Pickup for Dual Rec

[Humbility]

Curious about which of the EMG actives are better for rock and heavy music between the 81 and 85 or any other that you all know of.

Hum

 

[Boogiebabies]

Metal - 81 High Output with bright ceramic magnets.

Rock - 85 - Good output with smoother Alnico Magnets.

The 85 is a superb all around pickup for many styles.

 

[Russ]

Boogiebabies has layed it out pretty simply. It is a matter of taste and the amount of output that you prefer. The guitar and its construction will also play part in your findings as far as which you will prefer. Some guitars will sound better with one or the other or even both.

 

[MesaENGR412]

Boogiebabies has layed it out pretty simply. It is a matter of taste and the amount of output that you prefer. The guitar and its construction will also play part in your findings as far as which you will prefer. Some guitars will sound better with one or the other or even both.

I've always been told that EMG actives don't really give wood characteristics. I prefer the 81 in the Bridge position, It works well for my style, which is metal-style music. It's got razor-sharp attack and a brighter tone, that really cuts through for me.

-AJH

 

[Russ]

Boogiebabies has layed it out pretty simply. It is a matter of taste and the amount of output that you prefer. The guitar and its construction will also play part in your findings as far as which you will prefer. Some guitars will sound better with one or the other or even both.

I've always been told that EMG actives don't really give wood characteristics. I prefer the 81 in the Bridge position, It works well for my style, which is metal-style music. It's got razor-sharp attack and a brighter tone, that really cuts through for me.

-AJH

Maybe some can't hear the difference but I certainly could between a Les Paul and a Jackson. That was side by side testing though.

 

[Elpelotero]

my friend has an emg81 in a strat. it has an alder body and a maple neck and it sounds like garbage through my amps. however, there's no doubt in my mind Les Paul with and emg81 will sound like Thor's Hammer crashing down through my amps.

 

[Platypus]

I prefer the 85 personally (though I use the 7 string version the 707). The 81 gets pretty sterile sounding in my opinion and too ice-picky for me. When I roll the volume down with my 707s, I can hear the amp clearly.. and when I go full on, I get thunderous low end out of it while the tone is still clear and focused.

I'd say you just have to try both with your amp and see which you prefer. My 7 string in C tuning sounds punishing through my Mark IV :shock:

 

[Humbility]

sounds more like the 85 is my style. Thank you all for your input. I'll make an attempt to try both. For what its worth I'm going to try it in my Grestch Solidbody (mohagony) bridge position.

Hum

 

[Guitar Adjuster]

Has anyone tried running their EMG's at 18v's instead of 9v?

 

[Russ]

Not me but I have known some that do and they seem to like it.

 

[Kung-Fool]

I love the 81 in a mohogany guitar with my Racktifier.

 

[domct203]

Personally I prefer the 85 in the bridge with my LP Custom (Mahogony w/Maple top & ebony fret board)

I also find that at the bridge, the 85 seems to have alittle more "ommph" and smoothness than the 81. I also have a better volume match between p'ups with the 81 at the neck. It really helped tame all the lows this guitar is capable of, and made the neck pickup really cut when I want it to. Nomatter how I set the p'up heights, the 85 at the neck would completely bury the 81 at the bridge volume wise, and the 85 was muddy at the neck to boot.

I also have a 60A (alnico magnet) which I am going to try as well. That is the nice thing with the EMG's. Once the guitar is wired for them you can swap them around all you want, they just plug in.

Dom

 

[Storm]

Has anyone tried running their EMG's at 18v's instead of 9v?

On both my guitars I run my EMGs on 18V. It just gives the pickups a little more headroom.

Ciao ...

 

[guitargeek62]

im wondering about trying a 60(poss the alnico) in the neck and an 85 in the bridge of my cu22 for an all round rock guitar sound, i play in a covers band atm so i change genres a lot!!!



ps im using a single recto head into a 2x12

 

[MesallicA]

Has anyone tried running their EMG's at 18v's instead of 9v?

yes, and to be honest it didn't make a difference.

 

[domct203]

Has anyone tried running their EMG's at 18v's instead of 9v?

yes, and to be honest it didn't make a difference.

+1

However, It is very noticable with my bass players rig. He has active EMG as well, and I noticed a big improvement in the tightness and punch of his rig when he switched to 18V.

Dom