# Anyone ever switch back to EMG's from passive?



## mnemonic (Mar 5, 2017)

Don't worry, I'll put a tl;dr at the end. 


Hey guys, just wondering if anyone has ever used passives for a long while, and then switched back to EMG's in some guitar and enjoyed it?

I used to use EMG's in my guitars close to a decade ago back in college... I also used a PodXT and cheap guitars and my ear for tone was probably much less developed. At some point I switched to passives, and since then, I've had Seymour Duncans in most of my guitars. I also use an Axe-FX II now, mostly using the Recto1 model. 

During the week, I was digging through my box of spare guitar parts and I found an EMG 85 I used to have in one of my old guitars, along with all the wires and pots, so in a fit of overwhelming nostalgia, I installed it into one of my strats (which was previously loaded with Seymour Duncan '59 / SSL1). 







I have to say... I really like it. It reminded me of why I liked EMG's back in college. Really heavy sounding, extremely hot. Way higher output than any other pickups I have at the moment. Compared to the '59 that was in there, it was almost like having an extra overdrive kicked in. 

Obviously its quite compressed, very high output, and also very tight and clear sounding for heavy metal rhythm. Leads also sound pretty good, its stupid easy to get loud pinch harmonics on this pickup. Apart from that, the 'base sound' of the guitar still remains in-tact, if that makes any sense. It still sounds like the same guitar, just with the above characteristics. 

I actually also liked the clean tones I got out of it, but I almost never play cleans, so I'm not really picky when it comes to that, so my opinion is probably not worth much in that regard. I'm currently staking out ebay and local classifieds for an EMG SA for the neck position. 

All this got me thinking... I'm generally not concerned with versatility as I play high gain about 90% of the time, and that seems to be one of the main complaints about EMG's. That, and the compression, but thats not nessesarily a bad thing, depending on what you're playing and the tone you're after. I'm kinda considering buying a passive-housing 7-string set (81-7H / 85-7H) for one of my seven strings (I'd have to buy new as I've never seen them for sale used). I know the forum consensus has gone off actives, EMG's in particular, is there any better options out there for me? 

I've done some digging about those new Fishman Fluence pickups, but there isn't much out there comparing to the old EMG's. Also I'm hesitant to believe some of the glowing reviews, as there's a lot of hype surrounding them at the moment, and a lot of endorsement dollars getting thrown around. Plus, I've seen a couple reviews where the user says the active voice (the one I would probably use 90% of hte time) sounds very EMG-like, so maybe it would just be extra money spent on extra features I don't really need. Also I'm in the UK, and like anything else interesting or new, they would be a pain in the dick to get ahold of here, and would probably have to special order or import from the US. 

For what its worth, the seven I'm considering swapping pickups in (Mayones Setius 7, all mahogany, maple top) is strong on the bottom end / low mids, so I wouldn't want a bass-heavy pickup. 


*tl;dr *- Found my old EMG 85, installed it in my strat, really liked it, great for heavy metal rhythm playing, now I've got EMG GAS, am I crazy for wanting to load EMG's into one of my sevens now? Anything else I should be considering?


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## juka (Mar 5, 2017)

I really try hard to like other brands of pickups, but I always end up with EMGs again 

Although I have never come to like the 81, an 85 in the bridge (and 60 as neck pu) is my all time fav.

57/66 are great, too


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## Sumsar (Mar 5, 2017)

I get what you mean. I have 3 seves with passives and a six with emgs. The emgs are fun and sound great in a six. I think the main problem with EMG is that their seven string pickups sounds nothing like their six string equivalents. It seems some competent people developed the classics 81, 85 and 60 in the 1970's and 80's (or whenever they where first made) and then 20 - 30 years later in the early 2000's when the seven string was on the rise, some completely different people with no idea of what they where doing made the 707, 81-7 and others, and to be honest and I think this is the general opinion: They sound like absolute sh!t and has nothing to do with the original six string 81 and 85 except that they are produced by the same company.

I guess what I am saying here is that there is nothing wrong with active pickups and it might even be what you are looking for in a seven string guitar, however you should avoid EMG seven string pickups like the plague.

Some say that seymour duncans blacksout are a lot better than the emgs, and this would probably be what I would recommend without having tried them myself.

Fishman is on an unholy hype crusade atm and probably will be for atleast the next year, so the only thing you can do there is to try and find somewhere you can try them out and make your own opinion.


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## mnemonic (Mar 5, 2017)

^interesting about their seven string models. Do you know if that carries over to the 85-7 and passive sized 81-7? I know that the 707 was just a tweaked bass pickup (thus not available in passive-sized model as it doesn't fit) and the soapbar 81-7 has different specs from the 6-string 81 (resonant frequencies, etc), however the 81-7h (passive sized one) has the exact same specs on the website as the 6-string 81, and same deal with 85-7h vs original 85.


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## Sumsar (Mar 5, 2017)

I have only tried the soapbar sized 707 and 81-7 which came in a guitar I brought, then later swicthed the pickups to passives. Based on that experience I have not brought anything else with sevenstring EMG pickups.
The soapbar 81-7 is just as bad as the 707. Different bad but still pretty bad.

The thing about EMG is that I think they sell them pretty cheaply to manufactoures, so they come stock in a lot of guitars. While this is a pain if you don't want the EMGs it does mean that you should be able to try out several EMG seven string models at any guitar store.
I would suggest to go to a store where you know they stock a decent amount of seven strings and them try them out with a rig that is as similar to what you normaly play as possible. We can chat here all day, but actually trying them out will help you make a choice.

A word of caution though: The EMGs can come across as good for the first 10 minuttes you play them, simply because they are different. It takes a while to realize just how bad they are, so don't let your initial impression get the best of you.


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## Yodel (Mar 5, 2017)

I've been through Duncans, Fishman Fluences, DiMarzios and also a fair share of the BKP range (I don't play ....ty djent though but downtuned 6strings); nothing beats the rhythm tone of an EMG 81 in the bridge recorded or live.


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## Edika (Mar 5, 2017)

I'll second Sumsar's statement about the soapbar 81-7 and 707. I also didn't feel that the 81-7 sounded anything like the EMG 81. I even swapped them to test them out and while I liked the 81-7 as a neck pickup, the 707 was even worse as a bridge pup.

The Seymour Duncan Retributions are an improvement over the EMG's, as they're tighter and more defined but they still are quite crunchy. I would prefer them a bit bigger sounding so I'm curious about the EMTY Seymour Duncans. If the EMG 57-7 and 66-7 are close to their 6 string counterparts then they're worth a try.

I was curious about the Fluence pickups but saw that a set of soapbar Moderns are more expensive than all Bareknuckle pickups on a soapbar baseplate. So have that in mind.


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## USMarine75 (Mar 5, 2017)

That's why I like the pickups Fluence Modern set... best of both worlds. Modern and classic PAF tones. Active clarity with passive attack and ability to roll off the volume.


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## Jeffbro (Mar 5, 2017)

EMG for neck leads is so smooth and cuts through better than any passive I've used, also hides mistakes incredibly well (ask kirk hammett). Looking through recordings all the best sounding solos I did live was on EMGs


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## Science_Penguin (Mar 5, 2017)

I went through phases of loving and then hating EMGs, and now I'm pretty dead set on keeping them in my arsenal forever.

If you're wanting to experiment more with EMGs but are worried you're gonna miss what passives gave you, try the X Series pickups. They're sold as "active pickups with more headroom," and that's no lie. I have never heard actives respond to pick attack like them.


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## Stuck_in_a_dream (Mar 5, 2017)

Aside from the 81, I really like 57, 66, 85x, 60x. Funny story, I put 85/66 in a basswood Ltd, and it sounded grand. It was awesome for a while until I started playing the Fluence Modern Alnicos in my Schecter C7 more, and now I can hear how compressed they are, much less dynamic than Fluences. 

@OP: if u love the 85, try the 85x and the Fluence Alnico Modern. I don't think u'll be disappointed.


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## mnemonic (Mar 5, 2017)

Cheers for all the replies, guys. 



Sumsar said:


> I have only tried the soapbar sized 707 and 81-7 which came in a guitar I brought, then later swicthed the pickups to passives. Based on that experience I have not brought anything else with sevenstring EMG pickups.
> The soapbar 81-7 is just as bad as the 707. Different bad but still pretty bad.
> 
> The thing about EMG is that I think they sell them pretty cheaply to manufactoures, so they come stock in a lot of guitars. While this is a pain if you don't want the EMGs it does mean that you should be able to try out several EMG seven string models at any guitar store.
> ...



Cool, I'll keep this in mind. Its weird, judging by the specs, plus peoples reviews, it seems the soapbars sound different from the 6 string versions. I guess the 81-7 soapbar was done a while before they started making passive-sized seven string pickups, so maybe they were trying to be clever by changing things or something. Either way, I'll be steering clear of soapbars as all my guitars are routed for passives (apart from an old Schecter I have which is in pieces and I'll finish sanding some day). 

Unfortunately being left handed, most guitar stores stock like 5 things I can play, and usually low end stuff  

Though if anyone knows any UK stores that sell a good selection of left handed stuff, I wouldn't mind making a day out at some point to visit the shop. 



Stuck_in_a_dream said:


> Aside from the 81, I really like 57, 66, 85x, 60x. Funny story, I put 85/66 in a basswood Ltd, and it sounded grand. It was awesome for a while until I started playing the Fluence Modern Alnicos in my Schecter C7 more, and now I can hear how compressed they are, much less dynamic than Fluences.
> 
> @OP: if u love the 85, try the 85x and the Fluence Alnico Modern. I don't think u'll be disappointed.



Cool, I have been eyeing the Fluences, but at the moment its hard to tell what is hype and what is a genuine review. And being new, relatively speaking, I guess there aren't a ton of them out there yet. 

Are there any other comparisons you can make between the EMG 85 and the Fluences? Do you think the active voice sounds similar apart from the compression?


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## Alex79 (Mar 5, 2017)

I've gone back to EMGs, but actually opted for an 60x/81x combo. I find that in the guitar I use them (an ESP Eclipse) the metal sound is ironically closer to that classic EMG metal sound I know from so many records, as the 81x sits more forward in the mix. I also dig the 60x a lot, is such a loud and pristine clear sound.

I think the thing with EMGs is that they're just a classic sound that many have grown up with and as a result are fond of. It's like when you dig out that classic Testament/Sodom/Accept album and just find that it sounds so "refreshingly" old-school.


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## mnemonic (Mar 5, 2017)

juka said:


> I really try hard to like other brands of pickups, but I always end up with EMGs again
> 
> Although I have never come to like the 81, an 85 in the bridge (and 60 as neck pu) is my all time fav.
> 
> 57/66 are great, too



I saw another post of yours while searching online for comparisons between EMG and Fluence, you said you've used the 85 bridge for a long while and were impressed by the Fluences, Is there any comparison you can make bewteen the 85 bridge and the Fluences? 

I'm starting to consider fluences more, as it would probably be about £50 more for the set.


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## Sumsar (Mar 5, 2017)

mnemonic said:


> Unfortunately being left handed, most guitar stores stock like 5 things I can play, and usually low end stuff
> 
> Though if anyone knows any UK stores that sell a good selection of left handed stuff, I wouldn't mind making a day out at some point to visit the shop.



I guess this is a pretty stupid idea, but here goes:
Find a shop that has 14 days return with shipping included for the return over a certain price. Then order a left hand seven string guitar with the EMG pickups you want to try. Get the guitar and try it out on your rig. Return the guitar and get your money back. Now go buy the EMGs if you actually like them.
Ofc it requires that you have some money lying around that you are okay with not having for a month.
Also if you somehow damage the guitar you are fårked as you might not be able to get a full refund.
Again it is a stupid idea, but still


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## MASS DEFECT (Mar 6, 2017)

Count me in. Got Duncans in all my guitars before. Then I tried the JH set. Had to replace two of my guitars with that set. Then I tried a 57. Now I have a 57 and an 81x in my other guitars.

Recently got a Jackson COW 6 with an EMG 81. Sounded good. Not replacing that pup for now.


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## juka (Mar 6, 2017)

mnemonic said:


> I saw another post of yours while searching online for comparisons between EMG and Fluence, you said you've used the 85 bridge for a long while and were impressed by the Fluences, Is there any comparison you can make bewteen the 85 bridge and the Fluences?
> 
> I'm starting to consider fluences more, as it would probably be about £50 more for the set.



Not really, because I have the Fluence set in my only guitar that didn't sound great with EMGs.
Some say the Modern Ceramic is Fishman's version of the EMG81. If that's really the case then Fishman found a way to remove everything I hate about the 81 
Because as much as I love the 85 I absolutely hate the 81!


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## lewis (Mar 6, 2017)

I have never had EMGs because until recently, the whole battery thing seemed like an unnecessary annoyance. However now I really want to go EMG. They cater really well for the extended range player.
I have always been a seymour Duncan guy, but I just have gone right off them. Passive wise I like Lace. Duncan are just "meh" now to me. Bareknuckle are too expensive.

I can get a set of EMGs brand new, with all the wiring/pots with the convenient quick connectors etc for like half the price of a set of Bareknuckles.

Im not doubting their quality (bareknuckle) but for me, value for money seems better with EMG.
So Im craving EMG pups now. So im doing the passive > Active move real soon too.


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## lewis (Mar 6, 2017)

mnemonic said:


> Don't worry, I'll put a tl;dr at the end.
> 
> 
> Hey guys, just wondering if anyone has ever used passives for a long while, and then switched back to EMG's in some guitar and enjoyed it?
> ...



what is the cool string tree/pick holder on the strat?


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## mnemonic (Mar 6, 2017)

lewis said:


> what is the cool string tree/pick holder on the strat?



about a decade ago (or longer) I saw them on musiciansfriend back when I lived in the US, called Wedgie pick holder. I picked up a couple, and they've always been super convenient, as they just slide between the strings on the headstock. 

I only have three I think, so a few years after that I went looking for some more and found some cheaper ones on amazon or ebay branded 'Alice' which also work the same, though the rubber isn't as soft.


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## mnemonic (Mar 6, 2017)

I think I've decided to go for a set of Fluence Moderns, I found a DI track Ola made and reamped it through my axe fx, and it sounded goddamn awesome. 

Despite what a lot of people have said, the active voice on the ceramic bridge pickup seemed pretty compressed, though I don't consider that a bad thing. 



juka said:


> Not really, because I have the Fluence set in my only guitar that didn't sound great with EMGs.
> Some say the Modern Ceramic is Fishman's version of the EMG81. If that's really the case then Fishman found a way to remove everything I hate about the 81
> Because as much as I love the 85 I absolutely hate the 81!



I have also read of people comparing it to the 81. Its been so long since I had an 81, I don't really remember anything about them. I'm pretty sure I enjoyed it at the time, but wanted to try a smoother tone (thus I traded someone for my 85).


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## lewis (Mar 6, 2017)

mnemonic said:


> about a decade ago (or longer) I saw them on musiciansfriend back when I lived in the US, called Wedgie pick holder. I picked up a couple, and they've always been super convenient, as they just slide between the strings on the headstock.
> 
> I only have three I think, so a few years after that I went looking for some more and found some cheaper ones on amazon or ebay branded 'Alice' which also work the same, though the rubber isn't as soft.



ah thanks for this man. Im going to order some asap. Im forever putting picks down and losing them


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## stratjacket (Mar 6, 2017)

I think changing it up is good and keeps things from getting stale. It is also inspiring when you have a new toy that is different, even if it's an old toy. I went through a huge EMG phase several years ago and then all the Seymour Duncan active variants. I moved away never went back except for a trade I did that came with EMG's.

A few comments on here about how expensive Bare Knuckle pickups are. Perhaps you guys should check the updated prices since Brexit. For example, a new set of calibrated Painkillers are $204 (with exchange rate today) and a new pair of Seymour Duncan Black Winters are $199 on Sweetwater right now.
Most all the listings on eBay and Reverb are old and have outdated pricing.


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Mar 6, 2017)

I had a similar experience a few years ago. I had found a really good deal on an EMG 85 with all the pots and wires and tried it out in the bridge position of a cheaper RG I have. I really liked the overall sound, but adding the 18v mod gave it the added bonus of better dynamic range and top end clarity. I'd probably still have that pickup if it weren't for a friend buying it off of me for a project guitar he was building. 

I'm mostly a passive guy, but wouldn't mind having a set of EMG's in one of my lesser-played guitars just for a different flavor


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## Stuck_in_a_dream (Mar 7, 2017)

mnemonic said:


> ...
> Cool, I have been eyeing the Fluences, but at the moment its hard to tell what is hype and what is a genuine review. And being new, relatively speaking, I guess there aren't a ton of them out there yet.
> 
> Are there any other comparisons you can make between the EMG 85 and the Fluences? Do you think the active voice sounds similar apart from the compression?



Well, as I posted before, the active voice reminded me of the X-series but with more mids, more bass as well. Definitely much more dynamic than the regular 85. I have both Alnico Fluences in both neck & bridge in an all mahogany C7 Hellraiser and they sound great. 

The "passive" voice OTOH has less bass, much less output (although you could add a jumper to the pickup to make voice 1 6db quieter), and it indeed sounds & feels like a passive pickup (to my ears at least), and when split in this voice, it channels a Strat sound, no kidding 

I like the versatility of the Fluences, I just got the KSE set for my LTD sixer, and will let you guys know how they sound. In the demo from Ken, they sounded sick! I was more blown away by them than the Tosin Abasi model TBH.


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## Jaxcharvel (Mar 7, 2017)

Actives in general always leave me wanting more. I have owned and at least tried basically every one in existence with the exception of the Fishmans. Every time i get a guitar with actives (always in trades) i love them. They sound so angry. They are just plain fun to play metal rhythm on. But after a couple days the sour on me and i can't stand em. So much compression and output that any kind of dynamics you try to incorporate into your playing is butchered. They record extraordinarily well because of that same compression and output. I'd like to try the Fishmans, but I'm afraid they're gonna have that same "active" characteristic.


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## Aymara (Mar 7, 2017)

I was always an EMG hater, but I love the 57/66 set in my Schecter Hybrid C-1 ... roll back guitar volume by 30% and they show a passive dynamic.


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Mar 7, 2017)

I went to EMG's last year, from 35+ years on passives. 
I hated the 81's for the longest time because whenever I installed them for customers, I test played them through my rig & found them insanely hot.
Later on, I realized that I still had to adjust the gain structure to accommodate them, but even now, I still find that pickup a bit bright.

I'm using the 89 in the bridge, and the SA in the neck, and I'm quite please with it.


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## juka (Mar 7, 2017)

What most people that are only used to passives don't understand is that they suddenly have a volume control that actually does what it says.
So if the pickup is too loud or has too much gain you can turn it down exactly to your liking.
Use your volume control, play around with it and discover the beauty of active pickups.


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## Quiet Coil (Mar 7, 2017)

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> I'm using the 89 in the bridge, and the SA in the neck, and I'm quite please with it.



The 89 is awesome. The 89XR is pretty much my go to for an EMG bridge pickup for anything tuned to C or higher, Love it.


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Mar 7, 2017)

It's nice and balance, even all across with just the right mid bump.
I use it in high gain as well as classic rock toned applications.


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## ImBCRichBitch (Mar 7, 2017)

Im the opposite. I keep trying EMGs and everytime i hate the sound. Not fat enough, too harsh, the dynamics arent what i want, ETC. I always end up going back to a passive with alnico 2 or 5. Dying to try the retro actives nad dualitys now. They seem like theyre basically passives with a preamp like the blackout modular.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Mar 7, 2017)

I always try to have at least 2 guitars with EMGs.

I remember when I got my Xiphos and loved the stock D'Activators but when it came to recording, the EMGs won every time. The guitar has had an 81/85 combo ever since. And every time I record metal rhythms, the 81 (and JBs) tend to work best for me. 

I recently just got another Xiphos that I intend on putting a JB/Jazz but I wouldn't be surprised if I just jammed an 81/85 again.


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## Science_Penguin (Mar 7, 2017)

ImBCRichBitch said:


> Im the opposite. I keep trying EMGs and everytime i hate the sound. Not fat enough, too harsh, the dynamics arent what i want, ETC. I always end up going back to a passive with alnico 2 or 5. Dying to try the retro actives nad dualitys now. They seem like theyre basically passives with a preamp like the blackout modular.



I was the same way for the longest time, but the thing that made me reconsider, I think, was a response to one of the first threads I ever started here; "Why Does Anyone Like Active Pickups?"



Itchyman said:


> ...And yes, in order for your tone not to sound thin as a piece of tinsel, you do need to design your rig around it.
> 
> If you play a large sounding passive guitar into a rig set up for an EMG 81, then you would most certainly think it sounds muddy and slow. It probably wouldn't be enjoyable to play.
> The same goes in reverse, which a lot of you seem to do: Playing an EMG 81 through a rig set up for passive guitars. "It sounds thin and anemic" "It doesn't have any balls" "I just can't seem to find any size in it's tone". Does any of that sound familiar?



After that, it all made sense to me. The reason why I kept going back to passives and realising what I was missing is because my rig was set up for passives. Now I set my rig up to handle the base sound of an EMG, and tweak from there.


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## Steinmetzify (Mar 8, 2017)

Gone back and forth for years. Started out with EMGs in a lot of guitars. 

Went passive for years, I'd get a guitar with an 81/85 set and freak out playing metal rhythms and love em for a while. Get tired of em, go all passive and then miss them. 

These days my favorite pickups are Warpigs, Painkillers, McCartys in my LP, and at least one guitar with an 81.


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