIT: Shit, you want single coil splits too.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Scale length determines brightness/darkness more than wood does.


----------



## lewis

Obsidian Soul said:


> I have a guitar that sounds too dark with the standard 707 set.I've been looking for a new set of active pickups with the option to coil split while also matching the theme of my guitar makeover.So far,it's boiled down to the EMG 707TWX-R set,the Fishman Fluence Modern set, and the Fishman Fluence TA set. Which set will brighten my guitar up and give me some glassy single coil sounds, or are they almost interchangeable?


Rpc knob to replace tone. Will make humbuckers sound like single coils the more you turn the knob up. Boosts highs and cuts lows at the same time. Also alot cheaper than a pickup swap


----------



## Curt

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Brighten up a dark guitar = 81-7X/60-7X set.
> 
> EDIT: Shit, you want single coil splits too.


Man 81-7TWX and 60-TWX would be so nice


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Curt said:


> Man 81-7TWX and 60-TWX would be so nice



They really need to expand that line.


----------



## Joan Maal

KnightBrolaire said:


> from what I remember the x series is basically the equivalent of doing the 18v mod to a regular series. I know that it was that way for the 707 and 808 at least. I don't remember if it applied to the 81 or not though.



Based to everything I could read in this forum, it is not exactly like you wrote. 808s and Xs are 2 different pickups. You can improve the results from the 808s by doing the 18v mod and lowering the pickups, but it seems not enough to reach the Xs


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> They really need to expand that line.


Yeah they really need to. Plus add more cap colours on the entire 7 string range including the open coil stuff.

The closest you can get to that single coil emg sound on the 7 string sets that are not the 707tws, would be using that RPC knob i keep mentioning in here. That plus a 81-7x would give you the next best thing.
Turn knob to max and its like an 81 single coil. Turn it off for normal 81 sound.

Its what im going to do in my solar 7 string planned purchase this year


----------



## Curt

If im not thrilled with the Guitarmory pickups that are coming in my GOC Materia I am seriously considering an 81-7x/60-7x and then drilling a hole for that RPC knob.

Also I bought back my Alexi 600 from my brother that has a regular 81 in it so I might end up doing a comparison of the 81 and 81 x in that guitar soon.


----------



## lewis

Curt said:


> If im not thrilled with the Guitarmory pickups that are coming in my GOC Materia I am seriously considering an 81-7x/60-7x and then drilling a hole for that RPC knob.
> 
> Also I bought back my Alexi 600 from my brother that has a regular 81 in it so I might end up doing a comparison of the 81 and 81 x in that guitar soon.


Would be amazing imo

Less compressed 81, with the 60 for amazing cleans/leads then use the RPC to mimic the sound of a single coil version of both.
Whats cool is its not all or nothing. It slowly adds more of the effect the more you turn it.

Might even work out that having a little of it on at all times for rhythm sounds great etc


----------



## lewis

Supposed to have my brand new EMG 81x and HAX in white, arriving early next week to finally go into my Ibanez Xiphos project!

Cant wait!


----------



## setsuna7

lewis said:


> yeah true guys.
> 
> Also i think alot of people decide for no reason that what they were using (and fine at that) is now shit just because they jumped on the new thing.
> 
> EMGs sound great. As do Fishmans. (i have both). But i dont decide for no reason that EMGS are shit now just because I bought a set of Fishmans.


Me too. Replaced the 707s with the Tosin Fluences in my NT7, and still got 817X/607X in Omen 7.


----------



## jonsick

I have approximately 70 odd pickups in my drawer from Duncan, DiMarzio, BK and the likes. All my guitars bar 3 have EMGs in them. I know where I'm happy. It's taken me a long time of listening to various hypes and trying different theories, but to me EMG is king. I only need an 81/85 set and I'm perfectly happy!


----------



## waffles

I have, and I've never been happier.

I was once a swap whore myself...trying various BKPs, Duncans, DiMarzios, etc. etc. mostly because I was young and I let people influence me that this pickup is good (because very talented prog shred guy uses them) and that this pickup is bad because of this and that, etc. etc. Mind you, they're all good pickup brands and their pickups have their applications for various styles of music.

I think this is also why some people (there are a few of them here, as I've observed) seem to hate EMGs with a passion and I think it's beyond the 'sterile/no life/cold/sounds-the-same-in-every-guitar' complaints. I think these people were once EMG users themselves who eventually experimented with different brands as a result of being influenced by others that those other pickups are 'better'. Then, they hear of people who almost always used EMGs and are very happy with their tones and don't even consider changing them. For them, that was a scenario that they never considered in their 'pickup-swap-dictated' tone quests. Thus, insecurity takes a hold of them and they rant out at EMGs and their users on the internet. It's a classic case of jealousy, I must say. Notice on various metal guitar forums online on how the non-EMG users are very vocal on hating EMGs and really going as far as listing every bad thing about them whereas the EMG users are the ones who are pretty chill and are just like "Why are they hating so much on a piece of equipment?".

Nowadays, I'm not really that 'experimental' anymore when it comes to playing guitar and the same with venturing out to look for new music to listen to. Maybe because I've grown lazy as I got older but maybe also because I already found the sound that I want. I guess the fact that I'm older and work takes so much time now means I really don't have the luxury nor the patience to experiment anymore with different pickups and different styles of music to play. Kinda like if you were once an angsty teen back then trying all sorts of different drugs and now that you're older you prefer stick with your first love which is pot.

Hell, I even sold my 7-strings two years ago and I just keep two 6-stringers tuned to Eb and D-standard with me. I just like to hangout here. 

For me it's simple. I grew up as a metalhead and will always be one so now that I'm older, my ears are pretty much dead-set on that all-out, take-no-prisoners metal sound. I'm not even interested in the other EMG models - both my 6s have the classic but timeless 81/85 combo...and I'm very, very happy with them.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I think the fact EMG basically promotes this idea that only an 81 should be used in the bridge has caused more harm than good. The way people come about getting their tones don't help with an 81 because it's as if the 81 have the Tube Screamer on all the time, then you turn on another one at your feet, hate the tone, and complain online. I prefer the 85 because it sounds warmer, and doesn't have the Tube Screamer in the pickup thing. That said, I increase the voltage with mine.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

When I first actually plugged into an EMG in my own rig, nearly 30 years ago, I didn't like them, felt like it was an insane amount of output. The context was that I was installing them into customer guitars, then plugging them into my rig to test them, and my rig was based on medium/low output passive pickups. In retrospect, my bias against them was poorly founded because I didn't compensate for gain staging when testing them. 

Subsequently, I've gone into a Guitarget many times over the past few decades, grabbed an EMG or SD Active equipped guitar, plugged into an amp cold, then dialed up a tone with no issues and had stellar results. As such, I decided to give them a try when I was "paid" for a repair job with an older 89, and upon re-setting the tone for it, really, really liked it. From there, I decided upon the 57/66 set in both my TFS6 and my FR7620 in the avatar to the left of this post. I also replaced the GFS Neovin Tele set in baritone Tele, and I loved that set for about 7 years.

I couldn't be more satisfied. What I especially notice is the consistency between the 6 string set and the 7 string set. Normally for passive pickups, the same amount of bobbin winds still results in a higher output on the 7 string sets as the bobbins are longer & more wire length is eventually used to accommodate that same number of winds. With the actives, that difference is compensated for. I find that for recording, this consistency is very useful in keeping some sense of continuity in recorded tones.


----------



## lewis

Last 3 comments have been spot on. Well said guys. 

Couldnt agree more.


----------



## c7spheres

Who has tried the 81 in the neck position? I'm curious what an 81-7 in the neck would sound like but then maybe install a trim pot in series with it to roll back the gain to the level I want cause I'm guessing the output volume would be to high. It seems like it would be like my 60-7 but with the perfect amount of gain/volume as I love my 60-7 but sometimes would like a little more gain without needing to turn on a boost.


----------



## lewis

c7spheres said:


> Who has tried the 81 in the neck position? I'm curious what an 81-7 in the neck would sound like but then maybe install a trim pot in series with it to roll back the gain to the level I want cause I'm guessing the output volume would be to high. It seems like it would be like my 60-7 but with the perfect amount of gain/volume as I love my 60-7 but sometimes would like a little more gain without needing to turn on a boost.



Many people, including ryan bruce (fluff) claims their favourite ever EMG neck pickup is in fact an 81.

Im yet to try it but im thinking of changing that fact as soon as i can. (Dual 81s)


----------



## Matt08642

Fucking love my EMGs!

I bought a Nazgul/Sentient set to replace the EMG 81/85 set I have, but the more I play the EMGs (had them for probably a year now), I just never feel the need to change them.


----------



## jarledge

i like the 85 in the bridge . an 85/89 combo is great . The 81 in the neck with the 85 in the bridge is a cool combo. I like emgs ok but i have found other pickups i like better.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

jarledge said:


> i like the 85 in the bridge . an 85/89 combo is great . The 81 in the neck with the 85 in the bridge is a cool combo. I like emgs ok but i have found other pickups i like better.


I like the 85 in the bridge and 60A in the neck myself. Run em at 24v.


----------



## c7spheres

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I like the 85 in the bridge and 60A in the neck myself. Run em at 24v.



I was just talking about trying this for my 7 string. It really makes a lot of sense. I'd like to keep it at 18v though. How do you like the 27v mod compared to 9v? What's your thoughts on it?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

c7spheres said:


> I was just talking about trying this for my 7 string. It really makes a lot of sense. I'd like to keep it at 18v though. How do you like the 27v mod compared to 9v? What's your thoughts on it?


I do 24v because I can have higher than 9v, but take up less space in the control cavity. Two 9v is kind of a nuisance and takes up too much room.


----------



## c7spheres

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I do 24v because I can have higher than 9v, but take up less space in the control cavity. Two 9v is kind of a nuisance and takes up too much room.



Thanks, Sorry to bug you, but how do you like the mod though? Is it more of a feel thing like more headroom, more dynamics? Is there any tone changes? Just curious. 
BTW, I was going to make my own version of the mod because I can get the connector parts for way less money than 24v mod guy sells it for. Also, You can get small batterys that are 9v instead of 12v like in that mod. They are backwards named, something like a32 or 32a, instaed of a23 or 23a or whatever. It's just that Duracall and Energizer don't make them so they are harder to find. There is the 12v, the 1.5 or 3v, and the 9v all about the same size. I figured I'd make my own little adapter and try out both eventually, but really wanted input on others opinions about it. All I can tell is some think it's placebo and others think it's only dynamics/headroom and others think it's the holy grail of emg sounds.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

c7spheres said:


> Thanks, Sorry to bug you, but how do you like the mod though? Is it more of a feel thing like more headroom, more dynamics? Is there any tone changes? Just curious.
> BTW, I was going to make my own version of the mod because I can get the connector parts for way less money than 24v mod guy sells it for. Also, You can get small batterys that are 9v instead of 12v like in that mod. They are backwards named, something like a32 or 32a, instaed of a23 or 23a or whatever. It's just that Duracall and Energizer don't make them so they are harder to find. There is the 12v, the 1.5 or 3v, and the 9v all about the same size. I figured I'd make my own little adapter and try out both eventually, but really wanted input on others opinions about it. All I can tell is some think it's placebo and others think it's only dynamics/headroom and others think it's the holy grail of emg sounds.


It is essentially the same as 18v, but I use the 24v thing because it saves room in the control cavity. That's why I didn't go into that much.

And likely those connector parts you are talking about can only handle something like 3v or some shit. He did a video on it.


----------



## c7spheres

Spaced Out Ace said:


> It is essentially the same as 18v, but I use the 24v thing because it saves room in the control cavity. That's why I didn't go into that much.
> 
> And likely those connector parts you are talking about can only handle something like 3v or some shit. He did a video on it.



Good to know. Thanks. I'll probably try the 18v mod with the daisy chain method and just see what it's like then and get the 24v mod if I like it.


----------



## waffles

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I think the fact EMG basically promotes this idea that only an 81 should be used in the bridge has caused more harm than good.



I think this is mostly because of...well..Metallica. EMG, knowing that being associated with Metallica is their biggest marketing tool, capitalised on that.


----------



## gnoll

I used to think that after all this time there must be something better than a 9v 81 in the bridge. I mean, it came out in 1979! It just wouldn't make sense for it to still be the best, if it ever even was.

But...

I can't seem to find anything I like more. I don't like the 85 in the bridge, I don't like 18v mod, I don't like Blackouts, I don't like Fishmans, I don't like other EMG models in the bridge. There are passives I like, sure, but they're pretty different and certainly don't sound like an 81.

I get that not everyone is after the same tone as me, but I do think it's a bit funny that even in this thread the 81 in bridge gets kinda dissed.


----------



## c7spheres

If it ain't broke. Don't fix it.


----------



## Matt08642

gnoll said:


> I used to think that after all this time there must be something better than a 9v 81 in the bridge. I mean, it came out in 1979! It just wouldn't make sense for it to still be the best, if it ever even was.
> 
> But...
> 
> I can't seem to find anything I like more. I don't like the 85 in the bridge, I don't like 18v mod, I don't like Blackouts, I don't like Fishmans, I don't like other EMG models in the bridge. There are passives I like, sure, but they're pretty different and certainly don't sound like an 81.
> 
> I get that not everyone is after the same tone as me, but I do think it's a bit funny that even in this thread the 81 in bridge gets kinda dissed.



It's an excellent pickup. There's nothing to really improve on if you're going for the EMG characteristics, imo.

I had blackouts, which seemed to have twice the output and sound like shit. I don't care for Fishmans, since I'm not looking for a bunch of sound versatility (whichever guitar has active humbuckers is 1000% going to be my D standard/Drop C metal guitar), and to be honest the voices on Fishman Moderns are all lacking (to my ears) compared to an 81.


----------



## Mathemagician

Having not used a 57/66 yet, the 81 is a fantastic neck pickup. Clean enough, and leads just cut. My MH400 has an 81/81 from way back when that was the “shredder” set up. It’s fantastic.

Edit: the 81/81 is my default standard when I personally think “EMG pickups”. 

I do want to try the 57/66 set but if I end up not liking it as much as 81/81 I won’t be mad.


----------



## Lindmann

The 18V mod...I don't get it.
I mean...I do understand the purpose of it.

But why would you want to get rid of the compression?
It is studio magic within a pickup and maybe one of the reasons the 81 is so successful. 
Less versatility, more consistency. 

And consistency is especially valuable when playing live. 
For recordings...I would rather switch guitars for a certain part of a song if it demands more dynamics than playing the entire song with compromise pickups.


----------



## c7spheres

I find my 707's and 60-7 to be very dynamic. I never have thought it was too compressed ever. It seems to be a big issue with people and active pickups. I know on my rig I can pick extremely light all the way to very hard and the dynamic follows the whole way. On very heavy distortion I understand where people want a little more dynamics but that's easily fixed by just turning the gain down a bit. I really think a lot of it has to do with the amp settings. I've played many passives as well and they are no more dynamic really, but maybe more open sounding on really high gain stuff. From what I understand the 18v mod just opens the pickup up a bit for a little more clarity and articulation. I suspect that what really is happening is that the extra voltage is just bringing the pickup to more stable operating levels when really chuggin hard and fast and when playing normal it sounds more open or something.


----------



## Lindmann

No. The 18v mod is done because in regular 9V mode the signal is clipped when a certain amplitude is exceeded.
So it actually does compress the signal by itself. 
Some folks don't want that.

Im my experience, this is a good thing for metal.


----------



## Tisca

Mathemagician said:


> I do want to try the 57/66 set but if I end up not liking it as much as 81/81 I won’t be mad.



I have and like both. At first when I bought the 57/66 I regretted spending the money over such a small difference but today I have one amp that just works great with exactly these pickups.


Lindmann said:


> The 18V mod...I don't get it.
> I mean...I do understand the purpose of it.
> 
> But why would you want to get rid of the compression?
> It is studio magic within a pickup and maybe one of the reasons the 81 is so successful.
> Less versatility, more consistency.
> 
> And consistency is especially valuable when playing live.
> For recordings...I would rather switch guitars for a certain part of a song if it demands more dynamics than playing the entire song with compromise pickups.



I don't even try to comprehend the physics behind the 18V mod, I just know I like it better (on EMG 81). It's a super easy mod, just buy 3 more battery clips.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Lindmann said:


> No. The 18v mod is done because in regular 9V mode the signal is clipped when a certain amplitude is exceeded.
> So it actually does compress the signal by itself.
> Some folks don't want that.
> 
> Im my experience, this is a good thing for metal.


Not everyone plays metal.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Here's an unpopular opinion, I'm sure. I used various HZ pickups, and thought they were pretty decent. Of course, it was with the ALX EQ/boost, but still.


----------



## gnoll

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Not everyone plays metal.



No, but a lot of EMG users and people on this forum do.

If I didn't play metal I doubt I'd be here talking about EMG's, but to each their own...


----------



## lewis

Anyone have any experience with the H1A passive EMGs?

I have bought a guitar for my daughter (A pink Ibanez Mikro) for Xmas ready for her in a few years, and want to get something abit better pickup wise in it for her. Thinking something passive from EMG so batteries are not an issue.

The only video I have is the one from Gear Gods comparing all of them, and the H1 and H1A versions sound really good to me haha


----------



## setsuna7

lewis said:


> Anyone have any experience with the H1A passive EMGs?
> 
> I have bought a guitar for my daughter (A pink Ibanez Mikro) for Xmas ready for her in a few years, and want to get something abit better pickup wise in it for her. Thinking something passive from EMG so batteries are not an issue.
> 
> The only video I have is the one from Gear Gods comparing all of them, and the H1 and H1A versions sound really good to me haha



Back in the day, I used to owned an Edwards Alexi Sawtooth which had the HZ H4 pickup in it. From what I can recall, it was pretty decent, but still, I installed an older version of Livewire a couple of months later. The H1 is a better version of that H4.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

lewis said:


> Anyone have any experience with the H1A passive EMGs?
> 
> I have bought a guitar for my daughter (A pink Ibanez Mikro) for Xmas ready for her in a few years, and want to get something abit better pickup wise in it for her. Thinking something passive from EMG so batteries are not an issue.
> 
> The only video I have is the one from Gear Gods comparing all of them, and the H1 and H1A versions sound really good to me haha



Why don't you wait a little and let her decide/be part of the process? It could make for fun father/daughter bonding, messing around with different pickups and such. 

Just a thought.


----------



## lewis

MaxOfMetal said:


> Why don't you wait a little and let her decide/be part of the process? It could make for fun father/daughter bonding, messing around with different pickups and such.
> 
> Just a thought.



Thats a great shout actually. Thanks dude


----------



## lewis

Ive just noticed we dont have any kind of EQ reference for each pickup on their website?
Anyone have any idea what each one is?
Other companies at least attempt to give you an indicator on their models eq

(For example 81 could be bass 3, mids 6, treble 8 - or something similar?)


----------



## MaxOfMetal

lewis said:


> Ive just noticed we dont have any kind of EQ reference for each pickup on their website?
> Anyone have any idea what each one is?
> Other companies at least attempt to give you an indicator on their models eq
> 
> (For example 81 could be bass 3, mids 6, treble 8 - or something similar?)



I always find those kinds of things very misleading. I get that they're informal and typically relative to the rest of that manufacturer's lineup, but I never found it to translate 1:1 in the real world. 

There are just so many factors at play. 

Specifics to the voicing of pickups don't translate into "bass, mids, treble" exactly.


----------



## lewis

MaxOfMetal said:


> I always find those kinds of things very misleading. I get that they're informal and typically relative to the rest of that manufacturer's lineup, but I never found it to translate 1:1 in the real world.
> 
> There are just so many factors at play.
> 
> Specifics to the voicing of pickups don't translate into "bass, mids, treble" exactly.



I guess thats true. Everyones hands, rig etc sound different.


----------



## Lindmann

MaxOfMetal said:


> I always find those kinds of things very misleading. I get that they're informal and typically relative to the rest of that manufacturer's lineup, but I never found it to translate 1:1 in the real world.
> 
> There are just so many factors at play.
> 
> Specifics to the voicing of pickups don't translate into "bass, mids, treble" exactly.


I second this.
For instance it makes it huge difference if the bass is centered around 120 hz or 170 hz. This might vastly alter the perceived bass response even though the "Bass"-number on the website doesn't show.

The numbers would give a more realistic picture if they weren't limited to only e (b, m, t) but maybe 10 or 15 instead. But then most buyers would probably get lost in the numbers. 

At the end of the day there's no replacement for trying it out on your own rig.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I don't rememebr where it was posted, but someone posted a shootout of the HZ pickups and I found the H1 and H2 set to sound best.


----------



## waffles

My go-to-reference for the EMG HZ sound is Exodus's Tempo of the Damned. That was recorded using an ESP V with an EMG HZ. Sounds fucking killer although perhaps the heavily-modded JCM800 was the bigger contributor to the overall sound.


----------



## Flappydoodle

Mathemagician said:


> Having not used a 57/66 yet, the 81 is a fantastic neck pickup. Clean enough, and leads just cut. My MH400 has an 81/81 from way back when that was the “shredder” set up. It’s fantastic.
> 
> Edit: the 81/81 is my default standard when I personally think “EMG pickups”.
> 
> I do want to try the 57/66 set but if I end up not liking it as much as 81/81 I won’t be mad.



What's cool is the quick connect system. So you can switch in and out the 57 and 81 with one connector. I actually do that in a Les Paul, depending which sound I want. Takes a couple minutes only.

57 is slightly more "passive" sounding, but still with a very EMG flavour. It's a more classic humbucker sound, but it can still absolutely do metal.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I bet you could get really close to the 81 with the 57 and an SD-1.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

That actually reminds me... I finally got a chance to try out an EMG 57/66 set. 

Went right back to the 81/60 set. I'm just used to that ultra tight, uber compressed attack. 



waffles said:


> My go-to-reference for the EMG HZ sound is Exodus's Tempo of the Damned. That was recorded using an ESP V with an EMG HZ. Sounds fucking killer although perhaps the heavily-modded JCM800 was the bigger contributor to the overall sound.



Doesn't he also used a para EQ to boost the front end of his amps? 

I also have to admit I prefer the sound on Exhibit A. IIRC that's a BRJ loaded with a Duncan SH-5 > Parametric EQ > Peavey XXX.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Oh and here's that HZ comparison.



IMO the Lars set, the H1, and H2 sounded the best.

Also it's not EVERY passive, because the Marty set is missing


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Oh and here's that HZ comparison.
> 
> 
> 
> IMO the Lars set, the H1, and H2 sounded the best.
> 
> Also it's not EVERY passive, because the Marty set is missing



What this video has done, has made me seriously GAS for Alnico versions of pickups. Other than that tried and true 81 sound everyone knows (and some love), the Alnico versions sound great to my ears. Less top end fizz and more low mid style grunt that works better to my ears with the rounder/sweeter highs.

Does the 57/66 use Alnico? if so Im going to make that set my next pickup purchase.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


> What this video has done, has made me seriously GAS for Alnico versions of pickups. Other than that tried and true 81 sound everyone knows (and some love), the Alnico versions sound great to my ears. Less top end fizz and more low mid style grunt that works better to my ears with the rounder/sweeter highs.
> 
> Does the 57/66 use Alnico? if so Im going to make that set my next pickup purchase.



Yeah they're both alnico.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I've been using alnico EMGs the past two years or so. I think I just grew tired of the kind of cold, brash sound of ceramic.


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Yeah they're both alnico.


That is interesting!

Going to start going that route now I think. Ive been 99% ceramic my entire guitarist life and the one guitar with pickups I know now were Alnicos, gave me the best tone Ive ever had - coincidence? Im not sure but Im going to put that to the test. Wouldnt surprise me if It turns out ive been an Alnico guy all this time without realising.


----------



## lewis

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I've been using alnico EMGs the past two years or so. I think I just grew tired of the kind of cold, brash sound of ceramic.


exactly what I think is my issue now


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

The 57/66 is def warmer. Still has that activeness but there's some beef in the low end and shimmer in the high end, as well as the lack of compression. 

I still went back to the 81/60 though. The 2 guitars I put them in were way too fat and full sounding so it was overkill. Needed to go back to the OGs to tighten things up.


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The 57/66 is def warmer. Still has that activeness but there's some beef in the low end and shimmer in the high end, as well as the lack of compression.
> 
> I still went back to the 81/60 though. The 2 guitars I put them in were way too fat and full sounding so it was overkill. Needed to go back to the OGs to tighten things up.
> 
> View attachment 70166


That guitar with the satin silver hardware, looks unreal!

so sleek!!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


> That guitar with the satin silver hardware, looks unreal!
> 
> so sleek!!



I call it my poor man's Rammstein guitar.


----------



## waffles

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Doesn't he also used a para EQ to boost the front end of his amps?
> 
> I also have to admit I prefer the sound on Exhibit A. IIRC that's a BRJ loaded with a Duncan SH-5 > Parametric EQ > Peavey XXX.



It's possible as I'm assuming Gary's modded Marshalls will sound harsher than what is heard on the record without the proper EQ.

Of course, there's also the Andy Sneap magic at work there.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

waffles said:


> It's possible as I'm assuming Gary's modded Marshalls will sound harsher than what is heard on the record without the proper EQ.
> 
> Of course, there's also the Andy Sneap magic at work there.



I mean he used an EQ in front of the amp. Kinda like boosting with a Tubescreamer. To tighten things up and add more attack by bumping up the mids going into the amp. I know FOR SURE that's what he did for Exhibit A and his Peaveys. In fact his new sig pedal is based on that concept.


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I mean he used an EQ in front of the amp. Kinda like boosting with a Tubescreamer. To tighten things up and add more attack by bumping up the mids going into the amp. I know FOR SURE that's what he did for Exhibit A and his Peaveys. In fact his new sig pedal is based on that concept.


I still need to try that myself on both the AX8 and my Kemper. i.e EQ block infront of the amp. Does it replace any OD pedal?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


> I still need to try that myself on both the AX8 and my Kemper. i.e EQ block infront of the amp. Does it replace any OD pedal?



It'll act kinda like one. Keep it flat, add a slight HPF, bump the mids to taste, maybe add some gain/volume.

Cliff at Fractal actually recommended doing something like this to both emulate the bright switch on yhe BE100 or to emulate the Grind, both using the Filter block. I m


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

So, do we have any impressions of the Retro Actives?

I have an LTD EC-400VF loaded with a JB/59 set. i was debating on keeping it, but I wanna try the retro-actives. It's silly, but the main reason I wanna try them is because I wanna try the Super 77 or Hot 70 in the bridge and either a 66 or Het Set Neck because I want to have the open-coil bridge and covered neck look.

I swear, EMG needs to do an open-coil version of all their pickups like... yesterday.


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> So, do we have any impressions of the Retro Actives?
> 
> I have an LTD EC-400VF loaded with a JB/59 set. i was debating on keeping it, but I wanna try the retro-actives. It's silly, but the main reason I wanna try them is because I wanna try the Super 77 or Hot 70 in the bridge and either a 66 or Het Set Neck because I want to have the open-coil bridge and covered neck look.
> 
> I swear, EMG needs to do an open-coil version of all their pickups like... yesterday.



I think Jim Root is using the Retro active series now for Slipknot - maybe there is some tone clips/vids of him using them somewhere?

other than that I found this - 



Sounds really good to me


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


> I think Jim Root is using the Retro active series now for Slipknot - maybe there is some tone clips/vids of him using them somewhere?
> 
> other than that I found this -
> 
> 
> 
> Sounds really good to me




Was never too fond of Slipknot's tone.  I know he POSSIBLY has a sig set coming out, so I may wait and see what comes of that.

Also that does sound sick, but not what I'm looking for.

EDIT:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trbADIVosDs

Yeah doesn't sound like what I want. the Bonebreakers sound better. The Hot 70s sounded a bit too smooth.


----------



## juka

57/66 is a great set and I always kept it at least in one of my guitars despite the Fishman hype.

But only for 6string. Don't know why but the 7string versions simply don't do it for me, they sound a little bit different and that's when the magic is gone for me.


----------



## PatientMental76

GatherTheArsenal said:


> I went back and played my RGA8 which I outfitted with SD Nazgul + Sentient set, those are supposed to be the best passives with "active sound" but nope, they just don't hold a candle to the 707's imo. My other 7 has the DM Dactivator bridge, I'm probably not going to be touching that for awhile, may just go ahead and sell it or refit it with a really good passive set that doesn't go for the "active sound".



Im not being a dick or anything but i find this one hard to believe man


----------



## lewis

PatientMental76 said:


> Im not being a dick or anything but i find this one hard to believe man


I do actually.
I had the Nazgul and sentient in my Jackson 7 string and I hated how both sounded. Probably my least favourite pickups ever (and I djent like a mofo)


----------



## conorreich

Personally I love emgs. I have an 81/60 combo in my ltd ex, 81 in my warlock, 81-7 in my h207, and I'm going to try out the 81-8x in my septor. My first guitar had emgs, so it may just be what I'm used to.


----------



## lewis

Josh Middleton (Architects/Sylosis) uploaded this! Looks like the MII-EII or whatever. Dual 81s if it is.
Sweet playing. Guy gets better and better

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzJddCzhRry/?igshid=hjs830eo6wzy


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

I have the 57/66 set in both 6 & 7 string sets, and I love them for standard tuning, however, and can see why the 81's are so popular for downtuning as they do retain a tight low end due to such a midrange emphasis. For downtuning, the thing you don't want is more low end, so you do have to roll off some and emphasize more mids. 81's are great for that.

They are good for standard tuning too, and have more desirable results than others depending on amp choice, voicing, & gain structure.


----------



## lewis

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> I have the 57/66 set in both 6 & 7 string sets, and I love them for standard tuning, however, and can see why the 81's are so popular for downtuning as they do retain a tight low end due to such a midrange emphasis. For downtuning, the thing you don't want is more low end, so you do have to roll off some and emphasize more mids. 81's are great for that.
> 
> They are good for standard tuning too, and have more desirable results than others depending on amp choice, voicing, & gain structure.



That opinion on the 81 being good for down tuning is spot on!!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Yeah, it's why I swapped the 57/66 in my Super Swede for the 81/60. It's strictly for lower tunings (drop A# - drop C).

Also gonna possibly be doing some project in the future. Wanna make a blue-accented guitar. Unsure if I wanna get some passive blue-bobbin pickups or spraypaint some EMGs.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

Do something crazy, like put blue bobbin toppers on the EMG's, just for spits & giggles!


----------



## Spicypickles

Im gonna pop in here to blow some heads.....I don’t care for the 57/66 or het sets, granted I’ve only tried them a couple times in a couple guitars each. 

I used to like the 81, but found it lacking ooomph, for lack of a better word. I swapped it for an 85 with a forum member years back and was very close to what I wanted, but it was a little much. Now that I have an 85-X in there, nothing will convince me to remove it from its current spot. 85X and the 60AX are IMO the best pairing and offerings from EMG. Commence flaming


----------



## Chris Bowsman

I used to be into the 81-81 set. After many years away from playing heavy music, I got a Schecter C-1 Platinum with the 81-85. Love each pickup like that, but wanted a little more chunk from the bridge, and a little more clarity from the neck. Swapped them, and it's perfect.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Spicypickles said:


> Im gonna pop in here to blow some heads.....I don’t care for the 57/66 or het sets, granted I’ve only tried them a couple times in a couple guitars each.
> 
> I used to like the 81, but found it lacking ooomph, for lack of a better word. I swapped it for an 85 with a forum member years back and was very close to what I wanted, but it was a little much. Now that I have an 85-X in there, nothing will convince me to remove it from its current spot. 85X and the 60AX are IMO the best pairing and offerings from EMG. Commence flaming


Not the X series variety, but I love 85/60A.


----------



## c7spheres

I never played any X series but really interested in those. I know the impedance is different on them, like 2k instead of 10k, but what are the differences in feel and sound compared to the actives? I've tried 81,60,707,60-7. I keep thinking 85-7 and 60a-7 is the way for me. Curerntly really happy with 707 and 60-7. The 85-7 is like a 707 but a bit tighter is seems.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

c7spheres said:


> I never played any X series but really interested in those. I know the impedance is different on them, like 2k instead of 10k, but what are the differences in feel and sound compared to the actives? I've tried 81,60,707,60-7. I keep thinking 85-7 and 60a-7 is the way for me. Curerntly really happy with 707 and 60-7. The 85-7 is like a 707 but a bit tighter is seems.



The X series are just the regular models with less compression which everyone calls being more "organic". 

If you've tried the 18V (or similar) mods to raise headroom you've gotten most of the way there.


----------



## c7spheres

MaxOfMetal said:


> The X series are just the regular models with less compression which everyone calls being more "organic".
> 
> If you've tried the 18V (or similar) mods to raise headroom you've gotten most of the way there.


 I plan to try that mod someday, when I can plug in my amp again. Are the X series less gain or anything though? Do they hit the amp less hard? It seems like at 2k impedance it could go either way. On paper they look like really nice, but I know not to trust a spec sheet that much. I've tried passives too such as Blaze, New-7, Rg-7, D'Activators, V7, and those were either weak or to powerful or too boomy etc. Am I accurate in guessing the X series then is just a weaker passive feeling/sounding version of the actives?


----------



## MaxOfMetal

c7spheres said:


> I plan to try that mod someday, when I can plug in my amp again. Are the X series less gain or anything though? Do they hit the amp less hard? It seems like at 2k impedance it could go either way. On paper they look like really nice, but I know not to trust a spec sheet that much. I've tried passives too such as Blaze, New-7, Rg-7, D'Activators, V7, and those were either weak or to powerful or too boomy etc. Am I accurate in guessing the X series then is just a weaker passive feeling/sounding version of the actives?



I didn't find there to be any perceived loss of output. Just less compressed.


----------



## c7spheres

MaxOfMetal said:


> I didn't find there to be any perceived loss of output. Just less compressed.


 Nice, Have to give the 18v/27v mod a try and these too. I'm already in a happy place but eventually want to try out all the EMG's that appeal to me.


----------



## Spicypickles

MaxOfMetal said:


> The X series are just the regular models with less compression which everyone calls being more "organic".
> 
> If you've tried the 18V (or similar) mods to raise headroom you've gotten most of the way there.



This is the key. This is why I prefer the X series, and I had already ran the 18v mod prior with the original emg pups so the two combined are where it’s at. This particular guitar’s setup: mahogany body/neck explorer, 85x in bridge, 60AX in neck, single volume, 18v mod, tone control cut out of path. It’s beastly. I generally only use it for open c minor (very slight variation on devin’s tuning) but it sounds great.


----------



## c7spheres

Sounds like the X series is almost like a built in 18v mod, but still with the ability to 18v mod if you want on top of that. I like the looks of that 57-7 though too. Also, In case anyone was interested, Looks like there are now four 7 string single coils EMG has out now. Still like the looks of that Sa-7 too. They also got a new kill switch toggle and button out too now. I just want to try out a bunch of this stuff out of curiosity.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

c7spheres said:


> Sounds like the X series is almost like a built in 18v mod, but still with the ability to 18v mod if you want on top of that. I like the looks of that 57-7 though too. Also, In case anyone was interested, Looks like there are now four 7 string single coils EMG has out now. Still like the looks of that Sa-7 too. They also got a new kill switch toggle and button out too now. I just want to try out a bunch of this stuff out of curiosity.



For some reason, likely design of the new preamp, the 18V mod doesn't really do much to the X series.


----------



## c7spheres

I wonder if it already is being ramped up to 18v or something internally but can still run on a 9v or something. Like the opposite of the standard pickups. I would be an interesting test to see if that's what they did or not. Then everyone can do a 4.5v mod to make them sound like standard EMG's : )


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

c7spheres said:


> I wonder if it already is being ramped up to 18v or something internally but can still run on a 9v or something. Like the opposite of the standard pickups. I would be an interesting test to see if that's what they did or not. Then everyone can do a 4.5v mod to make them sound like standard EMG's : )


I think it raises voltage to 8v versus like 4v or whatever it is for the standard version.


----------



## lewis

c7spheres said:


> Sounds like the X series is almost like a built in 18v mod, but still with the ability to 18v mod if you want on top of that. I like the looks of that 57-7 though too. Also, In case anyone was interested, Looks like there are now four 7 string single coils EMG has out now. Still like the looks of that Sa-7 too. They also got a new kill switch toggle and button out too now. I just want to try out a bunch of this stuff out of curiosity.



Good news on the 7 string singles

Also, i can confirm the TKO killswitch is awesome. Neat little button.


----------



## setsuna7

Hey, guys, just an RG 370z in at trade with my Omen 7. The RG has a 57/66 combo. They sounds too dirty on my clean settings. I tried removing the tone knob, it helps a little bit. But still there’s clipping still. Played the X series and Fluences through the same rig/setting, they never clips like the 57/66. Would individual volume knobs helps? Any suggestions guys?


----------



## MASS DEFECT

setsuna7 said:


> Hey, guys, just an RG 370z in at trade with my Omen 7. The RG has a 57/66 combo. They sounds too dirty on my clean settings. I tried removing the tone knob, it helps a little bit. But still there’s clipping still. Played the X series and Fluences through the same rig/setting, they never clips like the 57/66. Would individual volume knobs helps? Any suggestions guys?



Try backing them away from the strings a bit.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I love the idea that "EMGS GO SUPER CLOSE TO THE STRINGS" only to be followed up by complaints of being overly compressed and the like. I have my bridge pickups slightly above the pickup rings. Then again, the pickup rings are staggered, but still.


----------



## lewis

haha I ordered some pickups on May 3rd from EMG via a UK shop (which has since had to be taken on by my local music shop) and Im still waiting for them...

seems a tad crazy it takes THIS long to get pickups from EMG.

anyone else have any experiences of this?
I mean practically 2 months?...

Pickups in question were 81x and HAX - both in white


----------



## c7spheres

lewis said:


> haha I ordered some pickups on May 3rd from EMG via a UK shop (which has since had to be taken on by my local music shop) and Im still waiting for them...
> 
> seems a tad crazy it takes THIS long to get pickups from EMG.
> 
> anyone else have any experiences of this?
> I mean practically 2 months?...
> 
> Pickups in question were 81x and HAX - both in white


 Never had any problems with EMG. In fact they've been really good to me over the years for technical support and parts etc. I'd call EMG to ask what's up. If they can send them direct to you then cancel the order with the shop and then call EMG back and order from them. Sounds more like a dealer problem.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

lewis said:


> haha I ordered some pickups on May 3rd from EMG via a UK shop (which has since had to be taken on by my local music shop) and Im still waiting for them...
> 
> seems a tad crazy it takes THIS long to get pickups from EMG.
> 
> anyone else have any experiences of this?
> I mean practically 2 months?...
> 
> Pickups in question were 81x and HAX - both in white



Are they backordered by EMG, or are they being held by customs, which is under no control of EMG?


----------



## setsuna7

MASS DEFECT said:


> Try backing them away from the strings a bit.


okay will try that. thanks!!!


----------



## lewis

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> Are they backordered by EMG, or are they being held by customs, which is under no control of EMG?


I honestly have no idea on that part.
PMT who is the music shop who are helping me with them, phoned up the EMG uk distribuitor about 10 days ago to find out whats what and apparently they were told will be 14 days. No idea what happened between May 3rd and 10 days ago to get to 14 days, but hey ho. At least i have some sort of update.

Hopefully they arrive in the next 3 days on time. 
(But as i say between May3rd when i ordered and 10 days ago, christ knows what the hold up was)


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

That may be on the UK Distributor, not EMG in Santa Rosa, Ca directly.
Import/Export has all sorts of anomalies associated with it.
I used to be a transportation dispatcher for 17 years & I absolutely hated importing/exporting as a result due to all the customs crap/paperwork/holds ya have ta deal with.


----------



## lewis

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> That may be on the UK Distributor, not EMG in Santa Rosa, Ca directly.
> Import/Export has all sorts of anomalies associated with it.
> I used to be a transportation dispatcher for 17 years & I absolutely hated importing/exporting as a result due to all the customs crap/paperwork/holds ya have ta deal with.


yeah seems the most likely culprit.

I dont want to imagine what a nightmare that line of work actually is hahaha


----------



## Choop

NGL, kind of getting an itch to use some EMGs again after not having a guitar with them installed for several years. Anyone use the 60ax in the neck? I feel like it would make a good pair with the 85x in the bridge on an SG-type guitar. I've never used any combo that wasn't the 81 in bridge and 85 in the neck!


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Choop said:


> NGL, kind of getting an itch to use some EMGs again after not having a guitar with them installed for several years. Anyone use the 60ax in the neck? I feel like it would make a good pair with the 85x in the bridge on an SG-type guitar. I've never used any combo that wasn't the 81 in bridge and 85 in the neck!



If you're going for a fat, warm, deep tone, or hoping to soften clean strumming parts the 60AX would be a good fit, especially in an SG. 

If you want something that'll retain some more definition, grab the ceramic version, the 60X. If you want the "vintagey" roundness still, but want more even sounding single note runs, grab the 60A instead of the X version. 

If you want more modern than all the above, a regular 60 will go well with your 85X in the bridge.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Choop said:


> NGL, kind of getting an itch to use some EMGs again after not having a guitar with them installed for several years. Anyone use the 60ax in the neck? I feel like it would make a good pair with the 85x in the bridge on an SG-type guitar. I've never used any combo that wasn't the 81 in bridge and 85 in the neck!


Not X series, but I use 85/60A at increased voltages in both guitars. I love it. I also Back the pickups off from the strings some.


----------



## jaxadam

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Not X series, but I use 85/60A at increased voltages in both guitars. I love it. I also Back the pickups off from the strings some.



I have a few 81/60 18v mods and a few 85/60A 18v mods. I love them both, but at the end of the day I gravitate toward the 81/60 18v the most. I think I have one 81/85 18v and like the 60A better.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I prefer the alnico loaded combo. I think the 81 takes away something, boosting with a TS style pedal only makes it worse, and I can't really add that back. Hence why I like the 85 more. Just my take. (While an EQ might seem like a likely solution, I prefer to cut, or very slightly boost, over trying to add something back that isn't there.)


----------



## MaxOfMetal

I always found the 85 to sound better on its own, while the 81 tends to work better in tracks and mixes, especially when there's bass and more guitars.

At least when talking modern high gain.


----------



## lewis

They spoke to Distribuitor this morning and have been told they STILL havent left EMG in the states and its going to be another 2 weeks.....

Its getting ridiculous at this point. Ordered May 3rd....still havent even left the USA??


----------



## Spicypickles

Yea....just cancel it at this point, order from them direct


----------



## MaxOfMetal

lewis said:


> They spoke to Distribuitor this morning and have been told they STILL havent left EMG in the states and its going to be another 2 weeks.....
> 
> Its getting ridiculous at this point. Ordered May 3rd....still havent even left the USA??



They're [the distributor] probably waiting for a large batch order to ship to save on freight.

Definitely try elsewhere.


----------



## lewis

Yeah i cancelled.
Found some white dual 81s in stock at Thomann ive bought instead. Probably have them in a few days


----------



## lewis

update:
Already been dispatched from Thomann :O

Good grief. Should have done this to begin with. I bet even If I ordered the 81x and HAX from Thomann on a custom order, I still would have had them before now rather than relying on these UK supplier/UK music shops to get them for me.

Ah well Least im getting SOMETHING on its way. Dual 81s in white is still going to be sweet in my Xiphos


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> update:
> Already been dispatched from Thomann :O
> 
> Good grief. Should have done this to begin with. I bet even If I ordered the 81x and HAX from Thomann on a custom order, I still would have had them before now rather than relying on these UK supplier/UK music shops to get them for me.
> 
> Ah well Least im getting SOMETHING on its way. Dual 81s in white is still going to be sweet in my Xiphos


You can always trade for some X series pickups later on. Would 18v the 81s though so it has a wider frequency response.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Anyone use the SSS EMG-S (not SA) ceramics? How do they fare in the realm of single coil tone?


----------



## lewis

Spaced Out Ace said:


> You can always trade for some X series pickups later on. Would 18v the 81s though so it has a wider frequency response.


Good shout!
Might try that if I have enough cavity room for 2 batteries


----------



## lewis

The906 said:


> Anyone use the SSS EMG-S (not SA) ceramics? How do they fare in the realm of single coil tone?


I used the H which is the same pickup as the S but in a humbucker casing instead, and I loved its single coil tone.

Had it in the bridge position. Beautiful single coil twang and obv completely noise free (so no 60 cycle)

you will not be disappointed.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> Good shout!
> Might try that if I have enough cavity room for 2 batteries


See if you can get a real 24v mod. It takes up less room than a 9v.


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

Yes. As per your OP title

I just bought a 2228 and the first thing I did, though I swore I’d never do it again, was buy the most amazing metal set of all time the EMG 81/85-8 string set.

I couldn’t help myself. I always said during the 80s EMG came out as part of the virtuosity+technology explosion that happened. It reflected the ideal of the virtuoso of the day, as many played them....then the shredders adopted them along with as we see till now overall METAL!!

A note, i have stayed away from active for a while, but now that a 2228 is incoming, I couldn’t help myself. I just really really really STUPIDLY silly wanted the 81-85 set in an 8 string. For some reason, in the back of my mind, I thought “NOW this makes perfect sense!!! This THIS is what EMG was made for! Seriously detuned/low gauge strings as if it was a bass +guitar on top” and i hope i turn out to be right


With That Said,....
I mean if these expensive ass 8 strings version of the 81-85 end up sounding like 808s, i will be PISSED


----------



## Coryd

Gotta ask...

Anyone try out the EMG H4? I was big into using the 81 for...forever. I recently switched to a Duncan TB-5, but was always curious about the H4.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Coryd said:


> Gotta ask...
> 
> Anyone try out the EMG H4? I was big into using the 81 for...forever. I recently switched to a Duncan TB-5, but was always curious about the H4.


I thought it was fine, but I used an ALX boost/EQ.


----------



## Jarmake

Coryd said:


> Gotta ask...
> 
> Anyone try out the EMG H4? I was big into using the 81 for...forever. I recently switched to a Duncan TB-5, but was always curious about the H4.



I had emg h4's for a while on my ibanez s520, and they were okay-ish sounding pups. Nothing to write home about, but they did their jobs as advertised.

And to answer the topic in hand... I've had a share of my emg 81 and 85's and I had 707 and a 81-7 on my schecter 7 string back in the days, but I was never truly satisfied with them... They were a bit too much of a one trick pony for my taste... But then everything changed with 57/66 set, which I have on my customized rga121h. At first I wasn't sold on them, but then I started tweaking my amp a bit more and boy, do they sound good and versatile after all!

Now I'm thinking of swapping some 7 string versions on my 7-string ibby...

They're just so damn silent and tasty sounding pups.


----------



## gunch

Still want a fat 55

and a VMC


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Coryd said:


> Gotta ask...
> 
> Anyone try out the EMG H4? I was big into using the 81 for...forever. I recently switched to a Duncan TB-5, but was always curious about the H4.



I actually thought it sounded closer to the 85 than it did the 81. The 81 is an impossible as shit pickup to reproduce.


----------



## Necky379

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I actually thought it sounded closer to the 85 than it did the 81. The 81 is an impossible as shit pickup to reproduce.



Just curious, why is it impossible to reproduce?


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

It is a time tested active pickup that has part of its character contained in the proprietary preamp that EMG builds for it. Active pickups are a whole different animal, not just wire/bobbins/magnets. The 81 was designed during an era where there were not a lot of amp considered to be characterized as high gain. The 81's resonant frequency of 1.3khz is ideal for the mid gain stack that was needed for many of those amps. 

Unlike a passive pickup that you can reverse engineer by disassembly, EMG has done a good job of keeping their preamp secret sauce recipe' under their own roof as to not be so easily duplicated as many, many passive pickups have been.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Necky379 said:


> Just curious, why is it impossible to reproduce?



^maybe he is saying, it is impossible to reproduce a passive equivalent of an 81. Many have tried, nobody has come close.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

MASS DEFECT said:


> ^maybe he is saying, it is impossible to reproduce a passive equivalent of an 81. Many have tried, nobody has come close.



Pretty much. It's been around since 1980 I believe, and there's not a single pickup I find that sounds like that.

No, not even the Fluence Moderns.


----------



## jaxadam

The906 said:


> Anyone use the SSS EMG-S (not SA) ceramics? How do they fare in the realm of single coil tone?



I have them. Not bad at all, plenty of output, and I think they are a great EMG version of a single. They are clean and sparkly but not in line with what I consider a single coil sound.


----------



## Seabeast2000

jaxadam said:


> I have them. Not bad at all, plenty of output, and I think they are a great EMG version of a single. They are clean and sparkly but not in line with what I consider a single coil sound.



Good feedback thanks. Are yours in a pickguarded strat or elsewise?


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Pretty much. It's been around since 1980 I believe, and there's not a single pickup I find that sounds like that.
> 
> No, not even the *Fluence Moderns*.



They are actually miles apart in feel and sound. Not sure why anyone claims them similar. Good to see other peoples ears work too haha

well said


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

In the nearly 40 years that the 81 was been in production, I've not encountered any passive, or any other active for that matter that sounds like the 81.

Passives have gazillions of close all over the map, but the actives have so many more things in the recipe, that are well guarded.

This proprietary feature that EMG guards so well is one of the reasons why I think that their 6 string and 7 string pickups have a sense of continuity between them. 7 string pickups have longer bobbins, so 7800 turns on a 6 string bobbin won't be as much wire as 7800 turns on a 7 string, 8 string, or 9 string bobbin, however, on my 6 & 7 string versions of the 57/66 set, the output, eq curve, and behavior characteristics are very consistent with one another, so much to the extent that as I use my 6 string for 1 track and the 7 string for another track, they for the most part sound like the same guitar, except that one is a 24.75" scale & the 7 string is 25.5". You as the listener won't likely even "hear" that difference. The only reason that I hear it is that I am intimately familiar with playing these guitars for anywhere between 12 & 23+ years and I know how they sound in my gear.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> In the nearly 40 years that the 81 was been in production, I've not encountered any passive, or any other active for that matter that sounds like the 81.
> 
> Passives have gazillions of close all over the map, but the actives have so many more things in the recipe, that are well guarded.
> 
> This proprietary feature that EMG guards so well is one of the reasons why I think that their 6 string and 7 string pickups have a sense of continuity between them. 7 string pickups have longer bobbins, so 7800 turns on a 6 string bobbin won't be as much wire as 7800 turns on a 7 string, 8 string, or 9 string bobbin, however, on my 6 & 7 string versions of the 57/66 set, the output, eq curve, and behavior characteristics are very consistent with one another, so much to the extent that as I use my 6 string for 1 track and the 7 string for another track, they for the most part sound like the same guitar, except that one is a 24.75" scale & the 7 string is 25.5". You as the listener won't likely even "hear" that difference. The only reason that I hear it is that I am intimately familiar with playing these guitars for anywhere between 12 & 23+ years and I know how they sound in my gear.


Wouldn't it be more wire on the bobbins for 7+ string pickups? They are doing the same amount of turns, but require more wire for the pickups because they are bigger.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

That's my point.
7800 turns on a 6 string bobbin is whatever it is in length.
7800 turns on a 7 string is more length.
7800 on an 8 string is even more.

More length of wire will affect the output, which makes it essentially a different pickup than the 6 string predecessor, unless your preamp takes this into consideration to attenuate.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> That's my point.
> 7800 turns on a 6 string bobbin is whatever it is in length.
> 7800 turns on a 7 string is more length.
> 7800 on an 8 string is even more.
> 
> More length of wire will affect the output, which makes it essentially a different pickup than the 6 string predecessor, unless your preamp takes this into consideration to attenuate.


I misinterpreted what you meant as saying that 7+ string pickups would have less wire than 6 string pickups.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Actually I just remembered, I think Frank Fablo made a small run of Blackouts that basically used the EMG preamp in them. I guess he reverse-engineered an 81 preamp, rebuilt it, and threw it onto some super-underwound open-bobbin Duncans.

I wasn't really around for that run so I can't say. I think @technomancer was so maybe he could clarify.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Pretty much. It's been around since 1980 I believe, and there's not a single pickup I find that sounds like that.
> 
> No, not even the Fluence Moderns.



Is there like a patent protecting the EMG 81 eq curve? It's a preamp and it is possible to replicate. If fluence and duncan wanted to create a direct competitor, it's pretty easy. Sort of how different pickup brands have a PAF humbucker that sound the same, I would guess it would be cool if those brands who have active tech can do similar offerings. 

Or maaaaybe, Duncan and Fishman both think that they can do a better 81 and proceeded to do their own take on the recipe thinking that MOST guitar players find the 81 too thin and compressed. Hence Blackouts having more bass and fluence moderns being less compressed. 



lewis said:


> They are actually miles apart in feel and sound. Not sure why anyone claims them similar. Good to see other peoples ears work too haha
> 
> well said



Not the same. But it's in the ballpark. The modern ceramic bridge and 81 have that same tight, fast sound. One is clearly ahead of the technology concept though. Super silent, too.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

MASS DEFECT said:


> Or maaaaybe, Duncan and Fishman both think that they can do a better 81 and proceeded to do their own take on the recipe thinking that MOST guitar players find the 81 too thin and compressed. Hence Blackouts having more bass and fluence moderns being less compressed. .



I think this is it. Everyone tries to say how they took the EMG flavor and made it better. But at the same time you have people claiming they have the passive version of an EMG, and it's still not there... EMG included.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

Well, the challenge is actually dis-assembling an 81 or similar EMG active as they are encased in epoxy, sealing the preamp along with the pickup under the same housing. Disassembly without destruction makes reverse engineering a bit of a challenge.


----------



## technomancer

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Actually I just remembered, I think Frank Fablo made a small run of Blackouts that basically used the EMG preamp in them. I guess he reverse-engineered an 81 preamp, rebuilt it, and threw it onto some super-underwound open-bobbin Duncans.
> 
> I wasn't really around for that run so I can't say. I think @technomancer was so maybe he could clarify.



I may have been around but I generally dislike actives so if I was I wasn't paying attention


----------



## MaxOfMetal

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Actually I just remembered, I think Frank Fablo made a small run of Blackouts that basically used the EMG preamp in them. I guess he reverse-engineered an 81 preamp, rebuilt it, and threw it onto some super-underwound open-bobbin Duncans.
> 
> I wasn't really around for that run so I can't say. I think @technomancer was so maybe he could clarify.



I remember that run. I'm pretty sure the original thread for it still exists.

I don't remember anyone who was a regular who picked them up. I don't remember seeing any on the market, not that I've every looked specifically. I don't think the take rate was very high. 

If my memory serves, EMG came out with their H series (non-soapbar) stuff right around that time, which made these SDs somewhat pointless unless you were dead set on the bobbins.


----------



## jarledge

MASS DEFECT said:


> Is there like a patent protecting the EMG 81 eq curve? It's a preamp and it is possible to replicate. If fluence and duncan wanted to create a direct competitor, it's pretty easy. Sort of how different pickup brands have a PAF humbucker that sound the same, I would guess it would be cool if those brands who have active tech can do similar offerings.
> 
> Or maaaaybe, Duncan and Fishman both think that they can do a better 81 and proceeded to do their own take on the recipe thinking that MOST guitar players find the 81 too thin and compressed. Hence Blackouts having more bass and fluence moderns being less compressed.
> 
> 
> 
> Not the same. But it's in the ballpark. The modern ceramic bridge and 81 have that same tight, fast sound. One is clearly ahead of the technology concept though. Super silent, too.




nope, the Chinese have gotten the 81 and 85 down pretty good. 

https://guitarpartsonline.com/Active-Humbucker-Pickups-81C-Ceramic-85A-Alnico-Humbuckers-2091.htm


----------



## MASS DEFECT

jarledge said:


> nope, the Chinese have gotten the 81 and 85 down pretty good.
> 
> https://guitarpartsonline.com/Active-Humbucker-Pickups-81C-Ceramic-85A-Alnico-Humbuckers-2091.htm



The chinese productions dont really count. They just steal everything.


----------



## waffles

IIRC, Dino Cazares worked with EMG and that resulted in the 707. He then got together with Duncan and that's how the Blackout line came about. Not sure if the blackouts were originally an all-7-string line and they only added the 6-string line later (because of Mick Thompson???).


----------



## jephjacques

So we have Dino to blame for how shitty the 707 and 808 sound then? 

I'm not normally an active pickup guy but my new Aristides came with a 57/66 set. I was planning on swapping them out but they actually work really well on an 8-string, at least with the kind of tones I go for.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

waffles said:


> IIRC, Dino Cazares worked with EMG and that resulted in the 707. He then got together with Duncan and that's how the Blackout line came about. Not sure if the blackouts were originally an all-7-string line and they only added the 6-string line later (because of Mick Thompson???).



Nah 6 strings were available since the beginning.



jephjacques said:


> So we have Dino to blame for how shitty the 707 and 808 sound then?



Dino supposedly had custom made 707s that sounded better than the mass produced 707s. Supposed to be somewhere between the 707 and 81-7 tonally.


----------



## c7spheres

I like my 707's. It amazes me how many others don't care for them. They are a great pickup.


----------



## lewis

c7spheres said:


> I like my 707's. It amazes me how many others don't care for them. They are a great pickup.


ever tried pairing them with the RPC knob?
makes them even more sick because you can tighten them up +add clarity using the knob - as much or as little as you want.


----------



## c7spheres

lewis said:


> ever tried pairing them with the RPC knob?
> makes them even more sick because you can tighten them up +add clarity using the knob - as much or as little as you want.



Never tried it. I've been eyeing all that stuff. It's a someday thing. When I get off my lazy butt : )


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

c7spheres said:


> I like my 707's. It amazes me how many others don't care for them. They are a great pickup.



I think people don't dig the scooped nature of the pickup. From what I've read, the 707 is a tweaked EMG 35DC, which is a very scooped and bright bass pickup.


----------



## Necky379

lewis said:


> ever tried pairing them with the RPC knob?
> makes them even more sick because you can tighten them up +add clarity using the knob - as much or as little as you want.



This sounds like exactly what I’ve been looking for. I love 707’s and 81-7’s but I can’t use the same amp settings for them. I always have to bump up the mids and reduce the resonance on the amp when I go from 81-7’s to 707. So this should get my 707’s a little closer to the 81-7’s without drastically changing the pickup’s sound?


----------



## lewis

Necky379 said:


> This sounds like exactly what I’ve been looking for. I love 707’s and 81-7’s but I can’t use the same amp settings for them. I always have to bump up the mids and reduce the resonance on the amp when I go from 81-7’s to 707. So this should get my 707’s a little closer to the 81-7’s without drastically changing the pickup’s sound?


Bingo! 
make sure you post some cool comparison clips when you can after you add the knob to the 707 guitar!


----------



## lewis

im going to start installing my dual white 81s soon.
I want to remove the tone knob and have 1 volume knob per pickup and just a standard 3 way solderless toggle switch too.

anyone got a diagram for neck + bridge pickup + 3 way selector + 2 volumes = Output config?

or is it so obvious I will work it out myself?


----------



## c7spheres

lewis said:


> im going to start installing my dual white 81s soon.
> I want to remove the tone knob and have 1 volume knob per pickup and just a standard 3 way solderless toggle switch too.
> 
> anyone got a diagram for neck + bridge pickup + 3 way selector + 2 volumes = Output config?
> 
> or is it so obvious I will work it out myself?


 Emg has a bunch of diagrams on their site. If they don't have it emal them and they will likely draw something up and send it to you. They've done that for me in the past.


----------



## lewis

c7spheres said:


> Emg has a bunch of diagrams on their site. If they don't have it emal them and they will likely draw something up and send it to you. They've done that for me in the past.


Ahh thats amazing.

Will do thanks


----------



## Necky379

c7spheres said:


> Emg has a bunch of diagrams on their site. If they don't have it emal them and they will likely draw something up and send it to you. They've done that for me in the past.



That is really cool of them


----------



## jarledge

it should be pretty easy to figure out if not you can use the single pickup with volume diagram. The hot from the volume that would normally go to the output jack would go to the 3 way switch. It would work the same for the other pickup(pickup output to volume, volume to switch, switch to output jack). 



lewis said:


> Ahh thats amazing.
> 
> Will do thanks


----------



## lewis

Run into a small issue.
The output jack location on this xiphos is further away from the pots than the provided cables are. Im going to have to cut some cables and join them together to double their length


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

lewis said:


> Run into a small issue.
> The output jack location on this xiphos is further away from the pots than the provided cables are. Im going to have to cut some cables and join them together to double their length



You may also look into some of the cables that are offered by GFS for their REDACTIVE set. I got some longer ones, and some very short ones for use in my FRG7620 in my avatar.


----------



## c7spheres

Hey everyone, I was wondering in regards to those that have the 18v and 27v mod, in your experience does it affect the noise floor at all of the pickup compared to 9v ? From what I understand it increases the headroom, but is there any difference in the noise floor? Does it get louder, quieter or stay the same? It seems it would change since the performance is changing. Just curious.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

c7spheres said:


> Hey everyone, I was wondering in regards to those that have the 18v and 27v mod, in your experience does it affect the noise floor at all of the pickup compared to 9v ? From what I understand it increases the headroom, but is there any difference in the noise floor? Does it get louder, quieter or stay the same? It seems it would change since the performance is changing. Just curious.


I'm not noticed much of a noise floor with EMGs at all, but then again, I don't play live. The only noise I get is from my laptop and wireless router.


----------



## Bear R.

The 18v. Mod really brought the (81/60's) to life..they sound very realistic..if thats the word.. 9v. always had like a fake/digital sound to them especially in the higher registers.."to me anyway"..The 18v. Mod in my ibby is so convincing that I'm not touching it..it sounds Killer..dead silent too.

as far as the 24 mod..ive only tried the one with the 2 little batteries you put in place of a single 9volt and its nothing like 18v...go with the 18v. and you'll love it..


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Bear R. said:


> The 18v. Mod really brought the (81/60's) to life..they sound very realistic..if thats the word.. 9v. always had like a fake/digital sound to them especially in the higher registers.."to me anyway"..The 18v. Mod in my ibby is so convincing that I'm not touching it..it sounds Killer..dead silent too.
> 
> as far as the 24 mod..ive only tried the one with the 2 little batteries you put in place of a single 9volt and its nothing like 18v...go with the 18v. and you'll love it..


The 24v mod sounds great, but if you don't buy the right one, you'll end up with a piece that only gives the pickups something like 3v or some shit like that.


----------



## Bear R.

Thanks for the heads up and the vid..I don't have the 24v. any longer but I hope I didn't get the fake..ha, ha..i did get it on ebay..so you never know..ha, ha..but cool man thank you..!!.


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

I just wanted to chime back in after playing between my Lundgren M7 and my EMG 81-8. The Lundgren is slightly less loud, obviously without a battery, but the clarity is incredible. It really cuts through distortion. Clean however, the 81 sounds much more “sterile” or crystal clear, which is absolutely gorgeous for this 8 string guitar.

On heavy gain, the EMG 81 is hotter and louder than the Lundgren, but i think there is some compression going on , or maybe its because the M7 has “tighter” strings and more normal tuning, but it doesn’t cut as clear through the distortion as the Lundgren.

Overall, I really love both of them equally. Different coats for different weather.


----------



## BananaDemocracy

I love the 81/60, the 81/85, and in a rare surprise, ive appreciated an 85/81 as someone has suggested....

but why so much doing voltage tampering? EMG sells pieces for that, like the SPC, RPC and a few others....?? id be terrified of screwing up wiring, especially when there are better options with professional pro quality (EMG/Seymour Duncan/Fishman)?

The Schecter Hellrasier C8 FR I bought had an RPC installed, and its a huge difference when you crank the boost


----------



## lewis

BananaDemocracy said:


> I love the 81/60, the 81/85, and in a rare surprise, ive appreciated an 85/81 as someone has suggested....
> 
> but why so much doing voltage tampering? EMG sells pieces for that, like the SPC, RPC and a few others....?? id be terrified of screwing up wiring, especially when there are better options with professional pro quality (EMG/Seymour Duncan/Fishman)?
> 
> The Schecter *Hellrasier C8* FR I bought had an *RPC installed*, and its a huge difference when you crank the boost



What pickups was in that c8?
either way im 100% getting that RPC knob in my Xiphos project. Thinking being anytime I drop my low string to that brutal low F, I can crank the RPC. When its in normal tuning of G# I can keep it off (or to taste)


----------



## Necky379

BananaDemocracy said:


> I love the 81/60, the 81/85, and in a rare surprise, ive appreciated an 85/81 as someone has suggested....
> 
> but why so much doing voltage tampering? EMG sells pieces for that, like the SPC, RPC and a few others....?? id be terrified of screwing up wiring, especially when there are better options with professional pro quality (EMG/Seymour Duncan/Fishman)?
> 
> The Schecter Hellrasier C8 FR I bought had an RPC installed, and its a huge difference when you crank the boost



I would encourage you to look up the wiring required to increase the voltage, it’s very simple and at worst you’ll just end up with two batteries wired incorrectly putting out 9v instead of 18v. Personally I’m very excited to try the RPC on my 707’s but although I prefer 81’s at 9v, the 18v mod is a definite improvement imo for 707’s.


----------



## lewis

Necky379 said:


> I would encourage you to look up the wiring required to increase the voltage, it’s very simple and at worst you’ll just end up with two batteries wired incorrectly putting out 9v instead of 18v. Personally I’m very excited to try the RPC on my 707’s but although I prefer 81’s at 9v, the 18v mod is a definite improvement imo for 707’s.


Im really curious to see if anyone has ever done RPC + 81 and what the results were!?

Its why Im so keen to try it haha like SUPER TIGHT springs to mind.
I bet it ends up sounding very similar to my Fishman Modern Voice 1


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

lewis said:


> Im really curious to see if anyone has ever done RPC + 81 and what the results were!?
> 
> Its why Im so keen to try it haha like SUPER TIGHT springs to mind.
> I bet it ends up sounding very similar to my Fishman Modern Voice 1



It’s extremely bright and clear 
It’s like lace alumitone clear but super super hot and it cuts through EVERYTHING


----------



## lewis

WhiteLightOfDeath said:


> It’s extremely bright and clear
> It’s like lace alumitone clear but super super hot and it cuts through EVERYTHING


Jesus yes!

Dont suppose you can do a video demoing it off/on etc? Would love to hear that


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

I’ll work on it and get back to you, PM me just to keep me reminded of who/what to send


----------



## Necky379

Would you mind uploading it to soundcloud and sharing it in this thread when you have the time? I’d really like to hear it too and I’m sure we’re not the only ones.


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

Guys, I said I would. I love the enthusiasm, and I promise I will, I cant do it right away as I have a lot of shit in the way, but i promise i didnt forget (yet lol)


----------



## waffles

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> But at the same time you have people claiming they have the passive version of an EMG, and it's still not there... EMG included.



Heh. Basically the marketing for the 57/66 and the two Metallica sig sets.

For the Metallica pickups, I find it somewhat ridiculous that they try to market an EMG Metallica sig pickup that has a 'passive feel/less compressed' whereas Metallica was the progenitor of the scooped metal EMG sound.


----------



## c7spheres

waffles said:


> Heh. Basically the marketing for the 57/66 and the two Metallica sig sets.
> 
> For the Metallica pickups, I find it somewhat ridiculous that they try to market an EMG Metallica sig pickup that has a 'passive feel/less compressed' whereas Metallica was the progenitor of the scooped metal EMG sound.


 It's right in-step with everything that is new Metallica, which is everything except what they use to be. Oh god, I just thought. New Metallica is just old as Old Metallica now. They are at a crossroads, a point of no return. Which way will they go? Unfortunately, I think we already know the answer to that.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

This one's going back to EMGs. 81x-60x this time. I like the X better than the regular ones even on 18V.


----------



## lewis

Next set is going to be either 57/66 or the retro active stuff but i must try the x series


----------



## lewis

Need some wiring help guys!

I have dual 81s and a solderless 3 way toggle switch
Im struggling to get any signal from either pickup (i.e NONE) so I must be doing something wrong.

How it is wired atm is

Neck 81 > 2 pins on the toggle switch
Bridge 81 > 2 pins on the toggle switch
Toggle switch last 2 spare pins > output/battery clip

If i swap the wires around on the toggle switch I get that loud buzzing constantly like what happens when you touch the end of a guitar cable when its plugged into an amp.

Any idea whats happening?

Am I supposed to do switch THEN volume > output ? or volume then switch ?


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

Pickups to toggle, to volume, to tone, to output jack.
Battery connections as per wire instructions from EMG's site.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> Need some wiring help guys!
> 
> I have dual 81s and a solderless 3 way toggle switch
> Im struggling to get any signal from either pickup (i.e NONE) so I must be doing something wrong.
> 
> How it is wired atm is
> 
> Neck 81 > 2 pins on the toggle switch
> Bridge 81 > 2 pins on the toggle switch
> Toggle switch last 2 spare pins > output/battery clip
> 
> If i swap the wires around on the toggle switch I get that loud buzzing constantly like what happens when you touch the end of a guitar cable when its plugged into an amp.
> 
> Any idea whats happening?
> 
> Am I supposed to do switch THEN volume > output ? or volume then switch ?


Quality pictures might help us out quite a bit. I'd make sure the connectors are set up properly on the jack.


----------



## lewis

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> Pickups to toggle, to volume, to tone, to output jack.
> Battery connections as per wire instructions from EMG's site.


Im not using a tone.
Just one master volume for both pickups + a solderless 3 way

Ive unplugged everything so I can start again as per advice so re. pictures, here we go -

EDIT:






Volume knob and output wires from battery clip/input jack





The 2 sets of wires that come off each pickup






3 way solderless toggle






Other end of toggle cable


----------



## USMarine75

lewis said:


> not to mention, there is a reason that they (EMG) have likely been used on more albums than any other pickup company.





TedEH said:


> I don't think that's true. Would need to see a source on that one before I'm convinced.



Haha thought the exact same thing! I cant imagine this is even close to true.

Also, IMO OP has tried some truly terrible pickups to be judging SD (I dont like Sentientx Nazgul, Pegasus, Etc) and passives in general. 

I also cant disagree more with OP saying that EMGs are more versatile. I feel like they are vol and tone knobs at 10 only pickups. And they sound good for sterile cleans and heavily saturated distortion. But for everything in between I personally prefer passives or Fluence.

The Fluence SSS set I have is far better to me than any of the single coil EMGs Ive used. And the Fluence Moderns did everything the EMGs do plus have several voices and respond more like passives. So personally I find them far more useful.

That said, the 57/66 set in my Schecter Loomis is perfect for that guitar. I thought I would need a replacement set immediately, but every time i plug that guitar in it sounds perfect. Way better than my EBMM JP7 did. Then again, I dislike all of the JP (and Periphery) pickups since the Steves Special.

YMMV


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

Pickups to toggle, to volume, to output jack
See diagram #3, then route the output of the volume to the output jack rather than the tone pot.
http://www.emgpickups.com/media/productfile/5/7/57_0230-0257rb.pdf


----------



## lewis

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> Pickups to toggle, to volume, to output jack
> See diagram #3, then route the output of the volume to the output jack rather than the tone pot.
> http://www.emgpickups.com/media/productfile/5/7/57_0230-0257rb.pdf


So I dont need the bus or anything?
Just as simple as you said?
Thats what I thought but I think thats what I did and got no signal on the tap test

Will try again and update
EDIT
This is where Im getting confused. The toggle switch only has 4 pins. So if I run the pickups both to it, there is then no pins left to run from the switch to the volume,,,


----------



## USMarine75

MaxOfMetal said:


> I have an LPC and a Washburn WI556...



Youre the other person that has one lol !

And yes the EMGs sound perfect in it.





81/89 IIRC?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

You need the bus. I'm also not sure what some of those wires are doing or where you got them from.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

Yes, you need the buss, see this diagram
http://www.emgpickups.com/media/productfile/s/3/s3_lever_b289_0230-0316rc.pdf


----------



## lewis

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> Yes, you need the buss, see this diagram
> http://www.emgpickups.com/media/productfile/s/3/s3_lever_b289_0230-0316rc.pdf


This is a big help.
For some reason no amount of googling would lead me to that diagram and it didnt come with my switch either for some reason. I will try that tomorrow and hopefully i get on fine.
The bus has a little terminal block on there too. Is it designed so i have to cut a connector off somewhere and strip the wires bear to use it? Or in this instance and my config can i ignore it?
(Im in bed now so dont have the guitar infront of me as a reference)


----------



## failsafe

Just came in here to say that I love my Het Set. I can eq my rig however I want, and have more gain than I need, so I’m more looking for overall “feel” in a pickup. These deliver for me.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> This is a big help.
> For some reason no amount of googling would lead me to that diagram and it didnt come with my switch either for some reason. I will try that tomorrow and hopefully i get on fine.
> The bus has a little terminal block on there too. Is it designed so i have to cut a connector off somewhere and strip the wires bear to use it? Or in this instance and my config can i ignore it?
> (Im in bed now so dont have the guitar infront of me as a reference)


Lemme try and give you an instructables sort of run down... Gimme a few.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

1. Plug the 4 pin female connector to the 3 way like so:





2. Connect the two 2 pin connectors to the non-surrounded pins on the BUS (NOTE: DO NOT remove adhesive backing and stick anywhere; it's a pain in the ass to remove once it is stuck; leave it for now):




^^^^These two pins, assuming they are coming from the 4 pin wire that is connected to your 3 way toggle.

NOTE: If the switch works backwards than how you'd like, reverse one of the connectors like so:



3. Install your 3 way toggle into the guitar, however, allow the bus to continue floating around. This will make it easier, and will be your last step; you'll see why!

4. Install the pickups into the rings, put the 3 pin connectors onto the pickups, and slide the 2 pin black + 1 pin red connectors through the tunnel until it comes out the other end into the cavity. 

5a. Hook up the two 1 pin red connectors to your bus, as well as the output cable and battery negative cable like so:



5b: Hook up the two 2 pin black connectors to your bus like so (NOTE: Do notice that the bus diagram below labels exactly what 2 pin black connector to hook to each; please follow it precisely):



Make sure the arrow on the red 1 pin connectors is on top like the 2 pin connector cables in the above diagram.

6. Here is an image to show is general idea of how your master volume, output, and bus should look like. You will drain a battery quickly if you do not hook up the jack correctly. Since you are skipping the tone, you can put the bottom 2 pin connector going to the output cable to the second pair (pins 3 and 4) on the master volume.




7. Make sure you have the pickups to the bus, bus to 3 way toggle, and bus to battery connected correctly. Also make sure you have the output jack connected correctly as well.


----------



## chopeth

Sorry if you are talking about the issue itself. I have a pair of 81 and 85 in a 10 years old guitar- I suspect it has no quick connect system. Can I install it and do you recommend it?


----------



## lewis

Spaced Out Ace said:


> 1. Plug the 4 pin female connector to the 3 way like so:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 2. Connect the two 2 pin connectors to the non-surrounded pins on the BUS (NOTE: DO NOT remove adhesive backing and stick anywhere; it's a pain in the ass to remove once it is stuck; leave it for now):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ^^^^These two pins, assuming they are coming from the 4 pin wire that is connected to your 3 way toggle.
> 
> NOTE: If the switch works backwards than how you'd like, reverse one of the connectors like so:
> View attachment 71172
> 
> 
> 3. Install your 3 way toggle into the guitar, however, allow the bus to continue floating around. This will make it easier, and will be your last step; you'll see why!
> 
> 4. Install the pickups into the rings, put the 3 pin connectors onto the pickups, and slide the 2 pin black + 1 pin red connectors through the tunnel until it comes out the other end into the cavity.
> 
> 5a. Hook up the two 1 pin red connectors to your bus, as well as the output cable and battery negative cable like so:
> View attachment 71174
> 
> 
> 5b: Hook up the two 2 pin black connectors to your bus like so (NOTE: Do notice that the bus diagram below labels exactly what 2 pin black connector to hook to each; please follow it precisely):
> View attachment 71173
> 
> 
> Make sure the arrow on the red 1 pin connectors is on top like the 2 pin connector cables in the above diagram.
> 
> 6. Here is an image to show is general idea of how your master volume, output, and bus should look like. You will drain a battery quickly if you do not hook up the jack correctly. Since you are skipping the tone, you can put the bottom 2 pin connector going to the output cable to the second pair (pins 3 and 4) on the master volume.
> 
> View attachment 71175
> 
> 
> 7. Make sure you have the pickups to the bus, bus to 3 way toggle, and bus to battery connected correctly. Also make sure you have the output jack connected correctly as well.




I followed this just now and it worked a charm! Thank you so much bro!
Where I was going wrong before was not using the bus then getting confused when nothing made sense haha


----------



## lewis

Holy smokes dual 81s RIP!

81 in the neck is amazing. Smooth as but loads of sustain and clarity!
By the time some Graphtech stuff goes on this Xiphos and longer term I get the ABM bridge replacement - there might be some smoother qualities incorporated instead (from brass and Tusq and stuff) and to dull down some of the higher end on the neck pickup but in general this combo is a winner. Cant believe I havent tried it before now


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

Really? That’s awesome, I always heard of the 81 in the neck and i never believed it but it makes sense 

HNPD~!


----------



## Seabeast2000

USMarine75 said:


> The Fluence SSS set I have is far better to me than any of the single coil EMGs Ive used. And the Fluence Moderns did everything the EMGs do plus have several voices and respond more like passives. So personally I find them far more useful.
> 
> 
> 
> YMMV



I see Fishman calls them "single space" because they haven't found an endorser or more interesting name yet(?)
What kind of guitar do you have the SSS Fishman installed? Pickguarded? rear route?


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

Hammet used dual 81's up until he got his siggys.


----------



## Necky379

lewis said:


> Holy smokes dual 81s RIP!
> 
> 81 in the neck is amazing. Smooth as but loads of sustain and clarity!
> By the time some Graphtech stuff goes on this Xiphos and longer term I get the ABM bridge replacement - there might be some smoother qualities incorporated instead (from brass and Tusq and stuff) and to dull down some of the higher end on the neck pickup but in general this combo is a winner. Cant believe I havent tried it before now



110%, I never understood the attraction to the 85 in the neck position, the 81 is so much better there imo.


----------



## lewis

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> Hammet used dual 81's up until he got his siggys.



You can really see why! This is my new favourite combo. And certainly my favourite neck pickup ive ever tried.



Necky379 said:


> 110%, I never understood the attraction to the 85 in the neck position, the 81 is so much better there imo.



Based on these findings, me either. I only tried the 85 once and I hated it haha


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

I personally LOVE the 85 in the neck
Idk it’s just so smooth and jazzy 
So clear and articulate 
You have to play clean with EMG otherwise it’s gonna show lol
I’m sure the 81 even more so!!!

Please post a clip dude switching positions ?


----------



## lewis

WhiteLightOfDeath said:


> I personally LOVE the 85 in the neck
> Idk it’s just so smooth and jazzy
> So clear and articulate
> You have to play clean with EMG otherwise it’s gonna show lol
> I’m sure the 81 even more so!!!
> 
> Please post a clip dude switching positions ?



Yeah good shout!
I will do bro as soon as I can (so busy with band & home stuff right now)


----------



## Mathemagician

The 81 neck is the lead pickup of the world. It’s like asking “Does a block letter 5150 do glassy Fender cleans?”

No. But it rules.


----------



## USMarine75

The906 said:


> I see Fishman calls them "single space" because they haven't found an endorser or more interesting name yet(?)
> What kind of guitar do you have the SSS Fishman installed? Pickguarded? rear route?



Pickguard.








And actually you can see I had trouble fitting al the stuff under the pickguard in the stock routing based on how it's slightly lifted in some places.

At first I thought they were the Greg Koch SSS set because the only demo I saw was his.


----------



## Albake21

I've been wanting to go back to an EMG set for a while now. It's been a few years, but I remember an old RG I had sounding phenomenal with an 81/60 set. If I can find an 81/85 set for a good price, I might give it a shot just for the hell of it. Does anyone know if there is a difference between really old 81/85s from the mid 2000s and current ones?


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

No
It’s the same tasty wonderful recipe


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Albake21 said:


> I've been wanting to go back to an EMG set for a while now. It's been a few years, but I remember an old RG I had sounding phenomenal with an 81/60 set. If I can find an 81/85 set for a good price, I might give it a shot just for the hell of it. Does anyone know if there is a difference between really old 81/85s from the mid 2000s and current ones?


Yes, the hardwired, non quik connect ones sound wayyyyy better. Gotta get the older ones.


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Yes, the hardwired, non quik connect ones sound wayyyyy better. Gotta get the older ones.


You really believe so ??


----------



## USMarine75

Albake21 said:


> Does anyone know if there is a difference between really old 81/85s from the mid 2000s and current ones?





WhiteLightOfDeath said:


> No





Spaced Out Ace said:


> Yes.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Oh yeah, they deliver the tones of the gods. James Hetfield ain't running them computer connector doohickies.


----------



## c7spheres

I've talked with Rick at EMG about this a few times over the years because I noticed a difference on the spec sheets regarding the output noise dbv being now -107 as opposed to -90 and the new resonant frequency being 1.91khz instead of 2.65khz, for the 707. This all started around the time the logo changed from old logo EMG to new logo Emg's. That's when all the spec sheets changed. I still have all the old logo spec sheets for the 707 and maybe some others. There was talk about the old logo EMG sounding better back then so I had to call to find out about any changes. He insists there were not changes to anything except the logo. When I inquired about the new specs he said they got new test equipment that is more accurate. I never heard any new logo 707's still so I can't say if I think they are different or not. I haven't even heard any quick connect systems. All mine are old logo solder systems. Whether it's just a placebo effect or not I don't know, but I find it hard to believe that a quick connect system and new test equipment could show a 17dbv difference in output noise. That's a big difference. I did push Rick a bit to see if he was bluffing, but he insists there were no changes, so I just left him alone. This should go in the conspiracy thread : )


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I was joking. The "older is always better" idea a lot of times is pretty silly.


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

RIck is the man who assured me they are identical. Maybe he just wanted me off the phone lol


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

WhiteLightOfDeath said:


> RIck is the man who assured me they are identical. Maybe he just wanted me off the phone lol


He should've just said "EETZ NAWT UH TOOMAH! Eetz mawt!"


----------



## c7spheres

WhiteLightOfDeath said:


> RIck is the man who assured me they are identical. Maybe he just wanted me off the phone lol


 I bet he's got that question a lot. I mean, the specs are different.



Spaced Out Ace said:


> I was joking. The "older is always better" idea a lot of times is pretty silly.


 I still wanna try out a new logo one to see someday. I don't believe they are the same, but that's my trust issues/conspiracy mind kicking in : ) If I tried a new logo one, I'd be able to tell for sure. Plus I have a few of these 707 old logo's 1 which is new, so I'd be tempted to try them out (Once I can actually plug in and crank it up again) . I would be able to tell a 17dbv noise difference for sure. The new ones do spec out better too. Also, I remember all this also happened when Duncan Blackouts came out with their "better" specs pickups, so everyone at that time was switching to blackouts saying they were better, then the new EMG logo and specs came out. I think we can see what was going on with that. Everyone knows too that lead solder sounds better than that new stuff and computer cables? Forget that. : )


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

c7spheres said:


> I bet he's got that question a lot. I mean, the specs are different.
> 
> 
> I still wanna try out a new logo one to see someday. I don't believe they are the same, but that's my trust issues/conspiracy mind kicking in : ) If I tried a new logo one, I'd be able to tell for sure. Plus I have a few of these 707 old logo's 1 which is new, so I'd be tempted to try them out (Once I can actually plug in and crank it up again) . I would be able to tell a 17dbv noise difference for sure. The new ones do spec out better too. Also, I remember all this also happened when Duncan Blackouts came out with their "better" specs pickups, so everyone at that time was switching to blackouts saying they were better, then the new EMG logo and specs came out. I think we can see what was going on with that. Everyone knows too that lead solder sounds better than that new stuff and computer cables? Forget that. : )


They changed the logos on the HZ series as well. Now they just say EMG.


----------



## Mathemagician

Spaced Out Ace said:


> They changed the logos on the HZ series as well. Now they just say EMG.



Now THAT I would almost consider total fibbery if there isn’t some other way for a casual guitar buyer to know whether they are getting actives or passives.


----------



## c7spheres

Spaced Out Ace said:


> They changed the logos on the HZ series as well. Now they just say EMG.


 One day they'll go to crap like other companies (hopefully not), they'll build the non-serviceable lithium metal battery into the pickup and you'll have to buy a new pickup every time the battery dies, or it will be a custom rechargeable battery that by the time you need a new one won't be available anymore and you'll have to a buy an aftermarket one, which will blow up like a hover board or smart phone and give you an Ace Frehley effect. There will also no longer be wires because they will connect it all together via blue tooth and you'll be able to model different pickups with an app on your smart phone. Don't forget all the accessories you'll need to, like the Blue Tooth signal booster for a better signal giving better tone and less cutouts, and the special turbo kit that operates at a wider bandwidth for mega-res realism. It will cost 3x as much as the old way, sound 10x worse, and because of the way it's marketed and the current state of technology at the time, everyone will say they are the best thing ever, until the v2XL+turbo model comes out, then those will sound even more like "real" old logo EMG's. It will always be 99% like the real thing. It will be called progress. Of course, people will prefer the "passive" versions of the models more too. Everyone will be trying to get that elusive "old logo" sound that nobody wants anything to do with nowadays, because active pickups suck if they aren't Fluences, apparently. Sorry for any pessimism, I'm being sarcarstic. I really hope this never happens, but I fear it might.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Ace Frehley effect.


----------



## chopeth

I have a guitar with an 81/SA/85 set in a 10 years old guitar- I suspect it has no quick connect system. Can I install it and do you recommend it?


----------



## Spicypickles

I bet it is quick connect. I’ve got a near 15 year old set that are quick connect.


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

c7spheres said:


> I bet he's got that question a lot. I mean, the specs are different.
> 
> 
> I still wanna try out a new logo one to see someday. I don't believe they are the same, but that's my trust issues/conspiracy mind kicking in : ) If I tried a new logo one, I'd be able to tell for sure. Plus I have a few of these 707 old logo's 1 which is new, so I'd be tempted to try them out (Once I can actually plug in and crank it up again) . I would be able to tell a 17dbv noise difference for sure. The new ones do spec out better too. Also, I remember all this also happened when Duncan Blackouts came out with their "better" specs pickups, so everyone at that time was switching to blackouts saying they were better, then the new EMG logo and specs came out. I think we can see what was going on with that. Everyone knows too that lead solder sounds better than that new stuff and computer cables? Forget that. : )


 You are probably right


Spaced Out Ace said:


> They changed the logos on the HZ series as well. Now they just say EMG.


Wow....that i didnt know


Mathemagician said:


> Now THAT I would almost consider total fibbery if there isn’t some other way for a casual guitar buyer to know whether they are getting actives or passives.


+1 considering, i have to disappointedly agree..... my view is very very quickly turning on EMG. Looks like my Fishman switch over was a great fortunate accident in judgement, especially after Derek [visited the forums and then] reshipped my order that was confiscated and detained by USPS



c7spheres said:


> One day they'll go to crap like other companies (hopefully not), they'll build the non-serviceable lithium metal battery into the pickup and you'll have to buy a new pickup every time the battery dies, or it will be a custom rechargeable battery that by the time you need a new one won't be available anymore and you'll have to a buy an aftermarket one, which will blow up like a hover board or smart phone and give you an Ace Frehley effect. There will also no longer be wires because they will connect it all together via blue tooth and you'll be able to model different pickups with an app on your smart phone. Don't forget all the accessories you'll need to, like the Blue Tooth signal booster for a better signal giving better tone and less cutouts, and the special turbo kit that operates at a wider bandwidth for mega-res realism. It will cost 3x as much as the old way, sound 10x worse, and because of the way it's marketed and the current state of technology at the time, everyone will say they are the best thing ever, until the v2XL+turbo model comes out, then those will sound even more like "real" old logo EMG's. It will always be 99% like the real thing. It will be called progress. Of course, people will prefer the "passive" versions of the models more too. Everyone will be trying to get that elusive "old logo" sound that nobody wants anything to do with nowadays, because active pickups suck if they aren't Fluences, apparently. Sorry for any pessimism, I'm being sarcarstic. I really hope this never happens, but I fear it might.


 I wouldn’t put it past the trend. All GREAT companies have been pulling shit lately,more and more, and EMG is definitely one of them if that HZ shit is true. I was actually mad when I read that because I “trust” EMG FWIW for quality of an unparalleled level....and then to think the actual 81 IS a different pup than in 1991, well, that just makes my balls curdle



Spicypickles said:


> I bet it is quick connect. I’ve got a near 15 year old set that are quick connect.


+1 me too, but that doesn’t mean it sounds worse , the quick connect is just an improved “delivery system,” but the pickupsfrom 15 years ago ARE the original 81, that I am certain of because I have identical brands with slight model differences with EMG 81, one is hard wired soldered, and it is not much different than the other, and i say not much because you have to account for the actual wood, guitar etc...i think the change was a little less far back, maybe less than a decade...there was a difference when the soldered stuff just disappeared off the shelves completely, like the hardwired pots and switches (SPC, RPC, EXG,etc), and now I wonder if the extra RPC I have I should sell or exchange


----------



## waffles

chopeth said:


> I have a guitar with an 81/SA/85 set in a 10 years old guitar- I suspect it has no quick connect system. Can I install it and do you recommend it?



Man this just made me miss my old Ibanez RG570 that had that exact pickup combo. That was probably the most playable guitar I've ever owned.


----------



## USMarine75

They only have sterile cleans and aren't good for anything besides metal...


----------



## lewis

USMarine75 said:


> They only have sterile cleans and aren't good for anything besides metal...
> 
> View attachment 71213


Absolute love this

Biggest "up your's" to all those naysayers!
well said


----------



## USMarine75

lewis said:


> Absolute love this
> 
> Biggest "up your's" to all those naysayers!
> well said



I added Vince Gill too lololol


----------



## zimbloth

I get to hear EMGs and compare them to other pickups pretty much every day of my life where I work. I personally am never going back. If people dig them, that's cool, they have their place. I just think if you're into the active sound, Fishman does it so much better. 

I will say the 57/66 are an improvement over the classic EMGs and I dont mind them at all, but still.... ^^^


----------



## gunch

USMarine75 said:


> I added Vince Gill too lololol



Don’t be fooled his power level is massive, Knopfler wanted him in Dire Straights but his country career had just started taking off and he respectfully declined


----------



## USMarine75

gunch said:


> Don’t be fooled his power level is massive, Knopfler wanted him in Dire Straights but his country career had just started taking off and he respectfully declined



Huge fan here too. Underrated player because country.


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

Mark KNOpfler is one of the best, if not THE best , classic rock rhythm guitarists. He bridges the gap between rhythm and lead. 

Them English guys know what their doing, really.


----------



## lewis

zimbloth said:


> I get to hear EMGs and compare them to other pickups pretty much every day of my life where I work. I personally am never going back. If people dig them, that's cool, they have their place. I just think if you're into the active sound, Fishman does it so much better.
> 
> I will say the 57/66 are an improvement over the classic EMGs and I dont mind them at all, but still.... ^^^


Is completely dependant on genre, picking style, gear etc
I have the Fishman Moderns in my main gigging axe currently but I love EMGs for my playing style and them through my Kemper and AX8 cut better live for me, sound heavier, and are easier to play for my style because of the compression - notes pop and fly off the fretboard. It tracks (or feels like it does) way quicker than my moderns

Im super low tuned, meshuggah - ENGL style brutal groove ala this - 



funnily enough these guys use EMG81-7s too


----------



## Albake21

zimbloth said:


> I get to hear EMGs and compare them to other pickups pretty much every day of my life where I work. I personally am never going back. If people dig them, that's cool, they have their place. I just think if you're into the active sound, Fishman does it so much better.
> 
> I will say the 57/66 are an improvement over the classic EMGs and I dont mind them at all, but still.... ^^^


I could never vibe with the three sets of Fishman Moderns I had. They were incredibly clear and punchy, and I loved that part. My problem with them were how dead and cold sounding they were. They felt almost like they were stale or something. I tried swapping the alnico into the bridge position, I tried doing the HR mod (or what ever the warmer mod is called), but every time it still had that cold, dead feeling. Still incredibly clear, but just stale. I'm really bad at explaining it, but it was something that I just couldn't get past in all three guitars I've had them in. It's kind of like my experience with the SD Nazgul. It just has this specific feel to it that I can't EQ out that I'm not a fan of.

EDIT: I think what I'm getting at, is the Fishmans didn't feel smooth and warm like I remember my EMGs sounding.


----------



## Seabeast2000

USMarine75 said:


> Huge fan here too. Underrated player because country.



So "Amie" stuck in my head...then reading narad's thread its "Kaydee". lol.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

zimbloth said:


> I get to hear EMGs and compare them to other pickups pretty much every day of my life where I work. I personally am never going back. If people dig them, that's cool, they have their place. I just think if you're into the active sound, Fishman does it so much better.
> 
> I will say the 57/66 are an improvement over the classic EMGs and I dont mind them at all, but still.... ^^^



What I can't get over is how quiet Fishman Fluence pickups are. I went back on EMG on two guitars (81x and 81) and side by side with Fluence Moderns, the EMGs are just straight up noisy and very sensitive to interference (flourescent, TV, hum). The Fluence is just dead quiet. With the gain maxed there is just a weeeee bit of white noise but i never turn up the gain that far.

But the 81x has that laser precise eq that works immensely well when downtunig. but it could sound thin next to the modern since the modern has tons of middle mids going on (compared to high mids on the 81) and the peaks are spread more evenly. When Im using the modern equipped guitar, i scoop a bit on the 750 region and dial the gain back. 

The compression is just to taste. A lot of folks like the emg compressed *klak* when picking.


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

MASS DEFECT said:


> What I can't get over is how quiet Fishman Fluence pickups are. I went back on EMG on two guitars (81x and 81) and side by side with Fluence Moderns, the EMGs are just straight up noisy and very sensitive to interference (flourescent, TV, hum). The Fluence is just dead quiet. With the gain maxed there is just a weeeee bit of white noise but i never turn up the gain that far.
> 
> But the 81x has that laser precise eq that works immensely well when downtunig. but it could sound thin next to the modern since the modern has tons of middle mids going on (compared to high mids on the 81) and the peaks are spread more evenly. When Im using the modern equipped guitar, i scoop a bit on the 750 region and dial the gain back.
> 
> The compression is just to taste. A lot of folks like the emg compressed *klak* when picking.


My curiosity is peaked
I’ll be dropping off mine Saturday to find out for sure because my EMG sets are quiet as a lamb (except on high gain duh) especially the 85 and SA in my neck position 

I can’t wait to try the fluence


----------



## MASS DEFECT

WhiteLightOfDeath said:


> My curiosity is peaked
> I’ll be dropping off mine Saturday to find out for sure because my EMG sets are quiet as a lamb (except on high gain duh) especially the 85 and SA in my neck position
> 
> I can’t wait to try the fluence



I don't use noise gates any more when Im using a guitar with Fluence. The quietest EMG i can think of is the James Hetfield set. All my guitars used to have the JH and they were as quiet as my Blackouts under gain. I'm about to put a JH set or maybe a 57 and JH neck in my SG since the JH neck is a much better 60.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> Is completely dependant on genre, picking style, gear etc
> I have the Fishman Moderns in my main gigging axe currently but I love EMGs for my playing style and them through my Kemper and AX8 cut better live for me, sound heavier, and are easier to play for my style because of the compression - notes pop and fly off the fretboard. It tracks (or feels like it does) way quicker than my moderns
> 
> Im super low tuned, meshuggah - ENGL style brutal groove ala this -
> 
> 
> 
> funnily enough these guys use EMG81-7s too



Angry guy guibass stuff is so 2009.


----------



## lewis

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Angry guy guibass stuff is so 2009.


Well Distorted sound magazine doesnt think so and I must be doing something right 



https://distortedsoundmag.com/live-review-monuments-the-waterfront-studio-norwich/



> One of the best things about smaller tours like this is when local talents use their chance to shine on the bill. Norwich boys *ENENRA *come out swinging with the intent that everyone remembers their name after tonight. Huge bouncy tech-metal riffs fill *The Waterfront* *Studio* with ease, their sound is uber heavy but clean and precise, packing enough of a punch to get pits going. Luke. M shows of a mind-bending range of vocals, from Sam Carter-esque highs to slam metal lows, with the in-between being filled with epic clean choruses.
> 
> *Rating: 8/10*


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> Well Distorted sound magazine doesnt think so and I must be doing something right
> 
> 
> 
> https://distortedsoundmag.com/live-review-monuments-the-waterfront-studio-norwich/


(Pst, it wasn't too obvious, but it was meant as an old man "get out of my studio yard" joke.)


----------



## lewis

Spaced Out Ace said:


> (Pst, it wasn't too obvious, but it was meant as an old man "get out of my studio yard" joke.)


Haha yeah i know. My reply was meant in jest to bro.


----------



## Soya

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> Hammet used dual 81's up until he got his siggys.


I believe Richard Kruspe from Rammstein uses a 81 in the neck too, though come to think of it I don't think I've ever heard a neck tone from him.


----------



## zimbloth

lewis said:


> Is completely dependant on genre, picking style, gear etc
> I have the Fishman Moderns in my main gigging axe currently but I love EMGs for my playing style and them through my Kemper and AX8 cut better live for me, sound heavier, and are easier to play for my style because of the compression - notes pop and fly off the fretboard. It tracks (or feels like it does) way quicker than my moderns
> 
> Im super low tuned, meshuggah - ENGL style brutal groove



Well, there are a lot of other models besides just the Fluence Modern, and the guitar itself plays a big role. I've just heard hundreds and hundreds of different guitars now with Fishmans, and 9 times out of 10 I think they outperform EMGs or Blackouts - including for your exact style of music. I too play ENGLs and downtuned 7-string modern metal stuff.

In certain guitars that sound dull or dark, the Fluence Moderns arent a great fit. But they sound absolutely MINDBLOWINGLY good in my ESP CS Horizon 7, my Ibanez DCM100, and a few other axes I have tuned to A or Drop G. In my other guitars, I like the Devin Townsend set or Stef Carpenter sets. I also use Bare Knuckles (still my favorites overall). 

If you're an EMG-81 fan, the closest Fishman to that sound is the Devin Townsend set. Has that kind of upper mid attack and output, but more versatile, quieter, and clearer.

That said, I don't mind EMG 81-7s at all. In the right guitar they can sound good. Just think there are better options for that style, IMO.



Albake21 said:


> I could never vibe with the three sets of Fishman Moderns I had. They were incredibly clear and punchy, and I loved that part. My problem with them were how dead and cold sounding they were. They felt almost like they were stale or something. I tried swapping the alnico into the bridge position, I tried doing the HR mod (or what ever the warmer mod is called), but every time it still had that cold, dead feeling. Still incredibly clear, but just stale. I'm really bad at explaining it, but it was something that I just couldn't get past in all three guitars I've had them in. It's kind of like my experience with the SD Nazgul. It just has this specific feel to it that I can't EQ out that I'm not a fan of.
> 
> EDIT: I think what I'm getting at, is the Fishmans didn't feel smooth and warm like I remember my EMGs sounding.



You tried Fluence Moderns 3x and didnt like it, fair enough. Could be the guitars, could just not be the right fit for your rig/style. But they have many other models that sound/feel different than the Modern. It would be like dismissing Seymour Duncan as a whole because you didn't like the Nazgul, or Bare Knuckle because you didnt like the Juggernaut. The company has a lot of different flavors to offer.

All I know is in countless A/B comparisons between the EMG 707/81/57/66, the Fishmans wiped the floor with them, and didnt exhibit the 'cold/stale' quality you found. I always found the Fishmans much more full, rich, and clear than EMGs when directly comparing in real life. The only thing I can think of is perhaps the guitars you tried them in just didnt have "it". 

I remember I used to dislike the Fishman Stephen Carpenter pickups based on my experience with them in an ESP E-II Horizon NT-7B. It sounded kind of nasally and weird. Then I tried it in a couple other guitars and holy shit, now theyre some of my favorite pickups in the world. Sometimes guitars just clash with certrain pickups for whatever reason 

That said, if youre happy with EMGs, then sweet... dont change a thing!


----------



## c7spheres

zimbloth said:


> Well, there are a lot of other models besides just the Fluence Modern, and the guitar itself plays a big role. I've just heard hundreds and hundreds of different guitars now with Fishmans, and 9 times out of 10 I think they outperform EMGs or Blackouts - including for your exact style of music. I too play ENGLs and downtuned 7-string modern metal stuff.
> 
> In certain guitars that sound dull or dark, the Fluence Moderns arent a great fit. But they sound absolutely MINDBLOWINGLY good in my ESP CS Horizon 7, my Ibanez DCM100, and a few other axes I have tuned to A or Drop G. In my other guitars, I like the Devin Townsend set or Stef Carpenter sets. I also use Bare Knuckles (still my favorites overall).
> 
> If you're an EMG-81 fan, the closest Fishman to that sound is the Devin Townsend set. Has that kind of upper mid attack and output, but more versatile, quieter, and clearer.
> 
> That said, I don't mind EMG 81-7s at all. In the right guitar they can sound good. Just think there are better options for that style, IMO.
> 
> 
> 
> You tried Fluence Moderns 3x and didnt like it, fair enough. Could be the guitars, could just not be the right fit for your rig/style. But they have many other models that sound/feel different than the Modern. It would be like dismissing Seymour Duncan as a whole because you didn't like the Nazgul, or Bare Knuckle because you didnt like the Juggernaut. The company has a lot of different flavors to offer.
> 
> All I know is in countless A/B comparisons between the EMG 707/81/57/66, the Fishmans wiped the floor with them, and didnt exhibit the 'cold/stale' quality you found. I always found the Fishmans much more full, rich, and clear than EMGs when directly comparing in real life. The only thing I can think of is perhaps the guitars you tried them in just didnt have "it".
> 
> I remember I used to dislike the Fishman Stephen Carpenter pickups based on my experience with them in an ESP E-II Horizon NT-7B. It sounded kind of nasally and weird. Then I tried it in a couple other guitars and holy shit, now theyre some of my favorite pickups in the world. Sometimes guitars just clash with certrain pickups for whatever reason
> 
> That said, if youre happy with EMGs, then sweet... dont change a thing!



Though I'm happy with my 707's, I'd like to eventually try all the EMG stuff that interestes me, Blackouts and Fishmans too. Just to know. Do you know offhand if they can just be swapped out with the quick connect on the back of the EMG pickup or not? Or are they all different connectors?


----------



## Spicypickles

Soya said:


> I believe Richard Kruspe from Rammstein uses a 81 in the neck too, though come to think of it I don't think I've ever heard a neck tone from him.



He’s on to Fishman’s now, funny enough


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

zimbloth said:


> I get to hear EMGs and compare them to other pickups pretty much every day of my life where I work. I personally am never going back. If people dig them, that's cool, they have their place. I just think if you're into the active sound, Fishman does it so much better.



/shr


Soya said:


> I believe Richard Kruspe from Rammstein uses a 81 in the neck too, though come to think of it I don't think I've ever heard a neck tone from him.



Sometimes for solo and clean stuff he'd rock the neck pickup. Otherwise the Rammstein dudes never use a neck pickup. The only reason he used an 81 in the neck is because of Kirk Hammett and the fact it was stock like that in the KH-2

And yeah, apparently Kruspe is working on a sig set of Fishman Fluences right now.


----------



## Zoobiedood

Blackouts use the same Quick COnnect system.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> /shr
> 
> 
> Sometimes for solo and clean stuff he'd rock the neck pickup. Otherwise the Rammstein dudes never use a neck pickup. The only reason he used an 81 in the neck is because of Kirk Hammett and the fact it was stock like that in the KH-2
> 
> And yeah, apparently Kruspe is working on a sig set of Fishman Fluences right now.


Gotta get that sig gear endorsement cash.


----------



## chopeth

Zoobiedood said:


> Blackouts use the same Quick COnnect system.



So can I just swap my EMGs for Blackouts or Fishman without soldering?


----------



## Albake21

chopeth said:


> So can I just swap my EMGs for Blackouts or Fishman without soldering?


Yes but with the Fishmans you will only get voice 1 unless you solder the other toggle for voice 2.


----------



## Zoobiedood

chopeth said:


> So can I just swap my EMGs for Blackouts or Fishman without soldering?



Blackouts, certainly.


----------



## chopeth




----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

You guys made me haul out all of my guitars (Lewis, this is not about you now lol jk see, I’m kiddin you are totally smart enough to tell I’m bein sarcastic now i hope) to check

I think the EMG 81 hardwired IS less compressed. It is more open, and more organic. It does seem like the newer ones are more compressed, tighter, they do have more punch, but at what cost? I guess the new compression?

Anyway, FWIW and full disclosure, I tried it out on an 81, and 81 w/18v mod, and an 81-8 [the RPC isn’t here its in storage Lewis otherwise I would’ve gotten you the clips by now, i didnt forget] and the 81-8 is the most BANG, but the 81 standard hardwired in my 6 string is a better sound to me.

Maybe its the guitar? It’s a custom shop ESP [M II Deluxe based] so its bolt on, maple, and alder, so its twangy as fuck as is....ehhhhhhh tough to call with so many nuances in each variance you see???

I think really, what it comes down to is this:
1) while EMGs are “sterile” they honestly still reflect the natural character of a guitar
2) the hardwired EMGs/pre solderless 3 pin do seem to have less compression and organic sound
3) the new EMG do seem to be punchier, and harder hitting, more compressed with less clarity on the hi end [while still cutting through the distortion in an odd way, sounds paradoxical, and thats perhaps where my limit of pickup knowledge and articulation comes to an end]

FWIW, I like both, and I dont care, they both sound like the 81. I just have to keep in mind, one is coming through a freaking 8 string beast, the other through a 6 string shred machine thats so skinny and light that i feel like its a toy after i put down the rg2228

I hope any of that helps someone thats looking at differences between the 81 and 81 3 pin


----------



## c7spheres

WhiteLightOfDeath said:


> You guys made me haul out all of my guitars (Lewis, this is not about you now lol jk see, I’m kiddin you are totally smart enough to tell I’m bein sarcastic now i hope) to check
> 
> I think the EMG 81 hardwired IS less compressed. It is more open, and more organic. It does seem like the newer ones are more compressed, tighter, they do have more punch, but at what cost? I guess the new compression?
> 
> Anyway, FWIW and full disclosure, I tried it out on an 81, and 81 w/18v mod, and an 81-8 [the RPC isn’t here its in storage Lewis otherwise I would’ve gotten you the clips by now, i didnt forget] and the 81-8 is the most BANG, but the 81 standard hardwired in my 6 string is a better sound to me.
> 
> Maybe its the guitar? It’s a custom shop ESP [M II Deluxe based] so its bolt on, maple, and alder, so its twangy as fuck as is....ehhhhhhh tough to call with so many nuances in each variance you see???
> 
> I think really, what it comes down to is this:
> 1) while EMGs are “sterile” they honestly still reflect the natural character of a guitar
> 2) the hardwired EMGs/pre solderless 3 pin do seem to have less compression and organic sound
> 3) the new EMG do seem to be punchier, and harder hitting, more compressed with less clarity on the hi end [while still cutting through the distortion in an odd way, sounds paradoxical, and thats perhaps where my limit of pickup knowledge and articulation comes to an end]
> 
> FWIW, I like both, and I dont care, they both sound like the 81. I just have to keep in mind, one is coming through a freaking 8 string beast, the other through a 6 string shred machine thats so skinny and light that i feel like its a toy after i put down the rg2228
> 
> I hope any of that helps someone thats looking at differences between the 81 and 81 3 pin


Intereesting. The conspiracy continues : ) Are your Hardwired EMG's old logo?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Oh jeez.


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

c7spheres said:


> Intereesting. The conspiracy continues : ) Are your Hardwired EMG's old logo?


lol, they are all, Silver

Please remember the caveat of the different guitars and the strings


----------



## c7spheres

WhiteLightOfDeath said:


> lol, they are all, Silver
> 
> Please remember the caveat of the different guitars and the strings


 I meant are the hard wired ones the old block logo ones that look like "EMG" rather than how it looks nowadays.


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

Oh yes they are very old, 1991 EMG


----------



## c7spheres

WhiteLightOfDeath said:


> Oh yes they are very old, 1991 EMG


 So then it MUST be true. I knew it.  You're not the only one to notice difference though. The weird thing is that the new specs qould suggestteh opposite of what you're saying. I have a few old logo 707's and they are all a little different. I've had them in the same guitar over the years, but they are like 99% the same.


----------



## Mathemagician

YES! I love conspiracies. All this easy access on the internet has made everyone learn “facts” and disproved all the grandpas campfire tone arguments. Finally one so minute it’s impossible to prove.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Tolerances have drifted. You can't put 30 year old emg preamp tone in a bottle.


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

Did I say something controversial? I meant no toe stepping
Please correct any offensive material 
I was tryin impartial honestly


----------



## c7spheres

I'll bet there are a lot of the same model out there that are different sounding though. I could easily see parts getting changed out or upgraded, manufacturers changing etc. tolerances etc. that would still yield the same result electrically but not sound wise. My buddy's dad had an old original Vox wah from the 60's and it sounded great. My friend bought the reissue (back in the early 90's) and it sounded just like it, so much so that his dad sold his original for $300 and bought a new one for $100. I liked it so much I bought one and it sounded like crap compared to theirs. At first I thought it was my guitar but then I tried my buddys and it sounded great. We took mine apart to see if something was noticeably wrong but there wasn't so we took the back off my buddy's. The only difference we could see was there was 2 resistors or inductors or something like that inside mine and only one large one in my buddys and his dad's. Although Mine added up to the same value, it sounded like crap. I took it back to the store and they let me take the backs off all them to see if I could find one I wanted, but they were all the crappy one. This also happened with my VHT 2-50-2. I bought it and back then they came with Winged C El34's. At some point my amp caught fire/ blew up and I sent it in to get fixed. When I got it back my tubes were replaced with JJ's. Same tolerance, but sounded not as good as my Winged C's. I bet that was a cost savings move because that's when JJ quads were about $80 a quad and you could actually still buy Winged C's for $150 a Quad rather than $300, now you can't get them at all bascially. Now Fryette uses the Mullard Reissues, which I hear are good. I hope so. Big Muff pedals were the same way in the 60's. They just used whatever parts they had. I bet this goes on a lot.


----------



## c7spheres

The906 said:


> Tolerances have drifted. You can't put 30 year old emg preamp tone in a bottle.



Not at all man. I Mathemagician was making a point about the tone-wood argument. It's a pretty big debate.


----------



## c7spheres

WhiteLightOfDeath said:


> Did I say something controversial? I meant no toe stepping
> Please correct any offensive material
> I was tryin impartial honestly


 Not at all man. I think Mathemagician was making a point about the tone-wood argument. It's a pretty big debate. Somehow I responded to the wrong comment earlier. I swear I typed everything correctly and responded to the right comment. I think this computer AI stuff is messing with me trying to make me look like an idiot. There's another conspiracy.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I think I started this shit, accidentally, based on a joke. ie, that modern shit sucks and that what you want is the vintage stuff. See: ProCo Rat, Nobels ODR-1, etc.


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I think I started this shit, accidentally, based on a joke. ie, that modern shit sucks and that what you want is the vintage stuff. See: ProCo Rat, Nobels ODR-1, etc.


Joking aside, there is some truth to the idea.....except for amps, like the AXe FX III is the best amp ever invented thus far, and I think the only guitar on that same level of standing out way above the crowd is the EBMM majesty.*

*. (custom doesn’t count because there is no limit to cost or feature choice for production comparisons, axe and ebmm are all standard)


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

HAs anyone left their cable plugged into their EMG loaded axe? IF so was it dead the next day?
I was playing and just took a nap, thought so....woke up 5 hours later with my shit plugged in

I’m wondering how long batteries last on average for you guys ?


----------



## waffles

Back when I was in college and an active musician ('active musician' in this context refers to one or two gigs on a weekend), I would always change them once a year.

Now that I'm a bedroom guitarist with no band and a job's that basically devours my life, I'd wager my batteries may last me a year and a half or even two years. Haven't tried it though, I still change them once a year.


----------



## Mathemagician

c7spheres said:


> Not at all man. I Mathemagician was making a point about the tone-wood argument. It's a pretty big debate.



I was 100% making jabs at the tonewood arguments. Like I believe some woods are going to sound different to other woods or whatever sure. 

But when someone “mixes” 12 different species of woods to get the perfect “tone neck” it’s just eye roll inducing. It may very well look awesome and I’ll for sure pay for the looks/craftsmanship that’s fine. 

But that’s also just my take and I’m not going to argue with someone with a richmoonebonitenge fretboard and swamp mahogany body carved from the fucking Yggdrasil.


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

i don’t think it makes a HUGE Difference but it certainly does make some nuance. It simply has to , physics, not trying to be a smart ass but if things have different densities , resonance, etc it’ll have an effect 

With EMG the effect is probably less than with a passive FWIW

All just IMHO too in the end


----------



## WhiteLightOfDeath

I was being nice. Diagramataks doesnt know WTF he talkin about. Wood and construction have more impact than anything else. Where does the pickup GET the tone....from the wood?? If you think EMGs sound the same in every guitar, then you haven’t played many guitars.....try a Steinberger and tell me that sounds like your normal EMG


----------



## c7spheres

WhiteLightOfDeath said:


> HAs anyone left their cable plugged into their EMG loaded axe? IF so was it dead the next day?
> I was playing and just took a nap, thought so....woke up 5 hours later with my shit plugged in
> 
> I’m wondering how long batteries last on average for you guys ?


-I always put my guitar back in the case so I've never done it. 
-My old bass player use to do it all the time and he also had the active eq with his EMG's. He got away with it it a quite a few times before they went dead actually. Sometimes they'd last a over week even if we didn't practice for a week. 
-I found I usually thought my batteries were going dead by the feel and sound and out a new one in. When I tested them, I found the voltage was still at 8.5 volts. I could actually tell the difference. I also found that most new 9v batteries are around 9.5 volts or higher, sometimes 10 volts even.


----------



## lewis

EMG are running a FB competition where each day you can enter to win an 81 + 85 set in a different colour. Today is bright green!

Im hoping this is the start of offering them properly and each model in these colours goes into production

I would love the green, purple and a Pink set


----------



## gnoll

Oh shit, some pink emg's would be sweet for my cherry sunburst les paul.


----------



## waffles

I just want another 81/85 set in the classic black color as I'll need it for this new guitar I'm GASing for.


----------



## Matt08642

WhiteLightOfDeath said:


> I think the EMG 81 hardwired IS less compressed. It is more open, and more organic.



Here we are, we've come full circle to referring to EMGs as less compressed and more ~organic~


----------



## Seabeast2000

Matt08642 said:


> Here we are, we've come full circle to referring to EMGs as less compressed and more ~organic~



But think of all the street crime that was prevented by this thread.


----------



## oneblackened

The 57/66 set is simply fantastic. I've thought about converting my LTD over to that a few times from the Black Winters it's got now.


----------



## frank falbo

Matt08642 said:


> Here we are, we've come full circle to referring to [old] EMGs as less compressed and more ~organic~


The science of it is that they have indeed changed quite a bit over time. I've gone through the R&D on this twice, both while working at Duncan and again, more in depth at Fishman. As always there are two variables to consider. 

First, are old ones different from new ones? Yes, in more than one way. 

The second is how different two of the "same" EMG's are to one another. There are variances between two same models/years as well, and it's not just coil winding and part tolerances. For example, we had an artist who had a favorite EMG, that he liked over his other EMG's, and the simple difference was that inside the case, the coils were pushed further back toward the bridge. They weren't centered in the cover. So it was the equivalent of moving your bridge pickup route closer to the bridge.


----------



## SteveFireland

I have two Jackson Vs with older EMG 81s in the bridge and two with the newer 81s... the older ones have slightly more output than the new ones. Which annoys me just a tiny bit.

But I've tried Duncan's and DiMarzio's and various stock pickups over the years but I just like to throw EMGs in and be done with it. Saves me adjusting input levels on various pieces of gear when I switch guitars.

Strangely, I got a Stagg bass for free (sort of, I was owed £40 and was offered the bass the instead) and swapped the stock pickups for a PJ set. I recorded a before and after DI track in ProTools. No discernible difference in tone. £150 that cost me lol A new set of strings made a _vastly _bigger difference.


----------



## Matt08642

frank falbo said:


> The science of it is that they have indeed changed quite a bit over time. I've gone through the R&D on this twice, both while working at Duncan and again, more in depth at Fishman. As always there are two variables to consider.
> 
> First, are old ones different from new ones? Yes, in more than one way.
> 
> The second is how different two of the "same" EMG's are to one another. There are variances between two same models/years as well, and it's not just coil winding and part tolerances. For example, we had an artist who had a favorite EMG, that he liked over his other EMG's, and the simple difference was that inside the case, the coils were pushed further back toward the bridge. They weren't centered in the cover. So it was the equivalent of moving your bridge pickup route closer to the bridge.



I don't doubt that 40 years of the "same" pickup can sound different, just thought it was funny since everyone since I've been on guitar forums always called EMGs compressed and sterile in other contexts


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

Not for nothin’, but if you tried Fluence, I doubt youd ever think of EMG (or Blackouts)ever again

For the 81 sound, Carpenter set or KSE or 6 strings, but it’ll change your view of what “active” means

At least for most people it does, for me it did anyway


----------



## lewis

Politics of Ecstasy said:


> Not for nothin’, but if you tried Fluence, I doubt youd ever think of EMG (or Blackouts)ever again
> 
> For the 81 sound, Carpenter set or KSE or 6 strings, but it’ll change your view of what “active” means
> 
> At least for most people it does, for me it did anyway



My main gigging/band axe has moderns and i still prefer EMGs


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

Not for nothin’ Lewis, but you said the moderns
Carpenter is not the modern set....it has the modern neck, but almost every neck pup is alright
I’m talkin about the bridge
You seem to like EMG 81? Or one of them IIRC from reading these posts

The carpenter bridge IMHO crushes everything on earth, even the, Dare I say it, Lundgren M8!
Really, its VERY edgy, surprisingly so....not like the modern bridge at least IMO

I say try em at least Lewis, you never know....that is if you play seven strings? Or 8?


----------



## Albake21

If only they made the damn Carpenters in 6 again... I'd buy a pair in a heart beat.


----------



## lewis

Albake21 said:


> If only they made the damn Carpenters in 6 again... I'd buy a pair in a heart beat.


This haha.
I dont use 7s and 8s


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Politics of Ecstasy said:


> Not for nothin’, but if you tried Fluence, I doubt youd ever think of EMG (or Blackouts)ever again
> 
> For the 81 sound, Carpenter set or KSE or 6 strings, but it’ll change your view of what “active” means
> 
> At least for most people it does, for me it did anyway



Hmmm...i never thought of the carpenter sig as 81 sounding. It was actually quite dark and rounded on the bass when i tried a step7 through my rig. I have a caparison JSM and those Killswitch pups sure are ULTRA TIGHT. But they dont have the low end and the sizzle of 81. Sounded like a cleaner, brighter, tighter 85 bridge. IMO, of course. I have the Moderns, 81, 81x, and Tosins in my guitars.


----------



## c7spheres

I've never tried Fluence pickups and I'm sure there's some models I would like, but when the next big thing (money) comes along everyone will abandoned Fishman for that company and call it the best thing ever instead. There's so many pro musicians that will just whore themselves out to whomever gives them money, and I can't blame them for doing it. They're just working the circuit. Let's get it straight that I'm not calling anyone a gear whore (except maybe Devin Townsend because he calls himself that). This isn't rocket science, it's electromagnet marketing. They get paid to endorse these products. For all we know they're still using EMG's/Duncans wrapped up in a Fluence cover. This is why you see so many endorsements from artists and never actually see them use the product (hmm, hmm, Ibanez, AxeFx etc). Yes, many of them do and will use the products too. - If people suddenly started caring about toggle switches then all of a sudden everyone would have to get this new toggle switch technology with a touch screen attached and a blue tooth app to change and store settings. It will be completely unnecessary, be built like a cheap toy from that came from a gumball machine, and cost a fortune. I do want to try out some Fluence's sometime though. end of rant.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

MASS DEFECT said:


> Hmmm...i never thought of the carpenter sig as 81 sounding. It was actually quite dark and rounded on the bass when i tried a step7 through my rig. I have a caparison JSM and those Killswitch pups sure are ULTRA TIGHT. But they dont have the low end and the sizzle of 81. Sounded like a cleaner, brighter, tighter 85 bridge. IMO, of course. I have the Moderns, 81, 81x, and Tosins in my guitars.


Nothing will sound like an 81....I Didnt mean that. I meant Lewis seemed to be a fan IIRC from the thread, which Is why i said, I may be wrong so if I am I apologize for misreading

Besides an HF tilt, there was a toggle switch on mine, so there was a 3 switch blade, 2 push pull tone pots, and the toggle switch, along with H/F tilt. So all options were on the table on this and I really was amazing.

What i meant was the KSE and Carpenter sets are extremely tight. There is an H/f Tilt mode that MASS DEFECT is referring to, which is supposed to simulate that dark tone of low impedance cabling or something. I don’t get it, but I love the sound of it...but when its off, and the actives are on they are very very tight i think, especially in lower tunings

But the voicings are incredible, they literally blew me away. The way i thought modelers were a joke, and then the kemper was like wow and the axe 3 is now the greatest things alive.....well, i think pickups have reached that with this new fluence technology.

I don’t work for them, and i dont have any kickback or endorsement, but I’m just sayin FWIW these pups made me rethink completely what I’m recording with, the way we all think recording with an axe 3 gives the best results as per artists usage as well, i think fishman eventually will be something noticeably special, but hey thats just one poor schlub’s opinion

I could be totally wrong and you might like it just a little, but the voicings are truly incredible, the combinations, its just a lot to discover ....


----------



## c7spheres

Politics of Ecstasy said:


> Nothing will sound like an 81....I Didnt mean that. I meant Lewis seemed to be a fan IIRC from the thread, which Is why i said, I may be wrong so if I am I apologize for misreading
> 
> Besides an HF tilt, there was a toggle switch on mine, so there was a 3 switch blade, 2 push pull tone pots, and the toggle switch, along with H/F tilt. So all options were on the table on this and I really was amazing.
> 
> What i meant was the KSE and Carpenter sets are extremely tight. There is an H/f Tilt mode that MASS DEFECT is referring to, which is supposed to simulate that dark tone of low impedance cabling or something. I don’t get it, but I love the sound of it...but when its off, and the actives are on they are very very tight i think, especially in lower tunings
> 
> But the voicings are incredible, they literally blew me away. The way i thought modelers were a joke, and then the kemper was like wow and the axe 3 is now the greatest things alive.....well, i think pickups have reached that with this new fluence technology.
> 
> I don’t work for them, and i dont have any kickback or endorsement, but I’m just sayin FWIW these pups made me rethink completely what I’m recording with, the way we all think recording with an axe 3 gives the best results as per artists usage as well, i think fishman eventually will be something noticeably special, but hey thats just one poor schlub’s opinion
> 
> I could be totally wrong and you might like it just a little, but the voicings are truly incredible, the combinations, its just a lot to discover ....


 Now I'm really gassing to try them out! Finding a tone you are inspired by though is really a great thing. I'm glad you are happy with it/them. I will try someday myself.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

As I said, gentleman,for your review
https://www.sevenstring.org/threads...ts-friedman-custom-shop-50w-metal-amp.337646/


----------



## frank falbo

c7spheres said:


> I've never tried Fluence pickups and I'm sure there's some models I would like, but when the next big thing (money) comes along everyone will abandoned Fishman for that company and call it the best thing ever instead. There's so many pro musicians that will just whore themselves out to whomever gives them money, and I can't blame them for doing it. They're just working the circuit. Let's get it straight that I'm not calling anyone a gear whore (except maybe Devin Townsend because he calls himself that). This isn't rocket science, it's electromagnet marketing. They get paid to endorse these products. For all we know they're still using EMG's/Duncans wrapped up in a Fluence cover. This is why you see so many endorsements from artists and never actually see them use the product (hmm, hmm, Ibanez, AxeFx etc). Yes, many of them do and will use the products too. - If people suddenly started caring about toggle switches then all of a sudden everyone would have to get this new toggle switch technology with a touch screen attached and a blue tooth app to change and store settings. It will be completely unnecessary, be built like a cheap toy from that came from a gumball machine, and cost a fortune. I do want to try out some Fluence's sometime though. end of rant.



All due respect, almost everything here is false. Ironically the only times money was a factor is when artists wanted to switch to Fluence because of the tone and response, but stayed with their existing company because of the money. 

(Pickups technically aren’t electromagnets either, and the toggle switch you’re describing is the EB/MM Gamechanger which they stole and patent-trolled from GuitarMax)


----------



## c7spheres

frank falbo said:


> All due respect, almost everything here is false. Ironically the only times money was a factor is when artists wanted to switch to Fluence because of the tone and response, but stayed with their existing company because of the money.
> 
> (Pickups technically aren’t electromagnets either, and the toggle switch you’re describing is the EB/MM Gamechanger which they stole and patent-trolled from GuitarMax)


- Point taken, I don't think any of us know what these other artists contracts read like. It just seems that many artists hop on band wagons and follow trends like any other thing. Kinda how like the day after the Superbowl the winning team has always been everyone's favorite team for their whole life.
- A good thread might be to track these artists when you see it, then call them out on it. This would be a good way for someone to really know what their favorite players actually use regularly or not.
- Yes, an active pickup is NOT an electromagnet. It's an active preamp. 
- Someone actually made that system?! I had no idea about it. This is the epitome of what I'm not into with all this new tech. That's just app marketing. I like products that were made because of a need, not as an excuse to try to make money. This Gamechanger thing might be great, but there's no need for it. It seems like an excuse to market to a younger crownd that likes apps and tech attached t everything they buy, or to older people trying to be up on teh latest thing. You can get almost anything you want from a bridge and neck pickup, especially when adding coil taps etc. 
- I'm full of conjecture. Sorry to bother you.


----------



## lewis

Tried EMGs in my main band axe tonight instead at band practice. Dual 81s swapping out the fishman moderns ive had in there since about Feb time at a guess.

Good god in heaven they blow the Fishmans away for my band/songs.

Probably going to sell these fishmans and just stick with EMGs.


----------



## c7spheres

lewis said:


> Tried EMGs in my main band axe tonight instead at band practice. Dual 81s swapping out the fishman moderns ive had in there since about Feb time at a guess.
> 
> Good god in heaven they blow the Fishmans away for my band/songs.
> 
> Probably going to sell these fishmans and just stick with EMGs.


 Could you elaborate a bit? Cause I just heard that Steph Fluence Set video Politics of Ecstasy linked to that Rezamatix posted and Suddenly I'm gassing to try a set. Is it a clarity thing, feel thing etc? 
- I was a bit disappointed to see this special battery pack stuff going on though. That kind of stuff just ruins it for me. To much trouble. I'm happy with what I got, but soem of these new things (AxeFx, Fluences etc) just can make me gas pretty hard.


----------



## lewis

c7spheres said:


> Could you elaborate a bit? Cause I just heard that Steph Fluence Set video Politics of Ecstasy linked to that Rezamatix posted and Suddenly I'm gassing to try a set. Is it a clarity thing, feel thing etc?
> - I was a bit disappointed to see this special battery pack stuff going on though. That kind of stuff just ruins it for me. To much trouble. I'm happy with what I got, but soem of these new things (AxeFx, Fluences etc) just can make me gas pretty hard.



There is power, balls, tightness. Clarity is fine. (Ok so it doesnt have the super HiFi sound of the fishmans but still)
The other thing for me is they track faster to the feel. Fishmans respond slower to playing.

With the moderns, using my ax8 in the past, had bass max and depth (resonance) max and treble OFF (literally zero) presence was noon.
Then i turned the Cab setting up a little that generates the real thife thump of a cab.
And STILL the tone was thin as hell. With max low end? Crazy.
Im tuned to Drop G# and have some songs with a low F too so its not like im in a standard tuning and struggling for power.
Last night ran through the same thing i normally would (Headrush FRFR) and suddenly the EMG was so much more prominent against the drummer. It cuts better and just sounds god like in a live mix.
Ive tracked new songs on a fortchoming album - using the moderns but for live im now 100% sticking with the EMGs.
I am a 6 string player so the stef set arent an option for me to try. I dont feel i want to though tbh
(The recharge kit for the fishmans should be included imo. Nothing bar the pots being solderless annoys me too from them - i might try the battery pack with some EMGs though. That could be cool)


----------



## Matt08642

Had a "coming back to EMG" moment today despite never switching them out. Listened to the new KSE album, made me think about KSE Fishmans. Watched a few videos with more Fishmans, couldn't quite pinpoint what I wanted. Picked up my guitar with an 81/85, played some Killswitch riffs, and was immediately reminded why I have yet to switch these out 

I actually bought a Nazgul/Sentient set almost a year ago with the intention of swapping the EMGs for them, and just never got around to it/liked the EMG tone too much


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I tried to replace the 81/60 set I had in a guitar with a KsE set. People complained about the EMG 81s having no bottom end... The KsEs had significantly less than the 81/60 set. The EMG sounded like it had a broader EQ range while the KsE set was more narrow in the midrange. It was all mids and high mids with not a lot of bass or extreme treble.


----------



## lewis

Decided to boost low mids and abit of bass tonight with the kemper using an eq block infront of the amp.

Good god with added punch these 81s sound brutal asf


----------



## Aliascent

I used to dislike EMG, and the last pair I played ( in a RGIB6) left me disappointed. No low end, no power, no crunch.

Then I bought a Jackson DKMG with the intent to swap the EMG, but when I got to play it, it was nothing like the Ibanez. The polar opposite to be exact. I got a Jackson dk6 COW not long ago, and the 81 is amazing in that guitar. Clean, crunchy, brutal, surgical, everything.

So now I'm totally converted to EMG.


----------



## lewis

Aliascent said:


> I used to dislike EMG, and the last pair I played ( in a RGIB6) left me disappointed. No low end, no power, no crunch.
> 
> Then I bought a Jackson DKMG with the intent to swap the EMG, but when I got to play it, it was nothing like the Ibanez. The polar opposite to be exact. I got a Jackson dk6 COW not long ago, and the 81 is amazing in that guitar. Clean, crunchy, brutal, surgical, everything.
> 
> So now I'm totally converted to EMG.



Which is great because it also proves that emgs DO sound different in each guitar despite what false BS gets spouted online about them.


----------



## waffles

Really? My friend has that RGIB6 and it's such a great sounding and great playing guitar. I always have a blast whenever I play it and it's absolutely very far from your description. Did you check the battery?


----------



## lewis

waffles said:


> Really? My friend has that RGIB6 and it's such a great sounding and great playing guitar. I always have a blast whenever I play it and it's absolutely very far from your description. Did you check the battery?



Agree with this. The EMGs in that scale length sound monsterous.


----------



## Aliascent

waffles said:


> Really? My friend has that RGIB6 and it's such a great sounding and great playing guitar. I always have a blast whenever I play it and it's absolutely very far from your description. Did you check the battery?



I no longer have that guitar, but yes, I did check the battery. Took some from some of my pedals, brand new ones, different brands, nothing. But that guitar felt "dead" anyway. It was easy to play but so lifeless.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Aliascent said:


> I used to dislike EMG, and the last pair I played ( in a RGIB6) left me disappointed. No low end, no power, no crunch.
> 
> Then I bought a Jackson DKMG with the intent to swap the EMG, but when I got to play it, it was nothing like the Ibanez. The polar opposite to be exact. I got a Jackson dk6 COW not long ago, and the 81 is amazing in that guitar. Clean, crunchy, brutal, surgical, everything.
> 
> So now I'm totally converted to EMG.



Fun fact; the Jackson DKMG is what sold me onto EMGs as well.  EMGs just sound fucking stellar in an alder bodied guitar. 

And yeah, that should be a lesson to all that EMGs don't sound the same in every guitar.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

^Yep, true for my DKMG too. That guitar I wouldn't let go and still has actives now with the old EMG wiring.


----------



## c7spheres

lewis said:


> Which is great because it also proves that emgs DO sound different in each guitar despite what false BS gets spouted online about them.


 I never understood people saying this. I've tried them in many different guitars an they do sound very different in different guitars. I had the exact same 707 in an rg2027xvv, an rg8527 (both mahogany) and they sounded different. That same 707 traveled to an rg7620 and on to my custom and they are almost identical. I wish they sounded the same in every guitar tbh, because then It wouldn't be so hard to find the perfect backup guitar : )


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

MASS DEFECT said:


> ^Yep, true for my DKMG too. That guitar I wouldn't let go and still has actives now with the old EMG wiring.


I made a mistake selling that guitar. I really miss it.

Been debating on seeing if I can buy it back from the guy I sold it to.


----------



## Albake21

@lewis Dude... I totally get where you are coming from now. I just installed a 57/66 set into my new Ibanez S5470 for Drop A# and it sounds fucking monstrous! Better than all three of the Fishman Modern sets I've had. I always loved the sound of the EMG 81, but I remember for years always wanting to try to EMG 57/66 and it's perfect! The tone is extremely thick and fat, yet still has a lot of clarity. I will say the Fishmans were clearer, but they were so tinny sounding compared to these. Never again, Fishman, never again. Now if only EMGs were a bit more versatile, but I'll take it for now. The 66 rolled back sounds phenomenal for cleans and leads.


----------



## AkiraSpectrum

Albake21 said:


> @lewis Dude... I totally get where you are coming from now. I just installed a 57/66 set into my new Ibanez S5470 for Drop A# and it sounds fucking monstrous! Better than all three of the Fishman Modern sets I've had. I always loved the sound of the EMG 81, but I remember for years always wanting to try to EMG 57/66 and it's perfect! The tone is extremely thick and fat, yet still has a lot of clarity. I will say the Fishmans were clearer, but they were so tinny sounding compared to these. Never again, Fishman, never again. Now if only EMGs were a bit more versatile, but I'll take it for now. The 66 rolled back sounds phenomenal for cleans and leads.



That looks awesome! Out of curiosity, what string gauge do you run on that in A#?


----------



## Albake21

AkiraSpectrum said:


> That looks awesome! Out of curiosity, what string gauge do you run on that in A#?


Thank you! I've found the Daddario EXL148 set (12-60) to be perfect for drop A#. Not too thick for tone, but also tight enough. I think a 62 would be slightly better, but the 60 works perfectly.


----------



## Science_Penguin

Albake21 said:


> @lewis Now if only EMGs were a bit more versatile, but I'll take it for now. The 66 rolled back sounds phenomenal for cleans and leads



That's the thing, they can be REALLY versatile, you just have to mess with the knobs. Especially their active tone controls. I've said it before and I'll say it again: EMG did the impossible by giving my knobs a greater function than on/off and guitar tone/potato tone.


----------



## lewis

Albake21 said:


> @lewis Dude... I totally get where you are coming from now. I just installed a 57/66 set into my new Ibanez S5470 for Drop A# and it sounds fucking monstrous! Better than all three of the Fishman Modern sets I've had. I always loved the sound of the EMG 81, but I remember for years always wanting to try to EMG 57/66 and it's perfect! The tone is extremely thick and fat, yet still has a lot of clarity. I will say the Fishmans were clearer, but they were so tinny sounding compared to these. Never again, Fishman, never again. Now if only EMGs were a bit more versatile, but I'll take it for now. The 66 rolled back sounds phenomenal for cleans and leads.



Firstly that guitar looks siiiick asf man!!! :O

Secondly, im glad im not alone haha.
The fishmans are so super hi fi and super tight with so much emphasis on clarity, they literally have almost tried too hard and ruined the formula alltogether.

No body, no balls, no punch. I will happily sacrifice on some clarity to get the full on punch in the face cut that EMGs give me live. EMGs are tight enough anyhow.

Dont know how so many dudes are making moderns work. To me they are thin, shrill, hifi (as bad as lace) nonsense.
Maybe for 8 strings they would work better but even then their mids are so lacking.
Too big a focus on high mids.
Full on cocked wah sounding at all times.

They can work well with recording because of how much post production and eq you can do - but live and at band practices, i wont be using them again.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

TBH I like the Fluence Classics. Voice 2 is how I wish the EMG 57/66 sounded.  

My problem with the Fluence Moderns is they were all mids. That's it. The website is spot on when it says the peak freq is ~700 - 750hz, because that's all you hear.  According to @Politics of Ecstasy the Stef set fixes this by adding some variety to the midrange, which I hope so. 

I will say I need to try the 81x/60x set again. Hoping to get a chrome-covered set for my RR3.


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> TBH I like the Fluence Classics. Voice 2 is how I wish the EMG 57/66 sounded.
> 
> My problem with the Fluence Moderns is they were all mids. That's it. The website is spot on when it says the peak freq is ~700 - 750hz, because that's all you hear.  According to @Politics of Ecstasy the Stef set fixes this by adding some variety to the midrange, which I hope so.
> 
> I will say I need to try the 81x/60x set again. Hoping to get a chrome-covered set for my RR3.


My issue is im a 6er player for my band and they dont offer the stef set in 6 anymore. Was a limited run


----------



## Albake21

lewis said:


> Firstly that guitar looks siiiick asf man!!! :O
> 
> Secondly, im glad im not alone haha.
> The fishmans are so super hi fi and super tight with so much emphasis on clarity, they literally have almost tried too hard and ruined the formula alltogether.
> 
> No body, no balls, no punch. I will happily sacrifice on some clarity to get the full on punch in the face cut that EMGs give me live. EMGs are tight enough anyhow.
> 
> Dont know how so many dudes are making moderns work. To me they are thin, shrill, hifi (as bad as lace) nonsense.
> Maybe for 8 strings they would work better but even then their mids are so lacking.
> Too big a focus on high mids.
> Full on cocked wah sounding at all times.
> 
> They can work well with recording because of how much post production and eq you can do - but live and at band practices, i wont be using them again.


That's the thing, Moderns can work in a mix because of so much post processing to thicken the tone, but live or even just jamming it sounds so stale. No girth behind the tone. Personally I don't care too much about recording tone because so much can be done to it in post. I care more about live/jam tone and the EMGs do NOT disappoint. Very happy I listened to my gut and went with them because I almost gave Fishmans one more shot.



HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> TBH I like the Fluence Classics. Voice 2 is how I wish the EMG 57/66 sounded.
> 
> My problem with the Fluence Moderns is they were all mids. That's it. The website is spot on when it says the peak freq is ~700 - 750hz, because that's all you hear.  According to @Politics of Ecstasy the Stef set fixes this by adding some variety to the midrange, which I hope so.
> 
> I will say I need to try the 81x/60x set again. Hoping to get a chrome-covered set for my RR3.



See you're not the first person to tell me this. I want to try the Classics for this reason. Maybe one day if I can find a cheap pair I'll give them a shot, but never again with the Moderns.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


> My issue is im a 6er player for my band and they dont offer the stef set in 6 anymore. Was a limited run



It was a silly as shit move. Tosin doesn't even use 6 or 7 strings yet has a set available in those.



Albake21 said:


> See you're not the first person to tell me this. I want to try the Classics for this reason. Maybe one day if I can find a cheap pair I'll give them a shot, but never again with the Moderns.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCECoFxkrLk

This is pretty fucking accurate.


----------



## ptxxx

Typical story here. Tried EMGs years ago and loved em. Thought something was missing in my sound, and went on a long and adventurous journey to find the "perfect" pickup. Duncan, Dimarzio, Bare Knuckle, Motor City, Fishman, ect. Ended up with an EMG 81. It is my favorite tone for sure, and ended up chasing it around like crazy. Ive spent alot of time tone chasing, when i should have spent it playing.


----------



## lewis

ptxxx said:


> Typical story here. Tried EMGs years ago and loved em. Thought something was missing in my sound, and went on a long and adventurous journey to find the "perfect" pickup. Duncan, Dimarzio, Bare Knuckle, Motor City, Fishman, ect. Ended up with an EMG 81. It is my favorite tone for sure, and ended up chasing it around like crazy. Ive spent alot of time tone chasing, when i should have spent it playing.



Same as me completely.


----------



## Science_Penguin

I'm currently using the RA5 set and I've been having the itch to try passive true single coils again because I'm wondering if they'll sound more natural through the Fender Twin Reverb model I'm experimenting with. 

I may just come back to EMG again, so I need an intervention now.


----------



## lewis

Science_Penguin said:


> I'm currently using the RA5 set and I've been having the itch to try passive true single coils again because I'm wondering if they'll sound more natural through the Fender Twin Reverb model I'm experimenting with.
> 
> I may just come back to EMG again, so I need an intervention now.


Have you tried the EMG single coils? I know they are actives but no hum is a godsend. And hey Gilmour uses them so cant be bad.

The S or SA or the H and HA (depending if you have single routes or humbucker routes) sound amazing.

I had the H and i loved it.
I need to try the X series versions.


----------



## Science_Penguin

lewis said:


> Have you tried the EMG single coils? I know they are actives but no hum is a godsend. And hey Gilmour uses them so cant be bad.
> 
> The S or SA or the H and HA (depending if you have single routes or humbucker routes) sound amazing.
> 
> I had the H and i loved it.
> I need to try the X series versions.



I have a couple in my Drop-tuned strat with an 85X in the bridge. They work decently well when I'm on the higher-gain models, and when I'm busting out Momentary Lapse era Floyd type solos, but don't quite have the sparkle I'm after when I'm playing through the Fender amp model.

For added clarification, this is for some quasi-Mathcore clean-to-low-gain mid-2000's Incubus type tones I'm tooling with. Not Metal, so, in this case, hum cancellation isn't a must and neither is compressy sustain.

I bought the RA5 set (or Maverick 5 set I think they call it now) to get me closer to traditional, and they work _okay_ for what I'm trying, but now I'm tempted to go all the way passive to see if there really is something my tone is missing or if I'm just sniffing cork like I was when I was constantly swapping Dimarzios in and out of my RG...


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

It’s true indeed. It’s on the site, you can read the frequencies, and also you can hear it @HeHasTheJazzHands , try using a model without HF tilit or turned off.... i only like to buy scooped type pups....if a usual scooop like an EMG 81 is lets say \__x__/ where (the x is the mids, i wish there was an upside down v)
This is more like \__x_/ where the tweak is on the higher mids-lower highs

@lewis is right about the S and SA single coils, those are EMGs hidden secrets no one gives much mind too but they are some of the best neck pups slanted you can get


----------



## possumkiller

ptxxx said:


> Typical story here. Tried EMGs years ago and loved em. Thought something was missing in my sound, and went on a long and adventurous journey to find the "perfect" pickup. Duncan, Dimarzio, Bare Knuckle, Motor City, Fishman, ect. Ended up with an EMG 81. It is my favorite tone for sure, and ended up chasing it around like crazy. Ive spent alot of time tone chasing, when i should have spent it playing.


Yeap.


----------



## waffles

ptxxx said:


> Typical story here. Tried EMGs years ago and loved em. Thought something was missing in my sound, and went on a long and adventurous journey to find the "perfect" pickup. Duncan, Dimarzio, Bare Knuckle, Motor City, Fishman, ect. Ended up with an EMG 81. It is my favorite tone for sure, and ended up chasing it around like crazy. Ive spent alot of time tone chasing, when i should have spent it playing.



Ditto. It's a shame that I had to spend so much money on pickups only to realise that.


----------



## Seabeast2000

waffles said:


> Ditto. It's a shame that I had to spend so much money on pickups only to realise that.


Now you need to get into golf


----------



## op1e

Traded off my RGD with moderns for an Intrepid Pro 8 with Cepheus Actives and digging it better. If I went back to Fluence, classics are off the table for an 8 so would have to be Abasi. Hear the single coil tones are better on those anyway. But I'm thinking of going 81-8. As for the moderns, in retrospect; Too much edge, too hot in the bridge. Voice 2 helped but too much loss of output and a little too fat. Something in the middle would have been the golden ratio.


----------



## Bobo

Restrung my 99 RG520 this morning to C# standard, and yes indeed it still sounds great with the 81/85. The 81 is what it is, hot and compressed, and it's still a great metal pup to have in my arsenal. 

I also like the 85 in the bridge, as long as it's around standard tuning. 

I would like to find another neck pup that isn't so fat and round like the 85 is. Maybe a 60.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

No love for the James Hetfield signature set? Apparently Jari from Wintersun is now using the Hetset after showering huge compliments to the 57 and 81 in his massive Fishman vs EMG shootout. Bagged a big endorsement deal too.


----------



## lewis

MASS DEFECT said:


> No love for the James Hetfield signature set? Apparently Jari from Wintersun is now using the Hetset after showering huge compliments to the 57 and 81 in his massive Fishman vs EMG shootout. Bagged a big endorsement deal too.



They do genuiney sound better in his demo, to my ears and also my band mates ears.

I genuinely cannot understand how is seems the majority of guitarists online are saying "emgs are shit. Fishmans sound amazing"

Its plainly not true. At the very least the difference in tonal qualities between them is negligible despite how much more money fishmans are.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

I may have to do the 18-v mod to my FR-7620, seems that my gain structure of the 7 string set is inconsistent with that of the 6 string set, even after a fresh battery.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

lewis said:


> They do genuiney sound better in his demo, to my ears and also my band mates ears.
> 
> I genuinely cannot understand how is seems the majority of guitarists online are saying "emgs are shit. Fishmans sound amazing"
> 
> Its plainly not true. At the very least the difference in tonal qualities between them is negligible despite how much more money fishmans are.



To each his own, I guess. EMG sounds best to Jari because Jari EQs his stuff to EMG 81s. Meanwhile, I recently watched Immolation and Behemoth. They all went over to Fishman and their guitar sound is just much better. Immolation sounded heavy and had that mid snarl compared to when I watched them last time when Vigna had 81s through the same rig.

For what it's worth I haven't read forums recently that have people saying EMGs are shit. Most Ive read is saying that the Fishman's mids are better in terms of clarity, feel and being a half way for passives vs actives. But not to the point that people say EMGs are shit.

I have no skin in the game. I dig my Fluences more because my sound calls for them fat mids, but I also have 81s and Hetsets that I can swap out in a whim. Works for me, because my guitars are wired for Fluence so I can go back to both brands easily.


----------



## lewis

The thing is, my moderns sound and feel like they have way weaker mids than my 81s.

I always hear this about the moderns. Mine absolutely suck in a live mix. And are really thin sounding. No balls, push etc.
One show i played with them i maxed mids, maxed bass, maxed resonance, zero'd treble and presence...and stilllllll they were thin/sterile sounding.

They are wayyy to hifi.
Switched to the 81s (quick connect) and instantly i obliterate the other guitarist in a live mix whereas before he was beating me when i had the moderns.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

If Josh Middleton can sound huge with Moderns with his Kemper vs when he used EMG 57 and Passive Duncans (I like his passive tones more), then you shouldn't have a problem with it. The modern and 81 have different EQs. With my rig (Mesa Mark) when Im using the Modern I tame down the 750 slider down and boost the bass a bit. With the 81 I up the 750 slider and tame down bass and the far highs. 

I don't know why you need to push the mids to max on the moderns since they are pretty mid heavy already. I understand pushing bass since they have much lesser bass than an 81. Maybe time to change batteries? My moderns sound growly down the mids vs my 81 in the same guitar. 

I use an AX8 too. And the only thing I do when switching between EMGs and Fluence is to adjust where my bass is. And they sound pretty even to each other.


----------



## c7spheres

Just curious, has anyone tried out any of the single coil 7 string EMG's yet? There's four of them now. I'm sure they probably sound great in the neck position, but I'd be really intersted to try them in the Bridge with some fat heavy distortion actually. I'm thinking I could even tilt them at angles more towards the neck or bridge to experiment with too, if the humbucker route holes from my EMG 707's allow. I'd bet it gets nice and nasty. It would also be cool to try them with the PA-2 (which I have) or the afterburner. I just got an itch to make some nasty, dirty tones. Anyone try these yet?


----------



## lewis

c7spheres said:


> Just curious, has anyone tried out any of the single coil 7 string EMG's yet? There's four of them now. I'm sure they probably sound great in the neck position, but I'd be really intersted to try them in the Bridge with some fat heavy distortion actually. I'm thinking I could even tilt them at angles more towards the neck or bridge to experiment with too, if the humbucker route holes from my EMG 707's allow. I'd bet it gets nice and nasty. It would also be cool to try them with the PA-2 (which I have) or the afterburner. I just got an itch to make some nasty, dirty tones. Anyone try these yet?



Ive not done the 7 string version but i did use An H in the bridge on my 6 string and its tuned like a 7 string (drop G# but to 432hz so lower than normal G#) and it djented very very well for my needs. Was really really cool under modern distortion. And ovviously they are noiseless so its a big win in that respect.

And actually on this subject, for fan fret guitars with slanted pickup routes. Wouldnt it be possible to buy some single coils, put them in slanted like a humbucker, and then wire them up like it too?
I imagine an S and SA together as a humbucker would be cool.


----------



## c7spheres

lewis said:


> Ive not done the 7 string version but i did use An H in the bridge on my 6 string and its tuned like a 7 string (drop G# but to 432hz so lower than normal G#) and it djented very very well for my needs. Was really really cool under modern distortion. And ovviously they are noiseless so its a big win in that respect.
> 
> And actually on this subject, for fan fret guitars with slanted pickup routes. Wouldnt it be possible to buy some single coils, put them in slanted like a humbucker, and then wire them up like it too?
> I imagine an S and SA together as a humbucker would be cool.



Good to know. That's a cool idea. Now you got me thinking crazy thoughts : ) Eventually I'd like to try them all just to know for sure what I like best, though I'm pretty happy with just my 707 and 60-7.


----------



## hensh!n

I tried the singles (neck position) in a 7 String Schecter. Was the best thing about that guitar to be honest.


----------



## @zwen

EMG’s sound like a slightly hotter and bassier Fishman Fluence to me.


----------



## gunch

Got that old HAX gas


----------



## lewis

gunch said:


> Got that old HAX gas


They are so damn good too!!!

Do it!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

gunch said:


> Got that old HAX gas


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


>



Pahahahah


----------



## mnemonic

Got that itch to try EMG’s again as I do every couple years, and stuck an 85 I’ve had lying around into my parts strat. The L500XL I had in there I was getting tired of. Just a bit too tight/stiff, hard to tame the treble and didn’t have the chunky Palm mute sound I wanted. 

Decided to try 18 volts this time, small battery cavity so a real pain to cram it all in there. 

Cool sound, thick pickup, but I want to try an 81 since I haven’t used an 81 in nearly a decade. 

eBay was mostly a bust, a couple people selling worn out 81’s with drilled out tabs and no wires. And for £20 more I could get a new one. So I decided to go new this time and try out the 81x. 

I went all-out and also ordered an SAx for the neck position since I’ve always wondered what EMG single coils are like. I wanted the Sx since I heard it was more ‘quacky strat’ sounding and that the SA/SAx was warmer, middier. Couldnt find one for sale anywhere, so I just went with the SAx. 




First my opinion of the 81x (at 9 volts, can’t fit another battery in there with all the electronics)... fantastic! Tighter and more cutting than the 85 at 18 volts, gets that thick chunky palm mute sound, but choke up a bit more with my hand and it gets very djenty. Weird how an 81, tubescreamer, and a Recto is pretty much the perfect metal sound. 

The SAx, well let’s say I’m glad nobody had an Sx for me to buy if it’s supposed to be brighter than the SAx. The SAx has a very hifi sound, tons of extended high end. Into my normal clean patches on my axe FX it almost sounded like an electric acoustic. Very plinky, easy to get an 80’s clean sound. But brittle on light gain, or distortion. 

I wouldn’t call it super-high-output, but I don’t have it cranked up high. I wanted to avoid too much compression from the pickup. I have it set about the same height as the passive Fender SCN pickups in my American Deluxe Strat, and the SCNs are hotter. The SCN’s also sound better for light breakup, and as far as single coils go, they are not rated highly by strat enthusiasts so I guess take that as you will. The SAx still sounds like a single coil, and is a cool sound to have, but if I was gonna have only one single coil guitar and I wanted it to cop vintage strat sounds, the SAx wouldn’t be it. 

Working the tone knob is important here, rolled back slightly and it sounds great. I’ve never been a big tone knob user but I think I’ll get plenty of use from it for this pickup. 

Speaking of the tone knob, the pickups came with the VLPS Active Tone knob, and based on the marketing copy I was expecting something new and interesting but it just sounds like a normal tone knob to me. 

Solderless electronics - these are pretty neat. They go together like Lego’s and if you don’t know how to wire a guitar, the instructions that come with the pickups offer a few general diagrams that are very easy to follow. 

I decided I wanted the tone knob only to affect the neck pickup and that was as simple as swapping a couple jumpers around. Granted it’s also not a difficult mod on a normal guitar, but it would require soldering. 

It was also easy enough to use my existing 3-way blade switch, soldered a couple wires to the switch and then those wires just go into the screw terminals on the buss provided. 

The downsides are as follows, and there are a few in my opinion: 
-this all takes up more room in the control cavity, with the buss and the quick-connect clips all being larger than a soldered connection. Can be an issue for tight cavities. 

-quick connect cables are all the length they are, cant trim them without defeating their whole point, so I’ve got a bunch of coiled wire in my control cavity, looks like a rats nest. 

-the pots are right handed and since they’re PCB, I can’t just swap terminals to make them rotate the correct way for a lefty. So I have right handed pots on this guitar. 

-I can’t change the cap value on the tone pot, it’s all on the PCB, and is SMT. 

-If my pot breaks I have to order EMG’s expensive pot, rather than spend £3 on an Alpha pot or something. 

-if I don’t like the pot taper I’m out of luck. 

All that said, I can see how this system would be invaluable for a DIYer who can’t solder. 

It was a real pain to get the spade clips on to the input jack and also fit the damn thing into the guitar. The input jack cavity is tight as it is, and adding the clips just took up even more room. I did eventually manage to find a position that just barely fit. I can even plug the cable in, hooray. 


In conclusion, I’m very happy with the pickups. The 81x is just fantastic for metal, and I think it does have better feel than the 85 (at 18 volts) that I was using for a couple days before the 81x arrived. The SAx is also a real cool single coil, if not somewhat non-traditional. Both pickups are very clear, as one might expect. 

I guess we’ll see how long I stick with them, in the past I’ve usually tired of them after a month or so, but maybe that will be different with the X series.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

mnemonic said:


> Got that itch to try EMG’s again as I do every couple years, and stuck an 85 I’ve had lying around into my parts strat. The L500XL I had in there I was getting tired of. Just a bit too tight/stiff, hard to tame the treble and didn’t have the chunky Palm mute sound I wanted.
> 
> Decided to try 18 volts this time, small battery cavity so a real pain to cram it all in there.
> 
> Cool sound, thick pickup, but I want to try an 81 since I haven’t used an 81 in nearly a decade.
> 
> eBay was mostly a bust, a couple people selling worn out 81’s with drilled out tabs and no wires. And for £20 more I could get a new one. So I decided to go new this time and try out the 81x.
> 
> I went all-out and also ordered an SAx for the neck position since I’ve always wondered what EMG single coils are like. I wanted the Sx since I heard it was more ‘quacky strat’ sounding and that the SA/SAx was warmer, middier. Couldnt find one for sale anywhere, so I just went with the SAx.
> 
> View attachment 74664
> 
> 
> First my opinion of the 81x (at 9 volts, can’t fit another battery in there with all the electronics)... fantastic! Tighter and more cutting than the 85 at 18 volts, gets that thick chunky palm mute sound, but choke up a bit more with my hand and it gets very djenty. Weird how an 81, tubescreamer, and a Recto is pretty much the perfect metal sound.
> 
> The SAx, well let’s say I’m glad nobody had an Sx for me to buy if it’s supposed to be brighter than the SAx. The SAx has a very hifi sound, tons of extended high end. Into my normal clean patches on my axe FX it almost sounded like an electric acoustic. Very plinky, easy to get an 80’s clean sound. But brittle on light gain, or distortion.
> 
> I wouldn’t call it super-high-output, but I don’t have it cranked up high. I wanted to avoid too much compression from the pickup. I have it set about the same height as the passive Fender SCN pickups in my American Deluxe Strat, and the SCNs are hotter. The SCN’s also sound better for light breakup, and as far as single coils go, they are not rated highly by strat enthusiasts so I guess take that as you will. The SAx still sounds like a single coil, and is a cool sound to have, but if I was gonna have only one single coil guitar and I wanted it to cop vintage strat sounds, the SAx wouldn’t be it.
> 
> Working the tone knob is important here, rolled back slightly and it sounds great. I’ve never been a big tone knob user but I think I’ll get plenty of use from it for this pickup.
> 
> Speaking of the tone knob, the pickups came with the VLPS Active Tone knob, and based on the marketing copy I was expecting something new and interesting but it just sounds like a normal tone knob to me.
> 
> Solderless electronics - these are pretty neat. They go together like Lego’s and if you don’t know how to wire a guitar, the instructions that come with the pickups offer a few general diagrams that are very easy to follow.
> 
> I decided I wanted the tone knob only to affect the neck pickup and that was as simple as swapping a couple jumpers around. Granted it’s also not a difficult mod on a normal guitar, but it would require soldering.
> 
> It was also easy enough to use my existing 3-way blade switch, soldered a couple wires to the switch and then those wires just go into the screw terminals on the buss provided.
> 
> The downsides are as follows, and there are a few in my opinion:
> -this all takes up more room in the control cavity, with the buss and the quick-connect clips all being larger than a soldered connection. Can be an issue for tight cavities.
> 
> -quick connect cables are all the length they are, cant trim them without defeating their whole point, so I’ve got a bunch of coiled wire in my control cavity, looks like a rats nest.
> 
> -the pots are right handed and since they’re PCB, I can’t just swap terminals to make them rotate the correct way for a lefty. So I have right handed pots on this guitar.
> 
> -I can’t change the cap value on the tone pot, it’s all on the PCB, and is SMT.
> 
> -If my pot breaks I have to order EMG’s expensive pot, rather than spend £3 on an Alpha pot or something.
> 
> -if I don’t like the pot taper I’m out of luck.
> 
> All that said, I can see how this system would be invaluable for a DIYer who can’t solder.
> 
> It was a real pain to get the spade clips on to the input jack and also fit the damn thing into the guitar. The input jack cavity is tight as it is, and adding the clips just took up even more room. I did eventually manage to find a position that just barely fit. I can even plug the cable in, hooray.
> 
> 
> In conclusion, I’m very happy with the pickups. The 81x is just fantastic for metal, and I think it does have better feel than the 85 (at 18 volts) that I was using for a couple days before the 81x arrived. The SAx is also a real cool single coil, if not somewhat non-traditional. Both pickups are very clear, as one might expect.
> 
> I guess we’ll see how long I stick with them, in the past I’ve usually tired of them after a month or so, but maybe that will be different with the X series.


Get the original 24v mod on eBay. The thing is smaller than a 9v battery.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Get the original 24v mod on eBay. The thing is smaller than a 9v battery.


Isn't this the OG mod?

http://24voltmod.com


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Yes, read the packaging.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Yes, read the packaging.



just bought one.


----------



## mnemonic

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Get the original 24v mod on eBay. The thing is smaller than a 9v battery.



I had seen those on eBay but the problem I see comes down to current capacity. Those 12 volt A23 batteries have a capacity of approx 55 mAh according to google, where a typical 9 volt battery is approx 500 mAh. So the 24v mod battery with two A23 batteries should only last 1/10th as long as a normal 9 volt (or two 9 volts in series). 

That being said I understand EMG current draw is not really high, so it may well be fine. I think if I decide I want to go 18 volts I may just route a double-9-volt battery cavity.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

mnemonic said:


> I had seen those on eBay but the problem I see comes down to current capacity. Those 12 volt A23 batteries have a capacity of approx 55 mAh according to google, where a typical 9 volt battery is approx 500 mAh. So the 24v mod battery with two A23 batteries should only last 1/10th as long as a normal 9 volt (or two 9 volts in series).
> 
> That being said I understand EMG current draw is not really high, so it may well be fine. I think if I decide I want to go 18 volts I may just route a double-9-volt battery cavity.


I think I change them every six months or so when I change strings and oil the fretboard.


----------



## Mathemagician

mnemonic said:


> Got that itch to try EMG’s again as I do every couple years, and stuck an 85 I’ve had lying around into my parts strat. The L500XL I had in there I was getting tired of. Just a bit too tight/stiff, hard to tame the treble and didn’t have the chunky Palm mute sound I wanted.
> 
> Decided to try 18 volts this time, small battery cavity so a real pain to cram it all in there.
> 
> Cool sound, thick pickup, but I want to try an 81 since I haven’t used an 81 in nearly a decade.
> 
> eBay was mostly a bust, a couple people selling worn out 81’s with drilled out tabs and no wires. And for £20 more I could get a new one. So I decided to go new this time and try out the 81x.
> 
> I went all-out and also ordered an SAx for the neck position since I’ve always wondered what EMG single coils are like. I wanted the Sx since I heard it was more ‘quacky strat’ sounding and that the SA/SAx was warmer, middier. Couldnt find one for sale anywhere, so I just went with the SAx.
> 
> View attachment 74664
> 
> 
> First my opinion of the 81x (at 9 volts, can’t fit another battery in there with all the electronics)... fantastic! Tighter and more cutting than the 85 at 18 volts, gets that thick chunky palm mute sound, but choke up a bit more with my hand and it gets very djenty. Weird how an 81, tubescreamer, and a Recto is pretty much the perfect metal sound.
> 
> The SAx, well let’s say I’m glad nobody had an Sx for me to buy if it’s supposed to be brighter than the SAx. The SAx has a very hifi sound, tons of extended high end. Into my normal clean patches on my axe FX it almost sounded like an electric acoustic. Very plinky, easy to get an 80’s clean sound. But brittle on light gain, or distortion.
> 
> I wouldn’t call it super-high-output, but I don’t have it cranked up high. I wanted to avoid too much compression from the pickup. I have it set about the same height as the passive Fender SCN pickups in my American Deluxe Strat, and the SCNs are hotter. The SCN’s also sound better for light breakup, and as far as single coils go, they are not rated highly by strat enthusiasts so I guess take that as you will. The SAx still sounds like a single coil, and is a cool sound to have, but if I was gonna have only one single coil guitar and I wanted it to cop vintage strat sounds, the SAx wouldn’t be it.
> 
> Working the tone knob is important here, rolled back slightly and it sounds great. I’ve never been a big tone knob user but I think I’ll get plenty of use from it for this pickup.
> 
> Speaking of the tone knob, the pickups came with the VLPS Active Tone knob, and based on the marketing copy I was expecting something new and interesting but it just sounds like a normal tone knob to me.
> 
> Solderless electronics - these are pretty neat. They go together like Lego’s and if you don’t know how to wire a guitar, the instructions that come with the pickups offer a few general diagrams that are very easy to follow.
> 
> I decided I wanted the tone knob only to affect the neck pickup and that was as simple as swapping a couple jumpers around. Granted it’s also not a difficult mod on a normal guitar, but it would require soldering.
> 
> It was also easy enough to use my existing 3-way blade switch, soldered a couple wires to the switch and then those wires just go into the screw terminals on the buss provided.
> 
> The downsides are as follows, and there are a few in my opinion:
> -this all takes up more room in the control cavity, with the buss and the quick-connect clips all being larger than a soldered connection. Can be an issue for tight cavities.
> 
> -quick connect cables are all the length they are, cant trim them without defeating their whole point, so I’ve got a bunch of coiled wire in my control cavity, looks like a rats nest.
> 
> -the pots are right handed and since they’re PCB, I can’t just swap terminals to make them rotate the correct way for a lefty. So I have right handed pots on this guitar.
> 
> -I can’t change the cap value on the tone pot, it’s all on the PCB, and is SMT.
> 
> -If my pot breaks I have to order EMG’s expensive pot, rather than spend £3 on an Alpha pot or something.
> 
> -if I don’t like the pot taper I’m out of luck.
> 
> All that said, I can see how this system would be invaluable for a DIYer who can’t solder.
> 
> It was a real pain to get the spade clips on to the input jack and also fit the damn thing into the guitar. The input jack cavity is tight as it is, and adding the clips just took up even more room. I did eventually manage to find a position that just barely fit. I can even plug the cable in, hooray.
> 
> 
> In conclusion, I’m very happy with the pickups. The 81x is just fantastic for metal, and I think it does have better feel than the 85 (at 18 volts) that I was using for a couple days before the 81x arrived. The SAx is also a real cool single coil, if not somewhat non-traditional. Both pickups are very clear, as one might expect.
> 
> I guess we’ll see how long I stick with them, in the past I’ve usually tired of them after a month or so, but maybe that will be different with the X series.



I’m right handed. But let me be very clear. I am going to steal that strat.


----------



## Marked Man

I will never be without at least a few guitars with EMGs again. They are essential to my collection, especially the 81/60, 81/85, and 85/SLV/SLV sets I have in various guitars. I don't yet have a 7 with EMGs, but that will be changing soon enough....


----------



## sleewell

85 in bridge is so sweet. 

i'm back to passives at the moment, always subject to change though lol


----------



## Mathemagician

I have an EMG TW bridge pickup with the push pull but idk what it’s supposed to be. Debating swapping it for an 81 or 57.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Took out the 81X. It just feels too thin. The Hetfield set is back in. And for me, they are the best pickups that EMG makes.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

MASS DEFECT said:


> Took out the 81X. It just feels too thin. The Hetfield set is back in. And for me, they are the best pickups that EMG makes.


@MASS DEFECT we usually see eye to eye

How do you rate the 81 vs the Hatfield bridge?
I was told they are the same, others say they are different
I havent had the chance.

Can you compare the classic 81 to the Hetfield to the 81x please, if you dont mind.....I’ve been really interested in both hearing the Hetfield and the 81x to compare through a Mesa or an Axe but if you can just compare whatever you can that be cool...thx


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

c7spheres said:


> Just curious, has anyone tried out any of the single coil 7 string EMG's yet? There's four of them now. I'm sure they probably sound great in the neck position, but I'd be really intersted to try them in the Bridge with some fat heavy distortion actually. I'm thinking I could even tilt them at angles more towards the neck or bridge to experiment with too, if the humbucker route holes from my EMG 707's allow. I'd bet it gets nice and nasty. It would also be cool to try them with the PA-2 (which I have) or the afterburner. I just got an itch to make some nasty, dirty tones. Anyone try these yet?


How’s the afterburner with the 707? Do you have an 81-7? Or was the afterburner in lieu of the 707?


----------



## c7spheres

Politics of Ecstasy said:


> How’s the afterburner with the 707? Do you have an 81-7? Or was the afterburner in lieu of the 707?


 I don't have the Afterburner, I have the PA-2 with a 707 connected and 60-7c in the neck. I've never tried the 81-7 or Afterburner, but I have tried the 6 string 81. I like the 707 alinco sound more than a ceramic in the bridge. I use a 60-7 (ceramic) in the neck and like it. The PA-2 booster is great for pushing things. It has anything between a subtle boost to way to much boost, on an internal trim pot. I usually leave it all the way down. It doesn't really boost at that lowest position but makes things a tighter just being i the chain and feels different than with it off so it's pretty cool that way. If you crank it all the way and run it into a distorted heavy channel it's a little similar to a fuzz pedal suturated tone. Doing this on clean sounds like total crap. If you barely boost it into a clean channel it's pretty similar to an overdrive channel and sound pretty decent, probably because that's what you're actually doing at that point is really pushing the input of the amp. I really like it. I've also tried the Phase invert (Pi-2) and it's pretty cool. It's one thinner sound and one normal sound. What's even niver about it is that if you got phase issues in your electicy where you play and it feels wierd you can flip the phase switch and it gets tight again. My old rehersal spot had really bad electric./ radio etc. The Pi-2 is cool but I like the PA-2 more. I actually have two unwrapped pi-2's (phse inverters) for sale. I bought them direct from EMG to put in custom projects that never materialized, then ralized years later that I acidentally (or they acidentally sent me) pi-2's instead of pa-2's. Dang.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

c7spheres said:


> I don't have the Afterburner, I have the PA-2 with a 707 connected and 60-7c in the neck. I've never tried the 81-7 or Afterburner, but I have tried the 6 string 81. I like the 707 alinco sound more than a ceramic in the bridge. I use a 60-7 (ceramic) in the neck and like it. The PA-2 booster is great for pushing things. It has anything between a subtle boost to way to much boost, on an internal trim pot. I usually leave it all the way down. It doesn't really boost at that lowest position but makes things a tighter just being i the chain and feels different than with it off so it's pretty cool that way. If you crank it all the way and run it into a distorted heavy channel it's a little similar to a fuzz pedal suturated tone. Doing this on clean sounds like total crap. If you barely boost it into a clean channel it's pretty similar to an overdrive channel and sound pretty decent, probably because that's what you're actually doing at that point is really pushing the input of the amp. I really like it. I've also tried the Phase invert (Pi-2) and it's pretty cool. It's one thinner sound and one normal sound. What's even niver about it is that if you got phase issues in your electicy where you play and it feels wierd you can flip the phase switch and it gets tight again. My old rehersal spot had really bad electric./ radio etc. The Pi-2 is cool but I like the PA-2 more. I actually have two unwrapped pi-2's (phse inverters) for sale. I bought them direct from EMG to put in custom projects that never materialized, then ralized years later that I acidentally (or they acidentally sent me) pi-2's instead of pa-2's. Dang.


Thx man


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Politics of Ecstasy said:


> @MASS DEFECT we usually see eye to eye
> 
> How do you rate the 81 vs the Hatfield bridge?
> I was told they are the same, others say they are different
> I havent had the chance.
> 
> Can you compare the classic 81 to the Hetfield to the 81x please, if you dont mind.....I’ve been really interested in both hearing the Hetfield and the 81x to compare through a Mesa or an Axe but if you can just compare whatever you can that be cool...thx



The 81 is very different from the Hetset. We all know what an 81 sounds and feels like. The hetset bridge is to me, a better sounding 81. It has fatter mids and low mids that make it feel like there are more frequencies at play. The 81 is laser focused in certain feequencies that make it sound tighter but by itself, it feels thinner. The hetfield bridge is just a fatter and more natural sounding 81. They sure have that sort of passive active hybrid sound same as the 57. The hetset is less tighter but not by much. But it sure is brighter. 

The 81x was ok. It has more controllable gain than the 81 and does makes it sound drier and less compressed/saturated than the original. But it has the same eq and attack.


----------



## Marked Man

MASS DEFECT said:


> The 81 is very different from the Hetset. We all know what an 81 sounds and feels like. The hetset bridge is to me, a better sounding 81. It has fatter mids and low mids that make it feel like there are more frequencies at play. The 81 is laser focused in certain feequencies that make it sound tighter but by itself, it feels thinner. The hetfield bridge is just a fatter and more natural sounding 81. They sure have that sort of passive active hybrid sound same as the 57. The hetset is less tighter but not by much. But it sure is brighter.
> 
> The 81x was ok. It has more controllable gain than the 81 and does makes it sound drier and less compressed/saturated than the original. But it has the same eq and attack.



I think of the 81 as perfect for what it is. Whenever I want maximum high gain attack/clarity, it's going to be the 81! The 85 is more well rounded for a guitar that needs to cover more ground. 

I do like the X series more for their single coils, however.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

I think the 81 is perfect , period man
To me , I mean

(85 In the neck , 81/85 GOAT since like 1985)


----------



## mnemonic

Slight update, the SAX doesn’t really sound excessively bright after reworking my clean and light gain tones. The patches were just set up to be quite bright so my split humbuckers in other guitars would sound decent. 

The SAX is brighter, and lower output when at the same height, compared to my American deluxe’s SCN pickups. But it sounds very good, super happy with it. 

I also especially like how turning down the volume doesn’t change the tone like it does with passive pickups, it literally just reduces the volume of the guitar. Much preferred in my book, I hate the loss of highs when turning down volume with passives. 

I wouldn’t mind getting a bit more low end from the 81x but so far I’m happy with it. Very tight and cutting. I think I prefer having it set kinda low, too close to the strings and the attack doesn’t really feel right to me. 

I briefly tried 18 volts with two batteries but I can’t fit two batteries in my control cavity with all the electronics so I just had them taped to the back of the guitar. I think this did improve the feel, but not in a night-and-day kind of way, subtle. Maybe no sound difference, just feel. I was gonna order that 24v harness off eBay and just deal with battery changes every 6 months (which is still a good long life for a thing running on batteries) but the data sheet for the VLPF active tone knob says 18volts maximum supply. And the pcb is upside down so I can’t see the op amp or other parts to confirm whatever it’s using would be damaged at 24 volts. 


I kinda want to try the EMG 57 now, the way people describe it sounds very good to me. But I don’t have any other guitars that need pickup swaps. 


Also, changed the wiring around so the tone knob is only on the neck pickup, and I put strat knobs and some of those Les Paul pointers on the knobs, so I can see what things are set at. It makes these backwards knobs much more easy to figure.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Marked Man said:


> I think of the 81 as perfect for what it is. Whenever I want maximum high gain attack/clarity, it's going to be the 81! The 85 is more well rounded for a guitar that needs to cover more ground.
> 
> I do like the X series more for their single coils, however.



I agree that it is perfect for what it is. Thats why alot of people swear by them. But I dont know, it's just not for me. I put them on, then it is rifftastic for the first 3 months. Then my ears get tired of it. It sounds great recorded though. Just sits well in the mix. 

I always gravited towards the 85, 57 and JH. I just need a bit more thickness to my active pickups.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

Before I went to the 57/66 combo, I had an 89 in the bridge and a S in the neck. This was a good combo, the 89 being basically an 85 than you can split.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> Before I went to the 57/66 combo, I had an 89 in the bridge and a S in the neck. This was a good combo, the 89 being basically an 85 than you can split.


Really? IS that what the 89 is? That is very interesting

And you know what after you said that about the 89 and S in the neck, I have an 81 with a SLanted S in the neck, and that is a shred machine....

But I’m more curious about hearing 57/66 combo, thats one combo i haven’t gotten my hands on yet, and I really would like to


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Politics of Ecstasy said:


> Really? IS that what the 89 is? That is very interesting
> 
> And you know what after you said that about the 89 and S in the neck, I have an 81 with a SLanted S in the neck, and that is a shred machine....
> 
> But I’m more curious about hearing 57/66 combo, thats one combo i haven’t gotten my hands on yet, and I really would like to


Yeah, the 89 is the SA and 85, whereas the 81TW is an S when tapped.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

No way!!!!! I’m almost embarrassed I didn’t know that 

spaced what do you prefer: S or SA? I think S is brighter.... u?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I have not used any of the single coils, but alnico loaded pickups are warmer typically.


----------



## chopeth

I have the 81TW, 89 and the S in a guitar, does it means I have two S?


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

chopeth said:


> I have the 81TW, 89 and the S in a guitar, does it means I have two S?



Essentially, yes, you do. The 85 coils are on top, but on the single coil split side, one of those 85 coils is stacked on a dummy coil underneath it to cancel the hum, that stacked combination is the S pickup. Ideally, it's like having two independent pickups under the 89 hood, one of these being the 85, the other the S, but both pickups share one common coil.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> Essentially, yes, you do. The 85 coils are on top, but on the single coil split side, one of those 85 coils is stacked on a dummy coil underneath it to cancel the hum, that stacked combination is the S pickup. Ideally, it's like having two independent pickups under the 89 hood, one of these being the 85, the other the S, but both pickups share one common coil.


89 has an SA, not S.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

Spaced Out Ace said:


> 89 has an SA, not S.


With apologies, I stand corrected.
But, same concept as far as shared coil, dummy coil, etc...
I have a tendency to mix up the model names of many of their single coils...


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> With apologies, I stand corrected.
> But, same concept as far as shared coil, dummy coil, etc...
> I have a tendency to mix up the model names of many of their single coils...


"A" added to just about anything means Alnico, such as the H4A, 60A, SA, HA, etc.

But yes, they have two S single coils. It'd be S/S/SA.


----------



## Marked Man

Politics of Ecstasy said:


> I think the 81 is perfect , period man
> To me , I mean
> 
> (85 In the neck , 81/85 GOAT since like 1985)



Maximum shred, maximum attack always comes from the 81/85+SPC for me. I wouldn't think of anything else for my Hanneman Twins:





My Charvel 650 Custom is more of an all arounder, and has the 85/SLV/SLV + SPC:





SLV is the Steve Lukather overwound version of the SA. I tried the 85/SA/S first, and thought the SA was too mild, and the S was too bright, so I bought a pair SLV and called it a day. The SLVs can still do ULTRA clean and also give a nice, clear, hi-tech lead sound that reminds me of the more progressive shredders back in the day. The 650 is my favorite all around active guitar, but the 81/85 combo in the Hannemans is just brutal!


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

Marked Man said:


> Maximum shred, maximum attack always comes from the 81/85+SPC for me. I wouldn't think of anything else for my Hanneman Twins:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My Charvel 650 Custom is more of an all arounder, and has the 85/SLV/SLV + SPC:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> SLV is the Steve Lukather overwound version of the SA. I tried the 85/SA/S first, and thought the SA was too mild, and the S was too bright, so I bought a pair SLV and called it a day. The SLVs can still do ULTRA clean and also give a nice, clear, hi-tech lead sound that reminds me of the more progressive shredders back in the day. The 650 is my favorite all around active guitar, but the 81/85 combo in the Hannemans is just brutal!


YESSSSSSSS
THIS IS THE ESP EMG SHIT IM TALKING ABOUT
ALL neo retros take note : THIS is what SHREDDERS, shred luthier companies and EMG we’re doing on a regular basis in the 80s

don’t get me wrong, those are PRIMO but I mean it isn’t Out if the ordinary that those era guitars are shred ready and perfect!!!!!!

gorgeous bro
Congrats on having those fine pieces

I have a near twin M II DELUXE custom shop 91 , EMG 81 and slanted S in that one

One question: why the SPC? Not the RPC, and or that boost?


----------



## Marked Man

Politics of Ecstasy said:


> YESSSSSSSS
> THIS IS THE ESP EMG SHIT IM TALKING ABOUT
> ALL neo retros take note : THIS is what SHREDDERS, shred luthier companies and EMG we’re doing on a regular basis in the 80s
> 
> don’t get me wrong, those are PRIMO but I mean it isn’t Out if the ordinary that those era guitars are shred ready and perfect!!!!!!
> 
> gorgeous bro
> Congrats on having those fine pieces
> 
> I have a near twin M II DELUXE custom shop 91 , EMG 81 and slanted S in that one
> 
> One question: why the SPC? Not the RPC, and or that boost?



Mid range is what people hear most prominently from guitars. So it is the parameter that is most likely in need of tweaking for different rooms, etc. Having the SPC allows you to make a final adjustment any time without having to screw around with your amp (possibly in pitch darkness). The SPC is very useable/musical and does not change your fundamental tone, just fills it out. And of course, you can also install the SPC in passive pickup guitars, which I will eventually do on a select few that could use it. EMGs by nature truly do need the SPC in my opinion to warm things up, not just more gain! More tone! I like 0-15% boost for crunch and up to 50-60% boost for leads using HBs, or up to 75% boost for leads using singles.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

Marked Man said:


> Mid range is what people hear most prominently from guitars. So it is the parameter that is most likely in need of tweaking for different rooms, etc. Having the SPC allows you to make a final adjustment any time without having to screw around with your amp (possibly in pitch darkness). The SPC is very useable/musical and does not change your fundamental tone, just fills it out. And of course, you can also install the SPC in passive pickup guitars, which I will eventually do on a select few that could use it. EMGs by nature truly do need the SPC in my opinion to warm things up, not just more gain! More tone! I like 0-15% boost for crunch and up to 50-60% boost for leads using HBs, or up to 75% boost for leads using singles.


That’s what I thought 
I had the opposite theory : BOOST TREBLE, and increase clarity of highs 
But I get your point 
Thanks for sharing


----------



## Marked Man

Politics of Ecstasy said:


> That’s what I thought
> I had the opposite theory : BOOST TREBLE, and increase clarity of highs
> But I get your point
> Thanks for sharing



Want to test my theory? Play a Mesa Mark amp and a Marshall JVM side by side at similar "perceived" volume (I have both amps) or wattage. The Mark will seem louder and more powerful because of the thick mids, whereas the Marshall is scooped out in comparison and needs more wattage to have the same impact in the prime frequency range where you hear music, but by then you have high volume treble assaulting your ears. Mids are the key to everything, they get your point across!!

There is nowhere this is more obvious that listening to a live band recording, especially a crappy one. The guy with the overly scooped guitar tone will come across as nasty clicks and slashes from his pick, but no body. I learned a lot about midrange and live sound from listening to Petrucci's observation on the matter. And Metallica. Remember the super scooped, dry tone on Justice (drums were even WORSE)? They vastly improved the recorded tone on the Black album by adding MIDS!


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

Is that the difference in tone with that album? Mids? Very interesting (it’s one of their best sound )


----------



## Marked Man

Politics of Ecstasy said:


> Is that the difference in tone with that album? Mids? Very interesting (it’s one of their best sound )



Yep. That was the ONE good thing Bob Rock did for them.

I am big into my home studio and I hear the importance of mids every single day when I do an individual mix or final overall mix.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Oooof that white charvel is the tits! Funny enough, I gravitate towards Jackson soloists and dinkys because of Seasons era Hanneman and World Downfall era Jesse Pintado's red Charvel 650. 

Killer guitars!


----------



## lewis

You're both right.
Drill an extra hole and pair the SPC and RPC together on the same guitar haha

Then control low end tightness and high end clarity PLUS mids on the fly depending on venue to leave amp as is.

Half tempted to make a total no nonsense guitar and remove volume so its always on and replace that with both these instead haha


----------



## Marked Man

MASS DEFECT said:


> Oooof that white charvel is the tits! Funny enough, I gravitate towards Jackson soloists and dinkys because of Seasons era Hanneman and World Downfall era Jesse Pintado's red Charvel 650.
> 
> Killer guitars!



I will always consider buying any Charvel 650 when I (very rarely) see one for sale online, whether I need another guitar or not. It was a freakish occurrence when I found mine locally on Craigslist (which I no longer use). The guy inherited it and had NO idea what he had, which had been stored in someone's closet in the case for many years!!  I restored it and then improved it beyond its original state with EMGs + SPC, and when the time comes, it will get 6100 stainless steel frets, too. It is my #1 guitar and every bit as good as a Soloist. I also have a white Jackson Soloist Pro MIJ from the same early '90s era but with passive pickups.


----------



## Marked Man

lewis said:


> You're both right.
> Drill an extra hole and pair the SPC and RPC together on the same guitar haha
> 
> Then control low end tightness and high end clarity PLUS mids on the fly depending on venue to leave amp as is.
> 
> Half tempted to make a total no nonsense guitar and remove volume so its always on and replace that with both these instead haha



That is a thought! My Charvel 650 still has an extra tone knob (which I never use anyway).


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

if you did both I think you’d be the only dude (def that I know), and that would really cool....


----------



## c7spheres

lewis said:


> You're both right.
> Drill an extra hole and pair the SPC and RPC together on the same guitar haha
> 
> Then control low end tightness and high end clarity PLUS mids on the fly depending on venue to leave amp as is.
> 
> Half tempted to make a total no nonsense guitar and remove volume so its always on and replace that with both these instead haha


 You'd probably want to wire those in parallel to make it work how you're saying, but that's a cool idea.


----------



## lewis

c7spheres said:


> You'd probably want to wire those in parallel to make it work how you're saying, but that's a cool idea.


Yeah defo.

Would be proper cool to try at least.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

EMG is crazy, the RPC and SPC were literally, stagnant for a decade....all of a sudden they are like double the price, shouldnt be more than $40 shipped for an RPC.....greedy bastards


----------



## Marked Man

Politics of Ecstasy said:


> EMG is crazy, the RPC and SPC were literally, stagnant for a decade....all of a sudden they are like double the price, shouldnt be more than $40 shipped for an RPC.....greedy bastards



If people keep buying them, that was a smart move by EMG. 

I bought 3 SPCs a couple of years ago for super cheap, although the street price usually doesn't budge. Hence the need for stalking.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

Dude, i used to buy RPC’s (hardwired/soldered),no 3 clip bullshit for $25 SHIPPED, now its like $50 USED lol!

And TBH, its so subtle, it barely does anything with certain gain levels we play. Like Marked Man and Mass Defect Look like metal dudes as does c7, and you guys know I am, seems Lewis might be, so for us, I dont its worth the investment...HOWEVER

If you get an old stock for $30 or so, and can solder it, then i say , def go for it, but I’m sorry, i dont like their 3 clip easy wire system, theres something lacking, and I’m not a tech so i wont dare to presume to sound like I know what I’m talking about, but i know sounds and my old shit is not like the 3 clip i bought...(and returned)


----------



## c7spheres

I noticed the PA-2 and PI-2 got pushed up to freakin $80! Those use to be $40 new. I need two PA-2's. I better start saving now I guess : ) I don't see why double the price though. That's a huge increase.


----------



## lewis

Yeah its one little pot - $80?
Joke

I like the effect and do want to use them bit price wise its way too much


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

Only reason I can see is OUR discussion

I’m sure EMG eats this forum up and doubled the prices just recently


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

They've upped the prices of just about everything except the active pickups. Pretty large price increases in some cases.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

DUDES! That’s what I’m saying. Chrys Johnson is probably on here right now, trendwatching what to raise.....like I really think they are....They’ve been $47 for 30 years, and now we start talking about it, and the price doubles????????????????

Mr Johnson, you sir, are simply offensive !


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I don't see EMG's passive line -- any of them -- competing with other brands at the prices they want.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I don't see EMG's passive line -- any of them -- competing with other brands at the prices they want.


Thank you, that’s ALL I was saying - they are THE active company, instead of trying to one up Fluence and show Fishman who the REAL king of actives is; they go and start exploring the passive market, while increasing accessories to prices no one should spend ($80 for a TONE KNOB like Lew said haha lol what a joke)

And spaced ace, you said it man, like pivoting to passives?? At prices higher than Lundgren? Like honestly, they need to talk to mr dimarzio, they need some guidance it seems

Mr Johnson, you have missed the mark, sir! (Lol)


----------



## lewis

Politics of Ecstasy said:


> Thank you, that’s ALL I was saying - they are THE active company, instead of trying to one up Fluence and show Fishman who the REAL king of actives is; they go and start exploring the passive market, while increasing accessories to prices no one should spend ($80 for a TONE KNOB like Lew said haha lol what a joke)
> 
> And spaced ace, you said it man, like pivoting to passives?? At prices higher than Lundgren? Like honestly, they need to talk to mr dimarzio, they need some guidance it seems
> 
> Mr Johnson, you have missed the mark, sir! (Lol)



Well said. Completely agree with all this.

Feels a slap in the face of people who stay loyal to EMG Depsite Fishmans rise in popularity etc etc.

Double the price out of nowhere isnt just inflation.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I do like the EMG passives I've tried (H2B, H2N, H3, H4), by the way. But $100 for a passive when I can get a Dimarzio or Seymour Duncan for less than that? Yeah, gimme a break. Also, if I am going for EMGs, and look at the price of passives, but they are the same price as the actives, I'm probably more than likely to skip both. Just a thought. 

I don't get why there was a 50% price increase on the Alexi Laiho set. I believe I got mine for $100 a piece. Now they are $150. I don't get why the passives had a price hike of over 33% either, which I believe I bought mine for $69 if memory serves. $80 for accessories is absolutely absurd. $40-50 is much more reasonable. I doubt I'd like Fishman's enough to pay $250 for an option I likely wouldn't use, but you are not going to compete with them by having similar prices. You'll compete with them by continuing to provide killer actives, and moving into the "open coil" market as the Retro Actives do. Provide a "Retro Active" open coil version of the 81, 85, and 60/60A. Or even the JH Set and 57/66 sets. 

I'm not sure off hand how much more the metal covers are, but I believe they are like 15-20 bucks more for a metal cover of a product currently in production. Frankly, I'd prefer to save the cash and get the standard black covers. Or the white and cream covers. Which by the way, why are those more money than the black ones? You likely don't sell as many of those, so you combat that by making it less likely those will sell? Uh, yeah, great idea.

In short:
Price of same pickups with different covers are absurdly priced.
Accessory prices are ridiculous.
Price of passives, which don't really have the good will that other brands do (Duncan, Dimarzio), is absolutely insane.

Not sure what EMG thinks they're going to accomplish by doing any of this. I really don't.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I do like the EMG passives I've tried (H2B, H2N, H3, H4), by the way. But $100 for a passive when I can get a Dimarzio or Seymour Duncan for less than that? Yeah, gimme a break. Also, if I am going for EMGs, and look at the price of passives, but they are the same price as the actives, I'm probably more than likely to skip both. Just a thought.
> 
> I don't get why there was a 50% price increase on the Alexi Laiho set. I believe I got mine for $100 a piece. Now they are $150. I don't get why the passives had a price hike of over 33% either, which I believe I bought mine for $69 if memory serves. $80 for accessories is absolutely absurd. $40-50 is much more reasonable. I doubt I'd like Fishman's enough to pay $250 for an option I likely wouldn't use, but you are not going to compete with them by having similar prices. You'll compete with them by continuing to provide killer actives, and moving into the "open coil" market as the Retro Actives do. Provide a "Retro Active" open coil version of the 81, 85, and 60/60A. Or even the JH Set and 57/66 sets.
> 
> I'm not sure off hand how much more the metal covers are, but I believe they are like 15-20 bucks more for a metal cover of a product currently in production. Frankly, I'd prefer to save the cash and get the standard black covers. Or the white and cream covers. Which by the way, why are those more money than the black ones? You likely don't sell as many of those, so you combat that by making it less likely those will sell? Uh, yeah, great idea.
> 
> In short:
> Price of same pickups with different covers are absurdly priced.
> Accessory prices are ridiculous.
> Price of passives, which don't really have the good will that other brands do (Duncan, Dimarzio), is absolutely insane.
> 
> Not sure what EMG thinks they're going to accomplish by doing any of this. I really don't.


This is where I was coming from when I began about the Fluence spiel. Like I really thought Fishman wasn’t just pushing the envelope (I’m serious, the tech of using circuit boards instead of wiring etc), but I was convinced EMG would finally drop a bomb....something that was in development for years but they held it back because they were waiting for another active company to come out with something like SD blackouts, and then ,BAM, hit us with a real game changer

instead, Fluence smashed the active market and EMG retreated into the passive world for new endorsees(?)

im not a Fluence artist, I think you guys know by now, but my zeal for them came from Their similarity (and IMHO improvement ) to the EMG 81/85, but the improvements I’ve been wanting (and many of us ) in the 81 didnt come from EMG, it was developed by Fishman, and their take on active/passive is where I would’ve guessed EMG developed by now

I think Fluence really fucked them up and they are struggling To pivot and remain relevant 

I mean, I get they’re desperate, but do something new like Fishman, don’t go backwards....like the passive market is not just saturated but EMG will never have passives to rival Lace Or Lundgren if this is a reflection of the state of EMG

it’s kinda sad, but also disappointing to a life long fan like myself....

when I first saw Fishman was coming out with an active a couple of years ago, I literally LMAO, I said , “yeah ok, your jumping from piezo to picking a fight with the leading technological pickup company....go back to LR Baggs”

Then I heard them, couldn’t beleive what I was reading. Bought them, and I couldn’t beleive EMG was outshined finally, but like , just fight back EMG! 

really I laughed at fishman , and their artists roster, like I said who would leave EMG to go to another aCtive company, like did no one learn from SD? You can’t fuck with EMG ....

And then when i played my first few notes , I knew the sad truth couldn’t be denied anymore...my trust 81s would now be put aside for my Carpenters (and I hate that I had to get an artist model; but I talked extensively with Michael and Derek and we all agreed the carpenter would be most like the 81, especially with the wiring how I did it)

Ugh sorry long post, just echoes of lew and spaced disappointment , but don’t despair either get a pair of Fluence (take your pick man, there are like 10 sets now) OR let’s petition EMG to stop their bullshit, and get back to the workbench and design a circuit board or something like Fluence core technology 

I think I have a total of 6 EMG guitars, 1 8 string (installed on my 2228, those aren’t cheap pickups) and I like my Fluence the most , and they are the most versatile to boot (just a plus)


----------



## Mathemagician

All I remember is the mid-00’s when the HZ1 set was the most common EMG passive and the entire world unilaterally loathed them. The HZ4 came out and was considered “the minimum-est of ok”. Now they’re cool? News to me.


----------



## lewis

Mathemagician said:


> All I remember is the mid-00’s when the HZ1 set was the most common EMG passive and the entire world unilaterally loathed them. The HZ4 came out and was considered “the minimum-est of ok”. Now they’re cool? News to me.



This!

They are trash haha.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I don't get the love for the old HZ sets. I haaaated them. Still wanna give the MF set a try


----------



## lewis

If i was an artist who was lucky enough to sign with EMG and could get a sig series - i probably would go the route of Jim Root to help maximize sales on my set.
I.e open coil Retro active/81 hybrid with his own unique voicings. (And do 7 and 8 string offerings too)

I feel like people have been after open coil versions (with any colour bobbins) of EMG actives for YEARS. Decades even.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

Personally, I love EMG’s original flat matte black soapbars. I think they are the sickest looking pickups EVER, even more than Lace (or Q-tuner, still haven’t heard from anyone who tried..darn it!)....

I actually was sorta mad at fishman for modifying the soap bar with a Glow in the Dark crooked line no less, but it grew on me, and after I started to respect fluence, i kinda like it now..... but thats just to show

An offshoot of the original is flattery, to be designed similarly, its like a tip of the hat (and a snub Maybe at the same time lol)

But anyway, the first thing that drew me to the 81/85 set was, I was a young kid, like 12 or 13, and i only saw pickups with magnets, so when someone told me “hey man, metallica uses these pickups from EMG. [what’s EMG?], so Hammetts guitar has distortion BUILT IN”......’woah!’

Now that is completely wrong lol its just great pickups with a pre amp, but for years I thought that is what was doing it, these black magic pickups (and 9v pickups) .... ofc later i discovered the reality, but really I thought until I started to experiment with passives like Lace and Lundgren, that NOTHIn would ever touch EMG

Things change..... [looks like EMG is changing too, not in the way we want, if i may say so]


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Thats the same thing that drew James Hetfield to EMG apparently. 

I think he was told something like "Dude, these have batteries, so they have more distortion!!!"


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Thats the same thing that drew James Hetfield to EMG apparently.
> 
> I think he was told something like "Dude, these have batteries, so they have more distortion!!!"


That’s exactly how it was explained to me...dude said, ”yeah man, I’m telling you! because they use battery powered pickups, the guitar already have distortion built in, so when you turn on the [DS1 and/or Metal Zone pedal lol remember those man BOSS!] pedal, its WAY heavier than any other guitar you can find out there, hands down” 

I bought that shit: an 81/85 set was ordered that weekend...and then I bought another, and another, and another, and so on and so forth, give or take, for almost 20 years.....

*(and now IM DONE, besides my Qtuner interest which will never be satiated, because I won’t take the plunge, and I doubt any serious metal players here, particularly in this discussion, are going to take a chance, so it’ll remain a mystery; and Fishman will never get any more money from me, they are priced fine, but the wiring/install will kill your wallet, literally I paid more than the guitar and the pickups cost to install! Not including the pups!....and at Fishman, only Michael Flannigan is a good rep, Derek, you sir are an asshole and you almost made me give up on the wiring and return the my fluence set, luckily Peekamoose knows their pickups better then Fishman’s own techs...and FWIW, EMG has a bunch of new shit heads working for them too, Rick Hunt used to be the man, he would help you with any questions, and now whoever answers arent cool...i dont know if anyone called recently, but I asked them about adding one of their component to my fluence wiring and they weren’t just mean with “we have nothing to do with fluence, so I have no idea, they have nothing to Dow with us”, they are almost snobbish lol all I wanted to know was if I could add one of those overpriced tone knobs to my wiring and it could run on the same battery, but he REFUSED to answer me, I said, can i talk to rich, mistakenly instead of rick, and he was like “RICH??!?!?! There’s no rich here,I think you should just call Fishman, and hung up)


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

The CS is one reason why I don't wanna dive too deep into the Fluence train. If something goes wrong, I feel like I'm fucked. 

I still got an 81X/85X waiting to be installed to something. I got a G&L ASAT on the way that I'm curious about tinkering with.


----------



## Charlie Foxtrot 3rd

I put a set of bone breakers (Hammet set) into my Heafy sig les Paul, easy as, plug and play. Sound is heavy and it’s throaty


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The CS is one reason why I don't wanna dive too deep into the Fluence train. If something goes wrong, I feel like I'm fucked.
> 
> I still got an 81X/85X waiting to be installed to something. I got a G&L ASAT on the way that I'm curious about tinkering with.


please let us know how you like it, it looks promising on paper so any EMG fan here would give a good review , as once earlier

And CS/wiring problems - Actually that was my fear realized when I got the tech bill...never again will I do a self install, if I EVER get another Fluence guitar it’ll be because it’s pre installed with them. Like if you really know what your doing and you can wire yourself go for it, or pay an authorized dealer....no middle ground 

Otherwise, I think I may just end up going back to Lace if I give up on buying 9v.


----------



## lewis

Im probably in a minority but i still feel the tone from the EMG81 sounds better than the fishman moderns. At least for live.

Thanks to quick connect ive tried both recently in the same guitar. 
81s cut way easier in a live mix and just sound monsterous in comparison.
Fishmans are good but even maxxing the bass out (im hardwired V1 on bridge) doesnt give you that sledgehammer to head levels of punch the 81 does.

Ive said this before but i think Fishmans are a great recording pickup due to the FRFR type nature of them and that hifi/super clear tone but EMGs work better for live due to the mids and how heavy they are in comparison.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Has anyone ever used an EMG 58? I kind of wish EMG would make an "HLV" -- basically a humbucker sized Steve Lukather single coil SLV.


----------



## juka

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Has anyone ever used an EMG 58? I kind of wish EMG would make an "HLV" -- basically a humbucker sized Steve Lukather single coil SLV.


Yes, I still have an original 58 (from the times they still used this fugly brownish epoxy to seal their pups and the 58 was custom shop only) flying around somewhere. It's noisy as hell and sounds pretty meh, when you hear it you understand why it was replaced by the 85 really fast.


----------



## Marked Man

Charlie Foxtrot 3rd said:


> I put a set of bone breakers (Hammet set) into my Heafy sig les Paul, easy as, plug and play. Sound is heavy and it’s throaty



Give us a detailed review----what makes the Bone Breakers different than the classic 81/60 combo?


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

lewis said:


> Im probably in a minority but i still feel the tone from the EMG81 sounds better than the fishman moderns. At least for live.
> 
> Thanks to quick connect ive tried both recently in the same guitar.
> 81s cut way easier in a live mix and just sound monsterous in comparison.
> Fishmans are good but even maxxing the bass out (im hardwired V1 on bridge) doesnt give you that sledgehammer to head levels of punch the 81 does.
> 
> Ive said this before but i think Fishmans are a great recording pickup due to the FRFR type nature of them and that hifi/super clear tone but EMGs work better for live due to the mids and how heavy they are in comparison.


FWIW, I Can only say, I own the Carpenter set, which while the core and pickup itself are basically the modern, the EQ is tweaked a bit, there are more high mids, so instead of a steep scoop (which I wouldn’t mind) it has more heat and more output so it packs a little more “punch” than a modern.....or so I would imagine .... (if fishman is accurate With their specs )


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I know some people here will claim the Fluence Modern > EMG 81 as if it's chiseled-in-stone fact and not an objective opinion... But nah, I'm not buying it. I only had one guitar I loved the Moderns in, and that's it. I've had much better luck with the 81/60 set or Fluence Classic set.

And yes, tell us about the Bonebreakers. I've seen people either swear they're different, or claim they're just a rebagded 81/60A set.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I know some people here will claim the Fluence Modern > EMG 81 as if it's chiseled-in-stone fact and not an objective opinion... But nah, I'm not buying it. I only had one guitar I loved the Moderns in, and that's it. I've had much better luck with the 81/60 set or Fluence Classic set.
> 
> And yes, tell us about the Bonebreakers. I've seen people either swear they're different, or claim they're just a rebagded 81/60A set.


I agree, what was the Fluence created to compete with, what is the “sound “ based on, what is it trying to emulate/surpass??:the EMG 81; so some people prefer the classic 81 sound , and I think depending on your guitar and rig , the 81 might be the best choice....I know it never disappoints : if I see a guitar with an 81 in the bridge I automatically am more drawn to it than any other pickup (save Lace and now Fluence)..and there is no chiseled in stone fact, they are >81 objectively as far as tone (tech wise is a different story but tone wise you play what you prefer)

and Yes, I also beleive your second point is true: like the Hetfield set I thought was rebadged with EQ tweaks I also think same with Kirks, but that’s just speculation , I don’t know, but your onto something lol


----------



## MASS DEFECT

lewis said:


> Im probably in a minority but i still feel the tone from the EMG81 sounds better than the fishman moderns. At least for live.
> 
> Thanks to quick connect ive tried both recently in the same guitar.
> 81s cut way easier in a live mix and just sound monsterous in comparison.
> Fishmans are good but even maxxing the bass out (im hardwired V1 on bridge) doesnt give you that sledgehammer to head levels of punch the 81 does.
> 
> Ive said this before but i think Fishmans are a great recording pickup due to the FRFR type nature of them and that hifi/super clear tone but EMGs work better for live due to the mids and how heavy they are in comparison.



You are not imagining things. The 81 does have more bass. I boost my bass when Im using the moderns. But I also scoop the mids quite a bit since they have a shitton of mids around the 700 area.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

I hope one day Lewis and Mass defect and c7 get a chance to try the Carpenter set (correctly wired, WITH boost engaged).... that’s like exactly why i went with Carpenter [i dont listen to the deftones; i dont know Carpenter as a player; IOW I’m not a fan of his in any sense] , the sound from the videos and the explanations and then talking to Michael, the Carpenter bridge Is the modern with heightened upper mids and higher output. Instead of a scoop like this [if you will, forgive my drawing]


----------



## Marked Man

Politics of Ecstasy said:


> That’s exactly how it was explained to me...dude said, ”yeah man, I’m telling you! because they use battery powered pickups, the guitar already have distortion built in, so when you turn on the [DS1 and/or Metal Zone pedal lol remember those man BOSS!] pedal, its WAY heavier than any other guitar you can find out there, hands down”
> 
> I bought that shit: an 81/85 set was ordered that weekend...and then I bought another, and another, and another, and so on and so forth, give or take, for almost 20 years.....
> 
> *(and now IM DONE, besides my Qtuner interest which will never be satiated, because I won’t take the plunge, and I doubt any serious metal players here, particularly in this discussion, are going to take a chance, so it’ll remain a mystery; and Fishman will never get any more money from me, they are priced fine, but the wiring/install will kill your wallet, literally I paid more than the guitar and the pickups cost to install! Not including the pups!....and at Fishman, only Michael Flannigan is a good rep, Derek, you sir are an asshole and you almost made me give up on the wiring and return the my fluence set, luckily Peekamoose knows their pickups better then Fishman’s own techs...and FWIW, EMG has a bunch of new shit heads working for them too, Rick Hunt used to be the man, he would help you with any questions, and now whoever answers arent cool...i dont know if anyone called recently, but I asked them about adding one of their component to my fluence wiring and they weren’t just mean with “we have nothing to do with fluence, so I have no idea, they have nothing to Dow with us”, they are almost snobbish lol all I wanted to know was if I could add one of those overpriced tone knobs to my wiring and it could run on the same battery, but he REFUSED to answer me, I said, can i talk to rich, mistakenly instead of rick, and he was like “RICH??!?!?! There’s no rich here,I think you should just call Fishman, and hung up)



I remember how I learned about EMGs. I had already been a Metallica fan for a couple of years, but hadn't yet learned about EMG pickups. One day a friend puts in a cassette of the notorious "Satanic" band Slayer's brand new album South of Heaven and told me they used EMG pickups that are "boosted" by batteries. By the time the first crunch riff kicked in, I was sold!! The late '80s Reign/South of Heaven crunch tone is still my favorite today!


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

Marked Man said:


> I remember how I learned about EMGs. I had already been a Metallica fan for a couple of years, but hadn't yet learned about EMG pickups. One day a friend puts in a cassette of the notorious "Satanic" band Slayer's brand new album South of Heaven and told me they used EMG pickups that are "boosted" by batteries. By the time the first crunch riff kicked in, I was sold!! The late '80s Reign/South of Heaven crunch tone is still my favorite today!


So....they got us both, huh??????

And now look at them? Left us with our dicks in our hand, and Fluence in the other.....HEY EMG, GET YO SHIT TOGEVA

First I see Fishman kicks the shit out of them, and now I just found out about these:
https://www.cycfi.com/product/nu-multi-7/

Really, EMG, now I see the backward (re)progression; they are cornered and out of ideas

I think Fishman and Cycfi are the ones to start watching boys


----------



## Mathemagician

As long as I can buy an 81 and tune to dropC and Drop D I’m going to be just fine.


----------



## gnoll

9v EMG 81 is the fucking sound. Nothing else clamps down on palm mutes like they do. Nothing!!


----------



## Charlie Foxtrot 3rd

Marked Man said:


> Give us a detailed review----what makes the Bone Breakers different than the classic 81/60 combo?


I’ve never done a review before but I’ll give it a crack.

I bought an Epiphone les Paul Matt Heafy signature (6 string)
It came stock with EMG 81/85.
I had already purchased the Zakk Wylde set and decided to buy the Bone Breaker set. 
I’ve never had or played a stock 60 before so can’t speak too much as to weather the BB 60 is any better or worse. 

here’s what I found.
All 3 sets are the plug and play which is good for me as my soldering skills are amateur at best.

I pulled the original 81/85 set out and put the ZW set in and noticed that the bridge pickup was no different but the neck pickup seemed to me to have more clarity and punch.

next the ZW set out and bone breakers go in

the bridge pickup, I can’t really explain it but it seemed to be crisper without being harsh. Good mix of mids and bottom end I guess is how I could explain it. The neck pickup was pretty muddy to me and I didn’t like it. Seems like it’s really boomy.

in the end I put the 81 bone breaker and the ZW 85 and it sounds pretty good to my ear. 

Its not really a detailed review but I can say this. The 81 bone breaker was best of the 3 bridge pickups and the 85 ZW was the best of the neck pickups.

I used the same amp settings and the same strings (Ernie Ball power slinky) for all 3 sets of pickups. These are just my observations and should be taken as such.


----------



## Mathemagician

Man. Can I buy the 81 BB separately?


----------



## Charlie Foxtrot 3rd

Mathemagician 

you might be able to, I’ve only ever seen them in the set though.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Politics of Ecstasy said:


> View attachment 75158
> I hope one day Lewis and Mass defect and c7 get a chance to try the Carpenter set (correctly wired, WITH boost engaged).... that’s like exactly why i went with Carpenter [i dont listen to the deftones; i dont know Carpenter as a player; IOW I’m not a fan of his in any sense] , the sound from the videos and the explanations and then talking to Michael, the Carpenter bridge Is the modern with heightened upper mids and higher output. Instead of a scoop like this [if you will, forgive my drawing]



I have tried the Carpenters set on my 7, and so far I think it is more like a Blackout rather than an 81. It has extended lows and more highs than I need. Ive been hunting for the rare 6 string set though, so I might try em again. 

So far, in my experience and to my ears, in terms of eq, the Tosin bridge in active mode is the closest to an 81 since it has bass the moderns lack. It is also a bit more relaxed in the mids and is brighter where it counts. But it is not as tight as an 81 since it has Soe low mids gut puch to them. 

Check this kid's video out:


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I think you can only buy the Bone Breakers as a set. I think the Bone Breaker 60 will sound better in a 25.5" (or any scale, but more so at 25.5"+) with 24 frets.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

You guys don’t like Blackouts? 
The ONLY thing that ever came close at all to the EMG 81 was AHB-1, and then when the 707 and 808 were being pushed, the SD Blackout Bridge 8 string was like the EMG 81-8....way ahead of EMG during the ERG rat race early!
I always saw Blackouts as like Venom to Spider-Man, i like em....(not all of them, there are 4 iterations)


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I think you can only buy the Bone Breakers as a set. I think the Bone Breaker 60 will sound better in a 25.5" (or any scale, but more so at 25.5"+) with 24 frets.



You can email emg and they will let you purchase just the bridge or neck off a set for half the price of the set. I got my het bridge this way since I use it for my my one hum guitar.


----------



## Charlie Foxtrot 3rd

What do you think of the hetset pickups?


MASS DEFECT said:


> You can email emg and they will let you purchase just the bridge or neck off a set for half the price of the set. I got my het bridge this way since I use it for my my one hum guitar.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Charlie Foxtrot 3rd said:


> What do you think of the hetset pickups?



It's a better 81, for me. Not as laser precise and as tight. But it has more expansive frequencies you can work with. It is bigger sounding and brighter.


----------



## Charlie Foxtrot 3rd

Hmmm,

you talked me into getting one. Well I was already thinking of getting the Hetset anyway because well you know.......the search for tone never ends does it? 


MASS DEFECT said:


> It's a better 81, for me. Not as laser precise and as tight. But it has more expansive frequencies you can work with. It is bigger sounding and brighter.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

^Jari from Wintersun has a JH bridge right now after singing praises for the 81 for years. He has a review of them in his instagram page. Even Misha, who hates actives, likes the JH. 

Just try it. With the quick connects and their 30 day return policy, you cant lose.


----------



## Charlie Foxtrot 3rd

The Hetset is on it’s way to me. My wife will probs lose her shit. But I’ll just turn my amp up.


MASS DEFECT said:


> ^Jari from Wintersun has a JH bridge right now after singing praises for the 81 for years. He has a review of them in his instagram page. Even Misha, who hates actives, likes the JH.
> 
> Just try it. With the quick connects and their 30 day return policy, you cant lose.


----------



## lewis

Politics of Ecstasy said:


> View attachment 75158
> I hope one day Lewis and Mass defect and c7 get a chance to try the Carpenter set (correctly wired, WITH boost engaged).... that’s like exactly why i went with Carpenter [i dont listen to the deftones; i dont know Carpenter as a player; IOW I’m not a fan of his in any sense] , the sound from the videos and the explanations and then talking to Michael, the Carpenter bridge Is the modern with heightened upper mids and higher output. Instead of a scoop like this [if you will, forgive my drawing]



Aside from 1 guitar, all my others are 6ers bro. Would have probably already tried to pick up the carpenter 6 set if they were still available.


----------



## c7spheres

lewis said:


> Aside from 1 guitar, all my others are 6ers bro. Would have probably already tried to pick up the carpenter 6 set if they were still available.


 I see some places still have them in stock, but man they're $260. I had no idea they cost that much. Dang, that's a lot of money for pickups. Perhaps I've just not looked into pickups lately.


----------



## lewis

c7spheres said:


> I see some places still have them in stock, but man they're $260. I had no idea they cost that much. Dang, that's a lot of money for pickups. Perhaps I've just not looked into pickups lately.



Yeah its getting out of hand.
I remember when under £200 used to annoy me because i dont believe out of principle pickups shpuld be that expensive.

Fast track to now and im pretty sure from memory i paid around £240 for my fishmans. Maybe a little less.

Joke


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

MASS DEFECT said:


> ^Jari from Wintersun has a JH bridge right now after singing praises for the 81 for years. He has a review of them in his instagram page. Even Misha, who hates actives, likes the JH.
> 
> Just try it. With the quick connects and their 30 day return policy, you cant lose.



I thought he started using the 57/66 set? He swore on some comparison that the 57/66 was a godsend or something. 

And yeah, prices have been going up all over. EMG's metalworks shit costs a pretty penny, some of the Fishman shit reaches almost $300 for a set, DiMarzio had a prirce increase across the board. I think Duncan did as well.


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I thought he started using the 57/66 set? He swore on some comparison that the 57/66 was a godsend or something.
> 
> And yeah, prices have been going up all over. EMG's metalworks shit costs a pretty penny, some of the Fishman shit reaches almost $300 for a set, DiMarzio had a prirce increase across the board. I think Duncan did as well.



Think everyone should start buying used until they get the message and lower them.
I mean thats commonly more money than entire guitars.

Absolute banter


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

lewis said:


> Think everyone should start buying used until they get the message and lower them.
> I mean thats commonly more money than entire guitars.
> 
> Absolute banter


Hey thats A smart idea lew
Very sharp very sharp indeed

should we start a “BUY USED EMG PICKUP EXCHANGE” post or thread or can we ask the mods for a sticky/wiki to do this

I think this is one way this sites influence can be used to make the companies do what we want and not the other way around !!!

great idea @lewis !


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

Or, just search the site's classifieds where sales and/or trades occur, where I purchase my POD HD500X, sold my ESP H-207, and where others do the same thing daily. That seems to be the most appropriate place to do such activity.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> Or, just search the site's classifieds where sales and/or trades occur, where I purchase my POD HD500X, sold my ESP H-207, and where others do the same thing daily. That seems to be the most appropriate place to do such activity.


It could be put in the classifieds ....wherever, pickups , classified, whatever...

point is - it’s a great idea and should be proposed to the mods

the appropriate area for an EMG pickup exchange is its own thread, not a general classifieds or search....you guys just can’t stand my awesomeness... i mean you are just fueling my desire to fulfill your projection of obnoxiousness


----------



## lewis

Politics of Ecstasy said:


> Hey thats A smart idea lew
> Very sharp very sharp indeed
> 
> should we start a “BUY USED EMG PICKUP EXCHANGE” post or thread or can we ask the mods for a sticky/wiki to do this
> 
> I think this is one way this sites influence can be used to make the companies do what we want and not the other way around !!!
> 
> great idea @lewis !



We could all rotate pickups around to try similar to how companies send youtube reviewers one of their products - then reviewer sends it onto the next reviewer.

Could work i guess.
Sick of just buckling to these companies demands because they think we are desperate and just pay whatever they want.

Like these new fishman bass pickups. Arent they nearly $300 or did i see that wrong?

Absolutely, astronomically, expensive.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> Or, just search the site's classifieds where sales and/or trades occur, where I purchase my POD HD500X, sold my ESP H-207, and where others do the same thing daily. That seems to be the most appropriate place to do such activity.


I tried selling something like last year and it got absolutely zero interest. I think an EMG exchange thread for used EMGs would be a good idea.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

Exactly. Dude you got it

let’s say you’ve had your 81/85 set for years and you wanna try 57/66 set

turns out another SSO member HAS a set and wants to exchange for 81/85

instead of EMG making the sick profit, post to the exchange and just swap; shipping is a flat $8 from USPS

THIS IS A GREAT IDEA(@lewis inspired it so credit shared with lew)

PS I WOuld start off the first trade but the only quick connects I have are for my 81-85 8 string set and I just got that so I’m not able to yet ..... but if anyone has 8 string blackouts or fishman, I’m ready to possible trade(any 8 string players?)


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Politics of Ecstasy said:


> Exactly. Dude you got it
> 
> let’s say you’ve had your 81/85 set for years and you wanna try 57/66 set
> 
> turns out another SSO member HAS a set and wants to exchange for 81/85
> 
> instead of EMG making the sick profit, post to the exchange and just swap; shipping is a flat $8 from USPS
> 
> THIS IS A GREAT IDEA(@lewis inspired it so credit shared with lew)


@MaxOfMetal @Randy How about it? A for sale/for trade exchange group type thread would be cool.


----------



## lewis

I think it makes the most sense for us all to be honest. I understand its tough for companies but they do need to realise that the economy, and its condition - they will use to justify any price increases, will also apply to consumers.

I dont just have disposable income to keep dropping on pickups.
Imagine if i had 4 six string guitars i needed to outfit with 4 sets of Fishman Moderns ready for a tour - would be around $980. Just for pickups?

Dear god


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> I think it makes the most sense for us all to be honest. I understand its tough for companies but they do need to realise that the economy, and its condition - they will use to justify any price increases, will also apply to consumers.
> 
> I dont just have disposable income to keep dropping on pickups.
> Imagine if i had 4 six string guitars i needed to outfit with 4 sets of Fishman Moderns ready for a tour - would be around $980. Just for pickups?
> 
> Dear god


Yeah, seriously. I think EMGs get the job done well enough that hype beast pickups (BKP, Fishman Fluence, etc) are cool if you can spend the extra money, but I don't see an equal increase, percentage wise, in tone to justify it. Like if the pickup is x percent more expensive but the tone is equally improved, then fine. Otherwise, I'll just search for some used EMGs with the quik connect pins.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Spaced Out Ace said:


> @MaxOfMetal @Randy How about it? A for sale/for trade exchange group type thread would be cool.



Have at it.


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

Make it simple man - well call it the “ACTIVE PICKUP EXCHANGE”
Basic rules = (1) NO STEALING (no working with Adam Howard of TX for example)
(2) everyone pays their own shipping back and forth, that’s $8 USPS flat rate small box
(3) you can exchange with another member with the permission of the original owner (meaning if you exchange with someone and hate the ones you got, but someone else wants to try them, you can ask the original owner who you exchanged with if you can trade with the next dude, if he says yes, cool, if not, then you‘ ll have to return to original owner and work it out another way
(4) buy out option possible: if you love the pickup and the other guys loves the other ones, you can just keep/buy them from each other in the barter sense
(5) we keep a repository of the owners, the emails, and the addresses so no scammers/fraud can occur [this will be a locked and hidden wiki accesible only by the mod]
*(6) obviously if someone damages or “loses” them, obviously you just buy a replacement , simple

Can’t think of anything else, [besides I opted for “active pickup exchange” so people with SD BO, Fishman, can partake if they wish]but if anyone has any ideas, please expound

EDIT - oops max already OK’d it.....Randy and Max are the f’n Man....seriously, THANK YOU MAX and RANDY!!!!


----------



## lewis

This is very very promising and feels good.

I feel like i need to go and listen to Rage against the machine now haha.

Thanks guys!


----------



## Politics of Ecstasy

lewis said:


> This is very very promising and feels good.
> 
> I feel like i need to go and listen to Rage against the machine now haha.
> 
> Thanks guys!


I knew this idea would pump you up Lew

First thing I thought was: Lewis is off the wall right now, like a kid in a candy shop! Lol GOOD! IM HAPPY FOR YOU DUDE

I think this thing will be a great addition to SSO, I think it’ll also be great for us who desire such a trade/accessibility, and I think it’ll possibly make the active companies start to open their eyes-the RIGHT way, this time lol

Alright! Nice way to start the Christmas/Hanukkah season!


----------



## MASS DEFECT

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I thought he started using the 57/66 set? He swore on some comparison that the 57/66 was a godsend or something.
> 
> And yeah, prices have been going up all over. EMG's metalworks shit costs a pretty penny, some of the Fishman shit reaches almost $300 for a set, DiMarzio had a prirce increase across the board. I think Duncan did as well.



Yes. That was during the EMG vs Fishman test. Then after a month, he got a JH and now he is mixing a JH bridge with a metalworks 85 for the neck.


----------



## Charlie Foxtrot 3rd

Yes let’s make this a thing please. Have quite a few EMG’s floating around and would be better off in someone else’s guitar getting played.


----------



## hensh!n

Just got a set of Super 77-7’s on Black Friday. Had the Fat 55’s installed previously, and while I enjoyed the dynamics and clean tone on them, they were a bit too low output/dark sounding for my taste. Will update once I take the Super 77-7’s out for a spin!


----------



## failsafe

Charlie Foxtrot 3rd said:


> The Hetset is on it’s way to me. My wife will probs lose her shit. But I’ll just turn my amp up.


I don’t think you will be disappointed. The Het Set has the best feel of any pickups I’ve ever tried. Not as laser precise as an 81, but otherwise better all around. The Het neck pickup is also prettt fucking amazing.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I liked the neck more than the bridge TBH. The bridge got too undefined for my taste, but the neck is mmmmmmm.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

^yeah, agree. The JH neck is the best neck pickup compared to the 66 and 60. The bridge can get undefined if you tune down very low or if you are really used to the 81's super tight compression. But it just feels muuuch better under my fingers than a 57 or 81.


----------



## lewis

Am i the only one who had the best intentions to go 60 or 66 in neck at all times but fell in love with an 81 there?
For solos its insane - especially in my mahogany xiphos. Liquid


----------



## vortex_infinium

lewis said:


> Am i the only one who had the best intentions to go 60 or 66 in neck at all times but fell in love with an 81 there?
> For solos its insane - especially in my mahogany xiphos. Liquid



I don't particularly play a lot of clean or low gain neck pu stuff. When guitars come with a 81/85 set I usually swap the positions. Don't have many guitars with EMGs nowadays but still love a 85 in the bridge and putting the 81 in the neck keeps the technical stuff shredding.


----------



## gnoll

lewis said:


> Am i the only one who had the best intentions to go 60 or 66 in neck at all times but fell in love with an 81 there?
> For solos its insane - especially in my mahogany xiphos. Liquid



I think for lead stuff an 81 in neck makes a lot of sense. I would probably go with that if I didn't love the 60 so much for cleans.


----------



## c7spheres

- At some point I want to see if I can get EMG to make me a 60-7a, like the 6 string version. I like the 60-7 I currently have in neck position, but I like the 707 sound in the neck more, just not the volume and immediacy of attack gain it gives. 
- I also realized that the 85-7 is apparently almost the same as a 60-7 because of the close coils and alnico, but the gains/preamps are different. So I imaging just putting the electroniics of the 60-7 in an 85-7 pickup shouldn't be a hard thing to do since it all appears to already exist. Basically it would be a lower gain more dynamic 85-7 or a sweeter 60-7. It's just a 60-7 with alinco instead, like the 6 string version. Sounds like It might the best of what I'm looking for in the neck position.


----------



## lewis

c7spheres said:


> - At some point I want to see if I can get EMG to make me a 60-7a, like the 6 string version. I like the 60-7 I currently have in neck position, but I like the 707 sound in the neck more, just not the volume and immediacy of attack gain it gives.
> - I also realized that the 85-7 is apparently almost the same as a 60-7 because of the close coils and alnico, but the gains/preamps are different. So I imaging just putting the electroniics of the 60-7 in an 85-7 pickup shouldn't be a hard thing to do since it all appears to already exist. Basically it would be a lower gain more dynamic 85-7 or a sweeter 60-7. It's just a 60-7 with alinco instead, like the 6 string version. Sounds like It might the best of what I'm looking for in the neck position.



That would be best of both worlds.

On custom options and whatnot - why the hell do we still not have more finish options for their models? You cant even get the 57/66 in white yet their newer Sig set with pole pieces IS Available in white. They look identical so how can white not be an option for one but can for another?

And thats just white. Where are Green? Pink? Yellow and any other colour?
Even covers akin to Bareknuckle would be cool. Burnt chrome etc.

Find it baffling they still dont offer it?
Burnt chrome 57/66s would be sweet


----------



## Marked Man

lewis said:


> Am i the only one who had the best intentions to go 60 or 66 in neck at all times but fell in love with an 81 there?
> For solos its insane - especially in my mahogany xiphos. Liquid



I think 81/81 is better overall than 81/85 if cleans are a consideration, but 81/60 is the best overall if cleans matter. The 85 is fatter for high gain leads, and the 60 more traditional. 

The 81 has its place, though, and I wouldn't bother to change it out of the neck if I bought a guitar that way.


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

So I have never owned a guitar with EMG’s, but I’m considering getting a LTD 1000 series used. Either an EC or M or H or even MH model with an 81 60 combo. Been craving that sound for a while. Can be had for roughly 600$ and looks like an excellent value.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Dumple Stilzkin said:


> So I have never owned a guitar with EMG’s, but I’m considering getting a LTD 1000 series used. Either an EC or M or H or even MH model with an 81 60 combo. Been craving that sound for a while. Can be had for roughly 600$ and looks like an excellent value.



Man I've seen 1000-series guitars go as low as $300.  Albeit beat to shit, but you can find them for super cheap. Sub-$500.

On top of that, look for an old LTD 400 or 500 series. They're basically Deluxe-series guitars without the abalone. Just make sure they say Made in Korea on the back of the headstock.


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Man I've seen 1000-series guitars go as low as $300.  Albeit beat to shit, but you can find them for super cheap. Sub-$500.
> 
> On top of that, look for an old LTD 400 or 500 series. They're basically Deluxe-series guitars without the abalone. Just make sure they say Made in Korea on the back of the headstock.


Thanks for the information!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Dumple Stilzkin said:


> Thanks for the information!



No prob. 

It gets super confusing because there's some Indo-made 400 series guitars, as well as some Korean-made 401 series guitars. 

Just keep an eye on where it's made.

EDIT: I'm sure there's some pretty good Indo-made LTDs, I've just had much better luck with the Korean ones.


----------



## gnoll

Yeah, used Korean 400 series is just insane value!


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

I could seriously do without the abalone anyways. The all Schectered out look is not good.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

So I have an EMG 81x/85x laying around. I was gonna sell them since I don't need them, but I'm kinda losing the luster of my G&L Superhawk. Might be the shitty strings on it, but I'm debating on throwing the set in there.

Anyone tried EMGs in a maple body?


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> So I have an EMG 81x/85x laying around. I was gonna sell them since I don't need them, but I'm kinda losing the luster of my G&L Superhawk. Might be the shitty strings on it, but I'm debating on throwing the set in there.
> 
> Anyone tried EMGs in a maple body?



I bet they sound crushing in maple.
Like ultimate tight/twang

May have to tune that lower to compensate the brightness.

Would be interesting to hear for sure


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


> May have to tune that lower to compensate the brightness.



It's funny because it's my D# standard guitar.


----------



## c7spheres

^ 
If you just call it Eb instead of D# it will sound better. Eb sounds better than D#. It's darker sounding because it's flat. I swear. It's true. : )


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Tune it to Eb. It would sound rad.

Edit: never mind I responded on the previous page and didn't see there was another page with replies.


----------



## gnoll

I have EMGs in maple neck throughs with alder wings. Sounds good.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

gnoll said:


> I have EMGs in maple neck throughs with alder wings. Sounds good.



Thats what my SC-607B is rocking and it's my best sounding guitar.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

No turning back now. 

Gonna finish tomorrow. There was some fuckups installing these, so I'm spent.


----------



## c7spheres

Looks good!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I got impatient and wired it up. 

...If you love mids and treble, this combination is for you.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I got impatient and wired it up.
> 
> ...If you love mids and treble, this combination is for you.


That's what you get for not putting the 85 in the bridge where it belongs.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> That's what you get for not putting the 85 in the bridge where it belongs.



Half right. The 85 is in the wrong place.

It actually belongs in the trash.


----------



## Mathemagician

81/81 or 57/66 and let’s all go home. 

Though I do want to try those single coil SA’s.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Half right. The 85 is in the wrong place.
> 
> It actually belongs in the trash.


The 81 is the one that would look better in your rubbish bin.


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I got impatient and wired it up.
> 
> ...If you love mids and treble, this combination is for you.



Damn sounds perfect for me hahah
Modern quack for days.


----------



## wakjob

So...

Who's using EMG passives? Namely the H1 or H2's?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

When I said this was hell to install, I meant the pickup tabs were enlarged for direct mounting. And my Superhawk obviously has pickup rings... So... 

I lost my nuts that could be glued or soldered onto the tabs to make them threadable again. So, if you have a dremel or pliers that can cut metal, you can do like I did and go through your bin of absolutely shitty/dead stock pickups, remove the tabs from those, and either glue or solder them under the old tabs. Worked like a charm.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Okay so I got curious and swapped the 81x for the 85x
...81x went right back into the bridge.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Okay so I got curious and swapped the 81x for the 85x
> ...81x went right back into the bridge.


Lol I hate the 81 in the bridge. Can't add what isn't there, and what isn't there, is much of any bass. If I need to cut bass to tighten up the 85, I can just use a tube screamer.


----------



## gnoll

Yeah I never really "got" the 85 in bridge. Or at all 

I mean maybe if you're after a bit of a different flavor, but the bite and articulation of the 81 works so well for high gain, it seems like a shame to lose that for the more woolly 85.


----------



## gnoll

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Lol I hate the 81 in the bridge. Can't add what isn't there, and what isn't there, is much of any bass. If I need to cut bass to tighten up the 85, I can just use a tube screamer.



I guess that's true, but you can add bass later in the chain and end up with a ballsy rather than muddy tone. I've never been wanting to add bass pre gain, only cut.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

gnoll said:


> I guess that's true, but you can add bass later in the chain and end up with a ballsy rather than muddy tone. I've never been wanting to add bass pre gain, only cut.


Well, I tend to go for a Marshall style tone, which I don't think has much bass usually. Furthermore, I think the 81 is a double edged sword for EMG, and has done as much damage to their brand as it has good. The notion that EMGs are sterile, lifeless, only good for metal, etc. is because of the 81 and how people set them up in guitars (ie, as close to the strings as possible), and set up used (ie, tube screamer into a metal amp).


----------



## gnoll

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Well, I tend to go for a Marshall style tone, which I don't think has much bass usually. Furthermore, I think the 81 is a double edged sword for EMG, and has done as much damage to their brand as it has good. The notion that EMGs are sterile, lifeless, only good for metal, etc. is because of the 81 and how people set them up in guitars (ie, as close to the strings as possible), and set up used (ie, tube screamer into a metal amp).



I don't think the EMG 81 itself is to blame at all.

I think there's a lot of reasons behind peoples' negative views of EMGs.

EMGs have been around for a long time, they've been very popular, and they're very different to passive pickups. They're not old and original enough to be cool like a vintage PAF, and they're not new and interesting enough to be cool like Fishman Fluence or whatever new thing the kids have moved on to. It makes perfect sense that people hate on them.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

gnoll said:


> I don't think the EMG 81 itself is to blame at all.
> 
> I think there's a lot of reasons behind peoples' negative views of EMGs.
> 
> EMGs have been around for a long time, they've been very popular, and they're very different to passive pickups. They're not old and original enough to be cool like a vintage PAF, and they're not new and interesting enough to be cool like Fishman Fluence or whatever new thing the kids have moved on to. It makes perfect sense that people hate on them.


Yeah it is, but whatever.


----------



## c7spheres

Still want to try an 85-7 in bridge sometime. Compared to 707 it makes sense for heavy stuff because it's got a limited dynamic range and closer coils so makes sense if primarily a heavy player. I don't think there's a 6 string version of a 707 though.


----------



## gnoll

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Yeah it is, but whatever.



No sorry that makes no sense at all. EMG 81 was a total slam dunk, and hardly something EMG should regret or feel bad about in the slightest.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

gnoll said:


> No sorry that makes no sense at all. EMG 81 was a total slam dunk, and hardly something EMG should regret or feel bad about in the slightest.


And just as it was a slam dunk for some, it was also the reason others dislike EMGs. You do realize what the phrase "double edged sword" means, right?

Tone isn't one size fits all, or even most.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

The 81 is The Last Jedi of pickups. A lot of people love it, but a lot of people hate it.


But it still made Disney a shit ton of money.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The 81 is The Last Jedi of pickups. A lot of people love it, but a lot of people hate it.
> 
> 
> But it still made Disney a shit ton of money.


Fair comparison.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Eh, if folks actually hated the 81 as much as niche online guitar communities let on it wouldn't be so popular and widely used. 

The fact that the minority enthusiast community can be divided on it is fairly telling. 

If you went on other enthusiast forums you'd swear that everyone hates automatic transmissions, no one eats McDonald's, and the team who hasn't won a title in a century is the best franchise. 

I've worked retail, 81s and ZW sets fly off the shelves. Folks happily buy $3k+ guitars loaded with them with no intention of swapping them. 

It's a pickup. Some will dig it, some won't. But everyone will let you know about it.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Also back to the 81X/85X set, yeah these are definitely lower output. I'm not sure if it's because the guitar itself is quiet, because the stock pickups were as well, but this is pretty much my lowest-output guitar, even with the EMGs.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Also back to the 81X/85X set, yeah these are definitely lower output. I'm not sure if it's because the guitar itself is quiet, because the stock pickups were as well, but this is pretty much my lowest-output guitar, even with the EMGs.



The X preamp is not as bright. It definitely subdues the sharper pickups like the 81.

I tend to use X series in the neck and/or middle, but the bridge is always "original".


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

MaxOfMetal said:


> The X preamp is not as bright. It definitely subdues the sharper pickups like the 81.



I always thought the X-series pickups were brighter. I'm probably gonna do some pickup swaps tomorrow.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I always thought the X-series pickups were brighter. I'm probably gonna do some pickup swaps tomorrow.



The upper mids come through more.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

MaxOfMetal said:


> Eh, if folks actually hated the 81 as much as niche online guitar communities let on it wouldn't be so popular and widely used.
> 
> The fact that the minority enthusiast community can be divided on it is fairly telling.
> 
> If you went on other enthusiast forums you'd swear that everyone hates automatic transmissions, no one eats McDonald's, and the team who hasn't won a title in a century is the best franchise.
> 
> I've worked retail, 81s and ZW sets fly off the shelves. Folks happily buy $3k+ guitars loaded with them with no intention of swapping them.
> 
> It's a pickup. Some will dig it, some won't. But everyone will let you know about it.


I'm saying the reason EMGs are disliked, as a whole, has a lot to do with the 81, the tip to "put the pickup as close as possible to the string," etc.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I'm saying the reason EMGs are disliked, as a whole, has a lot to do with the 81, the tip to "put the pickup as close as possible to the string," etc.



I think it has more to due with folks not understanding how pickups or preamps work. It just so happens that most folks first experience with anything other than vanilla passives is the 81. It's not that pickup's fault really, and I think the characterization that the 81 has somehow hurt EMG as a company is wrong given how popular it actually is outside of small, vocal contingents on enthusiast forums. 

Which isn't to say it's a perfect pickup that everyone should love. It is what it is.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Okay so yeah, swapped the 81X in my superhawk for a standard 81.

Standard 81 is tighter, brighter, and higher output. More chug friendly and matches the output of my other guitars now. Staying in there for good.


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Okay so yeah, swapped the 81X in my superhawk for a standard 81.
> 
> Standard 81 is tighter, brighter, and higher output. More chug friendly and matches the output of my other guitars now. Staying in there for good.



Yeah the x series always sounded like a weaker version of whatever model it is.

Also is 18volt standard versions even remotely comparable to the X series?
Isnt that what its supposed to be copying?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Thats pretty much what it sounded like. The EMG 81 but everything toned down. I will say I like the 85X over the standard 85. That extra high-end sparkle helps a lot. 

And no, it's definitely not the same. The 18v mod is more subtle. The 81X is a huuuuge difference over the 81.


----------



## Science_Penguin

lewis said:


> Yeah the x series always sounded like a weaker version of whatever model it is.
> 
> Also is 18volt standard versions even remotely comparable to the X series?
> Isnt that what its supposed to be copying?



Eh... "Weaker" in that it doesn't have as consistent of an attack. Easily remedied by harder picking, in my experience.


----------



## gnoll

Science_Penguin said:


> Eh... "Weaker" in that it doesn't have as consistent of an attack. Easily remedied by harder picking, in my experience.



But that kind of requires your picking to be weak to begin with, doesn't it?

Say that you do pick harder with 81x. Well, what if you pick that hard with 81? Pick even harder still with 81x? What if you do THAT with 81?

Either way you pick, they're gonna sound different.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Science_Penguin said:


> Eh... "Weaker" in that it doesn't have as consistent of an attack. Easily remedied by harder picking, in my experience.



Nah, I already pick aggressively. If I picked any harder, my tuning would be fucked.  It's definitely more smoother voiced, and doesn't let out the aggression the standard 81 has. There's more to the sound than just less compression.


----------



## Spicypickles

Sadness abound. 

I don’t dislike the 81 in the bridge, but the 85x in the bridge is ALL THE TITTIES. 60 in the bridge is quite fancy also, if you wanna get crazy.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

The 85X was too smooth for me. I need bite in the bridge. The 60 was... interesting. It sounded like the 85X in some ways, but with more extreme highs and a slight scoop in the mids.


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The 85X was too smooth for me. I need bite in the bridge. The 60 was... interesting. It sounded like the 85X in some ways, but with more extreme highs and a slight scoop in the mids.


Makes it sound like the 60 in the bridge is a less scooped dimebucker? haha.

Might try it.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


> Makes it sound like the 60 in the bridge is a less scooped dimebucker? haha.
> 
> Might try it.



Naaah, it's hard to explain. The 60 is VERY smooth, but there's some kinda... click in the high end? You should try it, but it's not an aggressive sound.


----------



## Spicypickles

It’s worth a try. I like my women like I like my pickups; a lot of bottom end. I dunno how you EQ your amps but recto, BMTP 6/5/4/5 and it sounds MASSIVE. Wall of sound type shit, love it.

I haven’t done the 60 in the bridge in a year or so but I remember it having more bass than the 81, less aggressive for sure but can easily do metal etc. Less treble than the 81 and more mods for sure. I enjoyed it, YMMV.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Played a bit more with the EMG 81-loaded Superhawk. 

Made the guitar go from "Shit I might have to sell this..." to like my 3rd or 4th best sounding guitar.


----------



## toner

I go back and forth between my guitars (between my collection I have EMG, blackouts, fluence moderns). They are all good and have their uses when tracking guitrars.


----------



## c7spheres

Double Post


----------



## c7spheres

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Naaah, it's hard to explain. The 60 is VERY smooth, but there's some kinda... click in the high end? You should try it, but it's not an aggressive sound.


- When I tried my 60-7 in bridge position I had a similar experience. Compared to my 707 it was a bit tighter and very articulate. I couldn't decide which I liked more and it was really nice, but ulitmately the 60-7 needed more "oomph power" more punch for certain things so I put it back in the neck position.
- It was very smooth but still articulate. I didn't happen to notice the click you describe on my 60-7 however. It was almost perfect and I'd say still perfeect for that chunky fat tone but still tight. For extra high gain stuff maybe not so much. All it needed was like an extra few db of gain on it and I would have probably kept it in there. The 60-7is ceramic. Although I have the PA-2 preamp in my guitar and did try boosting it a bit with that and it worked, it's not the same type of gain that is in the preamps of the pickups themselves and doesn't sound or respond the same. he PA-2 is great but it does change the character a bit for the pickups. It makes them tighter and louder, but it is a little noisier too and feels different.
- As I've mentioned before in this thread, I find that lowering the pickup by a lot actually tightens things up and makes them a little flatter or clearer sounding, tightens them up and still picks up all the frequencies and gets the low end under control too. The volume lowers a little but the gain doesn't go away. I don't subscribe at all to putting it as close to the strings as possible recommendation. This is what I ended up doing/discovering with my 707 and I'm rally happy with it now. It's like about a 1/4" from the bottom of my strings. I think finding the sweet spot is the most important thing for optimal sound and responce with EMG's, imo. I still want to try out a whole bunch of different EMG's for the hell of it though.


----------



## gnoll

I don't really like the 60 in bridge. It sounds a bit like a fat single coil, which I think is why it's so nice for cleans, but also why it doesn't work so well for high gain rhythm. It sounds a bit weak and has something weird going on in the highs.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Honestly... Yeah thinking bout it, the 60 sounds like a smooth P90 with a very hi fi top end to it. It's not aggressive at all like the 81 or 57


----------



## Quiet Coil

Any scuttlebutt for NAMM? I bugged them a few years ago about an 8-string version of the 707TWX-R and while they seemed to think it was a cool idea, it sounded highly unlikely to ever happen.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Noisy Humbucker said:


> Any scuttlebutt for NAMM? I bugged them a few years ago about an 8-string version of the 707TWX-R and while they seemed to think it was a cool idea, it sounded highly unlikely to ever happen.



EMG is super super hush hush pre-NAMM. The Jim Root announcement was a fluke.


----------



## Quiet Coil

One can dream... I’ve got to be able to split the bridge. That’s the only thing keeping me with Fishman for the time being.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Im still eagerly awaiting the Jim Root set. I'm curious if it'll be a new voicing or an uncovered EMG 81/60 set.


----------



## Purelojik

Spicypickles said:


> Sadness abound.
> 
> I don’t dislike the 81 in the bridge, but the 85x in the bridge is ALL THE TITTIES. 60 in the bridge is quite fancy also, if you wanna get crazy.



this was exactly my experience, the 60 or 85 in the bridge was just the shit. 81 in the neck was perfect. 

the 60 or 85 in the neck sounded like TOO much butter. 


having recently tried the fishmans, i have to say i like both emg and fishman but i gravitate to EMG because the wiring is SO DAMN SIMPLE. fishman need to step up with regards to that.


----------



## Quiet Coil

I’m telling you guys - 89XR in the bridge is the bee’s knees.


----------



## mrdm53

I have 707 set a while back. Super awesome for lead tone, but nothing but pool of mud for rhythm. even 18V mod doesn't help..

But 57/66 set on my Loomis is different monster, i like them just as i like my Fluences


----------



## BabUShka

I have tried a lot of pickups, but the EMG 60 is unique. Great pickup for neck, and as described earlier its perfectly smooth yet bitey.


----------



## lyonk55

Inspired by this thread, I went and fished out an EMG 81/85 set I'd left at my parents when I was up at new year. Put them in an Ibanez SZ4020 that's been having issues finding a good set: such a boomy low end, even with apparently tight, bright pickups. Still need to give it a while to adjust, but first impression is pretty great. Much tighter, but without a harsh high end.

Now considering EMGs for my 7 string, which has been another problem child for me. Currently got Fishman Tosin's and it's a bit on the grating side. Loads of highs and high mids.


----------



## c7spheres

lyonk55 said:


> Inspired by this thread, I went and fished out an EMG 81/85 set I'd left at my parents when I was up at new year. Put them in an Ibanez SZ4020 that's been having issues finding a good set: such a boomy low end, even with apparently tight, bright pickups. Still need to give it a while to adjust, but first impression is pretty great. Much tighter, but without a harsh high end.
> 
> Now considering EMGs for my 7 string, which has been another problem child for me. Currently got Fishman Tosin's and it's a bit on the grating side. Loads of highs and high mids.



Lower them a bunch to get rid of boomy low end.


----------



## lyonk55

c7spheres said:


> Lower them a bunch to get rid of boomy low end.



Sorry, I meant the EMGs seem to have fixed the low end issues the other pickups had. Previously it had an Alpha/Omega set and if they were high enough to get the saturation I wanted, the low end went weird. But if I backed them off to save the low end, I lost the power. So far, the EMG81 has a better balance here.


----------



## c7spheres

lyonk55 said:


> Sorry, I meant the EMGs seem to have fixed the low end issues the other pickups had. Previously it had an Alpha/Omega set and if they were high enough to get the saturation I wanted, the low end went weird. But if I backed them off to save the low end, I lost the power. So far, the EMG81 has a better balance here.


 Nice! Still though, messing around with pickups height greatly varies the response of them. Might want to just for fun of it.


----------



## lyonk55

c7spheres said:


> Nice! Still though, messing around with pickups height greatly varies the response of them. Might want to just for fun of it.



Yeah, I like to mess with it every now and then. Either "just to see" or my brain has decided everything sounds bad today, which is annoyingly often.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lyonk55 said:


> Sorry, I meant the EMGs seem to have fixed the low end issues the other pickups had. Previously it had an Alpha/Omega set and if they were high enough to get the saturation I wanted, the low end went weird. But if I backed them off to save the low end, I lost the power. So far, the EMG81 has a better balance here.



Man I almost bought the A/O set. Glad to see I didn't.

When I use EMGs, I tend to do the recommended deal of jacking the pickup height as high as possible. It works perfect for me

Given how EMGs work, it does make sense why this is recommended; the pickups themselves are extremely low output, while the preamp does the actual amplifying.


----------



## c7spheres

lyonk55 said:


> .... or my brain has decided everything sounds bad today, which is annoyingly often.


 I have those days too. I've learned not to touch anything on those days, but sometimes I still do anyways.


----------



## lyonk55

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Man I almost bought the A/O set. Glad to see I didn't.
> 
> When I use EMGs, I tend to do the recommended deal of jacking the pickup height as high as possible. It works perfect for me
> 
> Given how EMGs work, it does make sense why this is recommended; the pickups themselves are extremely low output, while the preamp does the actual amplifying.



To be fair, I wouldn't write off the A/O set based on that guitar. It also didn't like Bareknuckle Nailbombs, Miracle Man, Fishman Classics or the stock Duncan/Ibz. It was described as "cursed" in the thread I posted on here for advice. I haven't tried them in anything else yet and could see them working well in a guitar that's warm sounding, just not the bassy monster that Ibanez apparently is.


----------



## gnoll

I've had problems with EMGs too close to the strings.

I was so surprised and annoyed once I lowered them and they sounded better.

"But, but...!! They're SUPPOSED to be close to the strings!!"


----------



## Edika

I got a 81/85 set on Saturday with a solderless kit and tried to put them in my LP. Not sure what the issue was but I wasn't getting any sound. I put them in my Jackson Kelly and yeap got the EMG grind again! 

Only problem is the pots are long shaft and while they're not sticking out of the cavity they're a bit higher from the body. Anyone interested in trading me their reglar length shaft solderless volume and tone knobs? Two of them cost here almost as much as the whole solderless kit!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Edika said:


> I got a 81/85 set on Saturday with a solderless kit and tried to put them in my LP. Not sure what the issue was but I wasn't getting any sound. I put them in my Jackson Kelly and yeap got the EMG grind again!
> 
> Only problem is the pots are long shaft and while they're not sticking out of the cavity they're a bit higher from the body. Anyone interested in trading me their reglar length shaft solderless volume and tone knobs? Two of them cost here almost as much as the whole solderless kit!



You could get another set of nuts and adjust the height that way. Have one of them on the middle of the shaft so it acts like a stopper. Or use a fuck ton of washers.


----------



## Edika

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> You could get another set of nuts and adjust the height that way. Have one of them on the middle of the shaft so it acts like a stopper. Or use a fuck ton of washers.



They did come with the nuts and I actually have them like that. I have put the nuts so they are popping out on the desired height. It is of course working well but if they were closer to the body then they would be more somewhat more space in the cavity. The Kelly cavity is surprisingly narrow lol. My soloist electronics cavity is like a boat compared to that lol!


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

gnoll said:


> I've had problems with EMGs too close to the strings.
> 
> I was so surprised and annoyed once I lowered them and they sounded better.
> 
> "But, but...!! They're SUPPOSED to be close to the strings!!"


I prefer mine backed off a bit. I start with them flush with the pickup rings (mine are different heights), and then adjust them up a few semi turns from there until I get the tone I want. When I go too far, it'll be obvious to my ear tonally, then I'll back it off a smidge. Takes some time, but it's worth it.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Edika said:


> I got a 81/85 set on Saturday with a solderless kit and tried to put them in my LP. Not sure what the issue was but I wasn't getting any sound. I put them in my Jackson Kelly and yeap got the EMG grind again!
> 
> Only problem is the pots are long shaft and while they're not sticking out of the cavity they're a bit higher from the body. Anyone interested in trading me their reglar length shaft solderless volume and tone knobs? Two of them cost here almost as much as the whole solderless kit!


Never, EVER buy their parts piece by piece. It's a waste of money. Buy the full solderless kit because it's good to have spares.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Never, EVER buy their parts piece by piece. It's a waste of money. Buy the full solderless kit because it's good to have spares.


Yup. I have so many spare parts that if I get a parted set of EMGs, I'm covered. Shit-ton of buses, pots, wires, and stereo jacks.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Yup. I have so many spare parts that if I get a parted set of EMGs, I'm covered. Shit-ton of buses, pots, wires, and stereo jacks.


They come in handy. $35 bucks for a full set up vs $10 for one pot. Unless you're really strapped for cash, always go the full set route.


----------



## Edika

$10 for a pot? That's actually a good price. The cheapest I could find in the UK is £18.5 or I can from Thomman that has it for £14 something but with a €10 shipping cost lol! 

I think in this case paying about £39 for a wireless kit plus shipping makes more sense.


----------



## aesthyrian

i just used the REDactive components. https://www.guitarfetish.com/Redactives-Individual-Parts-and-Components_c_448.html


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

SO.

Who's preordering the Jim Root pickups?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> SO.
> 
> Who's preordering the Jim Root pickups?


Some goober named @HeHasTheJazzHands. What a tool.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Some goober named @HeHasTheJazzHands. What a tool.


----------



## hensh!n

I finally installed a set of Super 77’s into my ESP E-II FR-7. Notable differences compared to the Fat 55’s:

- Hotter/brighter in the high-mids and treble frequencies

- slight harshness in the high-mids and treble frequencies that really make the tone cut through in a high-gain setting

- less compression which results in more dynamic cleans with a more articulate pick attack

Overall they’re a decent choice for a versatile active pickup. Looking forward to trying out the Root set, which are the RA’s answer to the 81/60 combo.


----------



## c7spheres

hensh!n said:


> I finally installed a set of Super 77’s into my ESP E-II FR-7. Notable differences compared to the Fat 55’s:
> 
> - Hotter/brighter in the high-mids and treble frequencies
> 
> - slight harshness in the high-mids and treble frequencies that really make the tone cut through in a high-gain setting
> 
> - less compression which results in more dynamic cleans with a more articulate pick attack
> 
> Overall they’re a decent choice for a versatile active pickup. Looking forward to trying out the Root set, which are the RA’s answer to the 81/60 combo.


 I'm curious about these. How would you compare the volume output of them compared to a 707 or 60 type pickups? I noticed the output voltage is like double the normal EMG's but the impedence is 3k rather than 10k. How would you compare the noise foor on them. Is it the same or hiigher etc?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Would really like to hear a comparison between the 77's, Roots, and the standard 81/60 set for sure.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Would really like to hear a comparison between the 77's, Roots, and the standard 81/60 set for sure.


Me too, HeHasLamazeHands.


----------



## lewis

My plan this year is to grab super 77s and the new 57/66TW set

I really really need them to offer different colours for their pickups though. 57/66 in white for example.


----------



## Chiba666

Yep, got a set of the BBs on order to replace a JB/59 set in my rr3


----------



## hensh!n

c7spheres said:


> I'm curious about these. How would you compare the volume output of them compared to a 707 or 60 type pickups? I noticed the output voltage is like double the normal EMG's but the impedence is 3k rather than 10k. How would you compare the noise foor on them. Is it the same or hiigher etc?



The Fat 55’s are pretty damn noisy. In addition, they don’t do high-gain too well since they are so dark. At least not for any type of high-gain I play. Probably the best clean tone out of any EMG I’ve tried though. Even the bridge sounds quite lovely clean. 

The Super 77’s are less noisy, but there’s a trade off. The Super 77’s are much hotter, making the bridge really only usable for crunch, lead, and high-gain (though this works well for me). The upper midrange really does well for note articulation and cutting through a mix. They may sound closer to a Bareknuckle set like the Aftermath. The neck sounds fluid, great for leads and solos. Though it doesn’t clean up as well as the Fat 55, but I suppose that’s why the Hot 70 set exists (77 in the Bridge and 55 in the Neck). The Super 77 is definitely for someone who wants less noise than a traditional passive, but with more dynamics than an a traditional active. 

I’ve used 707’s, 707TWX’s, 57/66 Set, and the 81TWX/89TWX combo. The Super 77 is my favorite EMG Set by far. If I had to change anything, it would be to clean up the neck pickup slightly and potentially lower the output on the bridge. The Fat 55’s have beautiful cleans, but they aren’t worth the noise for me. 

I recently just got a guitar with the Fluence Moderns in them. So I’ll compare the RA’s with those once I get back home.


----------



## c7spheres

^ 
Hey, thanks for that great info and description. It really helps. : )


----------



## MASS DEFECT

hensh!n said:


> The Fat 55’s are pretty damn noisy. In addition, they don’t do high-gain too well since they are so dark. At least not for any type of high-gain I play. Probably the best clean tone out of any EMG I’ve tried though. Even the bridge sounds quite lovely clean.
> 
> The Super 77’s are less noisy, but there’s a trade off. The Super 77’s are much hotter, making the bridge really only usable for crunch, lead, and high-gain (though this works well for me). The upper midrange really does well for note articulation and cutting through a mix. They may sound closer to a Bareknuckle set like the Aftermath. The neck sounds fluid, great for leads and solos. Though it doesn’t clean up as well as the Fat 55, but I suppose that’s why the Hot 70 set exists (77 in the Bridge and 55 in the Neck). The Super 77 is definitely for someone who wants less noise than a traditional passive, but with more dynamics than an a traditional active.
> 
> I’ve used 707’s, 707TWX’s, 57/66 Set, and the 81TWX/89TWX combo. The Super 77 is my favorite EMG Set by far. If I had to change anything, it would be to clean up the neck pickup slightly and potentially lower the output on the bridge. The Fat 55’s have beautiful cleans, but they aren’t worth the noise for me.
> 
> I recently just got a guitar with the Fluence Moderns in them. So I’ll compare the RA’s with those once I get back home.



Have you tried a Het Set and compared it against the Super 77?


----------



## hensh!n

MASS DEFECT said:


> Have you tried a Het Set and compared it against the Super 77?


I haven’t. But from what I’ve heard, the Het Set sounds like a more traditional active pickup. Whereas the Super 77’s are more like a traditional passive with the benefits of active technology.


----------



## Mike

Anyone have a spare solderless kit they'd like to sell me for cheap?  

Does anyone prefer the het set to an 81-60 set?


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

Mike said:


> Anyone have a spare solderless kit they'd like to sell me for cheap?QUOTE]
> 
> Check out the GFS Redactives solderless connections. I have them on 2 guitars that are EMG equipped and they work just fine, pots too.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Mike said:


> Does anyone prefer the het set to an 81-60 set?



I do. By far. The HET feels thicker, sounds brighter and bigger but that's not for everyone. If you think the 81 is a bit thin, but you like the eq and the tightness, the Het gives you more heft and frequencies to work with.

And it is much quieter than the 81, for sure.


----------



## Mike

I'll look into them, thanks. 



MASS DEFECT said:


> I do. By far. The HET feels thicker, sounds brighter and bigger but that's not for everyone. If you think the 81 is a bit thin, but you like the eq and the tightness, the Het gives you more heft and frequencies to work with.
> 
> And it is much quieter than the 81, for sure.



That's what I like to hear. I'm going to have to pick up a set to try sooner than later.


----------



## gnoll

Did you see this? I think this guy makes really good comparisons.



I've not played the het set myself, but based on comparisons like these I prefer the 81 to the het set, because I think it sounds more aggressive and clamps down harder on the palm mutes. The het set seems more open and less congested-sounding though, and I can see people preferring that if they're more into that kind of tone.


----------



## Necky379

In the video:
Up until the last clip they both sounded equal. The 81 was better in the last but the riff sounded more Maiden than Metallica and it’s a Hetfield pickup. Cleans, the Hetfield didn’t sound as good as the 81 when he was digging into the strings but with a light touch it was way nicer.

That being said I really like 81’s, a lot. I’ve never played Hetfield’s. Just commenting on the video.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I had the Het Set, 81x, and 81. Prefer the 81.

Het Set had lots of output and low end, but not as much mid range grit. I've seen people say "oh it has a lot of low end but is still tight!"but I didnt think it was very tight. The 81x also lacked the grit, and was also lower output and thinner.

Loved the Het Set neck tho. It's like a more 3D sounding 60. So far my favorite EMG neck pickup. 

Next on the list is the Daemoneum set and the 77 bridge


----------



## MASS DEFECT

^True. The JH is not that tight. Nothing beats the 81 when it comes to that. But you can get the idea and the difference in tightness in this video:


----------



## lewis

Anyone know when the new 57/66TW sets are going to be available in shops and also why we dont ever get single coil pickups that match most of their humbuckers?

I.e 57 humbucker bridge with a 66 single coil version in neck


----------



## hensh!n

lewis said:


> Anyone know when the new 57/66TW sets are going to be available in shops and also why we dont ever get single coil pickups that match most of their humbuckers?
> 
> I.e 57 humbucker bridge with a 66 single coil version in neck



They’re already available on Amazon. Not sure about other shops. 

Maybe because many humbuckers can be wired for coil splitting? Perhaps there just isn’t a demand for single coil versions though. Personally I’d like to see more multi-voiced sets. Single coil versions of popular humbuckers would be cool though.


----------



## lewis

hensh!n said:


> They’re already available on Amazon. Not sure about other shops.
> 
> Maybe because many humbuckers can be wired for coil splitting? Perhaps there just isn’t a demand for single coil versions though. Personally I’d like to see more multi-voiced sets. Single coil versions of popular humbuckers would be cool though.



Im thinking to help with matching Aesthetics too. Say i have an H/S configuration or H/S/S - and the bridge humbucker i go with is the 57 in brushed steel.

How the hell can i then get single coils to match that aesthetic? There is literally zero options

In 2020 that seems absolutely ridiculous.


----------



## hensh!n

lewis said:


> Im thinking to help with matching Aesthetics too. Say i have an H/S configuration or H/S/S - and the bridge humbucker i go with is the 57 in brushed steel.
> 
> How the hell can i then get single coils to match that aesthetic? There is literally zero options
> 
> In 2020 that seems absolutely ridiculous.



I agree. Had a hell of a time trying to get suitable pickup replacements for my Caparison Horus which is a H/S configuration.


----------



## lewis

so what a surprise.

Ola Englund's recent live rig of the week sees a legendary Marshall JCM800 being boosted by a variety of different OD and boost pedals.

Also used 3 different guitars and as per my experience also, the Keith merrow Fishman pickups sound the worse of the 3 options.
With the EMGs sounding best. Solar Duncans coming in 2nd.

now people will claim its just down to that particular amp, but this is always my experience regardless of what I plug into.

Fishmans are incredibly overrated and im not saying EMGs are the best pickups ever or anything, far from it, but what I am saying is they get hated on by the internet for absolutely no reason and in most cases at the very least they stack up to modern and "in trend" options with alot of times, they sound better. Plus they are way cheaper than Fishmans. - 



Direct backwards and forwards of the pickups starts at 41 minutes with him trying an EMG guitar


----------



## PatientMental76

lewis said:


> so what a surprise.
> 
> Ola Englund's recent live rig of the week sees a legendary Marshall JCM800 being boosted by a variety of different OD and boost pedals.
> 
> Also used 3 different guitars and as per my experience also, the Keith merrow Fishman pickups sound the worse of the 3 options.
> With the EMGs sounding best. Solar Duncans coming in 2nd.
> 
> now people will claim its just down to that particular amp, but this is always my experience regardless of what I plug into.
> 
> Fishmans are incredibly overrated and im not saying EMGs are the best pickups ever or anything, far from it, but what I am saying is they get hated on by the internet for absolutely no reason and in most cases at the very least they stack up to modern and "in trend" options with alot of times, they sound better. Plus they are way cheaper than Fishmans. -
> 
> Direct backwards and forwards of the pickups starts at 41 minutes with him trying an EMG guitar



I think it just comes down to personal preference & what works for you, myself personally i could never get EMG's to sound what i was looking for


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> so what a surprise.
> 
> Ola Englund's recent live rig of the week sees a legendary Marshall JCM800 being boosted by a variety of different OD and boost pedals.
> 
> Also used 3 different guitars and as per my experience also, the Keith merrow Fishman pickups sound the worse of the 3 options.
> With the EMGs sounding best. Solar Duncans coming in 2nd.
> 
> now people will claim its just down to that particular amp, but this is always my experience regardless of what I plug into.
> 
> Fishmans are incredibly overrated and im not saying EMGs are the best pickups ever or anything, far from it, but what I am saying is they get hated on by the internet for absolutely no reason and in most cases at the very least they stack up to modern and "in trend" options with alot of times, they sound better. Plus they are way cheaper than Fishmans. -
> 
> 
> 
> Direct backwards and forwards of the pickups starts at 41 minutes with him trying an EMG guitar



Yeah, the Fluence did sound a bit ugly.


----------



## Aliascent

Recently got to play Jackson KE3 again, and turns out I'm really tired of the SH4/2 combo. They're a classic for a reason, but they don't work with that specific Kelly, at all.
So, having learned the lesson from my DKMG, it's 81/85 time, and I'll finally get to try all this solderless stuff.

On a sidenote, I started lowering all my EMG just a bit, it does makes a world of difference. Much more sensitive to your picking that way.


----------



## lewis

Aliascent said:


> Recently got to play Jackson KE3 again, and turns out I'm really tired of the SH4/2 combo. They're a classic for a reason, but they don't work with that specific Kelly, at all.
> So, having learned the lesson from my DKMG, it's 81/85 time, and I'll finally get to try all this solderless stuff.
> 
> On a sidenote, I started lowering all my EMG just a bit, it does makes a world of difference. Much more sensitive to your picking that way.


yeah Ive been doing that with 81s for a while now. The company recommend having it as close as possible to the string but I find if you pick/chug hard, everything blooms out way too much.

Ive maintained people bashing EMGs, are likely doing this, hearing that Bloom, then writing them off - rather than lowering them to clean them up.

user error basically.


----------



## c7spheres

@lewis 
- It's starting to catch on now, slowly. Soon it will spread like wild fire and a new world of dynamic players will dawn and rule the earth once again! : )
- Well maybe not, but I like how by searching "the Google" suddenly it seems to be getting recommended a lot more now since this thread began. I'm even seeing people talking about slamming them far down like I do. It's almost like people are starting to use their ears again and try new (I mean old) things! 
- I am curious though if Fishmans clean up well doing this or if since they are supposedly already super clear then maybe they just get brittle and thin and disappear. I love my EMG but would still like to try Fishamans for the heck of it. I also want to try out every EMG 7 string for the heck of it too.


----------



## Jon Pearson

Following up on the Fishman bashing from the Ola video, I agree with the general sentiment that Fishman hype is getting a bit old. The different voicing options are a neat thing but I just don't hear tones that justify the fuss. I'll admit I don't love EMGs like I used to, but man they are definitely as much a competitor as they ever were.


----------



## lewis

Jon Pearson said:


> Following up on the Fishman bashing from the Ola video, I agree with the general sentiment that Fishman hype is getting a bit old. The different voicing options are a neat thing but I just don't hear tones that justify the fuss. I'll admit I don't love EMGs like I used to, but man they are definitely as much a competitor as they ever were.


Bang on!

As a Fishman modern set owner, I feel like the voices and options are vastly overblown.
They are more like "jack of all trades, master of none" tbh.

Both voices on the modern set are no where near the top of the pile for what they are aiming to achieve.
I hate gigging with my Moderns now. After playing near 10 shows with them, i swapped my 81s back in and now my FIshmans sit in a box not getting use. (decided to use them as my album recording pickups in the hope that they can still justify their cost)

voice 1 is too much output, too thin and an annoying cocked wah vibe at all times. Quite how people rave about this being desirable I dont know. Live they sound thin and shrill as hell - especially in my baswood body/maple fretboard custom RG. Maybe the modern bridge would work well in an 8 string tuned Drop E or lower.

Voice 2 is big bloomy low end, again weird mids and clicky highs. Just bizarre. Neither voice cuts well live.

Before I sold my AX8, I was having to use a patch that was Bass max, mids Max, treble off and still I got no meat and power in the tone. It just sounded weak.

Swapped them back out for the dual 81s (quick connect) and instantly you get power. meat and they cut amazingly live. Lowering them cleans up the clarity in chords.
Job done.

Some of the best modern metal tone/production for my tastes are dudes that happened to use EMGs.
81-7s


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I'm surprised at how good the Solars sounded in that video and how ass the Fluences sounded.


----------



## Thep

Don't mean to turn this thread into a Fluence bashing party, but I just recently had my first experience with them.

I purchased an RG5121, factory equipped with Fluence Moderns. They're certainly not bad, but I must say that the hype around them is really unwarranted for the most part. I wanted to love them (and justify my purchase of a new guitar) but I still much prefer any of my Dimarzio equipped guitars for any musical application. While I do prefer them over EMGs, that's not saying much because I've never been a fan of them to begin with.


----------



## lewis

Thep said:


> Don't mean to turn this thread into a Fluence bashing party, but I just recently had my first experience with them.
> 
> I purchased an RG5121, factory equipped with Fluence Moderns. They're certainly not bad, but I must say that the hype around them is really unwarranted for the most part. I wanted to love them (and justify my purchase of a new guitar) but I still much prefer any of my Dimarzio equipped guitars for any musical application. While I do prefer them over EMGs, that's not saying much because I've never been a fan of them to begin with.


hello again pal!! 

haha

But yeah as I said on FB, the Dimarzios ive heard are way better and more useable in more applications than the FIshman moderns


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'm surprised at how good the Solars sounded in that video and how ass the Fluences sounded.


aboslutely this!

The Duncan SOlar is an underrated pickup

Pisses on the Merrow set


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Kinda tempted to find a set and try them. Sound like they took the Custom 5 (Which I know Ola used and liked before the Solar sigs), kept the trebly attack, and tightened the low end and boosted the midrange.


----------



## Edika

Seeing how the market has moved the last 30-40 years, EMG's dominated the late 80's to early 00's, as they are great sounding pickups but people just got bored of hearing them everywhere. They do have some negative aspects but they were way overblown due to overexposure fatigue.

Then there was the dynamic, organic, passive trend. Don't get me wrong there are myriads of kicks passive pickups but there was a "I use passive pickups, I don't follow the herd mentality and play dynamically and want great cleans" mentality. Which makes sense if you have oversaturation of one type of sound but suddenly EMG's where abysmal sounding, dead, hollow, lifeless tone sucking machines.

As always the truth is somewhere in the middle and now that EMG's haven't been cool for a while, they have tried all new current hot flavours they realise that "You know what? EMG's actually sound great and actually shine in some applications!".

I have two sets now, one classic 81/85 and the 57/66 set and I'm really happy with them. I also see that for my preferences in sound and playing at home I like more classic sounding pickups. I tried some modern pickups that where the knees beds and have sold then off or trying to sell them lol! I'll even go as far as saying I prefer the JB over the Distortion. 

I'm not a fan of djent style pickups and I'll most probably won't like the Fishmans. I'm curious to try them but on a guitar that has them pre installed.


----------



## lewis

I remember before FIshmans hype it was Lace.

I bought a Deathbar/Xbar set for my 8 string based on all the hype.
The X bars are actually very good but I hated the deathbar.

No matter what you did, you couldnt get rid of certain fizz in the pickup. If I ever went that route again, I would do dual X bars.

point is people jump on bandwagons and it always seems to include slagging off the product they are moving from

Be like someone using Di Marzio for years and loving them, trying fishman and suddenly being "Dimarzio are shit", just because they like Fishman.

Its weird.
Calling out any products shortcomings doesnt make you a hater either.
We see it on the Fractal forum, with Kiesel fan bois and to an extent Fishman users.

Becomes like a cult that will go to war with any naysayers


----------



## akinari

What cracked me up was a lot of guys saying stuff like, "I fucking _*DESPISE!!!! *_EMGs because they're too processed, compressed, thin and sterile sounding. I can only get my tone by using a medium output passive Bareknuckle that I subsequently run into 2 boosts, a noisegate and a compressor into the red channel of my 6505+." I'm planning on getting 2 sets of EMGs - 81 + 85 and another set I'm not as familiar with - for 2 of my guitars for the first time ever in the coming weeks, simply because I miss playing the 81 loaded Ibanez Roadstar II my buddy had when I was growing up. It was so effortless getting a good metal tone with that guitar and it felt so lively. I still love my passive equipped guitars, but they're different.


----------



## Edika

Honestly if someone owns one guitar and wants an all rounder, EMG's or better yet some EMG's are not ideal. But with overabundance of cheap solid guitars I don't that is the case anymore...


----------



## mpexus

I already decided my next guitar will have the 57/66 combo, so I care less what others say it sucks or doesn't suck.. if I only "followed" what the Internet says I would never buy anything


----------



## Edika

Not to change the topic on this, but kind of reminds me the hate on the Boss MT-2. It's not ideal in the clean channel of an amp and you should exercise caution when dialing it as the EQ is really wide. But in the power amp section of any tube amp I've tried it plus the solid state power amp of my Valvestate and it sounds beastly. Instant thick Death Metal to shake the house down!


----------



## lewis

Edika said:


> Not to change the topic on this, but kind of reminds me the hate on the Boss MT-2. It's not ideal in the clean channel of an amp and you should exercise caution when dialing it as the EQ is really wide. But in the power amp section of any tube amp I've tried it plus the solid state power amp of my Valvestate and it sounds beastly. Instant thick Death Metal to shake the house down!



Absolutely.

I think anything can sound great or this in the right/wrong hands


----------



## lewis

akinari said:


> What cracked me up was a lot of guys saying stuff like, *"I fucking DESPISE!!!! EMGs because they're too processed, compressed, thin and sterile sounding. I can only get my tone by using a medium output passive Bareknuckle that I subsequently run into 2 boosts, a noisegate and a compressor into the red channel of my 6505+*." I'm planning on getting 2 sets of EMGs - 81 + 85 and another set I'm not as familiar with - for 2 of my guitars for the first time ever in the coming weeks, simply because I miss playing the 81 loaded Ibanez Roadstar II my buddy had when I was growing up. It was so effortless getting a good metal tone with that guitar and it felt so lively. I still love my passive equipped guitars, but they're different.




HAHAHAH how true is this!

the worst one is "Batteries are for flashlights not pickups"
-_- 

yeah ok...

defo look out for the 57/66 TW set (new - they are coil splitabble) OR the Retro active set. Super 77 is ceramic mags, the Fat 55 set is Alnico


----------



## hensh!n

From my experience, people get lost on the pickups and forget everything else that gives a guitar (or rig) it's tone. For example, I have a 57/66 set that sounds great in my 6 string Edwards Horizon. I also have a 57-7/66-7 Set in my ESP FR-7 Horizon. Does not sound the same at all. The ESP is a Mahogany body though, and I've had terrible experiences getting a non muddy tone from a Mahogany body guitar generally speaking (with my G-Phoenix Custom VII String being the lone exception).

I will say certain pickups benefit from certain woods or guitar builds. Fishmans tend to be fairly bright, so they'd work well in a Mahogany body guitar (or at least my Mahogany/Maple body guitar). Ultimately I've learned that no two models of the same guitar will sound exactly identical. So it is best to play the guitar in person with an amp you're familiar with, and decide if that guitar will work for you or not. Also, there are advantages to having multiple guitars with a variety of pickup configurations. I currently own two active pickup guitars and two passive pickup guitars. I love them all in different ways.

Getting back to the topic though, yes Fishmans are overhyped. However both the Fishman and EMG have their own purposes, but the purpose they serve often varies by pickup. The Fishman Modern has much less noise than all of the EMG's I've used and they have multiple voices, however I tend to only use Voice 1 (Active Voice) and both voices sort of lack any distinctive character. So the multi-voice thing feature isn't that attractive when both sound fairly similar and tend to only use one voice anyways. Also, the Fishman Moderns are "sterile" too, albeit in a different way than EMG's. Almost like having a pickup with an EQ that is flat, only varying in the amount of output and dynamics (with the Passive Voice having more dynamics overall).

I will say I tried a Lace X Bar (or Deathbar?) and initially thought it was terrible. However, after adjusting some parameters and presets I found them to be extremely clean and clear, very articulate (not that unlike the Fishmans) but more Hi-Fi like a JBE (which I still own). Though I'm fairly certain that the Lace pickups caused more noise and feedback from the amp...

Case in point, all these pickups have their benefits and uses but will ultimately depend on the guitar they're in and the type of tone you're looking to achieve. At this point in my musical life I've come to the realization that there is no one pickup that will work for every guitar, in every song, for every application. And I'm okay with that, perhaps we should all be too.


----------



## gnoll

It's much easier to feel good about your choice of pickups if what you didn't choose is shit.


----------



## lewis




----------



## Rotatous

For a while EMGs were trendy to hate on. Sort of like the hate for Line6, Gibson, etc. we've all seen on guitar forums.

I actually really like the EMGs in my main axe, I'm finding it hard to justify replacing them with anything else.


----------



## Science_Penguin

Rotatous said:


> For a while EMGs were trendy to hate on. Sort of like the hate for Line6, Gibson, etc. we've all seen on guitar forums.
> 
> I actually really like the EMGs in my main axe, I'm finding it hard to justify replacing them with anything else.



Funny thing is, I run EMGs through a Line 6 POD. I'm one Les Paul away from beyond giving a fuck.


----------



## lewis

Science_Penguin said:


> Funny thing is, I run EMGs through a Line 6 POD. I'm one Les Paul away from beyond giving a fuck.


in my experience, EMGs make Pods sound better haha


----------



## DevanString333

Total newby here so sorry if this is a party foul. I've been searching all over the net, and I can't find the answer I'm looking for. Everything I find is someone asking how to replace EMG with Fishman Fluence. I'm wanting to do the exact opposite! without having to solder or alter the existing wiring. Just unplug, plug, and play?. I know it's easy to unplug and swap one active EMG for another active EMG, but I'm wondering if there is a good reason I can't take my EMG 57-7 and 66-7 out of my ESP and just plug them into the existing Fishman harness in my Schecter Multiscale with Fishman Fulence moderns without having to doing any soldering or re-wiring. I understand that the push pull pots will be useless on the EMG but I don't care about that. I just want the volume and tone to function. My tech experience is limited to doing minor set-ups and changing strings and I don't have a soldering gun. I'm hesitant to dive in until I know for sure it will work so I don't waste the time or strings. I love the way the Multiscale plays and I like the fluence set , but I prefer the EMG 57 for my original metal songs. Please help, Thanks!


----------



## Endnote

Figured I'd get in on this thread since I've been reading it for a couple of months. For a while there I didn't have any EMGs in my guitars for years, until the last year or so, though I had used them in the past. When Fishmans came out I was all on board thinking that I could get the best of both worlds, I put the moderns in 3 of my guitars. The Moderns have a great active sound, but IME it just didn't compare to what the 81/60 combo did for me in the past, the bass wasn't as tight and percussive. And the Voice 2 passive ceramic sound just didn't compare to my favorite ceramic passives, mainly the Seymour Black Winter and Custom SH-5, the Voice 2 just sounded like a weaker version of the Voice 1 sound. They honestly left too much to be desired. Someone earlier called them a jack of all trades but a master of none. Couldn't agree more. The Modern Active just didn't hold up to what I loved about the 81. And the 60 is the best active neck sound I've ever heard, so the Modern neck didn't even touch what the 60 was offering. The Fishman classics had a great sound especially the Voice 1 PAF but left too much to be desired for modern metal, which is the style I play the most. 

The only set that I still have in one of my guitars is the KSE set, and the only reason for that is because they have a bass tight enough to hold up to the 81, though they definitely have the least amount of active style gain of the Fishmans I've tried. The 3rd single coil voicing the KSE's have was great for what I needed. I'm using them on a Warmoth Soloist in B Standard. Going from the Tight bass active sound to the single coil sounds are very fulfilling for the music I'm playing on that guitar. That said, I've also had the pleasure of using the 81TW and 89 on another guitar and they sound great as well. The 81TW gets a lot of "this doesn't sound like the 81" reviews but I'm gonna have to disagree. I'm def satisfied with that set as well. The volume drops going to single coil sounds on the Fishmans and the EMGs isn't much different, and I've honestly come to expect that from those sets.

Ultimately I'd say the Fishmans were very overrated for me personally, just like a lot of the others on this thread have found. The EMG 81/60 is just the perfect set for my needs and the only other set I use as much in my guitars are the Seymour Black Winters. I will say that the bands I've seen using Fishmans live, particularly Unearth, still sounded great live. But as a casual player and normally playing on my own, the EMGs are still the ideal active sound. So kudos to @lewis for bringing this up a while back because I definitely feel the same. Now if only EMG would put out all their actives with the brushed chrome look.


----------



## lewis

DevanString333 said:


> Total newby here so sorry if this is a party foul. I've been searching all over the net, and I can't find the answer I'm looking for. Everything I find is someone asking how to replace EMG with Fishman Fluence. I'm wanting to do the exact opposite! without having to solder or alter the existing wiring. Just unplug, plug, and play?. I know it's easy to unplug and swap one active EMG for another active EMG, but I'm wondering if there is a good reason I can't take my EMG 57-7 and 66-7 out of my ESP and just plug them into the existing Fishman harness in my Schecter Multiscale with Fishman Fulence moderns without having to doing any soldering or re-wiring. I understand that the push pull pots will be useless on the EMG but I don't care about that. I just want the volume and tone to function. My tech experience is limited to doing minor set-ups and changing strings and I don't have a soldering gun. I'm hesitant to dive in until I know for sure it will work so I don't waste the time or strings. I love the way the Multiscale plays and I like the fluence set , but I prefer the EMG 57 for my original metal songs. Please help, Thanks!


hey bro!

Im going to say that it should work fine. Fishmans need a ground wire were as EMGs do not. Thats the only thing that I can see being different between them? not sure on that and if that will cause problems (using EMGs with a ground wire)

but all the quick connect stuff works fine.
The guitar i use my EMGs and Fishmans in, is the complete EMG solderless quick connect system. I swap between them when I feel like it and the quick connect works fine for the Fishmans. I dont like Voice 2 so I have the Modern set permanently wired to V1 bridge and V2 neck using the Jumper clip.




Endnote said:


> Figured I'd get in on this thread since I've been reading it for a couple of months. For a while there I didn't have any EMGs in my guitars for years, until the last year or so, though I had used them in the past. When Fishmans came out I was all on board thinking that I could get the best of both worlds, I put the moderns in 3 of my guitars. The Moderns have a great active sound, but IME it just didn't compare to what the 81/60 combo did for me in the past, the bass wasn't as tight and percussive. And the Voice 2 passive ceramic sound just didn't compare to my favorite ceramic passives, mainly the Seymour Black Winter and Custom SH-5, the Voice 2 just sounded like a weaker version of the Voice 1 sound. They honestly left too much to be desired. Someone earlier called them a jack of all trades but a master of none. Couldn't agree more. The Modern Active just didn't hold up to what I loved about the 81. And the 60 is the best active neck sound I've ever heard, so the Modern neck didn't even touch what the 60 was offering. The Fishman classics had a great sound especially the Voice 1 PAF but left too much to be desired for modern metal, which is the style I play the most.
> 
> The only set that I still have in one of my guitars is the KSE set, and the only reason for that is because they have a bass tight enough to hold up to the 81, though they definitely have the least amount of active style gain of the Fishmans I've tried. The 3rd single coil voicing the KSE's have was great for what I needed. I'm using them on a Warmoth Soloist in B Standard. Going from the Tight bass active sound to the single coil sounds are very fulfilling for the music I'm playing on that guitar. That said, I've also had the pleasure of using the 81TW and 89 on another guitar and they sound great as well. The 81TW gets a lot of "this doesn't sound like the 81" reviews but I'm gonna have to disagree. I'm def satisfied with that set as well. The volume drops going to single coil sounds on the Fishmans and the EMGs isn't much different, and I've honestly come to expect that from those sets.
> 
> Ultimately I'd say the Fishmans were very overrated for me personally, just like a lot of the others on this thread have found. The EMG 81/60 is just the perfect set for my needs and the only other set I use as much in my guitars are the Seymour Black Winters. I will say that the bands I've seen using Fishmans live, particularly Unearth, still sounded great live. But as a casual player and normally playing on my own, the EMGs are still the ideal active sound. So kudos to @lewis for bringing this up a while back because I definitely feel the same. Now if only EMG would put out all their actives with the brushed chrome look.



Interesting to hear you have basically had the identical experiences as me with them dude. It was me that referred to them as Jack of all trades master of none.

Across the board they do a multitude of things "OK" but its really nothing more than that. If you want specialist sounds, you absolutely wont get that from these imo. Want amazing passive sounds to record with? use a passive guitar.
Want tight as balls, aggressive and cutting metal rhythm tone - enter the 81
The Tosins are the only set Ive heard in tone clips that I think sound great. My modern set gets as grating and fatiguing sounding as the Nazgul did when I had it. That emphasis on upper mid/cocked wah sound gets tiring fast.

My biggest complaint with the Fishmans is they are trying to make 1 set of pickups, in 1 guitar, do a whole variety of tone options - and only doing a semi mediocre job of it. Ultimately I would rather just have another guitar.

i.e THE clean guitar for albums (that probably uses either EMG single coils, 60, or even a quality passive set of singles etc)

THE Rhythm guitar thats EMG 81, 57, super 77 or anything similar for that aggression and tightness

THE Lead guitar etc etc etc

not 1 guitar trying and failing to do the lot.


----------



## hensh!n

lewis said:


> My biggest complaint with the Fishmans is they are trying to make 1 set of pickups, in 1 guitar, do a whole variety of tone options - and only doing a semi mediocre job of it. Ultimately I would rather just have another guitar.



Basically this. The Modern voices are OK for high gain, very clean and clear with little noise. However the alternate voice aspect is widely overblown. In the case of the Modern set, both voices do not sound that different. It's basically a difference of output and focus, with the active voice having a more narrow frequency band. Also the Modern set is almost completely useless for clean tones, even with the passive voice. EMG's tend to not have the best clean tone ever, but it's worth pointing out. I'd say the Fishmans may be for you if you like actives but don't want the preamp compression typically found in EMG's (that squashed sound). However it is this same squashed compressed tone that make EMG's fun to play (especially in the neck position for leads).

The Classic set offers more variety overall, but it is a similar case to the Fishman Modern set. Voice 1 (Classic PAF) is absolutely brilliant. One of the best bridge pickups I've heard (even for cleans) and it holds up well in some high-gain situations too. However I found both alternate voices to be completely useless for my specific applications. Voice 2 (Overwound PAF) in the bridge sounds really honky and nasty to my ears. And for Voice 2 in the neck, it's a super scooped neck tone that for me is even more useless. After trying several different presets in my Axe III, I found none that allowed this voice to cut through. None at all. Also Voice 1 for the neck is just OK, kind of bland sounding but not terrible. Clean and clear I guess, but not exceptional in any regard. I also found the Classic set to be quite noisy compared to the EMG 57/66 set I use. 

I did try the Tosin's in an Abasi Concepts guitar and from my time spent with it, I can say that it's the best sounding pickup out of the 3 (possibly even better than the 57/66 as well). Really aggressive in Voice 1 for the bridge, cutting attack, but not overly harsh and without the "cocked wah" tone you typically get with ceramic bridge pickups. The single coil voice is also extremely pleasing and useful, at least for my purposes. I forget how the passive tone sounds on the Abasi set, but it is at least as good as the passive voice on the Modern set (probably better). Then again I haven't tried this set in a guitar I own, so take this all with a grain of salt.

I am curious to hear about the Javier Reyes set, as it's two passive tones instead of one active and one passive. Also I like that in addition to the single coil tones offered in this set, Voice 2 for the neck is a hollowbody type tone. Offering more variety than perhaps any other set that Fishman currently makes. Overall this is what I would like to see Fishman make, sets with 2-3 different voices in each pickup that sound drastically different from each other (Active Modern, Passive Classic, Tele single, etc.). They certainly boast that they have the technology for this, so let's see if it's something they can deliver on.


----------



## Legion

Well. I have loved and hated EMG's.
I loved the HetSet in my old roommate's Ibanez. I hated the 707's in my Loomis. I changed to the 85X/60X. Loved the 60X. Loved-for a while-the 85X. Went to the Blackout EMTY, that stayed for the rest of the time I had that guitar until I sold it. Played Dimarzios for most of my life, and *those *are the pickups I keep going back to.

Steve's Special (loved)
PAF Pro (loved)
PAF Joe (loved)
Dominion (meh)
Air Norton (LOVE LOVE LOVE)
Tone Zone (loved)
Air Zone (LOVE LOVE LOVE)
Bluesbucker (Love in my PRS, hate in my Ibanez)
PAF Master (LOVE LOVE LOVE)

...you get the picture


----------



## conorreich

I just replaced the bridge 808 in my Interceptor with 57-8h and it sounds phenominal. It's odd, but it almost sounds better through a modeler than my 6505mh. I need an eq pedal though. 

I also have an 81-7 in my H-207, 81/85 combo in my ex360, and a single 81 in my Warlock. So yeah, keep coming back to emg's.


----------



## lewis

conorreich said:


> I just replaced the bridge 808 in my Interceptor with 57-8h and it sounds phenominal. It's odd, but it almost sounds better through a modeler than my 6505mh. I need an eq pedal though.
> 
> I also have an 81-7 in my H-207, 81/85 combo in my ex360, and a single 81 in my Warlock. So yeah, keep coming back to emg's.



The 707/808 is defo the worst active pickup out there I imagine.
Awful.

Im going to make sure the next EMG set I buy is the 57/66. I NEED to try them as I still havent.


----------



## conorreich

lewis said:


> The 707/808 is defo the worst active pickup out there I imagine.
> Awful.
> 
> Im going to make sure the next EMG set I buy is the 57/66. I NEED to try them as I still havent.


The 57 in the bridge is the way to go. It's tight, clear, and articulate. WILL IT CHUG? Yes. Even though Ola hasn't tested them lol.


----------



## lewis

conorreich said:


> The 57 in the bridge is the way to go. It's tight, clear, and articulate. WILL IT CHUG? Yes. Even though Ola hasn't tested them lol.


FYI in case you didnt know, EMG just released the 57/66TW set which is coil splittable


----------



## conorreich

lewis said:


> FYI in case you didnt know, EMG just released the 57/66TW set which is coil splittable


Oooooh you da man! That's my next purchase for my ex360.


----------



## Mathemagician

lewis said:


> The 707/808 is defo the worst active pickup out there I imagine.
> Awful.
> 
> Im going to make sure the next EMG set I buy is the 57/66. I NEED to try them as I still havent.



Question. Do the “TW” series sound different from the pickup they’re based on? I know technically it’s just two pickups stacked, the “base” and the “single coil”. But has anyone found that the “base” sounds at all different from the non-splittable version?


----------



## noob_pwn

I'm a bareknuckle snob yet i still think EMG's are fantastic pickups, the 81 in particular is so damn good and i still have a guitar loaded with them. They just sit so well in a mix, feel so easy to play on and do their thing extremely well. Not always ideal, not always for everyone but not as bad as they're sometimes made out to be by biased people.


----------



## lewis

Mathemagician said:


> Question. Do the “TW” series sound different from the pickup they’re based on? I know technically it’s just two pickups stacked, the “base” and the “single coil”. But has anyone found that the “base” sounds at all different from the non-splittable version?



I wondered this and found some youtube demos of the old 81 and 81TW comparisons and both humbucker sounds seemed to sound identical.
If there was any difference is was completely negligible over youtube


----------



## lewis

noob_pwn said:


> I'm a bareknuckle snob yet i still think EMG's are fantastic pickups, the 81 in particular is so damn good and i still have a guitar loaded with them. They just sit so well in a mix, feel so easy to play on and do their thing extremely well. Not always ideal, not always for everyone but not as bad as they're sometimes made out to be by biased people.


Refreshing to read this from a Bareknuckle fan.


----------



## Endnote

Mathemagician said:


> Question. Do the “TW” series sound different from the pickup they’re based on? I know technically it’s just two pickups stacked, the “base” and the “single coil”. But has anyone found that the “base” sounds at all different from the non-splittable version?



I have both but in guitars that are different in scale length/ construction/ and woods. That said, I think the spirit of the 81 is there, and the single coil sound has been worth it so far. I've read other opinions over the years and never gave the TWs a shot because so many said they were too different. Now that I have a set, I'm perfectly fine with the 81TW having that name. It's still tight as all hell and is close enough for me to be completely satisfied.


----------



## Korneo

I used to not be a fan of EMG at all in the past. I was a Die Hard fan of the Blackout (AHB1), which are still great, but after years, I think the EMG 57 is the best pickup ever FOR ME.
On the same guitar, a Jackson Custom Shop, I've 3 sets of active pickups. First I use the Blackout. I use it since it came out so I perfectly know their sound but in 2016, I want to try the EMG 57 66 set and don't really like it first.
Then, 3 months later, I swapped the 57 for a Fishman Modern ceramic which I immediately hate.
The best I can describe it is lifeless and boring.

At this time, my guitar which have the blackout for years have the 57 and my custom have the Fishman. I compared them a lot and really prefer the 57. The fishman is complete garbage to my ears.
Then I put back the Blackout and even if I LOVE the mids and output, the 57 is way clearer and tighter.
Don't change anything for 3 years when I buy a Lespaul Custom with 2 EMG 81 and wow, just wow. This guitar is made for this pickup. So agressive, clear and fast tracking ! I can compare it to the 81 for a long time.

Now, after years of thinking, the Fishman is sold and the 57 66 stay on my Jackson and I trully think it's my best pickup set ever.
The 57 is aggressive and tight as the 81, but with throaty/fatty/ballsy lows which I love so crazy much !
I don't like to have 2 guitars with the same pickup (I prefer diversity and I'm curious about he Black Winter set) but If I need an other set of pickup for metal, I'd go for the 57/66.

I'm now an EMG guy after 15+ years with SD exclusively ^^'


----------



## Restarted

lewis said:


> Refreshing to read this from a Bareknuckle fan.


I think "fan" is a bit of an understatement there haha


----------



## lewis

Korneo said:


> I used to not be a fan of EMG at all in the past. I was a Die Hard fan of the Blackout (AHB1), which are still great, but after years, I think the EMG 57 is the best pickup ever FOR ME.
> On the same guitar, a Jackson Custom Shop, I've 3 sets of active pickups. First I use the Blackout. I use it since it came out so I perfectly know their sound but in 2016, I want to try the EMG 57 66 set and don't really like it first.
> Then, 3 months later, I swapped the 57 for a *Fishman Modern ceramic which I immediately hate.
> The best I can describe it is lifeless and boring.*
> 
> At this time, my guitar which have the blackout for years have the 57 and my custom have the Fishman. I compared them a lot and really prefer the 57. *The fishman is complete garbage to my ears.*
> Then I put back the Blackout and even if I LOVE the mids and output, the 57 is way clearer and tighter.
> Don't change anything for 3 years when I buy a Lespaul Custom with 2 EMG 81 and wow, just wow. This guitar is made for this pickup. So agressive, clear and fast tracking ! I can compare it to the 81 for a long time.
> 
> Now, after years of thinking, the Fishman is sold and the 57 66 stay on my Jackson and I trully think it's my best pickup set ever.
> The 57 is aggressive and tight as the 81, but with throaty/fatty/ballsy lows which I love so crazy much !
> I don't like to have 2 guitars with the same pickup (I prefer diversity and I'm curious about he Black Winter set) but If I need an other set of pickup for metal, I'd go for the 57/66.
> 
> I'm now an EMG guy after 15+ years with SD exclusively ^^'



Its funny because its true.
The Modern set is way more sterile and Anaemic sounding than EMGs, and yet no one ever mentions that because of the hype.

Yet EMGs still get religiously slated on that front all the time.


----------



## Korneo

lewis said:


> Its funny because its true.
> The Modern set is way more sterile and Anaemic sounding than EMGs, and yet no one ever mentions that because of the hype.
> 
> Yet EMGs still get religiously slated on that front all the time.



I have a lot of friends who buy some Fishman to replace EMG's and a lot of them are "hype players" (buy everything during the hype) and when we record them before and after, I never prefer the Fishman Modern.
You have a lot of clarity with them, I admit it. But they're so blank in a non musical/uninspiring way. It's hard do describe this feeling.

Before that, I don't want/like the EMG 81/85/60 because everybody use them and I've never follow and trend or a hype. But after this comparison, I understand why so many player use and abuse of them.
The 57/66 have less hype and it's a shame, they sound so crazy well.


----------



## conorreich

It's funny to see all of y'all that don't like fishmans. I don't either and prefer emgs over them. I had a modern ceramic in my ex360 and hated it so I swapped it back to my 81. It will be getting a 57 soon.


----------



## Korneo

Please, tell us which difference you can ear between the fishman and the 81 ?
I like to ear different opinion ^^.

And do the same when you got the 57


----------



## conorreich

Korneo said:


> Please, tell us which difference you can ear between the fishman and the 81 ?
> I like to ear different opinion ^^.
> 
> And do the same when you got the 57


Well the 57 to me sounds tighter and you can hear each individual string much more clearly. The 81 is chunky, tight, and slightly less articulate than the 57 to me. The moderns to me sounded like Fishman tried to take the 81 and compress the tone less. They are very articulate though. YMMV with each guitar they are in. I've heard wood makes less of a difference with emgs than passives, but that's not true to me.

Just my 2 cents here. 

For context: warlock with an 81, LTD ex360 with an 81, LTD h207 with an 81-7, Interceptor 828 with a 57-8/808. The 808 will be replaced with a 66-8 when my funds get replenished. I'm working on making some clips using a Rectifier patch on my hd500x.


----------



## hensh!n

lewis said:


> Its funny because its true.
> The Modern set is way more sterile and Anaemic sounding than EMGs, and yet no one ever mentions that because of the hype.
> 
> Yet EMGs still get religiously slated on that front all the time.



It's interesting how the Moderns are able to be more sterile, yet less compressed than EMG's. If you think compression is the key to sterilization of pickups, listen to the Fishman Modern set. With that being said, I recently have fallen for the passive voice of the Fishman Modern set. At low volume it sounds quite dull and sterile, but at higher volumes it sounds more clear and dynamic (whereas the active voice has this really narrow EQ that makes it unpleasant). It would be nice to find some middle ground with relatively high output pickups that have low noise, less compression, but use several passive voices with a modern(ish) frequency response. I'm sure many people would just say to use passive's instead, which I'm fine with, but I haven't found a set that I love (besides certain guitar companies proprietary pickup models that you can't buy separately). There are simply too many after market pickups that lack modern features (voice changing, low noise, etc.) that I look for besides the typical output level and frequency response/EQ.


----------



## Legion

hensh!n said:


> It's interesting how the Moderns are able to be more sterile, yet less compressed than EMG's. If you think compression is the key to sterilization of pickups, listen to the Fishman Modern set. With that being said, I recently have fallen for the passive voice of the Fishman Modern set. At low volume it sounds quite dull and sterile, but at higher volumes it sounds more clear and dynamic (whereas the active voice has this really narrow EQ that makes it unpleasant). It would be nice to find some middle ground with relatively high output pickups that have low noise, less compression, but use several passive voices with a modern(ish) frequency response. I'm sure many people would just say to use passive's instead, which I'm fine with, but I haven't found a set that I love (besides certain guitar companies proprietary pickup models that you can't buy separately). There are simply too many after market pickups that lack modern features (voice changing, low noise, etc.) that I look for besides the typical output level and frequency response/EQ.




I'm reading all this...but in 16 years of guitar playing I still have no fucking idea what the fuck the word "sterile" (and similar pseudo-descriptors) even means...

Some EMG's are lovely (85X/60X, 57/66, HetSet), some are awful (707), and some are industry standard staples (81/85). They do their thing, and that's that.


As for Fishmans...they're one of only four pickup technology innovations in electric guitar history (single coils, humbuckers, active pickups, and printed circuit active pickups) so I will give them that. As far as tone is concerned, I don't see them being drastically different from what's out there already...I do see some advantages they offer though. But beyond that, people going "FiShMaNz HaZ oRgAnIk ToAnZ" are talking out of their ass.


----------



## lewis

Legion said:


> I'm reading all this...but in 16 years of guitar playing I still have no fucking idea what the fuck the word "sterile" (and similar pseudo-descriptors) even means...
> 
> Some EMG's are lovely (85X/60X, 57/66, HetSet), some are awful (707), and some are industry standard staples (81/85). They do their thing, and that's that.
> 
> 
> As for Fishmans...they're one of only four pickup technology innovations in electric guitar history (single coils, humbuckers, active pickups, and printed circuit active pickups) so I will give them that. As far as tone is concerned, I don't see them being drastically different from what's out there already...I do see some advantages they offer though. But beyond that, people going "FiShMaNz HaZ oRgAnIk ToAnZ" are talking out of their ass.



I generally believe its people blaming pickups for poor technique.

Ive seen some dudes with the worst vibrato technique ive ever seen and they strike me as the type to then say "oh these pickups are too compressed and sterile"

nah mate, your technique is just shit.

Anytime something is too thin and too hifi sounding, I personally dont vibe with it. Im funny about mid frequencies too. I hate the mids used to emphasis the modern set. Cocked wah nonsense. Was the same reason I hated the Nazgul. And the Lace Deathbar.

All weird mid frequencies that sounded like trash.

I vibe with EMGs because they have instantly fast tracking (despite what anyone says they defo pop quicker than Fishmans do) and because of that response they feel more fun to play my style of riffs. They just sound right too. No weird over emphasised crap you dont want and similarly sit in mixes perfect.

When I supported Monuments - I opted for my Fishman modern set for that show. I regretted it afterwards. No matter what i did during soundcheck I couldnt get them to sound anything other than thin, hifi and weak.
I tried maxxing bass and resonance on my AX8 and I think I even tried having treble on 0 and it still sounded thin.
Thankfully our live review was ace which helped me get over it - but personally I hated my guitar tone that night.


----------



## c7spheres

I'm curious about the 57-7. I know it's Alnico with stell pole pieces, but does it use a bar inside at all like the 707 and 85-7 use on the covered side? If so are they close or far spaced coils? I'm thinking of picking one up to try out. I like my 707's but always though the 57 would be next on my list to try.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


> I generally believe its people blaming pickups for poor technique.
> 
> Ive seen some dudes with the worst vibrato technique ive ever seen and they strike me as the type to then say "oh these pickups are too compressed and sterile"
> 
> nah mate, your technique is just shit.
> 
> Anytime something is too thin and too hifi sounding, I personally dont vibe with it. Im funny about mid frequencies too. I hate the mids used to emphasis the modern set. Cocked wah nonsense. Was the same reason I hated the Nazgul. And the Lace Deathbar.
> 
> All weird mid frequencies that sounded like trash.
> 
> I vibe with EMGs because they have instantly fast tracking (despite what anyone says they defo pop quicker than Fishmans do) and because of that response they feel more fun to play my style of riffs. They just sound right too. No weird over emphasised crap you dont want and similarly sit in mixes perfect.
> 
> When I supported Monuments - I opted for my Fishman modern set for that show. I regretted it afterwards. No matter what i did during soundcheck I couldnt get them to sound anything other than thin, hifi and weak.
> I tried maxxing bass and resonance on my AX8 and I think I even tried having treble on 0 and it still sounded thin.
> Thankfully our live review was ace which helped me get over it - but personally I hated my guitar tone that night.



You're reminding me how fucking Matt Heafy loves Fluences so much because they'res no "latency" and make him play better.

Like dude, pickups aren't fucking digital. Also you played passive pickups and EMGs for like 2 decades and all of a sudden you can't record with them?  I think Fishman just offered him a signature model on the spot and he needed to think up some buzzword.


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> You're reminding me how fucking Matt Heafy loves Fluences so much because they'res no "latency" and make him play better.
> 
> Like dude, pickups aren't fucking digital. Also you played passive pickups and EMGs for like 2 decades and all of a sudden you can't record with them?  I think Fishman just offered him a signature model on the spot and he needed to think up some buzzword.


I was absolutely referencing that when I wrote what I did.

Look I like Matt alot and Trivium are still pretty cool despite not being what they once were. But that line from him is such obviously BS I dont even know what to do with it.

It makes me laugh and feel anger in equal measures anytime I think about it.
God what shit hahaha

Not only is it blatantly a lie, the idea you cant play in time properly with a drummer using anything but Fishmans is also absolute braindead nonsense


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

There is such low latency with Fishman, they break the space-time continuum and go forward in time, slightly, to play the notes you're thinking of playing! Buy them NOW!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> There is such low latency with Fishman, they break the space-time continuum and go forward in time, slightly, to play the notes you're thinking of playing! Buy them NOW!



Stop, you're given Susi ideas.


----------



## hensh!n

Legion said:


> I'm reading all this...but in 16 years of guitar playing I still have no fucking idea what the fuck the word "sterile" (and similar pseudo-descriptors) even means...



Usually "sterile" means overly compressed. In the sense that every note sounds exactly the same and there are extremely limited dynamics. Of course even EMG's have dynamics (all pickups do), but the sense and feel of each pickups dynamic varies from pickup to pickup. For Fishmans, I'd say that they sound compressed in a different kind of way. More like a using a Limiter Vs. a Compressor. Also the Moderns tend to sound sterile because they're very clean and clear, but lack a lot of body and "feel" you might get from another set (either active or passive). Shouldn't be surprising for a company that traditionally specializes in piezo type pickups. Both pickup brands specialize in "stage" pickups, meaning something that will cut through the mix live. Of course they also do the same in the studio too, but they aren't exactly the pickups you go to for playing jazz or blues in your home (even though some do use active pickups for this purpose).


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

Pickup latency... that's a novel idea. I wonder how long it'll be until people are blaming pickup ping being too high for proper tracking or riffing


----------



## Science_Penguin

Crash Dandicoot said:


> Pickup latency... that's a novel idea. I wonder how long it'll be until people are blaming pickup ping being too high for proper tracking or riffing



Would've been a great excuse during the fake playing fiasco.

"Nah, it's not mimed. It just looks unnatural due to pickup lag. Yeah, I'd install Fishmans to fix it but, I like the way my tone sounds too much..."


----------



## c7spheres

In all fairness latency does exist in analog systems, but I've never heard of it being applied to a guitar or guitar rig before. It's usually when you have long cable runs. Maybe he's using a 100ft guitar cable or something on stage. In that case get a Radial or Mesa transmitter/reciever box. Maybe the latency is in the head and he's playing faster than he can perceive himself playing : )


----------



## Two Panthers

I had a pair of EMG 808’s in a Schecter. They were terrible pickups as you all know, but these were extra special in a terrible way - you can actually hear FM radio on the pickup, on about a volume of 0.2 if your volume was turned to dial 1 out of 10, so as you raised the volume youd hear the radio louder. There was two different EMG 8 strings that did that to me actually. Now I am not saying EMG sucks, but they definitely have some incredible, genres defining pickups (81/85/SA) and they also have duds that should’ve been thought over a lot more before releasing the first-off 7 and 8 string pickups, like wait till you had the option of the 81 or 85-7 before releasing the 707, or at leas the 81-7. But the radio thing with the 808s drove me nuts so I sold it as a feature, “if you’re really bored and your stuck at home with nothing but your amp on a hot summer day, just plug in and turn your amp on and be surprised with your personal radio”  it sold, (only after i took that part out lol)

Point for me is - I knew I was finished with EMG when I saw their ERG pickups were limited and less quality, but I knew I would never go back to EMG,ever, when I first installed my Fishman Fluence.


----------



## Legion

I'm liking how I'm the only (almost) lifelong Dimarzio guy constantly posting here, in an EMG thread, defending EMG's from haters....


----------



## Two Panthers

Oh don’t let my bourgeois taste fool you, I love EMG 81/85. They are the best metal set of pickups, it’s what fishman fluence set out to copy and slightly get an edge over them


Congrats to them for pulling it off because EMG has ridden the #1 active and #1 metal pickup for almost 20 years , maybe 25/30 to some considering when you think metal began but if you say 84 with the 81/85, then it took 25 years for another active company to finally do it

I mean I think that’s a testament to EMGs legacy sound and consistent quality with their staple models

so that’s two fans defending EMG now


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

c7spheres said:


> In all fairness latency does exist in analog systems, but I've never heard of it being applied to a guitar or guitar rig before. It's usually when you have long cable runs. Maybe he's using a 100ft guitar cable or something on stage. In that case get a Radial or Mesa transmitter/reciever box. Maybe the latency is in the head and he's playing faster than he can perceive himself playing : )



He said it was while he was recording an album. He CLAIMS the latency was preventing him from keep in time with the drum track. If there's anything digital or that CAN have latency, it's that he records everything with a Kemper now. But I doubt the latency would be the fault of the pickups.


----------



## dan0151

never went away, some of the greatest albums/songs were recorded with them, if it aint broke don't try to fix it.


----------



## c7spheres

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> He said it was while he was recording an album. He CLAIMS the latency was preventing him from keep in time with the drum track. If there's anything digital or that CAN have latency, it's that he records everything with a Kemper now. But I doubt the latency would be the fault of the pickups.


 I remember when Vai said his AxeFx has a latency to it. I'm sure there's something they're noticing, but the pickups? That's wierd. I wonder if it has something to do with feel more than actual latency. I hope I never notice anything like that. It would drive me nuts.


----------



## mnemonic

I took out the 81x I had in the bridge of my partscaster, and put my old 1990’s 85 in, I like that much better. 

The 81x just seemed a bit too much in the mids/upper mids, and seemed a bit rolled off on the top end. 

now I kinda want to buy an old 81 on eBay to see if i like that more than the 81x. I remember really liking the regular old 81 back in college but that was like a decade ago.


----------



## Two Panthers

I haven’t experienced “latency” in the respect that I am understanding it, and people usually mean it.

I will say this happens: Whenever I plug in my fishman Fluence, and I mean I have three different guitars with them so its each one, if the Axe FX is already on when I plug in, its like it almost “reboots” the pickups....you hear them come in loud like the initial “ERHHHH” when you plug a live wire into the amp with the volume on, but then immediately after that initial “Erhhh” connection, it disappears and goes completely mute - like a killswitch - and in about a 2milliseconds later, the guitar sound will fade it at “full normal” volume as dialed in.....

Now this is all within seconds of plugging in, but that does sound like some latency with the initial wiring? Maybe because the fluence core is actually and “active processing” type of circuit board, like its a “mini” computer in a way compared to just a pickup?? So the digital is picking up maybe like, a USB type of driver or something? Who knows

With EMGs, I dont notice that same effect, but there is a delay in the initial connection, versus passives which you hear the notes as soon as its plugged...hope that might be of any use


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

mnemonic said:


> I took out the 81x I had in the bridge of my partscaster, and put my old 1990’s 85 in, I like that much better.
> 
> The 81x just seemed a bit too much in the mids/upper mids, and seemed a bit rolled off on the top end.
> 
> now I kinda want to buy an old 81 on eBay to see if i like that more than the 81x. I remember really liking the regular old 81 back in college but that was like a decade ago.



The 81X is very smooth. Not very aggressive. I swapped it for an 81 and thought it was much mroe aggressive.

The 81 is weird. It has a hi-fi clean sound, but under some cases can have a dull sounding distortion.


----------



## ICSvortex

Two Panthers said:


> I haven’t experienced “latency” in the respect that I am understanding it, and people usually mean it.
> 
> I will say this happens: Whenever I plug in my fishman Fluence, and I mean I have three different guitars with them so its each one, if the Axe FX is already on when I plug in, its like it almost “reboots” the pickups....you hear them come in loud like the initial “ERHHHH” when you plug a live wire into the amp with the volume on, but then immediately after that initial “Erhhh” connection, it disappears and goes completely mute - like a killswitch - and in about a 2milliseconds later, the guitar sound will fade it at “full normal” volume as dialed in.....
> 
> Now this is all within seconds of plugging in, but that does sound like some latency with the initial wiring? Maybe because the fluence core is actually and “active processing” type of circuit board, like its a “mini” computer in a way compared to just a pickup?? So the digital is picking up maybe like, a USB type of driver or something? Who knows
> 
> With EMGs, I dont notice that same effect, but there is a delay in the initial connection, versus passives which you hear the notes as soon as its plugged...hope that might be of any use



I think what you are talking about is the short circuit-/overload protection. When you have a battery or even more, an accumulator (as optional with the fishmans), you need to protect the battery from shorting.
When pluging the guitar in you will in most cases short the hot and ground, which isnt bad for passives but with active systems you run the risk of the battery heating up and if done long enough, the battery-acid escaping, which can cause a lot of harm.
That's why almost all active circuits have short circuit protection. So when you plug the cable in and short the battery, it deactivates the "system" temporarily, protecting the battery from damage.
When the cable is fully plugged in, the circuit activates again, which creates the "latency" you describe.
So just a security measure, which is very important. IF they woudnt do that and you'd short it for long enough with the fishman batterypack, you'd have battery-acid running down your leg and possibly broken electronics. Oh and in the worst case, a burning guitar^^


----------



## frank falbo

I don’t know what Matt Heafy said but there’s no sig deal and his like for Fluence is genuine.

As for latency, it’s not necessarily the correct term but what people are describing when they reference the fastness in Fluence has hard science behind it, not just marketing nonsense.

Pickups have what I’d refer to more with terms like slew rate, phase smearing, group delay, rise time. Latency usually refers to the entire signal just being late to arrive at the next location. Those other terms have to do with the frequency content _within_ the signal, and it’s time alignment.

Capacitance can transcend the time constant. Not sure if you guys know this but analog delay is from a bucket brigade device, which is internally a bunch of capacitance sections that slow the exit of the input sound. In a wire wound pickup, the highs/mids/lows don’t rise at the same rate or exit the pickup at the same time. It’s like watching video where the red, green, and blue are all slightly delayed from one another. There’s a smearing effect. The Fluence coil is more in focus. It might not be something everybody notices or falls in love with, but it’s real, hard science. 

The second time aspect is eddy currents. Those develop to many different degrees on different pickups for different reasons. Those are like little “sag” compression wheels on the high frequencies. Early EMG’s had copper shielding, and copper mesh is better than copper foil, and I think once I saw they had some kind of other black carbon mesh sort of thing, not sure what they’re using now. So it’s possible that older EMG’s produced more eddy currents than newer ones. Fluence by contrast are low eddy current pickups, so much so, that in some of our designs we have to tune them in a little to get the exact feel we want.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I feel like someone is trying to sell a competitors product in a thread.


----------



## lewis

BBE Sonic Maximizers time based marketing says Hi? haha


----------



## Legion

This just got juicy


----------



## frank falbo

I mean, I can delete it if you want. I’ve got a history here of answering questions honestly without hype, whether when I was with Seymour Duncan or now. I’m just giving a breakdown of the science.

The trouble with the BBE analogy is it’s doing the opposite; applying more delay to restructure the (post distortion) sound in anticipation of the speaker’s group delay. The other problem being that they don’t ever give you that time alignment without high and low boost. So there’s a scooped tone that comes along with it. 

What I’m talking about with Fluence is the opposite; to never impart the group delay in the first place.

Should I just delete all of this?


----------



## c7spheres

frank falbo said:


> I mean, I can delete it if you want. I’ve got a history here of answering questions honestly without hype, whether when I was with Seymour Duncan or now. I’m just giving a breakdown of the science.
> 
> The trouble with the BBE analogy is it’s doing the opposite; applying more delay to restructure the (post distortion) sound in anticipation of the speaker’s group delay. The other problem being that they don’t ever give you that time alignment without high and low boost. So there’s a scooped tone that comes along with it.
> 
> What I’m talking about with Fluence is the opposite; to never impart the group delay in the first place.
> 
> Should I just delete all of this?


 I think you put up some interesting info. Good food for thought.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

I accidentally blew my 66 neck pickup by reversing two contacts, one of them being the battery connection. Totally stupid on my part for doing any guitar surgery without my glasses on.
Any way, to replace it, I decided to try the 60. It is nice so far, and the cleans on it own, but still kind of lean more to the 66 for lead work.


----------



## lewis

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> I accidentally blew my 66 neck pickup by reversing two contacts, one of them being the battery connection. Totally stupid on my part for doing any guitar surgery without my glasses on.
> Any way, to replace it, I decided to try the 60. It is nice so far, and the cleans on it own, but still kind of lean more to the 66 for lead work.


ah what a bummer


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I really dig the 66 and Het neck. Pair it with the 81 like Hevy Devy did and it's a great combination.


----------



## lewis

Anyone tried the super 77s yet?


----------



## mnemonic

I got an EMG Maverick off eBay, one of the new(er) retroactive single coils. 

the description on the EMG site seems to imply that bridge middle and neck are all slightly different pickups, though I have no idea which one I have since the position isn’t marked on the back. I put it in the neck of my EMG strat, temporarily replacing an SAx. 

I really like it, very clear and punchy, responds very well to the volume and tone knob. Lots of treble on tap, though the tone knob works perfect for dialling in the right amount of high end. I found myself rolling it to about 7 or 8 most of the time for cleans or mild overdrive (about the same as I did with the SAx). 

compared to my other strat which has three Seymour Duncan SSL-1’s (which I really like), the maverick in the neck is a bit brighter, a bit lower output, maybe a bit more compressed? Though those are different guitars made of different wood so ymmv. 

Fantastic feel, if I were looking to replace the SSL’s in my S/S/S strat, I would strongly consider either these or the EMG crossroads set (which I’m now curious about). 

the SAx sounds more linear and hifi, maybe higher output (I forget what height I had it at to be honest), where the Maverick seems more ‘proper strat single coil’. 

I had a full set of EMG SV’s in my S/S/S strat until fairly recently when I replaced them with the SSL-1’s, the SV I guess was an older attempt by EMG to cop that 50’s strat tone, I think they’re from the mid-2000’s. They are for sure more ‘stratty’ than the SAx, lower output, but not as good as the SSL-1’s or the maverick. I really liked the SV in the bridge (maybe more than the SSL-1), middle was good, neck was a bit boomy. The SV lacked a bit of the high end sparkle a good single coil has. Also the in-between positions (2 and 4) were not really that good. Maverick does seem to have that sparkle though, step in the right direction. 

ordered a new pickguard for my EMG strat and I will route the body for a single coil in the middle (currently it’s just HS routing), and I will stick the SAx in the middle.


----------



## SteveFireland

I have a four Jackson KVs, all with 81's in the bridge. Two of them have the old logo version, two of them have the new logo version. I'm _fairly_ sure the new logo ones have a slightly lower output... can anyone confirm or deny that?!


----------



## c7spheres

SteveFireland said:


> I have a four Jackson KVs, all with 81's in the bridge. Two of them have the old logo version, two of them have the new logo version. I'm _fairly_ sure the new logo ones have a slightly lower output... can anyone confirm or deny that?!


 According to EMG they are exactly the same inside (all new logo styles), but I remember when the new logos came out there were several people all saying they sounded different whatever pickup it was. It could all just be headgames but that's also around when everyone started hating on the 707's too along with the introduction of Blackouts. I still like my 707's which are old logo and solder system. I think most of the differences (if any) probably have to do with solderless stuff.


----------



## Fluence of Shred

I don’t know myself. I have a very old ESP Explorer with EMG 81 set in it, and it sounds a little brighter than the EMG 81 in my newer LTD that uses 3 pins. The difference could be from the guitars, too?

For some reason or other, the EMG logos on my set in the older ESP EXP are both a silver, but the set in my newer LTD is gold and silver so maybe they are different.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Are EMGs made in Indonesia now?


----------



## c7spheres

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Are EMGs made in Indonesia now?


 I don't know. My first reactio is I feel a little sick, but then I hold out hope for them being counterfiet.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

c7spheres said:


> I don't know. My first reactio is I feel a little sick, but then I hold out hope for them being counterfiet.


Nope; there are quite a few pics of the underside of Retroactives. They all have "Made in Indonesia." Kind of pathetic, considering they still charge $200. Makes you wonder if any of them are made in America, and even worse when you realize that they increased the price of the passives quite a bit, and are likely outsourced. Gross.


----------



## lewis

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Nope; there are quite a few pics of the underside of Retroactives. They all have "Made in Indonesia." Kind of pathetic, considering they still charge $200. Makes you wonder if any of them are made in America, and even worse when you realize that they increased the price of the passives quite a bit, and are likely outsourced. Gross.


You are joking?!

Ffs. I loved that I was buying USA Made pickups.

Least it's not made it China but still.


----------



## Quiet Coil

lewis said:


> You are joking?!
> 
> Ffs. I loved that I was buying USA Made pickups.
> 
> Least it's not made it China but still.




Looks like both - the actual pickup is made in Indo but the preamp (the quintessential part of any active EMG) is made in the US. The two are probably mated stateside as well, but who knows...

At the end of the day, if you really like the tone then who cares where it was made? Only reason I won’t be trying them for the foreseeable future is that they’re not splittable (and I would love a reason to get back into EMGs).


----------



## SteveFireland

c7spheres said:


> According to EMG they are exactly the same inside (all new logo styles), but I remember when the new logos came out there were several people all saying they sounded different whatever pickup it was. It could all just be headgames but that's also around when everyone started hating on the 707's too along with the introduction of Blackouts. I still like my 707's which are old logo and solder system. I think most of the differences (if any) probably have to do with solderless stuff.



It _could _be the solderless stuff, I suppose. All the electronics in the guitars with the old logo pickups are soldered. The difference is noticeable though, not least because I can see the old logos "tickling the red" on my AX8 input indicator way more than the new logos.



Fluence of Shred said:


> I don’t know myself. I have a very old ESP Explorer with EMG 81 set in it, and it sounds a little brighter than the EMG 81 in my newer LTD that uses 3 pins. The difference could be from the guitars, too?
> 
> For some reason or other, the EMG logos on my set in the older ESP EXP are both a silver, but the set in my newer LTD is gold and silver so maybe they are different.



The gold logo usually indicates an 85. I run an 85/81 combo (as opposed to the more common 81/85 combo) in another KV I have, use it mainly for recording to get a slight difference on one side from the 81 on the other side.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Noisy Humbucker said:


> Looks like both - the actual pickup is made in Indo but the preamp (the quintessential part of any active EMG) is made in the US. The two are probably mated stateside as well, but who knows...
> 
> At the end of the day, if you really like the tone then who cares where it was made? Only reason I won’t be trying them for the foreseeable future is that they’re not splittable (and I would love a reason to get back into EMGs).


Paying $200 for third world produced pickups is absurd. Also makes me wonder what else is outsourced.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I forgot where I heard it, but when they first came out I read they were made in Korea, actually.

But yeah, they're made in Indo. If you find some second-hand listings and see the under-shots, they're Indo.

Although I found pictures of the Jim Roots, and they're USA-made.


----------



## WYLD STALLYNS

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Paying $200 for third world produced pickups is absurd. Also makes me wonder what else is outsourced.


I hate to sound like a snob, but that’s how I feel about anything besides Lundgren - even fluence. Like I bought a few set of fluence, and the one I got last was a brand new set for $150 (demo display set with packaging damage) and I felt that was right, I couldn’t barely stomach it

Lundgren M model > EMG 81 IMHO

It’s like the Lundgren has all the power and heat, with this mid range growl as described, and it really does give it this special edge, its wonderful.....

EMG’s are a fail safe, you know what you are gonna get, everytime

Other sets, not so much ....(IDK about fluence but IMHO they are the best pickups ever made to date)


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

Only the Red Actives have parts that are imported, the rest of their product line as far as their mainstream pickups are concerned are made in USA.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I never tried the M-series Fluences. looking to change that. The only pickup I've tried that's an "EMG killer" and I liked was the Lace Drop n Gain. I liked the BKP Painkiller at first, but I felt the high end DID get harsh at times. 

Also about the Retro-Actives. I know the first round of Retro Actives actually used the EMG HZ OC1 bobbins (if you actually look at early Retroactives, the bobbin model numbers are actually EMG HZs). That leads me to wonder if the bobbins are made overseas, and the preamps are made in the US.


----------



## c7spheres

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I never tried the M-series Fluences. looking to change that. The only pickup I've tried that's an "EMG killer" and I liked was the Lace Drop n Gain. I liked the BKP Painkiller at first, but I felt the high end DID get harsh at times.
> 
> Also about the Retro-Actives. I know the first round of Retro Actives actually used the EMG HZ OC1 bobbins (if you actually look at early Retroactives, the bobbin model numbers are actually EMG HZs). That leads me to wonder if the bobbins are made overseas, and the preamps are made in the US.


 I've been curious to try Bareknuckle Nail Bomb 7 in the bridge. I heard those are great for mid chunk and tight lows and smooth highs.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

c7spheres said:


> I've been curious to try Bareknuckle Nail Bomb 7 in the bridge. I heard those are great for mid chunk and tight lows and smooth highs.



Might have to try those. If the Painkiller had a LITTLE less clanky treble, I'd dig it.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I forgot where I heard it, but when they first came out I read they were made in Korea, actually.
> 
> But yeah, they're made in Indo. If you find some second-hand listings and see the under-shots, they're Indo.
> 
> Although I found pictures of the Jim Roots, and they're USA-made.


Yeah, who knows. They could be stickered after the fact like the Peavey Invective, but actually made in China.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> Only the Red Actives have parts that are imported, the rest of their product line as far as their mainstream pickups are concerned are made in USA.


I'm kind of wondering if the pickups, both passive and active, as far as the actual winding of the bobbins, is done in Indonesia. You'd never know either way because they are gooped like a Bill Lawrence, and sold as being "made" in America, whatever the hell that means.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

The settings if you wanna try them. 

Honestly I've been kinda trying to find other pickups. I love EMGs, and they're REALLY good when they're good, but honestly they've felt more tempermental than passives IMO. I've had guitars that sound beastly, and some that sound ass. I've been trying the Lace Drop n Gain and it's killer so far.


----------



## c7spheres

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I'm kind of wondering if the pickups, both passive and active, as far as the actual winding of the bobbins, is done in Indonesia. You'd never know either way because they are gooped like a Bill Lawrence, and sold as being "made" in America, whatever the hell that means.


 Since they're Cali based and the back of them says "Made in the USA" they should be fully made in the USA, wheras other stuff made overseas then assembled here should say "assembled in the USA" As far as I know that's only for Cali based companies and depends on a percentage of the materials anyways, but who knows who is ever lying about it anyways? What are they gonna get a fine or something if they get caught? 
- I think the positive thing is that these other countrys are doing a really good job with guitars and computer boards etc nowadays.


----------



## c7spheres

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Might have to try those. If the Painkiller had a LITTLE less clanky treble, I'd dig it.


 Yeah, when I was checking out the Synergy stuff I ran across a video of a guy named John Browne. I was thinking damn the Synergy and that guitar sounds great. I kinda want the Mayo guitar he was playing too and the mic and amp too! : ) damn. He was playing a 6 string version though. Not sure if that would translate to the 7 string version or not. Apparently John Browne is a really good guitar player in a band called Monuments. Yes, I've been living under a rock. I don't know these people. : ) I could see myself with a Synergy system and John B guitar though.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

c7spheres said:


> Since they're Cali based and the back of them says "Made in the USA" they should be fully made in the USA, wheras other stuff made overseas then assembled here should say "assembled in the USA" As far as I know that's only for Cali based companies and depends on a percentage of the materials anyways, but who knows who is ever lying about it anyways? What are they gonna get a fine or something if they get caught?
> - I think the positive thing is that these other countrys are doing a really good job with guitars and computer boards etc nowadays.


Sure, agreed, but I'm not paying premium prices for cheap, sweat shop labor. Either pay them accordingly or lower the price.


----------



## c7spheres

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Sure, agreed, but I'm not paying premium prices for cheap, sweat shop labor. Either pay them accordingly or lower the price.



Yep, I don't like the vibe I get from companys that do this stuff. I got a lot of uneasy vibes nowadays. Almost everything's not 100% USA made but much of it will say slightly misleading terms like these. I'm willing to bet that some parts of the USA made EMG's are made elsewhere. At least with the auto industry they tell you a Chevy is x% Mexico, Canada, US etc. I'd like to see this will all products personally. That way you know if you want to participate in the companys offerings or not. At least EMG put a giant sticker onthe bottom telling us where it's made and doens't try to mislead about it.


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

So what’s the consensus on the 81-7h vs the 81-7hx? I really want a 7 loaded with 81’s, but is one better than the other? Is there a difference between the H and just the regular soapbar sized?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Dumple Stilzkin said:


> So what’s the consensus on the 81-7h vs the 81-7hx? I really want a 7 loaded with 81’s, but is one better than the other? Is there a difference between the H and just the regular soapbar sized?



The regular 81 is tighter and more aggressive. The 81X is lower output, smoother, and a bit rounder.


----------



## c7spheres

- For anyone interested and without risking derailing the thread to much. Here's a quick thingy about the difference of "Made in USA" vs "Assembled in USA" etc vs a Company name and address etc.
- This has been an ongoing issue for many companys. It crept up in the auto and clothing industry it did with the Axe Fx unit, it crept up again with the Synergy system I was looking into etc.
- In a nut shell, if the product specifically says "Made in USA" then there is critiria that they must meet to be legit. The company is supposed to have documented standing in order to legally use that phrse. If it doesn't say it specifically or says "Assembled in the USA" or has a company name with a US address (both of which Synergy uses) and doesn't also specifically say "Made in the USA" or has some other horseshit like "Product of the USA" then it's probably not made in the US and deifinity the company is trying to misleaad. It doens't help when a company like Synergy is getting reviewed by guitar.com specificlly saying it's made in the USA which from what I can tell it's not. When companys use this approach it's a diversion tactic. Not to pick on Synergy, it doens't affect my decision whether I get one someday or not, but it's unsavory. I'd rather companies just put where the hell it's actually made, but we al kow that affects the prices and profits.


https://www.themadeinamericamovemen...ied/difference-between-assembled-made-in-usa/


----------



## mnemonic

The maverick single coil I got says ‘Made in USA’ on the bottom so I guess it’s not all retroactives being outsourced (I think they’re technically part of the retroactive line). 

I routed my guitar yesterday to accept a single coil in the middle, and to make it front-routed to accept a loaded pickguard. It was previously rear-routed, which is actually pretty convenient - I really like pickguard-mounted everything, but I still have the cavity on the back to reach electronics without having to pull the pickguard. 

Also routed my new pickguard for HSS since nobody sells a lefty HSS pickguard, it seems. Hard-wired electronics since the EMG solderless system creates more problems than it solves for me. 




now I have 85 / SAx / Maverick. 




I re-setup the guitar also with lower action than before and lighter strings so it is brighter than before. Maverick and SAx blend pretty well, they sound very good together. Very happy with the setup now. 

I have it set up with a neck tone and a middle tone, no tone on the bridge. When I wired it up I absentmindedly used a .022uf cap like I would with passive pickups, and I wondered why the tone knobs did almost nothing. Then I remembered EMG use .1uf. However I also read the X series use that active tone control due to the lower output impedence meaning the regular 25k / .1uf tone control don’t do much. So I used a .47uf cap and that works great. Great sweep on the tone knob, still the ability to get super bright. 

I will play around with it more today, I spent most of yesterday working on it (on and off) and only played it for like an hour last night.


----------



## akinari

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The only pickup I've tried that's an "EMG killer" and I liked was the Lace Drop n Gain.



Dude, I've been thinking about trying one of those, but no one ever talks about them. How would you compare it to an 81 or, on the passive end, a DD?


----------



## lewis

mnemonic said:


> The maverick single coil I got says ‘Made in USA’ on the bottom so I guess it’s not all retroactives being outsourced (I think they’re technically part of the retroactive line).
> 
> I routed my guitar yesterday to accept a single coil in the middle, and to make it front-routed to accept a loaded pickguard. It was previously rear-routed, which is actually pretty convenient - I really like pickguard-mounted everything, but I still have the cavity on the back to reach electronics without having to pull the pickguard.
> 
> Also routed my new pickguard for HSS since nobody sells a lefty HSS pickguard, it seems. Hard-wired electronics since the EMG solderless system creates more problems than it solves for me.
> 
> View attachment 81135
> 
> 
> now I have 85 / SAx / Maverick.
> 
> View attachment 81136
> 
> 
> I re-setup the guitar also with lower action than before and lighter strings so it is brighter than before. Maverick and SAx blend pretty well, they sound very good together. Very happy with the setup now.
> 
> I have it set up with a neck tone and a middle tone, no tone on the bridge. When I wired it up I absentmindedly used a .022uf cap like I would with passive pickups, and I wondered why the tone knobs did almost nothing. Then I remembered EMG use .1uf. However I also read the X series use that active tone control due to the lower output impedence meaning the regular 25k / .1uf tone control don’t do much. So I used a .47uf cap and that works great. Great sweep on the tone knob, still the ability to get super bright.
> 
> I will play around with it more today, I spent most of yesterday working on it (on and off) and only played it for like an hour last night.



Im planning on using a maverick in the neck of my Inca strat

is it any good? There is barely any opinions on them online.


----------



## mnemonic

lewis said:


> Im planning on using a maverick in the neck of my Inca strat
> 
> is it any good? There is barely any opinions on them online.



there’s barely any reviews of any of their single coils, apart from the S and SA, even the ones that have been out for a long time. Makes me wonder how many they sell. 

I think the maverick sounds really good. I have an EMG SV set I recently took out of another strat and replaced with three Seymour Duncan SSL-1’s (widely regarded as a good representation of 50’s fender single coil sound), and while the SV’s did sound like ‘stratty’ singlecoils (moreso than the SA’s which kind of have their own sound), they were not as good as the SSL1’s. 

The maverick does sound like a legit single coil, it has the chime and clarity, and the parallel positions with the middle pickup also sound great. I only have a maverick in the neck though. 

I did some more comparing, and compared to the SSL1’s it is a bit higher output (but still ‘vintage’ single coil output), brighter, less bass, a bit more scooped, a little more compressed and of course noiseless. The marketing copy on EMG’s site seems to imply this is going after the 60’s fender single coil sound so I wouldn’t expect them to sound the same as the SSL1 (which is more the 50’s fender sound). 

cleans and overdrive sound great, but given how bright it is, I would definitely want a tone knob there. 

you might have issues with volume balance if you’re using a high output EMG humbucker bridge pickup. It’s not high output and you may have to crank it close, and back off the bridge pickup, to get balance right, if that’s important for you. I don’t mind as much since I use bridge pickup 95% of the time I play high gain. 

Maybe an unpopular opinion but I think humbuckers are best for metal, but I prefer single coils for everything else, from cleans up to rock-level gain.


----------



## lewis

mnemonic said:


> there’s barely any reviews of any of their single coils, apart from the S and SA, even the ones that have been out for a long time. Makes me wonder how many they sell.
> 
> I think the maverick sounds really good. I have an EMG SV set I recently took out of another strat and replaced with three Seymour Duncan SSL-1’s (widely regarded as a good representation of 50’s fender single coil sound), and while the SV’s did sound like ‘stratty’ singlecoils (moreso than the SA’s which kind of have their own sound), they were not as good as the SSL1’s.
> 
> The maverick does sound like a legit single coil, it has the chime and clarity, and the parallel positions with the middle pickup also sound great. I only have a maverick in the neck though.
> 
> I did some more comparing, and compared to the SSL1’s it is a bit higher output (but still ‘vintage’ single coil output), brighter, less bass, a bit more scooped, a little more compressed and of course noiseless. The marketing copy on EMG’s site seems to imply this is going after the 60’s fender single coil sound so I wouldn’t expect them to sound the same as the SSL1 (which is more the 50’s fender sound).
> 
> cleans and overdrive sound great, but given how bright it is, I would definitely want a tone knob there.
> 
> you might have issues with volume balance if you’re using a high output EMG humbucker bridge pickup. It’s not high output and you may have to crank it close, and back off the bridge pickup, to get balance right, if that’s important for you. I don’t mind as much since I use bridge pickup 95% of the time I play high gain.
> 
> Maybe an unpopular opinion but I think humbuckers are best for metal, but I prefer single coils for everything else, from cleans up to rock-level gain.



Thats brilliant!
Even more interested now tbh haha
Thank you!


----------



## lyonk55

So after re-trying EMGs on my Ibanez I'm tempted to try them out in my Skervesen 7 string. Currently has a Fishman Abasi set in there and I don't quite like them. Voice 1 has loads of high end. Not sure if it's lacking in lows or just the lows are drowned out, but it's a bit scratchy sounding in this guitar. Voice 2 is fuller, but actually a bit dull in the pick attack for my liking and sounds too full. Anyone compared to an EMG set who can suggest what might split the difference? Can't decide if the 81-7, 85-7 or 57-7 makes the most sense.


----------



## lewis

lyonk55 said:


> So after re-trying EMGs on my Ibanez I'm tempted to try them out in my Skervesen 7 string. Currently has a Fishman Abasi set in there and I don't quite like them. Voice 1 has loads of high end. Not sure if it's lacking in lows or just the lows are drowned out, but it's a bit scratchy sounding in this guitar. Voice 2 is fuller, but actually a bit dull in the pick attack for my liking and sounds too full. Anyone compared to an EMG set who can suggest what might split the difference? Can't decide if the 81-7, 85-7 or 57-7 makes the most sense.


If you go 57 and want to retain the coil split options of the Abasi set - EMG now sell the 57TW/66TW set which is coil splittable and comes with a push/pull pot.

I can't stand the high end scratch on the fishmans either BTW. It's why I went back to EMGS.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Sounds like you want the EMG 57/66 set or 85x set.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

What's the difference between an 85 @18v vs 85x?


----------



## lyonk55

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Sounds like you want the EMG 57/66 set or 85x set.



Thanks, I'd not really thought about the X series, so I'll look into those too.



lewis said:


> If you go 57 and want to retain the coil split options of the Abasi set - EMG now sell the 57TW/66TW set which is coil splittable and comes with a push/pull pot.
> 
> I can't stand the high end scratch on the fishmans either BTW. It's why I went back to EMGS.



I was interested when I saw those come out, but pretty sure they are 6 string only. Or at least, I can't seem to find a 7 string set at the moment.

I don't get why there is so many highs on the Fishmans. I looked at a bunch of my guitars with a spectrum analyser plugin and most had rolled off by ~5-6 KHz. The Fishman set rolled off a bit later, had higher "plateau" in the highs AND had a hump at around 10 KHz.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lyonk55 said:


> Thanks, I'd not really thought about the X series, so I'll look into those too.
> 
> 
> 
> I was interested when I saw those come out, but pretty sure they are 6 string only. Or at least, I can't seem to find a 7 string set at the moment.
> 
> I don't get why there is so many highs on the Fishmans. I looked at a bunch of my guitars with a spectrum analyser plugin and most had rolled off by ~5-6 KHz. The Fishman set rolled off a bit later, had higher "plateau" in the highs AND had a hump at around 10 KHz.



They do make a 7 string set. It's on a new line of Dean guitars.


----------



## lyonk55

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> They do make a 7 string set. It's on a new line of Dean guitars.



Aww cool. Yeah, I can see them on those Deans, but no mention anywhere else. Google only brings up the 6 string version and the only 7 string TWs on EMG's are the 707s.

Are they not available yet?

EDIT: Dean's description does say "...with exclusive brushed chrome EMG 57tw/ 66tw pickups...". Not sure if that means "exclusive to Dean Guitars" or just marketing speak for "high quality".


----------



## mnemonic

Iirc the 6-string 57tw/66tw started as OEM-only for some LTD or ESP guitars then about a year later were announced for sale. Hopefully the same thing happens with the 7 string version (though I would prefer quicker).

I was looking at options for one of my 7’s and I want to try the 57, however I don’t want to lose the single coil sounds with that guitar. I was a little bummed when I realised that the only 7-string ‘tw’ pickup they make is the 707, and I figured there was little chance of a 57-7H-tw, but perhaps there is!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Yeah the TW 6-string set was first in ESP's EC-1001T exclusively for a year. Then it was later made available publicly. Could be the same with the ERG sets.


----------



## lyonk55

I'd hope so. I like having the option of split coils, even if I don't use it that often. Was always something that put me off EMGs years ago. I vaguely remember it "couldn't be done" for whatever reason and by the time the TWs came around I was on the passive hype train.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Is there a way to age the EMG metal brushed chrome or gold covers? I'm dying to put a Hetset or a 57/66 in my Les Paul but it wouldn't match the aged raw nickel hardware.


----------



## wannabguitarist

I installed a set of ceramic Blackhawks in my Jackson fusion (24.75in rosewood/maple, mahogany body, fairly dark sounding) and have not fallen in love with them at all. While super clear they feel really stiff and somewhat boxy to play in humbucker mode. I absolutely love the cleans when split but but that's not why I got this guitar . I remembered this guitar sounding pretty awesome with the 81twx/89xr set that was in it 4ish years ago before I started refinishing it so I'm currently debating between that set again or trying a 57tw/66tw set. I play through a POD HD500x and play a lot of melo-death/00's metalcore sounding stuff. Any other EMG recommendations? They need to be splittable.

Middle guitar:






Gotta figure out what covers to go with if I do settle on the 57/66 set. The pickup rings are black metal, not plastic so black chrome might be a bit too much.


----------



## lewis

wannabguitarist said:


> I installed a set of ceramic Blackhawks in my Jackson fusion (24.75in rosewood/maple, mahogany body, fairly dark sounding) and have not fallen in love with them at all. While super clear they feel really stiff and somewhat boxy to play in humbucker mode. I absolutely love the cleans when split but but that's not why I got this guitar . I remembered this guitar sounding pretty awesome with the 81twx/89xr set that was in it 4ish years ago before I started refinishing it so I'm currently debating between that set again or trying a 57tw/66tw set. I play through a POD HD500x and play a lot of melo-death/00's metalcore sounding stuff. Any other EMG recommendations? They need to be splittable.
> 
> Middle guitar:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Gotta figure out what covers to go with if I do settle on the 57/66 set. The pickup rings are black metal, not plastic so black chrome might be a bit too much.



Dayumn those Jacksons are sick!!!!
my favourite is the red with the all maple but lovely collection.
Ive heard amazing things about the TW versions. When i get the 57/66 set it will be the TW variant.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

The only thing I dislike about the TW variant is I have to have two controls to coil tap.


----------



## wannabguitarist

lewis said:


> Dayumn those Jacksons are sick!!!!
> my favourite is the red with the all maple but lovely collection.
> Ive heard amazing things about the TW versions. When i get the 57/66 set it will be the TW variant.



I'm planning on ordering a H-S ash body for that one soon. It's the only one of the three that hasn't been hacked up in some way (7 string was routed for a neck pickup, fusion was originally painted red and had a larger trem cavity). I have a problem leaving perfectly functional guitars stock 



Spaced Out Ace said:


> The only thing I dislike about the TW variant is I have to have two controls to coil tap.



I prefer individual controls to split each pickup vs something like a 5-way switch or single push-pull pot so that's a bonus for me.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

wannabguitarist said:


> I prefer individual controls to split each pickup vs something like a 5-way switch or single push-pull pot so that's a bonus for me.


I doubt I'd ever want to mix a humbucker and single coil in the middle position, so two pots would be pointless. Their 5 way blade switch might be able to accommodate such, but it also takes up more room versus the tele 3 way.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Ah, that COW with a neck humbucker! Perfect.

And yes. 57/66TW is the droid you are looking for. Better split tones that the split 81 or 89


----------



## Isurez

EMG Pickups Comparison (JR, 81, 85, 57, JH, BB)

We hope you will enjoy it and let us know which one do you like. (57 is one of my personal favorites)


----------



## Steinmetzify

Grabbed a Viper couple days ago; been running a Fishman Modern in most of my active guitars, and forgot how raw the 81 sounds. Gonna be a keeper in there for sludge/doom.


----------



## lewis

Isurez said:


> EMG Pickups Comparison (JR, 81, 85, 57, JH, BB)
> 
> We hope you will enjoy it and let us know which one do you like. (57 is one of my personal favorites)



Thanks for this!

Will certainly check out later and report back. I always appreciate people taking the time to create these sorts of things. Its a massive help to me.


----------



## lewis

Isurez said:


> EMG Pickups Comparison (JR, 81, 85, 57, JH, BB)
> 
> We hope you will enjoy it and let us know which one do you like. (57 is one of my personal favorites)



They all sound great and very similar.

The 57 almost sounds like a blend of the 81 and 85 together.
The BB seems like a lower output, less compressed 81?

the 85 would work in a really thin sounding guitar to get some balls!

I always love my dual 81's but im going to have to grab some 57/66s


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Always been a fan of the JH's huge low end and low mids. It's the only one in that comparo that sounded very different from all the others.


----------



## c7spheres

I honestly can't tell almost any difference. Maybe it's my ears today. 
- The differences I do hear could all just be variations within a performace anyways using the same pickup. 
- The only thing the paked out at me was the Kirk Hammet pickup something about the apparent volume. 
- Also the 85 seemed more spongey or something.
- Again, the differences I heard could probably all be playing variations using the same pickup.
- If I look away from the video I can't tell when the pickup has changed.

- It's all a mind fu#k, but I'd bet I could tell if I were to actulaly play them myself.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Could be wrong forum....but its all for the EMG install. 

Pot threaded shaft diameter just a hair too big for the hole. Maybe 1.5mm. What say you guys on enlargening the hole on a finished rear-routed guitar?


----------



## c7spheres

Seabeast2000 said:


> Could be wrong forum....but its all for the EMG install.
> 
> Pot threaded shaft diameter just a hair too big for the hole. Maybe 1.5mm. What say you guys on enlargening the hole on a finished rear-routed guitar?
> 
> View attachment 85231



I'd try to find a different pot even if it's not an EMG pot. Maybe EMG sells other pots that would work? Maybe call EMG, they may have a solution.


----------



## Seabeast2000

c7spheres said:


> I'd try to find a different pot even if it's not an EMG pot. Maybe EMG sells other pots that would work? Maybe call EMG, they may have a solution.



Going to get some files, which I don't have any more, and ream out a touch. Visions of drilling scared me.


----------



## c7spheres

Seabeast2000 said:


> Going to get some files, which I don't have any more, and ream out a touch. Visions of drilling scared me.


 Yeah, sounds better than a drill. Round conical file would probably work best. Just go slow and easy should work fine. Usually that part of the body is pretty thin so should work fine.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

Get a reaming tool from Harbor Freight for about $3.29, will be so much cleaner.

https://www.harborfreight.com/t-handle-reamer-66936.html?_br_psugg_q=reamer


----------



## Seabeast2000

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> Get a reaming tool from Harbor Freight for about $3.29, will be so much cleaner.
> 
> https://www.harborfreight.com/t-handle-reamer-66936.html?_br_psugg_q=reamer



Just the input I was trolling for. Thanks!


----------



## Adieu

Seabeast2000 said:


> Just the input I was trolling for. Thanks!



Do NOT ream, reamer makes a conical hole and you need cylindrical. A short conical reamer will make the dang thing wiggle.

Use a drill bit with a hand-operated tool (t-handle or hex bit screwdriver or something) to drive it. Use it from the inside.

OR... get the proper "import" pot. That's what sellers call em. There's basically two shaft sizes used in guitars, small/micro/"import" and fullsize (CTS, bourns).


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

You can ream, but slowly and carefully, from the top, just enough to where the shaft goes in slightly snug, then go in the the back side to ream the conical profile out of it. It should only take a few gentle turns and them the shaft of the pot should penetrate just right.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Guys, I was told by the other internet that this is the correct 2020 method.


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

I’ve never had an EMG loaded guitar. But lately listening to many recordings made with them. So the gas bubbles. I’m thinking of throwing an 81 into a guitar. I figure just start with the one I know I’m hearing on records and live shows. See if I jive with it.


----------



## lewis

Dumple Stilzkin said:


> I’ve never had an EMG loaded guitar. But lately listening to many recordings made with them. So the gas bubbles. I’m thinking of throwing an 81 into a guitar. I figure just start with the one I know I’m hearing on records and live shows. See if I jive with it.


if you dig it and want to try something else afterwards with more diversity, i recommend the 57/66TW
Coil splittable. They cover alot of ground and styles

also, a little tip, 81s also work great as a neck pickup if you want insane molten solos


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

Thanks for the tip. This time around I want a strict metal guitar, that’s why I want the 81. If I like it, I will look into the 57 for a more versatile guitar setup.


----------



## Korneo

lewis said:


> also, a little tip, 81s also work great as a neck pickup if you want insane molten solos



The 81 in the neck is my secrete pleasure. My LPC have 2 81 and the lead sound really like Fade To Black. The clean too. I have an other guitar with an 85 in the neck and for a solo like for The Love Of God from Steve Vai, the sound is exactly in the same ballpark !
But the 66 is my weapon of choice. I can't really explain why, but the clean and the leads are so beautiful on it.
The 81/66 combo can be an match made heaven for tight/fast rythm with screaming leads.
The 57 is still my pickup of choice on my main guitar too.


----------



## Seabeast2000

So I have the 5 way Tele switch which does not have a ground pin for the ouput jack. The output jack has the 2 ouput plus the green ground plugs pre-soldered to it. Can I just solder this to the same bridge ground? This would be a spot on the shielding foil inside the cavity. I think this should be OK but I'm new to EMG wiring. 

thanks


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Seabeast2000 said:


> So I have the 5 way Tele switch which does not have a ground pin for the ouput jack. The output jack has the 2 ouput plus the green ground plugs pre-soldered to it. Can I just solder this to the same bridge ground? This would be a spot on the shielding foil inside the cavity. I think this should be OK but I'm new to EMG wiring.
> 
> thanks


Pics? You shouldn't need a ground for the EMG quick connect pickup switches.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Pics? You shouldn't need a ground for the EMG quick connect pickup switches.



thanks
I'll get some pics. 

Seems since this wasn't a drop in kit, I'm having to pull up the instructions for each piece (switch, vol, tone). The output jack has 3 leads, one is green but there's no home for it on the Tele 5 way, there is on the Strat 5 way though. 
For fun I soldered the green to ground and the 9V starting getting warm lol. Seeing shorts where I wouldn't expect them w/ the MM.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Seabeast2000 said:


> thanks
> I'll get some pics.
> 
> Seems since this wasn't a drop in kit, I'm having to pull up the instructions for each piece (switch, vol, tone). The output jack has 3 leads, one is green but there's no home for it on the Tele 5 way, there is on the Strat 5 way though.
> For fun I soldered the green to ground and the 9V starting getting warm lol. Seeing shorts where I wouldn't expect them w/ the MM.


What did you buy?


----------



## Seabeast2000

Spaced Out Ace said:


> What did you buy?


Maverick SSS but for Tele controls. 
Here's the Tele, which I installed. 




Here's the Strat 5 way, with GND. 




Here's the output jack. Maybe I leave it unconnected and try that.


----------



## Seabeast2000

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> You can ream, but slowly and carefully, from the top, just enough to where the shaft goes in slightly snug, then go in the the back side to ream the conical profile out of it. It should only take a few gentle turns and them the shaft of the pot should penetrate just right.



BTW that reamer worked like a champ. Just went in from the top and gotter dialed in for the new pots. Thanks mon.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Seabeast2000 said:


> Maverick SSS but for Tele controls.
> Here's the Tele, which I installed.
> View attachment 85428
> 
> 
> 
> Here's the Strat 5 way, with GND.
> 
> View attachment 85429
> 
> 
> Here's the output jack. Maybe I leave it unconnected and try that.
> View attachment 85430


Nothing should be soldered to an EMG wiring kit. A black/white with two spade connectors (I believe they are called that) attach to the jack. The third tab attaches to the battery.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Nothing should be soldered to an EMG wiring kit. A black/white with two spade connectors (I believe they are called that) attach to the jack. The third tab attaches to the battery.



thanks, I have it put together like this. Actual pics won't do this any good since its all wiry and at bad angles. 
Vol is attached as shown, batter is on red/black on the last two pins. Its a two-gang connector from the batt. 





Tone is daisy chained from Vol. then onto output jack. Although not as pictured as the discrete VOL pot instructions indicate using the 3rd pair to Tone.....




I can try calling tech support tomorrow if disconnecting that infernal green doesn't seem to want to blow up my battery.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

DId you buy an EMG wiring kit?


----------



## Seabeast2000

Spaced Out Ace said:


> DId you buy an EMG wiring kit?



Kit came with it, plus extras parts. Only one output jack though.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Seabeast2000 said:


> Kit came with it, plus extras parts. Only one output jack though.


If it were an EMG wiring kit, it wouldn't be soldered to the output jack, and you wouldn't be having issues wiring it up.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Spaced Out Ace said:


> If it were an EMG wiring kit, it wouldn't be soldered to the output jack, and you wouldn't be having issues wiring it up.



Interesting, well maybe I have a mix/match situation. Jack came pre-soldered to the spade connectors.


----------



## Science_Penguin

Spaced Out Ace said:


> If it were an EMG wiring kit, it wouldn't be soldered to the output jack, and you wouldn't be having issues wiring it up.



Actually, mine did, and I have the same set. Maybe it's just what they do with their strat sets?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Science_Penguin said:


> Actually, mine did, and I have the same set. Maybe it's just what they do with their strat sets?


I've had several passive and active pickups from EMG. They all came with connectors, not soldered.


----------



## Science_Penguin

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I've had several passive and active pickups from EMG. They all came with connectors, not soldered.



I believe ya, and I got the same weird clamp connector you're talking about when I bought an 81 set. But the Maverick 5 came with a pre-soldered jack.


----------



## Seabeast2000

OK, so since I got the strat output jack I had to desolder the green and use that spade connector for the battery negative. They sent me both versions of battery connector, which I found later today. slapped some strings on it, re-did my wrong connections on pots and viola, signal! Well except for the bridge pup, that's tomorrows fun.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Seabeast2000 said:


> OK, so since I got the strat output jack I had to desolder the green and use that spade connector for the battery negative. They sent me both versions of battery connector, which I found later today. slapped some strings on it, re-did my wrong connections on pots and viola, signal! Well except for the bridge pup, that's tomorrows fun.


Probably swapped the connector, you ding dong. Lol

If not that, a cable is not fully seated and connecting in the connector.


----------



## lewis

what an earth is going on?

Ive ordered about 4 or 5 sets of EMGs and never had anything pre soldered?
Was just their standard wiring kits where everything is quick connect.


----------



## c7spheres

lewis said:


> what an earth is going on?
> 
> Ive ordered about 4 or 5 sets of EMGs and never had anything pre soldered?
> Was just their standard wiring kits where everything is quick connect.


 I know before all the quick connect stuff the pickups came with pre soldered tone and volume pots with the caps already solered in and everything. I still have a couple sets of them ready to go.


----------



## lewis

c7spheres said:


> I know before all the quick connect stuff the pickups came with pre soldered tone and volume pots with the caps already solered in and everything. I still have a couple sets of them ready to go.


so are some shops still stocking seriously old stock?

Possibly tbf. Weird though. Im all but done now with soldering haha so im glad everything from them is solderless now.


----------



## c7spheres

lewis said:


> so are some shops still stocking seriously old stock?
> 
> Possibly tbf. Weird though. Im all but done now with soldering haha so im glad everything from them is solderless now.


 Maybe so. That'd be some serious old stock : )


----------



## Seabeast2000

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Probably swapped the connector, you ding dong. Lol
> 
> If not that, a cable is not fully seated and connecting in the connector.



Yep, I must have pulled it out when deslacking the connector. Fixed. 
Finally done. These things are a massive upgrade over the stock Kiesel Lithiums, can actually hear the bottom string loud and clear. Lovely cleans. 

Pics pasting is junk right now for some reason. Guitar snip of pic isn't working. 

Testing, James, James Reamer.


----------



## Seabeast2000

View media item 3374
SSS7


----------



## gnoll

I've just gone through another phase of "maybe I should play passives a bit" only to again go "fuuck no, 81 is the shit!" before actually getting around to changing any pickups.

I think my passives will stay in their drawer forever.


----------



## gunch

If I have a 57 is a 81 redundant


----------



## gnoll

gunch said:


> If I have a 57 is a 81 redundant



I haven't played the 57 but in clips I don't hear it really doing the 81 thing so I would think no. I guess it depends how badly you want the 81 sound specifically.


----------



## Science_Penguin

gnoll said:


> I've just gone through another phase of "maybe I should play passives a bit" only to again go "fuuck no, 81 is the shit!" before actually getting around to changing any pickups.
> 
> I think my passives will stay in their drawer forever.



This thread is becoming like an addiction support group for people who are fighting to STAY addicted!


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

I ran screaming from EMGs....and never went back. Still running


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

I kinda miss my 57 and PA2 but I'd have to do some serious spending to put them in my bird, I'd need a PI2 and 2 toggle switches, plus the installation....

Anyways the x2n air norton kicks ass in there. I don't need EMGs back, I have a set of actives. 


AAAAAHHHHH


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

gunch said:


> If I have a 57 is a 81 redundant


No. The 57 does things the 81 can't and vice versa. The 81 is still significantly tighter while the 57 is fatter.


----------



## Hoss632

I will say that the 81/85's don't do anything for me. If I stay EMG with the pick up swap in my guitar it will most likely be a hot 70's retroactive set as those to me in samples i've heard so far sound killer.


----------



## Moltar

The only Emg I have really liked is the 707. I know... everyone shits on them. But they are the only one I actually like. The rest I find noisy. NOT as in high noise floor, because they are super quiet. But the kind of scraping noise from a pick, or your hand brushing the strings under high gain etc... seems to be amplified more than my favourite passives. And yes I am aware that this is likely 99% shitty picking technique on my part, I get that. Nevertheless, I had a 707 in my daily use guitar for almost 10 years, so it worked for me.


----------



## Randy

I've got a wide range of pickups but totally inadvertently, the 89/SA/SA set is the one I can't put down once I pick it up.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Randy said:


> I've got a wide range of pickups but totally inadvertently, the 89/SA/SA set is the one I can't put down once I pick it up.


Isn't that sort of the Steve Lukather set? The 89 is an 85 and SA I believe, isn't it?


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Isn't that sort of the Steve Lukather set? The 89 is an 85 and SA I believe, isn't it?



Luke I: 85/SA/SA
Luke II: 85/SLV/SLV
Luke III: Custom MM pickups 

But yeah, that's pretty much the "classic" Lukather sound. I think he even used an 89 at some point in one of his tour guitars.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

What is the diff between the SA and SLV?


----------



## MaxOfMetal

Spaced Out Ace said:


> What is the diff between the SA and SLV?



It's a hotter, fatter sounding SA and Steve's custom pickup.


----------



## Science_Penguin

MaxOfMetal said:


> It's a hotter, fatter sounding SA and Steve's custom pickup.



Also, it has pole pieces instead of the usual bar magnet under the cover.


----------



## Quiet Coil

Moltar said:


> The only Emg I have really liked is the 707. I know... everyone shits on them. But they are the only one I actually like. The rest I find noisy. NOT as in high noise floor, because they are super quiet. But the kind of scraping noise from a pick, or your hand brushing the strings under high gain etc... seems to be amplified more than my favourite passives. And yes I am aware that this is likely 99% shitty picking technique on my part, I get that. Nevertheless, I had a 707 in my daily use guitar for almost 10 years, so it worked for me.



If you were willing to work with it on its own terms I thought the 707 was solid.

The last permutation I used was the 707TWX-R in my DCM100. I found I could actually cover a decent amount of ground with it (plus I really dig EMG single coils).


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

MaxOfMetal said:


> It's a hotter, fatter sounding SA and Steve's custom pickup.


Interesting. If it didn't look so bad, I'd try a neck single coil in one of my guitars. Maybe they should put a passive single coil in a humbucker housing.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Interesting. If it didn't look so bad, I'd try a neck single coil in one of my guitars. Maybe they should put a passive single coil in a humbucker housing.



Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the H just an S in a humbucker housing?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

TheBolivianSniper said:


> Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the H just an S in a humbucker housing?


Yeah. I'm currently using passives though, and forgot to clarify that.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Yeah. I'm currently using passives though, and forgot to clarify that.


Ohhh ok gotcha, sorry man


----------



## lewis

wasnt the 707 basically loads of bass and high end, but scooped to hell mids?
Haha

I would probably find it ok too if so. Apparently the RPC knob pairs brilliantly with the 707s


----------



## MASS DEFECT

lewis said:


> wasnt the 707 basically loads of bass and high end, but scooped to hell mids?
> Haha
> 
> I would probably find it ok too if so. Apparently the RPC knob pairs brilliantly with the 707s



Basically. And lots of low mids. I can get Nevermore sounds from it. The 707 is still on my only 7 string guitar. I came close to upgrading it a lot of times, but it just sounds nice with my rig.


----------



## hensh!n

Moltar said:


> The only Emg I have really liked is the 707. I know... everyone shits on them. But they are the only one I actually like. The rest I find noisy. NOT as in high noise floor, because they are super quiet. But the kind of scraping noise from a pick, or your hand brushing the strings under high gain etc... seems to be amplified more than my favourite passives. And yes I am aware that this is likely 99% shitty picking technique on my part, I get that. Nevertheless, I had a 707 in my daily use guitar for almost 10 years, so it worked for me.



I had a 707TWX/TWX-R Set that I enjoyed. I wish it was a little brighter in the bridge, and less compressed overall (same goes for all EMG's really). But the versatility was great and it was fairly low noise.


----------



## Chris Bowsman

About a month before getting my Falbo 8, I traded for an LTD M-1000 with a pair of EMG 81s. It's sat unplayed for the last few weeks, and I'd been kicking around putting in Fluence, or maybe something passive. Plugged it in after playing nothing but the Falbo, and I think the EMGs are staying.

I did remove the tone knob, and wire it for 18v, and I still kind of want to put an 85 in the bridge, but it's definitely a sound I want to keep around.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Chris Bowsman said:


> About a month before getting my Falbo 8, I traded for an LTD M-1000 with a pair of EMG 81s. It's sat unplayed for the last few weeks, and I'd been kicking around putting in Fluence, or maybe something passive. Plugged it in after playing nothing but the Falbo, and I think the EMGs are staying.
> 
> I did remove the tone knob, and wire it for 18v, and I still kind of want to put an 85 in the bridge, but it's definitely a sound I want to keep around.


I love the 85 in the bridge. The 81 is fine with higher voltage if you do not plan to use a typical tube screamer as a boost. The 81 is like (generally speaking) an 85 with a tube screamer boost hard wired in the preamp. I'd rather be able to turn off the tube screamer.


----------



## Chris Bowsman

I’ve used the 85 in the bridge, but I always miss a little of the 81’s cut. So far, I’m not sure if I like the added headroom or not. 

The 81 in the neck, though, is the stuff. Love doing chuggy riffs on it.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Chris Bowsman said:


> I’ve used the 85 in the bridge, but I always miss a little of the 81’s cut. So far, I’m not sure if I like the added headroom or not.
> 
> The 81 in the neck, though, is the stuff. Love doing chuggy riffs on it.


I just add a tube screamer or an OD11 and it works fine.


----------



## hensh!n

Chris Bowsman said:


> I’ve used the 85 in the bridge, but I always miss a little of the 81’s cut. So far, I’m not sure if I like the added headroom or not.
> 
> The 81 in the neck, though, is the stuff. Love doing chuggy riffs on it.



Lately I've heard more about people doing an 81/81 combo. How do you feel it compares to a 60? If you have any experience. My problem with Ceramic necks is while they do cut a bit better, some of that "sweetness" is definitely missing. Perhaps that is where the 60A comes in.

On another note, is anyone here a fan of EMG Passive's? I have a set in a Steinberger that suit the guitar pretty well.


----------



## Chris Bowsman

hensh!n said:


> Lately I've heard more about people doing an 81/81 combo. How do you feel it compares to a 60? If you have any experience. My problem with Ceramic necks is while they do cut a bit better, some of that "sweetness" is definitely missing. Perhaps that is where the 60A comes in.
> 
> On another note, is anyone here a fan of EMG Passive's? I have a set in a Steinberger that suit the guitar pretty well.



I’ve never used a 60, and there’s nothing sweet about an 81 in the neck. I started using the 81/81 25 years ago because that’s what Kirk Hammett used. For soloing, the 85 is a little better in the neck, but I love being able to play metal riffs on the neck 81, and still get harmonics and stuff.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

hensh!n said:


> Lately I've heard more about people doing an 81/81 combo. How do you feel it compares to a 60? If you have any experience. My problem with Ceramic necks is while they do cut a bit better, some of that "sweetness" is definitely missing. Perhaps that is where the 60A comes in.
> 
> On another note, is anyone here a fan of EMG Passive's? I have a set in a Steinberger that suit the guitar pretty well.


I love the 60A in the neck. It's a goldilocks neck pickup. The 85 is a bit too much for the neck, the 81 is on 11 permanently, and while I haven't used the 60, it likely doesn't have the A version's sweetness.

Also, I love the passives. I think they sound great with the right guitar.


----------



## Chris Bowsman

Can anybody compare & contrast the 85 and 57 in the bridge?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Chris Bowsman said:


> Can anybody compare & contrast the 85 and 57 in the bridge?


I'll do it if someone sends me one. Lol


----------



## Edika

Anyone had a chance to try the Bonebreaker set? I'm getting interested in these...


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

Edika said:


> Anyone had a chance to try the Bonebreaker set? I'm getting interested in these...



I've heard from a few people that it's just an 81/60A set with a green logo


----------



## Korneo

If I remember correctly, the Bone Breaker are a combo of an 81 and 85 but they replace the ceramic magnet with an alnico one.
But yeah, this set exist before and they just change the logo to a green one and but the name of kirk on it.


----------



## Hoss632

The more I've looked around at other pick ups. I have come back to EMG. I have the 81/85 in my guitar right now. I don't like the 81 at all in the bridge or neck. The 85 was fine in the neck and also decent in the bridge. But i find myself looking at the retroactive hot 70's set. For the money I'm thinking they are my best route to go right now. Especially having the quick connect system so all I have to do is unbox them and plug them in and begin playing right away.


----------



## hensh!n

lewis said:


> Everything about EMG just makes me want to keep going back.
> 
> the effortless wiring, the ease of switching pickups out on the fly to try new models from them, the fact that they offer open coil actives now in the retro series and a passive/active hybrid like the 57/66 etc Even their coil split pickups in the 89 and 81TW etc etc are a breeze to install and use and sound great.
> 
> Obviously Fishmans are also great pickups, but I feel the simplicity, price and tonal options EMG offer, is still unrivalled. Ive never really got on well at all with Seymour Duncan (tried the Distortion, the 59 neck, the pearly gates bridge, the Sentient neck and the Nazgul bridge - and disliked all of them bar the 59)



EMG does what they do very well, they're sort of a singular focus type of company (not unlike their pickups). Example: 57/66 (specifically the 66) has a particular sweetness to it when doing single-note leads. It makes the pickup very addictive to play. And the more I play it, the more I want to keep playing it. However, the 57/66 set (as with most EMG pickups) does not do cleans very well. They're too compressed to sound truly organic and passive. Though they are more dynamic than many passive pickup users would give them credit for. If the 57/66 TW pickup had a RetroActive version with more headroom and less compression, or better yet a passive version, I'd be all over it. It's probably my favorite pickup they make in 6 string format (I don't care for the 7-string version - which feels more compressed and limited).

I recently watched a video with Ola saying EMG's perform really well when switching between rhythm and lead playing on the same pickup, with the same setting. I'd say that almost perfectly sums up what EMG does. Versatility? Nope. Variety? Not really. But they hit you hard in a few key places that translate really well to playing live on stage and getting your tone to slice through a mix. If that's what you're looking for and don't feel you're missing anything when playing them, then EMG's are for you.


----------



## mpexus

When I see people complaining about versatility on a Pickup (which you can play anything on ANY pickup) I wonder if their bands plays from the most pristine Jazz Cleans to the Most Brutal Death Metal on a single show.

I guess they don't, so why the F does anyone needs a Pickups that does it all in perfection?


----------



## lewis

mpexus said:


> When I see people complaining about versatility on a Pickup (which you can play anything on ANY pickup) I wonder if their bands plays from the most pristine Jazz Cleans to the Most Brutal Death Metal on a single show.
> 
> I guess they don't, so why the F does anyone needs a Pickups that dos it all in perfection?


and the other thing is, we are all guitarists. And what does all guitarists love collecting?
GUITARS!

Alot of people talk like they want only 1 guitar, with 1 set of pickups that does everything perfect otherwise its all trash.

ummm hello?
Buy more guitars?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I just need my two guitars to do rock, metal, some bluesy bits, and a rolled back volume style clean.


----------



## Science_Penguin

mpexus said:


> When I see people complaining about versatility on a Pickup (which you can play anything on ANY pickup) I wonder if their bands plays from the most pristine Jazz Cleans to the Most Brutal Death Metal on a single show.
> 
> I guess they don't, so why the F does anyone needs a Pickups that does it all in perfection?



Maybe not that extreme but I pretty regularly play clean and distorted in the same song. I don't think its asking much for pickups that can handle both without sounding like ass.


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

Incoming first EMG 81 equipped guitar. LTD arrow in a color shift, can wait to fire it up.


----------



## Hoss632

hensh!n said:


> EMG does what they do very well, they're sort of a singular focus type of company (not unlike their pickups). Example: 57/66 (specifically the 66) has a particular sweetness to it when doing single-note leads. It makes the pickup very addictive to play. And the more I play it, the more I want to keep playing it. However, the 57/66 set (as with most EMG pickups) does not do cleans very well. They're too compressed to sound truly organic and passive. Though they are more dynamic than many passive pickup users would give them credit for. If the 57/66 TW pickup had a RetroActive version with more headroom and less compression, or better yet a passive version, I'd be all over it. It's probably my favorite pickup they make in 6 string format (I don't care for the 7-string version - which feels more compressed and limited).
> 
> I recently watched a video with Ola saying EMG's perform really well when switching between rhythm and lead playing on the same pickup, with the same setting. I'd say that almost perfectly sums up what EMG does. Versatility? Nope. Variety? Not really. But they hit you hard in a few key places that translate really well to playing live on stage and getting your tone to slice through a mix. If that's what you're looking for and don't feel you're missing anything when playing them, then EMG's are for you.


I've heard the 57/66 set do some really badass clean tones. Andy James before he switched to Kiesel pick ups did an intro for his song 85. And it has a really cool tapping clean lick that he does in the beginning.


----------



## Mathemagician

mpexus said:


> When I see people complaining about versatility on a Pickup (which you can play anything on ANY pickup) I wonder if their bands plays from the most pristine Jazz Cleans to the Most Brutal Death Metal on a single show.
> 
> I guess they don't, so why the F does anyone needs a Pickups that does it all in perfection?



Literally ANY pickup for metal can do a passable clean. You can swap however many things when recording- guitars, pickups, amps, string height, pole pieces, recording equipment, on and on and on. Live? There’s “heavy” and “pretty” (clean). No one can hear that shit imo.



Science_Penguin said:


> Maybe not that extreme but I pretty regularly play clean and distorted in the same song. I don't think its asking much for pickups that can handle both without sounding like ass.



Yeah but like any good set of pickups can do a great high gain and a passable/good clean.

IMO none of these pickups claiming to do both perfectly actually feel like they do imo.

They often do have a super specifically voiced sound under gain, then sound identical when clean because no one actually just uses a clean amp channel, there’s tons of chorus, reverb, delays, etc. so the “clean” sounds identical when it’s all processed.

I’m def not opposed to a million and one gear options. It’s just that everyone says they found the secret and it’s like “idk sounds about the same to me” at the end.


----------



## gnoll

hensh!n said:


> does not do cleans very well. They're too compressed



I'm not an expert on clean tones, but isn't it really common to use a compressor with clean tones, to get more compression and not less of it?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

gnoll said:


> I'm not an expert on clean tones, but isn't it really common to use a compressor with clean tones, to get more compression and not less of it?



Some people don't, but I sure as hell do. It's why for cleans, it's hard to beat the 85, 57, or 60 in the bridge, and the 81 or 60 in the neck.


----------



## lewis

cleans and tapping passages sound stunning with compression.
Its the far superior sound to me so yeah - people moaning about "compression" of pickups, then using a compressor in the chain, just out themselves as hate filled idiots with agendas to slag off EMGs with absolutely nothing substantial to prove their points.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Some people don't, but I sure as hell do. It's why for cleans, it's hard to beat the 85, 57, or 60 in the bridge, and the 81 or 60 in the neck.


What about the 66? And what does a 60 sound like in the bridge with gain?


----------



## hensh!n

mpexus said:


> I guess they don't, so why the F does anyone needs a Pickups that does it all in perfection?



Performing. Recording is easy enough if you have a ton of guitars with different pickups (I don't). But it becomes a problem if you have to perform that song live using a single guitar with a single set of pickups. I don't go from "Jazz to Death Metal", but I do go from The Cure type lush clean tones to high-gain within seconds. 

On another note, I've always hated when bands make huge sacrifices live for the sake of convenience, so I won't do the same. 



gnoll said:


> I'm not an expert on clean tones, but isn't it really common to use a compressor with clean tones, to get more compression and not less of it?



Yes, however with a compressor you can control the output level in addition to the ratio and threshold. If your pickups are already hard comp'd before you plug in, there's no way to dial it back for a more clean and dynamic tone.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> What about the 66? And what does a 60 sound like in the bridge with gain?



Whoops, especially the 66. And the Het Set.

Uhhh, it's interesting. More even than the 81, but a very hi-fi sounding high end. Not a twang, but kind of a chirp?


----------



## hensh!n

Spaced Out Ace said:


> What about the 66? And what does a 60 sound like in the bridge with gain?



The 66 is one of my favorite EMG neck pickups. Though the Super 77-7 Neck pickup is good too, a bit more open and dynamic but with similar "punch" and "squish" that EMG neck pickups are known for..


----------



## hensh!n

lewis said:


> cleans and tapping passages sound stunning with compression.
> Its the far superior sound to me so yeah - people moaning about "compression" of pickups, then using a compressor in the chain, just out themselves as hate filled idiots with agendas to slag off EMGs with absolutely nothing substantial to prove their points.



Right, and there's a natural compression that comes with high-gain anyways. I think for some (myself included), I prefer to have more dynamics and articulation in my pickups instead of the normalized evenness that comes with most EMG pickups. That normalization is desirable depending on your playing style though, particularly for tapping and fluid leads. But it's all relative anyways. I tend to only use a slight amount of compression for certain clean patches, particularly if I'm strumming. However I don't want compression if I'm doing an arpeggiated passage with varying dynamics. The option of compression though is nice.

On another note, Bass is another story entirely. I'm almost always using compression with active pickups. The word "active" is just a dirty word to the old generation of guitar players besides maybe Lukather (who is great btw).


----------



## mpexus

Chris Bowsman said:


> Can anybody compare & contrast the 85 and 57 in the bridge?







This guy channel has dozens of Direct Comparisons between several pickups


https://www.youtube.com/c/MikeStamperMusic/search?query=emg 66


----------



## lewis

hensh!n said:


> Right, and there's a natural compression that comes with high-gain anyways. I think for some (myself included), I prefer to have more dynamics and articulation in my pickups instead of the normalized evenness that comes with most EMG pickups. That normalization is desirable depending on your playing style though, particularly for tapping and fluid leads. But it's all relative anyways. I tend to only use a slight amount of compression for certain clean patches, particularly if I'm strumming. However I don't want compression if I'm doing an arpeggiated passage with varying dynamics. The option of compression though is nice.
> 
> On another note, Bass is another story entirely. I'm almost always using compression with active pickups. The word "active" is just a dirty word to the old generation of guitar players besides maybe Lukather (who is great btw).



Reminds me of that time everyone clung to what Misha said about "Batteries are for flashlights not pickups", twisted it into including "compression" as more a way to hate on actives (when he hadnt even said that) - then we all watched as he went on to have a chain consisting of:
Keeley compressor > Noise gate > Maxon OD808 > Noise gate > amp - after he said that.

I mean, hilarious to moan about actives and compression, then bum him whilst he is using a compressor and an od at the same time, infront of an amp.
He even openly admitted his sound then was to intentionally REMOVE dynamics


----------



## MASS DEFECT

^Misha however praised the Hetset to high heavens. lol even did a demo of it. 180 right there.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Chris Bowsman said:


> Can anybody compare & contrast the 85 and 57 in the bridge?



The 85 is higher output, more bass, more compressed, less treble. 

57 has more cut and clarity, more "open" sounding.


----------



## c7spheres

- EMG's can do every style really well depending on the pickup model and guitar they're in, just as any other brand or style of pickups. Everyone from David Gilmore to Metallica are using EMG's. That's about as large a range of versatility one could ask for. Look at the Artist roster on their site. It's certainly a versatile group represented there.
- Just like any other brand or model of pickup, it will either work for what the person wants or not.

- I think the most important factors are a combination of magnet material, polar pattern, playing style/dynamics of the player, along with the impedence and how the amps input stage reacts to it. For example; a ceramic magnet sounds ceramic, a pole piece design has that doppler effect on the strings, and low or high impedence and output voltage greatly affect how it hits the amp.

- The amps input stage is also critical. Playing a Fender Blues Junior for example with EMG's is going to cause that amp to breakup and react different dynamically than most passive pickups. Maybe. It depends on the pickups impedence, output voltage, pickup height and player dynamics. Sometimes a passive pickup is more or less noisy, less dynamic and lower or higher gain than an active. It all depends. There's great and not great pickups in both active and passive types.

- It all comes down to finding what works for a players style, preferences, and which pickup will deliver that in the guitar they want to acheive that on. Basically tons of experimenting and educated guesses. 

- Even the preamp tubes of the amp will greatly affect it. I actually like my 707's into a Blues Junior with a 12au7 instead of a 12ax7 quite a lot more than a Strat loaded with a JB. It's more dynamic than that and my Dimarzio loaded guitar too. What's really surprising is my buddys guitar with INF 4 stock Ibby pickups sounds and feels really great into this combo with a 12at7 instead. It's actuall my favortie combination of the bunch. 

- The only way to get where we all want is by experimenting unitl we're happy.



gnoll said:


> I'm not an expert on clean tones, but isn't it really common to use a compressor with clean tones, to get more compression and not less of it?





lewis said:


> ...
> I mean, hilarious to moan about actives and compression, then bum him whilst he is using a compressor and an od at the same time, infront of an amp.
> He even openly admitted his sound then was to intentionally REMOVE dynamics



- It really is funny. I don't think a lot of people really get it. It's an aquired skill. 
- I think the dots most don't connect is the location in the chain of the compression. Natural compression at the EMG pickups' preamp stage is going to feel different than a passive pickup going to a compressor pedal or even a TS for example.

- I've never had an issue with compression or clippiing like many seem to have with EMG's. I suspect they never really experimented a lot (a lot) with pickup height and gain staging and most importantly, their picking dynamics. I've noticed most people play either soft or hard. Some have light, medium, and heavy dynamics but what people really should be getting good at is something more along the lines of a scale of 1-10 or 1-5 scale of dynamics for example. Something. I also think a lot of players are extremely inconsistant with dynamics without realizing it every time they pick up a guitar. THe first thing they do is start messing with the amp. THey don't understand the amp has to warm up then they can dynamically find where they were before etc.


----------



## wannabguitarist

Anyone have good pictures of the black chrome and/or brushed black chrome covers? I've settled on a 57/66 set but still trying to decide on the covers. The black chrome and brushed black chrome covers both seem to look more silver compared to traditional black hardware.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> Reminds me of that time everyone clung to what Misha said about "Batteries are for flashlights not pickups", twisted it into including "compression" as more a way to hate on actives (when he hadnt even said that) - then we all watched as he went on to have a chain consisting of:
> Keeley compressor > Noise gate > Maxon OD808 > Noise gate > amp - after he said that.
> 
> I mean, hilarious to moan about actives and compression, then bum him whilst he is using a compressor and an od at the same time, infront of an amp.
> He even openly admitted his sound then was to intentionally REMOVE dynamics


Bill Lawrence wants his fucking comments back.


----------



## lewis

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Bill Lawrence wants his fucking comments back.


haha you might have to explain this one dude.

Abit out of the loop?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> haha you might have to explain this one dude.
> 
> Abit out of the loop?


The batteries comment is from Bill Lawrence. He was not fond of active pickups.


----------



## hensh!n

lewis said:


> Reminds me of that time everyone clung to what Misha said about "Batteries are for flashlights not pickups", twisted it into including "compression" as more a way to hate on actives (when he hadnt even said that) - then we all watched as he went on to have a chain consisting of:
> Keeley compressor > Noise gate > Maxon OD808 > Noise gate > amp - after he said that.
> 
> I mean, hilarious to moan about actives and compression, then bum him whilst he is using a compressor and an od at the same time, infront of an amp.
> He even openly admitted his sound then was to intentionally REMOVE dynamics



Lol right. Active's have inherent benefits that passives usually don't have and vice versa. To dump on one vs the other doesn't make sense, as it's a matter of preference or whatever works for you. One of my favorite recorded guitar tones I ever got was from the middle position of the 57/66 set. I liked it so much that I tracked an entire song using it (replacing the SH-5 and JBE Two-Tone tracks I recorded previously). I doubt anyone hearing the track would be able to determine that I'm using actives because of the style of music I play (i.e. it isn't conventionally "heavy").


----------



## Science_Penguin

lewis said:


> Reminds me of that time everyone clung to what Misha said about "Batteries are for flashlights not pickups", twisted it into including "compression" as more a way to hate on actives (when he hadnt even said that) - then we all watched as he went on to have a chain consisting of:
> Keeley compressor > Noise gate > Maxon OD808 > Noise gate > amp - after he said that.
> 
> I mean, hilarious to moan about actives and compression, then bum him whilst he is using a compressor and an od at the same time, infront of an amp.
> He even openly admitted his sound then was to intentionally REMOVE dynamics



Had a similar experience trying to mimick Petrucci. Best sound I ever got for playing Under a Glass Moon was, oddly enough, an 81/85 set.

All that time tweaking my rig to get the Dimarzios to cooperate and the exact tone I needed was right there! If I recall correctly, he also liked a good amount of compression.


----------



## Korneo

Science_Penguin said:


> Had a similar experience trying to mimick Petrucci. Best sound I ever got for playing Under a Glass Moon was, oddly enough, an 81/85 set.


Same for me with the sound of For The Love of God from Steve Vaï. I send it to a friend and he tell me that's exactly the same sound without knowing it was made with a BC Rich Warlock with 81/85.


----------



## Science_Penguin

Korneo said:


> Same for me with the sound of For The Love of God from Steve Vaï. I send it to a friend and he tell me that's exactly the same sound without knowing it was made with a BC Rich Warlock with 81/85.



Shred tone in a box, basically. Hell, I've known guitarists who've used EMGs and passives over the course of their careers (Syu, McAlpine and Tosin come to mind) I always wind up preferring their EMG sound.


----------



## hensh!n

Science_Penguin said:


> Shred tone in a box, basically. Hell, I've known guitarists who've used EMGs and passives over the course of their careers (Syu, McAlpine and Tosin come to mind) I always wind up preferring their EMG sound.



MacAlpine is one of the best users of the 66-7 Pickup. He really demonstrates the sweetness of that pickup with his leads. Though my favorite tone of his may be from the Chromaticity album...


----------



## Swarth

I put A EMG 81/60 set in my RR1 and outside of it being a complete bitch to fit into the cavity, the guitar sounds phenomenal. It's probably been a good 10 years since I last EMG's and I am glad to be back.


----------



## lewis

Swarth said:


> I put A EMG 81/60 set in my RR1 and outside of it being a complete bitch to fit into the cavity, the guitar sounds phenomenal. It's probably been a good 10 years since I last EMG's and I am glad to be back.


I always find THAT sound makes all the installation nightmares so worth it.

Welcome back!


----------



## Mathemagician

Swarth said:


> I put A EMG 81/60 set in my RR1 and outside of it being a complete bitch to fit into the cavity, the guitar sounds phenomenal. It's probably been a good 10 years since I last EMG's and I am glad to be back.



Cookies and punch are in the back, and if you’re healthy now there’s also green tea and avocado toast.


----------



## Swarth

lewis said:


> I always find THAT sound makes all the installation nightmares so worth it.
> 
> Welcome back!



Very true my dude, I honestly don't know why I was away for so long. THAT sound was exactly what I was looking for.



Mathemagician said:


> Cookies and punch are in the back, and if you’re healthy now there’s also green tea and avocado toast.



Lmao it's good to be back


----------



## Korneo

Swarth said:


> I put A EMG 81/60 set in my RR1 and outside of it being a complete bitch to fit into the cavity, the guitar sounds phenomenal. It's probably been a good 10 years since I last EMG's and I am glad to be back.


We need some pics.
We definitely need more pics on, this thread ^^


----------



## Swarth

Korneo said:


> We need some pics.
> We definitely need more pics on, this thread ^^



I suck at pictures but it looks cool in person


----------



## gnoll

Looks sick! The mop on the first fret really comes through, best part about Jacksons! Actually wait, now maybe the EMGs are the best part? Hm...


----------



## Hoss632

I will have to say. EMG's retroactive pick ups seem to be where it's at. Been listening to sound clips of some of the various sets and man they sound killer. The new Jim Root set may be one of the most unique sounding pick ups I've heard in a long time and the hot 70's set is quickly becoming one of my favorites of any pick up.


----------



## Mathemagician

Swarth said:


> I suck at pictures but it looks cool in person



Best part is I can’t even SEE the pickups. But I can imagine them looking super cool.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

Kind of torn on the set I want to get for Bird 2. I love th 57 66 but there's something about the insane output and chainsaw noise the 81 85 set makes.


----------



## Seabeast2000

question...will closed cover 85-7 fit in a open coiled route? Chisels involved?


----------



## Hoss632

Well I was going to move forward with a different set of EMG's in my current guitar. But given that I've gotten zero response from them via email I will just move along to a different company.


----------



## lewis

Hoss632 said:


> Well I was going to move forward with a different set of EMG's in my current guitar. But given that I've gotten zero response from them via email I will just move along to a different company.


abit harsh given the climate dude.
Come on. 
Arent they based in Florida too?
Think they were affected by the fires earlier in the year on top of the pandemic?


----------



## Hoss632

lewis said:


> abit harsh given the climate dude.
> Come on.
> Arent they based in Florida too?
> Think they were affected by the fires earlier in the year on top of the pandemic?


I do not think it's harsh at all. I've had zero issues getting a response from other companies within a few days at most (a few of them located in california like EMG is). It's been nearly 2 months with no response. Emails can be answered remotely. They obviously aren't hurting too bad when you take into account all of their social media platforms are updated multiple times in a week. And really EMG is huge anyways so me not buying 1 set of pick ups is not going to hurt them.


----------



## lewis

Hoss632 said:


> I do not think it's harsh at all. I've had zero issues getting a response from other companies within a few days at most (a few of them located in california like EMG is). It's been nearly 2 months with no response. Emails can be answered remotely. They obviously aren't hurting too bad when you take into account all of their social media platforms are updated multiple times in a week. And really EMG is huge anyways so me not buying 1 set of pick ups is not going to hurt them.


so try message their FB instead then?


----------



## Hoss632

lewis said:


> so try message their FB instead then?


I have. No response their or instagram.


----------



## lewis

Hoss632 said:


> I have. No response their or instagram.


that is weird then.


----------



## possumkiller

just crammed an 81 into the bridge of my LTD after experimenting with some really hot passives. much happier with the sound. nothing beats an 81 for plain old metal riffing


----------



## lewis

possumkiller said:


> just crammed an 81 into the bridge of my LTD after experimenting with some really hot passives. much happier with the sound. nothing beats an 81 for plain old metal riffing


this! haha


----------



## aesthyrian

Hoss632 said:


> Well I was going to move forward with a different set of EMG's in my current guitar. But given that I've gotten zero response from them via email I will just move along to a different company.



That's odd.. I've e-mailed them for replacement screws and they sent out a few sets for free, no questions asked. This was years ago but I always remembered that experience as a positive one in regards to customer service. Sad to hear that things may have changed.


----------



## Hoss632

aesthyrian said:


> That's odd.. I've e-mailed them for replacement screws and they sent out a few sets for free, no questions asked. This was years ago but I always remembered that experience as a positive one in regards to customer service. Sad to hear that things may have changed.


Yea I have found it odd. Even to now I've still received no reply to my inquiry. Im hoping all is well with them at this point.


----------



## BabUShka

So.. I recently went back to EMG in one of my guitars. I thought maybe it would be Nice to have 1 guitar with active pickups. I dont know.. It sounds okay but i prefer passive Seymour Duncans. I think im done with active pickups. I think it sounds fenomenal when other guitarists play them, but they Just dont work for me.


----------



## Choop

Getting my Schecter Hellraiser 7 put back together after having it apart for like 6 years lol, it's going to have an EMG 81-7 and 60-7 installed instead of the old 707's. Pretty excited about it -- it's the only guitar with active EMG's that I will own, but I used them for years before and miss jamming on 'em.


----------



## lewis

Choop said:


> Getting my Schecter Hellraiser 7 put back together after having it apart for like 6 years lol, it's going to have an EMG 81-7 and 60-7 installed instead of the old 707's. Pretty excited about it -- it's the only guitar with active EMG's that I will own, but I used them for years before and miss jamming on 'em.


absolutely nothing sounds as mean, menacing, cutting or even modern as the 81-7
its a ridiculously great sounding pickup that will cover any incredible metal rhythm ground from 80s thrash, to modern djent rhythms.

The latter in particular it growls and savages like nothing else Ive ever heard before.
This is an 81-7 through an ENGL powerball rig (both guitarists ran them) -


----------



## Hoss632

lewis said:


> absolutely nothing sounds as mean, menacing, cutting or even modern as the 81-7
> its a ridiculously great sounding pickup that will cover any incredible metal rhythm ground from 80s thrash, to modern djent rhythms.
> 
> The latter in particular it growls and savages like nothing else Ive ever heard before.
> This is an 81-7 through an ENGL powerball rig (both guitarists ran them) -



Do you by chance have any experience hearing any of the 7 string retro-active sets from EMG? Like the Hot 70's-7 or super 77-7?


----------



## lewis

Hoss632 said:


> Do you by chance have any experience hearing any of the 7 string retro-active sets from EMG? Like the Hot 70's-7 or super 77-7?


not personally BUT how amazing do they sound here? -


----------



## Hoss632

lewis said:


> not personally BUT how amazing do they sound here? -



Definitely the best set of 7 string EMG's I've personally heard. Actually like them better than any of the fluence 7 string stuff as well. Appreciate it


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


> not personally BUT how amazing do they sound here? -




Dammit I wanted to check out the Daemonums, but these sound great.


----------



## Phlegethon

Hoss632 said:


> Do you by chance have any experience hearing any of the 7 string retro-active sets from EMG? Like the Hot 70's-7 or super 77-7?



The one thing about EMG's I've noticed? They're consistent to the point of near absurdity. An 81 is an 81 is an 81, regardless of how many strings the guitar has on it. Same applies to any of their active pickups. My thing about what to look for would be: is the demo I'm listening to appropriate? If I wanted to use EMG's for some David Gilmour style things I really shouldn't be listening to someone demonstrating Yngwie.


----------



## bzhang9

I have an emg 81 laying around $40 shipped in the US if anyone is interested just PM


----------



## Hoss632

Phlegethon said:


> The one thing about EMG's I've noticed? They're consistent to the point of near absurdity. An 81 is an 81 is an 81, regardless of how many strings the guitar has on it. Same applies to any of their active pickups. My thing about what to look for would be: is the demo I'm listening to appropriate? If I wanted to use EMG's for some David Gilmour style things I really shouldn't be listening to someone demonstrating Yngwie.


Agreed. I can definitely confirm that they've sounded consistent from guitar to guitar it's usually just amp settings that change the color of an 81 for instance.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

So far the only difference I've noticed is the ERG EMG's are maybe VERY VERY slightly lower output? Might just be me or the guitars. 

Also I'm an idiot. I just bought an EMG 81/85 set for cheapcheap for an overdue pickup swap... But I've been meaning to try the Super 77. So fuck.  Guess that'll come later.


----------



## Hoss632

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> So far the only difference I've noticed is the ERG EMG's are maybe VERY VERY slightly lower output? Might just be me or the guitars.
> 
> Also I'm an idiot. I just bought an EMG 81/85 set for cheapcheap for an overdue pickup swap... But I've been meaning to try the Super 77. So fuck.  Guess that'll come later.


For me EMG's retroactive sets are the best thing they have going. Have not heard a retro set that I don't like so far.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Hoss632 said:


> For me EMG's retroactive sets are the best thing they have going. Have not heard a retro set that I don't like so far.


Well I have been wanting to try an Explorer guitar again. About to move a guitar so I can make room for it. Will give me an excuse to eventually try it.


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> So far the only difference I've noticed is the ERG EMG's are maybe VERY VERY slightly lower output? Might just be me or the guitars.
> 
> Also I'm an idiot. I just bought an EMG 81/85 set for cheapcheap for an overdue pickup swap... But I've been meaning to try the Super 77. So fuck.  Guess that'll come later.


I cant tell you how many times ive had the money mostly there for new EMGs, and been a stone's throw away from buying either a 57/66 set or a retro active set - and still end up with dual EMG81s instead hahaha

I just dont know how that keeps happening. Im determined that NEXT pickup purchase WILL be a super 77 set haha


----------



## Hoss632

lewis said:


> I cant tell you how many times ive had the money mostly there for new EMGs, and been a stone's throw away from buying either a 57/66 set or a retro active set - and still end up with dual EMG81s instead hahaha
> 
> I just dont know how that keeps happening. Im determined that NEXT pickup purchase WILL be a super 77 set haha


Question for you. Say I buy any EMG set. My guitar has the 81/85 in it from the factory and the quick connect system already done. Do new EMG's I buy from EMG directly already have the quick connect done? So all I have to do is pull them out of the box and can connect straight away and play?


----------



## Aliascent

Hoss632 said:


> Question for you. Say I buy any EMG set. My guitar has the 81/85 in it from the factory and the quick connect system already done. Do new EMG's I buy from EMG directly already have the quick connect done? So all I have to do is pull them out of the box and can connect straight away and play?



Yep, just plug them in your existing quick connect system.


On a side note, I'm currently modding an old Ibanez to be the perfect thrash death, C# machine. Not sure if I should go for a 57/66 set, or any of the new retro actives, any thoughts ? 

I just want to try something that's isn't 81/85.


----------



## lewis

Aliascent said:


> Yep, just plug them in your existing quick connect system.
> 
> 
> On a side note, I'm currently modding an old Ibanez to be the perfect thrash death, C# machine. Not sure if I should go for a 57/66 set, or any of the new retro actives, any thoughts ?
> 
> I just want to try something that's isn't 81/85.


What kind of thrash rhythm tone are we aiming for?
If you want that super aggressive Marshall style flavour - go Super 77 set
if the aim instead is that more Mesa dual rec - go 57/66

Is kind of how I view it if Pickups were looked at like amps


----------



## Muzz

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> So far the only difference I've noticed is the ERG EMG's are maybe VERY VERY slightly lower output? Might just be me or the guitars.
> 
> Also I'm an idiot. I just bought an EMG 81/85 set for cheapcheap for an overdue pickup swap... But I've been meaning to try the Super 77. So fuck.  Guess that'll come later.


Hate being that guy but have you replaced the battery recently?


----------



## Hoss632

Aliascent said:


> Yep, just plug them in your existing quick connect system.
> 
> 
> On a side note, I'm currently modding an old Ibanez to be the perfect thrash death, C# machine. Not sure if I should go for a 57/66 set, or any of the new retro actives, any thoughts ?
> 
> I just want to try something that's isn't 81/85.


Man none of those options are bad. I love how the retro-active stuff sounds at least in demos. So the retro hot 70s, super 77 or the jim roots would be perfect for that.

Also good to know that I can just quick connect the pick ups out of the box. While I love the fishman stuff I really didn't want to have to worry about rewiring the entire friggin guitar. I like the retro-active stuff a lot from the tones I've heard. So I'll just get one of those sets (and save about 60-80 bucks in the process) and just plug em in and go. My guitar is tuned in drop c# as well. But may change it and set it up for drop B.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Muzz said:


> Hate being that guy but have you replaced the battery recently?



Yep. I don't have the guitars anymore but I always swap out the batteries when I get them. Also in my experience a dead/dying battery doesn't sound low output, it sounds like a fuzz pedal.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Hoss632 said:


> Question for you. Say I buy any EMG set. My guitar has the 81/85 in it from the factory and the quick connect system already done. Do new EMG's I buy from EMG directly already have the quick connect done? So all I have to do is pull them out of the box and can connect straight away and play?



Yes indeed plus a bag full of spare parts.


----------



## Aliascent

lewis said:


> What kind of thrash rhythm tone are we aiming for?
> If you want that super aggressive Marshall style flavour - go Super 77 set
> if the aim instead is that more Mesa dual rec - go 57/66
> 
> Is kind of how I view it if Pickups were looked at like amps


 
From your description I'd say I lean more towards the 57/66, and after checking more vids, it's what I'm going for. 
Thanks.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Seabeast2000 said:


> Yes indeed plus a bag full of spare parts.



Yep. My favorite thing about EMGs.  You buy one brand new (or someone selling the entire kit), you have soooo many parts you can reuse. So I can buy just the pickups by themselves for super cheap and already have the wiring.


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

Random question that I don't think deserves its own thread: I recently installed a set of 85x/SAx/SAx into a Horizon, using the solderless system (with the B161 switch). The only deviation I've made from the included instructions is running it with a master volume and tone, as opposed to their demonstration with two tone pots.

The diagrams included are fairly straightforward, and I wouldn't say I'm unfamiliar with guitar wiring or electrical diagnostics as a whole, however I can't seem to get full output from either SAx in the middle or neck position. They all respond to the tone and volume pots correctly and the bridge is working 100%, but the middle and neck feel like they're at 15-20% of what they should be. I've triple checked my connections, tried wiring it differently as per their suggestions (using the active tone controls with the shunts removed of the B161 switch, conventional daisy chain method with passive tone control, etc.) to no avail. My Google-Fu hasn't turned up anything particularly helpful - any tips?


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

Crash Dandicoot said:


> Random question that I don't think deserves its own thread: I recently installed a set of 85x/SAx/SAx into a Horizon, using the solderless system (with the B161 switch). The only deviation I've made from the included instructions is running it with a master volume and tone, as opposed to their demonstration with two tone pots.
> 
> The diagrams included are fairly straightforward, and I wouldn't say I'm unfamiliar with guitar wiring or electrical diagnostics as a whole, however I can't seem to get full output from either SAx in the middle or neck position. They all respond to the tone and volume pots correctly and the bridge is working 100%, but the middle and neck feel like they're at 15-20% of what they should be. I've triple checked my connections, tried wiring it differently as per their suggestions (using the active tone controls with the shunts removed of the B161 switch, conventional daisy chain method with passive tone control, etc.) to no avail. My Google-Fu hasn't turned up anything particularly helpful - any tips?



It might be something up with the switch. I had the same issues the last few times I installed EMGs and it was in the connections to the switch. Have you tried taking out components from the signal chain one at a time until you find where the issue is? That'll almost always find it.


----------



## Bender.folder

Emgs long time disliked but that cut and sound ..
Tried fishman modern on a 7 string. Better than blackouts but nothing worth the 300$ and hassle of installation. Quick connect such a breeze and easy swaps between neck bridges or between guitars .

57/66 was my favorite and also the neck from the het set. Fat 55 was also far nicer than expected in an e standard full thickness ec1000 it really came close to a lp custom with passives retaining this emg punch and clarity.


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

@TheBolivianSniper Close, my triple checks for connections at the pickups needed a quadruple final pass, it seems. Hot wire was on the wrong pin :/

I've got it all set up now in the active tone control configuration and installed a 24v mod I do to all my EMG equipped gear - _wow_. It cuts so damn hot it isn't even funny, and the SAx just sings. I've got an SPC control on the way as well, excited to see how that engages with the rest of the pickups dynamics.

I'll say it now, as well; the 85x in the bridge is a woefully underrated option.


----------



## Quiet Coil

Crash Dandicoot said:


> I'll say it now, as well; the 85x in the bridge is a woefully underrated option.



89XR is where it’s at baby.


----------



## Dayn

They're fine, but I don't want them ever again. Too one-trick-pony for my needs.

I had 808s in my RG2228. I did the 18v mod which helped, then I replaced them with 808Xs. Much better. ...But still not really what I was after, so I installed the Abasi set of Fishman Fluences. I immediately knew I hit upon a winner, so I'll never be going back.

In my old one-pickup guitar that I later gifted to my nephew, I replaced the stock passive pickup with an 85X. The 85X in the bridge is definitely pretty sweet.


----------



## Mathemagician

What does the 85 “do” differently from an 81? Bridge in particular. Never played a guitar with one. I want a 57/66 set, but I’m not sure why I’d ever add an 85 versus an 81/81 set. 

Aren’t the X sets supposed to be an 18v mod? I’ve only ever used regular 81’s and 60’s.


----------



## Aliascent

Mathemagician said:


> What does the 85 “do” differently from an 81? Bridge in particular. Never played a guitar with one. I want a 57/66 set, but I’m not sure why I’d ever add an 85 versus an 81/81 set.
> 
> Aren’t the X sets supposed to be an 18v mod? I’ve only ever used regular 81’s and 60’s.


 
85 in the bridge is thicker, less tight than 81 (not by much). Better cleans too, imho.

And the X are indeed supposed to be 18v , and they do sound more open, a bit clearer


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

The 85 is the 81 with the Tube Screamer turned off.


----------



## lewis

Mathemagician said:


> What does the 85 “do” differently from an 81? Bridge in particular. Never played a guitar with one. I want a 57/66 set, but I’m not sure why I’d ever add an 85 versus an 81/81 set.
> 
> Aren’t the X sets supposed to be an 18v mod? I’ve only ever used regular 81’s and 60’s.



Isnt it just basically an 81 with less tight bass and more low mids?


----------



## lewis

I dont like what Ive heard of the X preamp versions either. Probably unpopular opinion but meh. Sound lower output, less aggressive to me.

Which is the opposite of what I want from my EMGs


----------



## gnoll

Yeah, I'm not into them either. I don't like X series or 18v mod or 85 in bridge (or neck). That stuff all just takes away from the 81-ness which is what I like in the first place. So just regular 81 for me thanks.


----------



## Choop

Been having GAS for a Super 77 set. .-. So...hard...to...resist


----------



## Hoss632

Mathemagician said:


> What does the 85 “do” differently from an 81? Bridge in particular. Never played a guitar with one. I want a 57/66 set, but I’m not sure why I’d ever add an 85 versus an 81/81 set.
> 
> Aren’t the X sets supposed to be an 18v mod? I’ve only ever used regular 81’s and 60’s.


Other thing not mentioned is the 85 is also an alnico pick up whereas the 81 is ceramic. There use to be am 85 ceramic years back which still was miles better than the 81 imo.


----------



## BenSolace

I can vouch for the 81x six string model. Sold all my EMGs including an 85x over the past couple of years, replacing them with BK's and the like. Bought the 81x on a whim as passives just weren't cutting it and instantly, that EMG attack and immediacy along with more punch than the regular 81 (I guess from there being more headroom in the internal preamp) and a bit less output equalling more clarity. Still more compression than your average passive but less than the vanilla 81.

It seems to me that a lot of people buy super-expensive passive pickups, then for high gain rhythm tones run them through several drives/compressors/eq/gate etc mimicking the same characteristics of the famed 81 (reduced low end, increased high mid, more output, compression etc.). IMO dynamics is the last thing you'd expect/want in high gain tones, and who uses bridge humbuckers to get convincing clean tones anyway


----------



## Choop

I go back and forth on whether or not I prefer the tone from the X series or just the regular OG versions. In certain situations either one can sound better.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

One of the quickest uninstalls I did, next to trying a Dimarzio Super 2 in the bridge, was an 81x to replace an 81.

Just... Yeah. At least for what I do, the OG smoked the 81x.

Also while we're at it... I thought I was gonna hate the EMG 81Tw. I heard a video where it sounded slightly muddier than the 81... But I got one in my new Schecter Sunset, and idk if this is guitar, but it's probably the brightest, tightest EMG loaded guitar I've used. Ever. Next to the old Jackson DKMG I used to have


----------



## jaxadam

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> One of the quickest uninstalls I did, next to trying a Dimarzio Super 2 in the bridge, was an 81x to replace an 81.
> 
> Just... Yeah. At least for what I do, the OG smoked the 81x.
> 
> Also while we're at it... I thought I was gonna hate the EMG 81Tw. I heard a video where it sounded slightly muddier than the 81... But I got one in my new Schecter Sunset, and idk if this is guitar, but it's probably the brightest, tightest EMG loaded guitar I've used. Ever. Next to the old Jackson DKMG I used to have



I have 81TW's in a guitar and no problems with them, I love them.


----------



## BenSolace

Choop said:


> I go back and forth on whether or not I prefer the tone from the X series or just the regular OG versions. In certain situations either one can sound better.


Ditto, however I noticed that the regular 81 didn't allow hard-picked palm muted low notes to bloom as well as the X version. I typically play with as little gain as I can, balancing out gain _*into *_the preamp and _*from *_the preamp to get the right feel/characteristics, and the X version just wasn't as OTT as the regular. I can see why guys going for a much more saturated tone would prefer the original.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> One of the quickest uninstalls I did, next to trying a Dimarzio Super 2 in the bridge, was an 81x to replace an 81.
> 
> Just... Yeah. At least for what I do, the OG smoked the 81x.
> 
> Also while we're at it... I thought I was gonna hate the EMG 81Tw. I heard a video where it sounded slightly muddier than the 81... But I got one in my new Schecter Sunset, and idk if this is guitar, but it's probably the brightest, tightest EMG loaded guitar I've used. Ever. Next to the old Jackson DKMG I used to have


Joshua Jones swears by the 81TW.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Anyone know if there is way to get an 81-7X into a passive route form?


----------



## Seabeast2000

Seabeast2000 said:


> Anyone know if there is way to get an 81-7X into a passive route form?


Oh there is an HX variant. Time to bust out the calipers on the km7.


----------



## Quiet Coil

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Also while we're at it... I thought I was gonna hate the EMG 81Tw. I heard a video where it sounded slightly muddier than the 81... But I got one in my new Schecter Sunset, and idk if this is guitar, but it's probably the brightest, tightest EMG loaded guitar I've used. Ever. Next to the old Jackson DKMG I used to have



I haven’t run EMGs for a while, but I’ve been wanting to try the 81tw (or twx) backwards. Didn’t care for it when I tried it in the past, but that was before I found the 89R. Turns out I vastly prefer the inner coil on the bridge when splitting.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I'm not too fond of the 89 in the guitar (If that's what it is ). Thinking about swapping it for a 66TW eventually.


----------



## elkoki

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> One of the quickest uninstalls I did, next to trying a Dimarzio Super 2 in the bridge, was an 81x to replace an 81.
> 
> Just... Yeah. At least for what I do, the OG smoked the 81x.
> 
> Also while we're at it... I thought I was gonna hate the EMG 81Tw. I heard a video where it sounded slightly muddier than the 81... But I got one in my new Schecter Sunset, and idk if this is guitar, but it's probably the brightest, tightest EMG loaded guitar I've used. Ever. Next to the old Jackson DKMG I used to have



Random question, is your Sunset a really lightweight guitar?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

elkoki said:


> Random question, is your Sunset a really lightweight guitar?



It's about 8 - 9 pounds? Definitely not light.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Wait.....do Sustainiacs work with EMGs?

EDIT: FRS Hellraisers indicate yes. 

https://sustainiac.com/schecter.htm


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Seabeast2000 said:


> Wait.....do Sustainiacs work with EMGs?
> 
> EDIT: FRS Hellraisers indicate yes.
> 
> https://sustainiac.com/schecter.htm



Yes, but you need separate batteries and a special input jack. Both the EMG pickup and Sustainiac NEED to run on separate power sources, or it causes some issues. It's why you'll see Schecters with two battery boxes.







If I had the tooling and knowhow, I'd definitely do the mods to my Kenny Hickey so I can throw an 81 in there.


----------



## Seabeast2000

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Yes, but you need separate batteries and a special input jack. Both the EMG pickup and Sustainiac NEED to run on separate power sources, or it causes some issues. It's why you'll see Schecters with two battery boxes.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If I had the tooling and knowhow, I'd definitely do the mods to my Kenny Hickey so I can throw an 81 in there.



Good to go. I was more worried that an EMG would not jive with electrical agitation from a Sustainiac.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Seabeast2000 said:


> Good to go. I was more worried that an EMG would not jive with electrical agitation from a Sustainiac.



As long as the two system stay isolated, it's all good.

There was also the SVSS series, which has several EMG/Sustainiac hodgepodges.


----------



## Seabeast2000

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> As long as the two system stay isolated, it's all good.
> 
> There was also the SVSS series, which has several EMG/Sustainiac hodgepodges.



My 2nd battery is going into the control cavity. Probably velcro'd in there somewhere. It doesn't look hard and my plan is to do it on a C7 style so prob not much different than yours?

https://www.sustainiac.com/activepu.htm


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Seabeast2000 said:


> My 2nd battery is going into the control cavity. Probably velcro'd in there somewhere. It doesn't look hard and my plan is to do it on a C7 style so prob not much different than yours?
> 
> https://www.sustainiac.com/activepu.htm



It's pretty fucking cramped in those guitar cavities. You'd be cutting it really, really, REALLY close. All of the Schecters that have Sustainiacs in them (incl my Kenny sig) have much bigger control cavities compared to the ones without.


----------



## Seabeast2000

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> It's pretty fucking cramped in those guitar cavities. You'd be cutting it really, really, REALLY close. All of the Schecters that have Sustainiacs in them (incl my Kenny sig) have much bigger control cavities compared to the ones without.



I will, in fact, bore you with my experience. 
Can always get that 24V mod which actually a smaller battery overall. I have one, just need to find it if needed. 24V on an X? Headroom for years?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Seabeast2000 said:


> I will, in fact, bore you with my experience.
> Can always get that 24V mod which actually a smaller battery overall. I have one, just need to find it if needed. 24V on an X? Headroom for years?



I've heard mixed things. Either it still opens up the pickup, or it does jack shit since the pickups are already not clipping as much. Worth a shot, at least. Just be aware that the Sustainiac MAY not like the increased voltage.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Did a lot of pickup experimenting with this guitar. Finally installed an 81/85 set and fuck it, perfect. 





Also EMGs in Les Paul style guitars will never not look good. Especially burst ones.


----------



## Hoss632

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Did a lot of pickup experimenting with this guitar. Finally installed an 81/85 set and fuck it, perfect.
> 
> View attachment 87912
> View attachment 87912
> 
> 
> Also EMGs in Les Paul style guitars will never not look good. Especially burst ones.


Ok I'm genuinely curious on how EMG's sound in a semi-hollow. That has to be a cool sound.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Hoss632 said:


> Ok I'm genuinely curious on how EMG's sound in a semi-hollow. That has to be a cool sound.



Sounds like a guitar.  This guitar is naturally bright and midrangey. Not sure if the semihollowness has anything to do with it, but I noticed several of the semihollow guitars I've owned had a very nice bite.


----------



## Hoss632

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Sounds like a guitar.  This guitar is naturally bright and midrangey. Not sure if the semihollowness has anything to do with it, but I noticed several of the semihollow guitars I've owned had a very nice bite.


I've only ever played a semi-hollow once and under high gain as well. Definitely a neat sound even with the crap stock gibson pick ups.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Hoss632 said:


> I've only ever played a semi-hollow once and under high gain as well. Definitely a neat sound even with the crap stock gibson pick ups.



It's a standard-sized body, so I don't think you get the full semihollow benefits. Plus there's only one F-hole. It's probably closer to a chambed Les Paul than it is a ES335.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

So I did more reading about using the Sustainiac with actives, and I'm probably willing to give it a shot. I found the diagram for how to use the 9-pin jack, and my only worry is trying to get the jack to fit in my guitar. 

EDIT: The jack in question
https://reverb.com/item/13256744-ne...ictech-master-accordion-sennheiser-mics-mt-04


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

I worked on a Damian for a customer with an 81 in it and it screamed quite nicely. I’ve been gassing for a Sustainiac for years.


----------



## Seabeast2000

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> So I did more reading about using the Sustainiac with actives, and I'm probably willing to give it a shot. I found the diagram for how to use the 9-pin jack, and my only worry is trying to get the jack to fit in my guitar.
> 
> EDIT: The jack in question
> https://reverb.com/item/13256744-ne...ictech-master-accordion-sennheiser-mics-mt-04


Good info. I was going to reach out to Sustzniac for this part.

I am fairly excited to put an 81x in this guitar. Replacing a BW7.


----------



## Mathemagician

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> It's pretty fucking cramped in those guitar cavities. You'd be cutting it really, really, REALLY close. All of the Schecters that have Sustainiacs in them (incl my Kenny sig) have much bigger control cavities compared to the ones without.



Back in my day, we crammed EMGs into guitars that came with passives stock and we liked it that way! 18 volt mod battery issue? Nah, just lego-practice. Lol. 



Seabeast2000 said:


> I will, in fact, bore you with my experience.
> Can always get that 24V mod which actually a smaller battery overall. I have one, just need to find it if needed. 24V on an X? Headroom for years?



Please report back. Just general curiosity.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Mathemagician said:


> Back in my day, we crammed EMGs into guitars that came with passives stock and we liked it that way! 18 volt mod battery issue? Nah, just lego-practice. Lol..



Main issue is that the Sustainiac system is EXTREMELY sensitive. Poor wiring and wire management can make the system squeal like a pig. They even bring this up on their website.


----------



## Mathemagician

I just remembered that Marty Friedman has a signature set of EMGs. Has anyone used them/have any experience with them to compare versus at least the more common 81/85, or maybe even 57/66?


----------



## Hoss632

Mathemagician said:


> I just remembered that Marty Friedman has a signature set of EMGs. Has anyone used them/have any experience with them to compare versus at least the more common 81/85, or maybe even 57/66?


Remember Marty's are passive and not active like the other 2 sets.


----------



## Mathemagician

Oooooooooooooooooooh. Ok.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

@HeHasTheJazzHands -- I'm calling you out! Listen to what Silas has to say!


----------



## Mathemagician

That was the boomiest/most hollow low end ever. There was no mids or presence in that at all imo.


----------



## Hoss632

Spaced Out Ace said:


> @HeHasTheJazzHands -- I'm calling you out! Listen to what Silas has to say!



Gonna call it like i see it. That is one of the shittiest tones I've ever heard.


----------



## Choop

I think it sounded ok -- pretty djent and would not be my personal tone but w/e. I dunno what he's talking about regarding the 81 having a ceramic magnet therefore it is boomy, though. The 81 is not boomy, if anything the 85 sounds bigger in the low end.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Silas has better tones with his 81 or JH equipped six string guitars. I love his 81, JH, Bonebreaker shootout.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I mean, it's not BAD, but after using so many EMG pickups in the bridge (H4, 81, 81X, 60, 60X, 85, 57, Het), I can confirm that the 81 is the tightest. There's no fucking way the 85 is tighter than the 81.  The 85 has SIGNIFICANTLY more low end than the 81.

But FWIW I don't really hate that tone? But no, the 85 is not "tighter" or "clearer".

EDIT: Wait no, it was the 60X I used, not the 85X.


----------



## Hoss632

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I mean, it's not BAD, but after using so many EMG pickups in the bridge (H4, 81, 81X, 60, 60X, 85, 57, Het), I can confirm that the 81 is the tightest. There's no fucking way the 85 is tighter than the 81.  The 85 has SIGNIFICANTLY more low end than the 81.
> 
> But FWIW I don't really hate that tone? But no, the 85 is not "tighter" or "clearer".
> 
> EDIT: Wait no, it was the 60X I used, not the 85X.


Agreed 85 is definitely not tighter. But I much prefer it in the bridge myself vs the 81 due to it having more low end. Best I've heard an 81 sound recently was Ola Englund just got a Jim root strat and played it on his latest video and that was a nice wall of sound he got with the plug in he was using.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Hoss632 said:


> Agreed 85 is definitely not tighter. But I much prefer it in the bridge myself vs the 81 due to it having more low end. Best I've heard an 81 sound recently was Ola Englund just got a Jim root strat and played it on his latest video and that was a nice wall of sound he got with the plug in he was using.



It's an amazing sounding pickup in the mix. The lack of low end and the hyped midrange makes these pickups cut like a motherfucker in the mix. 

I know people talk about Adam D from KsE using the 85 in the bridge, but even he eventually switched to using the 81.


----------



## Hoss632

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> It's an amazing sounding pickup in the mix. The lack of low end and the hyped midrange makes these pickups cut like a motherfucker in the mix.
> 
> I know people talk about Adam D from KsE using the 85 in the bridge, but even he eventually switched to using the 81.


True but he uses his KSE fishman set now which is more voiced like an 81 I think. I agree the 81 cuts more in a mix than the 85. But I find that the new jim root EMG set cuts even more so than the 81. Granted this is a very limited sampling that I've heard so far of the 2 compared. But that's just how my ears perceived it.


----------



## slavboi_delight

I do tend to feel like that the actual Fishman emulations of the EMG 81 both missed their point. The Modern has even stickier mids and without the V1 Gain jumper connected it's pretty gainy. The Townsends are way rounder on the low end a mix between a 81 and 85 but have so much output and gain. They are almost not pairable with 1 sound and 2 different sets of humbucker. Like the thread suggests, I somehow start to miss my 81/60 combo. Now that ESP started to use the 60 RTW in their new LTD line, I'm hoping they unleash it as a aftermarket pickup.


----------



## lewis

Genuinely the Fishman modern V1 sounds to me like when you put a graphic EQ and a treble booster infront of an amp. Then boost the hell out of the treble/high frequencies & cut too much low end.

the illusion of the brand name for me trick people into loving them. If you bought cheap chinese pickups for $5 as well as owning the Fishman sets, and tricked a friend into thinking what he was hearing you playing was the cheap chinese pickups - and not the modern set, he would be right there slagging it off.

"its so thin wtf? no balls whatsoever. Overly hifi and shrill. What a joke. no wonder its only $5 - and its noisy. Probably not even wax potted"

meanwhile you are crying inside whilst you are actually playing on your $300 set of fishmans.
Mine now sit as the most overrated pickups ive ever owned and use. They are ok. Nothing more. And they need plenty of EQ fixing to get right.


----------



## Hoss632

lewis said:


> Genuinely the Fishman modern V1 sounds to me like when you put a graphic EQ and a treble booster infront of an amp. Then boost the hell out of the treble/high frequencies & cut too much low end.
> 
> the illusion of the brand name for me trick people into loving them. If you bought cheap chinese pickups for $5 as well as owning the Fishman sets, and tricked a friend into thinking what he was hearing you playing was the cheap chinese pickups - and not the modern set, he would be right there slagging it off.
> 
> "its so thin wtf? no balls whatsoever. Overly hifi and shrill. What a joke. no wonder its only $5 - and its noisy. Probably not even wax potted"
> 
> meanwhile you are crying inside whilst you are actually playing on your $300 set of fishmans.
> Mine now sit as the most overrated pickups ive ever owned and use. They are ok. Nothing more. And they need plenty of EQ fixing to get right.


I feel like you are describing an EMG 81 along with the moderns honestly. That's how both pick ups sound to me.


----------



## slavboi_delight

lewis said:


> Genuinely the Fishman modern V1 sounds to me like when you put a graphic EQ and a treble booster infront of an amp. Then boost the hell out of the treble/high frequencies & cut too much low end.
> 
> the illusion of the brand name for me trick people into loving them. If you bought cheap chinese pickups for $5 as well as owning the Fishman sets, and tricked a friend into thinking what he was hearing you playing was the cheap chinese pickups - and not the modern set, he would be right there slagging it off.
> 
> "its so thin wtf? no balls whatsoever. Overly hifi and shrill. What a joke. no wonder its only $5 - and its noisy. Probably not even wax potted"
> 
> meanwhile you are crying inside whilst you are actually playing on your $300 set of fishmans.
> Mine now sit as the most overrated pickups ive ever owned and use. They are ok. Nothing more. And they need plenty of EQ fixing to get right.



There is an insane low end cut, which takes away the roundness of the Modern. 

I don't want to bash them. Because they have their right to exist.
But at the end of the day, they don't do anything better than any other pickup available.

Their pull factor, which is many people changing especially from EMG to Fishman, is insanely effective.
That's what caught me off guard.
Plus I broke my own rule of not buying signature gear.
I definately got sucked into that whole hype funnel. But I guess I'm prone to that.

Quality wise I can't critique anything. Pots turn well, no humming, no unwanted signal sound.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I'll never get why people who hate the EMG 81s say they love the Moderns, when the Moderns do the same exact thing as the EMG 81s, just not as good IMO.  IMO the 81 actually has more low end chunk than the Moderns (in a satisfying way, albeit), and the mids are slightly more relaxed. I think the Moderns are more hyperfocused than the 81s.


----------



## slavboi_delight

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'll never get why people who hate the EMG 81s say they love the Moderns, when the Moderns do the same exact thing as the EMG 81s, just not as good IMO.  IMO the 81 actually has more low end chunk than the Moderns (in a satisfying way, albeit), and the mids are slightly more relaxed. I think the Moderns are more hyperfocused than the 81s.



That is probably what I tried to describe.
No way shape or form was I bashing the EMG. I never bash pickups. To each their own.
But like you mentioned the Modern is almost clinical.


----------



## lewis

the worst thing about this whole thing imo, is how EMG's still have this "Sterile" label from most slagging them off - and yet the Fishman sets are easily the most sterile pickups ive ever played.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'll never get why people who hate the EMG 81s say they love the Moderns, when the Moderns do the same exact thing as the EMG 81s, just not as good IMO.  IMO the 81 actually has more low end chunk than the Moderns (in a satisfying way, albeit), and the mids are slightly more relaxed. I think the Moderns are more hyperfocused than the 81s.


85 + TS = 81
81 + TS = Modern
Modern + TS = fucking dreadful


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> the worst thing about this whole thing imo, is how EMG's still have this "Sterile" label from most slagging them off - and yet the Fishman sets are easily the most sterile pickups ive ever played.


I think they sound pretty sterile when you play them at 9v, jacked up as close to the strings as possible, and with a TS. 

18V, back the pickups down a bit (or set the pickup height as you would a normal pickup), and skip the TS (or use an 85 + TS), they sound much better. With the 85 + TS setup, you can always turn it off for other styles (you know, "versatility").


----------



## Hoss632

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'll never get why people who hate the EMG 81s say they love the Moderns, when the Moderns do the same exact thing as the EMG 81s, just not as good IMO.  IMO the 81 actually has more low end chunk than the Moderns (in a satisfying way, albeit), and the mids are slightly more relaxed. I think the Moderns are more hyperfocused than the 81s.


I agree. I don't hate the 81 it's just not for me personally. Same with the fishman moderns. I find both companies do have pick ups that I really like tonally, with EMG it's their Retro active stuff that to me sounds amazing and the 57/66 set. Fishman it's the Will Adler and the Keith Merrow sets that I really dig. Right now my guitar came with an 81/85 combo, all I did was swap them around and put the 85 in the bridge for now and for me that's worked out pretty decent. I probably will still swap it out for a retro active set down the road though.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I'm not gonna shame anyone for hating the 81 or just not being a fan of it

...Unless you're that kind of person that's like "I hate actives the EMG 81 sucks" while at the same time "Oh man I love tones like Rammstein, Chimaira, KsE, Trivium" or are adamant the Modern is nothing like EMGs.


----------



## Hoss632

Hell isn't the 81 the pick up metallica used on the black album? And that is one of the absolute greatest guitar tones of all time


----------



## Hoss632

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'm not gonna shame anyone for hating the 81 or just not being a fan of it
> 
> ...Unless you're that kind of person that's like "I hate actives the EMG 81 sucks" while at the same time "Oh man I love tones like Rammstein, Chimaira, KsE, Trivium" or are adamant the Modern is nothing like EMGs.


Also can add Bullet for my Valentine to this list as well.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Hoss632 said:


> Hell isn't the 81 the pick up metallica used on the black album? And that is one of the absolute greatest guitar tones of all time



Used on everything between 1988 - 2011. 

Even if it looked like he was using a Gibson loaded with passive covers, it was actually an EMG 81/60 set that was sanded down to fit some metal covers + screw heads glued on. At least that was the case with his Gibson Iron Cross Les Paul, and I think even the ESP JH-3.


----------



## Hoss632

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Used on everything between 1988 - 2011.
> 
> Even if it looked like he was using a Gibson loaded with passive covers, it was actually an EMG 81/60 set that was sanded down to fit some metal covers + screw heads glued on. At least that was the case with his Gibson Iron Cross Les Paul, and I think even the ESP JH-3.


Nice. I honestly did not know that. Always cool to learn something new. Of course now that I've had some time to really think about it. I only am not a fan of the 81 in standard to drop D tunings. When it gets lower like drop C and especially B and A I find the 81 shines best there. At least for my own personal tone anyways.


----------



## Matt08642

Hoss632 said:


> Nice. I honestly did not know that. Always cool to learn something new. Of course now that I've had some time to really think about it. I only am not a fan of the 81 in standard to drop D tunings. When it gets lower like drop C and especially B and A I find the 81 shines best there. At least for my own personal tone anyways.



81 comes _alive _in drop C


----------



## Mathemagician

81 + Drop C is every good metalcore tone in a box. 

It was so prevalent by that point that I think the “backlash” from others really stems more just from people being tired of it being considered good. Like the people that say they don’t like a major amp style: Marshall, 5150, recto, etc but then they spend all their time trying to make their gear sound like the amp they “don’t like”. 

The 81 on the neck doesn’t do a fender Strat level clean sound. No one ever said it would. There’s your excuse to buy a strat. Then put EMG’s in it. Lol.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

Matt08642 said:


> 81 comes _alive _in drop C


It's the perfect compromise of low enough so that the pickup's high end bite shines without being overbearing and high enough that its powerful low end doesn't lose clarity. Not tightness, my 81 always stays tight and cutting, but for lower than B I'd prefer one of the fishman sig sets. Keep in mind I do like the moderns but those sound like absolute trash above c standard and I think their best application is for 7s. 81 for 6s, fishmans for 7s. 

Granted an 81 is pretty much the most pissed off sound I've heard and that's standing up to an L500XL and an X2N. The L500XL gets a lot more nasty and just grinds and the X2N is way more raw power but in terms of usable aggression 81 always wins, even compared to stuff like moderns or a nazgul or even the 57, which I think is the second best EMG and one of my favorite sounds.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Mathemagician said:


> 81 + Drop C is every good metalcore tone in a box.
> 
> It was so prevalent by that point that I think the “backlash” from others really stems more just from people being tired of it being considered good. Like the people that say they don’t like a major amp style: Marshall, 5150, recto, etc but then they spend all their time trying to make their gear sound like the amp they “don’t like”.
> 
> The 81 on the neck doesn’t do a fender Strat level clean sound. No one ever said it would. There’s your excuse to buy a strat. Then put EMG’s in it. Lol.


Eh. As far as the Recto goes, it is the complete opposite of what I want. I'd much rather use a Mark III or later if I had to use a Mesa.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

I hated the 81 because I found it metallic and lacking low end.

If the Fishmans are the 81 with less low end that pickup has to be the worst pickup in the history of mankind..next to the X2N


----------



## Hoss632

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> I hated the 81 because I found it metallic and lacking low end.
> 
> If the Fishmans are the 81 with less low end that pickup has to be the worst pickup in the history of mankind..next to the X2N


The crazy part about the fishman modern is as much low end as it doesn't have, the KSE set has even LESS low end.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

Hoss632 said:


> The crazy part about the fishman modern is as much low end as it doesn't have, the KSE set has even LESS low end.









WHY would anyone want that?


----------



## Hoss632

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> WHY would anyone want that?


Ask the guitarists in Killswitch Engaged. They voiced em like that. Perhaps because they play in lower tunings. best reason I can think of.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

Hoss632 said:


> Ask the guitarists in Killswitch Engaged. They voiced em like that. Perhaps because they play in lower tunings. best reason I can think of.


It's funny..about 10 or more years ago everyone was putting too much low end in their tone and not enough mids.

Now all the bands are putting too much mids and not enough low end in their tones.


----------



## lewis

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> I hated the 81 because I found it metallic and lacking low end.
> 
> If the Fishmans are the 81 with less low end that pickup has to be the worst pickup in the history of mankind..next to the X2N



It has way less low end, sounds scooped AND has some super high frequency focus that's like ear fatiguing.

It has a terrible Base sound


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

lewis said:


> It has way less low end, sounds scooped AND has some super high frequency focus that's like ear fatiguing.
> 
> It has a terrible Base sound


I guess that's why modern guitarists like it. If you tune down to Z negative, crank the mids on your amp to 20 and rip the knob off, and play a 45 string guitar, then I suppose those pickups would balance some of that mess out.


----------



## Hoss632

lewis said:


> It has way less low end, sounds scooped AND has some super high frequency focus that's like ear fatiguing.
> 
> It has a terrible Base sound



Here's a solid comparison of various tones between an 81 and modern for anyone wanting to hear them a/bed against one another. I listened to them through a solid set of headphones finally. I still maintain both sound "thin" but for different reasons. the modern like you say has less low end than the 81. The 81 to me feels like it has a built in high pass filter so the highs aren't as present as the modern.So it sounds kind of choked off.


----------



## lewis

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> I guess that's why *modern guitarists like it. If you tune down to Z negative*, crank the mids on your amp to 20 and rip the knob off, and play a 45 string guitar, then I suppose those pickups would balance some of that mess out.


I mean, I can relate to that and I still dislike them.
I use Drop G sharp with them, with my bottom string being a 70. And still the 81 sounds better with low tunings for me

But yeah I get where you are going. I also very rarely ever crank my mids. Its usually either left at 12 o clock or scopped slightly.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Hoss632 said:


> The crazy part about the fishman modern is as much low end as it doesn't have, the KSE set has even LESS low end.





DrakkarTyrannis said:


> WHY would anyone want that?



Can confirm. They somehow made the EMG 81 sound like a DiMarzio Tone Zone.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Well since I found the file

https://soundcloud.com/guitarplayingfuntime/emgvsfishman

Go to around :22. Starts with the EMG 81, then switches to the Fishman at :28. Every time you hear an awkward splice, it's going back and fourth.

Basically the EMG covers a wider frequency range, while the KSE set is extremely focused in the mids.


----------



## Hoss632

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Can confirm. They somehow made the EMG 81 sound like a DiMarzio Tone Zone.


I didn't think of it like that until said this. Great analogy. I've found the more I listen to both EMG and fishman stuff, the more I find that at least for my tastes, the EMG retro actives are the best "active" pick ups around. They still have plenty of punch and clarity like an active, but they provide a HUGE wall of sound. Makes me even more excited to get a set for my schecter and swap out the 81/85.


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> I hated the 81 because I found it metallic and lacking low end.
> 
> If the Fishmans are the 81 with less low end that pickup has to be the worst pickup in the history of mankind..next to the X2N


Chuck made them sound pretty groovy.


----------



## Mathemagician

Hoss632 said:


> Here's a solid comparison of various tones between an 81 and modern for anyone wanting to hear them a/bed against one another. I listened to them through a solid set of headphones finally. I still maintain both sound "thin" but for different reasons. the modern like you say has less low end than the 81. The 81 to me feels like it has a built in high pass filter so the highs aren't as present as the modern.So it sounds kind of choked off.




That was a good side by side. On clean they sounded remarkably similar to me. Regardless of which voice the fluence was on. But with gain it was pretty clear the 81 had more low-end coming through. I would definitely chalk it up to preference though. If someone doesn’t like that active upper mid focus they aren’t going to like either pickup IMO.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

Dumple Stilzkin said:


> Chuck made them sound pretty groovy.


Who the fuck is Chuck?


----------



## WarMachine

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> It's funny..about 10 or more years ago everyone was putting too much low end in their tone and not enough mids.
> 
> Now all the bands are putting too much mids and not enough low end in their tones.











Best post of 2020 right here


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> Who the fuck is Chuck?


Brah! Chuck from Death.


----------



## Hoss632

Mathemagician said:


> That was a good side by side. On clean they sounded remarkably similar to me. Regardless of which voice the fluence was on. But with gain it was pretty clear the 81 had more low-end coming through. I would definitely chalk it up to preference though. If someone doesn’t like that active upper mid focus they aren’t going to like either pickup IMO.


I agree that likely would be the case most of the time. I find down in Drop C to Drop A (with the 6 string sets) that both sets shine there. Mainly because of that mid to upper mid focus both are known for.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

Dumple Stilzkin said:


> Brah! Chuck from Death.


Ew


----------



## Korneo

I have a Lespaul Custom with 2 EMG 81 tune in standard (Very bright guitar) and in standard, yeah, the sound don't have a lot of low end even with some 10-52.
Then I have a Bc Rich Warlock Kerry King 7 string (all maple but not a bright guitar). The 81 in the bridge made the b string shine and sound clear and tight without a lot of lows.

And finally, my Jackson CS tune to Drop A# with an EMG 57 and 66.
To every person who don't like the 81, try the 57. This pickup is some kind of the evil brother of the 81.
The sound is full, the lows are fat but still tight, the highs are clear and the pickup is dynamic.

I have compare the Fluence Modern to the 57 in this same guitar and absolutely hate the Fishman... I kept it a year to be sure I don't like it and in any configuration, it was not my taste at all.
Thin, harsh, sterile and uninspiring at best. When I put back the 57, the smile on my face was immediate.

If you don't like the 81, really, try the 57. I'm a deep SD guy but this pickup is my favorite active now (After 10 years with my lovely blackouts).
It has litterally everything and can play everything.
And it look good too ^^

I've made this videos back then but I retire it from Youtube because the army of fanboys post-it through some forum and was really aggressive about everything in it but it really show the sound of the Fluence.
I admit, I was in a bad day and play very bad (Broke my hand and haven't play for 7 weeks) but damned, no one talk about the sound..


----------



## hensh!n

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> WHY would anyone want that?



Because it isn't really necessary. If you mix music at all (metal in particular), you'll probably cut the low end out anyways. Excessive low end in a guitar just muddies up the mix and can blanket the bass/kick frequencies.

Also in my experience, it's much easier to add low end to a guitar that has none than it is to cut it out. I have a muddy ESP Horizon that sounded dead (probably the mahogany body paired with the 57/66 pickups). Switching out the pickups to Super 77's did add more brightness and attack overall, but I still found it to be tonally lacking in character (pickups can only change the sound so much). Now I use a maple/mahogany composite body guitar with the Fishman Tosin Abasi set. It has a lot more clarity, and if I want low end I just dial in the depth or proximity effect in the Axe III. So if anyone uses an Axe III and wants more bass, roll the bass off in the EQ section then turn up the depth and proximity effect. It's a different type of low end ("air") that will probably give you the bass response and characteristics you want. It still may be EQ'd out, but it's a lot of fun to play. Perhaps I'll do a demo where I show the difference between the two types of bass adjustment I mentioned. Cheers!


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

hensh!n said:


> Because it isn't really necessary. If you mix music at all (metal in particular), you'll probably cut the low end out anyways. Excessive low end in a guitar just muddies up the mix and can blanket the bass/kick frequencies.
> 
> Also in my experience, it's much easier to add low end to a guitar that has none than it is to cut it out. I have a muddy ESP Horizon that sounded dead (probably the mahogany body paired with the 57/66 pickups). Switching out the pickups to Super 77's did add more brightness and attack overall, but I still found it to be tonally lacking in character (pickups can only change the sound so much). Now I use a maple/mahogany composite body guitar with the Fishman Tosin Abasi set. It has a lot more clarity, and if I want low end I just dial in the depth or proximity effect in the Axe III. So if anyone uses an Axe III and wants more bass, roll the bass off in the EQ section then turn up the depth and proximity effect. It's a different type of low end ("air") that will probably give you the bass response and characteristics you want. It still may be EQ'd out, but it's a lot of fun to play. Perhaps I'll do a demo where I show the difference between the two types of bass adjustment I mentioned. Cheers!



You don't dial all the low end out of guitars in a mix. You remove the mud and give the bass it's spot..but that's not taking away all the low end frequency. 

81s are pretty tight..so if Fishman have even less low end, that sounds horrendous.

Especially when people are using Fishman and a boost. That sounds like a recipe for disaster.


----------



## hensh!n

Korneo said:


> I have a Lespaul Custom with 2 EMG 81 tune in standard (Very bright guitar) and in standard, yeah, the sound don't have a lot of low end even with some 10-52.
> Then I have a Bc Rich Warlock Kerry King 7 string (all maple but not a bright guitar). The 81 in the bridge made the b string shine and sound clear and tight without a lot of lows.
> 
> And finally, my Jackson CS tune to Drop A# with an EMG 57 and 66.
> To every person who don't like the 81, try the 57. This pickup is some kind of the evil brother of the 81.
> The sound is full, the lows are fat but still tight, the highs are clear and the pickup is dynamic.
> 
> I have compare the Fluence Modern to the 57 in this same guitar and absolutely hate the Fishman... I kept it a year to be sure I don't like it and in any configuration, it was not my taste at all.
> Thin, harsh, sterile and uninspiring at best. When I put back the 57, the smile on my face was immediate.
> 
> If you don't like the 81, really, try the 57. I'm a deep SD guy but this pickup is my favorite active now (After 10 years with my lovely blackouts).
> It has litterally everything and can play everything.
> And it look good too ^^
> 
> I've made this videos back then but I retire it from Youtube because the army of fanboys post-it through some forum and was really aggressive about everything in it but it really show the sound of the Fluence.
> I admit, I was in a bad day and play very bad (Broke my hand and haven't play for 7 weeks) but damned, no one talk about the sound..




I don't really care for the Moderns particularly either, but not for the same reasons (the Passive voice wasn't dynamic enough, and it was lacking mid presence). I find a lot of the "thin, harsh, etc." type tones cut really well in a mix. If you mix a really great tone by itself, chances are it won't sit well in a mix so there needs to be some type of accommodation. However if you use something like an Axe FX you can always turn up the mic spacing, turn down the "air" and adjust the speaker compression. But nothing will help if you don't have a good amp/cab with decent settings that aren't trying to overcompensate for a particular tonality your guitar has or doesn't have (i.e. turning up all the treble settings on a dark amp, turning up all the bass settings on a bright amp, etc.).


----------



## hensh!n

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> You don't dial all the low end out of guitars in a mix. You remove the mud and give the bass it's spot..but that's not taking away all the low end frequency.
> 
> 81s are pretty tight..so if Fishman have even less low end, that sounds horrendous.
> 
> Especially when people are using Fishman and a boost. That sounds like a recipe for disaster.



It depends on the bands sound and who's mixing, but in many cases that's exactly what you do. Now whether they tell you that they put a HPF on your track, well that's a different story entirely. Also one man's "mud" is another man's "bass". Lower frequency "air" that sometimes you feel more than you hear.

Adam D. has stated on many occasions that "you don't need that much low end in your guitar". And listening to any of his mixes you'll hear that too. Now of course there are bands like Slipknot who are known for having tons of low end in their guitar tone, or Dream Theater. So again it really depends on the band, if you have one guitar player vs. 2, if it's a 3-piece or a 5-piece band, etc.


----------



## Mathemagician

@hensh!n yes demo please!

And man Adam D can spec out whatever he wants. His guitar tone always cuts.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

hensh!n said:


> It depends on the bands sound and who's mixing, but in many cases that's exactly what you do. Now whether they tell you that they put a HPF on your track, well that's a different story entirely. Also one man's "mud" is another man's "bass". Lower frequency "air" that sometimes you feel more than you hear.
> 
> Adam D. has stated on many occasions that "you don't need that much low end in your guitar". And listening to any of his mixes you'll hear that too. Now of course there are bands like Slipknot who are known for having tons of low end in their guitar tone, or Dream Theater. So again it really depends on the band, if you have one guitar player vs. 2, if it's a 3-piece or a 5-piece band, etc.



It's not really about what the producer says..but more what just makes sense. Now it does depend on the band and the style of whoever is mixing it and whatnot, but yanking all of the low end out just seems like a dramatic way to reach the same goal that proper mixing hits.

"That much" low end and no low end at all are two very different things.

Anyways, I've been tempted to try the Hetfield EMGs but I don't really want to bother paying for it. Someday maybe I'll borrow an EMG equipped guitar and see if my opinion on them have changed but I think I'm just more of a passive guy


----------



## hensh!n

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> It's not really about what the producer says..but more what just makes sense. Now it does depend on the band and the style of whoever is mixing it and whatnot, but yanking all of the low end out just seems like a dramatic way to reach the same goal that proper mixing hits.
> 
> "That much" low end and no low end at all are two very different things.
> 
> Anyways, I've been tempted to try the Hetfield EMGs but I don't really want to bother paying for it. Someday maybe I'll borrow an EMG equipped guitar and



Semantics really. Cutting "the low end out" could be as simple as running a HPF between 100-150hz on your guitar track. But as with everything else it depends on the band, mix, genre, engineer, etc. 

In general I find too many guitar players complaining about a lack of low end in pickups. If that same guitar player also plays bass, drums and puts mixes together, I'm sure their perspective would change (just as mine did). In my experience it's much easier to add bass in with the choice of amplifier or cabinet instead of relying on that from the pickup (where the changes usually aren't drastic anyways). The guitar, amplifier, and cabinet usually are the most important factors in getting a general tonal profile, rather than just the pickup.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

hensh!n said:


> Semantics really. Cutting "the low end out" could be as simple as running a HPF between 100-150hz on your guitar track. But as with everything else it depends on the band, mix, genre, engineer, etc.
> 
> In general I find too many guitar players complaining about a lack of low end in pickups. If that same guitar player also plays bass, drums and puts mixes together, I'm sure their perspective would change (just as mine did). In my experience it's much easier to add bass in with the choice of amplifier or cabinet instead of relying on that from the pickup (where the changes usually aren't drastic anyways). The guitar, amplifier, and cabinet usually are the most important factors in getting a general tonal profile, rather than just the pickup.



Yeah the pickup isn't the deciding factor, however I find if it has frequencies that irk you, speakers and amps aren't gonna help. Everything in the chain needs to be on the same page. I think a balanced pickup helps. I definitely wouldn't want something with a lot of low end, then again I wouldn't want a pickup devoid of any. And of course I suppose it depends on if you're boosting too. Lots of factors.

Either way I hated the 81 as I found it too metallic and thin. According to folks who have tried them the Fluence is that to the extreme. No thanks. Maybe I'll come across a guitar with them and try it out to see for myself though. I'd be up for that.


----------



## hensh!n

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> Yeah the pickup isn't the deciding factor, however I find if it has frequencies that irk you, speakers and amps aren't gonna help. Everything in the chain needs to be on the same page. I think a balanced pickup helps. I definitely wouldn't want something with a lot of low end, then again I wouldn't want a pickup devoid of any. And of course I suppose it depends on if you're boosting too. Lots of factors.
> 
> Either way I hated the 81 as I found it too metallic and thin. According to folks who have tried them the Fluence is that to the extreme. No thanks. Maybe I'll come across a guitar with them and try it out to see for myself though. I'd be up for that.



True, it's all relative though. I too am not a fan of the 81, but a lot of players I admire use them. Ultimately everyone has to find what work's for them. There are so many aspects to a signal chain, a lot of guitar players get lost on the pickups. As someone who has gone through maybe 15 pickup changes or more, it's best to fix the issue at the source (guitar, amp, cab, routing, etc.). 

I think Moderns would sound great with a few minor tweaks though (less compression and output on V1, more dynamics/mids on V2). But again, it's all relative. The wrong guitar with the wrong pickup on the wrong amp/cab is always a recipe for disaster. And isn't always the best representation of a pickups capabilities. I'm not particularly a fan of Trivium, but Matt Heafy makes the Modern set sound good. Perhaps it works well with the 5150 vs some of the other amps people use it with. And I've gotten good results using the 57/66 with Soldano sims. Still needed to tweak the EQ in my DAW, but the source was solid.


----------



## lewis

hensh!n said:


> True, it's all relative though. I too am not a fan of the 81, but a lot of players I admire use them. Ultimately everyone has to find what work's for them. There are so many aspects to a signal chain, a lot of guitar players get lost on the pickups. As someone who has gone through maybe 15 pickup changes or more, it's best to fix the issue at the source (guitar, amp, cab, routing, etc.).
> 
> I think Moderns would sound great with a few minor tweaks though (less compression and output on V1, more dynamics/mids on V2). But again, it's all relative. The wrong guitar with the wrong pickup on the wrong amp/cab is always a recipe for disaster. And isn't always the best representation of a pickups capabilities. I'm not particularly a fan of Trivium, but Matt Heafy makes the Modern set sound good. Perhaps it works well with the 5150 vs some of the other amps people use it with. And I've gotten good results using the 57/66 with Soldano sims. Still needed to tweak the EQ in my DAW, but the source was solid.



on Trivium, best tones they ever got was when they were using EMGs/Seymour Duncan combos haha
Ascendancy & Crusade


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

Sidenote...Trivium is one of those band where I'm not a fan of the music but I like those guys so much that I'm cheering for them to do well. I wanna like the music because the guys seem great and Matt is hilariously adorable. Ah well.


----------



## lewis

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> Sidenote...Trivium is one of those band where I'm not a fan of the music but I like those guys so much that I'm cheering for them to do well. I wanna like the music because the guys seem great and Matt is hilariously adorable. Ah well.


Im in the same boat. I havent liked their music since Shogun but the guys are killer!
Hope they continue doing great things.


----------



## Grindspine

I have one guitar with an EMG 81x and 60x pair wired to the EMG SPC control for an active mid-boost. That guitar is a total chug stick made for the blackest of death metal on a cold day. 

To minimize the volume difference between the EMG equipped guitar and my guitars with passives, I pretty much always run a buffer before my effects chain.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> Im in the same boat. I havent liked their music since Shogun but the guys are killer!
> Hope they continue doing great things.


I've liked most of their music. Crusade is a bit forced (particularly lyrically), and Vengeance Falls was kinda eh. I liked their stylistic shift after that album. Love Asecendancy and In Waves. Shogun is decent.


----------



## Hoss632

hensh!n said:


> It depends on the bands sound and who's mixing, but in many cases that's exactly what you do. Now whether they tell you that they put a HPF on your track, well that's a different story entirely. Also one man's "mud" is another man's "bass". Lower frequency "air" that sometimes you feel more than you hear.
> 
> Adam D. has stated on many occasions that "you don't need that much low end in your guitar". And listening to any of his mixes you'll hear that too. Now of course there are bands like Slipknot who are known for having tons of low end in their guitar tone, or Dream Theater. So again it really depends on the band, if you have one guitar player vs. 2, if it's a 3-piece or a 5-piece band, etc.


In dream theaters case though the low end works because at least when John is on a 6 string they are rarely playing lower than Drop D or C. His low end isn't as much when he plays something like dark eternal night which is on a 7 if I remember correctly


----------



## Korneo

I'm a Die Hard fan of Trivium since Ascendancy and the last two albums have some good songs but a bad guitar sound for me.
It's a shame that silent in the snow which is Meh at best for me sound better..
Ascendancy have that kind of raw power with tight and clear guitar, still love it ! but it's pretty rare now.


----------



## lewis

81 still sounds the best. Has more cut. Has more balls. Has sweeter mids. Seems more clear and also doesnt have the top end fizz the Fishmans have.


----------



## gnoll

I don't buy the argument for using pickups with less bass just because guitar tracks are high passed anyway. The difference of using a typical high pass filter on a guitar track is never gonna be the same as the difference between two different pickups. A pickup that has more bass is gonna differ in more ways in a bigger part of the frequency spectrum than that. And cutting bass at the pickup and cutting it after the signal has gone through pedals, an amp, a cab, a microphone etc. is completely different anyway.

I choose pickups that I like the overall character/voice of for what I'm doing/what guitar it's in. Does it have much bass? I don't care. Does it sound good? I care.


----------



## failsafe

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> I've been tempted to try the Hetfield EMGs but I don't really want to bother paying for it. Someday maybe I'll borrow an EMG equipped guitar and see if my opinion on them have changed but I think I'm just more of a passive guy


Just buy the Het Set, I have them in all 3 of my explorers and absolutely love them.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

failsafe said:


> Just buy the Het Set, I have them in all 3 of my explorers and absolutely love them.


Meh. I'd try them first. I don't have a guitar I'd want to put them in


----------



## WarMachine

The Great EMG Debate 2020

@hensh!n has entered the chat
@DrakkarTyrannis has entered the chat


----------



## WarMachine

hensh!n said:


> The guitar, amplifier, and cabinet usually are the most important factors in getting a general tonal profile, rather than just the pickup.


 IMHO, the cab makes a bigger difference than any pickup/guitar would. At least in my experience. Carry on sirs.


----------



## Seabeast2000

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> So I did more reading about using the Sustainiac with actives, and I'm probably willing to give it a shot. I found the diagram for how to use the 9-pin jack, and my only worry is trying to get the jack to fit in my guitar.
> 
> EDIT: The jack in question
> https://reverb.com/item/13256744-ne...ictech-master-accordion-sennheiser-mics-mt-04



Ordered that just now:









and got this from the spousal unit:




I


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Seabeast2000 said:


> Ordered that just now:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and got this from the spousal unit:
> 
> View attachment 88270
> 
> 
> I




Hell yeh. 

I've had a jack stuck in transit for awhile. Hopefully wil be here Monday.


----------



## slavboi_delight

WarMachine said:


> IMHO, the cab makes a bigger difference than any pickup/guitar would. At least in my experience. Carry on sirs.


 100%


----------



## lewis

WarMachine said:


> IMHO, the cab makes a bigger difference than any pickup/guitar would. At least in my experience. Carry on sirs.



So true!
New chain?

Cab > Cab > Cab


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

The speakers make the bigger difference. I think of the cab as the tone knob and pot value (ie, 250k, 300k, 500k, etc), as well as whether or not it is pulled back a bit (tone knob at 7) versus all the way up (tone knob at 10).


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

lewis said:


> So true!
> New chain?
> 
> Cab > Cab > Cab



I legit laughed


----------



## Seabeast2000

lewis said:


> So true!
> New chain?
> 
> Cab > Cab > Cab


>IR


----------



## akinari

Seabeast2000 said:


> >IR


>Gate


----------



## slavboi_delight

WarMachine said:


> IMHO, the cab makes a bigger difference than any pickup/guitar would. At least in my experience. Carry on sirs.



I do believe though, especially in a world of Plug ins and virtual amplifiers, that a pickup can make a huge difference in how you approach the guitar. As much as the speaker/cab/mic combination influences your actual sound, a pickup will influence how you play and hear a guitar. And my guess is that we in common do kind of suffer from option paralasys. As soon as I open Youtube someone bashes a new must have product in my face.
So I'm trying to put in words what I'm thinking: 
If you take an objective look on stuff like pickups, or cable or whatever ,(minor) things that change your sound, literally every advocate for god knows what pickup company will tell you that their new model has the clearest, most transparent and cut-through in a mix feel and every other adjective under the sun. 
And at the end of the day a Super Distortion or classic EMG 81 will still hold up easily with everything that's new these days. Because as soon as you start EQing your stuff to your liking, all the given parameters change anyway. 
Plus, every pickup demo is of no use because they process the shit out of their signal (of course to sound good, you get the point).
Pickups will alway be more about the feel and response you get from them as soon as you hit the strings and that's where opinions split. 
So I guess saying that different models or manufacturers cut better or sound better is blowing in the wind for me personally, without trying to aggravate anybody. 
The microscopical way of engineering or chasing somebody's guitar tone in your bedroom is a joke because you kind of start to lose the feel for actual tone and how a guitar response in context with picks, strings, pickups, amp, cab and so on. 
Wow what a boomer contribution to this thread.


----------



## WarMachine

Valid points dude. Thats the main reason I switched over to D Activators years ago. I used to be a die hard Zakk Wylde fanboy so all my guitars had to have the 81/85 sets lol. Before changing speakers, I had a new guitar and decided to try out the D Activators and to my (and my wallets) surprise, they sounded very similar, but for me they fixed things with the EMGs that I didnt even know were things or need fixing. But a few months later I bought a set of Eminence Governors. Thats when I realised that no matter what gear i had/try etc, nothing I came across changed my sound more than a new and different set of speakers.


----------



## slavboi_delight

WarMachine said:


> Valid points dude. Thats the main reason I switched over to D Activators years ago. I used to be a die hard Zakk Wylde fanboy so all my guitars had to have the 81/85 sets lol. Before changing speakers, I had a new guitar and decided to try out the D Activators and to my (and my wallets) surprise, they sounded very similar, but for me they fixed things with the EMGs that I didnt even know were things or need fixing. But a few months later I bought a set of Eminence Governors. Thats when I realised that no matter what gear i had/try etc, nothing I came across changed my sound more than a new and different set of speakers.



Makes total sense. Same thing. Was a huge Metallica fan so 81/60 was the way to go. Out of the blue I changed my pu to Di Marzio Titans, Nazgul/Sentient and then to Fishman Moderns. Would anybody notice, if I won't tell anybody? Probably not. Is one worse than the other? Definately not. But all three sound about the same when I play them. But as soon as I switched from Mesa to Orange cabs, huge difference.


----------



## gunch

My main problem and it's not really a problem because I can swap them at will but I'm unsure to base my playing around a single HX and vol pot or the 57 and vol pot

I don't want to fuck around trying to get a 81(x) or 85(x) anymore. And reaming out threads to direct mount them in my NK.

HX - great for single note and big chord clarity under gain, also cleans and djonky sounds I guess? 
57 - sc00ped chugz


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

slavboi_delight said:


> I do believe though, especially in a world of Plug ins and virtual amplifiers, that a pickup can make a huge difference in how you approach the guitar. As much as the speaker/cab/mic combination influences your actual sound, a pickup will influence how you play and hear a guitar. And my guess is that we in common do kind of suffer from option paralasys. As soon as I open Youtube someone bashes a new must have product in my face.
> So I'm trying to put in words what I'm thinking:
> If you take an objective look on stuff like pickups, or cable or whatever ,(minor) things that change your sound, literally every advocate for god knows what pickup company will tell you that their new model has the clearest, most transparent and cut-through in a mix feel and every other adjective under the sun.
> And at the end of the day a Super Distortion or classic EMG 81 will still hold up easily with everything that's new these days. Because as soon as you start EQing your stuff to your liking, all the given parameters change anyway.
> Plus, every pickup demo is of no use because they process the shit out of their signal (of course to sound good, you get the point).
> Pickups will alway be more about the feel and response you get from them as soon as you hit the strings and that's where opinions split.
> So I guess saying that different models or manufacturers cut better or sound better is blowing in the wind for me personally, without trying to aggravate anybody.
> The microscopical way of engineering or chasing somebody's guitar tone in your bedroom is a joke because you kind of start to lose the feel for actual tone and how a guitar response in context with picks, strings, pickups, amp, cab and so on.
> Wow what a boomer contribution to this thread.



Yur st00pid..stfu n00b.

Kidding of course. This is probably one of the most logical things I've ever read in a gear forum.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

I can't decide if it's the 81, my headphones, or my plugins making the sound too dry and tight. I seriously need some more saturation and compression, I'm beating the fuck out of the strings with an OD into the front of them and I'm not getting the level of gain I want. Maybe it's the amps I'm emulating but I've heard them all get crazy levels of thick and nasty. 

For reference, it's the VH4, Herbert, and Savage. I can get the rockerverb to do it pretty well and stay tight for fast riffing but clarity suffers a little.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

So uh
Still not many impressions on the Daemonum pickups?
I have a guitar I decided to keep in the end, and I may throw a set of them in there.


----------



## Hoss632

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> So uh
> Still not many impressions on the Daemonum pickups?
> I have a guitar I decided to keep in the end, and I may throw a set of them in there.


If you do go with them I'm curious to hear your thoughts on them. To me they definitely pop a lot more in a mix than the 81 does in the side by side comparisons I've heard.


----------



## slavboi_delight

TheBolivianSniper said:


> I can't decide if it's the 81, my headphones, or my plugins making the sound too dry and tight. I seriously need some more saturation and compression, I'm beating the fuck out of the strings with an OD into the front of them and I'm not getting the level of gain I want. Maybe it's the amps I'm emulating but I've heard them all get crazy levels of thick and nasty.
> 
> For reference, it's the VH4, Herbert, and Savage. I can get the rockerverb to do it pretty well and stay tight for fast riffing but clarity suffers a little.



Probably all three of them. 
Literally no headroom there for an actual sonic development. 
Switching up the IR though changed everything for me.


----------



## slavboi_delight

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> So uh
> Still not many impressions on the Daemonum pickups?
> I have a guitar I decided to keep in the end, and I may throw a set of them in there.



They did not get alot of exposure nor advertisement now did they? 
A friend of mine got them and described them as a 81/60 combo but way less compression and they clean up fairly nice.


----------



## lewis

he was using the Super 77 for a while before they developed his signature set and obviously used the 81 for years before that.
Wouldnt surprise me if his sig set is somewhere in the middle between the retroactive sound and the 81 sound.

At least its different - unlike the Bone Breaker set which is blatantly a more expensive 81 with green logo


----------



## Hoss632

lewis said:


> he was using the Super 77 for a while before they developed his signature set and obviously used the 81 for years before that.
> Wouldnt surprise me if his sig set is somewhere in the middle between the retroactive sound and the 81 sound.
> 
> At least its different - unlike the Bone Breaker set which is blatantly a more expensive 81 with green logo


That's a really good way to characterize Jim's pick ups I think. Also 100% agreed on the bone breaker set as well.


----------



## slavboi_delight

Does the bonebreaker have the ceramic or alnico 60 in the neck?
Other than that absolutely ridicolous. 
Same with the Zakk Wylde set.


----------



## Hoss632

slavboi_delight said:


> Does the bonebreaker have the ceramic or alnico 60 in the neck?
> Other than that absolutely ridicolous.
> Same with the Zakk Wylde set.


Alnico in the neck


----------



## slavboi_delight

They go for 179€ here in Europe at Thomann.
But for 250€ at other places
Quite weird
Anybody ever noticed how the Jupiter bridge pickup goes for 279€ in retail?
Duncan has some insane price tags for a few models.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

slavboi_delight said:


> Does the bonebreaker have the ceramic or alnico 60 in the neck?
> Other than that absolutely ridicolous.
> Same with the Zakk Wylde set.


The Zakk set didn't pretend to be anything but what they are, nor did they cost more than the two pickups separately. So frankly, not even close to being similar to the Bonebreakers.


----------



## slavboi_delight

Like I mentioned before here in Europe the Bonebreakers just cost a tad more and I just saw that the Zakk Wylde is pretty much the same as if you would get them seperate. My bad sorry.


----------



## groverj3

Finally getting around to swapping out the 81-7/707s out of my Jackson SLAT3-7. I guess I'm joining the 57-7/66-7 club. I like the 6 string 81 but the 7 string seems to sound thinner to me on cleans, in an unpleasant way.


----------



## lewis

groverj3 said:


> Finally getting around to swapping out the 81-7/707s out of my Jackson SLAT3-7. I guess I'm joining the 57-7/66-7 club. I like the 6 string 81 but the 7 string seems to sound thinner to me on cleans, in an unpleasant way.


its almost like they over compensated with it in its design phase.
Knowing that 7 strings naturally are bassier so cut even more bass on the preamp of the pickup, resulting in it being too thin - would be my guess.

In theory their logic makes complete sense but clearly the execution was abit overkill for some peoples tastes.


----------



## Hoss632

groverj3 said:


> Finally getting around to swapping out the 81-7/707s out of my Jackson SLAT3-7. I guess I'm joining the 57-7/66-7 club. I like the 6 string 81 but the 7 string seems to sound thinner to me on cleans, in an unpleasant way.


I think you'll really like the 57/66 7 string combo. When I get a 7 string for myself I'm not sure if I want to go with those or the Super77 -7 set.


----------



## groverj3

Hoss632 said:


> I think you'll really like the 57/66 7 string combo. When I get a 7 string for myself I'm not sure if I want to go with those or the Super77 -7 set.


Yeah, I keep this guitar in B standard and I feel like if the 81-7 is good for anything it might be super duper mega low tuning (TM) drop Zb.

I'm sure I could change my amp settings to compensate for the 81-7, but I'm lazy and just want to be able to grab a guitar and go.


----------



## lewis

I had the slat 3-7 and instantly hated the nazgul/sentient stock pickups. Had I not sold the guitar, I 100% would have put 57/66s in it.
That rounder, smoother sound would have matched the bright snappy sounding Slat perfectly.
It was such a bright metallic sounding guitar, the Nazgul had no place in that guitar whatsoever.
Horrible combo.


----------



## Apex1rg7x

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> So uh
> Still not many impressions on the Daemonum pickups?
> I have a guitar I decided to keep in the end, and I may throw a set of them in there.


I bought a set and haven't had a chance to install them in anything yet. Thinking about grabbing another Root Tele or Strat to put them in.


----------



## buriedoutback

I know I'm not the first person to have this issue and subsequent discovery ... I hope it's ok to to post this here;

I have a Schecter Damien 5 bass. It has 2 EMG HZ pickups and the BTS active eq (bass/treble) ... or it HAD the eq.

I was getting insane amounts of hiss. The tone was good but the hiss was as loud as the bass signal!! 

I almost bought 2 EMG 40dc pickups to replace them, thinking that the HZ sound ok, but were just noisy af. 
A couple internet posts agreed with me, but a couple more said it was likely the BTS active eq causing the problem. 

I wired the volume direct to the jack (avoiding the eq) and BAM ! The hiss is gone and it's all tone baby!! 
I am 100% happy with the EMH HZ bass pickups.
They sound as good or better than before (I always left the eq knobs at unison anyways).

Not really a tale of leaving EMG and coming back, but discovering the EMGs I had were amazing.

as you were.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Apex1rg7x said:


> I bought a set and haven't had a chance to install them in anything yet. Thinking about grabbing another Root Tele or Strat to put them in.



I'm currently on and off with keeping the guitar I planned on installing them into. So that's why I haven'tr eally picked up a set.

Plus I blew that money for the pickups on a Rockman Ultralight. So... fuck.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Okay follow up to the above... Does anyone know if I can get the Daemonum or Super 77 bridges by themselves?


----------



## MASS DEFECT

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Okay follow up to the above... Does anyone know if I can get the Daemonum or Super 77 bridges by themselves?



Yes. Just email EMG. It's half the price of the set.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

MASS DEFECT said:


> Yes. Just email EMG. It's half the price of the set.



Oh fuck yeah. 

I ended up listing the guitar I talked about above... Which sold almost immediately.  So once I get it's replacement and find out it's a keeper, I'm for sure gonna get a Daemonum or Super 77 for it.


----------



## akinari

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Okay follow up to the above... Does anyone know if I can get the Daemonum or Super 77 bridges by themselves?



In addition to what mass defect said, there are a bunch of listings on eBay for single Super 77s. Reaaaaaally debating getting some for my Viper... that demo vid posted a few pages back sounded ungodly!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

akinari said:


> In addition to what mass defect said, there are a bunch of listings on eBay for single Super 77s. Reaaaaaally debating getting some for my Viper... that demo vid posted a few pages back sounded ungodly!



Yeah that's whats making this hard.  But the Daemonum would be familiar territory since I love the 81.


----------



## akinari

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Yeah that's whats making this hard.  But the Daemonum would be familiar territory since I love the 81.



I feel like the Daemonum is gonna disappoint you because it's _not _a straight up 81  you're the biggest 81 fanboy I know on here.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

akinari said:


> I feel like the Daemonum is gonna disappoint you because it's _not _a straight up 81  you're the biggest 81 fanboy I know on here.



I'd throw an 81 straight in but uhhh it's a fucking Fender rounded-route pickguard.


----------



## akinari

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'd throw an 81 straight in but uhhh it's a fucking Fender rounded-route pickguard.



Poooop. Doesn't EMG make an 81 in a passive style housing?


----------



## lewis

akinari said:


> Poooop. Doesn't EMG make an 81 in a passive style housing?


its long since been a request of people but as far as Im aware, no they dont.

You have the retroactive stuff and you get passive mount versions for 7 and 8 string versions, but you dont have rounded 6 string versions of any of their Humbucker pickups bar the Retro active stuff.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'd throw an 81 straight in but uhhh it's a fucking Fender rounded-route pickguard.



Get a Warmoth pick guard cut for the 81.


----------



## slavboi_delight

Anybody experience with the 81x?


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

slavboi_delight said:


> Anybody experience with the 81x?


Yeah, I've got one in right now and it's great. A lot of body and chunk without being overbearing, very hot without being too muddy, and still bright and cutting. It really takes the coldness out of the clean sound and some mud off the driven sound. Extremely dynamic too despite the power. I like it more than Fishman moderns and I do really like the moderns.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

So...what is the consensus around the Daemonum set? Are they like cleaner Hetsets? Looser 81s? How is the gain? Clarity and picking response?


----------



## slavboi_delight

TheBolivianSniper said:


> Yeah, I've got one in right now and it's great. A lot of body and chunk without being overbearing, very hot without being too muddy, and still bright and cutting. It really takes the coldness out of the clean sound and some mud off the driven sound. Extremely dynamic too despite the power. I like it more than Fishman moderns and I do really like the moderns.


Thank you for answering! 
I really dig the Modern as much as my 81. But a tad more dynamics would have been candy to my ears.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

slavboi_delight said:


> Thank you for answering!
> I really dig the Modern as much as my 81. But a tad more dynamics would have been candy to my ears.



Have you tried the 18v mod or even the 24v mod? I felt like the X-series changed more than just dynamics. 

While he liked the 81x, I personally didnt. It was too smooth for my taste. You lost that signature attack and tightness the OG 81 gives you.


----------



## slavboi_delight

Biggest problem I might face is routing an extra cavity since Dean does not provide any space at all in the control cavity. But I'd love to hear the 18v mod. What changes between the 18 and 24v mod?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

slavboi_delight said:


> What changes between the 18 and 24v mod?



not 100% sure, but it's a space saver since it uses a single battery clip instead of 2 9v-ers.

Bad news is it uses that tiny-ass A23 battery. Which not every store carries in my experience. 

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5338014327&icep_item=124277012392


----------



## slavboi_delight

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> not 100% sure, but it's a space saver since it uses a single battery clip instead of 2 9v-ers.
> 
> Bad news is it uses that tiny-ass A23 battery. Which not every store carries in my experience.
> 
> http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5338014327&icep_item=124277012392


Just inspected both of my control cavaties of my guitars. No way I'm able to fit anything in there.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Have you tried the 18v mod or even the 24v mod? I felt like the X-series changed more than just dynamics.
> 
> While he liked the 81x, I personally didnt. It was too smooth for my taste. You lost that signature attack and tightness the OG 81 gives you.



Yeah I should've mentioned that it loses some of the raw edge the 81 has, it is less aggressive but most things are. Still really pissed off but more controlled. I also like my amps pretty hairy and with a lot of presence/gain so it suits that better. If you're looking to really push an amp go plain 81, you need the compression and extra power.


----------



## slavboi_delight

I'll stick with the OG 81. 
I really hope they will release a TW version of the 60. I'm not too fond of the 85 (or 89). But ESP offers a few models with the 60TWR in their new line up. Fingers crossed.


----------



## wannabguitarist

Really into how these brushed black chrome covers look . Everytime I've tried passives I've found myself going back to the 81/85 set so I'm excited to try the 57/66. Whenever USPS delivers the rest of my parts


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Brushed black chrome is the best! I was hoping to find brushed black chrome hardware for a Les Paul to match a Hetset. No luck.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

It's been so long since I've even touched an EMG equipped guitar that after reading this thread I was considering trying it again. I don't know anyone with and EMG loaded guitar and I certainly wasn't going to buy a new guitar or pickup set.

Then I remembered I had DIs that used the same model of guitar I used to own back in the day, equipped with an 81.

So I've had this DI for a while now and I always wondered wtf that metallic clang and super defined top end was about. Clean, the DI sounded super clangy. With distortion it was more of the same while being nowhere near as fat sounding as my personal DIs.

Realized the DI was done with an 81. I do NOT like those pickups.

Welp, guess that saved me the trouble of actually testing it myself. EMGs seem cool in theory but I think I'll stick to passives.


----------



## lewis

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> It's been so long since I've even touched an EMG equipped guitar that after reading this thread I was considering trying it again. I don't know anyone with and EMG loaded guitar and I certainly wasn't going to buy a new guitar or pickup set.
> 
> Then I remembered I had DIs that used the same model of guitar I used to own back in the day, equipped with an 81.
> 
> So I've had this DI for a while now and I always wondered wtf that metallic clang and super defined top end was about. Clean, the DI sounded super clangy. With distortion it was more of the same while being nowhere near as fat sounding as my personal DIs.
> 
> Realized the DI was done with an 81. I do NOT like those pickups.
> 
> Welp, guess that saved me the trouble of actually testing it myself. EMGs seem cool in theory but I think I'll stick to passives.



I will add, ive had EMG's in loads of guitars and they all sound slightly different. Its always the same ballpark obviously but tone wood even with EMGs is real.
They dont make every guitar sound identical.
And in some guitars, they dont really work. This DI thing COULD be an example. Something to bare in mind.

I had an 81 in an all mahogany/rosewood guitar once (large body shape ala Explorer type) and to me, it was pretty dark sounding.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

lewis said:


> I will add, ive had EMG's in loads of guitars and they all sound slightly different. Its always the same ballpark obviously but tone wood even with EMGs is real.
> They dont make every guitar sound identical.
> And in some guitars, they dont really work. This DI thing COULD be an example. Something to bare in mind.
> 
> I had an 81 in an all mahogany/rosewood guitar once (large body shape ala Explorer type) and to me, it was pretty dark sounding.



Nah..an 81 is an 81 and I hate the sound of them


----------



## lewis

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> Nah..an 81 is an 81 and I hate the sound of them


have you tried a 57 ? or an 85 ? 

Both remove that top end clang you dont like. Tbh, I mostly attribute that top end you dislike with Ceramic magnets which the 81 is.

Alnico always seems rounder and smoother to me and avoids that (unless you use plenty of EQ adjusting in the signal chain)


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

lewis said:


> have you tried a 57 ? or an 85 ?
> 
> Both remove that top end clang you dont like. Tbh, I mostly attribute that top end you dislike with Ceramic magnets which the 81 is.
> 
> Alnico always seems rounder and smoother to me and avoids that (unless you use plenty of EQ adjusting in the signal chain)



I tried using an 85..still hated it. I just don't like EMGs and I've never heard one I really dug. Except the Het Set. If I recall, I liked those but certainly not enough to buy them or want a guitar with them. I'm a passive kind of player.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> I tried using an 85..still hated it. I just don't like EMGs and I've never heard one I really dug. Except the Het Set. If I recall, I liked those but certainly not enough to buy them or want a guitar with them. I'm a passive kind of player.



What did you like about the Hetset? They sure are eq'd like a passive.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

MASS DEFECT said:


> What did you like about the Hetset? They sure are eq'd like a passive.


Honestly I don't remember. I remember hearing them in a video and being surprised because they didn't have that EMG sound I expected.


----------



## Hoss632

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> Honestly I don't remember. I remember hearing them in a video and being surprised because they didn't have that EMG sound I expected.


Check out the Retro-active EMG stuff. Completely took my by surprise hearing the hot 70's and the super 77 sets. Definitely not the typical EMG active sound. Much more open and full. Plus emg has some nice passive sets as well. The marty frieman and the Rev sets are particularly nice on that side of things.


----------



## InfernalVortex

I always go back to EMG's. Just got a new 7 with Fluence moderns in it... I like them. But they're not EMG's to me. Thats good and bad, really. Good to have a different sound. But I do love the attack and compression of EMG tones.


----------



## slavboi_delight

InfernalVortex said:


> I always go back to EMG's. Just got a new 7 with Fluence moderns in it... I like them. But they're not EMG's to me. Thats good and bad, really. Good to have a different sound. But I do love the attack and compression of EMG tones.



Yap. I second that. EMG has some weird trademark sound and I can't put my finger on it. Some like it and some hate it. All good. 
Just today I bought a 57/66 set on ebay I got dirt cheap. Definately looking forward to how they sound.


----------



## Endnote

Anyone have any experience with the EMG accessories? Specifically the RPC and AB. I've found some reviews and videos here and there but I wouldn't mind more input. Been thinking about trying the RPC in a guitar with the 81/60 combo.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Also FWIW for those curious about the D-Activators

I liked it at first in my Hagstrom, but the honeymoon phase dropped off haaaard. It's kinda bright, but it's also got a thicker low end than you'd expect. It's not 1:1 to an EMG, and Lasse Lammert's comparison is spot on compared to an EMG 81.


----------



## slavboi_delight

Are only my ears hearing, that the EMG actually sounds a little more present and defined?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

slavboi_delight said:


> Are only my ears hearing, that the EMG actually sounds a little more present and defined?


The EMGs definitely have a ton less low end and more treble.


----------



## lewis

Endnote said:


> Anyone have any experience with the EMG accessories? Specifically the RPC and AB. I've found some reviews and videos here and there but I wouldn't mind more input. Been thinking about trying the RPC in a guitar with the 81/60 combo.



The RPC is killer - especially for low tunings. It adds some single coil twang on full.
before I quit my band, i was using Drop G sharp with a low F and 81s - perfect use of the RPC (plus helps get super chimey clean tones when needed also)


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

Endnote said:


> Anyone have any experience with the EMG accessories? Specifically the RPC and AB. I've found some reviews and videos here and there but I wouldn't mind more input. Been thinking about trying the RPC in a guitar with the 81/60 combo.



I've used the PA2 not the AB but it does just what you think, adds a shit ton of gain and a fair bit of noise. Hard to control but fun and gets some serious harmonic going. 

The RPC can get harsh and twangy quick but it's great to blend in some treble and cut low end. Just don't overdo it.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

Endnote said:


> Anyone have any experience with the EMG accessories? Specifically the RPC and AB. I've found some reviews and videos here and there but I wouldn't mind more input. Been thinking about trying the RPC in a guitar with the 81/60 combo.



I had the Afterburner on my old ESP baritones. Honestly I didn't see the point. Just added a bunch of unnecessary gain. Mind you this was a long time ago (remember when ESP baritones had Afterburners?) and I'm sure I had no clue what I was going. That being said even now I still don't see the point.


----------



## Endnote

You guys are all right. @lewis did the RPC affect the tone even when you had it shut off? That's probably my biggest concern. I kinda realized the AB isn't really up my alley. I'm merely interested in the RPC because it can eq the pickups to sound more single-coil like, which would be all right for the 81/60 combo.


----------



## lewis

Endnote said:


> You guys are all right. @lewis did the RPC affect the tone even when you had it shut off? That's probably my biggest concern. I kinda realized the AB isn't really up my alley. I'm merely interested in the RPC because it can eq the pickups to sound more single-coil like, which would be all right for the 81/60 combo.


No 
off is off. (at least I never noticed if it was)

the more you turn it up the more the effect is. Means you can get your perfect amount. Moved to using knobs with numbers to make this easier.


----------



## InfernalVortex

So.... I have read through much of this thread and greatly enjoyed it. Did we ever end up going through with the pickup exchange idea? Im thinking about buying an H or an HA or a 58 just to try something different, and if I dont like it, I figured some of you guys would be interested in just trying one of them out just to say you did. Ive got 2 81's, an 85, and a 60 in guitars right now, and a blackout neck pickup, all with the quick connects. 

Granted, I probably am not interested in waiting in lines at post offices until after the pandemic finally calms down...


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Honestly I've been thinking about trying the 58. It's supposed to be a P90 vibe allegedly, and I love P90s in the neck.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Honestly I've been thinking about trying the 58. It's supposed to be a P90 vibe allegedly, and I love P90s in the neck.


Wasn't that the first attempt from EMG at an active pickup?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Wasn't that the first attempt from EMG at an active pickup?



https://www.premierguitar.com/artic..._Makers_Celebrate_35_Years_of_Pioneering_Tone

The H/HA came first, then the 58. According to this, Turner had the idea and design for the H/HA well before he started any company.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> https://www.premierguitar.com/artic..._Makers_Celebrate_35_Years_of_Pioneering_Tone
> 
> The H/HA came first, then the 58. According to this, Turner had the idea and design for the H/HA well before he started any company.


Pretty sure EMG says the 58 was the first attempt? The H/HA is a single coil in a humbucker housing...

Edit: I know for a fact EMG has changed the description on their site for the 58. It used to talk about how it was kind of noisier than typical EMGs. Anyways, I'd like to try a 58 in the bridge and an HA in the neck in one or both guitars. Or if I don't like that, then a 58 in the neck of one guitar and an HA in the other.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Pretty sure EMG says the 58 was the first attempt? The H/HA is a single coil in a humbucker housing...
> 
> Edit: I know for a fact EMG has changed the description on their site for the 58. It used to talk about how it was kind of noisier than typical EMGs. Anyways, I'd like to try a 58 in the bridge and an HA in the neck in one or both guitars. Or if I don't like that, then a 58 in the neck of one guitar and an HA in the other.



The H/HA is active so it's the first active pickup EMG designed accordinv to Rob Turner himself.


----------



## Zhysick

As far as I remember (before the 58 was taken off their catalogue and brought back) the H/HA was their first active pickup and the 58 was their first active HUMBUCKER pickup (as the H/HA are single coils in humbucker housings)


----------



## Choop

Will get pics today hopefully, but I finally got that old Schecter C7 Hellraiser put back together after it sat in my closet for something like 6 years lol. Changed the stock 707's to an 81/60-7 combo and man, the thing rips. It's my only guitar with active pickups in it right now, but I really dig it...will possibly add some into at least one of my other guitars.


----------



## Choop

Posted this in the "show your 7s" thread too, but here's the finished version of my Schecter C7 Hellraiser with 81-7/60-7 pickups! Forgot how mean the 81 is -- makes me want to put one into one of my 6 stringers.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Someone convince me to try the Daemonum because I'm juggling between trying a Jupiter/Hot Stack/Hot Stack set in my strat instead of the Daemonum/SV/SV set I was initially planning. That or trying the new Mavericks or Crossroads.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Someone convince me to try the Daemonum because I'm juggling between trying a Jupiter/Hot Stack/Hot Stack set in my strat instead of the Daemonum/SV/SV set I was initially planning. That or trying the new Mavericks or Crossroads.


Try em all, sell the rest.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Try em all, sell the rest.



Thats the good thing about the Jupiter at least. They're so scarce that I can quickly make some money back.

I'm gonna keep it as is, but once I start getting all the major parts for the Strat, gonna be going to work on the pickups.


----------



## slavboi_delight

So I got my EMG 57/66 set in the mail yesterday. And I'm absolutely in awe. What a beefy pickup. Kind of pissed at myself, that I did not pull the trigger earlier on this set. Super beefy and a growly lower midrange.


----------



## lewis

slavboi_delight said:


> So I got my EMG 57/66 set in the mail yesterday. And I'm absolutely in awe. What a beefy pickup. Kind of pissed at myself, that I did not pull the trigger earlier on this set. Super beefy and a growly lower midrange.


Congrats dude!
happy new pickup days!

its also why they pair with the RPC knob so well. Then you can get them tighther than a nun, or keep their stock PHAT sound depending on what you are playing


----------



## slavboi_delight

lewis said:


> Congrats dude!
> happy new pickup days!
> 
> its also why they pair with the RPC knob so well. Then you can get them tighther than a nun, or keep their stock PHAT sound depending on what you are playing



Thanks buddy. They have alooooot of fat down under. Moving alot of air while palm muting. Playing Technical Death Metal I tend to scoop out alot of bass, so I'm really excited to have a different pickup with a whole different base sound and being able to experiment with something "new" even though the 57/66 has been around for a few years now.


----------



## Hoss632

slavboi_delight said:


> So I got my EMG 57/66 set in the mail yesterday. And I'm absolutely in awe. What a beefy pickup. Kind of pissed at myself, that I did not pull the trigger earlier on this set. Super beefy and a growly lower midrange.


57/66 to me is the best active set EMG has. i definitely wouldn't mind a guitar with a set down the road.


----------



## slavboi_delight

Hoss632 said:


> 57/66 to me is the best active set EMG has. i definitely wouldn't mind a guitar with a set down the road.



Right. So I had some more time to play and EQ around them and no matter how I tweak them, they sound great. The 66 really has a nice, thick, singin' single coil sound and no mud at all and the 57 growls when alot of gain is applied. I use Fishmans alot, but in no way shape or form, do the EMG stand behind. They are really, really good. I got the Brushed Black Chrome version which is an eye candy as well. I can definately recommend them.


----------



## Zhysick

Last time I had a guitar with an EMG was like ten years ago. It was a Jackson COW6 with its EMG81. Today I nodded my old LTD EX-100 with an EMG81 also and... fuck!! Why didn't I do this before? This pickup is just perfect for my playing...

My 20 years old guitar is alive and better than ever!











New pickup and polished frets... ready to slay again!


----------



## lewis

Zhysick said:


> Last time I had a guitar with an EMG was like ten years ago. It was a Jackson COW6 with its EMG81. Today I nodded my old LTD EX-100 with an EMG81 also *and... fuck!! Why didn't I do this before? This pickup is just perfect for my playing...*
> 
> My 20 years old guitar is alive and better than ever!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> New pickup and polished frets... ready to slay again!



this was an identical epiphany to the one I had once I got 81's for the first time hahaha.

This EX looks awesome. Congrats dude

EDIT: I do dual 81s these days. Its actually an incredible neck pickup too that balances perfect with the bridge in output/volume.

Its underrated as a neck pickup for leads.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

lewis said:


> this was an identical epiphany to the one I had once I got 81's for the first time hahaha.
> 
> This EX looks awesome. Congrats dude
> 
> EDIT: I do dual 81s these days. Its actually an incredible neck pickup too that balances perfect with the bridge in output/volume.
> 
> Its underrated as a neck pickup for leads.



Fuck that, it's a great bridge pickup for leads. Mine has this cocked wah sort of tone and is perfect for the alternate picking and tapping runs I like to do. Probably would be absolute shit for sweeping and bends but I don't really like to use bends and I can't sweep yet so


----------



## Zhysick

lewis said:


> this was an identical epiphany to the one I had once I got 81's for the first time hahaha.
> 
> This EX looks awesome. Congrats dude
> 
> EDIT: I do dual 81s these days. Its actually an incredible neck pickup too that balances perfect with the bridge in output/volume.
> 
> Its underrated as a neck pickup for leads.



I am not going dual pickups, just bridge, but if I do it will be a 60 because the neck spot of this guitar sounds very dark and because Hetfield. 

Cheers!


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

TheBolivianSniper said:


> Fuck that, it's a great bridge pickup for leads. Mine has this cocked wah sort of tone and is perfect for the alternate picking and tapping runs I like to do. Probably would be absolute shit for sweeping and bends but I don't really like to use bends and I can't sweep yet so


Joshua Jones does lots of sweeping and his vibrato is a series of huge ass bends. It sounds fine. Not my particular tone, but still.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Zhysick said:


> I am not going dual pickups, just bridge, but if I do it will be a 60 because the neck spot of this guitar sounds very dark and because Hetfield.
> 
> Cheers!


Normally, I'd suggest a 60A in the neck, but if it sounds dark, then a 60 is more than likely the better option. An RPC for the neck pickup may also be a good idea, or perhaps something from EMG that boosts mids.


----------



## c7spheres

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Normally, I'd suggest a 60A in the neck, but if it sounds dark, then a 60 is more than likely the better option. An RPC for the neck pickup may also be a good idea, or perhaps something from EMG that boosts mids.



I'm gonna call EMG and ask if they'll custom make me a 60-7a. Not sure why they still never came out with one but it would be nice. I love my 60-7 in the neck but it would be that much sweeter as an alnico I imagine.


----------



## c7spheres

Ok. I just got off the phone with EMG. They aren't doing custom jobs right now and are maxed out in their product line. NO plans for a 60-7a right now but they will pass it up the line and see what happens. They said there has been interest in having one so one may come out in the future. They said it's more complicated than just putting an alnico inside one. They need to calibrate it or something.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

c7spheres said:


> Ok. I just got off the phone with EMG. They aren't doing custom jobs right now and are maxed out in their product line. NO plans for a 60-7a right now but they will pass it up the line and see what happens. They said there has been interest in having one so one may come out in the future. They said it's more complicated than just putting an alnico inside one. They need to calibrate it or something.


"Pass it up the line" = roundfile'd.


----------



## sonoftheoldnorth

I've just removed the crappy veneer and refinished with 'Shou Sugi Ban' charring and oiling technique my old eBay project RG... Now equipped with EMG 81 and 85. Chrome gotoh will move to the next project when I get round to purchasing a black one. Waiting on strap pins and metal dome knobs. 

This is the first time I've used the solder less connectors, pots, jack and switch. Any other EMG pickup I've had in the past was the old type. Once I got my head around the config, it was so much more convenient to wire together and eliminates my shitty soldering technique. I'm surprised more manufacturers haven't gone down this kind of route.


----------



## slavboi_delight

sonoftheoldnorth said:


> I've just removed the crappy veneer and refinished with 'Shou Sugi Ban' charring and oiling technique my old eBay project RG... Now equipped with EMG 81 and 85. Chrome gotoh will move to the next project when I get round to purchasing a black one. Waiting on strap pins and metal dome knobs.
> 
> This is the first time I've used the solder less connectors, pots, jack and switch. Any other EMG pickup I've had in the past was the old type. Once I got my head around the config, it was so much more convenient to wire together and eliminates my shitty soldering technique. I'm surprised more manufacturers haven't gone down this kind of route.



That is cleeean looking!


----------



## Hoss632

slavboi_delight said:


> Right. So I had some more time to play and EQ around them and no matter how I tweak them, they sound great. The 66 really has a nice, thick, singin' single coil sound and no mud at all and the 57 growls when alot of gain is applied. I use Fishmans alot, but in no way shape or form, do the EMG stand behind. They are really, really good. I got the Brushed Black Chrome version which is an eye candy as well. I can definately recommend them.


I've heard a 57 described many ways. But I'd never describe it's sound as "single coil". To me a 57 sounds like the clearest fattest passive humbucker but with that active punch. brutally amazing pick up. great for chords and single note lead work. the 66 is one of the best neck pick ups for lead playing I've heard


----------



## slavboi_delight

Hoss632 said:


> I've heard a 57 described many ways. But I'd never describe it's sound as "single coil". To me a 57 sounds like the clearest fattest passive humbucker but with that active punch. brutally amazing pick up. great for chords and single note lead work. the 66 is one of the best neck pick ups for lead playing I've heard



I've described the 66 as "single coily", not the 57. The 57 is a damn sledgehammer when it comes to beefy rythm playing. But the 66 has a glassy, almost bubbly sound, which reminds me of a single coil.


----------



## Hoss632

slavboi_delight said:


> I've described the 66 as "single coily", not the 57. The 57 is a damn sledgehammer when it comes to beefy rythm playing. But the 66 has a glassy, almost bubbly sound, which reminds me of a single coil.


that's what I get for reading in a hurry. sorry about that. I agree with you 100%


----------



## slavboi_delight

Hoss632 said:


> that's what I get for reading in a hurry. sorry about that. I agree with you 100%



Don't worry bud.


----------



## buriedoutback

Zhysick said:


> IMO that guitar is made for the 85 or 81 in the bridge. \m/ \m/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> New pickup and polished frets... ready to slay again!


----------



## Zhysick

I have never been a fan of the 85 on the bridge but the 81 definitely slays in here!!


----------



## Hoss632

Zhysick said:


> I have never been a fan of the 85 on the bridge but the 81 definitely slays in here!!


I figured I'd like the 85 in the bridge more than the 81. I'm kind of indifferent now after finally playing the guitar through a decent amp. So now just putting back a little bit and getting a different set. Likelya hot 70's set but also considering the 56/66 as well


----------



## lewis

anyone ever tried 85 in bridge paired with the RPC knob?
seems like it would be a way to have way more tonal options than just being stuck with the 85 stock sound at all times


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

lewis said:


> anyone ever tried 85 in bridge paired with the RPC knob?
> seems like it would be a way to have way more tonal options than just being stuck with the 85 stock sound at all times



my thing now is turning on the depth boost on my savage plugin, cranking the bass and using the RPC to dial in tightness and definition

works great with the 81 but even using the 89 in the neck it works well too, I'll always +1 the RPC, criminally underrated when used tastefully


----------



## lewis

TheBolivianSniper said:


> my thing now is turning on the depth boost on my savage plugin, cranking the bass and using the RPC to dial in tightness and definition
> 
> works great with the 81 but even using the 89 in the neck it works well too, I'll always +1 the RPC, criminally underrated when used tastefully



Im going to get one in my 7 string with dual 81-7s!
its decided haha


----------



## ibenhad

Never been a fan of active pickups in anything but a bass.


----------



## lewis

ibenhad said:


> Never been a fan of active pickups in anything but a bass.



What ones have you tried upto now ?


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

ibenhad said:


> Never been a fan of active pickups in anything but a bass.


My dislike of actives keeps me from trying them in a bass. Honestly that clang I associate with actives might actually do well for bass..but I still think I'll pass


----------



## Seabeast2000

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> My dislike of actives keeps me from trying them in a bass. Honestly that clang I associate with actives might actually do well for bass..but I still think I'll pass



Ibanez's AI marketing has calculated your dream signature guitar: Dean Cadillac, with 3 EMG 81s and stainless steel fretboard in white burst and 1" dot inlays.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

Seabeast2000 said:


> Ibanez's AI marketing has calculated your dream signature guitar: Dean Cadillac, with 3 EMG 81s and stainless steel fretboard in white burst and 1" dot inlays.



You had me at Dean Cadillac.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

After playing nothing but EMG 81 for a month into bright sims, I finally got back and plugged in with the X2N Air Norton set and it's just too good, I forgot how huge it sounds and with the amps I'm using it still stays tight, just adjust the gain and input level and it sure as hell gives the 81 a run for its money 

ofc I just broke a string on that guitar so I can't have any more fun tonight but tomorrow I pull out the L5OOXL and test that against the 81 with the sims


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Anynody here tried the Fat 55? I'm looking for active pickups that are relatively low gain and alnico based.

I just installed a Duncan Duality, and I'm not really happy with it for this guitar. It's like my guitar just lost all heft and body.

I was thinking Fat 55 for that mid eq but there's not much demos for them.


----------



## Zhysick

TheBolivianSniper said:


> After playing nothing but EMG 81 for a month into bright sims, I finally got back and plugged in with the X2N Air Norton set and it's just too good, I forgot how huge it sounds and with the amps I'm using it still stays tight, just adjust the gain and input level and it sure as hell gives the 81 a run for its money
> 
> ofc I just broke a string on that guitar so I can't have any more fun tonight but tomorrow I pull out the L5OOXL and test that against the 81 with the sims



The X2N is such an underrated pickup...


----------



## Hoss632

This will definitely show how much of a newb I am. I didn't realize that the quick connect system for EMG was not exactly the same from pick up to pick up. I happened to be looking at pics the other day on sweet water of the pick ups they carry. And not all of them are a 3 prong connection like my 81/85 set. So that will change a few things as far as what direction I go pick up wise with them for sure. I believe the retro active hot 70's are the 3 prong though so I should be fine.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Hoss632 said:


> This will definitely show how much of a newb I am. I didn't realize that the quick connect system for EMG was not exactly the same from pick up to pick up. I happened to be looking at pics the other day on sweet water of the pick ups they carry. And not all of them are a 3 prong connection like my 81/85 set. So that will change a few things as far as what direction I go pick up wise with them for sure. I believe the retro active hot 70's are the 3 prong though so I should be fine.


All actives are three, except the TW variety are seven because you basically have two pickups in one, a single coil and a humbucker. The passives are five pin.


----------



## Hoss632

Spaced Out Ace said:


> All actives are three, except the TW variety are seven because you basically have two pickups in one, a single coil and a humbucker. The passives are five pin.


Thanks so much for the info!


----------



## Endnote

This thread needs more pics. Got an NGD the other day, a Warmoth soloist I had put together that I put a 57-TW in it, bridge only. Hot damn! Definitely love it. More active sounding than I anticipated, I love the humbucker side of the 57, it's clearer than the 81, while not as tight, still pretty damn tight. Single coil option is very bright but still sounds phenomenal. Additionally, I put the 81/60 in one of my PRSs, a McCarty-58, with an RPC on the tone knob. @lewis you made the right call friend. I'm definitely digging the RPC as an accessory that makes the clean much more accessible, especially for a pickup like the 81 that has pretty harsh frequencies for cleans. Doesn't appear to affect the tone when fully off, like you stated earlier. Anyhow, both highly recommended.


----------



## Zhysick

Endnote said:


> This thread needs more pics. Got an NGD the other day, a Warmoth soloist I had put together that I put a 57-TW in it, bridge only. Hot damn! Definitely love it. More active sounding than I anticipated, I love the humbucker side of the 57, it's clearer than the 81, while not as tight, still pretty damn tight. Single coil option is very bright but still sounds phenomenal. Additionally, I put the 81/60 in one of my PRSs, a McCarty-58, with an RPC on the tone knob. @lewis you made the right call friend. I'm definitely digging the RPC as an accessory that makes the clean much more accessible, especially for a pickup like the 81 that has pretty harsh frequencies for cleans. Doesn't appear to affect the tone when fully off, like you stated earlier. Anyhow, both highly recommended.
> View attachment 89177
> View attachment 89178



Wow!!! You won the internet today... probably for the rest of the month at least. Such beauties...


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Endnote said:


> This thread needs more pics. Got an NGD the other day, a Warmoth soloist I had put together that I put a 57-TW in it, bridge only. Hot damn! Definitely love it. More active sounding than I anticipated, I love the humbucker side of the 57, it's clearer than the 81, while not as tight, still pretty damn tight. Single coil option is very bright but still sounds phenomenal. Additionally, I put the 81/60 in one of my PRSs, a McCarty-58, with an RPC on the tone knob. @lewis you made the right call friend. I'm definitely digging the RPC as an accessory that makes the clean much more accessible, especially for a pickup like the 81 that has pretty harsh frequencies for cleans. Doesn't appear to affect the tone when fully off, like you stated earlier. Anyhow, both highly recommended.
> View attachment 89177
> View attachment 89178


That green job is terrible. You may send it to me to recycle it for you.


----------



## lewis

Endnote said:


> This thread needs more pics. Got an NGD the other day, a Warmoth soloist I had put together that I put a 57-TW in it, bridge only. Hot damn! Definitely love it. More active sounding than I anticipated, I love the humbucker side of the 57, it's clearer than the 81, while not as tight, still pretty damn tight. Single coil option is very bright but still sounds phenomenal. Additionally, I put the 81/60 in one of my PRSs, a McCarty-58, with an RPC on the tone knob. @lewis you made the right call friend. I'm definitely digging the RPC as an accessory that makes the clean much more accessible, especially for a pickup like the 81 that has pretty harsh frequencies for cleans. Doesn't appear to affect the tone when fully off, like you stated earlier. Anyhow, both highly recommended.
> View attachment 89177
> View attachment 89178



Firstly, damn those axes look amazing!
Nice job dude!

second, im glad the RPC really worked for you. Usual consensus seems to be to use it with darker or muddier sounding pickups, but having it alongside their "metal" pickups works just as well for certain things.
81 or 57 with an RPC is going to be great.

Im going to get one in my 81-7, 7 string I think.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

As much as I hate EMG 81s and 85s I really do want to try the Het Set and the 57 combo.

It's a shame I wouldn't be able to do so without buying them..cause I'm not buying them. Still I wanna see if there's anything worth paying attention to with those


----------



## lewis

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> As much as I hate EMG 81s and 85s I really do want to try the Het Set and the 57 combo.
> 
> It's a shame I wouldn't be able to do so without buying them..cause I'm not buying them. Still I wanna see if there's anything worth paying attention to with those


I think you may actually like the 57.
From what Ive read the Het Set is just an 81 but with more everything right? More output/gain, more bass, more mids.
Just literally MOAR !!!
haha

if you are into more passive and or vintage sounds, the super 77 set is incredible too.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

lewis said:


> I think you may actually like the 57.
> From what Ive read the Het Set is just an 81 but with more everything right? More output/gain, more bass, more mids.
> Just literally MOAR !!!
> haha



The hetset has less mids actually. Tons of bass, present low mids, but tamed mids and high mids. Lots of treble. It may sound a bit scooped depending on the amp. It is tight and dry though. Still precise but a lot chunkier. 

And yes moooooore gain! Shit, it clips my waza air and axefx, if I plug it straight.


----------



## Hoss632

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> As much as I hate EMG 81s and 85s I really do want to try the Het Set and the 57 combo.
> 
> It's a shame I wouldn't be able to do so without buying them..cause I'm not buying them. Still I wanna see if there's anything worth paying attention to with those


The 57 IMO is the best full on active that EMG has. Just a fat aggressive sounding beast. If I wasn't so dead set on a hot 70's set I'd probably get a 57/66 combo


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

Maybe someday I'll know someone who has a 57/66 loaded guitar I can try. Otherwise I guess I'll never know


----------



## Hoss632

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> Maybe someday I'll know someone who has a 57/66 loaded guitar I can try. Otherwise I guess I'll never know


go to a local guitar store and look at ESP stuff. They have several models loaded with 57/66's in them.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

Hoss632 said:


> go to a local guitar store and look at ESP stuff. They have several models loaded with 57/66's in them.


Ugh...guitar stores...ugh..people.

I feel like the best way to accurately know how pickups will be for my situation is having a properly cared for guitar in my personal studio. Some constantly molested and neglected guitar on the wall of a guitar store won't really tell me what I want to know, not to mention I care more about it's recorded tones than anything else.


----------



## lewis

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> Ugh...guitar stores...ugh..people.
> 
> I feel like the best way to accurately know how pickups will be for my situation is having a properly cared for guitar in my personal studio. Some constantly molested and neglected guitar on the wall of a guitar store won't really tell me what I want to know, not to mention I care more about it's recorded tones than anything else.



find attached a dropbox link to a whole bunch of EMG DI's that include 57/66 set.
reamp through your rig to get an idea of their sound  - 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5oml66f8waqg7tm/EMG_DI_Files.zip?dl=0


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

lewis said:


> find attached a dropbox link to a whole bunch of EMG DI's that include 57/66 set.
> reamp through your rig to get an idea of their sound  -
> 
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/5oml66f8waqg7tm/EMG_DI_Files.zip?dl=0


WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT? HOLY SHIT I'M FUCKING STUPID

LMAO.

That makes perfect sense and it's embarrassing that I didn't think to ask someone to do that.

Thanks for looking out for my dumb ass.


----------



## lewis

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT? HOLY SHIT I'M FUCKING STUPID
> 
> LMAO.
> 
> That makes perfect sense and it's embarrassing that I didn't think to ask someone to do that.
> 
> Thanks for looking out for my dumb ass.



Hahaha you are more than welcome bro 
obviously this applies to any pickup ever if you can find the DI's for em haha.

Be interested to hear about your findings.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

lewis said:


> Hahaha you are more than welcome bro
> obviously this applies to any pickup ever if you can find the DI's for em haha.
> 
> Be interested to hear about your findings.



On just isolated tracks alone I think I like the Het Set more.

What I noticed about all of them was they have a really big low end cut. The good side to that is that palm mutes don't have to be so aggressively monitored in a mix. I usually have to toss in at multiband EQ to reign in the low resonance on palm mutes.

The Het Set has the most chunk out of any of the pickups but it still doesn't have that wild resonance.

The bad thing is that I kinda would prefer to cut that out myself. I like the Het Set the most but I don't like the pickups deciding on my EQ cuts for me. I can do that myself. I understand why they do it and it makes total sense but I guess I'm just set in my ways and I like having complete control over that sort of thing.

I dunno what you did but these clips don't have that signature EMG metallic clang that irks the living fuck out of me. I'm sure if I had the guitar and I tried, I could make it do that but honestly I'm glad these clips don't have it as that's the main reason I dislike EMGs.

Would I go out and buy a Het Set? Nah..probably not. I dig passives too much...BUT if I had a guitar with a Het Set already in it I don't think I'd change it. It wouldn't become my main guitar but I'd definitely keep it for track layering and something different.

This is all just going off of isolated tracks. I want to put drums and bass to this to really test how it will sound in a mix but I'll get to that when I have the focus to do all that.


----------



## possumkiller

Why don't they sell het sets without the set? I just want a bridge het.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

possumkiller said:


> Why don't they sell het sets without the set? I just want a bridge het.


It's called the Het SET..not the Het Bridge


----------



## lewis

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> It's called the Het SET..not the Het Bridge


----------



## possumkiller

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> It's called the Het SET..not the Het Bridge


Exactly.
I don't want a het set. I want a het bridge.


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

possumkiller said:


> Exactly.
> I don't want a het set. I want a het bridge.


AIN'T NONE BISH...IS YOU HET SETTIN' OR NAH?!


----------



## possumkiller

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> AIN'T NONE BISH...IS YOU HET SETTIN' OR NAH?!


I had a chrome het set in a flying v that was fucking amazing. But the guitar in which I want to install a het bridge doesn't have a neck pickup.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

possumkiller said:


> Exactly.
> I don't want a het set. I want a het bridge.



They sell the Het bridge by itself. Just email EMG directly. It's half the price of a set.


----------



## Hoss632

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> Ugh...guitar stores...ugh..people.
> 
> I feel like the best way to accurately know how pickups will be for my situation is having a properly cared for guitar in my personal studio. Some constantly molested and neglected guitar on the wall of a guitar store won't really tell me what I want to know, not to mention I care more about it's recorded tones than anything else.





possumkiller said:


> Why don't they sell het sets without the set? I just want a bridge het.


There are a few of the EMG's i wish they did that with. Like the hot 70's. I'd like the bridge for sure on the hot 70's but I'd like the 66 in the neck.


----------



## InfernalVortex

Hoss632 said:


> There are a few of the EMG's i wish they did that with. Like the hot 70's. I'd like the bridge for sure on the hot 70's but I'd like the 66 in the neck.



Im thinking about getting a hot 70 set for one of my RGs to do the Van Halen thing. You like them? I love the 81s for my normal tone but I’m curious to throw something else in one of my guitars.


----------



## Hoss632

InfernalVortex said:


> Im thinking about getting a hot 70 set for one of my RGs to do the Van Halen thing. You like them? I love the 81s for my normal tone but I’m curious to throw something else in one of my guitars.


Haven't physically played them yet. Plan on getting them to replace my 81/85 set. But the demos I've heard they sound awesome. I've heard them all the way down to Drop A and they just have a great tone.


----------



## failsafe

Has anyone compared the 57 to the Het bridge pickup? I have the Hets in my explorers and am getting the urge to try something new.


----------



## mpexus

failsafe said:


> Has anyone compared the 57 to the Het bridge pickup? I have the Hets in my explorers and am getting the urge to try something new.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

mpexus said:


>




that guy has the best comparisons on YouTube, love his stuff


----------



## failsafe

mpexus said:


>



Thanks for that. Man, that Het sounded terrible in that comparison. Maybe the amp settings he used just favored the 57 more?


----------



## DrakkarTyrannis

failsafe said:


> Thanks for that. Man, that Het sounded terrible in that comparison. Maybe the amp settings he used just favored the 57 more?


Someone sent me guitar stems for the Het Set and the 57.

Honestly I don't here a huge difference. The Het Set seems to chug a little more but honestly I don't think there's a massive difference


----------



## MASS DEFECT

failsafe said:


> Thanks for that. Man, that Het sounded terrible in that comparison. Maybe the amp settings he used just favored the 57 more?



The Hetset can sound bloated and bassy in some setups. It really depends on your tuning and amp if the Het can work for you. I am a big fan of the set and have the 57 as well and I will tell you that the 57 is easier to eq and live with. But the Hetset is far more brutal IMO. It just turns off people because it is scooped and has a very wide frequency range unlike the 57 or 81 that has a focused mids/high mids character. 

The hetset will also clip your digital gear if you dont set up the input pad right. It has a ton of gain.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Het seemingly designed the Het Set around a Mesa Mark series and a hot rodded Marshall (wizard). Not something I'd wanna use with a Recto for sure.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

DrakkarTyrannis said:


> Someone sent me guitar stems for the Het Set and the 57.
> 
> Honestly I don't here a huge difference. The Het Set seems to chug a little more but honestly I don't think there's a massive difference



It's been awhile since I had both, but I recall a bit of difference. The 57 had more mids, less output, and slightly less bass. The Het Set had tons more bass and output.


----------



## InfernalVortex

Well after all my hemming and hawing about an HA or a hot 70s set or even a 58 I saw a set of used zebra Jim Root sigs on reverb and bought them. Plus they were zebra, so I almost had to get them. Jim was apparently a huge 81 fan for years, so I’m optimistic these will be cool.

i would have gotten a 57/66tw set but I like the idea of my EMGs being easily hot swappable from guitar to guitar and the wiring rules that out. Next best thing would have been a Het Set, but I’m not crazy about the metalworks finishes. I feel like they would clash with my guitars’ hardware. A regular 57/66 set would have been fine but I didn’t see any good used deals before the Jim Root set showed up.

They will be going in my RG520 (a little darker, mahogany body) for now. If I like them enough I’ll probably put them in the 3120 and move one of my 81/85 sets back to the 520.


I also got an SA for the middle position of my
HSH RG. I had torn that guitar down years ago and pillaged it for parts due to the shit Lo TRS on it, but I just bought a new one and put my tremolno on it and put it back together for the first time in 10 years. It still has my original EMG wiring in it so I threw my extra 81 and 60 in it. Realized I never bothered to properly wire the switch. Weird proprietary Ibanez 5 way, two positions are bridge only, 2 are back only currently. I never bothered to replace the middle single coil with an EMG until now when I saw the SA with the 5 way switch pop up on Reverb as I was looking for a new pickup set.

just found it cheap and it came with the switch which seems like the only way to get a 3 pickup EMG guitar if you’re stuck with the modern pickup cable and bus? I have one old school quick connect left.... maybe save it? I have a pile of the old long shaft pots laying around but only one quick connect cable left.

If I like the SA maybe I’ll get an HA at some point.

i figure I’ll have these installed within a few weeks. My RG520 is getting a refret currently so I took the opportunity to do some minor restorations which prompted all the pickup GAS and putting my old RG470 back together. I’ll probably toss the daemonums in the 470 until the 520 is done, but the 470 is a much clearer, brighter guitar than the 520.


----------



## Hoss632

InfernalVortex said:


> Well after all my hemming and hawing about an HA or a hot 70s set or even a 58 I saw a set of used zebra Jim Root sigs on reverb and bought them. Plus they were zebra, so I almost had to get them. Jim was apparently a huge 81 fan for years, so I’m optimistic these will be cool.
> 
> i would have gotten a 57/66tw set but I like the idea of my EMGs being easily hot swappable from guitar to guitar and the wiring rules that out. Next best thing would have been a Het Set, but I’m not crazy about the metalworks finishes. I feel like they would clash with my guitars’ hardware. A regular 57/66 set would have been fine but I didn’t see any good used deals before the Jim Root set showed up.
> 
> They will be going in my RG520 (a little darker, mahogany body) for now. If I like them enough I’ll probably put them in the 3120 and move one of my 81/85 sets back to the 520.
> 
> 
> I also got an SA for the middle position of my
> HSH RG. I had torn that guitar down years ago and pillaged it for parts due to the shit Lo TRS on it, but I just bought a new one and put my tremolno on it and put it back together for the first time in 10 years. It still has my original EMG wiring in it so I threw my extra 81 and 60 in it. Realized I never bothered to properly wire the switch. Weird proprietary Ibanez 5 way, two positions are bridge only, 2 are back only currently. I never bothered to replace the middle single coil with an EMG until now when I saw the SA with the 5 way switch pop up on Reverb as I was looking for a new pickup set.
> 
> just found it cheap and it came with the switch which seems like the only way to get a 3 pickup EMG guitar if you’re stuck with the modern pickup cable and bus? I have one old school quick connect left.... maybe save it? I have a pile of the old long shaft pots laying around but only one quick connect cable left.
> 
> If I like the SA maybe I’ll get an HA at some point.
> 
> i figure I’ll have these installed within a few weeks. My RG520 is getting a refret currently so I took the opportunity to do some minor restorations which prompted all the pickup GAS and putting my old RG470 back together. I’ll probably toss the daemonums in the 470 until the 520 is done, but the 470 is a much clearer, brighter guitar than the 520.


The jim root set is definitely unique tonally compared to any other EMG I've heard. And at least in the side by side comparison's I've heard of them vs the 81 his cut through a mix more I think. Not only that they have a fat tonal range as well. He and EMG really created something cool


----------



## gunch

Put the 57 back in my NK and tried to get the wiring reassembled but I can’t remember which leads go on the Jack because the NK needs a long jack and I couldn’t use the one that came in the EMG kit, thinking about seeing if there’s a presoldered long jack that I can buy.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

gunch said:


> Put the 57 back in my NK and tried to get the wiring reassembled but I can’t remember which leads go on the Jack because the NK needs a long jack and I couldn’t use the one that came in the EMG kit, thinking about seeing if there’s a presoldered long jack that I can buy.



I had to use a long panel jack in my RG and it worked just fine, there should be instructions on how to solder it in the kit.


----------



## lewis

gunch said:


> Put the 57 back in my NK and tried to get the wiring reassembled but I can’t remember which leads go on the Jack because the NK needs a long jack and I couldn’t use the one that came in the EMG kit, thinking about seeing if there’s a presoldered long jack that I can buy.




https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SOLDERLE...JACK-Green-Wire-152B-151-for-emg/312570772697







here you go 

(his store also has a dark chrome one should that fit better with the guitars color theme)


----------



## gunch

lewis said:


> https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SOLDERLE...JACK-Green-Wire-152B-151-for-emg/312570772697
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> here you go
> 
> (his store also has a dark chrome one should that fit better with the guitars color theme)


Yeah I got that one because it had the battery clip with it


----------



## lewis

gunch said:


> Yeah I got that one because it had the battery clip with it


nice!


----------



## InfernalVortex

My Ibanez RGs have stereo jacks in them already. I just soldered to the existing barrel jack.


----------



## Mathemagician

Hoss632 said:


> The jim root set is definitely unique tonally compared to any other EMG I've heard. And at least in the side by side comparison's I've heard of them vs the 81 his cut through a mix more I think. Not only that they have a fat tonal range as well. He and EMG really created something cool




Cliiiiiiiips!


I demand as I myself would have no idea how to upload them myself. Lol.


----------



## Hoss632

Mathemagician said:


> Cliiiiiiiips!
> 
> 
> I demand as I myself would have no idea how to upload them myself. Lol.


Here's one.


----------



## InfernalVortex

For those of you who were talking about the hardwired EMG's sounding better earlier in the thread, my 2 cents on that.

Cent #1: I have two sets of the "old logo" EMG's that ALSO have the quick connects. They are from mostly 2005-2007 if I recall. So you could get the 3-plug EMG's but with the hardwired pots and switches. I like the solderless thing too, but I have concerns about how well that will work long term.

Cent #2: I found this on guitarfetish: https://www.guitarfetish.com/15-3-C...ctive-Pickups-solder-installation_p_6654.html This is 3 pin connector with the old school braided wire in it, so if you want to hardwire your EMG's, you can still do that. $2.45 each. They also have pots and other parts for pretty reasonable prices. It's probably all china, but for some cases I think it can make sense. I think they have plugs that have quick connects on both ends on them too if you need one.


----------



## groverj3

Just swapped out the 81-7 and 707 for the 57-7/66-7 set I ordered a while back.

Wow. Maybe it's placebo, but on my same patches I use for my 6 string these seem to be a big improvement. The 57 anyway. I actually kinda was fine with the 707 in the neck. However, I'm a fan so far.


----------



## InfernalVortex

Finally got the Daemonums in... I gotta say... I dig it. I am always disappointed by pickups that arent the 81. I am definitely not replacing all my 81's with a Jim Root set, but this sounds killer. When my mahogany RG520 neck gets back from getting refretted I'm going to put these in that guitar (which is where I intended it to go), but in my basswood RG, it sounds mean as hell.

Describing these things is always tough, but as far as I can tell it has a lot of that instant pick attack feel of the 81, but it's a little more crunchy/natural sounding. The 81 has that biting clank to it... I LOVE that. It's my favorite part of the 81. The JR seems to keep the feel of the pick attack, but you trade just a little clank for a little more grind and texture. The 85 is thicker and has more bass, but it's too smooth and doesnt really sound as aggressive as I would like except for the compression. I like the 85 in the bridge, but it doesnt do the things that I want it to do there, but I do like in the neck.

I think I was hoping for something that was a little more versatile, but would still have the chug and attack of the 81. I had a JB in that RG520 for many years and I loved it for lead work, and I thought it sounded fine for that, but it was lacking for the rhythm work and it never had that EMG feel that I wanted... the JR set nails that for me. I'll make an attempt to record it and then I'll record the 81 on the same guitar in a few weeks when I get everything rotated around the way it will be in the end. 

Note I didn't bother installing the neck pickup... gonna wait for my RG520 to get back before I install that one. Just to save me a little extra hassle of dealing with those damn mounting springs. I may end up drilling out the bushings and installing it in my RG3120... Im really digging them.


----------



## lewis

InfernalVortex said:


> Finally got the Daemonums in... I gotta say... I dig it. I am always disappointed by pickups that arent the 81. I am definitely not replacing all my 81's with a Jim Root set, but this sounds killer. When my mahogany RG520 neck gets back from getting refretted I'm going to put these in that guitar (which is where I intended it to go), but in my basswood RG, it sounds mean as hell.
> 
> Describing these things is always tough, but as far as I can tell it has a lot of that instant pick attack feel of the 81, but it's a little more crunchy/natural sounding. The 81 has that biting clank to it... I LOVE that. It's my favorite part of the 81. The JR seems to keep the feel of the pick attack, but you trade just a little clank for a little more grind and texture. The 85 is thicker and has more bass, but it's too smooth and doesnt really sound as aggressive as I would like except for the compression. I like the 85 in the bridge, but it doesnt do the things that I want it to do there, but I do like in the neck.
> 
> I think I was hoping for something that was a little more versatile, but would still have the chug and attack of the 81. I had a JB in that RG520 for many years and I loved it for lead work, and I thought it sounded fine for that, but it was lacking for the rhythm work and it never had that EMG feel that I wanted... the JR set nails that for me. I'll make an attempt to record it and then I'll record the 81 on the same guitar in a few weeks when I get everything rotated around the way it will be in the end.
> 
> Note I didn't bother installing the neck pickup... gonna wait for my RG520 to get back before I install that one. Just to save me a little extra hassle of dealing with those damn mounting springs. I may end up drilling out the bushings and installing it in my RG3120... Im really digging them.



This is a good write up.
The differences you noticed between them were the sort of thing I was hearing in the demo videos and youtube clips that probably meant this set wasnt for me.
Im the same as you - I adore that clank/pick attack of the 81 and its that trait I spent years looking for until I finally tried to try an 81 haha. (convinced myself actives were shit without even trying them)

the Retro active set seems to retain that clank but be vintagey vibed - thats the set I want to really try now. I know Jim was using the retro active sets for a while live before they worked on these Sig pickups.
From what I can tell and for my tastes, the 81s, the 57/66 set and the Retro Active stuff is the best EMG offer


----------



## InfernalVortex

lewis said:


> This is a good write up.
> The differences you noticed between them were the sort of thing I was hearing in the demo videos and youtube clips that probably meant this set wasnt for me.
> Im the same as you - I adore that clank/pick attack of the 81 and its that trait I spent years looking for until I finally tried to try an 81 haha. (convinced myself actives were shit without even trying them)
> 
> the Retro active set seems to retain that clank but be vintagey vibed - thats the set I want to really try now. I know Jim was using the retro active sets for a while live before they worked on these Sig pickups.
> From what I can tell and for my tastes, the 81s, the 57/66 set and the Retro Active stuff is the best EMG offer



Yeah I really like the 81, just wanted to try something different. I like the tone of passives just fine most of the time, even if they lack that crazy pick attack sound I love from the 81, but I really wanted something that felt like an 81. This does that pretty well.

I will note, this thing orange rings my Scarlett interface HARD with the input volume all the way down. The 81 didnt do that. This thing is closer to a Fishman in terms of output, maybe even a little more.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

InfernalVortex said:


> Finally got the Daemonums in... I gotta say... I dig it. I am always disappointed by pickups that arent the 81. I am definitely not replacing all my 81's with a Jim Root set, but this sounds killer. When my mahogany RG520 neck gets back from getting refretted I'm going to put these in that guitar (which is where I intended it to go), but in my basswood RG, it sounds mean as hell.
> 
> Describing these things is always tough, but as far as I can tell it has a lot of that instant pick attack feel of the 81, but it's a little more crunchy/natural sounding. The 81 has that biting clank to it... I LOVE that. It's my favorite part of the 81. The JR seems to keep the feel of the pick attack, but you trade just a little clank for a little more grind and texture. The 85 is thicker and has more bass, but it's too smooth and doesnt really sound as aggressive as I would like except for the compression. I like the 85 in the bridge, but it doesnt do the things that I want it to do there, but I do like in the neck.
> 
> I think I was hoping for something that was a little more versatile, but would still have the chug and attack of the 81. I had a JB in that RG520 for many years and I loved it for lead work, and I thought it sounded fine for that, but it was lacking for the rhythm work and it never had that EMG feel that I wanted... the JR set nails that for me. I'll make an attempt to record it and then I'll record the 81 on the same guitar in a few weeks when I get everything rotated around the way it will be in the end.
> 
> Note I didn't bother installing the neck pickup... gonna wait for my RG520 to get back before I install that one. Just to save me a little extra hassle of dealing with those damn mounting springs. I may end up drilling out the bushings and installing it in my RG3120... Im really digging them.



Yeah you're making me still wanna try the Daemonums. It sounds like what I WISH the Het Set would have done.


----------



## InfernalVortex

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Yeah you're making me still wanna try the Daemonums. It sounds like what I WISH the Het Set would have done.



Just keep in mind I haven’t played the Hets or the 57s yet so I can’t compare to those.

I can definitely see these going in my number 2, maybe even my number 1, but I would def need an 81 in the other one.

I forgot to mention. I like these WAY more than the Fluence moderns I have.


----------



## lewis

InfernalVortex said:


> Just keep in mind I haven’t played the Hets or the 57s yet so I can’t compare to those.
> 
> I can definitely see these going in my number 2, maybe even my number 1, but I would def need an 81 in the other one.
> 
> I forgot to mention. *I like these WAY more than the Fluence moderns I have*.



Thats not hard. They are super average haha


----------



## Hoss632

InfernalVortex said:


> Finally got the Daemonums in... I gotta say... I dig it. I am always disappointed by pickups that arent the 81. I am definitely not replacing all my 81's with a Jim Root set, but this sounds killer. When my mahogany RG520 neck gets back from getting refretted I'm going to put these in that guitar (which is where I intended it to go), but in my basswood RG, it sounds mean as hell.
> 
> Describing these things is always tough, but as far as I can tell it has a lot of that instant pick attack feel of the 81, but it's a little more crunchy/natural sounding. The 81 has that biting clank to it... I LOVE that. It's my favorite part of the 81. The JR seems to keep the feel of the pick attack, but you trade just a little clank for a little more grind and texture. The 85 is thicker and has more bass, but it's too smooth and doesnt really sound as aggressive as I would like except for the compression. I like the 85 in the bridge, but it doesnt do the things that I want it to do there, but I do like in the neck.
> 
> I think I was hoping for something that was a little more versatile, but would still have the chug and attack of the 81. I had a JB in that RG520 for many years and I loved it for lead work, and I thought it sounded fine for that, but it was lacking for the rhythm work and it never had that EMG feel that I wanted... the JR set nails that for me. I'll make an attempt to record it and then I'll record the 81 on the same guitar in a few weeks when I get everything rotated around the way it will be in the end.
> 
> Note I didn't bother installing the neck pickup... gonna wait for my RG520 to get back before I install that one. Just to save me a little extra hassle of dealing with those damn mounting springs. I may end up drilling out the bushings and installing it in my RG3120... Im really digging them.


Solid write up and I agree. You get that 81 attack, but you get a more natural and much less compressed tone that is just FAT. And yet they still cut through in a mix like an 81 does. I hope EMG does more retro-active stuff as that's where they are really killing it right now.


----------



## craig-sansum

Been thinking about getting an 81 for my BC Rich (still using crappy stock pickup) Never tried actives before though.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

craig-sansum said:


> Been thinking about getting an 81 for my BC Rich (still using crappy stock pickup) Never tried actives before though.



It's worth a shot. Easy way to make a cheap guitar heavy.

I just did this for my cheapo Squier Strat I got. I was gonna go crazy and install some passive, but I got impatient and had a pickguard + an EMG 81 lying around.




Turned it into a fire-breathing monster in Drop A#. I love the sound so much that I decided to stick with the EMGs, and I got a H-H pickguard on the way to rock dual 81s. And down the road I'm gonna go all-out and install an H-S-H (81/SA/60) set.

I DO plan on getting the Daemonums, too, but that'll be for another guitar.


----------



## InfernalVortex

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> It's worth a shot. Easy way to make a cheap guitar heavy.
> 
> I just did this for my cheapo Squier Strat I got. I was gonna go crazy and install some passive, but I got impatient and had a pickguard + an EMG 81 lying around.
> 
> View attachment 89927
> 
> 
> Turned it into a fire-breathing monster in Drop A#. I love the sound so much that I decided to stick with the EMGs, and I got a H-H pickguard on the way to rock dual 81s. And down the road I'm gonna go all-out and install an H-S-H (81/SA/60) set.



I just got an SA as well. After hearing all the strat and tele guys on the Internets talk about how they don’t sound like single coils, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s definitely different. It was more me being irked by my HSH RG I just put back together not having a matching functional middle position pickup, and the SA was just the first cheap EMG single I found on reverb. I don’t know wha I’ll use it for, but it’s just neat.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

InfernalVortex said:


> I just got an SA as well. After hearing all the strat and tele guys on the Internets talk about how they don’t sound like single coils, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s definitely different. It was more me being irked by my HSH RG I just put back together not having a matching functional middle position pickup, and the SA was just the first cheap EMG single I found on reverb. I don’t know wha I’ll use it for, but it’s just neat.



The 2 and 4 positions of a Strat are great for cleans, and even some unique dirt sounds ala early King's X or Lynyrd Skynyrd. Highly recommended to definitetly explore H-S-H EMG sets.


----------



## InfernalVortex

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The 2 and 4 positions of a Strat are great for cleans, and even some unique dirt sounds ala early King's X or Lynyrd Skynyrd.



Yeah but it’s paired with two humbuckers. Would be cool to pair with EMG TWs but I don’t think that guitar has room for them with the extra height. 
But maybe that doesn’t matter, not really my normal kind of music. Either way I’ll play around with it for sure.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

InfernalVortex said:


> Yeah but it’s paired with two humbuckers. Would be cool to pair with EMG TWs but I don’t think that guitar has room for them with the extra height.
> But maybe that doesn’t matter, not really my normal kind of music. Either way I’ll play around with it for sure.



Pairing the single with 2 humbuckers still works IMO. While there is a volume difference, it can still power throigh. And I imagine the SA being louder and more compressed than your standard single coils makes it blend better with the humbuckers.


----------



## slavboi_delight

I got my ESP M2 today and it's absolutely bonkers.
It came stock with the Seymour Duncan sh2 and sh4.
Now that I'm pretty used to actives the sh4 especially feels super spongy. I tried eqing pretty much the whole day. Could be that i'm too stupid, or they are just not too pleasant to my ears. Kinda thinking about slamming a pair of 81x/81twx in there. But isn't that profanity? It's a 2008 standard series m2 and nothing got changed ever. Plus i never tried the x'es. Somebody an idea?


----------



## Hoss632

slavboi_delight said:


> I got my ESP M2 today and it's absolutely bonkers.
> It came stock with the Seymour Duncan sh2 and sh4.
> Now that I'm pretty used to actives the sh4 especially feels super spongy. I tried eqing pretty much the whole day. Could be that i'm too stupid, or they are just not too pleasant to my ears. Kinda thinking about slamming a pair of 81x/81twx in there. But isn't that profanity? It's a 2008 standard series m2 and nothing got changed ever. Plus i never tried the x'es. Somebody an idea?


Compared to an 81 those will seem "spongy". Are you using a boost at all? That'll tighten up the low end pretty good.


----------



## InfernalVortex

For years I only had two main guitars, one with an 81 and one with a JB, and the JB just drove me up the wall with how squishy it was and how hard you had to hammer on it for heavy riffing. It always sounded good but I hated playing that guitar because of it. I do think the lead tone was amazing, though. I just got spoiled by EMG thing and there wasnt any turning back.


----------



## slavboi_delight

Hoss632 said:


> Compared to an 81 those will seem "spongy". Are you using a boost at all? That'll tighten up the low end pretty good.


Yap tried that.
It actually starts to get thin as soon as you slam it through an od or boost it with an eq
It seems to have an absolute tired low end response


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

slavboi_delight said:


> I got my ESP M2 today and it's absolutely bonkers.
> It came stock with the Seymour Duncan sh2 and sh4.
> Now that I'm pretty used to actives the sh4 especially feels super spongy. I tried eqing pretty much the whole day. Could be that i'm too stupid, or they are just not too pleasant to my ears. Kinda thinking about slamming a pair of 81x/81twx in there. But isn't that profanity? It's a 2008 standard series m2 and nothing got changed ever. Plus i never tried the x'es. Somebody an idea?



Fuck it, throw whatever you want in there. Just prepare to gut all the electronics out and make room for a battery.

Also the 81-TW does sound slightly different than an 81, so I imagine an 81XTW will sound SIGNIFICANTLY different than an 81. It's not as tight, has a smoother midrange, and a more present, slightly snappier high end.


----------



## Apex1rg7x

InfernalVortex said:


> Finally got the Daemonums in... I gotta say... I dig it. I am always disappointed by pickups that arent the 81. I am definitely not replacing all my 81's with a Jim Root set, but this sounds killer. When my mahogany RG520 neck gets back from getting refretted I'm going to put these in that guitar (which is where I intended it to go), but in my basswood RG, it sounds mean as hell.
> 
> Describing these things is always tough, but as far as I can tell it has a lot of that instant pick attack feel of the 81, but it's a little more crunchy/natural sounding. The 81 has that biting clank to it... I LOVE that. It's my favorite part of the 81. The JR seems to keep the feel of the pick attack, but you trade just a little clank for a little more grind and texture. The 85 is thicker and has more bass, but it's too smooth and doesnt really sound as aggressive as I would like except for the compression. I like the 85 in the bridge, but it doesnt do the things that I want it to do there, but I do like in the neck.
> 
> I think I was hoping for something that was a little more versatile, but would still have the chug and attack of the 81. I had a JB in that RG520 for many years and I loved it for lead work, and I thought it sounded fine for that, but it was lacking for the rhythm work and it never had that EMG feel that I wanted... the JR set nails that for me. I'll make an attempt to record it and then I'll record the 81 on the same guitar in a few weeks when I get everything rotated around the way it will be in the end.
> 
> Note I didn't bother installing the neck pickup... gonna wait for my RG520 to get back before I install that one. Just to save me a little extra hassle of dealing with those damn mounting springs. I may end up drilling out the bushings and installing it in my RG3120... Im really digging them.


I installed the Daemonums in my JR Strat last week and this exactly my experience with them as well. At first I couldn't hear the difference but the more I played, it started to become clear. The Daemonum feels a little more natural to my ears and less "active" if that makes sense. These and the 57/66 are definitely my favorite EMG's to date.


----------



## Hoss632

slavboi_delight said:


> Yap tried that.
> It actually starts to get thin as soon as you slam it through an od or boost it with an eq
> It seems to have an absolute tired low end response


That does kinda suck. But none the less a great opportunity to throw a set of pups you really like in there.


----------



## slavboi_delight

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Fuck it, throw whatever you want in there. Just prepare to gut all the electronics out and make room for a battery.
> 
> Also the 81-TW does sound slightly different than an 81, so I imagine an 81XTW will sound SIGNIFICANTLY different than an 81. It's not as tight, has a smoother midrange, and a more present, slightly snappier high end.



Since the M2 only has 1 Volume, there would be actually plenty of room for an 18v mod! I'd probably go for an classic 81 in the bridge and and an 81tw or the 89 in the neck. I would prefer some snappiness in the neck for leads and spanky cleans. I only heard good things about the 18v mod and some prefer it to the x series.


----------



## InfernalVortex

Apex1rg7x said:


> I installed the Daemonums in my JR Strat last week and this exactly my experience with them as well. At first I couldn't hear the difference but the more I played, it started to become clear. The Daemonum feels a little more natural to my ears and less "active" if that makes sense. These and the 57/66 are definitely my favorite EMG's to date.



Yeah I think the big thing is they offer a different, more passive yet aggressive sound, but they FEEL like EMGs when I play it. I hesitate to call it a more passive sound... but it's definitely a different flavor. 

I feel like if you're addicted to the 81 for rhythm work, but dont want all of your guitars to have the same pickups, this is a great alternative. Time will tell, this may end up being my favorite. 

Plus the zebra looks killer.


----------



## Zhysick

Today I did some work on my guitar so that means new tuners and new wiring kit. First time having everything solderless. I have read some people claiming that soldered pickups and pots sound better so old EMGs sound better but maybe my work wasn't very good with the previous harness because I knew I was going to swap it out but now it sounds better. Maybe is because I just wired it "pickup-volume pot-jack", no switch, no "bus", no tone.

This EMG81 on this guitar sounds gnnnnnarly. Everyday when I play it I hit my head against the wall for not doing it before like 20 years ago... I have always wanted to! I mean, is an explorer and as a teenager I was the biggest Hetfield fan... Oc purse I wanted an 81-60 combo on this guitar.

Well... Now I am enjoying it anyway.

So happy with how this guitar sounds right now. This Saturday with the full band... I'll see how it works in the full mix


----------



## slavboi_delight

So i mailed EMG yesterday about the 60tw which esp implements in their new ltd's. And i have conformation that they consider September or October as release date for individual sale.


----------



## lewis

Zhysick said:


> Today I did some work on my guitar so that means new tuners and new wiring kit. First time having everything solderless. I have read some people claiming that soldered pickups and pots sound better so old EMGs sound better but maybe my work wasn't very good with the previous harness because I knew I was going to swap it out but now it sounds better. Maybe is because I just wired it "pickup-volume pot-jack", no switch, no "bus", no tone.
> 
> This EMG81 on this guitar sounds gnnnnnarly. Everyday when I play it I hit my head against the wall for not doing it before like 20 years ago... I have always wanted to! I mean, is an explorer and as a teenager I was the biggest Hetfield fan... Oc purse I wanted an 81-60 combo on this guitar.
> 
> Well... Now I am enjoying it anyway.
> 
> So happy with how this guitar sounds right now. This Saturday with the full band... I'll see how it works in the full mix



I remember one time I had an EMG 81 wired straight to the output. No tone, no volume - just always on!
DAMN that was insane. Super aggressive.

I never use Tone knobs anyway and am use to just using 1 volume and having this extra aggression, but no knobs is a monster with EMGs.


----------



## Zhysick

lewis said:


> I remember one time I had an EMG 81 wired straight to the output. No tone, no volume - just always on!
> DAMN that was insane. Super aggressive.
> 
> I never use Tone knobs anyway and am use to just using 1 volume and having this extra aggression, but no knobs is a monster with EMGs.



Hhmmm... That's something worth trying as I have a volume pedal... And I only use the vol knob to mute the guitar anyway


----------



## lewis

Zhysick said:


> Hhmmm... That's something worth trying as I have a volume pedal... And I only use the vol knob to mute the guitar anyway


Do it!
Works great!


----------



## Swarth

I swapped out an 81 with a 57 today in my Jackson RR1. I must have been sleeping on the 57 because that pup sounds phenomenal.


----------



## Zhysick

I should never ever come again into this thread... Reading about the Jim Root set and the 57 is giving me some serious GAS problems... I am happy with my 81. Please... Stop it!


----------



## Hoss632

So I figured I would give an update. So I recently got a new amp for myself, Boss Katana 100 2x12. I spent some time really working to get a solid high gain tone from it. And I gotta say I'm really pleased with how the guitar sounds now. I had swapped the 85 into the bridge a while back, but I didn't have an amp at the time to play on. Now that I do I am enjoying it. Still not 100% sure if I will keep the 81/85 in there but for now I'm in no rush. They still don't do the best clean tones, but I can use that as a reason to get myself another guitar, likely a PRS since I've always wanted one and they do amazing on cleans and gain tones.


----------



## Apex1rg7x

Zhysick said:


> I should never ever come again into this thread... Reading about the Jim Root set and the 57 is giving me some serious GAS problems... I am happy with my 81. Please... Stop it!


The Daemonum's and 57 are my favorite EMG's by far...just sayin


----------



## lewis

Apex1rg7x said:


> The Daemonum's and 57 are my favorite EMG's by far...just sayin


Have you tried the Super 77 set?
If so, how would you say it compares to both?


----------



## Apex1rg7x

lewis said:


> Have you tried the Super 77 set?
> If so, how would you say it compares to both?


I have not, but i'd like too.


----------



## Allexi

I’m keep going.
Just swapped passives in my RGR5221 with 81 and 89 and now I’m more then happy. Almost noiseless sound. Tight, clear and as ‘tru’ as on my favorite records.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I do have one more guitar I need to replace the pickups in. Not sure if I wanna go for the 77 or the Daemonums though.


----------



## Zhysick

My bandmate is using some kind of retroactives in his guitar, is a Cort kx300, I'm not sure if those are the 55 or 77, but they sound good, I should ask him to try his guitar Thu my gear one day but most of the times he uses a Jackson with a DiMarzio X2N which is, in my experience, the closest passive pickup to an 81 in feel and sound: cutting, hot, compressed and tight. 

The X2N feels and sounds amazing too, but I am just too happy with the easy electronics of the solderless EMGs to even think about anything else right now so... I may try those retroactives one day


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I was watching some videos of the Super 77 set, and the Cort guitar did come up. So I'm going to assume that's the 77 set in those.


----------



## lewis

Allexi said:


> I’m keep going.
> Just swapped passives in my RGR5221 with 81 and 89 and now I’m more then happy. Almost noiseless sound. Tight, clear and as ‘tru’ as on my favorite records.
> View attachment 90214



And in that guitar too!
hot!!!!

Love that colour!
Ive never tried the 89. Heard great things about its coil split tones.


----------



## Endnote

I too would like to try the 55, 70 ,77, and Daemonums as well...but I don't wanna take out the 81/60 out of my guitars! I've definitely enjoyed the 89 I have in the neck of one of my guitars, looking forward to trying the 60TW though.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

FWIW it looks like EMG discontinued the Fat 55 set. Not surprised since it seemed like no one really cared about that set. Everyone went for either the Super 77 or Hot 70 (Super 77 bridge, Fat 55 neck) set


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> FWIW it looks like EMG discontinued the Fat 55 set. Not surprised since it seemed like no one really cared about that set. Everyone went for either the Super 77 or Hot 70 (Super 77 bridge, Fat 55 neck) set


thats actually a shame.
Were they Alnico versions of the 77 ? or completely different voiced pickups ? 

I just never had a use for pickups that on paper, were targeting the style those were.
I better grab a 77 set soon before they are discontinued too haha


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


> thats actually a shame.
> Were they Alnico versions of the 77 ? or completely different voiced pickups ?



I assume the neck pickups are. The model number for the neck pickups are the RA350C (77) and RA350A (55). But it seems like like bridge pickups are different? The 55 bridge is RA360A and the 77 is RA370C.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> FWIW it looks like EMG discontinued the Fat 55 set. Not surprised since it seemed like no one really cared about that set. Everyone went for either the Super 77 or Hot 70 (Super 77 bridge, Fat 55 neck) set



You sure?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Looking at this again, and it seems the Fat 55 has more reviews than the Hot 70 and Super 77 sets as well.


----------



## primitiverebelworld

I am just getting a second ibby and intending to go for EMG again(2 year hiatus). Probably 57/66 brushed chrome


----------



## lewis

primitiverebelworld said:


> I am just getting a second ibby and intending to go for EMG again(2 year hiatus). Probably 57/66 brushed chrome


heads up incase you are interested, they sell TW coil splittable versions of the 57/66 now too if you need extra options


----------



## InfernalVortex

lewis said:


> heads up incase you are interested, they sell TW coil splittable versions of the 57/66 now too if you need extra options



Man I wish they weren't thicker than regular EMG's.... I've been surprised at how little space my Ibby's have for them.


----------



## lewis

InfernalVortex said:


> Man I wish they weren't thicker than regular EMG's.... I've been surprised at how little space my Ibby's have for them.


Ive ran into this problem before with Ibanez's too.
Infuriating haha


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

That's something I'll definitely give Fishman over EMGs. They know how to do a good-sounding split sound without shoving an entire 2nd pickup under the cover.


----------



## Davsco872

I’ve always loved my 81 and SA EMGs. The SAs are fantastic


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> That's something I'll definitely give Fishman over EMGs. They know how to do a good-sounding split sound without shoving an entire 2nd pickup under the cover.


EMGs don't split anything, so it's not exactly a direct comparison. They are switching to an entirely different pickup, in essence.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> EMGs don't split anything, so it's not exactly a direct comparison. They are switching to an entirely different pickup, in essence.



I know. But whatever Fishman does works better. For how how much I don't really like how the KsE pickups sound in voice 1 and 2, voice 3 (the single coil mode) sounded fucking great and doesn't require shoving a third coil under the pickup.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I just found this video and honestly it's pretty helpful.

The EMG 81 sounds like an 81. 

The Daemonum and JH bridge sound almost indistinguishable. The output and low end content sound almost exactly alike, but the mids on the Daemonum sound more present, so the JH has a bit more of a chuggy attack while the Daemonum sounds more... idk... quacky? It's definitely got that JH *push* with the 81 cut.

I think in this comparison I preferred the 81 bridge for dirt and the Daemonum slightly for cleans. The JH neck and Daemonum neck are better for cleans with that more sparkly high end, but the 60 just has the sound.

HE did make me curious about trying the GTV neck though..



I'm not surprised the GTV set sounds like ass under distortion. It uses steel vs the ceramic in the 81, so it smooths out the EMG's signature aggressiveness, but the cleans sound fucking wonderful.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

Well here we go, today I commit the cardinal sin of this thread: trading my 81x for a fluence modern. I like the aggression of the 81 but there's something about the TWX version that doesn't sound as mean as the regular and for the amp sims I'm using it doesn't have enough output. I do like it, it's just not the sound I need right now. Plus the low mid content on it sounds a little congested and without all the power and attack of a regular 81 it's a little too smooth. 

Great cleans though and the 89x is an amazing pickup, I just want something different.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

TheBolivianSniper said:


> Well here we go, today I commit the cardinal sin of this thread: trading my 81x for a fluence modern. I like the aggression of the 81 but there's something about the TWX version that doesn't sound as mean as the regular and for the amp sims I'm using it doesn't have enough output. I do like it, it's just not the sound I need right now. Plus the low mid content on it sounds a little congested and without all the power and attack of a regular 81 it's a little too smooth.
> 
> Great cleans though and the 89x is an amazing pickup, I just want something different.



I got an 81/81 set on the way. Tempted to do a head-on comparison between the 81TW and the standard 81. But from what Ive heard in comparisons, the TW is definitely softer. I have a feeling compared to the standard 81, an 81TWX would be insanely smooth.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I got an 81/81 set on the way. Tempted to do a head-on comparison between the 81TW and the standard 81. But from what Ive heard in comparisons, the TW is definitely softer. I have a feeling compared to the standard 81, an 81TWX would be insanely smooth.


The 81TWX might be interesting for someone who prefers the 85.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> The 81TWX might be interesting for someone who prefers the 85.



It's worth giving it a shot. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you felt the EMG 81 was too tight/harsh, the TW does have a little more beef. 

...If your guitar fits it. Don't forget that the TW is like twice the thickness of a standard EMG.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> It's worth giving it a shot. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you felt the EMG 81 was too tight/harsh, the TW does have a little more beef.
> 
> ...If your guitar fits it. Don't forget that the TW is like twice the thickness of a standard EMG.


I've heard conflicting reports on this, but is the 81 and 81TW the same? As such, is the X and TWX the same? I'm referring specifically to the 81 portion compared to the TW variety.


----------



## lewis

this is what makes me laugh about the X versions.
Everyone mostly complain about EMGs because of their compression - then bigged up the X series when it was released because it wasnt as compressed, only to eventually realise the thing that makes EMG slay so damn good IS the compression of the standard versions that the X series lacks.
The standard 81 shits on the 81x


----------



## lewis

TheBolivianSniper said:


> Well here we go, today I commit the cardinal sin of this thread: trading my 81x for a *fluence modern*. I like the aggression of the 81 but there's something about the TWX version that doesn't sound as mean as the regular and for the amp sims I'm using it doesn't have enough output. I do like it, it's just not the sound I need right now. Plus the low mid content on it sounds a little congested and without all the power and attack of a regular 81 it's a little too smooth.
> 
> Great cleans though and the 89x is an amazing pickup, I just want something different.



ewwww


----------



## Stuck_in_a_dream

I'm a Fluence fan boy I admit, I ditched all my EMGs in favor of Fluences & passives. Having said that, I thought the tones from this demo below were great. Kinda sux EMG does not have 7-string versions of these splittable pickups, only one I'm aware of is the 707 (which is not too great of a pickup to begin with).


----------



## Zhysick

Nothing to see here... my mistake.


----------



## slavboi_delight

Swapped my 60 for an 81 in the neck. Damn i slept on that. Slowly becoming my favorite neck pickup.


----------



## lewis

slavboi_delight said:


> Swapped my 60 for an 81 in the neck. Damn i slept on that. Slowly becoming my favorite neck pickup.


FINALLY!!
Someone else who tries this. It's absolute fire as a neck/lead pickup and even works well for very chime cleans when paired with the RPC.

Dual 81s has been my goto now for a couple of years.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

They do sound very similar, but I feel like the 60 has a bit more of an extended frequency range, so the highs sound more hi-fi and the lows sound deeper while not as tight. The narrower frequency of the 81 sounds great under gain.


----------



## Korneo

I love the 81 in the neck. The cleans sound kinda like a piezo but more natural. Love it in his kind of way


----------



## Steinmetzify

Man I have quite a few guitars here (don’t we all?!) and a range of pickups from PRS, BKP, Fishman, Black Winters and a bunch more. 

My go to lately for pretty much everything from blues to doom? 81/60 in my Viper. Shit just slays.


----------



## gnoll

I def like 81 neck if it's for leads but 60 for cleans. 60 with gain sounds a bit weird for me, not huge on that. And cleans on 81 are eh, okay, but prefer 60 there for sure.


----------



## slavboi_delight

The 60 surely has more of that single coil touch, which is bonkers for cleans. 
But it gets a little spongy for leads. 
The 81 though and the flat profile works great because it's super smooth under gain.
Probably going to settle for that 81/81tw combo in my new guitar.


----------



## lewis

slavboi_delight said:


> The *60 surely has more of that single coil touch*, which is bonkers for cleans.
> But it gets a little spongy for leads.
> The 81 though and the flat profile works great because it's super smooth under gain.
> Probably going to settle for that 81/81tw combo in my new guitar.



Thats why the RPC knob works so well. Its basically a "Turn any pickup into sounding single coil if it cant be split" knob


----------



## slavboi_delight

lewis said:


> Thats why the RPC knob works so well



I actually never heard of the RPC knob before i joined this forum. I was never fond of ceramic single coils because i think they might sound stiff sometimes. But I feel like i'm missing out if I'm not atleast get the chance to try the RPC knob.


----------



## lewis

slavboi_delight said:


> I actually never heard of the RPC knob before i joined this forum. I was never fond of ceramic single coils because i think they might sound stiff sometimes. But I feel like i'm missing out if I'm not atleast get the chance to try the RPC knob.


also, if you start tuning low - it works amazing to tighten up low end on pickups (works with any pickup) and boosts top end clarity at the same time.

0 is off and doesnt affect the tone at all, then the more you turn it up, the more prominent the effect so you can dial in your perfect setting of it.
I usually plan to get knobs with numbers on for this so i know what number setting is my favourite for every guitar its in.


----------



## slavboi_delight

lewis said:


> also, if you start tuning low - it works amazing to tighten up low end on pickups (works with any pickup) and boosts top end clarity at the same time.
> 
> 0 is off and doesnt affect the tone at all, then the more you turn it up, the more prominent the effect so you can dial in your perfect setting of it.
> I usually plan to get knobs with numbers on for this so i know what number setting is my favourite for every guitar its in.


Sounds pretty useful. 
Odd that it's not as "commercial" as it is an active EQ control then right? Maybe it really is just a straight aftermarket accessoire


----------



## lewis

slavboi_delight said:


> Sounds pretty useful.
> Odd that it's not as "commercial" as it is an active EQ control then right? Maybe it really is just a straight aftermarket accessoire


Thats true and I think thats a shame

EMG offer a whole range of amazing guitar accessories and on board solutions and they all seem to go under the radar.
Alongside everything being quick connect - you could argue its as innovative as Fishmans and their voices/non wound pickups. Yet the latter gets mad love for those features, and EMG collects dust figuratively speaking.


----------



## slavboi_delight

lewis said:


> you could argue its as innovative as Fishmans and their voices/non wound pickups. Yet the latter gets mad love for those features, and EMG collects dust figuratively speaking.


 I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say EMG sort of did that "Fluence Technology" thing without the technology before Fishman did that. I still stand by that statement that Fishman was there at the right place, at the right time and with the right people backing their stuff, which is good and they surely have something going for them. 
But i feel like EMG really is back up to speed since 2021. ESP pretty much have about 65% (stock) EMG equipped guitars in their 2021 line up, with the rest being Fishman and I think i saw 1 or 2 guitars with Duncans. Especially the 57TW/66TW is getting alot of love and the 81/60TW being prominently in the line up as well.


----------



## Hoss632

slavboi_delight said:


> I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say EMG sort of did that "Fluence Technology" thing without the technology before Fishman did that. I still stand by that statement that Fishman was there at the right place, at the right time and with the right people backing their stuff, which is good and they surely have something going for them.
> But i feel like EMG really is back up to speed since 2021. ESP pretty much have about 65% (stock) EMG equipped guitars in their 2021 line up, with the rest being Fishman and I think i saw 1 or 2 guitars with Duncans. Especially the 57TW/66TW is getting alot of love and the 81/60TW being prominently in the line up as well.


I agree. ESP definitely loves their EMG equipped guitars. I especially love the new arctic metal series with the single 81TW in the bridge. I'm seriously considering one of those, especially the eclipse. I mean it's under 900 bucks, solid pick up, locking tuners and stainless frets.


----------



## slavboi_delight

Hoss632 said:


> I agree. ESP definitely loves their EMG equipped guitars. I especially love the new arctic metal series with the single 81TW in the bridge. I'm seriously considering one of those, especially the eclipse. I mean it's under 900 bucks, solid pick up, locking tuners and stainless frets.


A solid chunk of wood.
In the recent q&a that emg did, Rob Turners daughter, who has something to do with business relations i guess, said ESP got dibd on the 60TW, because they adept really well to their products.
They do have a long history together aswell.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

slavboi_delight said:


> A solid chunk of wood.
> In the recent q&a that emg did, Rob Turners daughter, who has something to do with business relations i guess, said ESP got dibd on the 60TW, because they adept really well to their products.
> They do have a long history together aswell.


When I've contacted them via email or on Reverb, his daughter is the one who replied. Not sure if that is a recent thing or something she has done for awhile. His daughter might be the chick who does the installs in some of the EMG instructional videos?


----------



## slavboi_delight

Spaced Out Ace said:


> When I've contacted them via email or on Reverb, his daughter is the one who replied. Not sure if that is a recent thing or something she has done for awhile. His daughter might be the chick who does the installs in some of the EMG instructional videos?


Na mate. That's Monique. 
Just check on Youtube "emg q&a". It's a 
fairly recent video.


----------



## InfernalVortex

I cant fall in love with my 60. I love the 85 neck sometimes, I love the 81 neck sometimes, I love the Daemonum neck sometimes... the 60 to me is the only EMG pickup I've played and I've thought to myself "oh, this is what people mean by 'sterile'...". It just doesnt have much character to it to me. I dont dislike it. It's just kind of boring. I even like my SA a lot.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

InfernalVortex said:


> I cant fall in love with my 60. I love the 85 neck sometimes, I love the 81 neck sometimes, I love the Daemonum neck sometimes... the 60 to me is the only EMG pickup I've played and I've thought to myself "oh, this is what people mean by 'sterile'...". It just doesnt have much character to it to me. I dont dislike it. It's just kind of boring. I even like my SA a lot.


That's because you're supposed to get the alnico version.


----------



## InfernalVortex

Spaced Out Ace said:


> That's because you're supposed to get the alnico version.



Im not sure the alnico version even existed back in 2005 when I got it. But I would agree with you. I would have gone alnico if I were going to get on these days.


----------



## Estilo

What's everyone's favourite seven string bridge EMG that isn't the 57-7? I'm trying to improve my Loomis Mk1 with 707's. Was thinking of the 81-7 given how I like the 81, but I've also heard the 85-7 is criminally underrated. 

Is the 85-7 sufficiently different from the 707 though? For a long time some years ago everyone thought the 707 was essentially the seven string version of the 85.


----------



## groverj3

Estilo said:


> What's everyone's favourite seven string bridge EMG that isn't the 57-7? I'm trying to improve my Loomis Mk1 with 707's. Was thinking of the 81-7 given how I like the 81, but I've also heard the 85-7 is criminally underrated.
> 
> Is the 85-7 sufficiently different from the 707 though? For a long time some years ago everyone thought the 707 was essentially the seven string version of the 85.


I, personally, hated the 81-7. I never bought into the whole "EMGs are sterile" thing before that. That pickup is an icepicky mess with terrible clean tone.

IMHO, of course.

I thought the 707 was muddy. The 81-7 seems too far in the other direction and doesn't sound like the 6 string version.


----------



## groverj3

What are people's feelings on the 85X and SAX?

I'm looking for something different and I typically don't use single coils. Just picked up a guitar with an HSS layout and thought this could be a cool set.

I already have an 81 in something else. Not really a HUGE active pickup person, but I do like my 57-7 and 81 (bridge)/85 (neck) set for what they are.

This guitar I'm not going for absolute firebreather on. Neck and middle for pristine clean and bridge for high gain rhythm not looking for it to be suuuuper tight. More like "low end chunk" but without the midrange spike of the 81 or something like my SD JB I have in something else.


----------



## lewis

If the idea is to revitalise a 707, or simply give it or an 85 more tonal options/variety - then try pairing both pickups with the RPC knob first before committing to trying different EMGs entirely.
Its way cheaper than a new set of pickups and may actually solve the issues completely.


----------



## lewis

groverj3 said:


> What are people's feelings on the 85X and SAX?
> 
> I'm looking for something different and I typically don't use single coils. Just picked up a guitar with an HSS layout and thought this could be a cool set.
> 
> I already have an 81 in something else. Not really a HUGE active pickup person, but I do like my 57-7 and 81 (bridge)/85 (neck) set for what they are.
> 
> This guitar I'm not going for absolute firebreather on. Neck and middle for pristine clean and bridge for high gain rhythm not not looking for it to be suuuuper tight. More like "low end chunk" but without the midrange spike of the 81 or something like my SD JB I have in something else.



I would direct you towards the Super 77-7 set and it has matching single coil options. EMGs retro active series the super 77 is a part of is probably one of their best ever sets.


----------



## slavboi_delight

groverj3 said:


> What are people's feelings on the 85X and SAX?
> 
> I'm looking for something different and I typically don't use single coils. Just picked up a guitar with an HSS layout and thought this could be a cool set.
> 
> I already have an 81 in something else. Not really a HUGE active pickup person, but I do like my 57-7 and 81 (bridge)/85 (neck) set for what they are.
> 
> This guitar I'm not going for absolute firebreather on. Neck and middle for pristine clean and bridge for high gain rhythm not not looking for it to be suuuuper tight. More like "low end chunk" but without the midrange spike of the 81 or something like my SD JB I have in something else.



You're going the right direction with the 85 in the bridge if you want low end chunk. Surely less harsh than an 81, but could get carried away with the low end freq. The X series might be a huge help never tried it though. I have a strat with a 89/SA/SA combo and think the SA themselves a absolutely lovely pickups, specially if you're not a TONE/VOLUME all to 11 person, you can get pretty much solve any problem with this configuration.
EDIT: Before I'd actually try the X series i would try the 18 v mod if there is any space available. If you like it, you lost barely money and it could go the direction of the x series.


----------



## c7spheres

Estilo said:


> What's everyone's favourite seven string bridge EMG that isn't the 57-7? I'm trying to improve my Loomis Mk1 with 707's. Was thinking of the 81-7 given how I like the 81, but I've also heard the 85-7 is criminally underrated.
> 
> Is the 85-7 sufficiently different from the 707 though? For a long time some years ago everyone thought the 707 was essentially the seven string version of the 85.


 
I'd just read al the manuals for them. You can get a good idea what the pickup is about from them. For example the 85-7 looks to basically be a 707 with less dynamic range and closer coils, which could be a totally different feel and sound. From my best guess the 85-7 would be more focused and tighter than a 707 but less dynamic too.

- What about the 707 do you not like or want to change? If it's a clarity or to much bass thing, then try lowering the pickup all the way down into the cavity and working your way up. They get much more clear, and tighter and less boomy once you lower them. I keep mine literally almost a 1/4" below the strings on the low side. They stil feel and sound great. It's strange at first and the first reaction is to put it back, but then you really start to hear and feel what;s going on.


----------



## groverj3

lewis said:


> I would direct you towards the Super 77-7 set and it has matching single coil options. EMGs retro active series the super 77 is a part of is probably one of their best ever sets.


Should've mentioned this is in a 6. However, I will definitely look into the retro actives!


----------



## InfernalVortex

groverj3 said:


> What are people's feelings on the 85X and SAX?
> 
> I'm looking for something different and I typically don't use single coils. Just picked up a guitar with an HSS layout and thought this could be a cool set.
> 
> I already have an 81 in something else. Not really a HUGE active pickup person, but I do like my 57-7 and 81 (bridge)/85 (neck) set for what they are.
> 
> This guitar I'm not going for absolute firebreather on. Neck and middle for pristine clean and bridge for high gain rhythm not looking for it to be suuuuper tight. More like "low end chunk" but without the midrange spike of the 81 or something like my SD JB I have in something else.



Go look back a page or two and check out that clip of the Jim Root Daemonums. I love my 81. My favorite pickup ever. But if I had to pick two bridge pickups for a magical desert island with electricity, it would be an 81 and a JR Daemonum. The JR set gets me something more like a passive sound, but it has the compression and aggression of the 81.


----------



## slavboi_delight

InfernalVortex said:


> Go look back a page or two and check out that clip of the Jim Root Daemonums. I love my 81. My favorite pickup ever. But if I had to pick two bridge pickups for a magical desert island with electricity, it would be an 81 and a JR Daemonum. The JR set gets me something more like a passive sound, but it has the compression and aggression of the 81.



Dumb question: Do the Daemonums have more bass?


----------



## InfernalVortex

slavboi_delight said:


> Dumb question: Do the Daemonums have more bass?



I dont know about "more"... probably. They're a little more "round" sounding in the low end, but the compression keeps it very responsive, chuggy and immediate, the way I like my EMG's to feel. Some people would probably call it muddier in the bass because there's more frequencies there, some would call it thicker. The compression and almost instantaneous chug response of EMG's is still there though, which is why it still works so well.


----------



## slavboi_delight

InfernalVortex said:


> I dont know about "more"... probably. They're a little more "round" sounding in the low end, but the compression keeps it very responsive, chuggy and immediate, the way I like my EMG's to feel. Some people would probably call it muddier in the bass because there's more frequencies there, some would call it thicker. The compression and almost instantaneous chug response of EMG's is still there though, which is why it still works so well.



Bloody hell. 
Heard way too much good stuff about the new EMG sets. I have a Het set coming my way which i got dirt cheap on ebay. But the Jim Roots are on my list next. I mean they are all based on the 81, but i'm super curious about them.


----------



## InfernalVortex

slavboi_delight said:


> Bloody hell.
> Heard way too much good stuff about the new EMG sets. I have a Het set coming my way which i got dirt cheap on ebay. But the Jim Roots are on my list next. I mean they are all based on the 81, but i'm super curious about them.



A lot of it is me. I was excited to get mine a month ago. Don’t mistake me mentioning it a few times for universal hype. However, I don’t think they have much to do with the 81. They’re built like passives. I think they’re just building a passive pickup that people who love the 81 will like. 

The neck pickup has to be pretty far from my strings to prevent a lot of string warble on the high E for example. They have the magnet strength of regular passives.


----------



## slavboi_delight

InfernalVortex said:


> A lot of it is me. I was excited to get mine a month ago. Don’t mistake me mentioning it a few times for universal hype. However, I don’t think they have much to do with the 81. They’re built like passives. I think they’re just building a passive pickup that people who love the 81 will like.
> 
> The neck pickup has to be pretty far from my strings to prevent a lot of string warble on the high E for example. They have the magnet strength of regular passives.


I hear you. It sounds interesting though. So if i can snatch them for a bargain i'll definitely get them. They are ceramic magnets though, right?


----------



## InfernalVortex

slavboi_delight said:


> I hear you. It sounds interesting though. So if i can snatch them for a bargain i'll definitely get them. They are ceramic magnets though, right?



Yes both are ceramic.


----------



## Estilo

lewis said:


> If the idea is to revitalise a 707, or simply give it or an 85 more tonal options/variety - then try pairing both pickups with the RPC knob first before committing to trying different EMGs entirely.
> Its way cheaper than a new set of pickups and may actually solve the issues completely.



Thanks. TBH I've never owned an 85 for some reason. By some luck I've ever only owned two 6 strings with EMGs but one came with 81/81 and the one I currently have has an 81/60 set. Perhaps a other-side-grass-is-greener thing, but the impression I've got was the 85 has got the aggression of the 81 but is a touch more dynamic? 

As for the 707, I actually don't find it all that bad in the Loomis (hard ash), but that said it's boomy and neither-here-nor-there if I can put it that way. I feel like I'd appreciate it more if I got the 81 type tones that I get from my 6 string out of this guitar. I do like Loomis' tone when he used the 707 though. 

Also, the RPC knob would cost me about the same as getting a new EMG pickup and selling the stock 707 set. Might I add that I plan on converting it to a bridge-pickup only guitar, and also Loomis models come without a tone knob. I could put the RPC knob where the pickup switch currently is but I'd have to drill to expand the hole as knobs are larger than switches.


----------



## Crumbling

Didn't want to make a new thread. I finished installing an old EMG wiring harness, but its outputting a very low signal unless I'm physically grabbing the jack (just touching it doesn't change anything). Is the jack fucked, or did I just mess up somewhere with the soldering?


----------



## InfernalVortex

Estilo said:


> Thanks. TBH I've never owned an 85 for some reason. By some luck I've ever only owned two 6 strings with EMGs but one came with 81/81 and the one I currently have has an 81/60 set. Perhaps a other-side-grass-is-greener thing, but the impression I've got was the 85 has got the aggression of the 81 but is a touch more dynamic?.



Best way I can describe it is it has a lot of low end. Where the 81 is almost harsh, but very aggressive metallic chugs, the 85 has a much bigger, wider, rounder low end and doesnt have that same chug feel at all. It's warmer and smoother than an 81. The smoothness is why I dont really like it in the bridge as much as some, because it doesnt do that metallic clank clank grind thing the 81 does. So I dont think it has the aggression of the 81 at all, but it is warmer and bigger sounding, to the boundary of boomy.

Does that sound like a 707? I'm tempted to throw a 707 in my C-7 to see how similar it is.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

InfernalVortex said:


> Best way I can describe it is it has a lot of low end. Where the 81 is almost harsh, but very aggressive metallic chugs, the 85 has a much bigger, wider, rounder low end and doesnt have that same chug feel at all. It's warmer and smoother than an 81. The smoothness is why I dont really like it in the bridge as much as some, because it doesnt do that metallic clank clank grind thing the 81 does. So I dont think it has the aggression of the 81 at all, but it is warmer and bigger sounding, to the boundary of boomy.
> 
> Does that sound like a 707? I'm tempted to throw a 707 in my C-7 to see how similar it is.


The other side is that it doesn't sound like it has a tube Screamer on permanently. Even with a tube Screamer on, it is much less harsh. I think the 85 was great at 18v+ (I used 24v). I used it in E and Eb tuned guitars, so perhaps it might be too much at D or lower, and someone may wish to try a Het Set or 57.


----------



## Viginez

InfernalVortex said:


> Best way I can describe it is it has a lot of low end. Where the 81 is almost harsh, but very aggressive metallic chugs, the 85 has a much bigger, wider, rounder low end and doesnt have that same chug feel at all. It's warmer and smoother than an 81. The smoothness is why I dont really like it in the bridge as much as some, because it doesnt do that metallic clank clank grind thing the 81 does. So I dont think it has the aggression of the 81 at all, but it is warmer and bigger sounding, to the boundary of boomy.


depends on guitar and settings. to me it's the opposite. i don't like the harshness of the 81 and compared to the 85 its sounds thin(ner). it gets annoying after a while.
85 is thicker, bigger, rounder, chuggier, more versatile. i always switch them.


----------



## groverj3

IMHO, the 81 sounds great in the bridge downtuned, but I'm not a fan in standard tuning.


----------



## Zhysick

Crumbling said:


> Didn't want to make a new thread. I finished installing an old EMG wiring harness, but its outputting a very low signal unless I'm physically grabbing the jack (just touching it doesn't change anything). Is the jack fucked, or did I just mess up somewhere with the soldering?



Try kindly bending (to set us free) the jack socket's contacts, I mean, the metal parts that contact the jack when you introduce it in the socket. Those are probably bent in some way that are not contacting properly the ring of the jack plug or things like that. It happened to me and it was "barely" touching. I bent it inwards so it held it tighter and everything worked better.

Edit:

I mean this things


----------



## InfernalVortex

Viginez said:


> depends on guitar and settings. to me it's the opposite. i don't like the harshness of the 81 and compared to the 85 its sounds thin(ner). it gets annoying after a while.
> 85 is thicker, bigger, rounder, chuggier, more versatile. i always switch them.



Your opinion is stupid and I hate you.


In all seriousness, yeah, I totally get why people would prefer the 85. Totally just depends on what kind of sound you're after. One person's thin is another person's "tight", and one persons "thick" is another person's "muddy".... It's all about staying in your own personal goldilocks zones. I have given up thinking any equipment is "better" than other equipment, it really is 99 percent of the time just about preference.

I will say, like groverj3, Im not as big of a fan of the 81 in standard tuning. It really fits well with downtuned guitars because it keeps the big suspension bridge cable low strings tuned to a half step above oblivion nice and clear and, yes, tight. It does a great job of controlling the amount of low end slamming the preamp.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

For me the 85 is just too smooth in the bridge, and too overpowering in the neck. I mean, I like it in the neck for cleans, but it has to be low as fuuuuuuuck.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Speaking of "low as fuck" -- do not listen to anyone telling you that the pickups need to be cranked as high as possible. Putting them super close to the strings is part of why they have the reputation they do. EMG is especially idiotic for suggesting this. They are also idiotic for suggesting the 81 no matter what for the bridge. Your tone scenario and use case should determine what model you put in both positions.


----------



## Crumbling

Zhysick said:


> Try kindly bending (to set us free) the jack socket's contacts, I mean, the metal parts that contact the jack when you introduce it in the socket. Those are probably bent in some way that are not contacting properly the ring of the jack plug or things like that. It happened to me and it was "barely" touching. I bent it inwards so it held it tighter and everything worked better.
> 
> Edit:
> 
> I mean this things



Thanks. That worked intermittently, so I ended up just running out and buying a new jack


----------



## groverj3

InfernalVortex said:


> Your opinion is stupid and I hate you.
> 
> 
> In all seriousness, yeah, I totally get why people would prefer the 85. Totally just depends on what kind of sound you're after. One person's thin is another person's "tight", and one persons "thick" is another person's "muddy".... It's all about staying in your own personal goldilocks zones. I have given up thinking any equipment is "better" than other equipment, it really is 99 percent of the time just about preference.
> 
> I will say, like groverj3, Im not as big of a fan of the 81 in standard tuning. It really fits well with downtuned guitars because it keeps the big suspension bridge cable low strings tuned to a half step above oblivion nice and clear and, yes, tight. It does a great job of controlling the amount of low end slamming the preamp.


For real. I will never, ever, take the 81 out of the bridge position of my Jackson Dinky in C standard tuning. It rules. Through a boosted 5150 it is instant early 00s melodic death metal tone.

However, my experience with it in standard tuning with a guitar that I intended for more versatility was simply unpleasant and kind of turned me off of actives for a while.


----------



## Crumbling

The Hetset bridge is nice for standard, it takes away some of the 81's edge and harshness and adds a bit of low end (to my ear). But yea, down tuned 81 into a boosted 5150 green channel is quintessential early 2000s metal.

I've tried swapping 81 and 85 around a few times, but 85 in the bridge's always lacked the bite I expect out of a bridge pickup. Its warm and round. I feel like Blackout's bridge does a better job of adding low end


----------



## groverj3

Ended up going with a 2x SAX + 85X combo because I saw them used for cheap on the internet.

Going in a Jackson SL1, intended for standard tuning. Should be a fun experiment. I have no experience with the X series pickups.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Got an EMG Super 77 set ordered. 

...and gonna see how it sounds in F#/Drop E.


----------



## akinari

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Got an EMG Super 77 set ordered.
> 
> ...and gonna see how it sounds in F#/Drop E.



Extremely relevant for me since I was thinking about putting one in a 34" scale 7 tuned to G#0 haha.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

akinari said:


> Extremely relevant for me since I was thinking about putting one in a 34" scale 7 tuned to G#0 haha.


I just got a 28" 6 string that's tuned like an 8 string atm. It sounds okay as is but definitely more... Something.


----------



## InfernalVortex

akinari said:


> Extremely relevant for me since I was thinking about putting one in a 34" scale 7 tuned to G#0 haha.



34"? Really? is this a multiscale?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

akinari said:


> Extremely relevant for me since I was thinking about putting one in a 34" scale 7 tuned to G#0 haha.





InfernalVortex said:


> 34"? Really? is this a multiscale?



I MIGHT be wrong but IIRC he converted a bass to a 7-string awhile back. Or I'm thinking of someone else.

Me, I'm using a Michael Kelly Lo-Boy I just got yesterday. Sounds... okay, but needs a little more bite and output.


----------



## Masoo2

This may have been brought up earlier in the thread, but is there any chart that compares/explains all of the variations on the standard pickups?

I'm talking X, R, A, XR, AX, TW, TWX, TWR, and TWX-R. I _think_ that's all the suffixes other than like H for 8 string non-soapbars (eg 66-8H).

All I know is that X series are somewhat less compressed, seems a lot of people hate them, but Rook managed to put out a fantastic sounding demo track a few years back with an 81X/85X loaded Blackmachine. I'm basically EMG illiterate.


----------



## Quiet Coil

Masoo2 said:


> This may have been brought up earlier in the thread, but is there any chart that compares/explains all of the variations on the standard pickups?
> 
> I'm talking X, R, A, XR, AX, TW, TWX, TWR, and TWX-R.



It’s a lot more straightforward than at first glance. They have a few character designations, and then they just combine/stack them in the base model name:

A = Alnico variant (case in point the 60A, whereas the original 60 is ceramic)
X = “X-series” preamp (vs original)
R = Their first two “splittable” pickups (89 and 81TW) split to the “logo” side coil. The “R” just means it splits to the coil opposite of the standard “non-R” version
TW = “Tap Wound” (split really, but in EMG’s case it’s literally another pickup packed in).

So the “89XR” (one of my personal favorites for the bridge) is the 89 with the X-series preamp and the non-logo side coil selected when split.

Also, the 89 was (as far as I know) their first “splittable” pickup and instead of calling it an “85TW” (which it kinda sorta is) they gave it a new model number. Later on when the splittable 81 was introduced they just added “TW” - kind of ironic given that the 89 is closer to the 85 than the 81TW is to the 81 (or so the consensus seems to be).


----------



## InfernalVortex

Quiet Coil said:


> It’s a lot more straightforward than at first glance. They have a few character designations, and then they just combine/stack them in the base model name:
> 
> A = Alnico variant (case in point the 60A, whereas the original 60 is ceramic)
> X = “X-series” preamp (vs original)
> R = Their first two “splittable” pickups (89 and 81TW) split to the “logo” side coil. The “R” just means it splits to the coil opposite of the standard “non-R” version
> TW = “Tap Wound” (split really, but in EMG’s case it’s literally another pickup packed in).
> 
> So the “89XR” (one of my personal favorites for the bridge) is the 89 with the X-series preamp and the non-logo side coil selected when split.
> 
> Also, the 89 was (as far as I know) their first “splittable” pickup and instead of calling it an “85TW” (which it kinda sorta is) they gave it a new model number. Later on when the splittable 81 was introduced they just added “TW” - kind of ironic given that the 89 is closer to the 85 than the 81TW is to the 81 (or so the consensus seems to be).



Just to add, I believe "R" is for "Reverse", just makes it easier to remember.

I thought the 89R was a neck pickup? You like it in the bridge? Interesting.


----------



## Quiet Coil

InfernalVortex said:


> Just to add, I believe "R" is for "Reverse", just makes it easier to remember.
> 
> I thought the 89R was a neck pickup? You like it in the bridge? Interesting.


In all my rambling I forgot to actually say what the “R” stood for - thanks.

When it comes to splitting the bridge I’m aaallllll about the inside coil - that’s where the meat is. Splitting towards the bridge/outside is too bright and weak for my tastes (obviously not everyone’s).

I only just recently found out that you can order a reversed 81TW - I’ve been wanting to try one installed backwards, but now I wouldn’t even have to.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I might be wrong, but I think "TW" stands for "Twin". I've seen the EMG MMTW brought up as the "Twin" version of the MM pickup, and the 57/66TW referred to as the same thing.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I might be wrong, but I think "TW" stands for "Twin". I've seen the EMG MMTW brought up as the "Twin" version of the MM pickup, and the 57/66TW referred to as the same thing.


I would say the TW versions are obnoxiously large in size, but I've seen how big a stock Ovation Breadwinner pickup is.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I would say the TW versions are obnoxiously large in size, but I've seen how big a stock Ovation Breadwinner pickup is.



I mean, a pickup that either barely fits, or can't even fit, in a lot of guitars is still really massive.


----------



## Marked Man

InfernalVortex said:


> Best way I can describe it is it has a lot of low end. Where the 81 is almost harsh, but very aggressive metallic chugs, the 85 has a much bigger, wider, rounder low end and doesnt have that same chug feel at all. It's warmer and smoother than an 81. The smoothness is why I dont really like it in the bridge as much as some, because it doesnt do that metallic clank clank grind thing the 81 does. So I dont think it has the aggression of the 81 at all, but it is warmer and bigger sounding, to the boundary of boomy.
> 
> Does that sound like a 707? I'm tempted to throw a 707 in my C-7 to see how similar it is.



I consider the 85 a much tastier bridge lead pickup, but for metal chug, it's the 81! 

The EMG SPC is very effective at warming up the 81, however. The 85 doesn't really need it.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

So it doesn't seem like you can swap standard EMGs with the TW EMGs. I thought that maybe the hot, ground, and power pins were still close together on the TW connect, but nah, seems like they're all spread out.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> So it doesn't seem like you can swap standard EMGs with the TW EMGs. I thought that maybe the hot, ground, and power pins were still close together on the TW connect, but nah, seems like they're all spread out.


Do you have a couple power cables around? Pull off the three connector and replace with three single connectors.


----------



## Grindspine

I generally *think that I favor Seymour Duncans slightly, but still enjoy EMGs.

Tonight I was playing my RGDR3127 with Dimarzio Fusion Edge pickups through my full Mesa/Boogie Traixis-2:ninety rack and got close to the sound I expect. I then plugged in my RGD2127 with a Duncan Nazgul, better, but still a bit peaky. I followed with my RG3727 with a pair of Dimarzio Titans, close to the Nazgul, less of a peak but a bit less output. I figured I would plug in my PRS CE24 with a Duncan Omega and yup, the Omega sounds better to me than Titans, Nazgul, Fusion Edge, etc. 

But then I decided to go back to my guitar closet and grab my old Platinum series B.C. Rich import that I rebuilt and loaded with an EMG 81x/60x set and an SPC circuit. Even with the SPC circuit turned down, I did not feel like I needed an overdrive for gain. I did not hear the need for the typical necessary bass cut from overdrive either. Everything was easier to play and more fluid. It is really hard to deny how good the EMG 81x, 60x (and regular 81, especially at 18 volts) can really be.

I don't imagine that I will be changing out all of my pickups, but, damn, that old, beat up Virgin with the EMGs still has something my other guitars just don't.


----------



## Marked Man

Grindspine said:


> I generally *think that I favor Seymour Duncans slightly, but still enjoy EMGs.
> 
> Tonight I was playing my RGDR3127 with Dimarzio Fusion Edge pickups through my full Mesa/Boogie Traixis-2:ninety rack and got close to the sound I expect. I then plugged in my RGD2127 with a Duncan Nazgul, better, but still a bit peaky. I followed with my RG3727 with a pair of Dimarzio Titans, close to the Nazgul, less of a peak but a bit less output. I figured I would plug in my PRS CE24 with a Duncan Omega and yup, the Omega sounds better to me than Titans, Nazgul, Fusion Edge, etc.
> 
> But then I decided to go back to my guitar closet and grab my old Platinum series B.C. Rich import that I rebuilt and loaded with an EMG 81x/60x set and an SPC circuit. Even with the SPC circuit turned down, I did not feel like I needed an overdrive for gain. I did not hear the need for the typical necessary bass cut from overdrive either. Everything was easier to play and more fluid. It is really hard to deny how good the EMG 81x, 60x (and regular 81, especially at 18 volts) can really be.
> 
> I don't imagine that I will be changing out all of my pickups, but, damn, that old, beat up Virgin with the EMGs still has something my other guitars just don't.



For pure aggression, no passives I have heard can hang with my Hannemans with EMG 81 + SPC, which I only use at about 15% max for rhythm. The signal/noise ratio, clarity, cut and feedback resistance are tops.



.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

What is the SPC like with an 81, 60, or 60A in the bridge. I'm getting a Lukather loaded pickguard from a friend, and I'm thinking about swapping out the 85 for one of the three mentioned, and add in an SPC, as I think the pickguard he has might have a third control hole. If not, then I might replace the tone with an SPC.


----------



## akinari

InfernalVortex said:


> 34"? Really? is this a multiscale?


Jazzhands was right. It's an Ibanez GSR 5 string conversion. New bridge, new nut, old tuner routes filled with dowels and guitar tuners installed. Single EMG 707 in the bridge for now.


Spaced Out Ace said:


> What is the SPC like with an 81, 60, or 60A in the bridge. I'm getting a Lukather loaded pickguard from a friend, and I'm thinking about swapping out the 85 for one of the three mentioned, and add in an SPC, as I think the pickguard he has might have a third control hole. If not, then I might replace the tone with an SPC.


Not an answer to your question at all, but I'm really curious about trying an 81 with a TBX tone control to add some extra lows and highs.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

akinari said:


> Jazzhands was right. It's an Ibanez GSR 5 string conversion. New bridge, new nut, old tuner routes filled with dowels and guitar tuners installed. Single EMG 707 in the bridge for now.
> 
> Not an answer to your question at all, but I'm really curious about trying an 81 with a TBX tone control to add some extra lows and highs.


I think the EMG EXG is the detent up (or thereabouts) of a TBX control.


----------



## Grindspine

Spaced Out Ace said:


> What is the SPC like with an 81, 60, or 60A in the bridge. I'm getting a Lukather loaded pickguard from a friend, and I'm thinking about swapping out the 85 for one of the three mentioned, and add in an SPC, as I think the pickguard he has might have a third control hole. If not, then I might replace the tone with an SPC.



The SPC is a thick mid boost. It was designed to make a thin single coil sound thicker, like a humbucker. However, using it with something like an 81, which is very percussive, just adds a ton of thickness and chunk to it. The nice thing about it is that it does not add mud or shrillness, just a lot of mid body gain.

It has plenty of boost on tap too, I rarely have both my master volume and the SPC all of the way up. I usually have volume up and the SPC at half, but can always roll it out for lighter sounds.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Grindspine said:


> The SPC is a thick mid boost. It was designed to make a thin single coil sound thicker, like a humbucker. However, using it with something like an 81, which is very percussive, just adds a ton of thickness and chunk to it. The nice thing about it is that it does not add mud or shrillness, just a lot of mid body gain.
> 
> It has plenty of boost on tap too, I rarely have both my master volume and the SPC all of the way up. I usually have volume up and the SPC at half, but can always roll it out for lighter sounds.


Very interesting. I'm thinking about getting an SPC, and either an 81, 60, or 60A for the bridge of a strat I wanna put together. My friend offered me his SL-20 for free, and all I need is a switch and wiring from EMG.

(Hoping for a Fender Player Strat HSS or similar with maple board, preferably 22 frets, maybe locking tuners and string saver saddles at some point, and SL-20 (85 / SLV / SLV) pickups at the very least.)


----------



## lewis

In addition to the RPC and SPC knobs, the VM (variable mid control knob) is awesome for fixing scooped pickups.

For example - the dime bucker


----------



## BabUShka

BabUShka said:


> So.. I recently went back to EMG in one of my guitars. I thought maybe it would be Nice to have 1 guitar with active pickups. I dont know.. It sounds okay but i prefer passive Seymour Duncans. I think im done with active pickups. I think it sounds fenomenal when other guitarists play them, but they Just dont work for me.



So.. I still have this LTD EC1000 with 60/81 combo - its tuned in D standard now. I can see that after some tweaking the EMGs have some charm to them. Especially when you tune down a bit, the sound becomes more punchy and clears up nicely.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

BabUShka said:


> So.. I still have this LTD EC1000 with 60/81 combo - its tuned in D standard now. I can see that after some tweaking the EMGs have some charm to them. Especially when you tune down a bit, the sound becomes more punchy and clears up nicely.


How do you set the pickup height? I think EMG should stop telling people "just crank it up as high as it can go without the strings touching the pickups."


----------



## BabUShka

Spaced Out Ace said:


> How do you set the pickup height? I think EMG should stop telling people "just crank it up as high as it can go without the strings touching the pickups."



Too high = Too powerful, thick sound, more bass, muddy, some loss of sustain.

Too low = lack of bottom, thin sounding leads and palm mutings. Especially the 81.

I set my EMGs height in the middle, between the pickup ring and strings. Works fine for me.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

BabUShka said:


> Too high = Too powerful, thick sound, more bass, muddy, some loss of sustain.
> 
> Too low = lack of bottom, thin sounding leads and palm mutings. Especially the 81.
> 
> I set my EMGs height in the middle, between the pickup ring and strings. Works fine for me.


I looked up what the general rule of thumb was for humbuckers (possibly from Gibson), and set them up like that. I use an allen wrench to measure.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

So I said I was gonna put the Retro 77 set in my Michael Kelly guitar.

But I put it in my Hagstrom Swede, since I wanted to compare it to the EMG 81 in there. And honestly I really like how it sounded in there, so it's gonna stay.  It's basically the same vibe, just the Retroactive is lower output, seems to be a bit less compressed and harsh. Sounds better clean. If you hated the EMG 81's harshness and output but liked the tightness and cut, the 77 seems like a good compromise.

I'm just gonna put an 81/85 set in the Michael Kelly.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Okay 2nd update now that I got the neck pickup in now.

eeeh?  It's surprisingly dark and smooth. Not as fond of it as I am the bridge.

EDIT: Well then again I'm trying to delve into some doomy sounds, so this sound could be perfect for that. Been trying to figure out what to do with this guitar anyway, so it can probably rule in C# or C standard.

I need to try the Fat 55 neck. But in my current situation for general use, I can see myself working with a Super 77/66 set, or Super 77/Het Net set.


----------



## Jeries

Spaced Out Ace said:


> How do you set the pickup height? I think EMG should stop telling people "just crank it up as high as it can go without the strings touching the pickups."


Put it to where the magnets of the pickup start to pull the string down against it 

lmao

your right ace; I don’t know how or why they do that but it’s unnecessary to max out the height 

I found that to be even more so with fluence, if it’s too close it just sounds off

the emg 77 sounds like the Lundgren m7....hmm, think the numbers are by any chance maybe a hint from EMG ?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Jeries said:


> Put it to where the magnets of the pickup start to pull the string down against it
> 
> lmao
> 
> your right ace; I don’t know how or why they do that but it’s unnecessary to max out the height
> 
> I found that to be even more so with fluence, if it’s too close it just sounds off
> 
> the emg 77 sounds like the Lundgren m7....hmm, think the numbers are by any chance maybe a hint from EMG ?


Well, the magnet is relatively weak compared to a Duncan, but still. It's unnecessary.


----------



## Jeries

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Well, the magnet is relatively weak compared to a Duncan, but still. It's unnecessary.


It is, I was just making a joke, like overstating how they say “get as close as possible without touching”


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Gonna keep rambling on about the Super 77 set.  Got more time with them and I really like them. Like I said, the bridge does indeed remind me of a more passive 81 without being too fucking much of everything like the Het bridge. The neck is growing on me. Sounds like a more tame 85 in a good way.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Looking forward to check out the EMG SA, SLV, EXG, and SPC once I sell my last couple pedals I'm not keeping and find a strat to buy. I contacted a local shop to see if they buy used amps. I just found out they exist, and they aren't that far from me. I hope they buy mine, as I hope I can get around $750 for it. Wish me luck.


----------



## Quiet Coil

I don’t see EMG releasing a splittable version of the Retro’s (what with the way they go about such things) but I’d run back into the fold on the double if they did.


----------



## boltzthrower

Anyone else notice that modern EMG's are much lower output than they used to be? I've gotten 3 different 81-7H's that were manufactured within the past year or so and they have significantly lower output than my other 81's (which are from the 90's, a couple from around 2009-2010 and one from 2015). I ended up talking to EMG and it sounds like the variance is due to using different manufacturers. My modern 81's into a TS9 with its gain turned all the way down is less gain than an older 81 all by itself. With a modern 81-7H, I ended up installing a PA2 and with the gain turned 1/3 of the way up on the PA2 (like 6 or 7 db) it sounds just like the older EMG's.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

boltzthrower said:


> Anyone else notice that modern EMG's are much lower output than they used to be? I've gotten 3 different 81-7H's that were manufactured within the past year or so and they have significantly lower output than my other 81's (which are from the 90's, a couple from around 2009-2010 and one from 2015). I ended up talking to EMG and it sounds like the variance is due to using different manufacturers. My modern 81's into a TS9 with its gain turned all the way down is less gain than an older 81 all by itself. With a modern 81-7H, I ended up installing a PA2 and with the gain turned 1/3 of the way up on the PA2 (like 6 or 7 db) it sounds just like the older EMG's.


Are you comparing the 81-7h to the soap bar 81-7 or the 6 string variants? In my experience I noticed the 81-7 is a little lower output than the 6 string.


----------



## boltzthrower

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Are you comparing the 81-7h to the soap bar 81-7 or the 6 string variants? In my experience I noticed the 81-7 is a little lower output than the 6 string.



My newer 81-7H's have a plastic housing. My older 81's are an 81-7H with a metal housing from 2015, multiple 81-7 soap bars that are about a decade old and regular old 81 6 string soap bars that are older. I've A/B'd the 7 string variants, the difference is significant. I haven't A/B'd the 7's with the 6's but now you've got me curious.

I've been playing 81 variants pretty much exclusively for the past 16 years but if I had never used them before and tried a modern one, I would have been like, "Well what's all the fuss about, this thing kinda sucks".

I suppose there's a chance that the 3 modern ones I received were lemons but that seems improbable, the manufacture dates span 5 months (Jan 2020-June 2020).


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

Well I'm selling my guitar with moderns (granted also my other passive guitar) for one with dual 81s. I've heard the regular 81 is a lot different than the x series so here's hoping for a surprise. If the 81 isn't cutting it I'm thinking moderns or maybe 57s again. I've had too many tight guitars, it might be time for dual chunk alongside the X2N.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

TheBolivianSniper said:


> Well I'm selling my guitar with moderns (granted also my other passive guitar) for one with dual 81s. I've heard the regular 81 is a lot different than the x series so here's hoping for a surprise. If the 81 isn't cutting it I'm thinking moderns or maybe 57s again. I've had too many tight guitars, it might be time for dual chunk alongside the X2N.



The 81 is tighter, higher output, and has more cut than the 81x. The 81x is lower output, smoother, and more tame. If you want more beef, try the 85 or go back to the 57


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The 81 is tighter, higher output, and has more cut than the 81x. The 81x is lower output, smoother, and more tame. If you want more beef, try the 85 or go back to the 57



I originally snagged the Xs since I wanted good dynamic cleans and I figured I'd be boosting hard but they just didn't really do it for me. I think the moderns are better for dynamics in that regard without losing the power and ferocity I want from actives. It sounds like the regular 81 is that balls to the wall crazy distorted tone that I wanted out of the Xs and I shouldn't need dynamics out of this guitar.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

TheBolivianSniper said:


> I originally snagged the Xs since I wanted good dynamic cleans and I figured I'd be boosting hard but they just didn't really do it for me. I think the moderns are better for dynamics in that regard without losing the power and ferocity I want from actives. It sounds like the regular 81 is that balls to the wall crazy distorted tone that I wanted out of the Xs and I shouldn't need dynamics out of this guitar.



Maybe do like I did and try the Retroactive 77 set. Surprised me how much I like them. Lower output but still has some balls and cutm


----------



## Marked Man

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Looking forward to check out the EMG SA, SLV, EXG, and SPC once I sell my last couple pedals I'm not keeping and find a strat to buy. I contacted a local shop to see if they buy used amps. I just found out they exist, and they aren't that far from me. I hope they buy mine, as I hope I can get around $750 for it. Wish me luck.



I can share my experiences with the S vs SA vs SLV. 

The S was basically lifeless to me (my least favorite EMG pickup). Overly bright and no oomph without major boost. The SA is much more natural sounding, but a little more warmth was called for, and answered perfectly by the SLV, which is an overwound SA. I can play the SLV without the SPC for leads in my Charvel 650, but always dial in about 20-40% just for fun. It sounds best clean with SPC at zero. 

The EMG Tele series TC had the same problem as the Strat S. It was very bright, but gave me nuthin'. No soul or guts, and had to be boosted to Valhalla to do anything. So I went to the TX, which is one case where I can say the X series marked a massive improvement. I use my Tele for Grip, Inc or Rage style riff heavy songs with twang. 

I typically play with NO boost in front of my amp. I buy Mesa Boogie because I want the natural amp tone, so I also buy pickups that sound great straight in.


----------



## groverj3

First impressions of the 85X + 2x SAX HSS set.

The 85X is much lower output than I expected. Though, that may be the wrong way to describe it. From my understanding, most EMGs aren't actually super high output, it's more that the preamp compresses and clips the signal before even getting to the amp. The higher headroom of the X series preamp probably means that the lower perceived output is likely due to less clipping of the signal on its way to the amp. Consequently, I'm boosting it where I didn't need to boost an 81. However, I like the tone.

The SAXs, seem nice enough. In the neck it's a nice clean tone, with some good note definition for lead work. It's been so long since I've messed with single coils I don't have much to compare with.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Aaaand I think my Retroactive bridge is fucked. Was sounding all clipped and distorted last night. cead this morning. Fucked with the wiring and no difference. Unplugged and swapped different EMGs. Went back to using the RA bridge just to see if that did anything, and it has Full output now, but now it's extremely hissy and microphonic.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Aaaand I think my Retroactive bridge is fucked. Was sounding all clipped and distorted last night. cead this morning. Fucked with the wiring and no difference. Unplugged and swapped different EMGs. Went back to using the RA bridge just to see if that did anything, and it has Full output now, but now it's extremely hissy and microphonic.


What a pain. Probably why all of the classic EMGs are encased in that black goop.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> What a pain. Probably why all of the classic EMGs are encased in that black goop.



Yep. Helps a lot. 
I'm not sure if it is microphonic, but I'm pretty sure it is. Feedbacking more than normal and it sounds more sensitive to idle noises than the neck pickup, like tapping the guitar and just lightly rubbing the surface (rough satin bobbins). Not to mention the loud hiss. 

And given I bought the set 2nd hand, I don't think EMG would be willing to fix me up. Plus I can't return it since I bought it as is and... well... did arrive as is.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Well that smokes donkey dick.


----------



## c7spheres

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Aaaand I think my Retroactive bridge is fucked. Was sounding all clipped and distorted last night. cead this morning. Fucked with the wiring and no difference. Unplugged and swapped different EMGs. Went back to using the RA bridge just to see if that did anything, and it has Full output now, but now it's extremely hissy and microphonic.



Bummer, Sounds like it might be the preamp. Is it still under warrnanty? Even if not EMG (at least used to be) pretty good about taking care of people when needing some help.

Edit; Nevermind, you just answered all that . I'd call EMG anyways see what they can do.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

c7spheres said:


> Bummer, Sounds like it might be the preamp. Is it still under warrnanty? Even if not EMG (at least used to be) pretty good about taking care of people when needing some help.
> 
> Edit; Nevermind, you just answered all that . I'd call EMG anyways see what they can do.



I'm probably gonna talk to them about my issues and see if they can help me out.


----------



## metaljohn

I picked up a used Ltd Snakebyte last week, and while the guitar itself plays great and has incredible sustain, I'm not feeling the Het Set at all. It seems like it has too much output, which makes it feedback even with my gate set pretty high(I don't have this issue with my Fishmans). It also has too much treble because of the lack of the tone knob, which makes it unusable with my Mark IV. I'm thinking I'm gonna swap them out with another Devin Townsend set like I have in my main guitar. They just seem to be perfect for everything.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

So on a whim, I tried the 85 in the bridge of my Hagstrom. Honestly, it sounds great. The first time I liked the 85 in the bridge. Pairs decently well with the RA S77 neck.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

Going to get a pair of 60-8XHs to drop in my S8. I love the 60 in the bridge, so now that I have to replace the pickups, that's my first choice.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> So on a whim, I tried the 85 in the bridge of my Hagstrom. Honestly, it sounds great. The first time I liked the 85 in the bridge. Pairs decently well with the RA S77 neck.


See? You're coming around and finally learning what sounds good. I'm proud of you, young Padawan.


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

So! I have a 7 string LTD with the 81-7 pickups. I’ve been playing metal since I was 12. For some stupid reason I just now got my first 81 equipped guitar. I think I found my metal tone finally. I’ve played many pickups trying to find that sound. This is the closest I’ve gotten. It’s fat, defined, thumps in the chest and sparkles with articulation where you want. I always loved Anthrax’s tone. I don’t know why I didn’t try these earlier.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Got an EMG ES-918 so I can run my guitars at either 9 or 18v. I can also, in a crunch, run them via power adapter. This way, I don't have to bend my pickguard up to try and pull out my 9v battery. The ES-918 comes with two shorting clips and two "dummy batteries." Overall, you have four to short the power in the guitars, and with a stereo TRS to TRS cable, can use the ES-918. You can switch between 9v or 18v with a little switch between the two jacks, though I have to imagine it is best not to switch voltage while the amp is producing signal. 

According to Alex Miletich (customer assistance), all of their stuff can support 27v (though the ES-918 only supports 18v at most according to the unit). 

Haven't used it yet (waiting on a Pro Co Excelline stereo cable), but I wish it had two LEDs: one to tell when it is utilizing the batteries (that can blink when you are low on battery power), and one so you know when the pedal is engaged. It has a footswitch (Standby) that I believe is used for shorting the connection between the Amp and guitar, so you can swap guitars. Otherwise, should be awesome, especially for those with cramped control cavities, whether you wish to try 18v or can't fit a 9v, and for those where it is difficult to access the battery, such as a Stratocaster.


----------



## Marked Man

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> So on a whim, I tried the 85 in the bridge of my Hagstrom. Honestly, it sounds great. The first time I liked the 85 in the bridge. Pairs decently well with the RA S77 neck.



My Charvel 650 Custom is my #1 active guitar. It has the classic Steve Lukather setup: 85/SLV/SLV and I also threw in the SPC midboost to boost the singles when I'm in the mood. Maximum aggression always favors the 81, but the 85 is a better all around and specifically a better lead pickup.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Marked Man said:


> My Charvel 650 Custom is my #1 active guitar. It has the classic Steve Lukather setup: 85/SLV/SLV and I also threw in the SPC midboost to boost the singles when I'm in the mood. Maximum aggression always favors the 81, but the 85 is a better all around and specifically a better lead pickup.


Heads up; Imgur doesn't tend to work. I just directly upload images now. 

But yeah, I'm not sure if I'll go through with this project since I'm fine with my current setup, but @technomancer made me want to do a Mick Mars inspired Mutt.  '70s Strat with a top-mounted Floyd Rose. EMG 81TW/SA/89R setup. I want the TW/89 in the bridge and neck so I can still have the 2 and 4 Strat positions without the humbuckers overpowering the middle pickup.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Also throwing this out there because I'm thinking about it; Anyone tried putting pickup covers on a RetroActive pickup? Or swapping the pole piece screws? Getting some ideas.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Also throwing this out there because I'm thinking about it; Anyone tried putting pickup covers on a RetroActive pickup? Or swapping the pole piece screws? Getting some ideas.


EMG might sell you some with whatever those screws DiMarzio uses on a lot of their pickups.


----------



## Quiet Coil

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Heads up; Imgur doesn't tend to work. I just directly upload images now.
> 
> But yeah, I'm not sure if I'll go through with this project since I'm fine with my current setup, but @technomancer made me want to do a Mick Mars inspired Mutt.  '70s Strat with a top-mounted Floyd Rose. EMG 81TW/SA/89R setup. I want the TW/89 in the bridge and neck so I can still have the 2 and 4 Strat positions without the humbuckers overpowering the middle pickup.



Don’t know if you’re an “innie” or “outie” type (which coil you want to split to), but if you like the inside/neck side coil on the bridge (as I do) you can order an 81TW-R. Just sayin’


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Quiet Coil said:


> Don’t know if you’re an “innie” or “outie” type (which coil you want to split to), but if you like the inside/neck side coil on the bridge (as I do) you can order an 81TW-R. Just sayin’



I prefer the coil towards the bridge, so I stick with the standard setup.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> EMG might sell you some with whatever those screws DiMarzio uses on a lot of their pickups.



Interestigly enough DiMarzio won't sell their parts anymore. I asked about getting some gold hex polepieces and they shot me down. Also from what I can tell their stuff has been on backorder for months. 

Not sure what shape EMG is in atm. I honestly have a lot of spare polepiece screws at the moment.  So I just need the pickup and some covers (easily sourced).


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Interestigly enough DiMarzio won't sell their parts anymore. I asked about getting some gold hex polepieces and they shot me down. Also from what I can tell their stuff has been on backorder for months.
> 
> Not sure what shape EMG is in atm. I honestly have a lot of spare polepiece screws at the moment.  So I just need the pickup and some covers (easily sourced).


Years (no, decades): can we get EMGs with open coils?
Finally: open coils
Jazzy: hmmm, can I put a cover on the RA77 with some DiMarzio style pole piece screws?


----------



## SteveFireland

boltzthrower said:


> Anyone else notice that modern EMG's are much lower output than they used to be? I've gotten 3 different 81-7H's that were manufactured within the past year or so and they have significantly lower output than my other 81's (which are from the 90's, a couple from around 2009-2010 and one from 2015). I ended up talking to EMG and it sounds like the variance is due to using different manufacturers. My modern 81's into a TS9 with its gain turned all the way down is less gain than an older 81 all by itself. With a modern 81-7H, I ended up installing a PA2 and with the gain turned 1/3 of the way up on the PA2 (like 6 or 7 db) it sounds just like the older EMG's.



I've absolutely noticed that 81s with the old style logo have a higher output than 81s with the new style logo! I have a few of each and it's definitely noticeable. Annoying when you've to tweak the input of your AxeFX or audio interface etc...


----------



## gnoll

SteveFireland said:


> I've absolutely noticed that 81s with the old style logo have a higher output than 81s with the new style logo! I have a few of each and it's definitely noticeable. Annoying when you've to tweak the input of your AxeFX or audio interface etc...



Are you guys sure? Did you put them into the same guitar? Is the tone different also? I thought the diff logo pickups were supposed to be the same.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Well, it was a bit of a pain in the ass to try and get the batteries out of the Strats so I could replace them with the included shorting clips. The main reason is because the damn thing wants to slide around the control cavity portion of the route. I know that Rob Turner shows how "easy" it is to replace the battery for the DG20 install, but... yeah. Save yourself the frustration, and just change the battery when you replace the strings. Figuring out the best way to put them into the ES-918 was also a bit of an issue. Once I figured it out though, they went in easily enough. I wasn't sure which end the battery clip was supposed to go in the box. 

The Whammy DT showed up today as well, and I'm looking forward to trying some Motley Crue riffs on my Fender Player Stratocaster in buttercream. I think that, at least watching demos, the 2 octave and dive bomb (3 octave) down settings are excessive, and that I probably will use 2nd, 4th, and 5th down, as well as 2nd up on the Whammy portion. The shallow detune might also be cool. As for the DT portion, I don't plan to use much lower than step and a half down at most, as well as the same up, 12 string, and Nashville settings.


----------



## jarledge

just bought a 57-8 and 66-8 to try out. i tried them years back, remembered i liked them ok but not much about them. I have an 8 string that isn't getting much play time so i decided to try an active set again. So we'll see how it goes.


----------



## c7spheres

gnoll said:


> Are you guys sure? Did you put them into the same guitar? Is the tone different also? I thought the diff logo pickups were supposed to be the same.




They're supposed to be identical other than the logo according to Emg (I've emailed them about it and talked to them about it a couple times). They use to offer old logo pickups too but no longer do with exception for some Kirk Hammett signature guitar or something. 



Spaced Out Ace said:


> Well, it was a bit of a pain in the ass to try and get the batteries out of the Strats so I could replace them with the included shorting clips. The main reason is because the damn thing wants to slide around the control cavity portion of the route. I know that Rob Turner shows how "easy" it is to replace the battery for the DG20 install, but... yeah. Save yourself the frustration, and just change the battery when you replace the strings. Figuring out the best way to put them into the ES-918 was also a bit of an issue. Once I figured it out though, they went in easily enough. I wasn't sure which end the battery clip was supposed to go in the box.
> 
> The Whammy DT showed up today as well, and I'm looking forward to trying some Motley Crue riffs on my Fender Player Stratocaster in buttercream. I think that, at least watching demos, the 2 octave and dive bomb (3 octave) down settings are excessive, and that I probably will use 2nd, 4th, and 5th down, as well as 2nd up on the Whammy portion. The shallow detune might also be cool. As for the DT portion, I don't plan to use much lower than step and a half down at most, as well as the same up, 12 string, and Nashville settings.



Never tried a DT version but the detune was my favortie mode on the older/smaller one I tried. Thick and liquidy.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

c7spheres said:


> Never tried a DT version but the detune was my favortie mode on the older/smaller one I tried. Thick and liquidy.


I tried a lot of the pedal's functions earlier. A lot to like about it. Some things I was not entirely fond of, and some things I probably won't use, but overall, worth the $290 I paid. I like that I can keep the DT section as well as the Whammy section on at the same time. Learned a few Motley Crue riffs (since that is why I bought it), but I need to get those tighter and more spot on to the record. The dive bomb and 2 octave down options are more usable if you don't try to sweep from heel down to toe down as fast as you would on a wah pedal. That said, I prefer the 4th, 5th, and octave down options for that. I can probably do a lot more with it than I'll ever use it for, but whatever. Last but not least, I appreciate how well it responds to your playing and the changes you make on the pedal, such as using the expression pedal or the momentary switch, though that should be a different sort of switch, in my opinion. They should possibly use a soft switch for the momentary function.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Anyone tried comparing the Super 77 neck to either the Hot 70 or Fat 55 (Which I'm assuming the latter are the same thing [EDIT: Yep, they're both the RA350A. Same exact pickup])? Still thinking about getting another Super 77 or Hot 70 set for a project.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

just set up my SV for drop c as it should be in, 81 81 set sounds monstrous as hell, idk what was on it before but the strings weren't that old, something about ernie balls just make everything sound super tight and with great pick attack and it still sounds huge and really really aggressive as 81s should


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

TheBolivianSniper said:


> just set up my SV for drop c as it should be in, 81 81 set sounds monstrous as hell, idk what was on it before but the strings weren't that old, something about ernie balls just make everything sound super tight and with great pick attack and it still sounds huge and really really aggressive as 81s should



IME EBs sound great the first day or two, then die rather quickly. It's why I like D'addarios. They don't have the initial brightness of EBs, but they're more consistent. 

Probably why I see a lot of big brands use EBs. They can afford to use new strings every other day and have a tech do all the changes. 

I will admit it has been awhile since I've used EBs. I may have to give them a shot since they make all my string gauges now (9 - 42/46, 10 - 48, 10 - 52, 11 - 54/56).


----------



## groverj3

I think my 2x SAX + 85X experiment is over. I thought it'd be something neat to try, but I'll be moving on. Maybe I'll just throw a 57 in the bridge and call it good.

The 85X has this weird squeaky quality that's driving me bonkers when boosted. I could always just not boost it, but it seems to need it due to the extra low end vs something like a 57 or 81.


----------



## BabUShka

A couple of years ago i swapped all EMGs out of my guitars. Just couldnt stand them. But recently i put a pair of 81/60 in my EC1000 with a set og 54-11 strings, in D standard. Now i cant stop playing it, they've just grown on me. Punchy, clear and still growly high gain sounds. Especially on amps that doesnt require boost in front, its nice to have that little Extra drive from the bridge pickup. If i just had one guitar, I would always choose sair of Seymour Duncans. But as an addition, i really like the sound of a down tuned EC1000 and EMG 81 combo.


----------



## Apex1rg7x

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Anyone tried comparing the Super 77 neck to either the Hot 70 or Fat 55 (Which I'm assuming the latter are the same thing [EDIT: Yep, they're both the RA350A. Same exact pickup])? Still thinking about getting another Super 77 or Hot 70 set for a project.


Have you had a chance to play the Root set yet? Curious about the Super 77 or Hot 70 sets and how they compare.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Apex1rg7x said:


> Have you had a chance to play the Root set yet? Curious about the Super 77 or Hot 70 sets and how they compare.


I think one of those sets is the Fat 55 neck and the bridge from the other.


----------



## Mathemagician

Thinking aloud and not that it would stop me. But it feels a little guilty wanting an ibanez AZ or another EBMM but with EMG’s and throwing out their admittedly neat controls. I also just don’t care about any of it so whaddaya gonna do? Lol.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Apex1rg7x said:


> Have you had a chance to play the Root set yet? Curious about the Super 77 or Hot 70 sets and how they compare.



Still haven't got a Root series yet. I maaay think about it. Got a bucket list guitar and I wanna try the Roots since this guitar is gonna be turned to A#/C standard. 


Spaced Out Ace said:


> I think one of those sets is the Fat 55 neck and the bridge from the other.



Hot 70. The neck pickup shares the same model # as the Fat 55 neck


----------



## Zhysick

Is the Super77/Hot70 bridge somehow similar to the 85? I'm kinda happy with the Duncan Solar pickups because of the clarity and thickness but I miss the extra punch and drive of an EM81 but I'm looking for something thicker sounding (hence asking for the 85) but as I am not sure if the routes would fit an 81/85/60 (the covered ones) I ask about the retroactive models... Maybe the Fat55 bridge is closer but I am "afraid" those are not hot enough, I don't know. The only retroactives I have played are the Super77 in a Cort KX300 and sounded great but couldn't compare with anything else (no reference from any of my guitars that day)


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Zhysick said:


> Is the Super77/Hot70 bridge somehow similar to the 85? I'm kinda happy with the Duncan Solar pickups because of the clarity and thickness but I miss the extra punch and drive of an EM81 but I'm looking for something thicker sounding (hence asking for the 85) but as I am not sure if the routes would fit an 81/85/60 (the covered ones) I ask about the retroactive models... Maybe the Fat55 bridge is closer but I am "afraid" those are not hot enough, I don't know. The only retroactives I have played are the Super77 in a Cort KX300 and sounded great but couldn't compare with anything else (no reference from any of my guitars that day)



I found the 77 bridge had a good low end to it. Like the 85 but with more aggressive cutting mids


----------



## Zhysick

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I found the 77 bridge had a good low end to it. Like the 85 but with more aggressive cutting mids



That's great because the 85 is a bit soft, that's why I prefer the 81 but I need something thicker than the 81 for the band. GREAT to know! Thanks!!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Zhysick said:


> That's great because the 85 is a bit soft, that's why I prefer the 81 but I need something thicker than the 81 for the band. GREAT to know! Thanks!!



Ever thought about the 57? I've read that it can have a decent high-mid attack as well. Keeps the higher output as well.


----------



## Zhysick

QUOTE="HeHasTheJazzHands, post: 5285106, member: 40417"]Ever thought about the 57? I've read that it can have a decent high-mid attack as well. Keeps the higher output as well.[/QUOTE]

Yes, but is covered and I am looking at the retroactive because I think the covered EMGs won't fit the routes of the guitar since the duncans fit pretty tight in there


----------



## SteveFireland

gnoll said:


> Are you guys sure? Did you put them into the same guitar? Is the tone different also? I thought the diff logo pickups were supposed to be the same.



I haven't tried them in the same guitar, tbf, but the difference is so marked, I can't see it being a factor. 

I've tried them a 9v and 18v too, with the same results. Actually, I can't say I noticed too much of a difference between 9v and 18v at all, just out of interest!


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

Hey guys, I need a bit of assistance with some troubleshooting. I've swapped in a 57/66-7 set into a guitar recently. It originally came with older soapbar 707s, with a fully soldered installation. I've switched everything over to a solderless setup (3-way strat switch, 1 vol, 1 SPC control, output jack, etc.). I can't seem to get it sorted correctly - one curious bit is the diagram for the switch itself. The images and model reference the B165(rC) both in images and the text, where as the model I have is a B165(rD) - which is physically different than the rC model in the diagrams. 










*please ignore the rat's nest of wiring, I'm looking forward to routing it neatly once I've got it working correctly...

I can't seem to get correct output with the SPC control daisy-chained with the rest of the harness. Very low, full of static, etc. Sounds like something is certainly wired incorrectly. I've been able to get it to work by going straight from the volume pot to the output jack (albeit with a suspicious amount of signal interference, but I can deal with that separately). The manual came with the switch, I know the switch operated correctly and I know the SPC control is good as I swapped it with another that I have in another guitar and it worked fine. I duplicated that one's wiring (for a 3-way, anyways, that guitar is HSS with a 5-way but identical controls) with no success. I'm suspicious of the power supply buss on the switch itself as well as the reversed input wires on the SPC pot, though I know that's how they're supposed to work. Any tips?


----------



## slavboi_delight

I changed my Moderns for a 57/66TW set and for some odd reason i have grounding issues when i turn down my volume. Usually i barely run into problems when i change pickups but what did i do wrong?


----------



## mcleanab

I've been using the 85 in the bridge for a lot of years... then discovered the 57 (and 66). A little more 'sophisticated' sounding than the 'rawness' of the 85. Love it. Then discovered the Het Set. Might be my favorite...


----------



## slavboi_delight

mcleanab said:


> I've been using the 85 in the bridge for a lot of years... then discovered the 57 (and 66). A little more 'sophisticated' sounding than the 'rawness' of the 85. Love it. Then discovered the Het Set. Might be my favorite...


I'm between the 57 or the hetfields. Both are absolutely splendid. Prefer the 66 over the hetfield neck though.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Crash Dandicoot said:


> Hey guys, I need a bit of assistance with some troubleshooting. I've swapped in a 57/66-7 set into a guitar recently. It originally came with older soapbar 707s, with a fully soldered installation. I've switched everything over to a solderless setup (3-way strat switch, 1 vol, 1 SPC control, output jack, etc.). I can't seem to get it sorted correctly - one curious bit is the diagram for the switch itself. The images and model reference the B165(rC) both in images and the text, where as the model I have is a B165(rD) - which is physically different than the rC model in the diagrams.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *please ignore the rat's nest of wiring, I'm looking forward to routing it neatly once I've got it working correctly...
> 
> I can't seem to get correct output with the SPC control daisy-chained with the rest of the harness. Very low, full of static, etc. Sounds like something is certainly wired incorrectly. I've been able to get it to work by going straight from the volume pot to the output jack (albeit with a suspicious amount of signal interference, but I can deal with that separately). The manual came with the switch, I know the switch operated correctly and I know the SPC control is good as I swapped it with another that I have in another guitar and it worked fine. I duplicated that one's wiring (for a 3-way, anyways, that guitar is HSS with a 5-way but identical controls) with no success. I'm suspicious of the power supply buss on the switch itself as well as the reversed input wires on the SPC pot, though I know that's how they're supposed to work. Any tips?


Can you PM me? Thanks.


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

Success 






I'm late to the party but the 57/66 sounds pretty good, IMO. SPC boosting the mid-range really wakes them up.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Crash Dandicoot said:


> Success
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm late to the party but the 57/66 sounds pretty good, IMO. SPC boosting the mid-range really wakes them up.


What was the solution? Bad 9v cable?


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

I had the output wires reversed whilst simultaneously having my 24v setup reversed. Don't ask me how it worked in the previous setup, I guess they worked wrong together. All is well now!


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Crash Dandicoot said:


> I had the output wires reversed whilst simultaneously having my 24v setup reversed. Don't ask me how it worked in the previous setup, I guess they worked wrong together. All is well now!


Lol good one! Well, if the battery dies fast, then a wire is crossed and isn't shutting off when unplugged. Glad it is working now though.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Saw an emg 85x on Reverb for cheap so I nabbed it. Everyone seems to say it's their favorite X series pickup so gonna give it a shot


----------



## CovertSovietBear

The only reason I took out both my EMG 808s and Blackouts, was simply because of the battery. Battery replacement every few months kind of bugged me enough never to go active again. The 808s sounded fine, rather flat and the Blackouts were just too hot, no headroom. In your case you want versatility by ease of swapping different models in/out, but in my case and others, I have no need to continually switch out pickups.


----------



## Hoss632

Zhysick said:


> QUOTE="HeHasTheJazzHands, post: 5285106, member: 40417"]Ever thought about the 57? I've read that it can have a decent high-mid attack as well. Keeps the higher output as well.



Yes, but is covered and I am looking at the retroactive because I think the covered EMGs won't fit the routes of the guitar since the duncans fit pretty tight in there[/QUOTE]
Get the Jim root retroset. His bridge pick up is based on the 81 but with a wider frequency range.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Okay so I remember hating the EMG 81x because compared to the 81, it was more loose and smoother. 

Much different with the 85x and 85. The 85x is lower output, but also less bassy, tighter, and has a more sparkly top end. I MUCH prefer the 85x in the bridge over the 81. Can still get a tight chuggy sound while having a sparkling clean bridge sound.


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

^ 85x is one of my more favorite bridge pickups from EMG. Bit of a sleeper, IMO.


----------



## Choop

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Okay so I remember hating the EMG 81x because compared to the 81, it was more loose and smoother.
> 
> Much different with the 85x and 85. The 85x is lower output, but also less bassy, tighter, and has a more sparkly top end. I MUCH prefer the 85x in the bridge over the 81. Can still get a tight chuggy sound while having a sparkling clean bridge sound.



Interesting...I wonder what would be a good neck pickup to pair with. I used to plan to do an 85X and 60AX pair in my SG, but I ended up installing a SH5/SH1n pair in it instead. Does anyone here have experience with the 60AX? It seems like a very rarely utilized pup.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Choop said:


> Interesting...I wonder what would be a good neck pickup to pair with. I used to plan to do an 85X and 60AX pair in my SG, but I ended up installing a SH5/SH1n pair in it instead. Does anyone here have experience with the 60AX? It seems like a very rarely utilized pup.


I like the 60A at 24v, so the 60AX might be something like that.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Choop said:


> Interesting...I wonder what would be a good neck pickup to pair with. I used to plan to do an 85X and 60AX pair in my SG, but I ended up installing a SH5/SH1n pair in it instead. Does anyone here have experience with the 60AX? It seems like a very rarely utilized pup.


I mean it sounds like you can do two 85Xs and get away with it, like some people do two 81(x)s.


----------



## Choop

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I mean it sounds like you can do two 85Xs and get away with it, like some people do two 81(x)s.



Yeah! I watched some demos that had an 85X/85X pair on my lunch break; that arrangement does seem to pair well.


----------



## Quiet Coil

…89XR…


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Quiet Coil said:


> …89XR…


I'm actually debating on putting an 89X in one of my Strats so I can make full use of all 5 positions on my switch. Sure it's possible, but I haaate the output difference, plus position 4 (or 2) is borderline useless because the bridge position overpowers the middle. So having a splitable bridge pickup helps a lot. Sure, I gotta tap the pickup when I plan on using that position, then un-tap it when I go back to bridge humbucker, but I've done worse.


----------



## Quiet Coil

If you do try out the 89X @HeHasTheJazzHands, you’ll have to let me know how it stacks up to the 85X (while in humbucker mode obviously).

Also - I had an Ibby Mick Thomson sig with an 81TW and 89 wired to a 4-pole 5-way back in the day to go through the various modes - no push-pull (though don’t ask me how, this was before I did any of my own wiring).


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'm actually debating on putting an 89X in one of my Strats so I can make full use of all 5 positions on my switch. Sure it's possible, but I haaate the output difference, plus position 4 (or 2) is borderline useless because the bridge position overpowers the middle. So having a splitable bridge pickup helps a lot. Sure, I gotta tap the pickup when I plan on using that position, then un-tap it when I go back to bridge humbucker, but I've done worse.


Why use a humbucker when you can use some killer single coils and some boosts in your guitar like the SPC.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

I actually visited EMG’s factory a couple of weeks ago when I was in Santa Rosa, Ca along with Mesa Boogie in Petaluma. EMG is just a simple warehouse building in an industrial park, totally unmarked building, no branding whatsoever. I was hoping to get a tour but it was the weekend so they were closed.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> I actually visited EMG’s factory a couple of weeks ago when I was in Santa Rosa, Ca along with Mesa Boogie in Petaluma. EMG is just a simple warehouse building in an industrial park, totally unmarked building, no branding whatsoever. I was hoping to get a tour but it was the weekend so they were closed.


I figured they'd have the red EMG logo and all that. Strange.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Got to install an EMG Daemonum bridge. And it's very different from my 81 and my Hetset. 

This is very fat in the mids and it's a bit darker than the Hetfield bridge. But chugs more if that makes any sense. The Hetfield sounds crunchier, bassier, and more pissed off in the highs but you can hear the mids are relaxed. 

Still is plenty tight but doesnt have much of the attack of the Het or 81. It's fat, middy, and has a wide frequency. Highs are a bit rolled off. Im assuming this would sound great in a dense live mix.

I love those black steel poles, btw.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Sounds like it'd be a lot like the AHB3 pickups. Tight low end, lots of mids, but a smooth top end that really isn't cutting. If that's the case, I don't think I'd like this set since the smooth high end of the AHB3 turned me off.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I figured they'd have the red EMG logo and all that. Strange.



I thought everything would be red and black given ESP's recent love of red and black.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I just tried the 85X in another guitar.

Now that I got decent experience with it, yeah I can it's a more versatile pickup than the 81 and the 85. Lower output, slightly less mids, and more treble than both. Slightly more low end than the 81, less than the 85. The midrange isn't as aggressive as the 85. You get a different sounding attack. Very snappy and a bit twangy sounding (if you tried the Het Set you may know what I mean). Still has that EMG sounding... sound though. If you get me.

Basically if you want a more versatile EMG that still does metal, I'd say go for either the 57 or 85X. The 57 seems to be more aggressive and higher output while the 85X seems to be more tame.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I thought everything would be red and black given ESP's recent love of red and black.


ESP?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I just tried the 85X in another guitar.
> 
> Now that I got decent experience with it, yeah I can it's a more versatile pickup than the 81 and the 85. Lower output, slightly less mids, and more treble than both. Slightly more low end than the 81, less than the 85. The midrange isn't as aggressive as the 85. You get a different sounding attack. Very snappy and a bit twangy sounding (if you tried the Het Set you may know what I mean). Still has that EMG sounding... sound though. If you get me.
> 
> Basically if you want a more versatile EMG that still does metal, I'd say go for either the 57 or 85X. The 57 seems to be more aggressive and higher output while the 85X seems to be more tame.


How does it react to the acoustic qualities of different types of guitars?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> ESP?



EMG. Whoops. ESP also had their love of red accents a bit ago too. 



Spaced Out Ace said:


> How does it react to the acoustic qualities of different types of guitars?



Well from what I can tell, it does seem to like darker guitars. Complete opposite of the 85 which likes brighter guitars. I had it in my Tele which is darker, and fits that guitar well, while the brightness got a bit overbearing in my brighter sounding Schecter A-1.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Well from what I can tell, it does seem to like darker guitars. Complete opposite of the 85 which likes brighter guitars. I had it in my Tele which is darker, and fits that guitar well, while the brightness got a bit overbearing in my brighter sounding Schecter A-1.


Does it allow more or less of the guitar tone versus a standard series EMG?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Does it allow more or less of the guitar tone versus a standard series EMG?



Gonna find out a bit more because I got an 89X on order. 

Wanted an ivory pickup to match the guitar and other pickups (2 SLVs in ivory) and this popped up, so fuck it gonna try it.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Gonna find out a bit more because I got an 89X on order.
> 
> Wanted an ivory pickup to match the guitar and other pickups (2 SLVs in ivory) and this popped up, so fuck it gonna try it.



For all it's worth I fucking loved the 89X. If I do EMGs again I'm going 57/89XR. My 2 favorite pickups from them and they would probably pair perfectly.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

I may have to give a gander to the 8 string version of the 85X. I’ve never liked the 85, but don’t have much experience with the X version. I know the 60X and 60 are my favorite EMGs and I like the 81X, so the 85X may be a bit cooler than I’m thinking.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Man Fishman can learn from EMG. I got curious and it turns out they had wiring diagrams for a 3 pickup Strat (S-S-TW) setup. Wasn't expecting that, but its gonna help a looot. 

https://www.emgpickups.com/pub/stat...top-wiring-diagrams/2-EMG-1-TW-1v-1t-B161.pdf
https://www.emgpickups.com/pub/stat...top-wiring-diagrams/2-EMG-1-TW-1v-2t-B161.pdf


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Man Fishman can learn from EMG. I got curious and it turns out they had wiring diagrams for a 3 pickup Strat (S-S-TW) setup. Wasn't expecting that, but its gonna help a looot.
> 
> https://www.emgpickups.com/pub/stat...top-wiring-diagrams/2-EMG-1-TW-1v-1t-B161.pdf
> https://www.emgpickups.com/pub/stat...top-wiring-diagrams/2-EMG-1-TW-1v-2t-B161.pdf


EMG typically has some really good diagrams, but you either need to know where to look, ask, and assume things on occasion when wiring things up.


----------



## Dooky

So, I have also ways been a fan of EMGs - even during the years when it was considered very "uncool" to like or have EMGs. I think that has been slowly changing in recent times. Though, there is still a fair share of Fishman fanboys scoffing at EMGs. I kept reading that the pickups that have really helped change some people's opinions is the 57/66 set. I have just installed a 57 in one of my Ibanez'. I now think it's my new favourite pickup. Will be putting a set in my Jackson Dinky. Amazing pickup!


----------



## Robslalaina

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Does it allow more or less of the guitar tone versus a standard series EMG?


I keep hearing or reading this about EMGs but it really doesn't fit my own experience when I compared my basswood winged, thru-body maple neck, Floyd Special Jackson KEXMG with a friend's all mahogany Epiphone LP Prophecy. Both guitars had an 81 in the bridge and 85 in the neck. Both had the same string gauge and brand. Both were tuned to D. The amount of low end and low mids the Kelly had over the LP was crazy. The LP sounded like it had nothing else but mids. We had to adjust the EQ radically on both the EVH OD and the HT5R to get the LP to sound somewhat close to the Kelly but it never quite got there. So yeah, based on my experience even classic EMGs can sound vastly different in different guitars.


----------



## Hoss632

Robstonin said:


> I keep hearing or reading this about EMGs but it really doesn't fit my own experience when I compared my basswood winged, thru-body maple neck, Floyd Special Jackson KEXMG with a friend's all mahogany Epiphone LP Prophecy. Both guitars had an 81 in the bridge and 85 in the neck. Both had the same string gauge and brand. Both were tuned to D. The amount of low end and low mids the Kelly had over the LP was crazy. The LP sounded like it had nothing else but mids. We had to adjust the EQ radically on both the EVH OD and the HT5R to get the LP to sound somewhat close to the Kelly but it never quite got there. So yeah, based on my experience even classic EMGs can sound vastly different in different guitars.


a bit odd as I figured it would be the reverse as LP's generally have thick sounds regardless of pick ups in it and the kelly with the smaller thinner body i would've expected to sound thin. But then again I have a mahogany body set maple neck schecter and I feel the 81 sounds thin.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Robstonin said:


> I keep hearing or reading this about EMGs but it really doesn't fit my own experience when I compared my basswood winged, thru-body maple neck, Floyd Special Jackson KEXMG with a friend's all mahogany Epiphone LP Prophecy. Both guitars had an 81 in the bridge and 85 in the neck. Both had the same string gauge and brand. Both were tuned to D. The amount of low end and low mids the Kelly had over the LP was crazy. The LP sounded like it had nothing else but mids. We had to adjust the EQ radically on both the EVH OD and the HT5R to get the LP to sound somewhat close to the Kelly but it never quite got there. So yeah, based on my experience even classic EMGs can sound vastly different in different guitars.


I realize that EMGs allow the guitars acoustic tone to come through. My question was if the X series allows more of it.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I realize that EMGs allow the guitars acoustic tone to come through. My question was if the X series allows more of it.


Theoretically, it should since the X preamps have less gain and are less compressed than an equivalent non X variant. They don't slam the input of the amp quite as hard and they sound more even.

That's just my experience with the 81x, 85x, 60x, and 707x.


----------



## Robslalaina

Hoss632 said:


> a bit odd as I figured it would be the reverse as LP's generally have thick sounds regardless of pick ups in it and the kelly with the smaller thinner body i would've expected to sound thin. But then again I have a mahogany body set maple neck schecter and I feel the 81 sounds thin.


My friend and I couldn't believe the result either. But then again Zakk Wylde once said back when he was still with Gibson that all of his sigs sounded different even though they all had the same specs. Wood does affect tone. Wood species though? Not as consistently as we like to believe.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Robstonin said:


> My friend and I couldn't believe the result either. But then again Zakk Wylde once said back when he was still with Gibson that all of his sigs sounded different even though they all had the same specs. Wood does affect tone. Wood species though? Not as consistently as we like to believe.


Not all wood of a specific species is grown to the same weight, grain, etc.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Hoss632 said:


> a bit odd as I figured it would be the reverse as LP's generally have thick sounds regardless of pick ups in it and the kelly with the smaller thinner body i would've expected to sound thin. But then again I have a mahogany body set maple neck schecter and I feel the 81 sounds thin.



IME I've actually found Les Pauls to be pretty bright and cutting while I've found Explorer shapes, even a Kelly, to be dark and smooth.


----------



## Zhysick

The maple top has a LOT to do on this. Shape matter but the maple cap make for a tigher, brighter and more mid focused sound. Try a "real" custom les paul, a full mahogany one, no maple cap... thats dark as fuck and SGs and Explorers are just full mahogany so... closer to that sound, considering the differences in construction (where the neck joins the body), etc... weight and thickness matters a lot less in my experience. Surface (an explorer is bigger than a les paul) and neck-joint (method and "fret" where it joins the body) is noticeable.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> IME I've actually found Les Pauls to be pretty bright and cutting while I've found Explorer shapes, even a Kelly, to be dark and smooth.


This. The LPs I have come across and the one that I own are pretty bright. Especially the one with thick maple caps. The pancake-bodied/maple-necked Norlin Gibsons are the brightest of them all and consequently, the heaviest.


----------



## CanserDYI

There just has to be something wrong with my set of 81/85-7H's. They're the most low output sounding, no sustain bringing pickups I've ever heard! I play through the same patch and my Seymours just come to life, energetic and dynamic. Plug in the ESP and just boring as all hell....this is my first set of EMG's in 20 years of playing and I just cannot STAND them. 

Granted, I don't play thrash metal. Compressed clean ambient and modern "djentcore?/deathcore


----------



## c7spheres

CanserDYI said:


> There just has to be something wrong with my set of 81/85-7H's. They're the most low output sounding, no sustain bringing pickups I've ever heard! I play through the same patch and my Seymours just come to life, energetic and dynamic. Plug in the ESP and just boring as all hell....this is my first set of EMG's in 20 years of playing and I just cannot STAND them.
> 
> Granted, I don't play thrash metal. Compressed clean ambient and modern "djentcore?/deathcore


 Something might be wrong based on what you describe. Those are certainly not low gain pickups. Maybe check the battery and wiring first.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

CanserDYI said:


> There just has to be something wrong with my set of 81/85-7H's. They're the most low output sounding, no sustain bringing pickups I've ever heard! I play through the same patch and my Seymours just come to life, energetic and dynamic. Plug in the ESP and just boring as all hell....this is my first set of EMG's in 20 years of playing and I just cannot STAND them.
> 
> Granted, I don't play thrash metal. Compressed clean ambient and modern "djentcore?/deathcore



Can you do an AB recording of the Duncans and EMGs?


----------



## CanserDYI

I'll do an AB in a little bit sure, ones a 6 and the EMG's are in a 7, so i'll have to probably just not use the low A so the comparison can be apples to apples, unless you think you can hear it if i play low notes on both instruments? The 6 is in Drop C and the 7 is in Drop A. I know this ALSO might have somethiing to do with it as the low end is definitely way lower on the 7, but it shouldn't feel so dull. It also has an Evertune which i also find dulls the sound a lot acoustically.


----------



## elkoki

CanserDYI said:


> I'll do an AB in a little bit sure, ones a 6 and the EMG's are in a 7, so i'll have to probably just not use the low A so the comparison can be apples to apples, unless you think you can hear it if i play low notes on both instruments? The 6 is in Drop C and the 7 is in Drop A. I know this ALSO might have somethiing to do with it as the low end is definitely way lower on the 7, but it shouldn't feel so dull. It also has an Evertune which i also find dulls the sound a lot acoustically.



Are the EMG heights low?


----------



## CanserDYI

elkoki said:


> Are the EMG heights low?


I've tried low to high, and not much difference.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

elkoki said:


> Are the EMG heights low?



Yeah, I KNOW people here like to run their EMGs low, but for their intended output, they need to be close to the strings.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

c7spheres said:


> Something might be wrong based on what you describe. Those are certainly not low gain pickups. Maybe check the battery and wiring first.



Yeah I'd check the output jack grounding. When I installed my 89XR and 81TWX they were really low output and weak and eventually I figured out the stereo jack had one prong grounding out in the shielding paint of the cavity. It fixed pretty much all the problems once I bent the prong a little. 

The quick connects are also kinda unreliable and sometimes ground out funny, they're easy but I honestly prefer soldering. I'd go through and check the connections, unplugging each one until you find the issue too if it's worth the time, assuming your wiring isn't too complex.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Yeah, I KNOW people here like to run their EMGs low, but for their intended output, they need to be close to the strings.


Gross.


----------



## CanserDYI

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Can you do an AB recording of the Duncans and EMGs?


https://sndup.net/8k99

Tbh, listening to this recording, I can't really hear much difference, and while I like the first sound better, the EMG sound i got here is totally useable, but for some reason actually playing in the room with them, plugged into a cabinet, man I hear a difference. Tell me what you think, if you hear anything. i tried to play "the same thing" just noodling around in the same register.


----------



## CanserDYI

And honestly, just now kinda realizing my 6 string has a 56 on it, my 7 has a 68. This might be not fair to do apples to apples with, as the thicker string will be much darker in the room, and I'm also realizing I might not hate these pickups, I might just hate this bridge.


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> IME I've actually found Les Pauls to be pretty bright and cutting while I've found Explorer shapes, even a Kelly, to be dark and smooth.


My Kelly pro (mij) was the darkest sounding guitar I’ve played. More so than any LP I’ve tried.


----------



## jarledge

I just got my 57 and 66 set installed. I like them so far. We'll see how I feel after I try them out through a few different amps but overall I am pretty impressed.

The only thing they are lacking is a split coil mode. They'd be perfect if I could get a single coil tone. Fortunately, the pickups respond well to the volume and tone controls. I find rolling back to like 8.5 or 9 on the volume makes them feel more like a traditional pickup.


----------



## CanserDYI

jarledge said:


> I just got my 57 and 66 set installed. I like them so far. We'll see how I feel after I try them out through a few different amps but overall I am pretty impressed.
> 
> The only thing they are lacking is a split coil mode. They'd be perfect if I could get a single coil tone. Fortunately, the pickups respond well to the volume and tone controls. I find rolling back to like 8.5 or 9 on the volume makes them feel more like a traditional pickup.


Absolutely gorgeous guitar, is that a Carvin DC800?


----------



## jarledge

CanserDYI said:


> Absolutely gorgeous guitar, is that a Carvin DC800?



yes, it is carvin dc800.


----------



## Bodes

jarledge said:


> yes, it is carvin dc800.



Such a nice top there. I only see tops that good on the photo-topped LTDs.


----------



## youngthrasher9

After ten years playing Dimarzio and Duncan’s I’m back to considering EMG’s. I’m not digging the note separation I’m getting with the D-Activator in my 1 hum death kelly build anymore for death metal and blackened stuff. I mostly tune to baritone standard or drop A.

Talk me in or out of the EMG 81.


----------



## CanserDYI

youngthrasher9 said:


> After ten years playing Dimarzio and Duncan’s I’m back to considering EMG’s. I’m not digging the note separation I’m getting with the D-Activator in my 1 hum death kelly build anymore for death metal and blackened stuff. I mostly tune to baritone standard or drop A.
> 
> Talk me in or out of the EMG 81.


Listen to my example above. First is pegasus second is 81-7H


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

youngthrasher9 said:


> After ten years playing Dimarzio and Duncan’s I’m back to considering EMG’s. I’m not digging the note separation I’m getting with the D-Activator in my 1 hum death kelly build anymore for death metal and blackened stuff. I mostly tune to baritone standard or drop A.
> 
> Talk me in or out of the EMG 81.



The 81 so tight and compressed and aggressive that it's perfect for death metal tones IMO. It's not clear like the DA, but it makes up for it by being significantly more tight and aggressive.


----------



## youngthrasher9

CanserDYI said:


> Listen to my example above. First is pegasus second is 81-7H


That was a nice sounding clip, man. I can definitely hear a slightly more hifi sounding upper midrange with the 81 and it sounds a little hotter. 



HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The 81 so tight and compressed and aggressive that it's perfect for death metal tones IMO. It's not clear like the DA, but it makes up for it by being significantly more tight and aggressive.



This is kind of the answer I was looking for. I think part of the 81 charm is how loud the upper mid aggression actually is… almost like it doesn’t matter that it is a little messy sounding because you’re gonna hear every note whether you like it or not


----------



## Marked Man

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I just tried the 85X in another guitar.
> 
> Now that I got decent experience with it, yeah I can it's a more versatile pickup than the 81 and the 85. Lower output, slightly less mids, and more treble than both. Slightly more low end than the 81, less than the 85. The midrange isn't as aggressive as the 85. You get a different sounding attack. Very snappy and a bit twangy sounding (if you tried the Het Set you may know what I mean). Still has that EMG sounding... sound though. If you get me.
> 
> Basically if you want a more versatile EMG that still does metal, I'd say go for either the 57 or 85X. The 57 seems to be more aggressive and higher output while the 85X seems to be more tame.



I think the 85 is the best bridge lead pickup of the entire EMG range. Sounds very full (thank you Mids) yet precise and aggressive without being screechy. And the low end is brawny and good for hard rock to tech/prog metal. The really heavy stuff is where the 81 kills it for maximum edge though. I still haven't played anything more satisfying for metal rhythm than the 81.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Marked Man said:


> I think the 85 is the best bridge lead pickup of the entire EMG range. Sounds very full (thank you Mids) yet precise and aggressive without being screechy. And the low end is brawny and good for hard rock to tech/prog metal. The really heavy stuff is where the 81 kills it for maximum edge though. I still haven't played anything more satisfying for metal rhythm than the 81.


Like I said, absolutely hate the 85 in a lot of cases, and the 85X fixed those issues for me. You still get your mids, but they tame them so they aren't overpowering.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

EMG 57 >>>>> Fishman Modern >>>>>>>> any other actives imo

I am once again in possession of a 57 loaded guitar and it's one of the best tones I've had. It does my sound so easily. Sounds a little harsh with my typical X2N presets but once I dialed it a little darker it got great. Then I started fucking with the bass.

It sounds kinda vintage, definitely doesn't djent easy, but it's TIGHT and super dynamic and clear while having insane power and this massive bouncy low mid push. The guitar is naturally bright but really resonant, oddly like every other Avenger I've had, and very light, but with the 57 it's so fucking savage.

I've been searching for the guitar since I started playing and they were never up for sale even on reverb used, and even if I needed to swap electronics I would've still kept it. It's so satisfying knowing your ultimate GAS was completely worth it. I'll be posting a thread after work tonight but it's really the perfect guitar.

My mockingbird is the gold standard for my tone, it's thick and middy and super aggressive. It's a sledgehammer. This new Avenger is a little bit more mean and lean but in the same flavor, sort of the greatsword in the arsenal. Yeah it cuts but you can also beat the fuck out of someone with it.


----------



## LiveOVErdrive

I'm a simple man. Give me an 81 in the bridge and I'll play pinch squealies and chugs all day with a smile of my face.

AINT GOT NO SUICIIIIIDE MESSIAHHHHHHH


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

LiveOVErdrive said:


> I'm a simple man. Give me an 81 in the bridge and I'll play pinch squealies and chugs all day with a smile of my face.
> 
> AINT GOT NO SUICIIIIIDE MESSIAHHHHHHH


I’ll second that notion, tons of records whose guitar tones I loved were made with an 81.


----------



## LiveOVErdrive

Dumple Stilzkin said:


> I’ll second that notion, tons of records whose guitar tones I loved were made with an 81.


Its a minor thing but I've never had pinch harmonics feel quite as easy as with an 81. I just feel so in control of the guitar with one of those.

Honestly though it could be more about the fact that I stopped using cellulose picks around the same time as I swapped out my last 81.


----------



## slavboi_delight

I had a regular 57 which i loved so i sold them and went for the 57TW, which i hate for some odd reason. Everything i dug about the regular one, the TW does worse.
So i reinstalled the 81 and, bam, still the best pickup ever. I prefer the 81 in alder with a bolt on; super snappy but still very tight.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

slavboi_delight said:


> I had a regular 57 which i loved so i sold them and went for the 57TW, which i hate for some odd reason. Everything i dug about the regular one, the TW does worse.
> So i reinstalled the 81 and, bam, still the best pickup ever. I prefer the 81 in alder with a bolt on; super snappy but still very tight.



That's the issue with the TW pickups. They don't sound like their normal counterparts. It's probably to do with the tech of the pickup and the fact it has a unique preamp, as well as an odd coil configuration.


----------



## slavboi_delight

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> That's the issue with the TW pickups. They don't sound like their normal counterparts. It's probably to do with the tech of the pickup and the fact it has a unique preamp, as well as an odd coil configuration.


That's what i thought. The single which resides under the dual coils surely has to interfere with the actual sound. Same thing with the 81TW. Sounds not radically different, but different enough to be annoyed by it.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Something new on the horizon?

EDIT: Nope. New artist spotlight campaign.


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Something new on the horizon?


Excitement builds.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Dumple Stilzkin said:


> Excitement builds.



And just like that I'm here to dash the hopes I was making. 

It's just an artist spotlight campaign.


----------



## c7spheres

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Something new on the horizon?



Let us pray... Let us pray they are taking it to the next level of goodness. Please EMG. Don't F this up. Please don't mess with the old stuff either. Please don't be Fluence clones. Please don't become cheap crap. Please guitar gods may the force be with us in our time of need. In the name of Hendrix, Page, GIlmore, Iommi and the rest of the greats we pray. Chug-on.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

c7spheres said:


> Let us pray... Let us pray they are taking it to the next level of goodness. Please EMG. Don't F this up. Please don't mess with the old stuff either. Please don't be Fluence clones. Please don't become cheap crap. Please guitar gods may the force be with us in our time of need. In the name of Hendrix, Page, GIlmore, Iommi and the rest of the greats we pray. Chug-on.



Read my comment right before yours. 



HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> And just like that I'm here to dash the hopes I was making.
> 
> It's just an artist spotlight campaign.


----------



## c7spheres

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Read my comment right before yours.




Well, that was a close call. It worked!  When I start seeing names like Generation Next I start to think something is turning into a big turd by default.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

To really do #GenerationNext right, we need to see Rob go full Vince McMahon circa 1996.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> That's the issue with the TW pickups. They don't sound like their normal counterparts. It's probably to do with the tech of the pickup and the fact it has a unique preamp, as well as an odd coil configuration.



Not just the TW series either. The soapbar 7 and 8 versions sound different from the 6 string and humcap 7 and 8 string versions. The humcap EMG 7 amd 8s sound much closer to the 6 strings in my experience.


----------



## Emperoff

Kyle Jordan said:


> Not just the TW series either. The soapbar 7 and 8 versions sound different from the 6 string and humcap 7 and 8 string versions. The humcap EMG 7 amd 8s sound much closer to the 6 strings in my experience.



Yep. Even the EMG81-7 sounds different than the regular 6-string one. 

I never found it that much of a deal compared to the added benefits of splittable coils, etc.


----------



## akinari

Anybody got experience with the 909 and 909x? I usually prefer the X series over the regular blank0blank models, but I'm wondering how these 2 compare specifically. Just copped a 9 string that comes with 909s and I'm trying to get the clearest, most open possible sound across the entire range.


----------



## Zhysick

Ok, as much as I liked the Duncan Solar pickups NOW this is the guitar I really wanted...



 

Also trying the 85 in bridge for a bigger low end...


----------



## Hoss632

FINALLY got to hear a demo of the Jim root set in a tuning above drop B. Kinda debating now between them and a hot 70's set. In drop D and drop C# to me the jim root set shines better there.


----------



## Marked Man

Zhysick said:


> Ok, as much as I liked the Duncan Solar pickups NOW this is the guitar I really wanted...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Also trying the 85 in bridge for a bigger low end...





The 85 is probably my fave all around EMG for the bridge and is also in my favorite active guitar, old school Charvel 650 Custom. Very beefy and a superior lead pickup vs the 81, although I must say when you need max aggression, it's always the 81. At least for my '80s Thrash style which is all about edge. If you are into lower tunings, I bet the 85 would shine.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Marked Man said:


> View attachment 96226
> 
> The 85 is probably my fave all around EMG for the bridge and is also in my favorite active guitar, old school Charvel 650 Custom. Very beefy and a superior lead pickup vs the 81, although I must say when you need max aggression, it's always the 81. At least for my '80s Thrash style which is all about edge. If you are into lower tunings, I bet the 85 would shine.


If you need max aggression from an 85, I'd suggest using a boost of your choice. Some of the EQ/boosts (that allow you to select the frequency to roll off the low end) would work well in his regard.

What're the single coils?


----------



## Marked Man

Spaced Out Ace said:


> If you need max aggression from an 85, I'd suggest using a boost of your choice. Some of the EQ/boosts (that allow you to select the frequency to roll off the low end) would work well in his regard.
> 
> What're the single coils?



The EMG SPC boosts the 85 PERFECTLY. That and my Quad are all I need for 85 Nirvana, which always makes me sound my best. The singles are Steve Lukather SLVs, which are overwound SAs for more oomph. Also my favorite EMG singles for a shred application. They are the ones that really need the SPC for the fat lead sound I want, but then you can always back it down to zero for cleans. 

I like using the 650 for '80s Akira Takasaki (Loudness) style playing, as well as Jake E. Lee and Megadeth. This guitar has a really cool hi-tech sound.


----------



## Zhysick

Marked Man said:


> View attachment 96226
> 
> The 85 is probably my fave all around EMG for the bridge and is also in my favorite active guitar, old school Charvel 650 Custom. Very beefy and a superior lead pickup vs the 81, although I must say when you need max aggression, it's always the 81. At least for my '80s Thrash style which is all about edge. If you are into lower tunings, I bet the 85 would shine.



I would use the 81 in the bridge for my liking and style as I like the aggression BUT the drummer and the singer in the band have always said that my way of playing and the way I dial my tones make me sound too tight/stiff/surgical so I thought the 85 should be a nice step in that direction of making this less surgical and a bit more fat and "organic" (in opposition to surgical)

But an 81 in the bridge is hard to improve... Except for soloing, sure, which I almost don't do


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Marked Man said:


> The EMG SPC boosts the 85 PERFECTLY. That and my Quad are all I need for 85 Nirvana, which always makes me sound my best. The singles are Steve Lukather SLVs, which are overwound SAs for more oomph. Also my favorite EMG singles for a shred application. They are the ones that really need the SPC for the fat lead sound I want, but then you can always back it down to zero for cleans.
> 
> I like using the 650 for '80s Akira Takasaki (Loudness) style playing, as well as Jake E. Lee and Megadeth. This guitar has a really cool hi-tech sound.


I've thought about getting some used ivory 85s and HSS versions of the pickguards I have, but I really like the single coils I'm using now. The SLV, SA, SPC, and EXG combo like listed in my signature is really versatile and useful.

Akira and Jake are great players. I like Akira more, though there is a lot more material from Akira. I get some pretty good 80s Akira, Jake, Lynch, DeMartini tones with my guitars and the Tech 21 British. Only thing I've found to give me the tones I want is that Tech21 pedal.


----------



## Marked Man

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I've thought about getting some used ivory 85s and HSS versions of the pickguards I have, but I really like the single coils I'm using now. The SLV, SA, SPC, and EXG combo like listed in my signature is really versatile and useful.
> 
> Akira and Jake are great players. I like Akira more, though there is a lot more material from Akira. I get some pretty good 80s Akira, Jake, Lynch, DeMartini tones with my guitars and the Tech 21 British. Only thing I've found to give me the tones I want is that Tech21 pedal.



I also specialize in Lynch and DeMartini and have dedicated guitars for them. 

An LTD Kami 4 (I expected it to be good, but it's awesome, especially the Hunter pickups and raw maple neck) and my MIJ Charvel SD with JB to ape Warren.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Marked Man said:


> I also specialize in Lynch and DeMartini and have dedicated guitars for them.
> 
> An LTD Kami 4 (I expected it to be good, but it's awesome, especially the Hunter pickups and raw maple neck) and my MIJ Charvel SD with JB to ape Warren.


Nice! Mind if I come over and commandeer your gear pit?


----------



## Marked Man

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Nice! Mind if I come over and commandeer your gear pit?



If you bring a SLO100 or something cool with you, no problem!


----------



## soul_lip_mike

Anybody able to tell me how hard it would be to replace the tone knob (which I never use) with a killswitch on my M7?


----------



## Zhysick

soul_lip_mike said:


> Anybody able to tell me how hard it would be to replace the tone knob (which I never use) with a killswitch on my M7?



I have no clue but that guitar deserves to be seen by EVERYONE







There, there... thanks dude! What a beauty...


----------



## lewis

I'm baaaaack.
It's been a while.

Anyhow I'm looking to get the super 77 zebra set for my inca silver strat. Anyone know if metal covers fit if I get the correct pole spacing?


----------



## youngthrasher9

Who here has swapped out fishmans for EMGs? I’m more than likely going to pick up a epiphone prophecy and I feel like these fluences are just too thin for my taste. Were they a fairly direct swap?


----------



## soul_lip_mike

All of EMG's kits are solderless now so you should be fine.


----------



## Crumbling

Should be a direct QuickConnect swap, basically all active pups nowadays uses the same EMG 3 pin system. Fishman has an additional pin header for their voicing change.


----------



## lewis

youngthrasher9 said:


> Who here has swapped out fishmans for EMGs? I’m more than likely going to pick up a epiphone prophecy and I feel like these fluences are just too thin for my taste. Were they a fairly direct swap?



They swap and change perfect. Oh and, I joined this club years ago. The fishmans are so overly high fi it's thin, shrill nonsense. I struggled to get them to cut great live too.

Emg 81s go in the same guitar and bingo, problem solved.


----------



## lewis

Crumbling said:


> Should be a direct QuickConnect swap, basically all active pups nowadays uses the same EMG 3 pin system. Fishman has an additional pin header for their voicing change.


Emg do solderless push / pull pots which work to change the voicing on fishmans so even that's solved if you are using emg wiring with fishmans.


----------



## Marked Man

lewis said:


> They swap and change perfect. Oh and, I joined this club years ago. The fishmans are so overly high fi it's thin, shrill nonsense. I struggled to get them to cut great live too.
> 
> Emg 81s go in the same guitar and bingo, problem solved.



A lot of things that sound good when played by someone else on Youtube through a modeling amp, etc, don't translate the same way when you are pushing them on stage through real tube amps live. EMGs have been around a LOOONG time and they have worked for some of the biggest players around for decades. Live is where EMGs REALLY smoke in my book! The louder, the better!!


----------



## Hoss632

lewis said:


> They swap and change perfect. Oh and, I joined this club years ago. The fishmans are so overly high fi it's thin, shrill nonsense. I struggled to get them to cut great live too.
> 
> Emg 81s go in the same guitar and bingo, problem solved.


I would agree that the fishman moderns sound like that. But the 81/85 combo also is very thin sounding as well (at least to me ear and through my amp). I do agree that EMG's seem to cut better in a mix but I haven't had much experience with fishman's in that regard just yet. Right now I'm trying to decide if in my guitar I'm going to just swap over to retroactive EMG's to help fatten the sound, or full on swap the guitar over to passives.


----------



## Zhysick

Hoss632 said:


> I would agree that the fishman moderns sound like that. But the 81/85 combo also is very thin sounding as well (at least to me ear and through my amp). I do agree that EMG's seem to cut better in a mix but I haven't had much experience with fishman's in that regard just yet. Right now I'm trying to decide if in my guitar I'm going to just swap over to retroactive EMG's to help fatten the sound, or full on swap the guitar over to passives.



Then use the 85 in the bridge and the 81 in the neck... problem solved!


----------



## Hoss632

Zhysick said:


> Then use the 85 in the bridge and the 81 in the neck... problem solved!


Already did that, it doesn't solve the problem. Still too compressed for my liking though it has been a better tone than the 81.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

How high did you have the pickups?


----------



## Zhysick

Hoss632 said:


> Already did that, it doesn't solve the problem. Still too compressed for my liking though it has been a better tone than the 81.





Spaced Out Ace said:


> How high did you have the pickups?



That!! If it's too compressed then lower the pickups... if an 81 is too thin sounding (that's what you said and why I reply to use the 85) then use an 85 in the bridge.

If it's still too compressed and thin I guess an 85X would solve all of that but... I haven't tried one myself but 89 is a bit fuller and rounder than the 85 so it could be a nice step in the right direction also...


----------



## Hoss632

Zhysick said:


> That!! If it's too compressed then lower the pickups... if an 81 is too thin sounding (that's what you said and why I reply to use the 85) then use an 85 in the bridge.
> 
> If it's still too compressed and thin I guess an 85X would solve all of that but... I haven't tried one myself but 89 is a bit fuller and rounder than the 85 so it could be a nice step in the right direction also...


As far as pick up height. I don't have the measurement. Being new to that what I did was when I swapped them, I started with the pick up at it's lowest setting, and as suggested by a video I raised the height up slowly to bring the low end in, and then once low end did not increase anymore I stopped. As far as the 85X, i'm guessing the x-preamp gives the pick up a more passive feel? Not gonna lie I've not looked at their x series hardly at all. Also wouldn't the 57 be another viable option as well?


----------



## Zhysick

Hoss632 said:


> As far as pick up height. I don't have the measurement. Being new to that what I did was when I swapped them, I started with the pick up at it's lowest setting, and as suggested by a video I raised the height up slowly to bring the low end in, and then once low end did not increase anymore I stopped. As far as the 85X, i'm guessing the x-preamp gives the pick up a more passive feel? Not gonna lie I've not looked at their x series hardly at all. Also wouldn't the 57 be another viable option as well?



Less compressed, more dynamic, more headroom.

I adjust height the other way: I start closer to the strings and then lower them until I find where the clarity comes in... normally what I look is the point where the lows stop being muddy and overbearing.

But hey! Maybe EMGs are not for you, just that!


----------



## Hoss632

Zhysick said:


> Less compressed, more dynamic, more headroom.
> 
> I adjust height the other way: I start closer to the strings and then lower them until I find where the clarity comes in... normally what I look is the point where the lows stop being muddy and overbearing.
> 
> But hey! Maybe EMGs are not for you, just that!


Eh it may just be this particular set. I look at the retroactive stuff as they are more open and less compressed and I personally think as far as actives go the hot 70's may be the best sounding set on the market. Which is why I'd love to try them


----------



## Hoss632

Zhysick said:


> Less compressed, more dynamic, more headroom.
> 
> I adjust height the other way: I start closer to the strings and then lower them until I find where the clarity comes in... normally what I look is the point where the lows stop being muddy and overbearing.
> 
> But hey! Maybe EMGs are not for you, just that!


Also if I could pick your brain a bit. Should I also play around more with the EQ and presence? This is the first amp I've had with a presence knob so I'm still learning how that can help shape tone.


----------



## Marked Man

Hoss632 said:


> I would agree that the fishman moderns sound like that. But the 81/85 combo also is very thin sounding as well (at least to me ear and through my amp). I do agree that EMG's seem to cut better in a mix but I haven't had much experience with fishman's in that regard just yet. Right now I'm trying to decide if in my guitar I'm going to just swap over to retroactive EMG's to help fatten the sound, or full on swap the guitar over to passives.



The 85 sounds huge in my Charvel through the Mesa Marks, a marriage made in heaven. And just for good measure, I also have the SPC midboost onboard, although I mostly use it for the singles. The signal/noise ratio of EMGs is very high, and they are even better close to the strings. Sounds great live and in the studio.

The 81 can sound thin in many non-LP guitars until the gain is absolutely cranked, although again, the SPC can be used to improve the room as I often say.


----------



## Hoss632

Marked Man said:


> The 85 sounds huge in my Charvel through the Mesa Marks, a marriage made in heaven. And just for good measure, I also have the SPC midboost onboard, although I mostly use it for the singles. The signal/noise ratio of EMGs is very high, and they are even better close to the strings. Sounds great live and in the studio.
> 
> The 81 can sound thin in many non-LP guitars until the gain is absolutely cranked, although again, the SPC can be used to improve the room as I often say.


This might make me sound like a walking contradiction. As far as mids go the 85 is perfectly fine. And even in the context of playing in a band and hearing a play back of myself within the mix of that band, my guitar actually sits nicely in there. Which I suppose in the end is really what matters most.


----------



## Mathemagician

57’s are always an option.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

Mathemagician said:


> 57’s are always an option.



More dynamic, more low end, more chunk???

57s all the WAY bro, it solves every problem I have with the 81 without losing the same cut and tightness, plus it does better crunch and can pull of some sick chimey PAF cleans. 

I was RUSHING to this thread to spam a 57 comment.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

TheBolivianSniper said:


> More dynamic, more low end, more chunk???
> 
> 57s all the WAY bro, it solves every problem I have with the 81 without losing the same cut and tightness, plus it does better crunch and can pull of some sick chimey PAF cleans.
> 
> I was RUSHING to this thread to spam a 57 comment.


Accurate artist rendition of Boli.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Accurate artist rendition of Boli.




Someone needs to be told about the best active on the market????


----------



## Warmart

So you're saying 57 > 85?!


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

Warmart said:


> So you're saying 57 > 85?!


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

By the way, we are on page 81 of the EMG thread. Carry on.


----------



## Jeffrey Bain

I've been rocking the het set for a minute in my FGN and I gotta say they're pretty awesome. Really organic sounding


----------



## lewis

Anyone know if covers fit over the retro active set?


----------



## Hoss632

Jeffrey Bain said:


> I've been rocking the het set for a minute in my FGN and I gotta say they're pretty awesome. Really organic sounding


I've always wanted to hear a hetset in person. Can never find any of his ESP sigs at local stores unfortunately. I see Kirk's all the time though


----------



## Warmart

Hoss632 said:


> I've always wanted to hear a hetset in person. Can never find any of his ESP sigs at local stores unfortunately. I see Kirk's all the time though


I acquired a set that a dude put in an LTD Arrow 1000 I bought and man, I was blown away immediately by them. Currently my only EMG guitar, had 85/81 in the past. Really no comparison between them, the Het's have so much more range to them but still have the punch. Haven't heard of many that didn't love them.


----------



## Zhysick

lewis said:


> Anyone know if covers fit over the retro active set?



I'm not sure but checking my bandmate's guitar (Cort KX300) looks like the size is the normal passive humbucker size... pretty sure you can find measurements on emg's page to be completely sure but I would say yes, 90% sure yes.


----------



## lewis

Zhysick said:


> I'm not sure but checking my bandmate's guitar (Cort KX300) looks like the size is the normal passive humbucker size... pretty sure you can find measurements on emg's page to be completely sure but I would say yes, 90% sure yes.


Thank you


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

https://www.guitarworld.com/amp/features/richie-faulkner-50-heavy-metal-years-tour

Richie Falkner is getting a signature EMG set.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

So I got an 89/SA/SA set for my Charvel Promod DK24. Installation was much more of a hassle than I anticipated.

Random anecdotes of the job and me being a moron:

* The kit was sent with short wires as it was designed to go onto a pickguard. Couldn't finish install initially.
* Ordered new longer wires from EMG.
* Start install, follow instructions in the kit to a T.
* Accidentally tighten the humbucker too much because I used a drill instead of a screwdriver, and actually manage to break the fucking tab off the pickup. Humbucker still stays in place with one tab. Have to deal for now.
* Order replacement 89 (this time I will not use a drill).
* Everything wired up as the instructions dictate, I get sound out of one of the SA's so I re-string the guitar and put it all back together.
* Humbucker has no sound! Fuck, take it all back apart. Play around with it more, finally get sound out of all pickups, but volume knob doesn't do anything. Fuck me again.
* Turns out the instructions with the kit weren't what I needed, had to find a new wiring diagram on the EMG site.
* Finally get everything working and put back together. Guitar sounds great!

Awaiting replacement 89.

Thanks for reading my story you probably don't care about, but had to vent!


----------



## Mathemagician

soul_lip_mike said:


> So I got an 89/SA/SA set for my Charvel Promod DK24. Installation was much more of a hassle than I anticipated.
> 
> Random anecdotes of the job and me being a moron:
> 
> * The kit was sent with short wires as it was designed to go onto a pickguard. Couldn't finish install initially.
> * Ordered new longer wires from EMG.
> * Start install, follow instructions in the kit to a T.
> * Accidentally tighten the humbucker too much because I used a drill instead of a screwdriver, and actually manage to break the fucking tab off the pickup. Humbucker still stays in place with one tab. Have to deal for now.
> * Order replacement 89 (this time I will not use a drill).
> * Everything wired up as the instructions dictate, I get sound out of one of the SA's so I re-string the guitar and put it all back together.
> * Humbucker has no sound! Fuck, take it all back apart. Play around with it more, finally get sound out of all pickups, but volume knob doesn't do anything. Fuck me again.
> * Turns out the instructions with the kit weren't what I needed, had to find a new wiring diagram on the EMG site.
> * Finally get everything working and put back together. Guitar sounds great!
> 
> Awaiting replacement 89.
> 
> Thanks for reading my story you probably don't care about, but had to vent!



Sounds like a lot of work but in the end it looks awesome and I bet sounds awesome too. Sucks about the 89 tab though. The white + gold looks awesome.


----------



## Zhysick

soul_lip_mike said:


> So I got an 89/SA/SA set for my Charvel Promod DK24. Installation was much more of a hassle than I anticipated.
> 
> Random anecdotes of the job and me being a moron:
> 
> * The kit was sent with short wires as it was designed to go onto a pickguard. Couldn't finish install initially.
> * Ordered new longer wires from EMG.
> * Start install, follow instructions in the kit to a T.
> * Accidentally tighten the humbucker too much because I used a drill instead of a screwdriver, and actually manage to break the fucking tab off the pickup. Humbucker still stays in place with one tab. Have to deal for now.
> * Order replacement 89 (this time I will not use a drill).
> * Everything wired up as the instructions dictate, I get sound out of one of the SA's so I re-string the guitar and put it all back together.
> * Humbucker has no sound! Fuck, take it all back apart. Play around with it more, finally get sound out of all pickups, but volume knob doesn't do anything. Fuck me again.
> * Turns out the instructions with the kit weren't what I needed, had to find a new wiring diagram on the EMG site.
> * Finally get everything working and put back together. Guitar sounds great!
> 
> Awaiting replacement 89.
> 
> Thanks for reading my story you probably don't care about, but had to vent!




HOLY COW! I was reading your story but I couldn't anticipate the guitar would look SO FUCKING AMAZING!!! Is your guitar in the dictionary as definition for class or elegance? It should...

I was expecting black EMGs on a "natural" Charvel... don't know why, maybe because that's more common but this is fucking great!

Oh shit... I think I might need one of this white charvels with gold hardware now... and a set of EMGs, of course!


----------



## soul_lip_mike

The 89 has a push pull pot to make it toggle between single and hum. However, the strat style knobs are an absolute bitch to pull up. Definitely not something you could do seamlessly.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

Zhysick said:


> HOLY COW! I was reading your story but I couldn't anticipate the guitar would look SO FUCKING AMAZING!!! Is your guitar in the dictionary as definition for class or elegance? It should...
> 
> I was expecting black EMGs on a "natural" Charvel... don't know why, maybe because that's more common but this is fucking great!
> 
> Oh shit... I think I might need one of this white charvels with gold hardware now... and a set of EMGs, of course!



The cool thing is that Charvel is super affordable. I bought it because I wanted a beater guitar that I could not be too careful with. It plays amazing and was around $900.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

soul_lip_mike said:


> * Accidentally tighten the humbucker too much because I used a drill instead of a screwdriver, and actually manage to break the fucking tab off the pickup. Humbucker still stays in place with one tab. Have to deal for now.
> * Order replacement 89 (this time I will not use a drill).


Reminder... say it with me: Drills. Are. For. Screw. Removal. And. Pilot. Holes.
Drills. Are. For. Screw. Removal. And. Pilot. Holes.
Drills. Are. For. Screw. Removal. And. Pilot. Holes.
Drills. Are. For. Screw. Removal. And. Pilot. Holes.
Drills. Are. For. Screw. Removal. And. Pilot. Holes.

(In all seriousness, never use a drill to screw in something. Get a universal ratchet screwdriver set for that. Also, I typically do not pay attention to the wiring stuff in the pickups; I look up on the site their wiring diagrams and piece it together via personal use case scenario. Lastly, check ALL pickups, positions, pots, etc. BEFORE stringing up the guitar. Strings make a five minute fix into an hour long cussing marathon.)


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

soul_lip_mike said:


> The 89 has a push pull pot to make it toggle between single and hum. However, the strat style knobs are an absolute bitch to pull up. Definitely not something you could do seamlessly.


They will become less stiff over time. Take off the Stratocaster style knob, and use the push pull several times (10-15) over the next few days. It'll function more seamlessly rather than be a pain in the ass.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

soul_lip_mike said:


> The 89 has a push pull pot to make it toggle between single and hum. However, the strat style knobs are an absolute bitch to pull up. Definitely not something you could do seamlessly.



if emg would do solderless push push pots I would most likely bust a nut


----------



## soul_lip_mike

TheBolivianSniper said:


> if emg would do solderless push push pots I would most likely bust a nut



whats a push push pot? Same thing just like a button instead of up/down?


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

soul_lip_mike said:


> whats a push push pot? Same thing just like a button instead of up/down?



yeah instead of pulling it you just tap it and it engages, the JP majesty has 2 of them


----------



## CanserDYI

TheBolivianSniper said:


> yeah instead of pulling it you just tap it and it engages, the JP majesty has 2 of them


Those are sick as hell, i'm just always afraid there are a finite amount of pushes on them, irrational i know, but I always think "man that's gonna go bad one of these days"


----------



## Matt08642

CanserDYI said:


> Those are sick as hell, i'm just always afraid there are a finite amount of pushes on them, irrational i know, but I always think "man that's gonna go bad one of these days"



$8 for years of use seems reasonable lol. When it dies or stops working, replace it like any other pot


----------



## CanserDYI

Matt08642 said:


> $8 for years of use seems reasonable lol. When it dies or stops working, replace it like any other pot


OH trust me, I get the ease of it, its an irrational fear. I have one for neck thru's too, I always see them and think about humidity twisting the shit out of them and not being able to shim the neck or etc. Irrational as hell, because I've never seen it happen to a neck thru lol


----------



## CanserDYI

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Reminder... say it with me: Drills. Are. For. Screw. Removal. And. Pilot. Holes.
> Drills. Are. For. Screw. Removal. And. Pilot. Holes.
> Drills. Are. For. Screw. Removal. And. Pilot. Holes.
> Drills. Are. For. Screw. Removal. And. Pilot. Holes.
> Drills. Are. For. Screw. Removal. And. Pilot. Holes.
> 
> (In all seriousness, never use a drill to screw in something. Get a universal ratchet screwdriver set for that. Also, I typically do not pay attention to the wiring stuff in the pickups; I look up on the site their wiring diagrams and piece it together via personal use case scenario. Lastly, check ALL pickups, positions, pots, etc. BEFORE stringing up the guitar. Strings make a five minute fix into an hour long cussing marathon.)


You know how many times I cringe weekly at the amount of youtuber's that drill in their neck screws? Looking at you Darrell Braun....


----------



## Zhysick

soul_lip_mike said:


> The cool thing is that Charvel is super affordable. I bought it because I wanted a beater guitar that I could not be too careful with. It plays amazing and was around $900.



Well, 900$ is not what I call super affordable but... hey! it's obiously a very reasonable price for a very great guitar... I love charvel's neck profiles but I think this is the first time I see one of this in white.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I wish push-push knobs were more common. Somtimes my stubby, slipper fingertips can't grab onto some push-pull pots properly.  I have my Strat's push-pul sticking out a mile from the body so I can grip it better by grabbing the rim of it. 

Also I'm about to betray EMG for a bit. I found a Duncan Blackout AHB1 bridge for cheap on Reverb and I finally need to give it a shot. I remember trying a Blackout-loaded Schecter 7-string once awhile back and actually kinda dug it.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I found a Duncan Blackout AHB1 bridge for cheap on Reverb and I finally need to give it a shot.


I heard a lot of good things about the neck in the bridge. I think the demos of them sound too saturated. I don't know if it's the preamp they used (the one they made a big deal out of in ads) or whatever, but I think they could've done better with them. Maybe they have strong magnets like a passive and that's the issue? I don't know. I just thought the demos of them never sounded great, because the saturation.


----------



## Mathemagician

Zhysick said:


> HOLY COW! I was reading your story but I couldn't anticipate the guitar would look SO FUCKING AMAZING!!! Is your guitar in the dictionary as definition for class or elegance? It should...
> 
> I was expecting black EMGs on a "natural" Charvel... don't know why, maybe because that's more common but this is fucking great!
> 
> Oh shit... I think I might need one of this white charvels with gold hardware now... and a set of EMGs, of course!



The N4 I have been debating adding EMGs to and I will pretend we didn’t hear that.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I heard a lot of good things about the neck in the bridge. I think the demos of them sound too saturated. I don't know if it's the preamp they used (the one they made a big deal out of in ads) or whatever, but I think they could've done better with them. Maybe they have strong magnets like a passive and that's the issue? I don't know. I just thought the demos of them never sounded great, because the saturation.



I was gonna put it in my Schecter Avenger, which is a little quieter than my other guitars. I do know some people love to swap the two pickups around, like Michael Sweet. 

There's some clips online of Duncans and EMGs without batteries and they seem to have the same amount of output without the batteries. Just the EMGs tend to be a lot brighter while the Blackouts are more mellow. 

Just seems to be that the preamps are super fucking hot. I think Duncan's intention was to make an active that sounds like a super fucking hot passive pickup, while EMGs were designed to have tons of output while retaining low end clarity, which explains the drastic bass cut.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I was gonna put it in my Schecter Avenger, which is a little quieter than my other guitars. I do know some people love to swap the two pickups around, like Michael Sweet.
> 
> There's some clips online of Duncans and EMGs without batteries and they seem to have the same amount of output without the batteries. Just the EMGs tend to be a lot brighter while the Blackouts are more mellow.
> 
> Just seems to be that the preamps are super fucking hot. I think Duncan's intention was to make an active that sounds like a super fucking hot passive pickup, while EMGs were designed to have tons of output while retaining low end clarity, which explains the drastic bass cut.


If I got a set, I'd probably get an AHB-1n for the bridge and a Blackouts rebranded Livewire Alnico II Classic for the neck.


----------



## Zhysick

Mathemagician said:


> The N4 I have been debating adding EMGs to and I will pretend we didn’t hear that.



You mean you are going for Reb Beach vibe on your N4?


----------



## Mathemagician

Zhysick said:


> You mean you are going for Reb Beach vibe on your N4?



Yes, but I’m debating gold and a gold hardware swap. 

I’m also debating painting the body neon pink.


----------



## Zhysick

Mathemagician said:


> Yes, but I’m debating gold and a gold hardware swap.
> 
> I’m also debating painting the body neon pink.



Debating painting the body neon pink? What do you mean? If it is not painted neon pink already then you are taking too much time to do what it has to be done.


----------



## Hoss632

I honestly wish the EMG sets that have the single coil voice could be wired up with a 5 way super switch instead of a pull/push pot.


----------



## Quiet Coil

Hoss632 said:


> I honestly wish the EMG sets that have the single coil voice could be wired up with a 5 way super switch instead of a pull/push pot.


They can…


----------



## Hoss632

Quiet Coil said:


> They can…


I've never seen it done on a guitar so I did not know if that was something that could be wired up or not.


----------



## Emperoff

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I wish push-push knobs were more common. Somtimes my stubby, slipper fingertips can't grab onto some push-pull pots properly.  I have my Strat's push-pul sticking out a mile from the body so I can grip it better by grabbing the rim of it.



Hipshot O-Ring knobs!


----------



## Jeremy Keiper

lewis said:


> Everything about EMG just makes me want to keep going back.
> 
> the effortless wiring, the ease of switching pickups out on the fly to try new models from them, the fact that they offer open coil actives now in the retro series and a passive/active hybrid like the 57/66 etc Even their coil split pickups in the 89 and 81TW etc etc are a breeze to install and use and sound great.
> 
> Obviously Fishmans are also great pickups, but I feel the simplicity, price and tonal options EMG offer, is still unrivalled. Ive never really got on well at all with Seymour Duncan (tried the Distortion, the 59 neck, the pearly gates bridge, the Sentient neck and the Nazgul bridge - and disliked all of them bar the 59)
> 
> not to mention, there is a reason that they (EMG) have likely been used on more albums than any other pickup company.
> 
> I dunno guys, i just feel that once the initial hype of a new product/brand dies down, i want to go back to EMG again.



Yes, I’m currently swapping out my EMG707TW’s on my Schecter Hellraiser with a 707X and 85-7X and adding the EMG AB.


----------



## Jeremy Keiper

Emperoff said:


> Hipshot O-Ring knobs!


You can get toggle switches instead of push/pulls if you want to drill a hole


----------



## Jeremy Keiper

Jeremy Keiper said:


> Yes, I’m currently swapping out my EMG707TW’s on my Schecter Hellraiser with a 707X and 85-7X and adding the EMG AB.


 Oh yes I also added a 24v mod.


----------



## Emperoff

Jeremy Keiper said:


> You can get toggle switches instead of push/pulls if you want to drill a hole



Drill a hole? HELL NO 

Two knobs and a switch is already too much for me.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

Jeremy Keiper said:


> Oh yes I also added a 24v mod.



Please share how you like the 24v mod with the X Series when you can. 

I find myself more and more looking at adding a BTC and VMC control for onboard EQ options. My Aristides is coming with 8 string versions of the 60X, and those are designed to have more headroom with 9v, but EMG recommends 18v for the BTC and VMC.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Kyle Jordan said:


> Please share how you like the 24v mod with the X Series when you can.
> 
> I find myself more and more looking at adding a BTC and VMC control for onboard EQ options. My Aristides is coming with 8 string versions of the 60X, and those are designed to have more headroom with 9v, but EMG recommends 18v for the BTC and VMC.


I kind of wish my Ltds had three controls so I could have a BTC and VMC as well as a volume.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I kind of wish my Ltds had three controls so I could have a BTC and VMC as well as a volume.



Yeah I’m really back and forth on some of the active tone controls EMG offers vs the Source Audio EQ2.

It’s a bit of a psychological thing with me, but I really want to able to plug my guitar direct in to what I’m going in to. No pedals or bullshit. I can do that with my Axe FX, but I still run an EQ before my actual amp. I’ve even continued using my EQ pedal before my interface as that processes any DI track I make and I don’t have to fuck around with that layer if I’m reamping.

Sadly, the EMG controls are all a bit lacking compared to my current pedal or an EQ2. Still, I love the idea of having all of that on the guitar itself, without having to screw around with other stuff.

I wonder if anyone makes custom on board electronics?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Kyle Jordan said:


> Yeah I’m really back and forth on some of the active tone controls EMG offers vs the Source Audio EQ2.
> 
> It’s a bit of a psychological thing with me, but I really want to able to plug my guitar direct in to what I’m going in to. No pedals or bullshit. I can do that with my Axe FX, but I still run an EQ before my actual amp. I’ve even continued using my EQ pedal before my interface as that processes any DI track I make and I don’t have to fuck around with that layer if I’m reamping.
> 
> Sadly, the EMG controls are all a bit lacking compared to my current pedal or an EQ2. Still, I love the idea of having all of that on the guitar itself, without having to screw around with other stuff.
> 
> I wonder if anyone makes custom on board electronics?


I was thinking about trying a Source Audio EQ2 + LA Lady (or one of their gain pedals; they're basically all the same essentially), but I instead went for a CAB M+. For EQ, I'd leave it outboard. Instead, I prefer to have my boosts in the guitar itself. This way, I can go without an overdrive going into my "amp," which is a Tech 21 British into a Headrush FRFR112.


----------



## Jeremy Keiper

Kyle Jordan said:


> Please share how you like the 24v mod with the X Series when you can.
> 
> I find myself more and more looking at adding a BTC and VMC control for onboard EQ options. My Aristides is coming with 8 string versions of the 60X, and those are designed to have more headroom with 9v, but EMG recommends 18v for the BTC and VMC.



Will do. It’s already noticeable with the 707TW’s. I’m thinking the EMG-X’s with the After Burner and I’m looking into the Ghost Saddles with the Hexpander preamp as well. I don’t know if they make Ghost Saddles for the Floyd Rose PRO-7 though. Anyway I’ll give a detailed update once done. Btw has anyone tried this QiJack Stereo TRS Output Jack ?


----------



## Emperoff

Kyle Jordan said:


> Yeah I’m really back and forth on some of the active tone controls EMG offers vs the Source Audio EQ2.
> 
> It’s a bit of a psychological thing with me, but I really want to able to plug my guitar direct in to what I’m going in to. No pedals or bullshit. I can do that with my Axe FX, but I still run an EQ before my actual amp. I’ve even continued using my EQ pedal before my interface as that processes any DI track I make and I don’t have to fuck around with that layer if I’m reamping.
> 
> Sadly, the EMG controls are all a bit lacking compared to my current pedal or an EQ2. Still, I love the idea of having all of that on the guitar itself, without having to screw around with other stuff.
> 
> I wonder if anyone makes custom on board electronics?



The BTC is great, but mine died and the guitar hisses like mad. Now I have to replace it (not cheap) or wire a regular pot. The dual pot setup is also a pain in the ass unless you "set and forget". They also requiere 18V.

They're also SMD so I probably won't be able to repair it. So back to a regular pot I guess...


----------



## soliloquy

not exactly going back, as i had EMG 81/85 in my agile that i sold with maybe an hour of playing plugged in (i always play unplugged, but thats neither here nor there.

i recently picked up an LTD EC1000 that has 81/85 in them, which, i dont really have much of an opinion on as i have limited exposure, and still running amp-less. I would, however want to change the EMGs for the sake of esthetics. Nothing wrong with the black pickups, but i want white....so, i'm a lost on what to get:

I like thick/warm/round sounded stuff, but i also do love Zakk Wylde type stuff. I am leaning towards the 60 or 60A in the neck, and 85 in the bridge...OR the H or the HA in the neck, and the 85 in the bridge.

I already have another guitar with P90 and humbucker, and another guitar with two humbuckers, so i want to make this guitar a little different.

any input?

and yes, i'll do a NGD soon


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

soliloquy said:


> not exactly going back, as i had EMG 81/85 in my agile that i sold with maybe an hour of playing plugged in (i always play unplugged, but thats neither here nor there.
> 
> i recently picked up an LTD EC1000 that has 81/85 in them, which, i dont really have much of an opinion on as i have limited exposure, and still running amp-less. I would, however want to change the EMGs for the sake of esthetics. Nothing wrong with the black pickups, but i want white....so, i'm a lost on what to get:
> 
> I like thick/warm/round sounded stuff, but i also do love Zakk Wylde type stuff. I am leaning towards the 60 or 60A in the neck, and 85 in the bridge...OR the H or the HA in the neck, and the 85 in the bridge.
> 
> I already have another guitar with P90 and humbucker, and another guitar with two humbuckers, so i want to make this guitar a little different.
> 
> any input?
> 
> and yes, i'll do a NGD soon


I'd go HA in the neck and 85 or 60A in the bridge. Possibly the X series if that seems like something you'd be into.


----------



## soliloquy

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I'd go HA in the neck and 85 or 60A in the bridge. Possibly the X series if that seems like something you'd be into.



not arguing, but curious why you'd recommend the 60A for the bridge?
I'm leaning towards the 85 for the bridge only because it would contrast nicely with the H or HA

and why would you suggest the HA for the neck? (I am leaning towards that, but why would you suggest that?)

just curious


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

soliloquy said:


> not arguing, but curious why you'd recommend the 60A for the bridge?
> I'm leaning towards the 85 for the bridge only because it would contrast nicely with the H or HA
> 
> and why would you suggest the HA for the neck? (I am leaning towards that, but why would you suggest that?)
> 
> just curious


You can always turn on a boost for more output if necessary. I think a 60 or 60A might be a little more open/less compressed with a Gibson scale guitar (24.75"), which is much darker than a typical PRS or Fender guitar (25" and 25.5" respectively). You can add output/gain later in the chain, but too much at the start might make for the guitar being too much. Not exactly muddy, but just too much gain that isn't exactly clear. I am leaning towards the 60A as the 60 could be too spiky because of the ceramic magnet, while the 60A could be more open and more even across the frequency spectrum.

If you have a neck pickup with a humbucker and p90, then a single coil would be the obvious option. The H/HA are single coil EMGs in humbucker housings. To be more precise, the H = S single coil, and HA = SA single coil.

Actually, I'm kind of tempted to experiment with the 60A, 58, and HA in my Ltds. The 58 is supposed to be voiced like a P90. ie

HA/60A, 58/60A
HA/60A, HA/60A
HA/58, HA/58
58/60A, 58/60A

Something like that.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I think I may swap out my EMG ALX / H2N sets for either some 58 and 60As, or 60As in both positions. If I do get 58s, I'm not sure if I'd put them in the bridge, or neck.

(The reason I didn't pursue HAs is because they aren't available on Reverb at the moment, and I already have single coils in my Stratocasters. The 58 is supposed to be P90 esque, so it might be nice to have single coils, something P90-ish, as well as a nice medium output humbucker.)


----------



## Steinmetzify

Ok so can’t stop won’t stop.

Buddy and I have been experimenting on our ESPs with a bunch of passives for doom/sludge.

They’re all 24.75” scale, all either Eclipses or Vipers.

We’ve gone thru everything from BKPs (multiple sets including Warpigs) to MCPs (4 different sets) the EVH pickups that came in our MIJ Stealth Specials, a few DiMarzio sets, a few SD sets including Custom and Super Ds and Black Winters and fuck it.

For what we do the 81/60 just kills.

I’m done. I’m just gonna leave these in my guitars that I use for this genre and fuck it.


----------



## lewis

steinmetzify said:


> Ok so can’t stop won’t stop.
> 
> Buddy and I have been experimenting on our ESPs with a bunch of passives for doom/sludge.
> 
> They’re all 24.75” scale, all either Eclipses or Vipers.
> 
> We’ve gone thru everything from BKPs (multiple sets including Warpigs) to MCPs (4 different sets) the EVH pickups that came in our MIJ Stealth Specials, a few DiMarzio sets, a few SD sets including Custom and Super Ds and Black Winters and fuck it.
> 
> For what we do the 81/60 just kills.
> 
> I’m done. I’m just gonna leave these in my guitars that I use for this genre and fuck it.



Its always my experience too.
I've tried:

Seymour duncan dimebucker - like (when tuned low)
Seymour duncan 59 - like
Seymour duncan pearly Gates - mediocre
Seymour duncan distortion - thin fizzy
Seymour duncan nazgul/sentient - nazgul is awful
Seymour duncan blackouts - thick, undefined
Rockfield Fat ass set - actually really liked these in a LP
Bareknuckle Blackhawks - thin weak etc
Fishman fluence - cocked wah, thin shrill etc (in my main axe atm)
EMG H - very nice sounding single coil noiseless pickup
EMG81 - absolutely immense playing most kinds of metal. King

On my to try list is the super 77 set and the 57/66


----------



## lewis

Does anyone know if EMG 8 string H pickups (passive size humbuckers) fit in 7 string soapbar routs?

I want chrome EMGs in my 7 string but it's got soapbar pups currently amd they don't have chrome soapbars right?


----------



## c7spheres

lewis said:


> Does anyone know if EMG 8 string H pickups (passive size humbuckers) fit in 7 string soapbar routs?
> 
> I want chrome EMGs in my 7 string but it's got soapbar pups currently amd they don't have chrome soapbars right?


 They won't accrodinng to the dimensions in the intstructions, but if you clipped off the ears on the 8H pickup then it would only be 0.025 inches to big, but then there'd be no mounting holes. 
- It is possible to chrome plate certain plastics however. Maybe check with someone who knows about chrome plating stuff and see if EMG type plastic is possible to chrome plate. According to Google rigid plastics are possible to plate, but would it damage the internal electronics? I don't know.


----------



## Marked Man

steinmetzify said:


> Ok so can’t stop won’t stop.
> 
> Buddy and I have been experimenting on our ESPs with a bunch of passives for doom/sludge.
> 
> They’re all 24.75” scale, all either Eclipses or Vipers.
> 
> We’ve gone thru everything from BKPs (multiple sets including Warpigs) to MCPs (4 different sets) the EVH pickups that came in our MIJ Stealth Specials, a few DiMarzio sets, a few SD sets including Custom and Super Ds and Black Winters and fuck it.
> 
> For what we do the 81/60 just kills.
> 
> I’m done. I’m just gonna leave these in my guitars that I use for this genre and fuck it.



I consider the EMG 81/60 perfect for what I wanted from my Eclipse.  Not even tempted to experiment with anything else, that guitar is done.


----------



## gnoll

Do you guys ever have problems with pick chirp sounds with Emgs?

I've been practicing unplugged for a while but today I played plugged in and my Emg 81 guitar had a pretty damn annoying pick chirp to it that hasn't really bothered me before. A similar guitar but with Duncan Distortion was much better chirp wise.

I don't really know what to think since I've always played 81 and this is the first time this bothers me. Maybe some unfortunate combination of gear that together enhanced that sound?


----------



## Marked Man

gnoll said:


> Do you guys ever have problems with pick chirp sounds with Emgs?
> 
> I've been practicing unplugged for a while but today I played plugged in and my Emg 81 guitar had a pretty damn annoying pick chirp to it that hasn't really bothered me before. A similar guitar but with Duncan Distortion was much better chirp wise.
> 
> I don't really know what to think since I've always played 81 and this is the first time this bothers me. Maybe some unfortunate combination of gear that together enhanced that sound?



My EMG guitars do not chirp, Sir. They scream and roar.


----------



## c7spheres

gnoll said:


> Do you guys ever have problems with pick chirp sounds with Emgs?
> 
> I've been practicing unplugged for a while but today I played plugged in and my Emg 81 guitar had a pretty damn annoying pick chirp to it that hasn't really bothered me before. A similar guitar but with Duncan Distortion was much better chirp wise.
> 
> I don't really know what to think since I've always played 81 and this is the first time this bothers me. Maybe some unfortunate combination of gear that together enhanced that sound?


- All pickups I've heard chirp at the right frequency. It's a battle of hearing the pick attack but not the chirp. Once you hear it, it's hard to not hear it. 
- Maybe try changing to a different pick material/type or putting the eq or setup back where it was if you've changed anything recently to see if it's affected by that. The chirp is always there so if you didn't hear it before it should be able to be dialed out or lower. If nothing's changed you're in the bitter sweet zone of having better ears causing everything to starting to sound bad because now you're noticing it.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I found that Ultex picks seemed to "chirp." You may also try lowering the pickups.


----------



## gnoll

I haven't played exactly this setup before so maybe it's something about that combined with paying more attention. I'll look at the pickup height also, I gave it a glance and it did look pretty high.

Picks were just normal red jazz3 nylon xl.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

Just put an ab 20 push pull boost in that green M7 since I never use tone knobs. Pretty cool. I was surprised how much boost it gives you on a clean tone.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

soul_lip_mike said:


> Just put an ab 20 push pull boost in that green M7 since I never use tone knobs. Pretty cool. I was surprised how much boost it gives you on a clean tone.


Well, it's 20db.


----------



## Flappydoodle

Just put a 81/60 set into a Les Paul studio. And it just sounds "right". Sounds like home, haha.

I also got a very nice ESP Original M-II, tried a bunch of pickups in it, and came right back to 81/60

So yeah, I also keep coming back to EMG. They're awesome.


----------



## mcleanab

Who has the Fat 55 Retro Actives and what do you think? (started a separate thread, but I'll ask here, too!)


----------



## soliloquy

update: Placed an order on EMG HA for neck, and 85 for bridge. Got them in white, and got 2 pickup rings in white too. Cant wait. And this will be the first time I change pickups on a guitar. Nervous but excited too. It reminds me of the very first guitar i had. a Saga kit that i put together. Having zero guitar knowledge, a guitar kit as a first guitar REALLY helped me learn the minutia of guitars. 

I am curious though, that the standard EMG pots are 25k, where as on the mylespaul and other forums, the tone purists swear by 500k pots. given that this is active pickups, is the difference between the two drastically noticeable?



gnoll said:


> Do you guys ever have problems with pick chirp sounds with Emgs?
> 
> I've been practicing unplugged for a while but today I played plugged in and my Emg 81 guitar had a pretty damn annoying pick chirp to it that hasn't really bothered me before. A similar guitar but with Duncan Distortion was much better chirp wise.
> 
> I don't really know what to think since I've always played 81 and this is the first time this bothers me. Maybe some unfortunate combination of gear that together enhanced that sound?



I've been playing unplugged for about 15ish years for that very reason. the pick attack/chirp when plugged in REALLY irritates me. Only thing i've noticed reduce that is if its played on a more bluesy tone.

I have no first hand knowledge of this, but maybe try changing the height of the pickups? or play around with the tone knob?


----------



## CanserDYI

I honestly find EMGs better in clean settings than dirt....anyone else in this boat?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

CanserDYI said:


> I honestly find EMGs better in clean settings than dirt....anyone else in this boat?


The 85 and 60 sound great clean. 60 into a JC120 is the most iconic clean sound ever. 81 not so much, due the insane midrange it has.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

soliloquy said:


> I am curious though, that the standard EMG pots are 25k, where as on the mylespaul and other forums, the tone purists swear by 500k pots. given that this is active pickups, is the difference between the two drastically noticeable?


EMGs require 25k because they are active. I’m not sure if they’ll even work with different pot values, and even if they do, if they'd sound good.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

soliloquy said:


> update: Placed an order on EMG HA for neck, and 85 for bridge. Got them in white, and got 2 pickup rings in white too. Cant wait. And this will be the first time I change pickups on a guitar. Nervous but excited too. It reminds me of the very first guitar i had. a Saga kit that i put together. Having zero guitar knowledge, a guitar kit as a first guitar REALLY helped me learn the minutia of guitars.
> 
> I am curious though, that the standard EMG pots are 25k, where as on the mylespaul and other forums, the tone purists swear by 500k pots. given that this is active pickups, is the difference between the two drastically noticeable?
> 
> 
> 
> I've been playing unplugged for about 15ish years for that very reason. the pick attack/chirp when plugged in REALLY irritates me. Only thing i've noticed reduce that is if its played on a more bluesy tone.
> 
> I have no first hand knowledge of this, but maybe try changing the height of the pickups? or play around with the tone knob?





Spaced Out Ace said:


> EMGs require 25k because they are active. I’m not sure if they’ll even work with different pot values, and even if they do, if they'd sound good.



I'm not sure how the 500k tone pot would work, but if it's anything like the volume, then there will be no variance in tone. It's either completely open at 10, or completely closed at the slightest turn.


----------



## soliloquy

The EMG website does sell 500k pots too, but their standards that come with the pickups are the 250k. 

I know active changes things, but wondering if the difference really is as drastic as it would be for passive.



Moreover, anyone have any experience with the REV set? It is passive, and sold by EMG. It is a signature set of an individual I'm not familiar with.


----------



## c7spheres

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'm not sure how the 500k tone pot would work, but if it's anything like the volume, then there will be no variance in tone. It's either completely open at 10, or completely closed at the slightest turn.



This is what would happen, really limited travel on the pot, plus the volume all the way up still wouldn't allow full signal through. Use 25k pots unless you specifically want less max level from the pickups with messed up travel.


----------



## MaxOfMetal

soliloquy said:


> The EMG website does sell 500k pots too, but their standards that come with the pickups are the 250k.
> 
> I know active changes things, but wondering if the difference really is as drastic as it would be for passive.
> 
> 
> 
> Moreover, anyone have any experience with the REV set? It is passive, and sold by EMG. It is a signature set of an individual I'm not familiar with.



EMG makes 500k pots for their range of passive pickups, which are high impedance like any other passive pickup.

They supply 25k pots for their active, low impedance pickups, not 250k, which is a value more closely associated with single coil passive high impedance pickups.

The higher value pots (250k, 500k, 1meg, etc.) have too high of resistance for the low impedance signal to overcome. They'll function more like on/off switches, as the second the resistor is in the way it'll kill the signal.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

25k for actives, 250/500k for passives.


----------



## soliloquy

oh @MaxOfMetal with his awesome wisdom, as always


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Also I bought a cheapo 7string Schecter and trying to debate between the Super 77-7 set, Duncan Blackout Phase I, or Duncan Jupiter.

I put a AHB-1 in my Avenger and I actually dig it? Making me want to explore the Blackouts more.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Also I bought a cheapo 7string Schecter and trying to debate between the Super 77-7 set, Duncan Blackout Phase I, or Duncan Jupiter.
> 
> I put a AHB-1 in my Avenger and I actually dig it? Making me want to explore the Blackouts more.



Don’t forget the Retributions either. I’d love to give those a whirl if they made them in 8 strings still. And preferably in the regular, non-soapbar size.

EDIT:

Just saw they do make the 8 string Retributions still. Just in the soapbar size though.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

I got the gold EMG set into my ESP M7 - much happier with the look!

Also selling my brand new black 81/85 7XH set if anyone is interested.


----------



## BabUShka

CanserDYI said:


> I honestly find EMGs better in clean settings than dirt....anyone else in this boat?



I like the dirty/boosted cleans from my 60 in neck position. It also sounds really nice with the volume pot reduced to like 60-70%.

For many years i kind of hated EMG's. Had it in several Schecters, Ibanez, ESP, Epiphone +++ and always swapped them out. 

Its funny how it recently just grew on me after swapping out a BKP set in my EC1000 to 60/81 combo.


----------



## soldierkahn

Kyle Jordan said:


> Don’t forget the Retributions either. I’d love to give those a whirl if they made them in 8 strings still. And preferably in the regular, non-soapbar size.
> 
> EDIT:
> 
> Just saw they do make the 8 string Retributions still. Just in the soapbar size though.




i didnt dig the Retribution as much in the DCM100 and RGDR4327 as much as the Fishman FLuence Moderns. I popped a Modern in them and it was like "God tone" as I call it lol


----------



## Mathemagician

soul_lip_mike said:


> I got the gold EMG set into my ESP M7 - much happier with the look!
> 
> Also selling my brand new black 81/85 7XH set if anyone is interested.



Thanks for sharing. Looks as good against that green as I thought it would in my head.


----------



## lewis

Anyone happen to have or could make a wiring diagram to have a push pull EMG knob act as a pickup selector?

Literally want just a single knob control layout for neatness.


----------



## soldierkahn

this might help. i use a push pull on my Ibby's for pickup switching. i just borrowed the schematic that came with the fishmans to know which poles to attach to. they show you how to change voices with the push/pull but you can simply substitute your pickup inputs in their place. at least it works for me


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

soldierkahn said:


> View attachment 98286
> 
> 
> this might help. i use a push pull on my Ibby's for pickup switching. i just borrowed the schematic that came with the fishmans to know which poles to attach to. they show you how to change voices with the push/pull but you can simply substitute your pickup inputs in their place. at least it works for me




that taught me how push pull pots work better than literally every diagram I've seen


----------



## soldierkahn

TheBolivianSniper said:


> that taught me how push pull pots work better than literally every diagram I've seen



Im thankful i was able to help


----------



## lewis

Anyone got any experience of running a compressor in front of a high gain tone with EMGs?

The only time I've done this before was with the lace X Bar passive pickups. But Im interested in treating myself to a Keeley soon.


----------



## drb

lewis said:


> Anyone got any experience of running a compressor in front of a high gain tone with EMGs?
> 
> The only time I've done this before was with the lace X Bar passive pickups. But Im interested in treating myself to a Keeley soon.



I have an old LTD with 81/85 that goes into a compressor that I got super cheap 2nd hand but does the job, that then goes into a precision drive, and finally into a 5150iii 50w stealth or MT15; if that is what you mean?

Sounds ridiculously dense and saturated but still tight. Everything is percussive and angry like every note is shouting at you, I love it.


----------



## lewis

drb said:


> I have an old LTD with 81/85 that goes into a compressor that I got super cheap 2nd hand but does the job, that then goes into a precision drive, and finally into a 5150iii 50w stealth or MT15; if that is what you mean?
> 
> Sounds ridiculously dense and saturated but still tight. Everything is percussive and angry like every note is shouting at you, I love it.



That's exactly what I meant. Siiick.

Sounds like I need to check this out haha


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

The Boss Compressor/Sustainer is usually available pretty cheap used.


----------



## drb

This is the compressor I got that is surprisingly good. I paid £10 used!

https://www.andertons.co.uk/guitar-dept/guitar-pedals/compression-pedals/landlord-fx-a-cheeky-pint


----------



## sakeido

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Also I bought a cheapo 7string Schecter and trying to debate between the Super 77-7 set, Duncan Blackout Phase I, or Duncan Jupiter.
> 
> I put a AHB-1 in my Avenger and I actually dig it? Making me want to explore the Blackouts more.


I liked my Blackouts a lot when I had em in my COW. I switched to an EMG 57-7 and 66-7 a few years ago and I think I've played the guitar about 3 times since then. I don't really give a shit about 7 strings anymore so I haven't bothered switching back but I would go back to Blackouts if I did


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

sakeido said:


> I liked my Blackouts a lot when I had em in my COW. I switched to an EMG 57-7 and 66-7 a few years ago and I think I've played the guitar about 3 times since then. I don't really give a shit about 7 strings anymore so I haven't bothered switching back but I would go back to Blackouts if I did


Well I ended up getting the AHB1 Phase 1 because I dont feel like going at this guitar with a file, and it was a good choice. Plenty of chug and beef.


----------



## Chris Bowsman

Just tried an EMG 808X set in my 8 string. It doesn't have the crazy number of voicings that the Fluence Abasis have, but the bridge pickup metal rhythm tone is what I'm after. There are some sounds in the Fluences I really like, but overall, I think they're a little too pristine, kind of like a 4K tv.


----------



## lewis

Chris Bowsman said:


> Just tried an EMG 808X set in my 8 string. It doesn't have the crazy number of voicings that the Fluence Abasis have, but the bridge pickup metal rhythm tone is what I'm after. There are some sounds in the Fluences I really like, but overall, I think they're a little too pristine, kind of like a 4K tv.



What's cool is if you do want that hifi style Fishman tone sometimes with the 808s, you can add the solderless EMG RPC knob to replace the tone knob. Off is stock 808 sound and the more you turn it up the tighter the bass and the more highs it adds.

It's like an instant Djent knob but available if and when you need it instead of the fishmans having that obnoxious style tone 100% of the time.

Edit
RPC Demo


----------



## Chris Bowsman

lewis said:


> What's cool is if you do want that hifi style Fishman tone sometimes with the 808s, you can add the solderless EMG RPC knob to replace the tone knob. Off is stock 808 sound and the more you turn it up the tighter the bass and the more highs it adds.
> 
> It's like an instant Djent knob but available if and when you need it instead of the fishmans having that obnoxious style tone 100% of the time.



That's not a bad idea. Some of the clean single note stuff sounded really good with the RPC cranked up. At least 80% of the demo, I like the sound better with the RPC off, but it would be a handy flavor to throw in.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

The RPC was designed to go from Humbucker to quasi single coil tones, sort of the opposite of the SPC, which was designed to go from single coil to quasi humbucker tones. That said, there is no rule stating you couldn't use the SPC with humbuckers, or RPC with single coils.


----------



## Legion

So I return to this thread because I threw in an EMG 707 I had lying around into a friend's beater 7 string routed for an 81-7 that he wasn't quite feeling. Now I dunno about him but that guitar felt and sounded so fucking monstrous I offered him cash right there to buy it off him. He didn't bite 

Damn man, a 707 in a basswood ibby just sounds so ridiculously good. Monster low end with an almost single coil like snap and twang...wow.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I know I've been saying this for year, but yeah, the 707 is one of the most unique sounding 7-string pickups ever
...because it's a tweaked bass pickup. 
Honestly if I were to guess, they took the coils of the 35DC and slapped on the preamp used for the 81 or 85 pickups. If you look at the manuals, the 35DC and 707 have the same rail/coils, while the 81-7/85-7/60-7 all have smaller coils.


----------



## slavboi_delight

Great now i have to slam in my spare 707's into my basswood ibby, which has been around for a year with no pickups mounted.


----------



## Legion

slavboi_delight said:


> Great now i have to slam in my spare 707's into my basswood ibby, which has been around for a year with no pickups mounted.



DOOOOOOO ITTTTTTTTTT


----------



## hensh!n

Legion said:


> So I return to this thread because I threw in an EMG 707 I had lying around into a friend's beater 7 string routed for an 81-7 that he wasn't quite feeling. Now I dunno about him but that guitar felt and sounded so fucking monstrous I offered him cash right there to buy it off him. He didn't bite
> 
> Damn man, a 707 in a basswood ibby just sounds so ridiculously good. Monster low end with an almost single coil like snap and twang...wow.



The 707 gets a lot of unwarranted flack. One of the best tones I got with an EMG was using a 707TWX-R. The cleans were glassy, almost piano-like. The high-gain tone (at least on the single-coil mode) was very crisp and snappy, similar to a traditional single coil but the active preamp gives it a distinctively different vibe.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

hensh!n said:


> The 707 gets a lot of unwarranted flack. One of the best tones I got with an EMG was using a 707TWX-R. The cleans were glassy, almost piano-like. The high-gain tone (at least on the single-coil mode) was very crisp and snappy, similar to a traditional single coil but the active preamp gives it a distinctively different vibe.



The X-series does the alnico pickups favors it seems. I hate the 85 but LOVE the 85x so much I'm thinking about putting a pair in my 8-string.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

Anyone here play around with the 24 or 27 volt mods? I did 18 many years ago with regular series EMGs and liked it, but like the X series more overall. Never tried higher on the X series because they were fine and I had no interest in the active tone controls then. EMG recommends 18v for the BTC and VMC. 

I had actually planned on nabbing the 24v mod at the beginning of the month, and then Fluff dropped a video on it and they’re sold out. I snoozed I loozed.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Question: 81-8H/85-8XH or dual 85-8XH sets?


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Question: 81-8H/85-8XH or dual 85-8XH sets?



81 in the neck all the way, I'd love to do a 57B/81N combo sometime since for whatever reason the 81 just sounds better as a neck pickup.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

TheBolivianSniper said:


> 81 in the neck all the way, I'd love to do a 57B/81N combo sometime since for whatever reason the 81 just sounds better as a neck pickup.



81's not going in the neck. It's either 85X or 81 in the bridge.

EDIT: Sorry, this is for my own guitar.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> 81's not going in the neck. It's either 85X or 81 in the bridge.
> 
> EDIT: Sorry, this is for my own guitar.



ohhhh ok in which case 85 85 then


----------



## Legion

Kyle Jordan said:


> Anyone here play around with the 24 or 27 volt mods? I did 18 many years ago with regular series EMGs and liked it, but like the X series more overall. Never tried higher on the X series because they were fine and I had no interest in the active tone controls then. EMG recommends 18v for the BTC and VMC.
> 
> I had actually planned on nabbing the 24v mod at the beginning of the month, and then Fluff dropped a video on it and they’re sold out. I snoozed I loozed.


I tried the 707 with 18V.

https://soundcloud.com/cowsonthebeach/emg-707-18v-mod-test
https://soundcloud.com/cowsonthebeach/emg-18v-mod-sledgehammer-1

I really REALLY liked how it gave the low open single strings more low end grunt and a guttural chewiness, but the palm mutes just...well, the crispness was gone. I went back to 9V.


EDIT: This was all in one of them old, heavy ass Schecter Loomises. The TOM bridge/McDonalds fretboard/EMG707's one.

EDIT 2: The real tragedy is that EMG never came out with a 606...


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I am supposed to be getting the 58 pickups in tomorrow. Hopefully I am able to swap them out and can try them in the bridge in one guitar, and neck in the other.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Did some measurements, the H pickups should fit my 8-string. So I decided to get an 81-8H in chrome. Thought about it and I think I'll stick with the 81 for now and try the 85X next.

EDIT: Spending the extra dosh and getting chrome covered caps too. I think chrome on satin black looks sexy. After that i need to dye the fretboard.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

You could get wild and go for a set of the Fluence Open Core Classics or Reyes pickups. Came here to raid the Fluence thread and ask question. Read here first and thought to suggest.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Kyle Jordan said:


> You could get wild and go for a set of the Fluence Open Core Classics or Reyes pickups. Came here to raid the Fluence thread and ask question. Read here first and thought to suggest.



Couldn't find anything about the Classic 8 pickups and don't like how the Reyes pickups sounds. Besides, already placed the order for an 81-8. I checked and measured the dimensions and the H caps will fit in the pickup cavities.


----------



## aesthyrian

Love to see the 707 getting some respect finally. Everyone used to rag on it so hard yet some of the best recorded 7 string tones used the 707, mainly thinking of Fear Factory and especially Unearth's "The Oncoming Storm". I've always loved mine, just chugs for days and is plenty articulate for my taste. Plus, it's the OG haha


----------



## MASS DEFECT

Yeah, I have a Jackson COW 7. Tried 81-7, 57, Loomis Blackout, and Fluence. I still came back to the 707. Instant early 2000s metal sound, for sure.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Couldn't find anything about the Classic 8 pickups and don't like how the Reyes pickups sounds. Besides, already placed the order for an 81-8. I checked and measured the dimensions and the H caps will fit in the pickup cavities.



What didn't you like about the Reyes? I'm heavily considering getting a set since it sounds like the best of both worlds in terms of chunky dynamic rhythm tone and jazzy cleans with good splits. I've heard it's on the smoother side and not super saturated so that's a little worrying.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

TheBolivianSniper said:


> What didn't you like about the Reyes? I'm heavily considering getting a set since it sounds like the best of both worlds in terms of chunky dynamic rhythm tone and jazzy cleans with good splits. I've heard it's on the smoother side and not super saturated so that's a little worrying.



I just want in-your-face chuggachugga. Don't really need fancy dynamics and whatnot.


----------



## lewis

Anyone tried an 85 with an SPC maxed for absolute massive carnage rhythms ? 
On paper that combo sounds like it would be so brutally over the top I'm curious haha


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

So, I likely need to do some more tinkering around, but the 58 in the bridge of my H500 (tuned to E) basically sounds like Accept's Balls to the Wall. I'm likely going to swap out the pickups in my H1001 (tuned to Eb) tomorrow, and I'm contemplating putting the 60A in the bridge of that guitar.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> Anyone tried an 85 with an SPC maxed for absolute massive carnage rhythms ?
> On paper that combo sounds like it would be so brutally over the top I'm curious haha


I have not, but I have tried it with my SLV and like it. I prefer to keep it around 6 though with some of the EXG rolled in.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


> What's cool is if you do want that hifi style Fishman tone sometimes with the 808s, you can add the solderless EMG RPC knob to replace the tone knob. Off is stock 808 sound and the more you turn it up the tighter the bass and the more highs it adds.
> 
> It's like an instant Djent knob but available if and when you need it instead of the fishmans having that obnoxious style tone 100% of the time.
> 
> Edit
> RPC Demo




You know I got to thinking about it, and I may do this with my 8-string down the road. Was thinking about doing dual volumes but I may do a single volume and RPC. That way I don't need to run a boost when using my 8-string.

Woulda been nice if they made it a stacked pot so you can control the hi frequency peak between 2k - 4k.


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> You know I got to thinking about it, and I may do this with my 8-string down the road. Was thinking about doing dual volumes but I may do a single volume and RPC. That way I don't need to run a boost when using my 8-string.
> 
> Woulda been nice if they made it a stacked pot so you can control the hi frequency peak between 2k - 4k.



That would be sweet


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


> That would be sweet



I mean it makes sense to me. Like having an on-board Meshuggah knob.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Oh son of a bitch I just realized I'm getting all the pots and electronics with the pickup. I thought I was just getting the pickup alone. Don't need to dig through my parts drawer. lets fucking gooooo


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Oh son of a bitch I just realized I'm getting all the pots and electronics with the pickup. I thought I was just getting the pickup alone. Don't need to dig through my parts drawer. lets fucking gooooo



This is why EMG are unrivaled still for value for money and simplicity. All the solderless wiring kit comes free with every pickup.

Amazing


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


> This is why EMG are unrivaled still for value for money and simplicity. All the solderless wiring kit comes free with every pickup.
> 
> Amazing


Well they usually sell B-stock pickups that are just the pickups. I got lucky and they included the accessories this time.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Well they usually sell B-stock pickups that are just the pickups. I got lucky and they included the accessories this time.


Were they solderless or the earlier solder variety? I got two sets of earlier soldering required wiring kits.

Speaking of, the solderless wiring kits are now $50 bucks.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Were they solderless or the earlier solder variety? I got two sets of earlier soldering required wiring kits.
> 
> Speaking of, the solderless wiring kits are now $50 bucks.



Nah, quick-connect. But they were probably before the solderless kits were around. These are EMG H-series pickups so they're definitely post-solderless.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Nah, quick-connect. But they were probably before the solderless kits were around. These are EMG H-series pickups so they're definitely post-solderless.


I see. I noticed I got wiring, jacks, etc, then realized, "oh, they are solder with quick connects for the pickups. Meh."


----------



## Kyle Jordan

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> You know I got to thinking about it, and I may do this with my 8-string down the road. Was thinking about doing dual volumes but I may do a single volume and RPC. That way I don't need to run a boost when using my 8-string.
> 
> Woulda been nice if they made it a stacked pot so you can control the hi frequency peak between 2k - 4k.



The BTC control is what you seek, somewhat. I’m waiting until my Aristides arrives for final experiments, but I’ve been screwing around with the parametric EQ block on my Axe while using my S8. I’ve mimicked the curves of the BTC and VMC controls, and they perform far better than I thought they would on paper. 

So much so that I’m thinking seriously about eating the cost and paying more to have a late mod done on my Aristides. Have a tone control or two added so I can put the BTC and VMC onboard the guitar later.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Kyle Jordan said:


> The BTC control is what you seek, somewhat. I’m waiting until my Aristides arrives for final experiments, but I’ve been screwing around with the parametric EQ block on my Axe while using my S8. I’ve mimicked the curves of the BTC and VMC controls, and they perform far better than I thought they would on paper.
> 
> So much so that I’m thinking seriously about eating the cost and paying more to have a late mod done on my Aristides. Have a tone control or two added so I can put the BTC and VMC onboard the guitar later.


I'd instead look into putting them into a box. This way, you can use them with everything you own. No mods needed for the guitar, either. Win/win.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

I already have EQ pedals and have been eyeballing the Source Audio EQ2 real hard. 

That said, I have an irrational dislike towards having to plug in to something before the amp/device. I know full well that an EQ or pedal is the more intelligent and versatile option, but it still bugs the shit out of me to use it. Like I wrote, irrational.


----------



## lewis

I've often thought the VMC would pair perfect with the dimebucker. That pickups output and uniqueness is sick. What people dislike is its scooped.
Enter VMC and problem solved. I bet the pair would be killer.


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

lewis said:


> Anyone tried an 85 with an SPC maxed for absolute massive carnage rhythms ?
> On paper that combo sounds like it would be so brutally over the top I'm curious haha



Closest I have is an 85X with an SPC in one of my Horizons. Not the exact same, obviously, but that setup is heavier than an adult whale.



Kyle Jordan said:


> I already have EQ pedals and have been eyeballing the Source Audio EQ2 real hard.



I've got one of those, if you have any questions.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Kyle Jordan said:


> The BTC control is what you seek, somewhat. I’m waiting until my Aristides arrives for final experiments, but I’ve been screwing around with the parametric EQ block on my Axe while using my S8. I’ve mimicked the curves of the BTC and VMC controls, and they perform far better than I thought they would on paper.
> 
> So much so that I’m thinking seriously about eating the cost and paying more to have a late mod done on my Aristides. Have a tone control or two added so I can put the BTC and VMC onboard the guitar later.


...Might have to do that. Checking the manual, two of them seem to actually do what the TC Integrated preamp does to the high end.






Low end seems about the same too. Only thing missing is that massive mid hump when you cut the bass down to 0. But setting the treble to on/on or off/on would remedy that.


----------



## lewis

Crash Dandicoot said:


> Closest I have is an 85X with an SPC in one of my Horizons. Not the exact same, obviously, but that setup is heavier than an adult whale.
> 
> 
> 
> I've got one of those, if you have any questions.



Dude, get some vids up of this monster. I bet it sounds massive hahaha


----------



## Kyle Jordan

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Low end seems about the same too. Only thing missing is that massive mid hump when you cut the bass down to 0. But setting the treble to on/on or off/on would remedy that.




If you're willing to route for another pot, the VMC has you taken care of.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

Perhaps my plans for some Imperiums or lundgrens or BKPs will be stuffed for EMGs, since I've been wanting to try out retroactives even if they don't split. They are really twangy and kinda djenty in the high end and I really don't like it. The lower output is cool, I just want a thicker, sharper, sorta wah ish sound rather than that snarl. I can't stand when the low 7 string does nothing but twang.


I really love the EMG active controls and I think it would be cool to go RPC, VMC, PA2 in 1 guitar with a Pi2 and maybe one other mini toggle like the killswitch to fill up my bird since they don't split but I really love the super honky squawky earlier EVH tone. Super chewy but I like a sharper more rough high and a shit ton of more gain. Now how to do that best....


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Kyle Jordan said:


> If you're willing to route for another pot, the VMC has you taken care of.



Nah that's getting a bit too out of hand.  I'll be fine with the RPC or the TBC. Just to cut lows and boost high mids. Plus having to control too many pots at once would make me go crazy.


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Nah that's getting a bit too out of hand.  I'll be fine with the RPC or the TBC. Just to cut lows and boost high mids. Plus having to control too many pots at once would make me go crazy.


----------



## Seabeast2000

you can snake the whole studio to that thing and mix/master on the fly.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


>


Basically.  
Also decided to hell with it and just got the 85-8XH. So I'm gonna do the 81-8H in the bridge and 85-8XH in the neck.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I think to really feel comfortable using these 58s I bought, I'm going to need to buy some looser fitting pickup rings. The ones I have fit the 85/60A pickups, as well as various HZs I have, perfectly. However, the 58s seem to be bulkier, bulging, or whatever, and likely why they were rejected as B stock. So, I need some ivory and white staggered humbucker rings. I got one in the bridge pickup ring on the H500, but it was very tight and I don't know how long the pickup ring would last like that before it cracked before eventually snapping entirely.


----------



## Matt08642

aesthyrian said:


> Love to see the 707 getting some respect finally. Everyone used to rag on it so hard yet some of the best recorded 7 string tones used the 707, mainly thinking of Fear Factory and especially Unearth's "The Oncoming Storm". I've always loved mine, just chugs for days and is plenty articulate for my taste. Plus, it's the OG haha



This video (And by extension a ton of Nevermore music) was all I ever needed to know 707s were chunktown:


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

At some point, I want to setup my girlfriend's blue Strat with 85/SA/SA or SL20 (85/SLV/SLV). I'd probably set it up to run at 24v if the single coils can handle it.

EDIT: Actually, possibly better idea: Getting an HSH pickguard for $10 from The STRATosphere or similar, a $50 wiring kit from EMG, and using the two black 58s and white (or ivory) SA I have laying around. Not sure what tuning I'd set the guitar up with, though.


----------



## aesthyrian

I'm ashamed to have forgotten Nevermore when thinking of the 707. Was Loomis the first to have a 707 on a production guitar model? 

The tone on "The River Dragon.." is just so fucking heavy for Bb. I remember first hearing that way back when it came out and thinking it was the heaviest shit ever.


----------



## Hoss632

Not gonna lie. Now that I discovered the EMG outlet store on reverb I may swap out at least my bridge pick up. Hard to pass up a B stock 57 for 70 bucks.


----------



## lewis

Hoss632 said:


> Not gonna lie. Now that I discovered the EMG outlet store on reverb I may swap out at least my bridge pick up. Hard to pass up a B stock 57 for 70 bucks.


You could buy 6 or 7 of them for one set of new Bareknuckles hahaha


----------



## Hoss632

lewis said:


> You could buy 6 or 7 of them for one set of new Bareknuckles hahaha


Yup pretty much. Though I mispoke slightly, 57 is around 80 in the outlet store. That said I won't knock BKP. They are expensive but so far for me their customer service has blown EMG out of the water. I sent EMG 3 emails earlier this year, and also on Instagram and FB sent direct messages. It's been 7 months and I still NEVER gone one single response from them. That's the only reason I'm actually hesitant on giving them any of my money right now.


----------



## lewis

Hoss632 said:


> Yup pretty much. Though I mispoke slightly, 57 is around 80 in the outlet store. That said I won't knock BKP. They are expensive but so far for me their customer service has blown EMG out of the water. I sent EMG 3 emails earlier this year, and also on Instagram and FB sent direct messages. It's been 7 months and I still NEVER gone one single response from them. That's the only reason I'm actually hesitant on giving them any of my money right now.



I thought I was the only one. I never get ny replies either haha. I know the bad fires affected them but come on.


----------



## buriedoutback

I just ordered a single 81 to put into my buddy's Jackson Dinky reverse headstock.
It has hz pickups now, which suck (imo), and actually makes no sound at all atm.

I'm going to leave the neck hz in there (disconnected) and just plug in the volume pot.
I'll let him decide if he wants me to remove all the extra knobs and p/u selector or not.

It's gonna be a chugging machine !!!


----------



## lewis

buriedoutback said:


> I just ordered a single 81 to put into my buddy's Jackson Dinky reverse headstock.
> It has hz pickups now, which suck (imo), and actually makes no sound at all atm.
> 
> I'm going to leave the neck hz in there (disconnected) and just plug in the volume pot.
> I'll let him decide if he wants me to remove all the extra knobs and p/u selector or not.
> 
> It's gonna be a chugging machine !!!



Those hZs are garbage. Such a terrible representation of EMG.
I remember Trying them once a long time ago and it was awful.
Low output and totally bland.
Think it was the H4


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

The H4 wasn't AS BAD as I remember it, but I definitely prefer the actives. 

Also on a different note... Make sure you check the dimensons of your EMG H-cap pickups thoroughly. My 81-8H NEARLY fit in the cavity... but the ears were too fucking big. So I had to dremel the edges of the ears and the VERY edges of the ear routes of the pickup cavity.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Also on a different note... Make sure you check the dimensons of your EMG H-cap pickups thoroughly. My 81-8H NEARLY fit in the cavity... but the ears were too fucking big. So I had to dremel the edges of the ears and the VERY edges of the ear routes of the pickup cavity.



WITH THAT SAID. Finally got the 85X in. Got it all installed (thank you Dremel  ) and damn yeah, I'm glad I went this route. The 81-8H is fucking mean and tight and the 85-8XH has that clarity and sparkle.


----------



## MetalThrasher

Setting up my Jackson King V to C# tuning. I currently have an 81 in the bridge which I like. Was thinking about swapping out the 81 and trying the Het bridge but I'm not sure how well the Het bridge would take to C# tuning? Anyone here have experience with a Het bridge and low tunings?


----------



## BenSolace

lewis said:


> I thought I was the only one. I never get ny replies either haha. I know the bad fires affected them but come on.


That's really strange as I've had a response every time


----------



## aesthyrian

Yeah I find that odd as well since I always get responses from EMG for the dumbest shit, like not even worth their time haha

And then once I asked for new screws for my 707 which I bought used like 10 years ago and EMG had never directly made a penny from me in regards to that pickup and they sent me 4 sets of screws and all sorts of stickers and bs swag. 

Maybe they just need to stop responding to idiots like myself and get to the others.


----------



## Hoss632

MetalThrasher said:


> Setting up my Jackson King V to C# tuning. I currently have an 81 in the bridge which I like. Was thinking about swapping out the 81 and trying the Het bridge but I'm not sure how well the Het bridge would take to C# tuning? Anyone here have experience with a Het bridge and low tunings?


The het bridge pup will sound awesome in Drop C#. Sad But True is done in D standard. If anything the Het bridge pup will have a fuller sound than the 81 based on comparisons I've heard. So set it in there and enjoy!


----------



## Hoss632

BenSolace said:


> That's really strange as I've had a response every time


You want to share your magic secret lol?


----------



## Blytheryn

I’ve just got to say it because I’ve rediscovered it after a few years… the EMG81 is fucking king. 

It just does it.


----------



## Hoss632

Can anyone in here speak to if the 24v mod would be worth me investing the 30-40 bucks into? I found a kit that i can get and put it right in my guitar. From sound samples it really sounds like it opens up an 81 and 85 with a huge sound. Thoughts?


----------



## aesthyrian

The 18v mod is easy and cheaper to try out if you haven't already. I've never tried 24v so I'm not sure if there is a drastic difference compared to 18v.


----------



## buriedoutback

SO much better.

i'm silly : 
https://youtube.com/shorts/dZg8y0nufoU?feature=share


----------



## c7spheres

buriedoutback said:


> SO much better.
> 
> i'm silly :
> https://youtube.com/shorts/dZg8y0nufoU?feature=share


 Sounds killer! What amp and recording setup you use for that?


----------



## buriedoutback

c7spheres said:


> Sounds killer! What amp and recording setup you use for that?



Thanks man !!
it was just super spur of the moment and other than panning the guitars, I don't think I did anything else to them.

reaper
behringer umc1820 interface
amplitube engl model with a 'kristian krusty kohle' ir, mixed with 'ML best ir in the world' ir
bass is ezmix with ola 'feared bass'
drums are ezdrummer

I used my regular 'mastering' chain (eq, bus comp, saturation, limiter, etc) to make it louder, but that's it. 
I wanted to get it recorded and out asap lol.

I use the engl with 2 IR setup, as well as an engl/mesa dual-amp setup for everything. IMO Amplitube rules.


----------



## buriedoutback

My dumb video has over 1100 views on youtube as a result of me posting it on here ... 
THANK YOU to all that watched it !!
I have a very small channel so it means a lot !!


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

buriedoutback said:


> My dumb video has over 1100 views on youtube as a result of me posting it on here ...
> THANK YOU to all that watched it !!
> I have a very small channel so it means a lot !!


Just remember to plug in your guitar next time.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

aesthyrian said:


> The 18v mod is easy and cheaper to try out if you haven't already. I've never tried 24v so I'm not sure if there is a drastic difference compared to 18v.


The point isn't to compare the 24v to 18v. The point is to have the 18v benefits in a smaller space than it'd take for a 9v.


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

lewis said:


> Dude, get some vids up of this monster. I bet it sounds massive hahaha



I would if I had any decent recording setup. It'd just be cam audio with me and that does no justice for anyone involved.



Hoss632 said:


> Can anyone in here speak to if the 24v mod would be worth me investing the 30-40 bucks into?





aesthyrian said:


> The 18v mod is easy and cheaper to try out if you haven't already. I've never tried 24v so I'm not sure if there is a drastic difference compared to 18v.



18v to 24v regarding a tonal/sound difference is largely negligible, however the cost and space requirements differ - screw paying for kits, too.

I personally run the 24v as you can get two mini (A23) 12v batteries in a 9v sized housing and just wire it in using the original 9v harness - you can swap back to a single 9v if you're so inclined and it _totally_ fits in the ESP quick-flip holder. Here's a rundown:

Batteries
9v Harness
24v Battery Holder (toss or use the mini switches for something else)

I see the 24v holder isn't on Amazon.com and they're discontinued everywhere else, apparently, but that's what I used. Bought a bunch of batteries and made like, 5 or so kits so far (for personal use). Just be sure to check continuity after as Chinese electrical components can sometimes act like Chinese electrical components. Also make sure you make a good connection (braid together, solder and shrinktube) when you splice them.

After about an honest-to-god 10 minutes of basic electrical work and around ($30 CAD) you've got a hot-swappable 24v setup and a bunch of spares to use (or to sell?)


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Crash Dandicoot said:


> I would if I had any decent recording setup. It'd just be cam audio with me and that does no justice for anyone involved.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 18v to 24v regarding a tonal/sound difference is largely negligible, however the cost and space requirements differ - screw paying for kits, too.
> 
> I personally run the 24v as you can get two mini (A23) 12v batteries in a 9v sized housing and just wire it in using the original 9v harness - you can swap back to a single 9v if you're so inclined and it _totally_ fits in the ESP quick-flip holder. Here's a rundown:
> 
> Batteries
> 9v Harness
> 24v Battery Holder (toss or use the mini switches for something else)
> 
> I see the 24v holder isn't on Amazon.com and they're discontinued everywhere else, apparently, but that's what I used. Bought a bunch of batteries and made like, 5 or so kits so far (for personal use). Just be sure to check continuity after as Chinese electrical components can sometimes act like Chinese electrical components. Also make sure you make a good connection (braid together, solder and shrinktube) when you splice them.
> 
> After about an honest-to-god 10 minutes of basic electrical work and around ($30 CAD) you've got a hot-swappable 24v setup and a bunch of spares to use (or to sell?)


I would not buy those "24v" holders. They are rated for a UM5 battery, which is 1.5v. I think they would cause issues.


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I would not buy those "24v" holders. They are rated for a UM5 battery, which is 1.5v. I think they would cause issues.



In theory I suppose, but as someone who's done it in actuality I've had zero issues. YMMV


----------



## Zhysick

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I would not buy those "24v" holders. They are rated for a UM5 battery, which is 1.5v. I think they would cause issues.



Considering the power consumption of EMG pickups at 9V using that at 24V anything conductive thicker than a human hair would be probably more than enough. I wouldn't worry...


----------



## Hoss632

Crash Dandicoot said:


> I would if I had any decent recording setup. It'd just be cam audio with me and that does no justice for anyone involved.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 18v to 24v regarding a tonal/sound difference is largely negligible, however the cost and space requirements differ - screw paying for kits, too.
> 
> I personally run the 24v as you can get two mini (A23) 12v batteries in a 9v sized housing and just wire it in using the original 9v harness - you can swap back to a single 9v if you're so inclined and it _totally_ fits in the ESP quick-flip holder. Here's a rundown:
> 
> Batteries
> 9v Harness
> 24v Battery Holder (toss or use the mini switches for something else)
> 
> I see the 24v holder isn't on Amazon.com and they're discontinued everywhere else, apparently, but that's what I used. Bought a bunch of batteries and made like, 5 or so kits so far (for personal use). Just be sure to check continuity after as Chinese electrical components can sometimes act like Chinese electrical components. Also make sure you make a good connection (braid together, solder and shrinktube) when you splice them.
> 
> After about an honest-to-god 10 minutes of basic electrical work and around ($30 CAD) you've got a hot-swappable 24v setup and a bunch of spares to use (or to sell?)


Just easier for me to order this and install it honestly.


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

@Hoss632 Whichever works for ya, man. I just like DIY'ing things and figured I'd share my experience. Those will work all the same, I'm sure.


----------



## Hoss632

Crash Dandicoot said:


> @Hoss632 Whichever works for ya, man. I just like DIY'ing things and figured I'd share my experience. Those will work all the same, I'm sure.


Definitely appreciate the feedback. Mainly hoping that the mod will open the pickups more. Take away some of the compression.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Hoss632 said:


> Definitely appreciate the feedback. Mainly hoping that the mod will open the pickups more. Take away some of the compression.


It’ll definitely take away some compression versus 9v, and save a lot of space versus 2 9v batteries for 18v.


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

@Hoss632 Ace is 100% on point. You'll be pleased with the outcome, I think.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

Just figured out that my stealth with an 81-7 is instant Carcass/Suicide Silence depending what I run it through and how I EQ the amp. There's just something about that metallic clank that's all over Heartwork that I completely dig.

I'm undecided if I'm gonna replace the pickups, since I really like 57s, and want to try a Fluence set, or maybe another BKP set, or even Lundgrens, but for now it's pretty great and if a swap doesn't work out I won't complain. Just wanna maximize that weird upper mid thing especially since that guitar is going down to G# standard soon.

who cares about cleans just gimme the grrrrr


----------



## Xaeldaren

I've been playing guitar for 17 years, and because I live in a small city in Ireland, I've literally never touched a set of active EMGs. I had the HZ set in an old Epiphone, but back then I didn't know enough about guitar to know if they were good or not. I can't wait to get a cheap Solar or a Harley Benton with the 81/85 set, leave it in E standard forever, and riff out to Master of Puppets.


----------



## lewis

Xaeldaren said:


> I've been playing guitar for 17 years, and because I live in a small city in Ireland, I've literally never touched a set of active EMGs. I had the HZ set in an old Epiphone, but back then I didn't know enough about guitar to know if they were good or not. I can't wait to get a cheap Solar or a Harley Benton with the 81/85 set, leave it in E standard forever, and riff out to Master of Puppets.


I envy you. I would love that "first time experiencing emg 81 chugs" feeling again

It's serious Stank face for hours straight. I also find emgs inspiring to play with because everything jumps out. It tracks so fast to your playing it's like " I'm a man possessed"


----------



## Xaeldaren

Yeah. That's definitely worth the cost of entry right there!


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

Xaeldaren said:


> I've been playing guitar for 17 years, and because I live in a small city in Ireland, I've literally never touched a set of active EMGs. I had the HZ set in an old Epiphone, but back then I didn't know enough about guitar to know if they were good or not. I can't wait to get a cheap Solar or a Harley Benton with the 81/85 set, leave it in E standard forever, and riff out to Master of Puppets.



There's nothing like it when you have a guitar and amp that likes the sound. I just realized the other day most of my favorite guitar tones are EMGs into a 5150. Heartwork, Clayman, The Black Crown, there's just nothing like that grindy chug. I will say I prefer the death metal side of EMGs and for thrash and old school stuff I like Dimarzios or a good JB variant however but my old ESP SV had EMGs and did the thrash thing disgustingly well.


----------



## Stephan

Interesting thread!
Well I too am a huge fan of the emg 81 and still love the sound, especially into a 5150 or Rectifier. I don‘t get the hate at all.

I‘m currently talking with a friend (former bandmate) about a guitar for him in drop C. He wants to go for a metal sound like Trivium, Killswitch, In flames, Parkway drive. I tell him furiously how a emg 81 is exactly(!!!) what he is looking for. But he refuses and is looking for alternatives. Fishmans maybe (we both never tested them) or passives. Any suggestions for him (except to just go for the 81 haha)?


----------



## Choop

Stephan said:


> Interesting thread!
> Well I too am a huge fan of the emg 81 and still love the sound, especially into a 5150 or Rectifier. I don‘t get the hate at all.
> 
> I‘m currently talking with a friend (former bandmate) about a guitar for him in drop C. He wants to go for a metal sound like Trivium, Killswitch, In flames, Parkway drive. I tell him furiously how a emg 81 is exactly(!!!) what he is looking for. But he refuses and is looking for alternatives. Fishmans maybe (we both never tested them) or passives. Any suggestions for him (except to just go for the 81 haha)?



Duncan Distortion! Though I agree, an EMG 81 would be good for the kind of sound he is interested in based on those bands. I think the Distortion is relatively comparable to an 81, though there are differences obviously, it isn't worlds apart and you get the advantage of it being more dynamic.


----------



## MFB

Duncan Distortion is always the passive answer. _Always_.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Stephan said:


> Interesting thread!
> Well I too am a huge fan of the emg 81 and still love the sound, especially into a 5150 or Rectifier. I don‘t get the hate at all.
> 
> I‘m currently talking with a friend (former bandmate) about a guitar for him in drop C. He wants to go for a metal sound like Trivium, Killswitch, In flames, Parkway drive. I tell him furiously how a emg 81 is exactly(!!!) what he is looking for. But he refuses and is looking for alternatives. Fishmans maybe (we both never tested them) or passives. Any suggestions for him (except to just go for the 81 haha)?


Didn’t the guitarists in all of those bands use 81s?


----------



## Stephan

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Didn’t the guitarists in all of those bands use 81s?


Yes, thats why I insisted on the 81 but I assume my friend just wants to try something new or slightly but not entirely different.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Stephan said:


> Yes, thats why I insisted on the 81 but I assume my friend just wants to try something new or slightly but not entirely different.



85X.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> 85X.


What does the 85x at 9v sound like compared to a standard 85 at 18v?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> What does the 85x at 9v sound like compared to a standard 85 at 18v?



85x has less output, bass and a more hi-fi, snappier high end. Even moreso than the 85 18v imo.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> 85x has less output, bass and a more hi-fi, snappier high end. Even moreso than the 85 18v imo.


Interesting. I wonder if the high end is due to active tone control they use for the X series.


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

Spaced Out Ace said:


> What does the 85x at 9v sound like compared to a standard 85 at 18v?





HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> 85x has less output, bass and a more hi-fi, snappier high end. Even moreso than the 85 18v imo.



Y'all gotta try 18v/24v 85x's with an SPC. I swear I'm not steering you wrong


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Interesting. I wonder if the high end is due to active tone control they use for the X series.



Nah I took that out. I steer away from tone controls


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Crash Dandicoot said:


> Y'all gotta try 18v/24v 85x's with an SPC. I swear I'm not steering you wrong


I will be trying 58/SA/58 with SPC, EXG and 24v. No X series as of yet, though.


----------



## lewis

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Didn’t the guitarists in all of those bands use 81s?


That was the pathetic logic I also used to dismiss EMGs before finally trying them.

People really are completely brainwashed by the Internet. I was one of them.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> That was the pathetic logic I also used to dismiss EMGs before finally trying them.
> 
> People really are completely brainwashed by the Internet. I was one of them.


I think you’re bound to get a similar sound with 81s, most of the time, but there are other factors that play into it. A lot of the amps a particular type of player uses that chooses the 81 tends to be lacking in dynamics and versatility as well. That said, cranking the pickups close to the strings, using a boost (tube screamer, etc), and using 9v doesn’t help.


----------



## CanserDYI

lewis said:


> That was the pathetic logic I also used to dismiss EMGs before finally trying them.
> 
> People really are completely brainwashed by the Internet. I was one of them.


EMG's taught me that there is no such thing as a bad pickup, only pickups that aren't for you. Well, EMG's and Hive Pickups from Legator. Everytime I play one of those two brands pickups, I seriously question everything I know about pickups, then my buddy plays it and it sounds fantastic. EMG's into a recto sounds fantastic until I plug it in, and I'm like "cmon passive pickups into a 5150 sound where are you....."


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

@Spaced Out Ace Ah well, whenever you get around to it I highly recommend it 

@lewis I wasn't too far off that logic for a good while, myself. I've got Lundgrens and BKs in a bunch of heavier music-orientated guitars and I've been progressively phasing them out over time. No matter how you slice it, EMG makes a good pickup.


----------



## Marked Man

lewis said:


> That was the pathetic logic I also used to dismiss EMGs before finally trying them.
> 
> People really are completely brainwashed by the Internet. I was one of them.



My first informal guitar teacher (high school friend) was highly biased toward Gibson + Marshall + British or British inspired metal made before 1985. I dig all of those things too, but there are other worlds out there. He poisoned the well as much as he could to keep me away from floyd rose shredder guitars and EMGs. He failed at shredder guitars, but did help keep me away from EMGs for many years. Then one day I got to really spend some quality time at volume with an EMG equipped Hamer USA Californian and said oh....THIS is why people love EMGs!!

They are in around 1/3 of my collection now and clearly have their strengths. If I could only have 1 guitar to do everything, it would probably have very nice passives, but who said I can only have 1???? I've lost count, but I'm near 30 at present, and not dead yet.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Tonally, where does the Hot 70 or Super 77 fall around say, the 81/85 or the other covered bridge pickups? I have an open coil hum route I'd like to put an EMG into if I can get something metal-ish in there.


----------



## Hoss632

Seabeast2000 said:


> Tonally, where does the Hot 70 or Super 77 fall around say, the 81/85 or the other covered bridge pickups? I have an open coil hum route I'd like to put an EMG into if I can get something metal-ish in there.


They are going to be more open than the 81/85 since they are based more on a traditional style passive pick up with a built in pre-amp. The retroactive EMG (which is what the hot 70's and super77 are) are IMO the best pick ups EMG has out right now. While not the super 77's here's a direct comparison between the hot 70's and 81


Then this one has A LOT of the emg bridge pups including the super 77 and the 81. Hopefully these help a little bit.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Hoss632 said:


> They are going to be more open than the 81/85 since they are based more on a traditional style passive pick up with a built in pre-amp. The retroactive EMG (which is what the hot 70's and super77 are) are IMO the best pick ups EMG has out right now. While not the super 77's here's a direct comparison between the hot 70's and 81
> 
> 
> Then this one has A LOT of the emg bridge pups including the super 77 and the 81. Hopefully these help a little bit.




Yeah man, I'll just consider the 70/77 as either/or candidates, thanks. That's as much as I needed to hear. Was trying to avoid some kind of low output thing that's anemic in all the wrong spots.


----------



## Seabeast2000

not sure this has been shared but I hope this leads to some EMG upgrades for someone on here:

https://reverb.com/shop/emp-musical-products?page=7


----------



## Hoss632

Seabeast2000 said:


> not sure this has been shared but I hope this leads to some EMG upgrades for someone on here:
> 
> https://reverb.com/shop/emp-musical-products?page=7


Just learned about that recently. Definitely makes is a lot more tempting to swap the bridge pick up in my guitar


----------



## Kyle Jordan

Seabeast2000 said:


> not sure this has been shared but I hope this leads to some EMG upgrades for someone on here:
> 
> https://reverb.com/shop/emp-musical-products?page=7



Oh thank you very much for sharing this!


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

starting to push the old 81-7 to the limit, I started learning some revocation and I can see why people want more clarity and less compression

I was gonna replace the pickups for something a little more clear and mid forward anyways but that aggression is just too good, it's a shame my technique isn't good enough to compensate for the 81 currently


----------



## Kyle Jordan

^Nab on of the 24v mod holders and see if that helps. They look like they’re back in stock on the site. 

An X Series 81-7 might also give you what you want. Those are I think like $75 on the outlet store link above if they have any.


----------



## lewis

TheBolivianSniper said:


> starting to push the old 81-7 to the limit, I started learning some revocation and I can see why people want more clarity and less compression
> 
> I was gonna replace the pickups for something a little more clear and mid forward anyways but that aggression is just too good, it's a shame my technique isn't good enough to compensate for the 81 currently



Do the 24v mod on them.
They take up less room than a 9v battery, it clears them up and lifts a shed load of compression.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Kyle Jordan said:


> ^Nab on of the 24v mod holders and see if that helps. They look like they’re back in stock on the site.
> 
> An X Series 81-7 might also give you what you want. Those are I think like $75 on the outlet store link above if they have any.





TheBolivianSniper said:


> starting to push the old 81-7 to the limit, I started learning some revocation and I can see why people want more clarity and less compression
> 
> I was gonna replace the pickups for something a little more clear and mid forward anyways but that aggression is just too good, it's a shame my technique isn't good enough to compensate for the 81 currently



I agree with them saying try the 24V mod, but I disagree with the 81X. Hated that pickup. 

Definitely try the 57 or 85X if you wanna do a swap.


----------



## Giest

The six string 81 and 85 were the only great pickups they ever made in my opinion, made better with the 18v mod. All their new stuff either isn't the same lively timbre or is too squished to my ears.


----------



## Richter

Most of EMG pickups seem to be unavailable in Europe, Thomann says 5 to 7 weeks for most models. Where are you guys getting yours from?


----------



## slavboi_delight

Richter said:


> Most of EMG pickups seem to be unavailable in Europe, Thomann says 5 to 7 weeks for most models. Where are you guys getting yours from?


Mostly used of craigslist and ebay


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I plan to install the pickups, pickguard, etc. into my girlfriend's Strat today. The only issue so far is needing to enlarge the holes of the pickguard for the humbuckers, which is likely why the pickups were rejected and sold off as B stock. I need to get some sanding sponges today to hopefully widen the holes in the pickguard enough to fit. Once that is complete, I will likely mess around with them some and see what they sound like. 

Anyone have tips or suggestions for sanding the cutouts for the humbuckers?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Well, that was a bit of a nightmare. Since I stupidly just assumed that my girlfriend's Strat would be routed HSH as well (so that Fender could load blanks up with anything), that was not the case. So, I had to swap the pickguard from my Fender Player series into hers. Then the humbucker screws I grabbed originally were too long, so I had to replace those. Then the body was routed by the bridge humbucker slightly too small, so I had to angle the pickup slightly. After all of that, I have them both situated, finally.

Yeesh!

The only thing my girlfriend's Strat really needs now is some fret work. I believe there is one (maybe two) high frets, and some sharp fret ends that I need to take care of at some point.



Spaced Out Ace said:


> Anyone have tips or suggestions for sanding the cutouts for the humbuckers?


Take a box cutter or similar type tool and widdle away small shavings, then check. Following that, use the sand paper or sanding sponges to smooth it out.


----------



## jco5055

I'm debating a Warmoth build, and I was exploring pretty much ALL the pickup companies...and I gotta say, I LOVE the sound of the 57/66TW set..like I think that's my future pickups


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I'm thinking about getting an Explorer type guitar and retrying either a chrome set of Het pickups or the 57/66 sets. Just something to chug in Eb standard.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'm thinking about getting an Explorer type guitar and retrying either a chrome set of Het pickups or the 57/66 sets. Just something to chug in Eb standard.


Get the 81/60.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I’m really enjoying the 58/SA/58 and EXG+SPC in my Fender Player series Stratocaster. The 58 seems a bit like maybe an 85 and 60A mixed. Added just a bit of EXG and SPC is quite awesome. I need to adjust the single coil height so the 2 through 4 pickup settings aren’t so quiet.


----------



## Hoss632

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Get the 81/60.


Why when the hetset and 57/66 do everything better? Especially in that tuning


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Get the 81/60.





Hoss632 said:


> Why when the hetset and 57/66 do everything better? Especially in that tuning



I love the 81/60, just wanna revisit those pickups.


----------



## Hoss632

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I love the 81/60, just wanna revisit those pickups.


Fair enough. I've not tried a 60 in the neck admittedly. I have an 81/85 combo in my Schecter. Never got fully along with the 81, but I've come to like the 85 with my amp after tweaking it a bit. Still looking to probably put at least a 57 in the bridge position and move the 85 back to the neck at some point.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

Fellow EMG aficionados, I need some advice.

The pickups in my S8 are dying a slow death that goes in bursts and they seem to have just experienced a jump yesterday. I was hoping to hold off on replacing them until my Aristides arrives in the April/May estimated timeframe, but that looks less and less likely.

One possibility is Fluence Classics, since I’d love to pop them in to the Aristides once it gets here and direct shoot them out with the 60-8XH the guitar is coming with. Ibanez however in an act of belligerent dimwittery routed the S8 with oversized routes that are a bit of a pain to deal with. They’ll fit soapbars well, but the soapbar EMGs in my experience do not sound like the 6 string versions. Fluence Moderns and Stef Carpenter pups are out as I don’t care for them, and Abasi’s are a better proposition, but still not quite there.

So, my harebrained idea is to try the EMG 40JX 5 string bass pickup. From what I can tell, it’s a legit stacked single coil inside of a soapbar housing, and the JX pickups are voiced fairly flat like the SX and SAX guitar single coils.

My thinking is that if the 40JX is in fact flat or nearly, I can use an EQ or a BTC control (if I can fit it in the guitar) to to carve away bass or boost highs if need be.

Any of you have experience with the EMG bass pickups? How do they sound? I know you’ll likely have heard them in a bass, but I’m actually liking a lot of the clips I’m hearing with them.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I have heard the X-series pickups and they definitely do seem to be flatter than the other EMG bass pickups. Not as compressed as well. If anything that's why I like the original EMG bass pickups because I like how they have that "specific" sound and compression to them. 

It's probably worth a shot TBH. I'm looking at the diagram for them and it looks like it should be within 8-string spacing.


----------



## Matt08642

Hoss632 said:


> Why when the hetset and 57/66 do everything better? Especially in that tuning



I've said it about others (Devin Townsend/Killswitch Engage guys) but they, and Metallica, recorded all their most recognizable stuff on the 81. I'm sure the Het set sounds good, but it's the same as if I want a Vai tone from a pickup I'd go for Evolution/Blaze rather than whatever he and DiMarzio have put out in the last 10 years.


----------



## lewis

Matt08642 said:


> I've said it about others (Devin Townsend/Killswitch Engage guys) but they, and Metallica, recorded all their most recognizable stuff on the 81. I'm sure the Het set sounds good, but it's the same as if I want a Vai tone from a pickup I'd go for Evolution/Blaze rather than whatever he and DiMarzio have put out in the last 10 years.



To add to this, I don't think it's a coincidence that most guitar tones and productions these days are unmemorable, run of the mill, garbage.

Killswitch engage are a brilliant example. Gone from iconic, memorable, legendary sounding guitar tone and production, to the complete opposite.
And what's coincided with this down turn? More digital crap and more hifi sounding pickups (fishmans)

Edit: for all the nonsense about emgs sounding the same, all the bands that were using them in their heyday all sounded completely original and unique from each other.

Yet bands and fishmans now all sound the same.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> To add to this, I don't think it's a coincidence that most guitar tones and productions these days are unmemorable, run of the mill, garbage.
> 
> Killswitch engage are a brilliant example. Gone from iconic, memorable, legendary sounding guitar tone and production, to the complete opposite.
> And what's coincided with this down turn? More digital crap and more hifi sounding pickups (fishmans)
> 
> Edit: for all the nonsense about emgs sounding the same, all the bands that were using them in their heyday all sounded completely original and unique from each other.
> 
> Yet bands and fishmans now all sound the same.


I think the issue stems from producers being more “streamlined” in their approach, allowing presets in the DAW to handle the heavy lifting, rather than treating each band (and even song) as a separate entity. Back in the day, every other song might have a different tone or different production approach. Now it is all factory line manufacturing.


----------



## shredmechanic

Matt08642 said:


> I've said it about others (Devin Townsend/Killswitch Engage guys) but they, and Metallica, recorded all their most recognizable stuff on the 81. I'm sure the Het set sounds good, but it's the same as if I want a Vai tone from a pickup I'd go for Evolution/Blaze rather than whatever he and DiMarzio have put out in the last 10 years.



KsE use an 85 in the bridge; not an 81.


----------



## Matt08642

shredmechanic said:


> KsE use an 85 in the bridge; not an 81.



Regardless, what I was saying was that all their iconic tones came from the stuff they used for 20 years.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I honestly can't think of any EMG user that got better tone when they swapped from the classic 81/85/60/etc pickups to either the X series, 57/66, Het set, etc, or moved onto Fishmans.  Shit in the case of KsE, Trivium, and Hetfield, their tones got WORSE.

...Josh Middleton is an exception but the guy's a tone maniac.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I honestly can't think of any EMG user that got better tone when they swapped from the classic 81/85/60/etc pickups to either the X series, 57/66, Het set, etc, or moved onto Fishmans.  Shit in the case of KsE, Trivium, and Hetfield, their tones got WORSE.
> 
> ...Josh Middleton is an exception but the guy's a tone maniac.



Even kind of in Middleton’s case for me. I say his best recorded tone is from Conclusion Of An Age. 

Wolf Hoffman’s tone on the last Accept album is still great and he jumped from EMG to Fishman. But that’s about the only case I can think of. And it was just a lateral move.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Kyle Jordan said:


> Even kind of in Middleton’s case for me. I say his best recorded tone is from Conclusion Of An Age.
> 
> Wolf Hoffman’s tone on the last Accept album is still great and he jumped from EMG to Fishman. But that’s about the only case I can think of. And it was just a lateral move.


Wolf is a killer guitarist who is quite underrated.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

^Big time. Love his writing, playing, and tone. His Framus Vs look killer too.


----------



## soul_lip_mike

I went with 81/85 set in my ESP USA M7 hard tail and the 85 in the neck is way too bassy/boomy for my taste. I had put an 81/60 set in my other purple floyd USA M7 and I love the sound of the 60 in the neck there, so I ordered a 60 to replace the 85.


----------



## Zhysick

soul_lip_mike said:


> I went with 81/85 set in my ESP USA M7 hard tail and the 85 in the neck is way too bassy/boomy for my taste. I had put an 81/60 set in my other purple floyd USA M7 and I love the sound of the 60 in the neck there, so I ordered a 60 to replace the 85.



You could try the 85 in the bridge and the 81 in the neck.. that balances a lot better specially if it is a dark guitar. It will still sound thick and dark but at least balanced since the 81 hast more cut and the 85 more bass end

But yeah... anyway I'm looking for a 60 or 60A for the neck with the 85 in the bridge


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I love the 85/60A setup as well as 58/58 setup. Both sound great. I also went back and forth with my EMG PS918 or whatever it is called, switching from 9 to 18v, and the difference when A/B’d like that is like night and day.


----------



## Hoss632

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'm thinking about getting an Explorer type guitar and retrying either a chrome set of Het pickups or the 57/66 sets. Just something to chug in Eb standard.


Granted it has the 81/60. But it's only 375 bucks plus shipping.


----------



## Emperoff

Zhysick said:


> You could try the 85 in the bridge and the 81 in the neck.. that balances a lot better specially if it is a dark guitar. It will still sound thick and dark but at least balanced since the 81 hast more cut and the 85 more bass end
> 
> But yeah... anyway I'm looking for a 60 or 60A for the neck with the 85 in the bridge



That combo rips. The 85 and the 60 balance beautifully. I swapped them for the 57/66 combo to try something new, but I missed the 60 a lot.

I'd rock a 57/60 combo if my OCD could handle having pickups with mismatched looks


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Emperoff said:


> That combo rips. The 85 and the 60 balance beautifully. I swapped them for the 57/66 combo to try something new, but I missed the 60 a lot.
> 
> I'd rock a 57/60 combo if my OCD could handle having pickups with mismatched looks


I prefer the 60A, as I find Alnico magnets to typically be “softer” than ceramic. I’m sure a standard 60 will work well with an 85.


----------



## Emperoff

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I prefer the 60A, as I find Alnico magnets to typically be “softer” than ceramic. I’m sure a standard 60 will work well with an 85.



I have never tried that one, since I think it is not available for 7-strings. I'm sure I'd prefer it as well too since I'm not too fond on ceramics (and still I loved the 60!).


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Emperoff said:


> I have never tried that one, since I think it is not available for 7-strings. I'm sure I'd prefer it as well too since I'm not too fond on ceramics (and still I loved the 60!).


Oh, we’re discussing a 7 string. Doh!


----------



## pahulkster

Swapped the 81/85 in my Jackson for a Het Set and it is killer. Metal covers were slightly larger and needed a little modification but that might just be the tight routes on the guitar. They sound so good though. New electronics and some bridge mods too so it wasn't a direct swap but I'm liking them much more.


----------



## Stephan

pahulkster said:


> Swapped the 81/85 in my Jackson for a Het Set and it is killer. Metal covers were slightly larger and needed a little modification but that might just be the tight routes on the guitar. They sound so good though. New electronics and some bridge mods too so it wasn't a direct swap but I'm liking them much more.


Interesting. I hear so much good things about them. In what way do you think they are a improvement compared to the 81/60 set?


----------



## slavboi_delight

Stephan said:


> Interesting. I hear so much good things about them. In what way do you think they are a improvement compared to the 81/60 set?


They are for sure more "open" sounding. They do have more output and a tad more gain to them.
But they surely react more dynamic and are less focused but still very tight.

I guess more organic would be an argument.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

IME imagine an EMG 81X but with more output bass.


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

@HeHasTheJazzHands Could you not achieve that with an 81X mated to a BTC control? They're designated as bass accessories but they supposedly work with guitars quite well. Being able to choose the frequency range via dipswitches is pretty nifty.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Crash Dandicoot said:


> @HeHasTheJazzHands Could you not achieve that with an 81X mated to a BTC control? They're designated as bass accessories but they supposedly work with guitars quite well.



Probably?  Not really sure. I might be a bit off base since it's been a few years but I recall them being very similar.

I still need to do that preamp mod to my C8. I like how the 81/85X sounds in it, but I still want the djentychugga low end for when I really want some clarity with very thicc amps


----------



## pahulkster

Stephan said:


> Interesting. I hear so much good things about them. In what way do you think they are a improvement compared to the 81/60 set?



Not sure about the 60. This guitar had an 81/85 and I haven't played with the clean neck tones too much yet. I only have one other guitar with EMGs in it and I put a 60 in the neck of that one. Definitely prefer that for clean sounds over the 85 or 81. As far as the bridge goes I just think it sounds much more dynamic but still super crunchy if that makes any sense.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Oh forgot about the Het Set neck. 
It's a really fucking killer neck pickup. Has more low end and a more sparkly high end compared to the 60.


----------



## jco5055

I tried to read most of this thread but my eyes glazed over somewhere in the 60s, so forgive me if this has been discussed lol. 

but do the retroactives live up to their billing as combining all the positives of active and passives? I did what I should have done at the start and played my two guitars, one with passives and one with 81/60 combo ( I think), and I like the sound and the no hum and clarity of the actives, it’s just the feel is sliiiightly not 100% there like it is with passives…so wondering if the retros (or any other set) has that feel.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

jco5055 said:


> I tried to read most of this thread but my eyes glazed over somewhere in the 60s, so forgive me if this has been discussed lol.
> 
> but do the retroactives live up to their billing as combining all the positives of active and passives? I did what I should have done at the start and played my two guitars, one with passives and one with 81/60 combo ( I think), and I like the sound and the no hum and clarity of the actives, it’s just the feel is sliiiightly not 100% there like it is with passives…so wondering if the retros (or any other set) has that feel.



IMO yeah the Super 77 set is probably the more passive-like actives I've tried.


----------



## jco5055

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> IMO yeah the Super 77 set is probably the more passive-like actives I've tried.



thanks! Do you feel like they are “there” or just they are the best so far? If only I could find a guitar stock with them to try at GC etc


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

jco5055 said:


> thanks! Do you feel like they are “there” or just they are the best so far? If only I could find a guitar stock with them to try at GC etc



Hard to explain.  Definitely felt more passive like than the standard EMGs. I'm not a very nuanced player, just felt they were very close to the Duncan Super Distortions I used to own. Neck pickup I didn't care about. Too dark


----------



## jco5055

Actually removed my pickups in my 7 string and realized they were the 57/66 7 string set... now I figured with the solderless system I could just buy a pair of retro-actives for them to see what I think, but does anyone know if I can purchase them without the wiring/pots etc included? I only need the actual pickups.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Hard to explain.  Definitely felt more passive like than the standard EMGs. I'm not a very nuanced player, just felt they were very close to the Duncan Super Distortions I used to own. Neck pickup I didn't care about. Too dark


Do you mean Duncan Distortions? The Super Distortion is by DiMarzio.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Do you mean Duncan Distortions? The Super Distortion is by DiMarzio.


Thats what I meant. DiMarzio Super Distortions. had a brain flop


----------



## Spicypickles

Are the het’s available without the pole pieces?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spicypickles said:


> Are the het’s available without the pole pieces?



Nah polepiece only. Probably one of the reasons why the pickups sound the way they do, vs standard EMG bars.


----------



## Paulo Marques

I cannot find that tight, big sounding, punchy chug that i find on the EMG 81, on any other pickup


----------



## Rev2010

lewis said:


> I dunno guys, i just feel that once the initial hype of a new product/brand dies down, i want to go back to EMG again.



3 years late, but I'll reply. EMG's have become my favorite pickup - primarily 707 for 7-string and 85 for 6-string bridge. I'm an Alnico guy so I'm not an EMG 81 fan. Ceramics are too cold and harsh and shrill IMO. The Fishman Fluence Modern Alnico are indeed awesome but really not much different from EMG so I stick with my EMG's.


----------



## Choop

I still like the 707 fo sho. My Schecter has the 81-7 which is also cool sounding, but I kinda miss that bigger sound that the 707 had.


----------



## lewis

Paulo Marques said:


> I cannot find that tight, big sounding, punchy chug that i find on the EMG 81, on any other pickup


Truth!

Nothing comes close.
I remember being recommended a Duncan Distortion as a "better passive version" and when I got one I laughed at how rubbish it was in comparison to the 81. Decent enough in its own right but nowhere near what the 81 is capable of.


----------



## Hoss632

Big sounding and emg 81 don't go together. It's not a "big" sounding pick up. It's tight, compressed and focused. Comes through nice in a mix though. I've learned to appreciate it and the 85 more over the past year after finally getting a decent amp.


----------



## lewis

Hoss632 said:


> Big sounding and emg 81 don't go together. *It's not a "big" sounding pick up. It's tight, compressed and focuse*d. Comes through nice in a mix though. I've learned to appreciate it and the 85 more over the past year after finally getting a decent amp.


Effortlessly cutting in a mix better than 99% other high gain pickups, is probably what people are talking about when they say "it's massive sounding" tbf.

I would say the bolded better describes the Fishman Modern


----------



## Hoss632

lewis said:


> Effortlessly cutting in a mix better than 99% other high gain pickups, is probably what people are talking about when they say "it's massive sounding" tbf.
> 
> I would say the bolded better describes the Fishman Modern


Makes sense. I know I've listened to myself play an Avenged Sevenfold song back on audio. Zacky V uses a JB. And to me my 85 cuts through more with more balls than the JB. I almost feel like the 85 is a JB with a tube screamer already on.


----------



## Paulo Marques

Hoss632 said:


> Big sounding and emg 81 don't go together. It's not a "big" sounding pick up. It's tight, compressed and focused. Comes through nice in a mix though. I've learned to appreciate it and the 85 more over the past year after finally getting a decent amp.


 When you down stroke a palm mute the EMG is way bigger than any pickup, not as thinn, at least to my ears.

The 85 is even more full, cause it has more bass i think.


----------



## Hoss632

Paulo Marques said:


> When you down stroke a palm mute the EMG is way bigger than any pickup, not as thinn, at least to my ears.
> 
> The 85 is even more full, cause it has more bass i think.


Eh actives are a bit thinner sounding by nature since they are so compressed to my ears. The 81 and 85s do really punch through though which is what I've begun to appreciate about them. And yea the 85 being alnico it has a little more rounded to it than the 81. I am thinking of trying the 24v mod to open it up a bit more.


----------



## Zhysick

There' something in the compressed saturation of an 81 with high gain that you can undeniably say it's an 81 but the 85 is growing on me and I like it even more... except on dark sounding guitars... the 85 in my Solar and the 81 in my EX-100 are a perfect match since the shorter scale EX100 has the "darkness" the Solar with evertune and longer scale lacks so it compensates with the 85

Yeah, I'm missing the special brutallity of the 81 but that's something you can easily fix if you push a bit the high-mids with the 85... it just needs a bit of tweaking while the 81 is just straight forward brutallity

And still waiting to get a 60 for the neck of my guitars... kinda tired of the 81 on the neck.. it just does the job but... nah, I need a 60 or 60A


----------



## gunch

"We want a guitar with a built-in tube screamer"

81: *is that*

People: wtf

I dumpstered my NK but I still have my 57, still want to get a chinaberg and a VMC and make a redneck masvidalien


----------



## Flappydoodle

Question about the Bonebreakers.

Did we ever figure out whether the bridge pickup is actually just an 81 with a green logo? Or is it a new voicing? I've seen YouTube reviews and comparisons - some where they sound identical, some where they sound different. 

EMG website says "By making slight pre-amp adjustments and combining Alnico 5 and Ceramic magnets the perfect tone-beast was created. The Bone Breaker set consist of the BB-B Ceramic bridge and the BB-N Alnico 5 neck pickups."

Somewhat vague, as to whether the bridge pickup is the hybrid ceramic/alnico.


----------



## slavboi_delight

Flappydoodle said:


> Question about the Bonebreakers.
> 
> Did we ever figure out whether the bridge pickup is actually just an 81 with a green logo? Or is it a new voicing? I've seen YouTube reviews and comparisons - some where they sound identical, some where they sound different.
> 
> EMG website says "By making slight pre-amp adjustments and combining Alnico 5 and Ceramic magnets the perfect tone-beast was created. The Bone Breaker set consist of the BB-B Ceramic bridge and the BB-N Alnico 5 neck pickups."
> 
> Somewhat vague, as to whether the bridge pickup is the hybrid ceramic/alnico.


I think the adjustement is just the 60A in the neck. And the green logo of course.
Pretty sure the bridge is straight up an 81.
If they changed anything on the bridge they should have advertised that differently.


----------



## Zhysick

Well, the "slight pre-amp adjustments" should mean there is something different so it could be the same structure of an 81 and a 60A or even 81A (???? you know, he used to use the 81 so maybe that with alnico) with some pre-amp adjustments that could be more output, less output, different headroom...


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I've seen some people talk to EMG themselves and had reps straight up say they're rebadged 81/60as.


----------



## Zhysick

Then... where is the preamp adjustment? Just marketing bullshit? Oh, yeah, I can see that...


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Zhysick said:


> Then... where is the preamp adjustment? Just marketing bullshit? Oh, yeah, I can see that...





Hard to tell if the difference is the pickups or the guitars theyre in.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Trying to decide between the 57/66 or Het Set for an upcoming guitar, gonna be kept in standard or half-step down. 

Before anyone tells me to check something out,_* I specifically am looking at those two pickups, nothing else. *_


----------



## slavboi_delight

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Trying to decide between the 57/66 or Het Set for an upcoming guitar, gonna be kept in standard or half-step down.
> 
> Before anyone tells me to check something out,_* I specifically am looking at those two pickups, nothing else. *_


Het set is great for stuff in half step down. 
Not a big fan of the neck pickup. 
Super crunchy though with a fair amount of gain. Kinda feels like a mix of an 81 and a 500t. But more low end than the 81 and highs are a bit more sizzling.

I prefer the 57/66 just because of the alnico tone. 57 is a sledgehammer in high gain and can do the sweets too if rolled back. 

Really can't go wrong with either, the 57 has more paf quality i guess. Hetfields are great too if you're into more output and low end.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I actully really liked the Het Set neck. Nice and sparkly and punchy. Just don't recall being fond if the bridge. But that guitar it was in suuucked.


----------



## slavboi_delight

Interesting. I don't recall why i did not like it i remember it hit a metric ton of output.
I had it in alder guitar which wos naive of me i guess.

And i used an 18 volt mod as well


----------



## Matt08642

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Trying to decide between the 57/66 or Het Set for an upcoming guitar, gonna be kept in standard or half-step down.
> 
> Before anyone tells me to check something out,_* I specifically am looking at those two pickups, nothing else. *_



I've never tried the 57/66, but my friends Het Set sounded fucking massive a half step down through my 6505MH, so you can't really go wrong there.


----------



## Legion

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I actully really liked the Het Set neck. Nice and sparkly and punchy. Just don't recall being fond if the bridge. But that guitar it was in suuucked.


In June last year, I A/B'd two LTD MH1000's with the 57/66 and HetSet. I remember liking the 57 more, because I thought the HetSet was a little anemic on the low end. Makes sense, since the HetSet was probably engineered to fill a similar role to the 81, while the 57 is just a generally fatter/more "vintage voiced" pickup. I'd wager the HetSet bridge would work better in a mix, but I just happened to enjoy the 57 more while chugging away without a bass or drums. 

I dont' really remember how the neck pickups sounded, other than liking them both and not really prefering one over the other...


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I may have to shoot out the 57 and Het Bridge if I end up doing this project. Maybe even try the Retroactive 77 or Daemonum bridge. Honestly I'm doing this all for aesthetics. I want polepieces and/or bobbins for a proper vintage look.


----------



## Legion

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I may have to shoot out the 57 and Het Bridge if I end up doing this project. Maybe even try the Retroactive 77 or Daemonum bridge. Honestly I'm doing this all for aesthetics. I want polepieces and/or bobbins for a proper vintage look.


can 100% relate
aesthetics are fucking critical to me too

good luck my guy!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Legion said:


> can 100% relate
> aesthetics are fucking critical to me too
> 
> good luck my guy!



Yeah, I got a "metal" classy looking H-H tele, and now I want a "vintage" classy H-H tele.


----------



## Schweick

Are seven and eight string EMGs just stretched versions of six string designs, or are they unique to themselves?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Schweick said:


> Are seven and eight string EMGs just stretched versions of six string designs, or are they unique to themselves?



They're closer to their 6-string counterparts than most passives. IME though they're slightly lower output. 
The only one that's truely unique is the 707. It's a modified bass pickup.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

Schweick said:


> Are seven and eight string EMGs just stretched versions of six string designs, or are they unique to themselves?



The Humcap 7 and 8 pups sound closest to the 6 stringers in my experience. The soapbars slightly darker to my ears. At least regarding the 60, 81, and 85. I described it to a friend once as looking at someone wearing a black hat vs looking at them wearing a very similar hat in very dark grey.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I messed around with both versions and I felt the Soapbar and H were very similar. Both sounded lower output than the 7 string. If anything the Soapbar sounded brighter to me, but it's probably because it was a brighter guitar.


----------



## Schweick

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> They're closer to their 6-string counterparts than most passives. IME though they're slightly lower output.
> The only one that's truely unique is the 707. It's a modified bass pickup.


This interesting, because I remember stuggling mightly to get a decent tone out of a 707 equipped Schecter Hellraiser I owned a while back, whereas I don't seem to be getting any sorts of the same problems with the 85-7X I have in another guitar.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Schweick said:


> This interesting, because I remember stuggling mightly to get a decent tone out of a 707 equipped Schecter Hellraiser I owned a while back, whereas I don't seem to be getting any sorts of the same problems with the 85-7X I have in another guitar.



For the longest time it was said that the 707 was the 7 string equivalent to the 85, but when you hear them side by side, it really couldn't be further from the truth tbh. The 85 is this massive-ass wall of low end and midrange. The 707 is scooped with a big low end and a very snappy, hi fi high end like the EMG bass humbuckers.


----------



## gunch

Maximum nasty soapbar 7 bridge pickup? 

stef fluence 

707 + rpc 
85-7 + rpc 
81-7 no rpc


----------



## lewis

gunch said:


> Maximum nasty soapbar 7 bridge pickup?
> 
> stef fluence
> 
> 707 + rpc
> *85-7 + rpc *
> 81-7 no rpc



The king pairing


----------



## Schweick

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> For the longest time it was said that the 707 was the 7 string equivalent to the 85, but when you hear them side by side, it really couldn't be further from the truth tbh. The 85 is this massive-ass wall of low end and midrange. The 707 is scooped with a big low end and a very snappy, hi fi high end like the EMG bass humbuckers.


Which of EMG's current six-string offerings do you suppose would work best with a bass VI?


----------



## lewis

Schweick said:


> Which of EMG's current six-string offerings do you suppose would work best with a bass VI?


Depends what kind of baritone sound you're after.

Super twangy/snappy?, go super 77 or 81
More balanced and full? go 57 or 85


----------



## jco5055

Has anyone played the passive stuff, like the H4 etc? I'm curious how they are, considering playing passive EMGs feels like going to a famous pizza place and ordering a burger lol


----------



## lewis

jco5055 said:


> Has anyone played the passive stuff, like the H4 etc? I'm curious how they are, considering playing passive EMGs feels like going to a famous pizza place and ordering a burger lol



I didn't like them. I can see why Alexi used them with an active preamp.
They felt low output and puny


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

jco5055 said:


> Has anyone played the passive stuff, like the H4 etc? I'm curious how they are, considering playing passive EMGs feels like going to a famous pizza place and ordering a burger lol



@Spaced Out Ace has more experience than me. The H4 isn't as bad as people made them out to be, but they're not screaming pickups. More medium-high output. Scooped, more bass, interesting twangy treble sound.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I liked the H2, H3, and H4 (the H1 was too bright and weird in my setup), but I used them with the ALX preamp. You may opt, instead, for an Afterburner, as they might be easier to come by without the pickup. That said, I liked that I could turn the "active"-ness off, and get a more clean/low gain crunch friendly tone easily.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

Whelp, even though my 080 is going to be here sooner than I thought, I have a problem. The pickups in my S8 finally passed on to that great parts bin in the sky tonight. I had originally planned on picking up a set of Fluence Open Core Classics to pop in the S8 that I could later also pop in to my 080 once it arrives to see how I like them in that guitar as well eventually. At least on Voice 1. 

The problem there is that at set of the Open Cores is about $270 new. I can jump over to the EMG Outlet store on Reverb and get a B Stock 57-8H and 66-8H for $150. 

So, for those of you with a lot of experience with the 66, how well does it take to EQing? I know the 60 and the 81 can be manipulated pretty damn well using an EQ pedal or unit before the amp. And it's been many years since I've had long exposure to the 66. And I wasn't a huge fan of it then because it was darker than I liked, but I dug it more than the 85. I'm good with the 57.


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

@Kyle Jordan I find the 66 takes a nice mid-range bump very well, though to be honest with the 57/66-7 setup I'm running I almost never use the 66 by itself - the middle position mixes just enough cut from the 57 to retain clarity and the overall smooth tonal characteristics. Full neck position is still nice but not my preference for leads, it's almost _too_ fluid sounding, if that makes sense. Not muddy, per se, just... too much of what it is? I can't think of the appropriate phrasing. Wonderful for cleans, though.


----------



## MFB

Man, my new Jackson has some SD Blackouts, and having played through EMGs on my EC since April - these things sound like dogshit compared to them. They took all the stereotypical complaints about an active pickup and made it worse.

Save me EMG, I didn't know how good I had it!


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

MFB said:


> Man, my new Jackson has some SD Blackouts, and having played through EMGs on my EC since April - these things sound like dogshit compared to them. They took all the stereotypical complaints about an active pickup and made it worse.
> 
> Save me EMG, I didn't know how good I had it!


That’s always been my conclusion listening to comparisons on YouTube. The Blockouts just don’t sound good, and I think when the one or two endorsers they have (like Jeff Loomis), they’ll likely just drop the line. They’ve dropped the Alnico II Classic after redesigning it to fit in the line, as well as the single coils. I think they even dropped the Metal, which has two levels more gain than the standards. Someone who worked with Duncan said the single coil Blackouts were way better than the EMG single coils, as they sounded like real single coils. Meanwhile, they said the EMGs needed the EQ accessories, or they’d sound shitty.


----------



## Zhysick

MFB said:


> Man, my new Jackson has some SD Blackouts, and having played through EMGs on my EC since April - these things sound like dogshit compared to them. They took all the stereotypical complaints about an active pickup and made it worse.
> 
> Save me EMG, I didn't know how good I had it!



Try using the neck pup on the bridge... on a 7 I had a few years ago it sounded a lot better with the pickups swapped... it was the best I could do until I got an 81-7


----------



## MFB

Zhysick said:


> Try using the neck pup on the bridge... on a 7 I had a few years ago it sounded a lot better with the pickups swapped... it was the best I could do until I got an 81-7



The neck definitely has more of the mids that the bridge is desperately missing, but there's also a bit of woof to it so it's not what you'd want to use as a main pickup either.

It'll be fixed this weekend when I drop it off with the Distortion that was originally going into my EC401, it's just such a stark contrast to what I'm used to; especially since I tried the other one through an Orange the other day and didn't notice it at all, but the Orange being more mid-heavy probably filled in the gaps.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Would a TW type EMG fit in a Squier Strat? What am I measuring to check for myself?


----------



## Zhysick

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Would a TW type EMG fit in a Squier Strat? What am I measuring to check for myself?


Check from bottom of body route to strings... As far as I know TW pickups are taller than standard EMG pickups so that could be a problem. Check if the route is deep enough to have some space for adjusting... You can check measurements of the pickups on EMG's site


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

From body route to strings, it was about 40/32”, and minus the 4-5/32” for pickup height, it leaves enough for the pickup. However, the sides of the route go down deeper, just like the ears of the pickup. It should be close to enough room.


----------



## Zhysick

TW pickups is 1.1" thick as per EMG site and 40/32" is 1.25", that's 4mm of room to adjust height... Quite tight I would say. It fits but there's not much room to adjust height, actually, you will probably have the pickup completely sitting in the route and still close to the strings but since EMGs can be used very close to the strings... Well, good thing if you mess with the route under the oickgusrs nobody can see it in case you need to deepen the route


----------



## Marked Man

lewis said:


> Effortlessly cutting in a mix better than 99% other high gain pickups, is probably what people are talking about when they say "it's massive sounding" tbf.
> 
> I would say the bolded better describes the Fishman Modern



The 81 has such clarity, you can boost it to Hades and back and it doesn't turn to mush like most traditional passives. That's when it sounds really HUGE! The 85 is actually a bigger sounding pickup, but lacks the same level of aggression when you A/B them, as I've done many times. I have a Charvel 650 that is a lead oriented guitar and the 85 is better for what I use it for. But my Hannemans? Oh, that has to be the 81. 

The 81 just as classic for its era as the original PAF or Super Distortion were/are for their eras.


----------



## mcleanab

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I may have to shoot out the 57 and Het Bridge if I end up doing this project. Maybe even try the Retroactive 77 or Daemonum bridge. Honestly I'm doing this all for aesthetics. I want polepieces and/or bobbins for a proper vintage look.


Totally get it... my Tobacco Burst Charvel DK24 looked super vintage to me, so I went for the EMG Fat 55 based on the Alnico magnets and the look of the Zebra colors because I thought it would make the whole guitar look more vintage. It does, but goddamn I fell in love with the Fat 55 set!!! Got a black set for my Jackson HT and they sound killer in there... gonna swap out the chrome screws with black ones... I know the poles will still be chrome looking, but we'll see how it goes!


----------



## mcleanab

jco5055 said:


> Has anyone played the passive stuff, like the H4 etc? I'm curious how they are, considering playing passive EMGs feels like going to a famous pizza place and ordering a burger lol


I'm waiting on a set of EMG passives, the Rev Set... got an Afterburner I might throw in (gonna play with them by themselves first) if they need more output, but tonally, they seem to have something really fun going on in the midrange that I'm dying to hear in person.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Well with the guitar I ended up getting, I stuck an EMG 81 in te bridge and Blackout Ceramic in the neck since it's what I had laying around.. Still thinking about the Het Set down the road.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Well with the guitar I ended up getting, I stuck an EMG 81 in te bridge and Blackout Ceramic in the neck since it's what I had laying around.. Still thinking about the Het Set down the road.


Does Duncan even make Blackouts still? I mean besides the signature Jeff Loomis pickup.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

MFB said:


> Man, my new Jackson has some SD Blackouts, and having played through EMGs on my EC since April - these things sound like dogshit compared to them. They took all the stereotypical complaints about an active pickup and made it worse.
> 
> Save me EMG, I didn't know how good I had it!


I'm curious if they just rebranded the livewires, which if memory serves, were supposed to be used at 18v (possibly only?). As a result, it just sounds like a distortion pedal with a dying or somewhat drained battery.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I'm curious if they just rebranded the livewires, which if memory serves, were supposed to be used at 18v (possibly only?). As a result, it just sounds like a distortion pedal with a dying or somewhat drained battery.



I think the AHB2 are livewires when you activate the onboard boost. 

Also apparently they still do. They're on the website and still available in retailers.

also I did start to fall out of favor with the Blackouts. I can see why people claim the treble content can be grating. I switched back to the 81 in my Avenger (that same Blackout is now in the previously mentioned guitar) and it fixed it. Smoothed out some harsh frequencies.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I think the AHB2 are livewires when you activate the onboard boost.
> 
> Also apparently they still do. They're on the website and still available in retailers.
> 
> also I did start to fall out of favor with the Blackouts. I can see why people claim the treble content can be grating. I switched back to the 81 in my Avenger (that same Blackout is now in the previously mentioned guitar) and it fixed it. Smoothed out some harsh frequencies.


The single coils are not on the site anymore. I remember Frank Falbo or whatever his name is saying that they were a ton better than EMG single coils. Lol

Sorry, but Blackouts had a shorter time in the "sun" than Ultimate Warrior's first run in the WWF.

Anyways, kind of contemplating a 60A, since I totally spaced off that I would not just be able to buy an 89 from the EMG B stock store on Reverb (it doesn't come with the push pull or cable). Anyone know what a 60A sounds like in the bridge?


----------



## MFB

Hmm, so I got curious after Spaced's post, and turns out Mick Thomson has a signature set of Blackouts that I didn't know about (because I haven't been a Slipknot fan since Iowa). Turns out, these fuckers have about a 30% boost to the treble vs. bass/miss which are level with each other. 

So if you looked at each frequency on a scale of 1-10, you'd see B/M at 5 and then there's fucking T up at 7.5 or 8. Who the hell actually wants that? Who's amp is so fucking bass heavy that they're compensating for treble with their pickups like this? It's insane.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

MFB said:


> Hmm, so I got curious after Spaced's post, and turns out Mick Thomson has a signature set of Blackouts that I didn't know about (because I haven't been a Slipknot fan since Iowa). Turns out, these fuckers have about a 30% boost to the treble vs. bass/miss which are level with each other.
> 
> So if you looked at each frequency on a scale of 1-10, you'd see B/M at 5 and then there's fucking T up at 7.5 or 8. Who the hell actually wants that? Who's amp is so fucking bass heavy that they're compensating for treble with their pickups like this? It's insane.


The dude plays in drop B or drop A, so it likely is to compensate for that.


----------



## MFB

Maybe, but I feel like there's enough 7/8 string players (even downtuned 6 players) who are in B/F# etc, that don't have that treble boost, that it seems like personal preference vs a tonal need.


----------



## Zhysick

Yeah, but then most will use a TS9 to push the upper mids and tighten up the sound... crazy, hah?

My bandmate has one of the newest Jackson Mick Thompson mexian signatures with the EMTY blackouts and thru his ENGL Gigmaster 30 sound massive, a lot thicker and more brutal than his LTD with EMGs so I whould say that those EMTYs are definitely fuller/bassier than an EMG81 despite that EQ graphic says.

Not grating at all, very good sounding... actually I prefer a lot more that guitar thru his ENGL than his LTD or my Solar (with EMGs also) since that amp is... I don't know, I don't like ENGL amps so somehow that pickups compensate what I don't like about those amps. On the other hand his Jackson with EMTYs thru the Katana or thru my POD Go sound completely thin and lifeless... I don't know, very weird. Maybe only work nicely on certain configurations or amps like that ENGL... whatever, is a signature thing, it has to be dialed for his actual taste and rig.


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

MFB said:


> Hmm, so I got curious after Spaced's post, and turns out Mick Thomson has a signature set of Blackouts that I didn't know about (because I haven't been a Slipknot fan since Iowa). Turns out, these fuckers have about a 30% boost to the treble vs. bass/miss which are level with each other.
> 
> So if you looked at each frequency on a scale of 1-10, you'd see B/M at 5 and then there's fucking T up at 7.5 or 8. Who the hell actually wants that? Who's amp is so fucking bass heavy that they're compensating for treble with their pickups like this? It's insane.



I'd figure since it's because of his amps, the Omega thing he plays can be tight yeah but slipknot dials their amps super dark and chunky, plus there's like 9 people on the stage so you have to cut insanely well. His live tone has always been great and the newest album is really good too. Drop A on a 25.5 6 probably needs the treble content too


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Something to keep in mind is that Mick tweaked his pickups to work with Rivera Knuckleheads. Those ARE very bassy amps that are very Recto-like. Also I don't find the treble boost on paper is accurate. I never found the Micks to be very harsh. Quite the opposite actually. But I think the guitar I had them in was dark as is. So I need to give them another shot.


----------



## mcleanab

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Anyways, kind of contemplating a 60A, since I totally spaced off that I would not just be able to buy an 89 from the EMG B stock store on Reverb (it doesn't come with the push pull or cable). Anyone know what a 60A sounds like in the bridge?


As I recall, very fun... not as 'thick' across the frequency spectrum as the 85, but lots of character... the ONLY reason I haven't picked up another 60A is aesthetics... Just digging the look of poles and screws lately!


----------



## Hoss632

MFB said:


> Hmm, so I got curious after Spaced's post, and turns out Mick Thomson has a signature set of Blackouts that I didn't know about (because I haven't been a Slipknot fan since Iowa). Turns out, these fuckers have about a 30% boost to the treble vs. bass/miss which are level with each other.
> 
> So if you looked at each frequency on a scale of 1-10, you'd see B/M at 5 and then there's fucking T up at 7.5 or 8. Who the hell actually wants that? Who's amp is so fucking bass heavy that they're compensating for treble with their pickups like this? It's insane.


If there's a treble boost I've never been able to notice it. Any of the blackouts for me have been my least favorite sounding active pick ups.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Hoss632 said:


> If there's a treble boost I've never been able to notice it. Any of the blackouts for me have been my least favorite sounding active pick ups.



If anything I found the stock Blackouts to be waaaaaaaaaay brighter than the Micks. If anything the Micks have a shit-ton of midrange


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

mcleanab said:


> As I recall, very fun... not as 'thick' across the frequency spectrum as the 85, but lots of character... the ONLY reason I haven't picked up another 60A is aesthetics... Just digging the look of poles and screws lately!


Is it thicker than the 81? What do you mean by character? I recently picked up a couple 58s, and they sound like a mix between an 85 and a single coil. A bit less lows, a bit more highs.


----------



## MFB

Hoss632 said:


> If there's a treble boost I've never been able to notice it. Any of the blackouts for me have been my least favorite sounding active pick ups.


I should add, it's not a boost in the traditional sense that you can turn it on/off with a toggle or anything, it's just always there designed into them. But yeah, by far my least favorite active I've heard so far, just incredibly harsh.


----------



## mcleanab

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Is it thicker than the 81? What do you mean by character? I recently picked up a couple 58s, and they sound like a mix between an 85 and a single coil. A bit less lows, a bit more highs.


Answered in a PM, but your description of the 58 is close to what I remember of the 60a... more open, not as dense (in a good way) as the 85. The 85 is the gold standard for me... thick, hot as fuck, but smooth... the 60a from what I remember was like a single coil version of the 85 sort of... had some space in there comparatively... hope that helps!


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

mcleanab said:


> Answered in a PM, but your description of the 58 is close to what I remember of the 60a... more open, not as dense (in a good way) as the 85. The 85 is the gold standard for me... thick, hot as fuck, but smooth... the 60a from what I remember was like a single coil version of the 85 sort of... had some space in there comparatively... hope that helps!


The 60A seems to be described as “lower” output compared to the 81 and 85, which the 58 is close in terms of output as well. How did the 60A handle leads?


----------



## Hoss632

MFB said:


> I should add, it's not a boost in the traditional sense that you can turn it on/off with a toggle or anything, it's just always there designed into them. But yeah, by far my least favorite active I've heard so far, just incredibly harsh.


100% agree.


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

This sumbitch got a 81-7 an 85-7 in it. Sounds so fantastic, I was thinking about selling it. But nah, sounds too good.


----------



## mcleanab

Spaced Out Ace said:


> The 60A seems to be described as “lower” output compared to the 81 and 85, which the 58 is close in terms of output as well. How did the 60A handle leads?


I did record one song with it years ago (bad mixing so I won't share it!!!!), and it stood out just fine... that 'space' that I was talking about earlier made it six quite well in the mix. The 60A has that 'sag' I find to be fun with Alnico magnets. At least that's my memory of it...


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

So on a tired sleep-deprived whim, I finally bought a 58. Always been curious because judging by the description, it seems like it'd be a sweet neck pickup. But I'm also gonna try it in the bridge. Judiging by the reviews I've read, it'll be similar to the 60(A).


----------



## mcleanab

Keep me posted!


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> So on a tired sleep-deprived whim, I finally bought a 58. Always been curious because judging by the description, it seems like it'd be a sweet neck pickup. But I'm also gonna try it in the bridge. Judiging by the reviews I've read, it'll be similar to the 60(A).


I like it in the bridge and neck. If you got the B stock, it’ll likely be a tight fit. I say get two for both positions.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

mcleanab said:


> Keep me posted!



Will do, cuz I've been curious about this pickup for a long fucking time. Ever since I thought it was a typo. 



Spaced Out Ace said:


> I like it in the bridge and neck. If you got the B stock, it’ll likely be a tight fit. I say get two for both positions.


I just wanna see how it sounds before i jump in and buy more. Even though it's probably more vintage voiced with a bigger low end, I'm putting it in a guitar tuned for A#. But I think that'll be a pretty good test for the bridge.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I just wanna see how it sounds before i jump in and buy more. Even though it's probably more vintage voiced with a bigger low end, I'm putting it in a guitar tuned for A#. But I think that'll be a pretty good test for the bridge.


The best I'd be able to accomplish is to try it in an Eb guitar with my Digitech Whammy DT dropping it to A#. Unfortunately, the pickup is like the ugly redheaded step child of the EMG lineup, and while people apparently buy enough to keep them in production, not enough buy them to have loads of examples on YouTube and elsewhere of what they sound like.


----------



## Zhysick

But do the 58 really sound like a P90? Because the description on the EMG site is very... Confusing for me. To star there says it "has a classic round, fat tone with plenty of output" but later it says that "is voiced similar to a P-90"

I don't know most of you but I don't define the classic P90 sound as round and fat specially if it is in a humbucking housing (hence compared to a humbucker). Punchy mids? OK. Bright but not harsh? OK. Open? Absolutely

If it really sounds like a P90 (well, reasonably similar) it's a nice contender for a neck position in a "Les Paul" style guitar with a 85 in the neck (and that has a plus for funny 58+85 set) but if it's not that kind of open, punchy and bright tone then I probably would prefer a 60A...


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Zhysick said:


> But do the 58 really sound like a P90? Because the description on the EMG site is very... Confusing for me. To star there says it "has a classic round, fat tone with plenty of output" but later it says that "is voiced similar to a P-90"
> 
> I don't know most of you but I don't define the classic P90 sound as round and fat specially if it is in a humbucking housing (hence compared to a humbucker). Punchy mids? OK. Bright but not harsh? OK. Open? Absolutely
> 
> If it really sounds like a P90 (well, reasonably similar) it's a nice contender for a neck position in a "Les Paul" style guitar with a 85 in the neck (and that has a plus for funny 58+85 set) but if it's not that kind of open, punchy and bright tone then I probably would prefer a 60A...


It certainly isn’t dark and moody like an 85. Whether you agree that it is P90 ish is another thing altogether. I say get one, try it, and see if you like it. Who knows, maybe SS.o can have a brotherhood of 58 converts.


----------



## mcleanab

Spaced Out Ace said:


> It certainly isn’t dark and moody like an 85. Whether you agree that it is P90 ish is another thing altogether. I say get one, try it, and see if you like it. Who knows, maybe SS.o can have a brotherhood of 58 converts.


I'm thinking about it as well... love the Fat 55 set in my Jackson, but would love the output of the 85 in the bridge and would definitely try the 58 in the bridge as well...


----------



## Hoss632

Not gonna lie. Based on this and another video I watched the 58 sounds quite gnarly. I can hear the P90 type voicing EMG says it's modeled after but just better all around.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

That’s Charvel sounds great.


----------



## Zhysick

Spaced Out Ace said:


> It certainly isn’t dark and moody like an 85. Whether you agree that it is P90 ish is another thing altogether. I say get one, try it, and see if you like it. Who knows, maybe SS.o can have a brotherhood of 58 converts.



Thing is I would have to order one... I mean, I don't mind getting a used pickup in the local market and find it's not what I want... I just store it in my parts drawer and wait for a different guitar where I can use it or just have a nice collection of pickups until I decide to sell them to get some money back BUT I have been waiting over a year to find a used 60A or 60 on the second hand market... of the whole country, not local, the whole country... I won't find a 58, for sure soooooo if I am going to order a pickup full price I might prefer getting a 60A since I know what I am getting and I know it's a nice match for the 85 in the bridge but since there are almost no clue of how a 58 would work on a les paul style guitar in neck position... bloody hell, if money wasn't a problem I would get a pair expecting to have a "P90-P90" guitar but... actually I bought this guitar for 150€, I don't want to spend 170€ in pickups


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

USPS is telling me I get the pickup Saturday so hopefully I'll have it all wired up by then.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> USPS is telling me I get the pickup Saturday so hopefully I'll have it all wired up by then.


Are you putting the 58 in a pickguard, pickup ring, etc? If it was from the b stock on Reverb, it might be a tight fit. You might need to use a knife to widdle away some of material in the pickguard, etc.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Are you putting the 58 in a pickguard, pickup ring, etc? If it was from the b stock on Reverb, it might be a tight fit. You might need to use a knife to widdle away some of material in the pickguard, etc.



Nah, pickup ring. Should be fine I hope.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Nah, pickup ring. Should be fine I hope.


If it is the b stock on Reverb, I had to widen the pickguard (and would've had to do the same if i put it in the pickup ring) to fit. If it is one of the type that fits kind of loose, then it might fit fine.


----------



## mcleanab

Well, it took 2 weeks, per their website, but they pretty much overnighted the package once the pickups were assembled. Hats off to EMG for excellent service, communication, and a stellar product. The Revelation Set has a very passive feel (they are passive), but that distinctive EMG 'tightness' for lack of a better word. Gonna spend some time today really exploring, but so far, daddy happy as FUCK. The cleans are AMAZING.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

mcleanab said:


> Well, it took 2 weeks, per their website, but they pretty much overnighted the package once the pickups were assembled. Hats off to EMG for excellent service, communication, and a stellar product. The Revelation Set has a very passive feel (they are passive), but that distinctive EMG 'tightness' for lack of a better word. Gonna spend some time today really exploring, but so far, daddy happy as FUCK. The cleans are AMAZING.


Nice, bro! Hope you enjoy them.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

mcleanab said:


> Well, it took 2 weeks, per their website, but they pretty much overnighted the package once the pickups were assembled. Hats off to EMG for excellent service, communication, and a stellar product. The Revelation Set has a very passive feel (they are passive), but that distinctive EMG 'tightness' for lack of a better word. Gonna spend some time today really exploring, but so far, daddy happy as FUCK. The cleans are AMAZING.


I've been curious about these and the MF set. Although I've been a little less interested in the MFs ever since I saw some users claim they're just a slightly tweaked JB/Jazz set tonally. Curious how they handle high gain, given they were meant for more shreddy, fusion stuff.

...I DID just order a new guitar. Might be an excuse to finally try the MF, Revalations, or give the Het Set another try.


----------



## mcleanab

Well, here's what they did for me! Enjoy!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

mcleanab said:


> Well, here's what they did for me! Enjoy!




We need a review and comparison video between other EMGs. ASAP.


----------



## mcleanab

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> We need a review and comparison video between other EMGs. ASAP.


Hahahahaha! I'm not set up to do that... best I could do, if I can find the time, is to do something and just use different guitars that have the different EMG's in them... not anytime soon, though! I went with the Rev Set because of listening to Prashant Aswan's demos and a few other demos (not comparisons) on youtube.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

They are probably Prashant’s favorite elements, tonally, between the H1 and H3.

Those sounded great. I love when people say the HZ series sound like shit. Good, I’m not going to change your mind either. I wanna buy used HZ series EMGs for cheap.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

mcleanab said:


> Hahahahaha! I'm not set up to do that... best I could do, if I can find the time, is to do something and just use different guitars that have the different EMG's in them... not anytime soon, though! I went with the Rev Set because of listening to Prashant Aswan's demos and a few other demos (not comparisons) on youtube.


What other sets are you running?


----------



## mcleanab

Spaced Out Ace said:


> What other sets are you running?


In my Charvel 2011 Wildcard #6 Dreamsicle, I have an 85 and SAVX. In my Charvel SD-1 MIM 2013 (a fake Jake, added a pick guard), I have an 85 and SAV (but might switch to a 57), in my Jackson Juggernaut I got a Het Set. In my Jackson DK242Q Fuchsia Burst and my Charvel DK24 HH 2P, both have the Retro Active Fat 55. I have an Ibanez semi-hollow with an HA and HAX, and my acoustic has the acoustic pickup. Had the 57 in two guitars I traded/sold.


----------



## MrBouleDeBowling

The EMG 81 is still my favorite bridge pickup of all time.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

So due to USPS being USPS, I'm finally getting the 58 tomorrow. So...woo.


----------



## mcleanab

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> So due to USPS being USPS, I'm finally getting the 58 tomorrow. So...woo.


Woot! (one more letter for excitement)...

Gonna do a video so we can hear it?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

mcleanab said:


> Woot! (one more letter for excitement)...
> 
> Gonna do a video so we can hear it?



I was debating on doing a comparison recording between it, the 85, and 58, and maybe even the blackout. Depends if I don't get lazy and just do the 81 vs 58.


----------



## mcleanab

^^^^^
Ha! Anything will do! There's so little out there on the 58!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Today is indeed a lazy day so I'm just gonna compare the 81 vs the 58 in the bridge.  Already recorded some clips of the 81. Clean, gritty, and fully distorted.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Today is indeed a lazy day so I'm just gonna compare the 81 vs the 58 in the bridge.  Already recorded some clips of the 81. Clean, gritty, and fully distorted.


Save the clips, and then record the other pickups later.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Okay so here we go. 81 vs 58 vs Blackout (that's the order in the clip). Every time it swaps to the clean tone, that's when the pickup is swapped. Enjoy the riff salad. 









Dropbox - File Deleted


Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily. Never email yourself a file again!




www.dropbox.com





81: Shit ton of mids. Tight as a motherfucker
Blackout: Insane output, scooped mids, pretty harsh sounding treble at times. A bit more "organic" clean
58: Lower output than the 81. A bit more balanced than both but with a slightly twangier high end and a slightly fuller bass. Not as tight as the 81 but still tighter than either the BO or the standard 85 due to the lower output.

Conclusion: For this guitar, keeping the 81 in the bridge, but the 58 is 100% replacing the Blackout in the neck.

EDIT: I'm glad my strings decided to all break after doing this comparison.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Okay so here we go. 81 vs 58 vs Blackout (that's the order in the clip). Every time it swaps to the clean tone, that's when the pickup is swapped. Enjoy the riff salad.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dropbox - File Deleted
> 
> 
> Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily. Never email yourself a file again!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.dropbox.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 81: Shit ton of mids. Tight as a motherfucker
> Blackout: Insane output, scooped mids, pretty harsh sounding treble at times. A bit more "organic" clean
> 58: Lower output than the 81. A bit more balanced than both but with a slightly twangier high end and a slightly fuller bass. Not as tight as the 81 but still tighter than either the BO or the standard 85 due to the lower output.
> 
> Conclusion: For this guitar, keeping the 81 in the bridge, but the 58 is 100% replacing the Blackout in the neck.
> 
> EDIT: I'm glad my strings decided to all break after doing this comparison.


I liked the 81, loved the 58, and thought the Blackout sounded like hot, steamy garbage for high gain. Yuck!

I’ve thought of picking up an 81 at some point, but I don’t have a guitar to put it in, so I probably won’t for now.

You should compare the 58 to the 60 or 60A if you have one.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I liked the 81, loved the 58, and thought the Blackout sounded like hot, steamy garbage for high gain. Yuck!
> 
> I’ve thought of picking up an 81 at some point, but I don’t have a guitar to put it in, so I probably won’t for now.
> 
> You should compare the 58 to the 60 or 60A if you have one.


I dunno if I'll go that far.  I can tell you from memory, the 60 is a lot twangier and has a little looser bass. 

But yeah, as a bridge pickup, the 58 is great. Surprised at how well it handled being tuned down to C standard. Even before recording, I dropped it down to drop A# and it was still fine.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I dunno if I'll go that far.  I can tell you from memory, the 60 is a lot twangier and has a little looser bass.
> 
> But yeah, as a bridge pickup, the 58 is great. Surprised at how well it handled being tuned down to C standard. Even before recording, I dropped it down to drop A# and it was still fine.


I like the 58 with the EXG and SPC. I can morph the pickup a lot. I’m putting the 60A in the bridge of my CV70 Stratocaster in E standard. It’ll have an EXG and SPC as well. The CV70 is the one I’m dubbing the Hartcaster, since it is black and I’m putting a pink pearloid pickguard on it.


----------



## Warmart

I have a regular 57/66 set otw for my Agile 3200, can't wait to fire them puppies up and hopefully it'll make me play it a lot more often.


----------



## Noodler

I just recieved an 81X/85X set that I'll be putting in my Epiphone Extura to replace the Fishmans it came with. EMG can do no wrong in my eyes. That being said, I have Fender Vintage 52 set for Tele in my Ibby Talman, and the stock Fender pups in my American Pro2 Strat. The Epiphone is my drop C metal/hard rock axe though.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Noodler said:


> I just recieved an 81X/85X set that I'll be putting in my Epiphone Extura to replace the Fishmans it came with. EMG can do no wrong in my eyes. That being said, I have Fender Vintage 52 set for Tele in my Ibby Talman, and the stock Fender pups in my American Pro2 Strat. The Epiphone is my drop C metal/hard rock axe though.



Try the 85X in the bridge if you can. Surprised how much I love it considering I didn't like the regular 85 in the bridge.


----------



## Noodler

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Try the 85X in the bridge if you can. Surprised how much I love it considering I didn't like the regular 85 in the bridge.


With how plug and play EMG’s are, I’ll be sure to!


----------



## Kyle Jordan

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Okay so here we go. 81 vs 58 vs Blackout (that's the order in the clip). Every time it swaps to the clean tone, that's when the pickup is swapped. Enjoy the riff salad.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dropbox - File Deleted
> 
> 
> Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily. Never email yourself a file again!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.dropbox.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 81: Shit ton of mids. Tight as a motherfucker
> Blackout: Insane output, scooped mids, pretty harsh sounding treble at times. A bit more "organic" clean
> 58: Lower output than the 81. A bit more balanced than both but with a slightly twangier high end and a slightly fuller bass. Not as tight as the 81 but still tighter than either the BO or the standard 85 due to the lower output.
> 
> Conclusion: For this guitar, keeping the 81 in the bridge, but the 58 is 100% replacing the Blackout in the neck.
> 
> EDIT: I'm glad my strings decided to all break after doing this comparison.



The 58 here reminds me of a midway point between an 81 and 60 with some 85 thrown in. Sounds really good. Really wish EMG would make this and a couple of others in 8 string versions.


----------



## Triple-J

After a lot of tinkering I finally found I'm happy with the 85X in the bridge and HAX in the neck, the 85X manages thrashy stuff & thick Jerry Cantrell/Adam Jones style tones quite well but after years of neck humbuckers the HAX feels like a revelation to me and is incredibly addictive to play through the only downside is that EMG don't make it for 7's!


----------



## Crungy

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Okay so here we go. 81 vs 58 vs Blackout (that's the order in the clip). Every time it swaps to the clean tone, that's when the pickup is swapped. Enjoy the riff salad.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dropbox - File Deleted
> 
> 
> Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily. Never email yourself a file again!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.dropbox.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 81: Shit ton of mids. Tight as a motherfucker
> Blackout: Insane output, scooped mids, pretty harsh sounding treble at times. A bit more "organic" clean
> 58: Lower output than the 81. A bit more balanced than both but with a slightly twangier high end and a slightly fuller bass. Not as tight as the 81 but still tighter than either the BO or the standard 85 due to the lower output.
> 
> Conclusion: For this guitar, keeping the 81 in the bridge, but the 58 is 100% replacing the Blackout in the neck.
> 
> EDIT: I'm glad my strings decided to all break after doing this comparison.



It's a toss up between the 81 and 58 for me. Thanks for posting that, I'll keep that in mind for my 6 string guitars!


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Crungy said:


> It's a toss up between the 81 and 58 for me. Thanks for posting that, I'll keep that in mind for my 6 string guitars!


Get the 58!


----------



## Crungy

I liked the 58 a lot for the chuggier palm mutes on the high gain clip, but the high gain 81 clip was really good too. A lot to like to my ears. 

Hopefully I feel the same about the 707TWX-R I have on the way!


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Crungy said:


> I liked the 58 a lot for the chuggier palm mutes on the high gain clip, but the high gain 81 clip was really good too. A lot to like to my ears.
> 
> Hopefully I feel the same about the* 707TWX-R *I have on the way!


That sounds like a fucking motorcycle. LOL


----------



## Crungy

Shit I hope I ordered it from EMG and not Kawasaki


----------



## lewis

It's incredible this thread has reached 100 pages. I never anticipated this thread becoming like a megathread for EMGs all that time ago. It's awesome. Keep it up everyone and heres to another 100 pages.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Kyle Jordan said:


> The 58 here reminds me of a midway point between an 81 and 60 with some 85 thrown in. Sounds really good. Really wish EMG would make this and a couple of others in 8 string versions.



IME, get the 85X. EMG makes ERG versions of it (at least with the H-series), and it's probably one of the modern EMGs that comes very close to it tonally. The 85X is slightly brighter while the 58 is slightly smoother.


----------



## Emperoff

So... are 100 pages enough to answer OPs question?


----------



## Kyle Jordan

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> IME, get the 85X. EMG makes ERG versions of it (at least with the H-series), and it's probably one of the modern EMGs that comes very close to it tonally. The 85X is slightly brighter while the 58 is slightly smoother.



I’ve never been a fan of the 85, but it’s been a long time since I tried any version. I have a sneaking suspicion that with an EMG loaded guitar on the way, and another needing new pickups, I’m probably going to end up with most of the X series and probably the 57/66 that I can swap in and out.

Just have to cook up some type of mount/ring for my S8 since that has odd, large routes.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Kyle Jordan said:


> I’ve never been a fan of the 85, but it’s been a long time since I tried any version. I have a sneaking suspicion that with an EMG loaded guitar on the way, and another needing new pickups, I’m probably going to end up with most of the X series and probably the 57/66 that I can swap in and out.
> 
> Just have to cook up some type of mount/ring for my S8 since that has odd, large routes.


FWIW I hate the 85 in the bridge too, but dig the 85x a LOT more.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> FWIW I hate the 85 in the bridge too, but dig the 85x a LOT more.


I like the 85 in the bridge, so you two can stick it! Lol (sorry, I’m watching Wrestlemania 8)


----------



## Noodler

Crungy said:


> I liked the 58 a lot for the chuggier palm mutes on the high gain clip, but the high gain 81 clip was really good too. A lot to like to my ears.
> 
> Hopefully I feel the same about the 707TWX-R I have on the way!


I had the 707's in an RGA7 and loved them! I can only imagine the X series of them being even better!


----------



## lewis

Emperoff said:


> So... are 100 pages enough to answer OPs question?


Its been so long I dont even know what I asked


----------



## Emperoff

lewis said:


> Its been so long I dont even know what I asked



*"Anyone Keep Going Back To EMG?"
*


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Noodler said:


> I had the 707's in an RGA7 and loved them! I can only imagine the X series of them being even better!



Yeah, I'm not a fan of the ceramic X-series pickups, but it seems to work really well with the alnico ones.


----------



## Choop

Jazzy has me wanting to try an EMG 58 in one of my guitars! >< a 58/60A set would be a cool combo.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Choop said:


> Jazzy has me wanting to try an EMG 58 in one of my guitars! >< a 58/60A set would be a cool combo.


Go for it, the 58 is rad in the bridge and neck.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace




----------



## c7spheres

Crungy said:


> It's a toss up between the 81 and 58 for me. Thanks for posting that, I'll keep that in mind for my 6 string guitars!


 What amp or setup did you use for this? Sounds pretty solid.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

I can only comment with a few hours of playing time through my rig, but the 60-8XH pickups are better than I hoped for. I've had the 6 string versions in guitars multiple times and the 8 string soapbars in my Ibanez in the past. These humcap 8 stringers sound almost or perhaps just like the normal 6 string versions to my recollection. The soapbars were darker.

I can very easily use a pre-EQ in the Axe FX to make these sound very close to the SX single EMGs. That said, I'm happier this the base tone than I thought for the 7th and 8th strings. Depending on what I'm going for, cutting a bit of the bass before the amp or in the amp block input gets me where I want to be. There have even been a few distorted tones I was very pleased with going "straight" in to the amp model.

Really glad I hadn't purchased any replacement pickups for my Ibanez yet. Playing with these 60x's in the Aristides first is helping to focus things a bit for me.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

c7spheres said:


> What amp or setup did you use for this? Sounds pretty solid.



If you meant to quote me, it was my Axe FX 3. Clean was JC120, Crunch was the Triple Crown on channel 2, heavy was Friedman BE (HBE, voicing 3, sat switch on). Only effects were slight reverb and delay. No boosts or anything.


----------



## c7spheres

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> If you meant to quote me, it was my Axe FX 3. Clean was JC120, Crunch was the Triple Crown on channel 2, heavy was Friedman BE (HBE, voicing 3, sat switch on). Only effects were slight reverb and delay. No boosts or anything.


Yep, I meant you. Sounds real good! Are those unobtanium IR's? lol.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

c7spheres said:


> Yep, I meant you. Sounds real good! Are those unobtanium IR's? lol.



I blended a York Audio Mesa OS 412 IR with a Marshall MF280 IR someone made on another forum.


----------



## mcleanab

Well, these passive EMG Revelation Set have begun to ruin me...

They are SO fun to play! Something really beautiful in the mid-range that makes me play differently to find that spot and live there for a bit...

Enjoy!


----------



## Hoss632

mcleanab said:


> Well, these passive EMG Revelation Set have begun to ruin me...
> 
> They are SO fun to play! Something really beautiful in the mid-range that makes me play differently to find that spot and live there for a bit...
> 
> Enjoy!



Sounds killer. One thing I've learned with EMG is look beyond the pick ups that have been around for a long time. Their passive sets like this are REALLY good, the retroactive sets are also awesome. Too many folks (myself included) got turned off just because of the 81/85, or 81/60. And when I looked into other sets I found that they will have something I like.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Gave the two Stratocasters with humbuckers a spin today. Both are very versatile with the tone controls (EXG, SPC). The 60A mixed with the two SAs is great. They mix well together, and the output from neck to bridge (and all positions in between) is nice. I think the 60A is slightly less output (ie, lower gain) than the 58, but still close enough. The two pickups are different enough to give each guitar their own vibes (tuning helps as well). I enjoy playing 70s and 80s stuff on both pickups. I may even prefer these over the 85 in the bridge. 

That said, I may end up getting another HSS pickguard for the Player Stratocaster, though I haven’t decided yet. The 58 is nice in the neck, but I may prefer a single coil neck in my Stratocasters. I’ll likely just leave it as is, though. I don’t dislike the 58 in the neck by any means, but I might just prefer a single coil in the neck more for the Strats.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Hoss632 said:


> Sounds killer. One thing I've learned with EMG is look beyond the pick ups that have been around for a long time. Their passive sets like this are REALLY good, the retroactive sets are also awesome. Too many folks (myself included) got turned off just because of the 81/85, or 81/60. And when I looked into other sets I found that they will have something I like.


I always found it weird people bag on EMGs as a whole when they have a whole-ass assortment of pickups. It's like hating on Duncan because you only tried the JB/Jazz set, or hating on DiMarzio only because you hated the Tone Zone/Air Norton set.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I always found it weird people bag on EMGs as a whole when they have a whole-ass assortment of pickups. It's like hating on Duncan because you only tried the JB/Jazz set, or hating on DiMarzio only because you hated the Tone Zone/Air Norton set.


In fairness, EMG deserve it a bit. Their website and documentation used to basically insinuate that you were foolish to try anything but an 81 in the bridge, and you must power it at 9v with the pickup cranked as close to the strings as possible. Basically doing the opposite of all of that miraculously deals with much of the issues people have with EMGs.


----------



## SubsonicDoom99

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I always found it weird people bag on EMGs as a whole when they have a whole-ass assortment of pickups. It's like hating on Duncan because you only tried the JB/Jazz set, or hating on DiMarzio only because you hated the Tone Zone/Air Norton set.


Yeah I agree, I've never really understood that stance people take. I can understand them saying something like, "Well when I tried (insert whatever brand and pickup) I didn't like it and didn't have a good experience", but when they say they avoid entire brands because of that is kind of silly. I'm not a massive fan of the EMG 81, but honestly there've been times I've played a guitar with that pickup in there and at that moment, that pickup and guitar felt and sounded perfect together. So I can't knock that pickup because who knows how it'll feel and respond in someone's guitar, it might suck or it might be amazing. Even with all of the specs being analyzed you can try to narrow it down some beforehand but ultimately you just don't know for sure until you try it.


----------



## Zhysick

Mmmm... I like what I hear about the 58... there is definetly something that reminds a single coil but as it is thicker and very aggressive I get why the P90 reference... I think it could be a very nice neck pickup for a LP type guitar with an 85 in the bridge... fuck, I want that.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I’ll be quite pleased with myself if I get an EMG 58 Cult going on here. It’s a great pickup in the bridge and neck.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Someone going to make me by more EMG.


----------



## Hoss632

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I always found it weird people bag on EMGs as a whole when they have a whole-ass assortment of pickups. It's like hating on Duncan because you only tried the JB/Jazz set, or hating on DiMarzio only because you hated the Tone Zone/Air Norton set.


I'm guilty of that when I first got my Schecter. Then I went and actually looked at EMG's site and at all the other pick ups and listened to demos. I quickly realized how wrong I was about EMG pick ups as a whole.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I've been really thinking about the Revalation set. But my issue with A2 pickups is they tend to have really rolled off high end. May just end up with the Het Set once I sell off a guitar.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I've been really thinking about the Revalation set. But my issue with A2 pickups is they tend to have really rolled off high end. May just end up with the Het Set once I sell off a guitar.


So put them in a guitar that could use a little bit of the treble rolled off.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I’ll be quite pleased with myself if I get an EMG 58 Cult going on here. It’s a great pickup in the bridge and neck.



I think I should start up a contingency of 60/60X in the bridge folks. 

I have completely fallen in love again with the 60X. It’s like a fat single coil but also REALLY malleable. Love the way it works with EQ before the amp and it’s one of the very few pickups I like with overdrives as boosts. 

I still want to get something loaded with the Fluence Classics, but the 60/60X simply seems to be “my” tone.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Kyle Jordan said:


> I think I should start up a contingency of 60/60X in the bridge folks.
> 
> I have completely fallen in love again with the 60X. It’s like a fat single coil but also REALLY malleable. Love the way it works with EQ before the amp and it’s one of the very few pickups I like with overdrives as boosts.
> 
> I still want to get something loaded with the Fluence Classics, but the 60/60X simply seems to be “my” tone.


I’d add the 60A to that. It’s killer as well in the bridge and neck.

I’m thinking of possibly getting a 57 for the bridge of my gf’s Strat to pair with two SLVs. That said, I kind of want to keep it as SSS.


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I've been really thinking about the Revalation set. But my issue with A2 pickups is they tend to have really rolled off high end. May just end up with the Het Set once I sell off a guitar.



add RPC knob.


----------



## HeavyD

Absolutely. My EMGs both run at 18v fixes all the complaints people generally have about them. The 81 is still unparalleled for metal rhythm and the 89 does everything from gorgeous cleans toggled to the SA and the woody, shred/sweep approved woody sound in 85 mode.

I prefer the EMTY Blackouts to the 707s in my active 7-string (and the Lundgrens in the passive). I use other pickups in other guitars which all have great, different sounds but 9 times out of 10, for 6 strings, the 18v 81/89 effortlessly gives up the goods in studio and live.

I still remember when I hadn’t used an EMG equipped guitar in a while and was starting to believe the anti-active arguments until I plugged it in and was blown away how huge it sounded compared to my other guitars I was tweaking so much at the time.


----------



## mcleanab

HeavyD, TOTALLY... I played the new Charvel with the stock pickups and ALMOST liked them for the dynamics... then plugged in my Jackson Juggernaut loaded with the EMG Het Set and thought my head was going to pop off it was SO thick and huge.

Same comparison to the Revelation Set... it sits really well in the mix, fun mids, very dynamic, all the good stuff, but the actives are just GIANT.


----------



## keithhagel

I kinda came to this same conclusion a little while back. I've had an EC400 for years now, and it's had an EMG set in it the whole time. I have other pickups in my other guitars, and I love me a single coil strat pickup or a Duncan JB. But when you want THAT sound? That's the only way to get it. I've never quite gelled with the Fishmans, or at least the ones I try. In my experience trying to do the active and passive thing at the same time means you compromise on both. When I got my 7 and it had the EMG 81-7 in it, it just felt right. I'll probably always have at least one guitar with an 81 and an 85 in it.


----------



## Voodoo Marshall

Variety = spice of life.

Have EMG single/single/double in my Ibanez with the bridge being an 85 and the singles being EMG active something's (been a fuck-long time ago when they were installed). Love them, recording DAWs seem to like them a lot too but they're not for everything.

My Schecter Omen Elite-7 has their Heretic-7 passive hum buckers. I thought for sure I'd switch them out but I really like them and they're different from all my other P/Us. They clean up well w/ volume down (and stay bright) and a lot of good combo's on the five-way (neck series, neck parallel, neck/bridge hum bucker, neck bridge single-coil and bridge). This is a pretty new guitar for me so they may get switched but for now, I'm liking them.

My 1982 Strat is original single, original single and SD Hot Rail (neck > bridge). People see a strat that looks like stock and then hear the mayhem of the Hot Rail and are like, holy shit.

My Hamer Sunburst has the original Hamer/Dimarzio "hot PAF" in the neck. It's cool for a bluesy vibe. I switched out the Hamer/Dimarzio "Super Distortion" pick up in bridge and replaced with a Seymour Duncan JB Model. Dimarzio SD's always sounded too buzzy to me and the JB is more defined. This defintitely is a very 80's hard rock set up.

All of these guitars sound very different, which is cool. I prob use the Ibanez w/ EMGs for recording the most. Although I just did a track on this prog tune w the Schecter neck/bridge hum bucker mode > NDSP Archetype Gojira and it sounds fucking brilliant (if I may say so myself).


----------



## DCG1269

lewis said:


> Everything about EMG just makes me want to keep going back.
> 
> the effortless wiring, the ease of switching pickups out on the fly to try new models from them, the fact that they offer open coil actives now in the retro series and a passive/active hybrid like the 57/66 etc Even their coil split pickups in the 89 and 81TW etc etc are a breeze to install and use and sound great.
> 
> Obviously Fishmans are also great pickups, but I feel the simplicity, price and tonal options EMG offer, is still unrivalled. Ive never really got on well at all with Seymour Duncan (tried the Distortion, the 59 neck, the pearly gates bridge, the Sentient neck and the Nazgul bridge - and disliked all of them bar the 59)
> 
> not to mention, there is a reason that they (EMG) have likely been used on more albums than any other pickup company.
> 
> I dunno guys, i just feel that once the initial hype of a new product/brand dies down, i want to go back to EMG again.


Do you realize how many albums were made with recorded guitars before EMG pickups came out? It is highly unlikely that they have been used on more albums than Fender or Gibson pickups alone. Then there is Gretsch etc… There are at least 30 years of guitar albums that EMG would have to catch up with before even being considered in the category of “pick ups used on more albums”.


----------



## lewis

DCG1269 said:


> Do you realize how many albums were made with recorded guitars before EMG pickups came out? It is highly unlikely that they have been used on more albums than Fender or Gibson pickups alone. Then there is Gretsch etc… There are at least 30 years of guitar albums that EMG would have to catch up with before even being considered in the category of “pick ups used on more albums”.


Already went over this much later on
Was supposed to say *Metal Albums


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Surprised how few demos there are of the Jim Root pickups. Trying to decide between the Hets and Dameonums and it's hard to decide.


----------



## Quiet Coil

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Surprised how few demos there are of the Jim Root pickups. Trying to decide between the Hets and Dameonums and it's hard to decide.


Just do Guitar Center and return them if you don’t like them. Be gentle with the packaging and leave all of the hardware in the box (assuming you already have actives in the guitar you want to try them in). You could even slap painters tape on the bobbins if you’re worried about scuffing them up.

Heck, you could even do Amazon if you have Prime.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Surprised how few demos there are of the Jim Root pickups. Trying to decide between the Hets and Dameonums and it's hard to decide.


Get the Hets. The open coils are Indonesian made SRO OC-1 pickups (which were cheapest of the cheap, even compared to HZ pickups) with a preamp. That is much guess as to why you had a Retroactive die on you.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Get the Hets. The open coils are Indonesian made SRO OC-1 pickups (which were cheapest of the cheap, even compared to HZ pickups) with a preamp. That is much guess as to why you had a Retroactive die on you.


I thought the same thing as well, but it seems like the Daemonums are 100% USA-made. I do know for sure the RAs use USA preamps and Indo-made bobbins. Heck the first run line of RAs had SCO model names on the bobbins.


----------



## HeavyD

mcleanab said:


> HeavyD, TOTALLY... I played the new Charvel with the stock pickups and ALMOST liked them for the dynamics... then plugged in my Jackson Juggernaut loaded with the EMG Het Set and thought my head was going to pop off it was SO thick and huge.
> 
> Same comparison to the Revelation Set... it sits really well in the mix, fun mids, very dynamic, all the good stuff, but the actives are just GIANT.


The best part is, when you have a guitar that plays really well and comfortably, looks really cool and you just can’t find the right passive for it, EMGs give you that sound no matter what. One of my least expensive guitars (it was hard to find a left handed king V but Agile made one in the mid 2000s that I snapped up) the action and comfort is perfect and with the 18v 81/89 set, it easily rivals my $1000+ guitars and in some ways surpasses them.

It’s my first choice live and I always end up reaching for it when recording and the chug is top priority.


----------



## Warmart

I've had 9 days with my newly installed 57/66 set in my Agile 3200 - total transformation and I couldn't be happier. Been playing the shit out of it and the squealies just ooze right out with ease! Especially after I fixed one wire that I plugged backwards lol. Nice change from the Het set in another guitar I have! 

Now I'm debating ripping the stock pu's out of 1 or 2 of my PRS. I have an equal love/hate relationship with the 85/15 in my CU24 and a 95% hate of the 58/15 MT in my SC 594. Those are almost as fucking terrible as what was in the Agile. Lifeless pieces of feedbacking shit. 

I'm leaning towards Fishman Will Adler in the 594 as I've never used anything from them, like the dual voicing and the cover colors would actually work with the hybrid hardware on the guitar. Open to suggestions though.


----------



## Emperoff

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I thought the same thing as well, but it seems like the Daemonums are 100% USA-made. I do know for sure the RAs use USA preamps and Indo-made bobbins. Heck the first run line of RAs had SCO model names on the bobbins.



Wait. Are EMGs made in Indonesia now?

(I'm not reading 102 pages to find out )


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Emperoff said:


> Wait. Are EMGs made in Indonesia now?
> 
> (I'm not reading 102 pages to find out )


The Retroactives might be.


----------



## mcleanab

Here's another quick demo that I might polish up later, but so happy with the sounds!!! Yay for EMG Revelations!


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

mcleanab said:


> Here's another quick demo that I might polish up later, but so happy with the sounds!!! Yay for EMG Revelations!



I bet they’d be even more amazing with an ABQ from the Alexi set.


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

^ I'd like to hear them with an SPC control blended in, too.


----------



## hensh!n

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Get the Hets. The open coils are Indonesian made SRO OC-1 pickups (which were cheapest of the cheap, even compared to HZ pickups) with a preamp. That is much guess as to why you had a Retroactive die on you.


Can vouch for this since I had an EMG Retro Active Bridge (Super 77) that had almost no gain. Then I noticed the "Made in Indonesia" sticker. I haven't had issues with other EMG stuff that comes out of California. Something to be wary of with the RA's, but I thought the set in general sounded like a step in the right direction. Unfortunate for the QC though. However, EMG did fix it (despite it even being out of warranty) and their support in general is better than most other pickup companies I've dealt with.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

hensh!n said:


> Can vouch for this since I had an EMG Retro Active Bridge (Super 77) that had almost no gain. Then I noticed the "Made in Indonesia" sticker. I haven't had issues with other EMG stuff that comes out of California. Something to be wary of with the RA's, but I thought the set in general sounded like a step in the right direction. Unfortunate for the QC though. However, EMG did fix it (despite it even being out of warranty) and their support in general is better than most other pickup companies I've dealt with.


Just to be clear, I don’t know if they were just using up stock before moving to producing the coils in California, but I’ve not seen anything stating they aren’t a mostly made in Indonesia product. I think it’s pretty ridiculous to charge the same as a regular EMG. Just to cut out some holes in the pickup casing (57, Het, etc.) they think a pickup is worth 20 bucks more. Kind of insane.


----------



## Choop

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Just to be clear, I don’t know if they were just using up stock before moving to producing the coils in California, but I’ve not seen anything stating they aren’t a mostly made in Indonesia product. I think it’s pretty ridiculous to charge the same as a regular EMG. Just to cut out some holes in the pickup casing (57, Het, etc.) they think a pickup is worth 20 bucks more. Kind of insane.



The RA sets really do need to be like $50 less or something; that'd make them a much more attractive option.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Choop said:


> The RA sets really do need to be like $50 less or something; that'd make them a much more attractive option.


Charging the same as a typical EMG has me wondering how much of the product is made in house, which is even worse if I’m being honest.


----------



## mcleanab

Personally, I don't care where the Retroactives are made, as my two Fat 55 sets are AMAZING.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

mcleanab said:


> Personally, I don't care where the Retroactives are made, as my two Fat 55 sets are AMAZING.


I do if they are going to charge premium prices for imported products.


----------



## Choop

It's weird, too, because the marketing for the Retroactives is practically nonexistent. I do like what I've heard of them in clips, though.


----------



## Crungy

I installed a 707TWX-R into my project RG7321 last night. I was going to record some clips but the neck has some frets that are lifted up in multiple spots so it plays like shit. 

Aside from the playability issues, it sounds decent. More of a dry sound than I was expecting on the humbucker, but not bad. The pickup is a bit low so raising it up might help me out. 

I do like the single coil mode so far, it's super clean and clear.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Choop said:


> It's weird, too, because the marketing for the Retroactives is practically nonexistent. I do like what I've heard of them in clips, though.


If it isn't an 81 in the bridge and 85 in the neck, they don't really do much marketing for them. This is primarily why they've had to be reactive instead of proactive when new brands of active pickups come out. This is also primarily why they have the reputation as overly sterile and compressed.



Crungy said:


> I installed a 707TWX-R into my project RG7321 last night. I was going to record some clips but the neck has some frets that are lifted up in multiple spots so it plays like shit.
> 
> Aside from the playability issues, it sounds decent. More of a dry sound than I was expecting on the humbucker, but not bad. The pickup is a bit low so raising it up might help me out.
> 
> I do like the single coil mode so far, it's super clean and clear.


I like that EMGs are more "dry" compared to other pickups, as it allows me to add more effects before it sounds awful. I can blend them in a delay, reverb, or phaser more before it sounds like it is far too much.


----------



## Chris Bowsman

I really like the 808X set, but I'm wondering if I'd like an 81-8X more. I spend a good amount of time using EQ models to trim some of the lows off the 808, but I otherwise love it. Would an 81-9X potentially be better?


----------



## lewis

Chris Bowsman said:


> I really like the 808X set, but I'm wondering if I'd like an 81-8X more. I spend a good amount of time using EQ models to trim some of the lows off the 808, but I otherwise love it. Would an 81-9X potentially be better?


Try an RPC knob first. Perfect for 8 strings and way cheaper than a new pickup. Plus pairs up with 707s and 808s perfectly.


----------



## mcleanab

Okay, took out the Afterburner, so the Charvel is all passive now with the EMG Revelation Set.

A proper vid, mostly to show off how they look!!!!

Enjoy!


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

mcleanab said:


> Okay, took out the Afterburner, so the Charvel is all passive now with the EMG Revelation Set.
> 
> A proper vid, mostly to show off how they look!!!!
> 
> Enjoy!



Nice!

Wait, I thought EMG passives were terrible though... the internet is wrong yet again.


----------



## Bodes

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Nice!
> 
> Wait, I thought EMG passives were terrible though... the internet is wrong yet again.



Maybe he changed his amp settings after a pick-up change? What a heathen! Everybody knows that you set and forget your amp settings, no matter how many wildly different guitars you use, or how many different pickups you change into your guitars. [/sarcasm]

Edit: Spelling


----------



## Noodler

Bodes said:


> Maybe he changed his amp settings after a pick-up change? What a heathen! Everybody knows that you set and forget your amp settings, no matter how many wildly different guitars you use, or how many different pickups you change into your guitars. [/sarcasm]
> 
> Edit: Spelling


hahah, I'm a firm believer that you can make any pickup sound good by tuning the amp/EQ to it.


----------



## mcleanab

Noodler said:


> hahah, I'm a firm believer that you can make any pickup sound good by tuning the amp/EQ to it.


Hmmmm... I really tried with the SD Full Shred... just didn't have anything for me. I did indeed tweak my 'normal' settings (normally using much hotter pickups like the Het Set and the 85 or 57) with the Full Shred and couldn't get it going... the tweaking with the Rev Set just 'boosted' what was already there.

I suppose in a mix, you might be a little hard pressed to hear the nuances, but the Rev Set has a feel to it that I have yet to find anywhere else. Granted, I haven't spent a lot of time with Dimarzios (that Super Distortion sounds tasty indeed), but maybe one day...


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Cool so I'm not alone thinking the Full Shred is bland as hell.


----------



## Marked Man

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Cool so I'm not alone thinking the Full Shred is bland as hell.



Lack of bottom and mids hurt it.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Marked Man said:


> Lack of bottom and mids hurt it.


To me it always felt and sounded like a lower-output JB with less personality.


----------



## Marked Man

AlexCorriveau said:


> The EMG 81 is still my favorite bridge pickup of all time.



When I want maximum metal, nothing else makes me as happy. It's been killin' it since 1981. 

How many of the current trendy pickups will still be mass produced after so many years?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Marked Man said:


> When I want maximum metal, nothing else makes me as happy. It's been killin' it since 1981.
> 
> How many of the current trendy pickups will still be mass produced after so many years?


Every time I think of the 81, particularly with regards to playing leads, I can’t help but think of Vinnie Vincent’s ear canal drillers he calls solos, burrowing into my skull and causing searing pain to my brain.


----------



## Marked Man

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Every time I think of the 81, particularly with regards to playing leads, I can’t help but think of Vinnie Vincent’s ear canal drillers he calls solos, burrowing into my skull and causing searing pain to my brain.



I want ears to bleed. 

Although I must say I also use the EMG SPC for a mid boost (about 50% for leads) when I have EMGs. With no boost at all, it's a bit shrill for leads.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Marked Man said:


> I want ears to bleed.
> 
> Although I must say I also use the EMG SPC for a mid boost (about 50% for leads) when I have EMGs. With no boost at all, it's a bit shrill for leads.


Interesting. I was contemplating getting a chrome EMG for a Strat I have. I wasn’t sure which to get. The 81 might be usable with the EXG and SPC I use.


----------



## Marked Man

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Interesting. I was contemplating getting a chrome EMG for a Strat I have. I wasn’t sure which to get. The 81 might be usable with the EXG and SPC I use.



My Charvel 650 has the 85 at the bridge and doesn't really need the SPC much since it has a fuller sound, but I think 81s definitely need it. The 650 also has 2 x SLVs and the SPC, making it my #1 active guitar. The ultra cleans of the SLVs are interesting also. I want to duplicate this setup with a black or red 650 one day (if I can EVER find one......) or a Jackson Soloist, although maybe I'll use the 81 in that guitar.

If you are a lead oriented player, I think the fuller 85 is more satisfying, although when I want the nastiest crunch riffs, there is nothing like the 81 as found in my Hannemans. They have that extra level of aggression that you can't quite get with the 85.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Marked Man said:


> My Charvel 650 has the 85 at the bridge and doesn't really need the SPC much since it has a fuller sound, but I think 81s definitely need it. The 650 also has 2 x SLVs and the SPC, making it my #1 active guitar. The ultra cleans of the SLVs are interesting also. I want to duplicate this setup with a black or red 650 one day (if I can EVER find one......) or a Jackson Soloist, although maybe I'll use the 81 in that guitar.
> 
> If you are a lead oriented player, I think the fuller 85 is more satisfying, although when I want the nastiest crunch riffs, there is nothing like the 81 as found in my Hannemans. They have that extra level of aggression that you can't quite get with the 85.


I definitely enjoy the 85 in the bridge. I enjoy the 58 and 60A in the bridge as well. I don’t have an 81 in any of my guitars, though, and can’t find an ivory 85. I have a lake placid Blue Strat with rosewood fingerboard, black pearloid pickguard and ivory single coils. I think a chrome or ivory pickup would look best.


----------



## Marked Man

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I definitely enjoy the 85 in the bridge. I enjoy the 58 and 60A in the bridge as well. I don’t have an 81 in any of my guitars, though, and can’t find an ivory 85. I have a lake placid Blue Strat with rosewood fingerboard, black pearloid pickguard and ivory single coils. I think a chrome or ivory pickup would look best.



I'd definitely go ivory. I just pulled up multiple ivory 85s on ebay, no prob.

One set is bundled with 2 x S singles, although I can't recommend them; very bright and lacking body. I think the SLVs are the best singles EMG sells.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

mcleanab said:


> Okay, took out the Afterburner, so the Charvel is all passive now with the EMG Revelation Set.
> 
> A proper vid, mostly to show off how they look!!!!
> 
> Enjoy!





That was a proper demo indeed!
Well done sir!


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Marked Man said:


> I'd definitely go ivory. I just pulled up multiple ivory 85s on ebay, no prob.
> 
> One set is bundled with 2 x S singles, although I can't recommend them; very bright and lacking body. I think the SLVs are the best singles EMG sells.


I didn’t see any single ivory 85 pickups, nor any single black SLVs. I’ve seen white, covered, and the obvious black 85s. I think I may get a 60 or 60A to pair with two SLVs. I need a black SLV to pair with two black 58s, a white pearloid HSH pickguard, black knobs, and buttercream body with 22 fret maple fingerboard.


----------



## mcleanab

Okay, just got a 58 to throw in the bridge of my Jackson DK24 HT... so far, so good...

You can sort of tell it was EMG's first pickup... it's full bodied, robust (much like the 85 which I have in the neck for the first time ever - have only ever done 85's in the bridge), and has a touch of sparkle on the top. Not as detailed and rich as, say, the Fat 55 bridge or the 57, but it's cool for the moment... LOTS of punch.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

mcleanab said:


> Okay, just got a 58 to throw in the bridge of my Jackson DK24 HT... so far, so good...
> 
> You can sort of tell it was EMG's first pickup... it's full bodied, robust (much like the 85 which I have in the neck for the first time ever - have only ever done 85's in the bridge), and has a touch of sparkle on the top. Not as detailed and rich as, say, the Fat 55 bridge or the 57, but it's cool for the moment... LOTS of punch.


I thnk the tons of punch is why I prefer it in the bridge over the neck. Been using it in the neck for a bit and I feel it's a bit too honky there for my taste.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

mcleanab said:


> Okay, just got a 58 to throw in the bridge of my Jackson DK24 HT... so far, so good...
> 
> You can sort of tell it was EMG's first pickup... it's full bodied, robust (much like the 85 which I have in the neck for the first time ever - have only ever done 85's in the bridge), and has a touch of sparkle on the top. Not as detailed and rich as, say, the Fat 55 bridge or the 57, but it's cool for the moment... LOTS of punch.


I have a 58 in the bridge and neck, which I like a lot, but I’m thinking of going HSS, and pairing the 58 in the bridge with two SLVs. I’m going to play it one last time before I swap out the ivory SLV for a black SLV to be sure, though. I’ve got a B stock SL20 on the way, which I plan to put the 85 in the Standard Stratocaster and at least one of the SLVs in the Player Stratocaster. If I’m not keen on the 85 in the bridge of the Standard, I’ll have the 58 to swap in its place.


----------



## mcleanab

Got the 58 installed and a demo/etude to show it off... a VERY fun pickup... similar to the 85 in many ways (output, great low end), but has a bite/pop in the mids that is really nice... a great compliment to the 85 or 81 as it feels like it's on the same team!!! Or, like the 85x?

At any rate, take a listen and enjoy:

 https://youtu.be/DU2o8Eolcpw


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

mcleanab said:


> Got the 58 installed and a demo/etude to show it off... a VERY fun pickup... similar to the 85 in many ways (output, great low end), but has a bite/pop in the mids that is really nice... a great compliment to the 85 or 81 as it feels like it's on the same team!!! Or, like the 85x?
> 
> At any rate, take a listen and enjoy:
> 
> https://youtu.be/DU2o8Eolcpw


I feel like the upper midrange and high end of the 58 are unique. They might be close, though, to a 60A.

The Order of the 58 is off to a great start.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Swapped the 85 in the bridge of the Standard Stratocaster in my signature. It sounds good, but I only had a short time to test it out. I’ll have to do more this week. I also had a chance to file the fret ends, and the neck feels much less prickly along the length of the fingerboard. I need to do a little on my Squier possibly, as well as swap out at least the ivory SLV for a black one in my Player Stratocaster, though I’m still contemplating going HSS in that guitar, too.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Not sure what was up, but I had some issues earlier with my EMG power supply thing. It worked normally again, but something was acting strange. I’m going to have to keep an eye on it. I also think I had an issue with something else, I believe, so I’ll be keeping an eye on that as well. 

Anyways, I got the EMG SL20 in, and am curious if anyone thinks I should put the black SLV in the middle to match the two 58s, or if I should replace the neck 58 as well with a second matching SLV.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

^Stereo cord going out maybe?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Kyle Jordan said:


> ^Stereo cord going out maybe?


It seemed to do it though when I switch off the power supply (it has a footswitch) and switch the 9v/18v selector. Might have also made the sound like there was less gain as well, but I’m not sure if that was another cable. The cord is new, so I’m perplexed. If not that, then perhaps the switch.


----------



## Ross82

Yep, EMG's are my pickup. I have other guitars with different passive pickups that sound great, but my yardstick is always EMG for my sound. If a passive sounds similar to an 81 then I'm all good and really the only pickups I've encountered that get close to this, to my ear, are BKP Nailbombs and Guitarmory Skerv's.

I have a custom build in process and my whole idea behind the specs of the build were to take the elements of my favourite guitars in my collection and have them in one guitar and the pickup choice was EMG 81/60.

You can shove your "Sterile/lifeless/compressed" typical complaints up your hoop. I know exactly what I can get and how to get it from EMG's and have been using them since the 90's.

I will always try other/new pickups and if something better comes along then maybe I would switch but as they say, "If it aint broke, dont fix it".


----------



## Chris Bowsman

Got my LTD M-1000 back earlier this week, and man... a pair of 81s at 18V just works so well. The neck pickup is backed off slightly, and kicks tons of ass for heavy thrash riffing. I've been using 81s off and on for over 20 years, and still the only pickup I've heard that work for heavy riffs or leads in both position.

Also love the 85, 89, and 808X.


----------



## lewis

Chris Bowsman said:


> Got my LTD M-1000 back earlier this week, and man... a pair of 81s at 18V just works so well. The neck pickup is backed off slightly, and kicks tons of ass for heavy thrash riffing. I've been using 81s off and on for over 20 years, and still the only pickup I've heard that work for heavy riffs or leads in both position.
> 
> Also love the 85, 89, and 808X.


Try the 24v mod. Takes up way less room In the cavity than 2x 9v batteries does and sounds even better.

Emgs crap out at 30v so it's still within safe amount of volts.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> Try the 24v mod. Takes up way less room In the cavity than 2x 9v batteries does and sounds even better.
> 
> Emgs crap out at 30v so it's still within safe amount of volts.


The 24v mod takes up a bit less space than a singular 9v battery. I’ve heard some argue it is unnecessary when compared to 18v. It’s meant to replace 9v for people who can’t fit the two 9v batteries. In general, I think the EMG line sounds better with higher voltages.


----------



## /wrists

I really enjoy the SD 59's and my EMGhz and active EMG 81's actually. 

I think I prefer seymour duncan's over EMG's but I will never rule EMG's out of my set. I don't really enjoy the other stuff. I've played Schecter USA pick ups and they're really not suited for what I play I suppose.


----------



## RevDrucifer

I have mixed feelings about them. Some of my favorite tones have come from them; Zakk Wylde and Hetfield namely, but there’s a midrange I hear with them, like this constant fixed frequency when I‘ve used them in the past. Also not a fan of the way they feel like they’re compressing high gain tones.

That said, I’ve got a 707 in my RG7620 that I thought I was going to swap out immediately but I’m digging it in that guitar so far. I only do one thing with that guitar- chugging metal shit and I’m digging it for that. 

That said PT. II- I just finished setting this up-




I started playing because of Gilmour and specifically thought his CAR Strat looked so fucking cool. I was 11 and didn’t know shit about guitars, my dad took me to see them and I just went Floyd crazy after. That show changed the entire course of my life. Anyway, I LOVE the DG-20 set and had it in a Classic 50’s Strat for the last year, I just received this Strat from MJT/Musikraft this week and just got done setting the action and installing the string tree. I’m fucking in love. Gilmour’s ‘94 tones are some of my all time favorite tones and until I tried the DG-20 set with the EXG/SPC boosters, I didn’t realize the role they played in those tones, quite a bit more than I had thought. 

The 11 year old fanboy in me is freaking out with joy right now.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

RevDrucifer said:


> I have mixed feelings about them. Some of my favorite tones have come from them; Zakk Wylde and Hetfield namely, but there’s a midrange I hear with them, like this constant fixed frequency when I‘ve used them in the past. Also not a fan of the way they feel like they’re compressing high gain tones.
> 
> That said, I’ve got a 707 in my RG7620 that I thought I was going to swap out immediately but I’m digging it in that guitar so far. I only do one thing with that guitar- chugging metal shit and I’m digging it for that.
> 
> That said PT. II- I just finished setting this up-
> 
> View attachment 105559
> 
> 
> I started playing because of Gilmour and specifically thought his CAR Strat looked so fucking cool. I was 11 and didn’t know shit about guitars, my dad took me to see them and I just went Floyd crazy after. That show changed the entire course of my life. Anyway, I LOVE the DG-20 set and had it in a Classic 50’s Strat for the last year, I just received this Strat from MJT/Musikraft this week and just got done setting the action and installing the string tree. I’m fucking in love. Gilmour’s ‘94 tones are some of my all time favorite tones and until I tried the DG-20 set with the EXG/SPC boosters, I didn’t realize the role they played in those tones, quite a bit more than I had thought.
> 
> The 11 year old fanboy in me is freaking out with joy right now.


Have you tried higher voltages with the humbuckers? I think that fixed frequency and compression thing would be a lot less apparent. 

The EXG and SPC controls are great. I started out with a DG20 and some SLVs. I could have single coils, HSS, or even HSH in one of my guitars, making it easy for me to mess around with pickups and setups. The controls add a ton of versatility, and I don’t need a boost pedal on my pedalboard anymore. I just need to find something for my LTDs. I’d probably just got with the EXG and SPC, but they are routed for two controls.


----------



## RevDrucifer

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Have you tried higher voltages with the humbuckers? I think that fixed frequency and compression thing would be a lot less apparent.
> 
> The EXG and SPC controls are great. I started out with a DG20 and some SLVs. I could have single coils, HSS, or even HSH in one of my guitars, making it easy for me to mess around with pickups and setups. The controls add a ton of versatility, and I don’t need a boost pedal on my pedalboard anymore. I just need to find something for my LTDs. I’d probably just got with the EXG and SPC, but they are routed for two controls.



I haven’t. I’m definitely curious to hear any changes the 18v method brings. My buddy has an ESP with the 81/85 combo right now, maybe I’ll borrow it from him and do it up. He doesn’t even play through an amp and when he does, he asks me to dial it in for him so if I just tell him “This will make it better” he’ll go with it. 

I was telling my uncle exactly that about the EXG/SPC stuff last night; he was griping about his single coils lacking mids and being noisy. I have an extra DG-20 set that I couldn’t get working after I bought it used, so I’m going to send it off to him, he loves fixing stuff.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

RevDrucifer said:


> I haven’t. I’m definitely curious to hear any changes the 18v method brings. My buddy has an ESP with the 81/85 combo right now, maybe I’ll borrow it from him and do it up. He doesn’t even play through an amp and when he does, he asks me to dial it in for him so if I just tell him “This will make it better” he’ll go with it.
> 
> I was telling my uncle exactly that about the EXG/SPC stuff last night; he was griping about his single coils lacking mids and being noisy. I have an extra DG-20 set that I couldn’t get working after I bought it used, so I’m going to send it off to him, he loves fixing stuff.


The 24v mod costs like 25 bucks, which kind of sucks, but if you can barely fit a 9v (or not), the 24v mod is great as it is like 5-10% smaller. Compared to 9v, 24v is great. Less compressed, more dynamic, less focused on one frequency. I also tend to pull the pickups back some like a regular humbucker or single coil. I go 5/32" for humbuckers and 4/32" for single coils. They balance a bit better that way.

The EXG and SPC are spectacular. I wish I could put some of EMG's accessories in a large pedal with separate footswitches. Then I could run the EXG and SPC on all of my guitars. I'd probably put an SPC, an RPC (ie, if I need to thin out a neck pickup or humbucker some), an EXG, and an AB or PA-2 in a pedal with separate footswitches for each. There is (or was) a pedal similar to that on Reverb with I think most of EMG's accessories, but they want 600 bucks if I am not mistaken.


----------



## Chris Bowsman

lewis said:


> Try the 24v mod. Takes up way less room In the cavity than 2x 9v batteries does and sounds even better.
> 
> Emgs crap out at 30v so it's still within safe amount of volts.


Does 24 make much difference over 18? The LTD has a battery box, and I nuked the tone knob, so there was plenty of space in the compartment for the second battery. 

One of the things I love about EMG is the 1000+ hour battery life. The 12V batteries appear to have 1/10th the capacity of a 9V.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Chris Bowsman said:


> Does 24 make much difference over 18? The LTD has a battery box, and I nuked the tone knob, so there was plenty of space in the compartment for the second battery.
> 
> One of the things I love about EMG is the 1000+ hour battery life. The 12V batteries appear to have 1/10th the capacity of a 9V.


The 24v is mainly an improvement over 9v where you can't fit two 9v batteries.


----------



## lewis

Spaced Out Ace said:


> The 24v is mainly an improvement over 9v where you can't fit two 9v batteries.


Im not sure why it appears you're only repeating its a space saving improvement?

It literally makes a massive difference to output and the overall tone too, for the better.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> Im not sure why it appears you're only repeating its a space saving improvement?
> 
> It literally makes a massive difference to output and the overall tone too, for the better.


Versus 18v, it is mostly for saving space. That’s why.


----------



## MoonJelly

My fave active sets are EMG, I've had a set of 707/707x in one guitar for like 5 years now. I also have 2 guitars with their passive sets. 1 is the typical HZ ceramic bridge / alnico neck and it's meh, will prob get replaced. I recently got a Rev set with alnico II and put it in an Ibanez mikro with a super switch (so, some solder was required) and gotta say, their passive line has shown massive improvements in recent years. 

I only have one set of fluence pups, the Tosin set on an 8 string and it's pretty nice but maybe a tad too treble focused for me. Everything else I own is passive rigged with DiMarzio pups. HFH at neck on most of them with different bridges. Oh and there is one with Wilkinson p90s. I should prob have at least one guitar with single coils but they never stay in the fold for long


----------



## dspellman

lewis said:


> Everything about EMG just makes me want to keep going back.
> the simplicity, price and tonal options EMG offer, is still unrivalled. Ive never really got on well at all with Seymour Duncan (tried the Distortion, the 59 neck, the pearly gates bridge, the Sentient neck and the Nazgul bridge - and disliked all of them bar the 59)
> 
> not to mention, there is a reason that they (EMG) have likely been used on more albums than any other pickup company.
> 
> I dunno guys, i just feel that once the initial hype of a new product/brand dies down, i want to go back to EMG again.


Nope.


----------



## lewis

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Versus 18v, it is mostly for saving space. That’s why.


Apologies. Literally thought you just meant 9v vs 24v


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> Apologies. Literally thought you just meant 9v vs 24v


No, though the 24v mod is slightly smaller than 9v as well. The benefits of the 24v mod versus 18v mod is that the 24v mod is easier to fit in a cramped cavity, but not much of a tone/compression improvement.


----------



## fabronaut

Choop said:


> The RA sets really do need to be like $50 less or something; that'd make them a much more attractive option.


it's even weirder if you consider the website pushes the quick connect system as the be all, end all.

wouldn't it be really smart to have a super affordable option as a gateway to nudge players to purchase the "core" lineup or try other models? I thought that was the whole point...

maybe that's what they were going for, but the QC and marketing never quite pulled it all together. bizarre.


----------



## jwguitar

lewis said:


> Everything about EMG just makes me want to keep going back.
> 
> the effortless wiring, the ease of switching pickups out on the fly to try new models from them, the fact that they offer open coil actives now in the retro series and a passive/active hybrid like the 57/66 etc Even their coil split pickups in the 89 and 81TW etc etc are a breeze to install and use and sound great.
> 
> Obviously Fishmans are also great pickups, but I feel the simplicity, price and tonal options EMG offer, is still unrivalled. Ive never really got on well at all with Seymour Duncan (tried the Distortion, the 59 neck, the pearly gates bridge, the Sentient neck and the Nazgul bridge - and disliked all of them bar the 59)
> 
> not to mention, there is a reason that they (EMG) have likely been used on more albums than any other pickup company.
> 
> I dunno guys, i just feel that once the initial hype of a new product/brand dies down, i want to go back to EMG again.


EMG Pickups are great. I use them all the time.


----------



## tscoolberth

Answer yes. Just picked up an Ltd EC-1000 with the standard EMG 81/83. My second fave is my LtD Hex 7 with 707s. Third fave is my Jackson King V with EMG passive HGs ... they sound hard but in the right amp with the right OD they're great and I noticed that they are essentially pre-eq'd with trying to mix. All of my Deymour Duncans just sound unfocused, semi-fizzy ... just not right for high gain. Fishmans are like the EMGs .. always ready to go.


----------



## NazVonGates

Just picked up a JBBM20 today. Every cheap guitar I picked up before this one makes me regret them. It has everything I like about hardware including the 81-85. I was hoping to pick up a fishman fluence guitar but I chose the ibanez. I want more colors in my guitars this time around.


----------



## lewis

NazVonGates said:


> Just picked up a JBBM20 today. Every cheap guitar I picked up before this one makes me regret them. It has everything I like about hardware including the 81-85. I was hoping to pick up a fishman fluence guitar but I chose the ibanez. I want more colors in my guitars this time around.
> View attachment 105776


That thing looks absolutely phenomenal


----------



## Stuck_in_a_dream

I always wanted a Steinberger, found a hot yellow one on eBay, shipped and received from Japan in like 4 days (way to go FedEx!). I ordered a set of Fat-55 and a Crossroads middle to install in this one. Prob. got tired of too many Fluences, missing the quick connect installs, and I thought the 55 sounded badass. I'll mod the heck out of this one. I'll post the after pics when all is done.


----------



## lewis

Stuck_in_a_dream said:


> I always wanted a Steinberger, found a hot yellow one on eBay, shipped and received from Japan in like 4 days (way to go FedEx!). I ordered a set of Fat-55 and a Crossroads middle to install in this one. Prob. got tired of too many Fluences, missing the quick connect installs, and I thought the 55 sounded badass. I'll mod the heck out of this one. I'll post the after pics when all is done.
> View attachment 105838


Oh hell yeah!!!

That colour is incredible and the pickup choice is interesting. Looking forward to seeing this one


----------



## Hoss632

NazVonGates said:


> Just picked up a JBBM20 today. Every cheap guitar I picked up before this one makes me regret them. It has everything I like about hardware including the 81-85. I was hoping to pick up a fishman fluence guitar but I chose the ibanez. I want more colors in my guitars this time around.
> View attachment 105776


You got it in the right color that's for sure. I love the green ones. I think this year they switched and the green is gone and now it's black. Also big fan of JB as a player as well.


----------



## NazVonGates

Hoss632 said:


> You got it in the right color that's for sure. I love the green ones. I think this year they switched and the green is gone and now it's black. Also big fan of JB as a player as well.


Ya everything I picked up in the last 2 months is grey, black, satin mahogany. I plan on getting the green or red sparkle stephen carpenter so I thought having this would compliment those guitars haha. I didnt know of the guy till I got home and checked them out. I'm a fan now. I just cant play as good as them. Straight into my interface and into amplitube I notice its a loud clear signal and it just blows my cheap 500 dollar guitars away. I think I'll stick to active pickups from now on.


----------



## Hoss632

Has anyone in this thread played around with ambient/spacey tones with their EMG's? Or done some ambient metal type tracks in the vein of Distant Dream? Would be curious to hear some of your samples.


----------



## lewis

Hoss632 said:


> Has anyone in this thread played around with ambient/spacey tones with their EMG's? Or done some ambient metal type tracks in the vein of Distant Dream? Would be curious to hear some of your samples.


I don't have samples anymore but back when I was messing around with massive ambient cleans using chimp spanners tutorial on the old HD Pro rack unit, I had an Emg H in the neck (emg S in a humbucker housing)and it sounded incredible for that.

I've heard the retroactive series do excellent ambient tones too.
What's even better about the emg single coils is there's no 60 cycle hum. They're completely noiseless.


----------



## Choop

Hoss632 said:


> Has anyone in this thread played around with ambient/spacey tones with their EMG's? Or done some ambient metal type tracks in the vein of Distant Dream? Would be curious to hear some of your samples.



I may try to throw one together with my 7 -- I think EMG's and actives in general are awesome for stuff with heavy effects since the signal is so clear. Devin Townsend has used them to the moon and back, and regularly utilizes lots of effects and ambient type sounds.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I like active EMGs because they are very clear/dry, which makes them better for adding reverb, chorus, etc. without them getting washed out.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Choop said:


> I may try to throw one together with my 7 -- I think EMG's and actives in general are awesome for stuff with heavy effects since the signal is so clear. Devin Townsend has used them to the moon and back, and regularly utilizes lots of effects and ambient type sounds.


Yep, give Devin's solo stuff a listen. Like 90% of it is EMG 81/60.


----------



## NazVonGates

Hes since switched to fishman and has his own signature over there too. The guitar hes really dialed back since the peavey flying v he had for a bit. It reminds me of a ernie ball music man. I wish they just made both price points with fishman pick ups and charge more for the 1299 euro one to include an evertune bridge. I'll be having those in one of my guitars one of these years. 









Stormbender - Devin Townsend Signature







bit.ly


----------



## mcleanab

Well, played my 58/85 loaded Jackson for a few days and REALLY digging it. That 58 has a mid range bite/cut that is serious. Love it.

But, picked up the Revelation Set loaded Charvel again and can't get enough... enjoy!


----------



## Stuck_in_a_dream

Hoss632 said:


> Has anyone in this thread played around with ambient/spacey tones with their EMG's? Or done some ambient metal type tracks in the vein of Distant Dream? Would be curious to hear some of your samples.


I will definitely try it when my Steinberger project is done, but in my experience, when u put quite a bit of reverb, modulation effects for ambient stuff, it doesn't really matter the type of pickups as long as they can produce good clean tones.

I have a few pedals for this, but Hologram's Microcosm has to be on the top 3 choices for anyone interested in this kind of stuff.


----------



## Hoss632

Stuck_in_a_dream said:


> I will definitely try it when my Steinberger project is done, but in my experience, when u put quite a bit of reverb, modulation effects for ambient stuff, it doesn't really matter the type of pickups as long as they can produce good clean tones.
> 
> I have a few pedals for this, but Hologram's Microcosm has to be on the top 3 choices for anyone interested in this kind of stuff.


Appreciate the feedback (and also from everyone else who replied to me directly)


----------



## Emperoff

BTW, have you guys used EMG bass pickups on a 7-string?

I have an EMG-35DC as a neck pickup in one of my guitars and it's punchy and articulate as hell.


----------



## CanserDYI

Emperoff said:


> BTW, have you guys used EMG bass pickups on a 7-string?
> 
> I have an EMG-35DC as a neck pickup in one of my guitars and it's punchy and articulate as hell.


Do they have the same soapbar route as an active? That sounds cool.


----------



## Emperoff

CanserDYI said:


> Do they have the same soapbar route as an active? That sounds cool.



Kinda the other way around. They didn't want to invest on tooling for 7-string pickups so they used their bass housings instead (forever cursing us with those humongous oversized routes). It wasn't until Duncan released the Blackouts in both sizes that they started to make properly sized actives.

TL;DR, Yes


----------



## AMOS

My 6 and 7 string Schecters both have 81/85 EMG's and they're very hot guitars that cut through the mix. I love EMG but I'm enjoying my ESP with passive Duncan's and there's no battery to go dead. I guess I don't go back to EMG, I'll just always own those guitars that have them, they're good tools to have.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Emperoff said:


> Kinda the other way around. They didn't want to invest on tooling for 7-string pickups so they used their bass housings instead (forever cursing us with those humongous oversized routes). It wasn't until Duncan released the Blackouts in both sizes that they started to make properly sized actives.
> 
> TL;DR, Yes



Even then it's a half-assed passive sized. 

But yeah IIRC the story with the EMG ERG pickups is that they started off a basically bass pickups with some tweaks (The 707 seems to be a 35DC with alnico magnets and maybe some preamp tweaks). It wasn't until the 81-7 a few years later that they actually tried to make the pickup similar to the 6-string counterpart. But they still used the soapbar housing because... reasons. 

I'm actually curious to hear how a 35DC and 707 compares side by side. Tonally they seem to be similar; scooped mids, snappy highs, pretty big lows.


----------



## Emperoff

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Even then it's a half-assed passive sized.
> 
> But yeah IIRC the story with the EMG ERG pickups is that they started off a basically bass pickups with some tweaks (The 707 seems to be a 35DC with alnico magnets and maybe some preamp tweaks). It wasn't until the 81-7 a few years later that they actually tried to make the pickup similar to the 6-string counterpart. But they still used the soapbar housing because... reasons.
> 
> I'm actually curious to hear how a 35DC and 707 compares side by side. Tonally they seem to be similar; scooped mids, snappy highs, pretty big lows.



I don't have a 707 with me right now to compare, but I'd say they're very different. I have them as a middle pickup (think deftones config), and it's still very bright and cutting. You can perfectly riff away with it, which wouldn't work with a 707 in that position. The 707 sounds way bigger and sweeter. I have it paired with an 81 and they compliment each other quite well.

Everyone seems to hate the 707, but I always liked it in the bridge. I've heard that growly low end with hi-end sheen in dozens of records and always reminds me of Nevermore. It works very well for leads, too. 707 / 60-7 combo was one of the most fun pickup combos I've ever had.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

Emperoff said:


> BTW, have you guys used EMG bass pickups on a 7-string?
> 
> I have an EMG-35DC as a neck pickup in one of my guitars and it's punchy and articulate as hell.



Since I have to replace the pickups in my S8, I’ve been thinking of trying the Jazz 40X that is basically a single coil. Feedback from EMG was that it would be in striking distance of the SX/HX singles, but for an 8 string. 

I’ll drop feedback here if I get to that soon.


----------



## lewis

I checked out some Super 77 and Fat 55 pup demos and wow - 
They sound incredible. Clanky as. 
I'm going to get a Baritone 6er soon and I'm thinking a set of these would be sweet. 
Anyone got Any fat 55 or super 77 low tuned experience? Like 8 string and lower tunings.

Cheers


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> I checked out some Super 77 and Fat 55 pup demos and wow -
> They sound incredible. Clanky as.
> I'm going to get a Baritone 6er soon and I'm thinking a set of these would be sweet.
> Anyone got Any fat 55 or super 77 low tuned experience? Like 8 string and lower tunings.
> 
> Cheers


@HeHasTheJazzHands is likely your dude there.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> @HeHasTheJazzHands is likely your dude there.


Unfortunately no. I never tried to tune down with them when I had the Super 77s.


----------



## RevDrucifer

I’ve had a few weeks with that Gilmour Strat and the more I use the DG-20’s the more impressed I get. While I had them in that Classic 50’s Strat, I barely touched that guitar because the frets were in such rough shape. I’ve been playing the shit out of the Gilmour Strat the last few weeks, I keep meaning to dial in presets in the FM9 rig specific to it but I keep getting lost on one amp for 4 hours and play the entire night instead of doing the ‘work‘ part of it.

I wasn’t expecting how well they would do classic Strat/big neck pickup tones at all, nor was I expecting they’d pull off high gain metal until I switched to a Zakk Wylde/No More Tears-era preset. It’s like having a different culture of food every night.

And of course, they do the Gilmour thing.



Oh yeah, forgot my Spector has an EMG P/J set on it, there’s no better bass tone than a Spector with EMG’s, IMO.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

The EMG P(J) tone is iconic. Kinda regret ditching them in my bass.  Thinking about getting my J Bass modded to a P/J and throwing EMGs into it. 
Also apparently when Gilmour used EMGS, he had them STUPID fucking low. So low that he had to get the guitar routed deeper since it was vintage '57 specs IIRC.


----------



## Dog Boy

I dig the DG 20 set up. Not my all time greatest strat but it gets a great sound that no other single coil can get. Pushes the signal thru huge pedal boards too.


----------



## Crungy

RevDrucifer said:


> Oh yeah, forgot my Spector has an EMG P/J set on it, there’s no better bass tone than a Spector with EMG’s, IMO.


Does it have an EMG pre or Tonepump?


----------



## Protestheriphery

Recently acquired an LTD w the classic 81/60 set. This is my first time revisiting EMGs since 2014. Hence, it’s my first time trying them through my JVM. I didn’t have any expectations, and I was pleasantly surprised. The 81 is thick and warm. It’s a nice contrast to the spikiness of the Marshall. The 60 is surprisingly spanky and round sounding. I have no recollection how they sounded back in the day, in my prior LTD’s. I only chugged on the bridge anyway.


----------



## Lucifer66

I thought about trying EMGs, but I get a really good sound from my stock Seymour Duncan JB TB4 (Bridge) and Seymour Duncan Jazz SH2N (Neck) pickups on my Jackson RR1-LH. Besides, I don't want to be on stage when the batteries crap out. I got enough batteries to deal with already.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Lucifer66 said:


> Besides, I don't want to be on stage when the batteries crap out. I got enough batteries to deal with already.


Oh boy, this UG-tier comment. 
EMG batteries don't suddenly die and go quiet. You'll know plenty of time beforehand when your guitar tone sounds fuzzy and distorted, even clean. Also EMG batteries can last 2000 hours. You only need to change the battry once every 6 months to a year, depending on how often you play and keep the guitar unplugged after playing.
If you're happy with your Duncan's, that's fine. but the "dead battery" argument has always been a pretty bad one.

I think the only time I'd consider the battery argument is if you're thinking about Fishmans. They last only 200 hours. EMGs last 5 - 10x as long.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Oh boy, this UG-tier comment.
> EMG batteries don't suddenly die and go quiet. You'll know plenty of time beforehand when your guitar tone sounds fuzzy and distorted, even clean. Also EMG batteries can last 2000 hours. You only need to change the battry once every 6 months to a year, depending on how often you play and keep the guitar unplugged after playing.
> If you're happy with your Duncan's, that's fine. but the "dead battery" argument has always been a pretty bad one.
> 
> I think the only time I'd consider the battery argument is if you're thinking about Fishmans. They last only 200 hours. EMGs last 5 - 10x as long.


The only issue with the battery life is if you mix up the wires to the jack. If you mix them up, the preamp will keep draining the battery as if the cable is still connected, even when it isn’t connected.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> The only issue with the battery life is if you mix up the wires to the jack. If you mix them up, the preamp will keep draining the battery as if the cable is still connected, even when it isn’t connected.


I actually think I had this happened once, but it was a short in the wiring somewheres due to a faulty wire... And it was with Fishmans. ;loL;


----------



## BenjaminW

Anyone here ever used the Steve Lukather pre-wired pickguard or have any experience with the pickups in it (85 in bridge, SLVs in middle/neck)? I like the idea of putting it in one of my Strats, but obviously wanna hear what people have to say before I ever pull the trigger on it.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

BenjaminW said:


> Anyone here ever used the Steve Lukather pre-wired pickguard or have any experience with the pickups in it (85 in bridge, SLVs in middle/neck)? I like the idea of putting it in one of my Strats, but obviously wanna hear what people have to say before I ever pull the trigger on it.


The SLV (and the SA as well) is a great single coil in any position. The 85 is classic in the bridge and I prefer it there over the neck. I believe that Mark Knopfler used an 85/SA/SA setup, which is also good. 

I had the Lukather setup in my girlfriend’s Stratocaster, but I just swapped the 85 out for an 81, and liked it in my initial playthrough. With the EXG and SPC controls, I think the 81 is better. However, as just an SL20 setup (rather than an SL20/DG20 hybrid), the 85 is my preference. The SLV is hotter, but both the SLV and SA sound great.

Anyways, if I end up not liking the 81, I’ve got an ivory 85 I can swap in. I swapped out the 85 I had in because it was black while the single coils were ivory.

I have a pickguard that would just be 85/SLV/SLV with master volume and tone should I decide to put the EXG/SPC elsewhere.


----------



## estin

i'm sure this has already been posted since the thread is over 100 pages long, but this guy is an incredible EMG endorsement imo. EMG needs to work with him to show others that EMG are not just for metal guys who enjoy compression.


----------



## RevDrucifer

Crungy said:


> Does it have an EMG pre or Tonepump?



Tonepump Jr. Not sure what the difference between the normal and Jr is but it’s working for me!


----------



## Marked Man

estin said:


> i'm sure this has already been posted since the thread is over 100 pages long, but this guy is an incredible EMG endorsement imo. EMG needs to work with him to show others that EMG are not just for metal guys who enjoy compression.




Random people on internets forums would tell you this_ impossible._ But he just did it. 
Sounds great!


----------



## narad

I seem to recall EMGs pretty embraced by a lot of jazz people, so it's not surprising. If you're completely clean or completely distorted, the EMG offerings in the 90s seemed reasonable. It seemed like a lot of the vintage crunch tones were a bit lacking.


----------



## ZXIIIT

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Oh boy, this UG-tier comment.
> EMG batteries don't suddenly die and go quiet. You'll know plenty of time beforehand when your guitar tone sounds fuzzy and distorted, even clean. Also EMG batteries can last 2000 hours. You only need to change the battry once every 6 months to a year, depending on how often you play and keep the guitar unplugged after playing.
> If you're happy with your Duncan's, that's fine. but the "dead battery" argument has always been a pretty bad one.
> 
> I think the only time I'd consider the battery argument is if you're thinking about Fishmans. They last only 200 hours. EMGs last 5 - 10x as long.


I had a perfect storms of things at a gig once that lead me to find out that my batteries were going out just as we were doing a soundcheck right before our set, luckily, a friend ran out the the corner store and got a 9V just in time, but it was enough to make me go back to passives for years.

Now that I haven't been doing live shows, went back to having a guitar with an EMG.


----------



## Zhysick

Having a 9V battery in your case is as important as having a few spare strings. You MUST have some if you are going to play a gig, same for the battery, just have always a spare one... I understad you can panic since it will take so much time until you need to change the battery again that you can forget you have one in the guitar case but... Hey! That's the point.


----------



## lewis

Sometimes I think having the pedalboard emg power supply is a good backup and option.


----------



## ZXIIIT

Zhysick said:


> Having a 9V battery in your case is as important as having a few spare strings. You MUST have some if you are going to play a gig, same for the battery, just have always a spare one... I understad you can panic since it will take so much time until you need to change the battery again that you can forget you have one in the guitar case but... Hey! That's the point.


I think out of all the gigs I ever played, there wasn't a single one where I had spare strings lol, but yeah, I was just in one of those "they'll last a while so I'll worry about it later" mindsets that lined up at the wrong time.

Looking at adding one of these, just in case.


----------



## c7spheres

- Anyone try the lithium 9v's? EMG says it's ok to use them so I;m thinking they'd last a long time and hopefully at 9+ volts for a long time too. 
- WIth alkaline If I notice things feeling or sounding weird I check the battery and sure enough it's at about 8.5 volts everytime it happens. Change to fresh battery and it's good again. Mainly you can tell when doing fast succesive chugs. Like it can't recover fast enough or something to spike that pick attack the same, recharge a capacitor maybe, I dunno, but Lithium might be the answer for me. Lithium batteries that is.


----------



## Zhysick

Wow, you must have very very sensitive ears... I mean, I have never heard anything or felt anything withEMGs until the batteries were around 6V and that's when I decided to replace them... Half a volt under the nominal voltage? That's impressive.


c7spheres said:


> - Anyone try the lithium 9v's? EMG says it's ok to use them so I;m thinking they'd last a long time and hopefully at 9+ volts for a long time too.
> - WIth alkaline If I notice things feeling or sounding weird I check the battery and sure enough it's at about 8.5 volts everytime it happens. Change to fresh battery and it's good again. Mainly you can tell when doing fast succesive chugs. Like it can't recover fast enough or something to spike that pick attack the same, recharge a capacitor maybe, I dunno, but Lithium might be the answer for me. Lithium batteries that is.


----------



## c7spheres

Zhysick said:


> Wow, you must have very very sensitive ears... I mean, I have never heard anything or felt anything withEMGs until the batteries were around 6V and that's when I decided to replace them... Half a volt under the nominal voltage? That's impressive.


 It's more attack difinition and feel and response thing than overall tone. It's like the difference between crispy new and dull strings, but noticable. Certain riffs bring it out more. The attack gets softer. - My setup is different though so it likely has to do with that. Low pickups and a bunch of other stuff connected to it. I blame that. It needs a full battery at all times basically, which still takes a month or two to drain to 8.5v, but I'l stick a lithium in there and see what happens and reaport back in 5 years hopefully : )


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I mean you're decreasing the headroom when you lower the voltage, so it makes sense the tone degrades.


----------



## Zhysick

Yes, of course is like that, but for fucks sake, the gravity force is different at sea level than on top of a high mountain (lets say 2000m above sea level for example) and you can't feel it when jumping that your acceleration going back to the ground is higher... physics? yeah, human capable of noticing the difference? That's where I go  I am just genuinly amazed by his sensitivity.

You know what I mean? sensitive hearing system for sure, I consider myself quite sensible to tone changes and I can't hear nothing until under 6.5V or so...


----------



## lewis

All the more reason to do the 24v mod haha


----------



## c7spheres

Zhysick said:


> Yes, of course is like that, but for fucks sake, the gravity force is different at sea level than on top of a high mountain (lets say 2000m above sea level for example) and you can't feel it when jumping that your acceleration going back to the ground is higher... physics? yeah, human capable of noticing the difference? That's where I go  I am just genuinly amazed by his sensitivity.
> 
> You know what I mean? sensitive hearing system for sure, I consider myself quite sensible to tone changes and I can't hear nothing until under 6.5V or so...


 You'd probably be able to tell on my setup. I 'm no golden ears. I'm probably getting less volts or something because of my setup. I dunno. Like I was saying it's like dull vs new strings or a new vs dull pick. At some point you sense something is wrong, destroy your tone trying to figure it out, then realize it's just the battery.  





lewis said:


> All the more reason to do the 24v mod haha


 Was gonna do that but I can't right now cause I realized my Bartolini piezo preamp max's out at 9v. I already have a new Bartolini preamp that goes to 18v ready to go, but then I was debating wether I wanna go with that or try a 12v mod instead (use one A23 battery) with the current one. Then I realized that 9v's dominate over a23's in terms of millamp hours etc, but A23's come in lithium too, so saving space is a plus. I'd probably stick with two 9 volts eventually If I can find space. That will come when I remove my PA-2 which I rarely use anymore. My electronics are gonna be overhauled and redone eventually.


----------



## TornAnus

I am having a guitar built with a single 85 in the bridge. Hope I like it.


----------



## Zhysick

TornAnus said:


> I am having a guitar built with a single 85 in the bridge. Hope I like it.



Thinking in going that route with my "new" Baretta... actually deciding if I like the non stock neck enough to mod the guitar or to buy a new one and sell this as cheap as I bought it.

85 in the bridge must be great, probably an 89 better for versatility...


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

The 85 in the bridge is awesome in my opinion.


----------



## mmr007

7thxaj said:


> I'm a huge fan of the EMG Het Set. I switched to that from 81/60. The output is immense and they have so much character to them.


I could not agree more. EMG was never one of my favorite pickups (81, 85, 57....never cared too much for them) but I tried a Hetset and within 2 months I swapped those pickups into 8 of my guitars. I had the ebay seller I bought them from on text and speed dial like he was some sort of drug dealer.


----------



## lewis

mmr007 said:


> I could not agree more. EMG was never one of my favorite pickups (81, 85, 57....never cared too much for them) but I tried a Hetset and within 2 months I swapped those pickups into 8 of my guitars. I had the ebay seller I bought them from on text and speed dial like he was some sort of drug dealer.


Do they negate the need for an OD infront or do you still go balls out with an OD infront of the amp too?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


> Do they negate the need for an OD infront or do you still go balls out with an OD infront of the amp too?


If you're used to the 81, keep in mind the Het Set DOES have more output, but it also has a little bit bigger bass and low mids to them.


----------



## mmr007

lewis said:


> Do they negate the need for an OD infront or do you still go balls out with an OD infront of the amp too?


No you can still use your OD. I wish I was better at describing what I like and don't like tone-wise but my basic philosophy on the Hetset is they are the EMG for people who don't like EMGs. It's weird because I am not a particular fan of Metallica's sound but I will take the bone breakers and then the Hetset over an 81 or 57 any day. And I'm not exaggerating how much I like them. Every guitar that had seymour duncans in, I ripped them out and put the Hetset in.


----------



## ZXIIIT

TornAnus said:


> I am having a guitar built with a single 85 in the bridge. Hope I like it.


I originally got an 85-X for my Dean V and did not like it at all, went to EMG's reverb page and got an EMG 81 for $50, sounds a lot better.

Post pics!


----------



## Hoss632

Completely random but thought I'd share. But I've learned that my guitar under high gain in Open C tuning with my 85 in the bridge, sounds amazing! Just hearing 6 note chords ring out as nicely as they do is pretty cool.


----------



## TornAnus

ZXIIIT said:


> I originally got an 85-X for my Dean V and did not like it at all, went to EMG's reverb page and got an EMG 81 for $50, sounds a lot better.
> 
> Post pics!


Still in progress!


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I'm getting another SPC and EXG for my fourth Stratocaster.


----------



## ZXIIIT

TornAnus said:


> Still in progress!


Awesome!


----------



## MoonJelly

mmr007 said:


> I could not agree more. EMG was never one of my favorite pickups (81, 85, 57....never cared too much for them) but I tried a Hetset and within 2 months I swapped those pickups into 8 of my guitars. I had the ebay seller I bought them from on text and speed dial like he was some sort of drug dealer.


Don't Tell the Wife Guitars 

He's great at communicating fr. Last set I bought from him we exchanged like 8 messages within 2hrs max


----------



## RevDrucifer

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I'm getting another SPC and EXG for my fourth Stratocaster.



I’ve spent a couple months with them and have barely touched another guitar since putting that Gilmour Strat together. I’ve barely even fucked around with Gilmour tones because all the other awesome Strat tones I’m getting with this set is too much fun. 

There’s a LOT of variation to be found with those boosters, much, much more than I expected.


----------



## mmr007

I posted a pic of these two elsewhere having just finished changing them from random SD's. I had tons of EMG's laying around and thought I would try 81 in the black and 85 in the red. They are essentially the same guitar but the red with the 85 sounds soooo much better so the black is going to get an 85 also


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

MoonJelly said:


> Don't Tell the Wife Guitars
> 
> He's great at communicating fr. Last set I bought from him we exchanged like 8 messages within 2hrs max


I bought my last SPC and EXG from them. They reached out warning me of things, making sure I needed a 5 way and not a 3 way, etc. 6/5 stars.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

RevDrucifer said:


> I’ve spent a couple months with them and have barely touched another guitar since putting that Gilmour Strat together. I’ve barely even fucked around with Gilmour tones because all the other awesome Strat tones I’m getting with this set is too much fun.
> 
> There’s a LOT of variation to be found with those boosters, much, much more than I expected.


A lot of great tones. Buy a few strat pickguards, and experiment with various pickup combos.



mmr007 said:


> View attachment 108013
> 
> 
> I posted a pic of these two elsewhere having just finished changing them from random SD's. I had tons of EMG's laying around and thought I would try 81 in the black and 85 in the red. They are essentially the same guitar but the red with the 85 sounds soooo much better so the black is going to get an 85 also


Those are beastly.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I'm thinking of putting the ABQ boosts from the ALX set back in my Ltds, then picking some passive EMGs. Not sure what pickups, though. May try a Marty set in one and the DMF Lars Set in another.


----------



## lewis

I have a 30inch baritone now and am obviously EMGs are high on the agenda again.

I was going to go crazy and try a dimebag set in this baritone but I forgot how over priced other companies were.
£255 for 2 pickups and no pots or anything?

An emg Set with everything needed to install them except a toggle switch for £100 less? EMG is still the best value for money imo.

So now the decision needs to be 57/66 set or super 77 zebra set.
Was thinking an RPC too for crazy Spank when needed.
Anyone got any thoughts on this stuff in a 30incher?


----------



## Hoss632

lewis said:


> I have a 30inch baritone now and am obviously EMGs are high on the agenda again.
> 
> I was going to go crazy and try a dimebag set in this baritone but I forgot how over priced other companies were.
> £255 for 2 pickups and no pots or anything?
> 
> An emg Set with everything needed to install them except a toggle switch for £100 less? EMG is still the best value for money imo.
> 
> So now the decision needs to be 57/66 set or super 77 zebra set.
> Was thinking an RPC too for crazy Spank when needed.
> Anyone got any thoughts on this stuff in a 30incher?


Curious if this is that Subzero jazzmaster looking baritone that you got. if it is I'm curious on the quality of the guitar. As for which EMG set, if you are using this thing tuned way down I honestly would say why not the 81/85? That set does really well in low tunings and if anything I think they sound better when used from Drop B on down. Otherwise from the 2 sets you said the 57/66 would be the choice over the super 77's mainly because the 57/66 set has a lot more clarity which would work for tunings I'd imagine you would be going for with a 30 inch baritone


----------



## AwakenTheSkies

In my limited experience from playing my & my friends' guitars and doing some pickup changes. EMGs are always a safe bet for recording metal rhythm guitars with modelers like I do. They sound the brightest and have this cool growling sound in the sustain. EMGs 81+85 or 81+60 with new strings are a super safe bet for a good metal tone.
For cleans I like other pickups better. I've done ambient tones with them too usually with both pickups on and rolling the volume down like 50% on the neck pickup. 85 on the neck and 81 in the bridge.


----------



## lewis

Hoss632 said:


> Curious if this is that Subzero jazzmaster looking baritone that you got. if it is I'm curious on the quality of the guitar. As for which EMG set, if you are using this thing tuned way down I honestly would say why not the 81/85? That set does really well in low tunings and if anything I think they sound better when used from Drop B on down. Otherwise from the 2 sets you said the 57/66 would be the choice over the super 77's mainly because the 57/66 set has a lot more clarity which would work for tunings I'd imagine you would be going for with a 30 inch baritone


It is indeed the subzero.

Honestly build quality on mine is great for the price. There is some tiny imperfections on my neck binding high up where the pocket is but other than that I've not spotted any other issues whatsoever.

It needs a setup out the box as there was some buzzing in places. I'm using Drop Eb open so the stock strings don't really work. The lowest isn't thick enough and the others are too thick/tight to play comfy.

Yeah I have a white, dual 81 set floating around spare atm. I might just throw them in.

I do agree. The 81 tuned low like this slays. My two favourite tones for low tuned is Timfy during hacktivists first EP which was 81 in an 8 string and Heart of a Cowards album severance which was also an 81-7

I've never tried the 57/66 set or the super 77 so I will need to grab a set at some point but for now the 81 seems worth it.

The stock tuners and pickups I don't like on the subzero but you always expect to swap hardware on a budget guitar so that's no big deal.


----------



## Hoss632

lewis said:


> It is indeed the subzero.
> 
> Honestly build quality on mine is great for the price. There is some tiny imperfections on my neck binding high up where the pocket is but other than that I've not spotted any other issues whatsoever.
> 
> It needs a setup out the box as there was some buzzing in places. I'm using Drop Eb open so the stock strings don't really work. The lowest isn't thick enough and the others are too thick/tight to play comfy.
> 
> Yeah I have a white, dual 81 set floating around spare atm. I might just throw them in.
> 
> I do agree. The 81 tuned low like this slays. My two favourite tones for low tuned is Timfy during hacktivists first EP which was 81 in an 8 string and Heart of a Cowards album severance which was also an 81-7
> 
> I've never tried the 57/66 set or the super 77 so I will need to grab a set at some point but for now the 81 seems worth it.
> 
> The stock tuners and pickups I don't like on the subzero but you always expect to swap hardware on a budget guitar so that's no big deal.


Cool good to know.


----------



## MoonJelly

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I'm thinking of putting the ABQ boosts from the ALX set back in my Ltds, then picking some passive EMGs. Not sure what pickups, though. May try a Marty set in one and the DMF Lars Set in another.


Ymmv but I found those two sets to be total opposites (might be exactly why you want both I guess). The MF is a looser, hot vintage type, in line with what you might expect from an EVH. Easy to saturate an amp and blast mid and treble band. Next to my active EMGs it has more snappiness/bite in the treble, consistent with what a hot passive pickup would do in most use cases. Mostly it makes me want to set up a 'brown sound' and annoy my wife and dog 

The DMF is super clean and focused, and harder to drive than any other HZ pickup I've tried. I found that super surprising but it lined up with some of the YouTube demos I watched. Ultimately I have my clean lower-output pickups I like better and I ended up selling that set.

The Rev set I put in most recently is my favorite as it lands in the middle of the two above. The volume control seems to get more of a dynamic sweep from about 3.5-10, and it's all good sounds when you get into the wiring electrickery. I feel like it brings out a little more dynamics in my own playing when I'm just messing around.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

MoonJelly said:


> Ymmv but I found those two sets to be total opposites (might be exactly why you want both I guess). The MF is a looser, hot vintage type, in line with what you might expect from an EVH. Easy to saturate an amp and blast mid and treble band. Next to my active EMGs it has more snappiness/bite in the treble, consistent with what a hot passive pickup would do in most use cases. Mostly it makes me want to set up a 'brown sound' and annoy my wife and dog
> 
> The DMF is super clean and focused, and harder to drive than any other HZ pickup I've tried. I found that super surprising but it lined up with some of the YouTube demos I watched. Ultimately I have my clean lower-output pickups I like better and I ended up selling that set.
> 
> The Rev set I put in most recently is my favorite as it lands in the middle of the two above. The volume control seems to get more of a dynamic sweep from about 3.5-10, and it's all good sounds when you get into the wiring electrickery. I feel like it brings out a little more dynamics in my own playing when I'm just messing around.


I'm trying H4/H3 and H1/H1 for now. I may try one set for now, but I may not.


----------



## Seabeast2000

Does the Het Set or individual pickups have actual model numbers?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

MoonJelly said:


> The DMF is super clean and focused, and harder to drive than any other HZ pickup I've tried. I found that super surprising but it lined up with some of the YouTube demos I watched. Ultimately I have my clean lower-output pickups I like better and I ended up selling that set.


I find that a bit odd though, as I figured they would be really dirty per the name.



Seabeast2000 said:


> Does the Het Set or individual pickups have actual model numbers?


JH-B or N.


----------



## MoonJelly

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I find that a bit odd though, as I figured they would be really dirty per the name.
> 
> 
> JH-B or N.


Exactly--opposite of what I expected too. Lars Friedrickson described it as a modern, clearer version of the Gibson dirty fingers pickups. It's a fair description I guess it's just not my cup of tea


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

MoonJelly said:


> Exactly--opposite of what I expected too. Lars Friedrickson described it as a modern, clearer version of the Gibson dirty fingers pickups. It's a fair description I guess it's just not my cup of tea


I've never played a Dirty Fingers. Apparently, someone I knew had a "Dirtier Fingers" type pickup from Gibson that was meant to be pretty cool.


----------



## soldierkahn

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I'm trying H4/H3 and H1/H1 for now. I may try one set for now, but I may not.



I was a fan of the HZ-H3 back when i was using the EMG-HZ models exclusively


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

soldierkahn said:


> I was a fan of the HZ-H3 back when i was using the EMG-HZ models exclusively


The H4/H3 set sounds great together. Im glad I tried the H1/H1 set again, as it sounds better than I remember. When I tried it before, it was very bright and broke up in an odd way. Whatever the difference is between then and now, I'm not sure, but I like it. H2/H2 is also nice. 

That said, I'm tempted to try the H1A/H1A like Prashant Aswani and Kieran Johnston.


----------



## mmr007

Seabeast2000 said:


> Does the Het Set or individual pickups have actual model numbers?


I think you can only buy them as a set if buying new and I don't think they have a model number, just name like all the artist pickups JH, KFK, ZW etc....


----------



## mmr007

Have any of you guys tried the Marty Friedman set? I want to try them and I have a guitar that is a perfect candidate for passive EMGs since there is no place to put a battery without heavy mod


----------



## lewis

Don't forget EMG have a reverb site where they sell B stock pickups for way under retail.
You may be able to get singles there that are usually only available as sets?. Although I can't confirm that.


----------



## MoonJelly

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I've never played a Dirty Fingers. Apparently, someone I knew had a "Dirtier Fingers" type pickup from Gibson that was meant to be pretty cool.


Lace Dirty Heshers is exactly that (oddly also a signature pickup for Matt Pike from Sleep and High on Fire). That's a hot, mean one, do recommend if you like high output metal-oriented pups.

Some of the Epiphone Prophecy guitars have the dirty fingers as stock. Also a pretty hot one, similar to a DiMarzio Super Distortion.

Back to the topic, most of my guitars are rocking either EMG or DiMarzio. Between the two brands they cover the gamut of sounds I'm after and are among the best values on the market. I feel like a key thing is that EMG keeps making new products I want to try, and they can be found at a price >$200/set.


----------



## disconnector

I bought an Aristides H/06 with Tosin Fluence pickups. I never liked them - there were three modes but all of them had this weird 3-5K spike that just grated on my ears. Since it would be simple to switch them I dropped in a set of Fluence Classics. They sounded better - but there was still a weird midrange artifact that I just couldn’t get along with.

Finally I bit the bullet and pulled out the perfect Aristides wiring and dropped in a 89 at the bridge and a 60 at the neck. BAM - fantastic tone for days.

I know it’s my ears - but EMGs sound consistently great. Fluence not so much to me.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I bought a set of H1A humbuckers for my Ltd H500. I think the combo of passives with the ABQ will be able to hang with the active setups in my other guitars.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I bought a set of H1A humbuckers for my Ltd H500. I think the combo of passives with the ABQ will be able to hang with the active setups in my other guitars.


Raised the H4/H3 a bit, as I found them a bit lacking compared to the other guitars, especially with the ABQ off. That helped a lot.

Got the H1A set in today, and they warmed things up just enough versus the ceramic versions, and sounds killer. I'm thinking of replacing the H4/H3 with Alnico versions, possibly.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Me and Spaced talked about them, but has anyone tried the Marty pickups yet? I heard they're basically a tweaked JB/Jazz set.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Me and Spaced talked about them, but has anyone tried the Marty pickups yet? I heard they're basically a tweaked JB/Jazz set.


I wish they came in a basic black cover set.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I wish they came in a basic black cover set.


Same, but all my guitars have black hardware so I can get away with it


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Same, but all my guitars have black hardware so I can get away with it


The one I might buy has brushed black chrome, but my guitar have chrome or black chrome.


----------



## narad

Anyone running their pickups at 24V? I want to get the switchable 9/24V kit for my 81, just a bit complicated in that I want to use the switch that already exists in the guitar. The only place I know to get the switchable stuff is from that 24v.com or whatever.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

narad said:


> Anyone running their pickups at 24V? I want to get the switchable 9/24V kit for my 81, just a bit complicated in that I want to use the switch that already exists in the guitar. The only place I know to get the switchable stuff is from that 24v.com or whatever.


I do. I don't use the switchable thing, though.


----------



## Hoss632

So here's something cool and new from EMG.


----------



## lewis

Hoss632 said:


> So here's something cool and new from EMG.
> View attachment 108397


Thats sick!!!

Wheres the info on these? Im not finding it on their website!
Also, makes getting guitars like the Squier Baritone (when you can find one) a serious option as a mod platform too now given these pickups exist!

These active or passive etc!?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

That looks like Staymetalray's guitar. Maybe check out his socials?

EDIT: Yep it's him


----------



## Hoss632

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> That looks like Staymetalray's guitar. Maybe check out his socials?
> 
> EDIT: Yep it's him



I for one am excited to hear how they sound. He's carved his own niche using his jazzmaster and that balaguer with the jazzmaster pick ups, playing in Drop F. It sounds gnarly. I didn't like the balaguer pick ups as much as the squier ones surprisingly. I think these EMG's should sound pretty killer, especially for what he's doing.


----------



## Hoss632

So Ray did a demo of them. High gain drop F tuning. For me the bridge pickup sounded like it had a wah pedal partially engaged the whole time so it wasn't the most pleasant sound. The neck pick up sounded round and fat. Definitely liked it. But the bridge was not my thing.


----------



## lewis

Hoss632 said:


> So Ray did a demo of them. High gain drop F tuning. For me the bridge pickup sounded like it had a wah pedal partially engaged the whole time so it wasn't the most pleasant sound. The neck pick up sounded round and fat. Definitely liked it. But the bridge was not my thing.



Holy shit this sounds killer. Right up my street!!!!! 

Like whitechapel in a pickup.


----------



## narad

Kind of a shame to only hear it at such a low tuning. I dig the look but I can't say the tone sounded good to me / concur with @Hoss632 about some wah sound that Ray might have liked as "clankiness"


----------



## Blytheryn

Just traded my Lundgren M6 set for an 81/60 set. I didn’t much care for whatever it was that the the Lundgrens are supposed to do. They upper mid spiked was quite awkward to play with, that’s for sure.

You can really hear it in this cover I did:









THE ESSENCE OF BLACK PURITY COVER


Single guitar cover of The Essence of Dark Purity.




soundcloud.app.goo.gl


----------



## c7spheres

I'd love to try a soapbar style 7 string version of that JazzMaster pickup. Hope they do one.


----------



## Zhysick

Hoss632 said:


> So Ray did a demo of them. High gain drop F tuning. For me the bridge pickup sounded like it had a wah pedal partially engaged the whole time so it wasn't the most pleasant sound. The neck pick up sounded round and fat. Definitely liked it. But the bridge was not my thing.



Yes about the wha thing... I could even hear Cliff Burton's Anaesthesia solo with that bridge pickup tone  I'm 120% sure you can do an amazing cover of that bass solo with that guitar using these pickups... not my cup of tea.
What a shame, I was very excited for these pickups, maybe in a more normal tuning...


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

So I recently got a ESP MII original series, and to my surprise it has dual EMG 81's. I haven't spent too much time playing the neck pickup. What's the general consensus on an 81 in the neck?


----------



## lewis

Dumple Stilzkin said:


> So I recently got a ESP MII original series, and to my surprise it has dual EMG 81's. I haven't spent too much time playing the neck pickup. What's the general consensus on an 81 in the neck?


It's my favourite neck pickup.
SLAYS for solos.
And is perfectly balanced with the bridge...obviously


----------



## TheBolivianSniper

Dumple Stilzkin said:


> So I recently got a ESP MII original series, and to my surprise it has dual EMG 81's. I haven't spent too much time playing the neck pickup. What's the general consensus on an 81 in the neck?



On 6 strings I prefer the 81 in the neck, it's a lot hotter than a typical neck pickup which means you can do a lot of mean harmonic stuff and it cuts like crazy.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Dumple Stilzkin said:


> So I recently got a ESP MII original series, and to my surprise it has dual EMG 81's. I haven't spent too much time playing the neck pickup. What's the general consensus on an 81 in the neck?


Great if you want an absolutely clear neck pickup. Still does decent cleans but excels at shreddy shit.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Hoss632 said:


> So Ray did a demo of them. High gain drop F tuning. For me the bridge pickup sounded like it had a wah pedal partially engaged the whole time so it wasn't the most pleasant sound. The neck pick up sounded round and fat. Definitely liked it. But the bridge was not my thing.



The bridge sounds like a JM pickup with the tone knob turned down pretty low.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Mostly shred stuff with 81 as a neck pickup. I'd say it'd fair better in a clean tone scenario with a Gibson scale length guitar.


----------



## Hoss632

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The bridge sounds like a JM pickup with the tone knob turned down pretty low.


I have no experience unfortunately playing a JM pick up so I will 100% take your word for it. Ray has a squier baritone jazzmaster too that sounds awesome in Drop F with the stock pick ups. But he's a balaguer and EMG artist so it makes sense that he'll use this guitar as his main.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Hoss632 said:


> I have no experience unfortunately playing a JM pick up so I will 100% take your word for it. Ray has a squier baritone jazzmaster too that sounds awesome in Drop F with the stock pick ups. But he's a balaguer and EMG artist so it makes sense that he'll use this guitar as his main.


JMs have a shit ton of brightness in the bridge. Combination of the single coils + 1meg pot. Judging by that video alone, it rolls of that high end tremendously.


----------



## Hoss632

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> JMs have a shit ton of brightness in the bridge. Combination of the single coils + 1meg pot. Judging by that video alone, it rolls of that high end tremendously.


Having heard him play the squier a lot, plus this Balaguer with the stock JM style pick ups that came in it and now these, I can say that the EMG set sits inbetween the stock Squier set and the stock balaguer set in terms of brightness. The Squier set was the darkest, and the Balaguer was VERY bright. These have a nice middle ground to them. Funny enough, the more I listen to the video the more the voicing on the bridge pick up sounds good. I still think the neck pick up sounds fantastic.


----------



## sylcfh

I bought an Ibanez Iron Label with EMG's and intended to swap them out because actives are not my thing. I hadn't owned an 81 in almost 20 years. I left them in and won't ever change a thing. It's been a long time since I bought a guitar and left all the hardware intact.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

Anyone run any of your EMGs straight to the output? No volume, no tone.

I'm guessing the difference was minimal or negligible due to them being active as compared to what you would get with passives.


----------



## NoodleFace

I did that for a friend and noticed no tonal differences. We put a Killswitch in (the mind that clicks) to control the volume on/off though


----------



## Emperoff

Dumple Stilzkin said:


> So I recently got a ESP MII original series, and to my surprise it has dual EMG 81's. I haven't spent too much time playing the neck pickup. What's the general consensus on an 81 in the neck?



That anything you may like about it is outclassed by an EMG-60


----------



## narojo

I played an ESP with an evertune and some EMGs at a Guitar Center. The cleans were sterile and surgical and into a dirty channel it was like the perfect bridge lead tone. Personally I like Fishmans


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

Emperoff said:


> That anything you may like about it is outclassed by an EMG-60


I like it well enough to not be in a hurry to change it out. But I’ll keep that in mind.


----------



## CrushingAnvil

I just put this Lukather style set in my strat and couldn't be happier. Incredible pickups.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Dumple Stilzkin said:


> I like it well enough to not be in a hurry to change it out. But I’ll keep that in mind.


The 60 is still pretty middy but not to the extent the 81 is. The highs are more sparkly and there's a bit more low end. It's great if you want good cleans with power behind them but still have clarity under distortion.
FWIW I also like the 85 in the neck. I used to hate it, but you gotta crank the pickup REALLY fucking low for it to sound good. But it can sound good.


----------



## MattThePenguin

I used to hate them but I had only had time to play and track the guitar with a 707 and now I'm starting to think something was wrong with it. I got my ESP in 2020 that came with the 707s and had already ordered Warpigs with the proper mounts to replace them. To my surprise the 707s sounded fine, nothing like what I had experienced previously. If I had not ordered the warpigs already I might have decided to save the money but I think soapbar pickups look awful anyways. 

I love so many tones that were tracked with an 81, been dying to try one. One day I'll get an explorer and put an 81 in it for.. reasons..


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The 60 is still pretty middy but not to the extent the 81 is. The highs are more sparkly and there's a bit more low end. It's great if you want good cleans with power behind them but still have clarity under distortion.
> FWIW I also like the 85 in the neck. I used to hate it, but you gotta crank the pickup REALLY fucking low for it to sound good. But it can sound good.


Sounds pretty good. At some point I will replace the pickups as they are pretty used and show signs of their age. Maybe I will just change the neck one out first.


----------



## lewis

im bumping this purely for the sake of any new info on those newly teased Jazzmaster pickups ?

As well as suggestions for something in my humbucker equipped, 6 string, 30inch baritone.
Are the P90 style in normal humbucker housings any good? Kind of want something twangy and disgusting in this guitar
EDIT: If the Jazzmaster style pups drop soon I could always try a pickguard swap and put them in if the routes under the guard are big enough


----------



## Hoss632

lewis said:


> im bumping this purely for the sake of any new info on those newly teased Jazzmaster pickups ?
> 
> As well as suggestions for something in my humbucker equipped, 6 string, 30inch baritone.
> Are the P90 style in normal humbucker housings any good? Kind of want something twangy and disgusting in this guitar


Seen nothing other than Ray's video on the jazzmaster pick ups. Only p90ish sound I can think of is the 58.


----------



## lewis

Hoss632 said:


> Seen nothing other than Ray's video on the jazzmaster pick ups. Only p90ish sound I can think of is the 58.


same. Thats annoying.
Hope they announce them soon. EMG are overdue no products. I dont really class signature pickups


----------



## TornAnus

Whats the most painless and cheapest way to direct mount an EMG? All the small woodscrews i have here are wrong thread.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

TornAnus said:


> Whats the most painless and cheapest way to direct mount an EMG? All the small woodscrews i have here are wrong thread.


Well, EMG lists b stock as "direct mount only" so I think they Strip them out.


----------



## Steinmetzify

And I’m back. After 5 months with a KsE Fishman in my Caparison I just grabbed a black chrome 81 to chuck in there. 

Fishman is a solid pickup and I’d recommend it to anyone that wants to be more technical than I do, but I want that raw 81 sound in this guitar.


----------



## TornAnus

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Well, EMG lists b stock as "direct mount only" so I think they Strip them out.


Eh I got impatient and I just bored out the brass threaded insert with a drill bit.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I bought a Tele neck EMG (EMG FT) that I can't use. I was unaware that Tele and Strat single coils were different sizes. I saw someone say in one of the reviews on EMG that they liked it in their Strat, so I figured what the hell. Moral of the story: That was a waste of 50 bucks. Boo!


----------



## Noodler

This weekend I swapped my 81X and 85X from the standard 81 bridge/85 and damn! It's an amazing set up now with the 85X in the bridge and 81X in the neck. The rhythm tones from the 85X are thick and tight and the neck tones from the 81X are clear and full of sustain. I think it was @HeHasTheJazzHands that mentioned trying out that setup and man, I'm so glad I did!


----------



## narad

Noodler said:


> This weekend I swapped my 81X and 85X from the standard 81 bridge/85 and damn! It's an amazing set up now with the 85X in the bridge and 81X in the neck. The rhythm tones from the 85X are thick and tight and the neck tones from the 81X are clear and full of sustain. I think it was @HeHasTheJazzHands that mentioned trying out that setup and man, I'm so glad I did!


Ugh, guess I have to try this now


----------



## Mathemagician

I remember when 85’s were bridge pickups by default.


----------



## matt_boogie76

I only ever put 85s in my guitars. Thought the 81 was a bit thin and the 85 just had a fatness to it. Had an Ibanez S540 LTD with 85s in the neck and bridge and an SA in the middle. Punched like the hulks fist in yer face through either of my boogies


----------



## kerryymm

I picked up a Harley Benton Fusion III a while back, with EMG Retroactive Hots 70s in it. I far prefer them to the Fluence moderns in my Charvel.


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

narad said:


> Ugh, guess I have to try this now



I'm rocking an 85-X in the bridge of my white Horizon. Mega underrated pickup/position, imo. Currently utilizing a 24v mod with it and while it does make a difference I don't feel it's as pronounced as with the non-x series.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

I like the 85, 58, 60A, and even the 81 in some guitars as bridge pickups. The 81 by itself is sort of boring, but with the SPC and EXG controls, you can get more colors out of it.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Crash Dandicoot said:


> I'm rocking an 85-X in the bridge of my white Horizon. Mega underrated pickup/position, imo. Currently utilizing a 24v mod with it and while it does make a difference I don't feel it's as pronounced as with the non-x series.


Since I'm sure it'll get asked: The 24v mod is to replace the 18v mod for size reasons, not because of the additional 6v of headroom you may or may not get from it.


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

@Spaced Out Ace people sleep on the EMG accessory / aux. controls really hard. SPC alone is a game changer, actives or passives.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Crash Dandicoot said:


> @Spaced Out Ace people sleep on the EMG accessory / aux. controls really hard. SPC alone is a game changer, actives or passives.


No need for a Tube Screamer.


----------



## Hoss632

kerryymm said:


> I picked up a Harley Benton Fusion III a while back, with EMG Retroactive Hots 70s in it. I far prefer them to the Fluence moderns in my Charvel.


So you got the flat black ones with the roasted neck and board? How is the build quality? I've been eying them as a much cheaper alternative to getting a Charvel.


----------



## Dumple Stilzkin

I just got a swollen pickle fuzz the other day, it sounds so heavy with my ESP that has an 81 in the bridge through a 5150 III 50watt. It turned a somewhat generic tone into something uniquely twisted, like a cross between old school DM fat tone and modern metal tight tone had a baby.


----------



## Aliascent

So I bought a 84 Explorer that was converted to passives, which are okay but not the best for metal.
So I'm thinking of putting EMG in it, just undecided on which set (guitar will be used in standard to play everything from thrash (Vektor/Coroner) to jazz):

85/60
85/85
Fat 55
58/60

I already have many guitars with 81/85, and 57/66 I want something new. Thick, tight and good for leads with good neck cleans. Any opinions ?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Aliascent said:


> So I bought a 84 Explorer that was converted to passives, which are okay but not the best for metal.
> So I'm thinking of putting EMG in it, just undecided on which set (guitar will be used in standard to play everything from thrash (Vektor/Coroner) to jazz):
> 
> 85/60
> 85/85
> Fat 55
> 58/60
> 
> I already have many guitars with 81/85, and 57/66 I want something new. Thick, tight and good for leads with good neck cleans. Any opinions


58/60A might be good.


----------



## CapinCripes

How's the 85 in the bridge really? I know some people prefer it because it's fuller but is it too loose if you want to really start some tight rhythms?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

CapinCripes said:


> How's the 85 in the bridge really? I know some people prefer it because it's fuller but is it too loose if you want to really start some tight rhythms?


Didn't KSE use it in the bridge for awhile?


----------



## Warmart

Aliascent said:


> So I bought a 84 Explorer that was converted to passives, which are okay but not the best for metal.
> So I'm thinking of putting EMG in it, just undecided on which set (guitar will be used in standard to play everything from thrash (Vektor/Coroner) to jazz):
> 
> 85/60
> 85/85
> Fat 55
> 58/60
> 
> I already have many guitars with 81/85, and 57/66 I want something new. Thick, tight and good for leads with good neck cleans. Any opinions ?


Het Set or 57/66!


----------



## Decapitated

CapinCripes said:


> How's the 85 in the bridge really? I know some people prefer it because it's fuller but is it too loose if you want to really start some tight rhythms?


I switched an 81 out for an 85 in my Urban Camo M-II. I have no complaints.


----------



## kerryymm

Hoss632 said:


> So you got the flat black ones with the roasted neck and board? How is the build quality? I've been eying them as a much cheaper alternative to getting a Charvel.


Yep, that’s the one. Build quality is excellent, no complaints at all. Mine’s a b-stock so the tone pot is a bit loose, but it still works - and I don’t use it anyway, so it’s all good. It’s a really nice-feeling neck. Different to my Charvel, but really comfortable.


----------



## Mathemagician

Aliascent said:


> So I bought a 84 Explorer that was converted to passives, which are okay but not the best for metal.
> So I'm thinking of putting EMG in it, just undecided on which set (guitar will be used in standard to play everything from thrash (Vektor/Coroner) to jazz):
> 
> 85/60
> 85/85
> Fat 55
> 58/60
> 
> I already have many guitars with 81/85, and 57/66 I want something new. Thick, tight and good for leads with good neck cleans. Any opinions ?



It’s sounds like you’re describing the ‘ole faithful 81 bridge/60 neck setup. 

So obviously you should get a set of $500 passives instead. (J/k)


----------



## Hoss632

Aliascent said:


> So I bought a 84 Explorer that was converted to passives, which are okay but not the best for metal.
> So I'm thinking of putting EMG in it, just undecided on which set (guitar will be used in standard to play everything from thrash (Vektor/Coroner) to jazz):
> 
> 85/60
> 85/85
> Fat 55
> 58/60
> 
> I already have many guitars with 81/85, and 57/66 I want something new. Thick, tight and good for leads with good neck cleans. Any opinions ?


Het set or any of the retro active sets could be worth a try.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

85 or 58 in the bridge, 60A in the neck.


----------



## TheBloodstained

EMGs - and active pickups in general - was the thing to have when I started playing. I like EMGs and the tones they make. I eventually outfitted on of my guitars with Seymour Duncan Blackouts, and started preferring the sound of those.
However, ever since I started recording demos at home I just found it difficult to get good guitar sounds with active pickups and switched to passives, which worked better for me. I still play and record with actives from time to time, but I prefer passives. I'm currently waiting for a Lundgren equipped guitar and am very much looking forward to what those kind of pickups has to offer.


----------



## maxrossell

I've gone back to Ibanez lately and I wanted to check out the Bare Knuckle hype, I had an RG921 with some Juggernauts in which to be honest I didn't like at all, and then I had a set of Warpigs which I put into another RG921 which are really nice, but I have a pair of RGIF7s which come stock with EMG 808Xs in and although they don't have as "natural" a tone or feel as the Warpigs they are less bassy and have that kind of mid-forward aggression I look for because I play in drop A.

I find the Warpigs are still better for lead tones because they have a bit of nice harmonic fatness that gives the guitar sound a bit more body in the mix, but overall I don't play much lead so I mostly use the RGIF7s with the EMGs in with my band.

I used to be a bit snobby about actives but then I used to be a bit snobby generally. The 808Xs aren't perfect but they're among the better pickups I've used.


----------



## Neon_Knight_

I've got my eye on some used 7-string RGs equipped with EMGs. 

I have absolutely zero experience of 7-string EMG models. My experience of 6-string EMGs is limited to the 81/60 set (in a mahogany Ibanez ARZ or ART - not my guitar). I'm guessing the EMG 81-7 doesn't sound the same as the standard 6-string 81. My favourite 6-string pickup set is currently DiMarzio D Activators. 

Which 7-string EMG model(s) am I likley to prefer? Am I likely to find the treble too rounded / rolled off with EMG 707s?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

The ERG EMGs sound pretty close to the 6 strings. If anything they're maybe a LITTLE bit less hot.


----------



## Neon_Knight_

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The ERG EMGs sound pretty close to the 6 strings. If anything they're maybe a LITTLE bit less hot.


I've heard it said that 707s sound like 85s, but I'm guessing that's not entirely true considering there is an 85-7 set.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Neon_Knight_ said:


> I've heard it said that 707s sound like 85s, but I'm guessing that's not entirely true considering there is an 85-7 set.


The 707 is more scooped. Has a big bass and a very twangy high end. Probably because the 707 is a modified EMG 35DC bass pickup, which sounds a lot like a Music Man Stingray pickup (IE: very scooped and very bright). You're gonna have the exact opposite of a rolled off high end.

The 85 is a lot different. A lot more midrange, a more relaxed high end.


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

I'm contemplating pulling the M6/Cold Sweat combo in an ESP Horizon and swapping in some EMGs. Guitar is exclusively tuned to drop C. Current thoughts:

89XR / 60AX
ALX / 58X
Het set

Suggestions? I'll almost certainly be adding an SPC or RPC and likely a 24v setup.


----------



## Isaiah04

Me personally, EMGs are fun to play around with, but kind of stunted my playing technique a bit since the active compression made my picking attack less consistent. Going back to practicing with passives made me build up better habits overall, but from time to time I'll mess around with EMGs


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Crash Dandicoot said:


> I'm contemplating pulling the M6/Cold Sweat combo in an ESP Horizon and swapping in some EMGs. Guitar is exclusively tuned to drop C. Current thoughts:
> 
> 89XR / 60AX
> ALX / 58X
> Het set
> 
> Suggestions? I'll almost certainly be adding an SPC or RPC and likely a 24v setup.


I don't think you can pair an ALX with a 58x.


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

@Spaced Out Ace Ah, the ALX is a passive. It's not impossible to run one active/one passive pickup in the same guitar but not something I'm looking to do. Thanks for the tip.

That leaves the Het set and 89XR / 60AX (or 58X now, I guess). I'm leaning more towards the latter.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Crash Dandicoot said:


> @Spaced Out Ace Ah, the ALX is a passive. It's not impossible to run one active/one passive pickup in the same guitar but not something I'm looking to do. Thanks for the tip.
> 
> That leaves the Het set and 89XR / 60AX (or 58X now, I guess). I'm leaning more towards the latter.


The H2N pairs well with the ALX pickup, which is apparently slightly different from the H2. That said, they balance well and sound awesome.

If you do go the ALX/H2N route, please remember this: Turn down the boost. WAY down. I think it comes preset to 50 or 70%. This is absurd and unnecessary.

If you are ruling it out, I say get the 58X bridge / 60AX neck. That said, don't stay committed to that setup. Either will sound good in the neck or the bridge.


----------



## Aliascent

After checking more reviews and clips, I've decided to try the 55 set in the end, if that doesn't work then it'll be 58/60a.

Anyway, I recently got my hands on an Ltd F350 that has dual 81s, and I had forgotten just how sweet a 81 in the neck is. Not as fluid/liquid as a 85 but fluid/liquid enough, and to me it "sings" better than the 85, too. Effortless, clean leads.


----------



## TornAnus

I've finally got the guitar going with the 85 in the bridge and I am loving the tone out of it. It's a keeper.

I also have it running on 18v so I have no idea what it would sound like in 9v.


----------



## Marked Man

CapinCripes said:


> How's the 85 in the bridge really? I know some people prefer it because it's fuller but is it too loose if you want to really start some tight rhythms?



The 85 sounds bigger/fuller than the 81, but takes the aggressive edge down a notch. This actually makes it a much better lead pickup and for certain kinds of rhythm playing. But thrash? No way, that's 81 all day for me! When I use 81s in Superstrats, the goal is a Slayeresque tone with ultimate clarity at speed. 

The 85 would be overkill in a Les Paul bridge IMO since that guitar already has a big, round sound naturally. The 81 is great is a Les Paul @ the bridge!


----------



## TornAnus

I bought an 81 from the emg b-stock store for $55, only problem with it is that it has the gold EMG logo which is supposed to be for the 85 only.


----------



## MASS DEFECT

TornAnus said:


> I bought an 81 from the emg b-stock store for $55, only problem with it is that it has the gold EMG logo which is supposed to be for the 85 only.


When you get very famous, the debate about whether your EMG pickup was a regular 85 or a "special sauce" 85 will be TGP legendary.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

TornAnus said:


> I bought an 81 from the emg b-stock store for $55, only problem with it is that it has the gold EMG logo which is supposed to be for the 85 only.


Perhaps that is why it is B stock.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

^Exactly what I was thinking.


----------



## lewis

I was tempted to get the P90 style actives but it seems they just simply put 81s, 85s or 60s inside a P90 housing. Meaning they sound no different to the regular versions ?
Shame.

Thought the P90 twang in my 30inch Bari could have been awesome.
Might aswell just buy the usual Dual 81s for it now then to save money


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

lewis said:


> I was tempted to get the P90 style actives but it seems they just simply put 81s, 85s or 60s inside a P90 housing. Meaning they sound no different to the regular versions ?
> Shame.
> 
> Thought the P90 twang in my 30inch Bari could have been awesome.
> Might aswell just buy the usual Dual 81s for it now then to save money


If you want an active P90 and not just a typical 81 or 85 in a P90 housing, perhaps the following is an active alternative for you. Seymour Duncan has a P90 stack for hum cancellation, that you may consider pairing with their standalone Blackout preamp (if they still sell it, or check Reverb). This way you get the true voicing without the hum and the active output.


----------



## TornAnus

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Perhaps that is why it is B stock.


Yes thats correct but I could not care less which color is printed on it.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

TornAnus said:


> Yes thats correct but I could not care less which color is printed on it.


Ah, I thought perhaps you meant that you were under the impression you got an 85 instead. My apologies if I came off snarky or rude.


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

I can see it now...

*Ultra rare 85/81 hybrid ONE IN EXISTENCE* $460 obo


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I like how it's been 6 years, yet there's barely any decent demos of the MF, DMF, and Revelations sets.


----------



## Mathemagician

Mother Fu——
Deadly Mother Fu——
??


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Orrrrr Marty Friedman
Dirty Middle Finger


----------



## lewis

Anyone happen to have ever used an 81 in a 30inch Baritone? (im tuned to Drop C#1)
Ive got a thomann basket filled with EMG stuff ready to order end of this month, and I figured whilst I was waiting I would see if anyones done this? (x2 81s, RPC knob, black toggle switch)
Extra brownie points if anyone has ever paired an RPC with an 81 in an 30inch baritone too!

cheers


----------



## Hoss632

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I like how it's been 6 years, yet there's barely any decent demos of the MF, DMF, and Revelations sets.


That's surprised me as well. From the clips I have heard the Revelation set is REALLY under rated.


----------



## lewis

Anyone ever tried an HA with an afterburner? (Or just HA in baritone?) 
Thinking about just going full crazy twang Single Coil Alnico (in humbucker casing) and boosting its output with afterburner


----------



## Endnote

lewis said:


> Anyone happen to have ever used an 81 in a 30inch Baritone? (im tuned to Drop C#1)
> Ive got a thomann basket filled with EMG stuff ready to order end of this month, and I figured whilst I was waiting I would see if anyones done this? (x2 81s, RPC knob, black toggle switch)
> Extra brownie points if anyone has ever paired an RPC with an 81 in an 30inch baritone too!
> 
> cheers


I had an 81 in one of my Warmoth Strats with a Baritone 28.625 neck. It was tuned F#F♯-B-E-G♯-C♯ liked the band Isis. Unsurprisingly sounded massive and tight, and like you I can't get enough of the 81. Didn't have much use for that tuning though, except for learning those Isis songs, so I ended up selling the neck and trying something else. It was just the 81 and a volume knob, no extras.


----------



## lewis

After much deliberation, I finally went with 85 + RPC knob for my Bari project.

Been seriously missing Alnico magnets in bridge so that's what tipped it. The RPC to add extra twang and tightness should I deem the 85 a tad too warm

Edit: I will be doing 24v mod too


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> After much deliberation, I finally went with 85 + RPC knob for my Bari project.
> 
> Been seriously missing Alnico magnets in bridge so that's what tipped it. The RPC to add extra twang and tightness should I deem the 85 a tad too warm
> 
> Edit: I will be doing 24v mod too


Cool! The 85 plus RPC seems like it would be very versatile. You can get the tone razor sharp when needed or big and burly when not, plus everywhere in between.

The 24v mod is great for those who can't fit two 9v batteries or have a cramped space and even a single 9v is a bit much.


----------



## lewis

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Cool! The 85 plus RPC seems like it would be very versatile. You can get the tone razor sharp when needed or big and burly when not, plus everywhere in between.
> 
> The 24v mod is great for those who can't fit two 9v batteries or have a cramped space and even a single 9v is a bit much.


Exactly what I had in mind.

Issue with the RPC is it seems its limit is 18v so I'm going to have to try and route for dual stacked 9vs instead lol


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> Exactly what I had in mind.
> 
> Issue with the RPC is it seems its limit is 18v so I'm going to have to try and route for dual stacked 9vs instead lol


According to Alex Miletich, he says all of the EMG stuff can run at 27v. We were kind of more specifically discussing pickups, but also the DG20. So, I think, the RPC should work. Email him and see to be certain. Message me and I'll give his email to you.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

Any of you try a 66 in the bridge?

I know EMG says they made it specifically for the neck, but just wanted to know if anyone has tried one in the bridge and if so, how it sounded.


----------



## lewis

Kyle Jordan said:


> Any of you try a 66 in the bridge?
> 
> I know EMG says they made it specifically for the neck, but just wanted to know if anyone has tried one in the bridge and if so, how it sounded.


That's another interesting shout.
I've seen their 58 too which is apparently a P90 in humbucker casing?

Both these could be interesting.
Is the 66 Alnico with steel poles like the 57 ?


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

@lewis The SPC circuits run fine at 24v, can't imagine why the RPC would be any different?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


> That's another interesting shout.
> I've seen their 58 too which is apparently a P90 in humbucker casing?


Wasn't my experience. Still very humbuckery. It was maybe more loose, twangy, and lower output than the 85 but I didn't feel like I was playing a P90 or any kind of single coil. It was inbetween an 85 and 85X.


----------



## lewis

Crash Dandicoot said:


> @lewis The SPC circuits run fine at 24v, can't imagine why the RPC would be any different?


I was going off this from their official documents for SPC and RPC -





So I don't know haha? I'm probably misunderstanding what I'm reading


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> I was going off this from their official documents for SPC and RPC -
> 
> View attachment 116299
> 
> 
> 
> So I don't know haha? I'm probably misunderstanding what I'm reading


You could get Alex's email from me and ask him yourself...


----------



## lewis

Pm incoming 


Spaced Out Ace said:


> You could get Alex's email from me and ask him yourself...


----------



## Takk

lewis said:


> That's another interesting shout.
> I've seen their 58 too which is apparently a P90 in humbucker casing?



Founder of EMG says that the 58 is just an 81 with Alnico magnet.


----------



## lewis

Takk said:


> Founder of EMG says that the 58 is just an 81 with Alnico magnet.



but was that just about the 70s OG version of the 58?
Or does it still apply to todays re-issue versions?
Because no tone demo of the new 58 sound like an Alnico 81
I assume an 85 is an 81 with alnico?


----------



## Excruciator

The 85 doesn't have a steel core, the 58 and 81 both do, hence the 58 being a bit darker than the 85, and closer to the 81 in construction. I would take it with a pinch of salt that the 58 is anything like a P90, it's probably about as close as the 57/66 are to being like a PAF.


----------



## lewis

Alex has confirmed the official documents are out of date.
They've upgraded everything to support 24v now - RPC and SPC included.

We are back on as planned then!!


----------



## Kyle Jordan

lewis said:


> Alex has confirmed the official documents are out of date.
> They've upgraded everything to support 24v now - RPC and SPC included.
> 
> We are back on as planned then!!


This is PHENOMENAL news! I wish I would have known this when I purchased my Aristides since the RPC was very high on my want list, but I wanted to be able to run 24v.


----------



## Mathemagician

So are EMG’s 24v by default now? I’ve missed a lot. If I buy an 81 does it still slam the midrange?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Mathemagician said:


> So are EMG’s 24v by default now? I’ve missed a lot. If I buy an 81 does it still slam the midrange?


They can handle up to 27v.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Well I got a 2nd Cabronita BariTele coming in because I love finding cheap used guitars  Plus EMG Direct was selling an EMG P91 so I decided to grab it as well and give it a shot. Gonna tune this baby down to B.
I wish they had more variety with the passive P90s. It's literally just two pickups.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

Kyle Jordan said:


> Any of you try a 66 in the bridge?
> 
> I know EMG says they made it specifically for the neck, but just wanted to know if anyone has tried one in the bridge and if so, how it sounded.



I should check YouTube before I ask random questions. Just found this:



I dig it enough to put it on the list of things to try.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Kyle Jordan said:


> I should check YouTube before I ask random questions. Just found this:
> 
> 
> 
> I dig it enough to put it on the list of things to try.



Reminds me of when I tried the 60 in the neck. Looser bass, more scooped mids, and a hi-fi snappiness in the high end compared to it's counterpart.


----------



## pahulkster

Still have a kill switch I need to put in my Rhoads with a Het Set. Standard Tesi push button with the led. That guitar uses the EMG strat switch that replaces the regular buss system and I had to splice all the wiring to get everything to fit so it's a slightly different setup than most. Just have to figure out the routing to get the switch powered and everything flowing right.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Just put the P91 in my Cabronita and yeah, it's pretty cool. Very growly. Got a DiMarzio DLX Plus Neck coming to see how it compares.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Pretty much sounds like an EMG HZ H4 as described.  Kinda reminds me of a less aggressive Duncan Custom SH-5, which I got in another guitar.


----------



## Bg999

I’m tempted to try 57/66 in my mahogany ibanez rg4570z. But I read a post on duncan forum that EMG had to change their op-amp around 2018-2019 and the newer 57/66 sound much brighter, is that really the case? It’s between the 57/66, blackout or passives for me. I plan to make this guitar my dedicated drop C gear.


----------



## lewis

OK so I've worked out I just prefer the RPC on max at all times like a set and forget.
And seeing as I also want an TKO kill switch on the guitar, I'm probably going to hide the RPC knob inside the guitar, under the pickguard on at all times - then use a Killswitch in its place next to the volume knob


----------



## Zhysick

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Pretty much sounds like an EMG HZ H4 as described.  Kinda reminds me of a less aggressive Duncan Custom SH-5, which I got in another guitar.




That sounds pretty good. Nice growl but with top end clarity. The plain strings ring nicely there. When you listen to the audio is hard to imagine a Cabronita in seafoam green making that sound and that is double awesome!


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Zhysick said:


> That sounds pretty good. Nice growl but with top end clarity. The plain strings ring nicely there. When you listen to the audio is hard to imagine a Cabronita in seafoam green making that sound and that is double awesome!


This is actually a sunburst one, which is still awesome.  I have two now; the Seafoam one in A (or drop G#) loaded with a Dimebucker and this one tuned to B (or drop A) loaded with the EMG P91.


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> This is actually a sunburst one, which is still awesome.  I have two now; the Seafoam one in A (or drop G#) loaded with a Dimebucker and this one tuned to B (or drop A) loaded with the EMG P91.


What do you think works better for lower tunings ?
Emgs or Dimebucker?


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

lewis said:


> OK so I've worked out I just prefer the RPC on max at all times like a set and forget.
> And seeing as I also want an TKO kill switch on the guitar, I'm probably going to hide the RPC knob inside the guitar, under the pickguard on at all times - then use a Killswitch in its place next to the volume knob



That's real secret sauce stuff, right there. Hidden knobs underneath the pickguard!


----------



## Spinedriver

Spaced Out Ace said:


> They can handle up to 27v.



I remember back in the day, to do the '18v mod' you just had to wire in another connetctor so you could put in another 9v battery. How does a 24v mod work ?? What kind of battery pack and/or connectors would replace the standard 9v ?


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


> What do you think works better for lower tunings ?
> Emgs or Dimebucker?


The brighter, more high-middy sound of the Dimebucker gives it a slight edge over the P91 for lower tunings imo. Helps with the clarity, as you can hear here. The P91 has a more growly, grunty sound, the Dimebucker is more cutting.

EMG P91 is first, Dimebucker is 2nd

**


----------



## lewis

Spinedriver said:


> I remember back in the day, to do the '18v mod' you just had to wire in another connetctor so you could put in another 9v battery. How does a 24v mod work ?? What kind of battery pack and/or connectors would replace the standard 9v ?


This and they're TINY
Way smaller than a single 9v which is really handy -


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

@Spinedriver You can order one here, though I've made all mine myself for next to nothing. It's a dual 12v system - less about increased voltage and more about how much room you save, as a dual 12v housing is approximately the same size as a regular 9v battery.


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The brighter, more high-middy sound of the Dimebucker gives it a slight edge over the P91 for lower tunings imo. Helps with the clarity, as you can hear here. The P91 has a more growly, grunty sound, the Dimebucker is more cutting.
> 
> EMG P91 is first, Dimebucker is 2nd
> 
> **



They both sound fantastic for different reasons.
Damn.

I really MUST get another Baritone and go full dimebucker passive setup in it.


----------



## Spinedriver

@lewis @Crash Dandicoot Thanks for the info, lads. I currently have 3 guitars w/ EMGs, so this could be a cool little experiment.


----------



## lewis

Crash Dandicoot said:


> @Spinedriver You can order one here, though I've made all mine myself for next to nothing. It's a dual 12v system - less about increased voltage and more about how much room you save, as a dual 12v housing is approximately the same size as a regular 9v battery.


You say that but I just took delivery of the one in the picture and its noticeably smaller than a 9v


----------



## Crash Dandicoot

@lewis The ones I made for my guitars are a bit larger using off the shelf housings, so that's my experience. I tried to source those specific battery holders but to no avail. Considering they still fit in a quick change 9v holder and I've made > 10 packs with varying types of harnesses for less than $20 CAD, I think it's a suitable trade-off.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

lewis said:


> They both sound fantastic for different reasons.
> Damn.
> 
> I really MUST get another Baritone and go full dimebucker passive setup in it.


I ordered a 2nd dimebucker to put in this guitar, but I think I may keep the P91 in it because it sounds perfect for B standard. I'm just gonna put it in another guitar that needs to be brightened up lol


----------



## Zhysick

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The brighter, more high-middy sound of the Dimebucker gives it a slight edge over the P91 for lower tunings imo. Helps with the clarity, as you can hear here. The P91 has a more growly, grunty sound, the Dimebucker is more cutting.
> 
> EMG P91 is first, Dimebucker is 2nd
> 
> **



P91 still sounds best to me. I really like how it sounds. The Dimebucker, for me, sounds a bit more "generic djent" sound, nothing special about it. P91 sounds a bit more... interesting, different, but really nice.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Zhysick said:


> P91 still sounds best to me. I really like how it sounds. The Dimebucker, for me, sounds a bit more "generic djent" sound, nothing special about it. P91 sounds a bit more... interesting, different, but really nice.


Like I said earlier, the P91/H4 reminds me of a less aggressive Duncan SH-5 Custom. Got the same mid-high output, big (but still pretty tight) bass, scooped mids, but the high end isn't *as* aggressive but still has some rudeness. Compared to the Dimebucker which has more output and a LOT more high mids, but in a djenty way as you said.


----------



## zjb7777

Anyone here with experience with the Jim Root Daemonum set? Considering that set as I haven't tried it and only have experience with the 81, 85, 60 in bridge and neck positions and the 57/66 set, and I really like all of them, but I've been wanting to try something with a bit more open sound, and the JR set seems to be that, a more modern voiced retroactive. 

Also looking at the passive offerings too, they seem to have a less than favorable reputation, but who knows if the people who don't like them can even dial in a respectable tone?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Thinking of getting two EXGs and two SPCs for my Ltds. Only problem is I only have space for two controls and would need a volume pedal. Any ideas which I should get? I was looking at one of the Dunlop volume pedals, preferably the mini one.


----------



## lewis

zjb7777 said:


> Anyone here with experience with the Jim Root Daemonum set? Considering that set as I haven't tried it and only have experience with the 81, 85, 60 in bridge and neck positions and the 57/66 set, and I really like all of them, but I've been wanting to try something with a bit more open sound, and the JR set seems to be that, a more modern voiced retroactive.
> 
> Also looking at the passive offerings too, they seem to have a less than favorable reputation, but who knows if the people who don't like them can even dial in a respectable tone?


Think they're a darker, low mid version of the 81 from demos I've seen.


----------



## Kyle Jordan

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Thinking of getting two EXGs and two SPCs for my Ltds. Only problem is I only have space for two controls and would need a volume pedal. Any ideas which I should get? I was looking at one of the Dunlop volume pedals, preferably the mini one.



Damn. LTD kinda screws you over with that small cavity. Those both have 5 way switches? Are you using that to split the hum buckers or anything like that?

If not, you could wire up one of the switch positions as a kill switch basically. 

Or maybe a mini toggle would fit as a master kill on/off switch?


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Kyle Jordan said:


> Damn. LTD kinda screws you over with that small cavity. Those both have 5 way switches? Are you using that to split the hum buckers or anything like that?
> 
> If not, you could wire up one of the switch positions as a kill switch basically.
> 
> Or maybe a mini toggle would fit as a master kill on/off switch?


I'm using humbuckers with a 3 way switch. I don't think you can split the EMG H1A and H2A without some soldering and whatever else would be needed. 

I was contemplating sticking a volume pot on the Cavity plate on the back, which wouldn't be a bother while sitting. However, it would dig into my leg or hip while standing. The only alternative I can think of is a volume pedal while using those two guitars which are kind of on semi retirement/backup duties as they've been played a lot of twelve or so years.


----------



## narad

lewis said:


> Think they're a darker, low mid version of the 81 from demos I've seen.


That's exactly right. I installed the bridge in a horizon last week. More roar, less cut, had me adding a little bit of presence on the amp.


----------



## Hoss632

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> The brighter, more high-middy sound of the Dimebucker gives it a slight edge over the P91 for lower tunings imo. Helps with the clarity, as you can hear here. The P91 has a more growly, grunty sound, the Dimebucker is more cutting.
> 
> EMG P91 is first, Dimebucker is 2nd
> 
> **



I think I'd have to hear them in a mix as my ears hear the opposite. The p91 is much clearer and tight and more "mid rangey" while the dimebucker lacked the clarity, mainly on the low string chugs. Over all though both sounded good.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

The EXG and SPC sound great with the H1A and H2A. I have not tested my Morley Little Alligator to see if it replaces the volume pot for my two LTDs effectively, but I like them a lot regardless.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

...Kinda wanna check out the Revalations set.  Kinda hesitant because I have a history of not jiving with Alnico II pickups.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> ...Kinda wanna check out the Revalations set.  Kinda hesitant because I have a history of not jiving with Alnico II pickups.



I kind of want a set (maybe two) to try in my LTDs. Really enjoying the EMG H1A and H2A with the EXG and SPC. Really versatile and sounds killer.


----------



## vertibration

I ordered an 81 P90 for my modded baritone paranormal. I keep going back to EMG, just feels good to play


----------



## Hoss632

The Revelations set to me are the most versatile and musical of all the pick ups that EMG makes.


----------



## lewis

Hoss632 said:


> The Revelations set to me are the most versatile and musical of all the pick ups that EMG makes.


I want these in white for my daughters pink Ibanez haha


----------



## fabronaut

got an EMG 85 and 60 incoming. never owned any, looking forward to it. solderless will hopefully make the install that much lazier.

is there a default wiring / parts selection in every box? place I ordered from didn't say, and they didn't have separate harnesses listed on the site, I don't think.


----------



## lewis

fabronaut said:


> got an EMG 85 and 60 incoming. never owned any, looking forward to it. solderless will hopefully make the install that much lazier.
> 
> is there a default wiring / parts selection in every box? place I ordered from didn't say, and they didn't have separate harnesses listed on the site, I don't think.


You'll get everything except solderless toggle switch. They sell them but don't include those so you would need to buy one separately if you want to keep everything solderless.

All other pots and input Jack's are included.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

fabronaut said:


> got an EMG 85 and 60 incoming. never owned any, looking forward to it. solderless will hopefully make the install that much lazier.
> 
> is there a default wiring / parts selection in every box? place I ordered from didn't say, and they didn't have separate harnesses listed on the site, I don't think.


Should've been a 60A. Are they new?


----------



## gclef

While I haven't gone back to them, I just installed a set of 57/66TWs in my new warmoth build.

Bottom line is I really like them. They feel good under my hands.It's my first fully active setup too. I have only played with an active circuit with passive pickups (clapton setup). 
I love the volume and tone controls. The volume doesn't change tone, and the tone gets warm and jazzy without any mud.

The coil split makes them even better IMO. 

Oh, and the solderless connection system is tits. Super easy to do. When I wired everything up, the bridge and neck positions were reversed. A simple wire swap was all that was needed. No resoldering. Sweet!

A few questions:

What are the recommended heights for these things?

Can someone explain the whole compression thing? I hear precision and clarity. Is the compression a facet of the higher output driving the amp input harder? I mean, I kinda hear it, maybe? But without tone loss, I drop the volume to 7 or 8 and whatever it is, disappears.

Overall, I am very impressed with my EMGs. I wish I would have tried them sooner.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

gclef said:


> While I haven't gone back to them, I just installed a set of 57/66TWs in my new warmoth build.
> 
> Bottom line is I really like them. They feel good under my hands.It's my first fully active setup too. I have only played with an active circuit with passive pickups (clapton setup).
> I love the volume and tone controls. The volume doesn't change tone, and the tone gets warm and jazzy without any mud.
> 
> The coil split makes them even better IMO.
> 
> Oh, and the solderless connection system is tits. Super easy to do. When I wired everything up, the bridge and neck positions were reversed. A simple wire swap was all that was needed. No resoldering. Sweet!
> 
> A few questions:
> 
> What are the recommended heights for these things?
> 
> Can someone explain the whole compression thing? I hear precision and clarity. Is the compression a facet of the higher output driving the amp input harder? I mean, I kinda hear it, maybe? But without tone loss, I drop the volume to 7 or 8 and whatever it is, disappears.
> 
> Overall, I am very impressed with my EMGs. I wish I would have tried them sooner.


I set them height wise similar to what I would set a pair of Gibson humbuckers. Look up online what the recommended height is. Then I play around with them a bit, usually lowering them a quarter to half a turn with a screwdriver, though not always.

The compression is coming from the active preamp in the pickup. If you don't want the compression, either raise the voltage to 18 or 24 volts, or back off on the volume. 7-8 for chord work typically is good, then turn it up to 10 for solos.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Just looked it up. It says 1/16th for the bridge and 3/32nds for the neck. I do about 3-4/32nds for both and move slightly up or down from there. This measurement is based on fretting the last fret on your guitar and the under part of the string.


----------



## gclef

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I set them height wise similar to what I would set a pair of Gibson humbuckers. Look up online what the recommended height is. Then I play around with them a bit, usually lowering them a quarter to half a turn with a screwdriver, though not always.
> 
> The compression is coming from the active preamp in the pickup. If you don't want the compression, either raise the voltage to 18 or 24 volts, or back off on the volume. 7-8 for chord work typically is good, then turn it up to 10 for solos.


I have them set somewhere between 2 and 3mm when the strings are pressed at the top fret.

*Re: compression: the thing is don't really hear any compression. I think the x series preamps eliminate the old school compression. I do hear perhaps a little bandwidth compression. As if the high high end is not there. That's not a bad thing to me. It makes them appear smoother playing?

am I off base there?*


----------



## Screamingdaisy

gclef said:


> I have them set somewhere between 2 and 3mm when the strings are pressed at the top fret.
> 
> *Re: compression: the thing is don't really hear any compression. I think the x series preamps eliminate the old school compression. I do hear perhaps a little bandwidth compression. As if the high high end is not there. That's not a bad thing to me. It makes them appear smoother playing?
> 
> am I off base there?*



The compression will depend on how heavy your attack is. If you have a moderate touch you'll never run out of headroom. If you're beating the strings like they owe you money you'll notice it more.

To put it another way, with passives, the harder you hit the strings the louder they get. With EMGs, you'll find there's a point where hitting them harder doesn't make them any louder, that's the point where they're compressing.


----------



## gclef

Screamingdaisy said:


> The compression will depend on how heavy your attack is. If you have a moderate touch you'll never run out of headroom. If you're beating the strings like they owe you money you'll notice it more.
> 
> To put it another way, with passives, the harder you hit the strings the louder they get. With EMGs, you'll find there's a point where hitting them harder doesn't make them any louder, that's the point where they're compressing.


Now THAT makes some sense. So the compression is in the circuit, the way it hits the amp, or both? 

Probably why the feel a bit smoother?

Does dropping the guitar volume somewhat negate the compression?


----------



## Screamingdaisy

gclef said:


> Now THAT makes some sense. So the compression is in the circuit, the way it hits the amp, or both?
> 
> Probably why the feel a bit smoother?
> 
> Does dropping the guitar volume somewhat negate the compression?


The compression is in the preamp.

I think the smoothness is a mix of compression and frequency response, but that's just a guess/not scientific.

I don't think dropping the guitar volume lowers compression as I'm pretty sure it attenuates the volume after the preamp.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

Rolling the volume back is after the effects of the string vibrations hitting the magnetic field, so compression inside the pickup as a function of inductance is unaffected by a volume rolloff. What is affected by a volume rollof is how whatever that volume happens to be hits the front end of your amp, or your "pre" effects prior to the amp. The compression within the pickup, prior to the pickup itself hitting the housed preamp is a function of VCA ("Voltage Controlled Amplification") which is more synonymously referenced with synthesizer filters, but it applies to this as well. Compression is the affect of the strings vibration hitting the sensing of the pickup based upon how many winds on the coil, the type of magnet used, the gauss strength of that magnet and the balance of all of these elements working with one another to provide the sound/tone of the pickup. Changing only one element or another may not yield obviously noticeable artifacts where changing multiple most certainly will.


----------



## NoodleFace

My EMG81-7X in my Kiesel is just the least ballsy pickup I've ever had. It feels super weak to play through. Would a regular 81-7 be better? Or should I just rip the actives out and go all passive.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

NoodleFace said:


> My EMG81-7X in my Kiesel is just the least ballsy pickup I've ever had. It feels super weak to play through. Would a regular 81-7 be better? Or should I just rip the actives out and go all passive.


What do you mean by least ballsy? What is lacking? Low mids, gain, etc.


----------



## NoodleFace

Spaced Out Ace said:


> What do you mean by least ballsy? What is lacking? Low mids, gain, etc.


Tough to describe, I'm terrible with that shit. Definitely lacking gain, low mids, and feels SUPER sterile sounding. My fishmans sound infinitely more aggressive. 

I'm a passive man, but my old emg81s in my 6 strings had more life that this 81-7x


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

I wasn't a fan of the 81X. Much prefer the standard 81. I have noted the 81-7 seems to have slightly less output than the 81 6 string. 
Oddly the 81-8 doesn't have that issue?


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

I think the 81 excels best when tuned down a step or more.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

NoodleFace said:


> Tough to describe, I'm terrible with that shit. Definitely lacking gain, low mids, and feels SUPER sterile sounding. My fishmans sound infinitely more aggressive.
> 
> I'm a passive man, but my old emg81s in my 6 strings had more life that this 81-7x


The 81-7 would work better, I assume.


----------



## NoodleFace

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> I think the 81 excels best when tuned down a step or more.


I actually tune down a step. Maybe ill try an 81-7 since they're cheap. Coincidentally I love the sa-7 that's installed


----------



## lewis

NoodleFace said:


> My EMG81-7X in my Kiesel is just the least ballsy pickup I've ever had. It feels super weak to play through. Would a regular 81-7 be better? Or should I just rip the actives out and go all passive.


the X preamp versions are definitely "thinner" sounding and do have a hair less gain on tap BUT not to the point that in an 7 string it should sound like the least ballsy pickup ever.
The fishman moderns are even thinner, tighter and more hifi by some margin and a shit tonne of players are using those no problem.
Sounds to me like something in the wiring is interrupting the signal? Check everything over including a new battery and see if that sorts it. Could be a shit solder joint somewhere


----------



## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I wasn't a fan of the 81X. Much prefer the standard 81. *I have noted the 81-7 seems to have slightly less output than the 81 6 string*.
> Oddly the 81-8 doesn't have that issue?



TIME FOR THE EMG AFTERBURNER!!!


----------



## NoodleFace

lewis said:


> the X preamp versions are definitely "thinner" sounding and do have a hair less gain on tap BUT not to the point that in an 7 string it should sound like the least ballsy pickup ever.
> The fishman moderns are even thinner, tighter and more hifi by some margin and a shit tonne of players are using those no problem.
> Sounds to me like something in the wiring is interrupting the signal? Check everything over including a new battery and see if that sorts it. Could be a shit solder joint somewhere


I'll run through the wiring again for sure. It's a pretty simple circuit because it's the two EMGs and a single volume pot. The fishman's sound massive compared to it. Maybe I'll record something later.


----------



## Seabeast2000

EMG's Reverb outlet is a blessing and possibly a curse.

Weehaw! I made me an impulse purchase.

Just ordered a Het Set in brushed gold. Not sure where they are going to go, might need that ESP EC 1000 Baritone after all. But I always have my Hot Topic Hellraiser V-1 as well.


----------



## Wiltonauer

No, indeed. EMG keeps coming back to _me._


----------



## fabronaut

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Should've been a 60A. Are they new?


it's a 60, was sold individually and not as a set. got it from a big retailer up here, sealed.

has a grey logo on it which matches the description in the printed instructions and label on the bottom.


Seabeast2000 said:


> EMG's Reverb outlet is a blessing and possibly a curse.


only reason I haven't ordered at least half a dozen pickups from there is that they only ship in continental USA, looks like?
gonna have to hit up some buddies and get them to put together a bunch of stuff to flip over the border eventually


----------



## slavboi_delight

Just traded my Ibby 7 for an EC-401 from 2014 korean made. EMG 81/60 loaded and fuck me sideways, everytime i try those EMG's they blow me away every time haha. I don't get it man


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Bought two EMG HZ S1 single coils and two EMG HZ S2 single coils. The S1 is supposed to be hotter, so I'm pairing them with an H1A-B. The S2 is not as hot and closer to a Stratocaster single coil, so I'm pairing it with an H2A-B. This way, I can have my six guitars set up as four active, two passive or two active, four passive. For now, I'll have them as two active, four passive until I get bored.


----------



## slavboi_delight

Might need some help here.

In europe it is nearly impossible to get an HA or H for the neck.
And i'd like a neck pickup which is a little more grainy and more single coil sounding than the 60.
Could the 66 do the trick?
I barely compared the 60 and the 66.
Nor the 60A, which i've never tried before.


----------



## Hoss632

slavboi_delight said:


> Might need some help here.
> 
> In europe it is nearly impossible to get an HA or H for the neck.
> And i'd like a neck pickup which is a little more grainy and more single coil sounding than the 60.
> Could the 66 do the trick?
> I barely compared the 60 and the 66.
> Nor the 60A, which i've never tried before.


Neither will have a single coil like sound. 66 will be hotter (it's EMG's best neck humbucker IMO) and the 60A will just be a warmer sounding version of the 60. Only thing I could think of is if a TW version of the 66 is easier for you to get which has a push pull tone for a split coil sound. But those pick ups are thicker so might need to make sure you don't have the modify the guitar to fit one.


----------



## Hoss632

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> I think the 81 excels best when tuned down a step or more.


100% agree. My old guitar was a classic 81/85 combo. I found anything in D to Drop C I loved the 85. Was not a big fan of either one in standard or Eb personally. I found the 81 started to really shine in Drop C and down. Though I only went as far as B. I loved it in those tunings. Even tried it in Open C one time and surprisingly ringing out big 6 strings chords sounded great.


----------



## lewis

slavboi_delight said:


> Might need some help here.
> 
> In europe it is nearly impossible to get an HA or H for the neck.
> And i'd like a neck pickup which is a little more grainy and more single coil sounding than the 60.
> Could the 66 do the trick?
> I barely compared the 60 and the 66.
> Nor the 60A, which i've never tried before.


I ordered my EMG H from "Dont tell the wife" via his ebay store. Turned up from the USA really fast and without needing any additional import taxes. Well impressed


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

lewis said:


> I ordered my EMG H from "Dont tell the wife" via his ebay store. Turned up from the USA really fast and without needing any additional import taxes. Well impressed


Every time I order from DTTW, he messages me things about what I've ordered. "Don't forget about this while wiring it up, or this and that." 

I find it a bit funny, as I'm pretty knowledgeable about wiring up EMGs and controls, but I appreciate the extra steps.


----------



## Coryd

Just picked up an upgraded Squier Jim Root Tele with a set of EMG Daemenums. I’m really digging them so far! To my ears they sound a bit bigger than the 81 that I’m used to. I mainly play a Dimarzio Dominion in my main guitar but man EMGs hit so much harder than the Dominion does! I’m really thinking of going back to EMGs. 

I snagged a set of 81/85 from a buddy and probably gonna drop them in a guitar for some comparing to the Root set.


----------



## slavboi_delight

I remember the 66 being really really good


Hoss632 said:


> Neither will have a single coil like sound. 66 will be hotter (it's EMG's best neck humbucker IMO) and the 60A will just be a warmer sounding version of the 60. Only thing I could think of is if a TW version of the 66 is easier for you to get which has a push pull tone for a split coil sound. But those pick ups are thicker so might need to make sure you don't have the modify the guitar to fit one.


----------



## gclef

lewis said:


> I ordered my EMG H from "Dont tell the wife" via his ebay store. Turned up from the USA really fast and without needing any additional import taxes. Well impressed


Same here, though thru reverb. Pretty cool dude with a good relationship with emg. See below



Spaced Out Ace said:


> Every time I order from DTTW, he messages me things about what I've ordered. "Don't forget about this while wiring it up, or this and that."
> 
> I find it a bit funny, as I'm pretty knowledgeable about wiring up EMGs and controls, but I appreciate the extra steps.


Apparently, I ordered a weird combo of f spaced 57/66tws with long shaft push pulls that needed to be special ordered. He got them to me in about 2 weeks. Not bad.

He was super helpful throughout the whole process. 

Oh, and I chose the fender instrument cable tag along with mine. Lol. Good cable!

Good dude. My next set will be thru him as well.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

Just got an SV set via EMG’s reverb outlet for $135 shipped. They just arrived and look fantastic.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> Just got an SV set via EMG’s reverb outlet for $135 shipped. They just arrived and look fantastic.


I have two SS sets (as I plan to put them in an HSS pickguard) of S1 and S2 single coils and they look great. Unfortunately, the length of 5 pin quick connect cables I ordered from EMG are not usable, so I had to order more. I ordered them, but they were too long. So I have them as back ups for my LTDs. Still, it was frustrating -- especially for someone who is stressed -- so it kind of sucked.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

GFS cables work, they have multiple lengths available at a fraction of the cost of EMGs. I have them in loads of guitars.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> GFS cables work, they have multiple lengths available at a fraction of the cost of EMGs. I have them in loads of guitars.


I thought the pin outs were different? Plus I am using passive EMGs, not active.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I thought the pin outs were different? Plus I am using passive EMGs, not active.


Swap the black and white on the switch and it’s back in phase.


----------



## Emperoff

slavboi_delight said:


> Might need some help here.
> 
> In europe it is nearly impossible to get an HA or H for the neck.
> And i'd like a neck pickup which is a little more grainy and more single coil sounding than the 60.
> Could the 66 do the trick?
> I barely compared the 60 and the 66.
> Nor the 60A, which i've never tried before.



What about a 89? The single coil tones are fantastic. Just remember to get the "R" (reverse) version.

The 66 is nothing like the 60. If you like single coil-esque tones, you won't like it. It's super full and fat. The 89 in single coil mode is very close to the SA.

Add a 18v mod and you get Gilmour Pulse-era tones with ease.


----------



## TonyFlyingSquirrel

I actually prefer the 66 over the 60.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Emperoff said:


> What about a 89? The single coil tones are fantastic. Just remember to get the "R" (reverse) version.
> 
> The 66 is nothing like the 60. If you like single coil-esque tones, you won't like it. It's super full and fat. The 89 in single coil mode is very close to the SA.
> 
> Add a 18v mod and you get Gilmour Pulse-era tones with ease.


18v mod with either the SLV or SA and EXG+SPC controls is a very versatile setup. You get a lot of tonal variations. Back off the controls and roll the volume back to 7-8 for mellower stuff, or roll in some EXG+SPC with the volume on 10 for some heavy rock stuff.


----------



## slavboi_delight

Emperoff said:


> What about a 89? The single coil tones are fantastic. Just remember to get the "R" (reverse) version.
> 
> The 66 is nothing like the 60. If you like single coil-esque tones, you won't like it. It's super full and fat. The 89 in single coil mode is very close to the SA.
> 
> Add a 18v mod and you get Gilmour Pulse-era tones with ease.


I used the 89 before, i just did not want to rewire everything again.
Man i am still waiting on the 60tw, or even better a 60a tw.


----------



## slavboi_delight

I would LOVE the 81/HA combo. 
And since you all are raving about the emg accessoires i'd add that instead of a tone control. 
Man i started loving tone controls recently. First time using them since i don't know 10 years maybe?


----------



## Endnote

I have a Warmoth I recently put together that has the EMG 81/S combo and the difference in output is substantial. I ended up putting in an SLV single that I had, and the same was there. I wish EMG singles had a jumper like the Seymour Blackout Singles for higher output. I'll probably end up going that rout in the interim but we'll see if I change the bridge pickup to SD at all. Not a fan of mixing pickup manufacturers, but sometimes it's gotta happen.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Endnote said:


> I have a Warmoth I recently put together that has the EMG 81/S combo and the difference in output is substantial. I ended up putting in an SLV single that I had, and the same was there. I wish EMG singles had a jumper like the Seymour Blackout Singles for higher output. I'll probably end up going that rout in the interim but we'll see if I change the bridge pickup to SD at all. Not a fan of mixing pickup manufacturers, but sometimes it's gotta happen.


I find they are more even in terms of volume if I set the humbucker at 4-5/32nds, while the single coil is about 3/32nds. This way, the volume should be closer. There will obviously be a difference in the amount of gain, typical when it comes to humbuckers vs single coils.


----------



## Endnote

Spaced Out Ace said:


> I find they are more even in terms of volume if I set the humbucker at 4-5/32nds, while the single coil is about 3/32nds. This way, the volume should be closer. There will obviously be a difference in the amount of gain, typical when it comes to humbuckers vs single coils.


Very true Spaced, I did some height adjustments before I made my earlier post and was still frustrated because while the volume was matched, the gain difference was enough to make me want something different.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

Endnote said:


> Very true Spaced, I did some height adjustments before I made my earlier post and was still frustrated because while the volume was matched, the gain difference was enough to make me want something different.


Welcome to the world of HSS/HSH guitars. They will by their very nature have different gain structures. No way around it without completely negating one or the other. ie, "it looks like a single coil, but is actually a dual coil mini humbucker," or "it looks like a humbucker, but is only using one coil or..." etc.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

Finally giving the Revelation bridge a try. Still wary about A2 pickups but the reviews for this one seem glowing.


----------



## MAJ Meadows SF

Grabbed an LTD EX Black Metal. The 81 is never going away in general or not having a place in metal. You just know what you are getting in tone, and I love that consistency. I've had 707X's in a guitar before, and thought it sounded MASSIVE. I'd definitely go back to those. 

I recently fell in love with the JH Het Set, bridge in particular. I wish they'd sell them individually instead of a set; I have a growing collection of single humbucker guitars and I hate that my only option is to get the set. Expect Reverb to have a few JH neck pickups available in the distant future. I've been hankering to try to Jim Root model, and the Revelation. 

I definitely went through a "passive or die" phase, and that still applies to certain sounds, but so do EMGs.


----------



## zjb7777

MAJ Meadows SF said:


> Grabbed an LTD EX Black Metal. The 81 is never going away in general or not having a place in metal. You just know what you are getting in tone, and I love that consistency. I've had 707X's in a guitar before, and thought it sounded MASSIVE. I'd definitely go back to those.
> 
> I recently fell in love with the JH Het Set, bridge in particular. I wish they'd sell them individually instead of a set; I have a growing collection of single humbucker guitars and I hate that my only option is to get the set. Expect Reverb to have a few JH neck pickups available in the distant future. I've been hankering to try to Jim Root model, and the Revelation.
> 
> I definitely went through a "passive or die" phase, and that still applies to certain sounds, but so do EMGs.


Have you tried contacting EMG via email or anything to see if they'll sell an individual JH bridge? A few months back I was considering a bridge of the Jim Root set with a single coil and I emailed them and they said that I could purchase a single bridge pickup and another single. I ended up not doing it, but it's worth a shot.


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

zjb7777 said:


> Have you tried contacting EMG via email or anything to see if they'll sell an individual JH bridge? A few months back I was considering a bridge of the Jim Root set with a single coil and I emailed them and they said that I could purchase a single bridge pickup and another single. I ended up not doing it, but it's worth a shot.


Maybe if you ask nicely and say you'd like them to build you an HSS setup, they might agree. 

They're not supposed to break up signature sets, but they will if you have them build you a setup like I am planning next month.


----------



## slavboi_delight

Aren't they building to order? Or atleast the website says that.


----------



## HeHasTheJazzHands

If I'm not feeling absolutely ruined after work today I'm hopefully gonna find out how the REV bridge is


----------



## Spaced Out Ace

slavboi_delight said:


> Aren't they building to order? Or atleast the website says that.


Yes, but in order to get some of their pickups in white or ivory, you have to put in an order with them via email.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands

Welp got them installed. The voicing is actually great. One of the tightest sounding A2 pickups I've tried so far. Got some chugga chunk but still sounds great for complxy chords, cleans, leads, etc.
just surprised at how low output it is. Was expecting more push, but yeah, very low output. Close to a PAF. 
Seems like a great jack-of-all-trades pickup if you can deal with the low outputt.


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## lewis

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Welp got them installed. The voicing is actually great. One of the tightest sounding A2 pickups I've tried so far. Got some chugga chunk but still sounds great for complxy chords, cleans, leads, etc.
> just surprised at how low output it is. Was expecting more push, but yeah, very low output. Close to a PAF.
> Seems like a great jack-of-all-trades pickup if you can deal with the low outputt.


TIME FOR THE AFTERBURNER,


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## HeHasTheJazzHands

Well


lewis said:


> TIME FOR THE AFTERBURNER



Well I fixed my action a bit because I forgot to adjust it after the constant weather changing.  It sounds better now with the action raised because I wasn't paying attention and my strings were apparently touching the fretboard.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands

Okay basically my hour+ playing with it... It's definitely a more improved HZ H3/H4 pickup. Got the same output as a H3/H4, but the low end is tighter, and midrange is a LOT more present.

Makes sense because from what I can tell. Prashant was a avid user of the H3A and H1A. 

Also this thing sounds fucking beautiful clean. Playing in the middle position with a DiMarzio Bluesbucker in the neck is amaaaaaazing. I'm tempted to get the matching neck pickup for aesthetic reasons, but I like the Bluesbucker too much.


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## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Okay basically my hour+ playing with it... It's definitely a more improved HZ H3/H4 pickup. Got the same output as a H3/H4, but the low end is tighter, and midrange is a LOT more present.
> 
> Makes sense because from what I can tell. Prashant was a avid user of the H3A and H1A.
> 
> Also this thing sounds fucking beautiful clean. Playing in the middle position with a DiMarzio Bluesbucker in the neck is amaaaaaazing. I'm tempted to get the matching neck pickup for aesthetic reasons, but I like the Bluesbucker too much.


It's likely an H3A/H1A or H3A/OC-1 hybrid since those are what Aswani used in his ESPs, which are killer sounding guitars. 

I'm wanting an HSS or HSH setup even more now with the Revelation.


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## Kyle Jordan

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Welp got them installed. The voicing is actually great. One of the tightest sounding A2 pickups I've tried so far. Got some chugga chunk but still sounds great for complxy chords, cleans, leads, etc.
> just surprised at how low output it is. Was expecting more push, but yeah, very low output. Close to a PAF.
> Seems like a great jack-of-all-trades pickup if you can deal with the low outputt.



Need to organize a campaign to get EMG to start making more of their pickups in 8 string variants.

Glad to hear you’re liking it.

Also ordered 808Xs in my Aristides H/08. I plan on picking up a 40JX once I get the guitar to see if that will work as an 8 string EMG single coil. The specs check out and Alex from EMG has replied to my inquiries stating that there’s nothing that should be any real hindrance.


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## Spaced Out Ace

Kyle Jordan said:


> Need to organize a campaign to get EMG to start making more of their pickups in 8 string variants.
> 
> Glad to hear you’re liking it.


I could give a shit less about 8 string pickups, though I wish you the best in that endeavor. More EMG options are always welcome by me, even if I have zero use for them.

On a side note...

Hey, Rob and Alison: Can we **P-L-E-A-S-E** get more than just two passive single coil pickups? Please? The S3 is just an S1 in a standard cover, while the S4 isn't really a single coil at all; it's a single coil sized mini humbucker a la JB Jr and the like. I still hold out hope that at some point Prashant will get a guitar with HS, HSS or HSH setup and EMG will make him a signature EMG HZ single coil. One can always hope, I guess.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands

Kyle Jordan said:


> Need to organize a campaign to get EMG to start making more of their pickups in 8 string variants.
> 
> Glad to hear you’re liking it.
> 
> Also ordered 808Xs in my Aristides H/08. I plan on picking up a 40JX once I get the guitar to see if that will work as an 8 string EMG single coil. The specs check out and Alex from EMG has replied to my inquiries stating that there’s nothing that should be any real hindrance.


A 7 and 8 string Rev set would be killer. Cool for the more tappytap instagram crowd.  Though I think they can be used for heavier applications. Im surprised at how mean they can sound though. I was expecting something more polite like the Duncan Custom Custom but it definitely hops all over that.


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## Spaced Out Ace

Remember though, everyone: The EMG HZ passive stuff sucks. All of it is really, really low quality, terrible, and just half a step above Asian OEM pickups on low to mid tier import guitars.

Please send all of your junk EMG HZ passive stuff to me and I will be certain to recycle it properly.

/s


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## MAJ Meadows SF

zjb7777 said:


> Have you tried contacting EMG via email or anything to see if they'll sell an individual JH bridge? A few months back I was considering a bridge of the Jim Root set with a single coil and I emailed them and they said that I could purchase a single bridge pickup and another single. I ended up not doing it, but it's worth a shot.


Excellent idea. I will give that a shot!


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## Emperoff

Hey EMG gurus, do you guys know by any chance where can I get a TW switch in Europe? I mean this thing:








DPDT TW Switch


The DPDT TW Switch is a Dual-mode selection switch meant to replace the push/pull pot that is supplied with all dual-mode products like the 89, 81TW or 35TW. Now you can toggle between single and humbucking modes with the flick of a switch!




www.emgpickups.com





I've only found it on EMG site and "don't tell the wife", buit in both cases the cost + shipping + import taxes ends up being outrageous for a switch 

Any suggestions?


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## lewis

Emperoff said:


> Hey EMG gurus, do you guys know by any chance where can I get a TW switch in Europe? I mean this thing:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> DPDT TW Switch
> 
> 
> The DPDT TW Switch is a Dual-mode selection switch meant to replace the push/pull pot that is supplied with all dual-mode products like the 89, 81TW or 35TW. Now you can toggle between single and humbucking modes with the flick of a switch!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.emgpickups.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I've only found it on EMG site and "don't tell the wife", buit in both cases the cost + shipping + import taxes ends up being outrageous for a switch
> 
> Any suggestions?


I emailed thomann one time about an EMG order for an item I didnt see on their website and they said they could do it for me with the obvious wait time.
I dont know if thats helpful at all but still.
If not, in the UK im sure places like Andertons etc can do the same with again the wait times


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## slavboi_delight

lewis said:


> I emailed thomann one time about an EMG order for an item I didnt see on their website and they said they could do it for me with the obvious wait time.
> I dont know if thats helpful at all but still.
> If not, in the UK im sure places like Andertons etc can do the same with again the wait times


I second that 

They are really helpful when it comes to that


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## RevDrucifer

I’ve got an Edwards LPC coming in this week that comes with with a JB and a ‘59, but I want this guitar to be more balls-out/Zakk Wylde in the early 90’s. The obvious answer is to get the ZW EMG‘s and I haven’t completely ruled that out yet, I’m just getting flashbacks of my previous days with EMG’s where I didn’t dig them and overall, I prefer passives….but since I’m making this guitar basically a one-trick pony…..

I’m just thinking out loud, which I’ve been doing for 3 weeks now.


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## Spaced Out Ace

RevDrucifer said:


> I’ve got an Edwards LPC coming in this week that comes with with a JB and a ‘59, but I want this guitar to be more balls-out/Zakk Wylde in the early 90’s. The obvious answer is to get the ZW EMG‘s and I haven’t completely ruled that out yet, I’m just getting flashbacks of my previous days with EMG’s where I didn’t dig them and overall, I prefer passives….but since I’m making this guitar basically a one-trick pony…..
> 
> I’m just thinking out loud, which I’ve been doing for 3 weeks now.


Go for that era Zakk's main idol: John Sykes. No Rest/NMT era Zakk was a di-Sykes-ple through and through. The JB/59 would suffice, but you could also try some Dirty Fingers.


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## RevDrucifer

Spaced Out Ace said:


> Go for that era Zakk's main idol: John Sykes. No Rest/NMT era Zakk was a di-Sykes-ple through and through. The JB/59 would suffice, but you could also try some Dirty Fingers.



Brace yourself, but I prefer Zakk’s tones over Sykes. 

I’m a huge Gilmour fan, but going for Hank Marvin’s tones won’t get me any closer to Gilmour’s!


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## Spaced Out Ace

So, I recently put some EMG HZs in two Strats I have, as well as in my LTDs. 

The H3A and H4A sound killer in thte neck and bridge position, which I have in one position in the LTD H-500 and another position in the LTD H-1001. They are somewhere between the H1/H1A and H2/H2A and the EMG actives. They sound killer with the EXG and SPC (as do the other pickups below).

The H2A/S2/S2 setup in my Squier CV70 Stratocaster is great for more old school tones. Not quite as hot as the H1A and S1; they are more like a standard output Strat single coil and PAF humbucker. The S2 seems to have a bit more midrange than a standard Strat single coil, while the H2A isn't voiced quite like a PAF. 

The H1A/S1/S1 setup in my third Player Strat is hotter all around. The humbucker is beefier and stronger output wise, closer to a JB or Custom in terms of output. The S2 single coil on the other hand is great for Texas Blues, which sounds killer when you want to get SRV-ish. 

The H2A/S2/S2 is better into higher gain pedals and setups if they are really saturated as well as cleans, while the H1A/S1/S1 is better into high gain stuff that has a lot of gain, but isn't so saturated.


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## MFB

RevDrucifer said:


> Brace yourself, but I prefer Zakk’s tones over Sykes.
> 
> I’m a huge Gilmour fan, but going for Hank Marvin’s tones won’t get me any closer to Gilmour’s!



Zakk's tone on NMT/NRFTW is, to me, THE Marshall hi-gain sound; it's that perfect level of midrange growl, with a little bit of bass in it to not be entirely dry and thin; I mean, shit look at the first verse of No More Tears when he plays those three chords and listen to how thick it sounds while being what, Drop Db? It's wild/wylde.


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## zjb7777

Just dropped a set of 81-7 and 707 into my 7 string today, replacing a DiMarzio Titan and Liquifire set. It kind of took me by surprise how closely the Titan and 81 are voiced, but the 81 has more grind and aggression and a bit less clarity, but not by much. Overall really happy with the results, and I love how stupid easy installation is. It should be the industry standard.


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## RevDrucifer

MFB said:


> Zakk's tone on NMT/NRFTW is, to me, THE Marshall hi-gain sound; it's that perfect level of midrange growl, with a little bit of bass in it to not be entirely dry and thin; I mean, shit look at the first verse of No More Tears when he plays those three chords and listen to how thick it sounds while being what, Drop Db? It's wild/wylde.



EXACTLY!


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## HeHasTheJazzHands

RevDrucifer said:


> Brace yourself, but I prefer Zakk’s tones over Sykes.
> 
> I’m a huge Gilmour fan, but going for Hank Marvin’s tones won’t get me any closer to Gilmour’s!





MFB said:


> Zakk's tone on NMT/NRFTW is, to me, THE Marshall hi-gain sound; it's that perfect level of midrange growl, with a little bit of bass in it to not be entirely dry and thin; I mean, shit look at the first verse of No More Tears when he plays those three chords and listen to how thick it sounds while being what, Drop Db? It's wild/wylde.


I'm eh on Syke's Mesa sound, but when he switched back to Marshall and started using those Jose-modded 2204s in the early-mid '90s... wew.


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## Spaced Out Ace

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'm eh on Syke's Mesa sound, but when he switched back to Marshall and started using those Jose-modded 2204s in the early-mid '90s... wew.



That tone is better than anything Zakk has ever gotten.


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## RevDrucifer

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I'm eh on Syke's Mesa sound, but when he switched back to Marshall and started using those Jose-modded 2204s in the early-mid '90s... wew.




It’s definitely a killer tone, but I’m going for that kind of tone more with the Orville than I am the Edwards. The Edwards is fucking sick, BTW.


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