EMG Pickups Good/Bad?

[wrldeatr7]

They are good pickups of course. But frankly, the Duncan Design pickups aren't particularly bad. I'd be interested in hearing whether you find the EMG noticeably superior.

[Nightbat]

I think EMGs are great hard hitting p'ups
the only thing I think you shouldn't do, is outfit 2 similar guitars with them
The character difference between my mahogany/maple Ibanez and mahogany/maple Warlock is negligible
and this is with 60n/81b in the Ibanez, 81n/85b in the warlock (I had 81n/85b in the Ibanez as well, which made a difference non-existent, as it is now, it's just 'slightly' thinner in character)

[SylentCommando]

I just picked up the 81/85 pickups tonight. I got everything except for the stereo jack and battery snap. I ended up ordering the kit to install the pickups that's comes with everything. These pickup were out of a 3 month old Godin Redline 3 and are mint the guy upgraded to Bare knuckle pickups.What would you recommend 81n/85b or 85n/81b? I am not a shredder kind of player, never have been that kind of player. I would consider myself more of a rhythm player. I would like it to be good for both styles of playing just incase I would want to do lead work.

[Jackson8090s]

I just picked up the 81/85 pickups tonight. I got everything except for the stereo jack and battery snap. I ended up ordering the kit to install the pickups that's comes with everything. These pickup were out of a 3 month old Godin Redline 3 and are mint the guy upgraded to Bare knuckle pickups.What would you recommend 81n/85b or 85n/81b? I am not a shredder kind of player, never have been that kind of player. I would consider myself more of a rhythm player. I would like it to be good for both styles of playing just incase I would want to do lead work.

I have the 81/85 set in two guitars a Kelly XL and a Dean DIME Razorback V255 both have the 81 in the Bridge and the 85 in the Neck. I love em that way. Try it both ways man, no wrong way to place ya EMG's.

[Hellraiser6502]

The EMG 81 is also a fantastic choice if you want a HOT pickup (just ask Zakk Wylde!) ...yes thinner but much more CUTTING than the 85....the 85 is much warmer and my favorite though. I have 81's in several guitars and 85's in several others....like 'em both the same just different. I also agree, you will not hear as much difference between guitars of differing woods as you would with a passive pickup ....EMG's seem to be VERY consistent from wood to wood....I hope I made sense there

[paranoid]

The new plug in emg pups are so easy to swap, try them one way and record it. the when you need to change strings give them a swap, record it and compare.

[BenoA]

[QUOTE=Hellraiser6502;1636443]I....and I agree with MOST here the 85 bridge and the 60 Neck is the best combination ....the 85 is an awesome pickup./QUOTE]

So, a 60 will it be. Thanks everyone!

[straycat]

85 in the bridge 81 in the neck is much more balanced sounding to me.
You can leave your ground wires in place just tape the end so they don't contact anything.
Not a huge EMG fan but they don't sound bad.

[Sephiroth]

I have never owned active pickups, so I am just interested in what people think of them. I have always used passive Dimarzio pickups,and I had a DXMG Dinky with EMG HZ pickups and I thought they sounded great. I know their is a lot of hate on the HZ's. I can get a EMG 81/85 set for $120, I want to upgrade my newly acquired Jackson DR3 guitar which has Duncan Design neck and bridge. I was going to get a Dimarzio Super 2 for the neck and Super Distortion for the bridge. I know a lot of people either dislike EMG's or Love them. Any help would be appreciated Thanks.

My personal opinion. I am sure many will disagree:

Actives are the "great neutralizers."

Tube amp? Solid-state analog? Digital? All you hear are the EMG's. Maple, mahogany, basswood? All you hear are the EMG's. There are some aural differences, but unless you have a finely-tuned ear you're not gonna catch it, and if you're raised on actives then it's not hard to imagine them making a person deaf to the variations of sound and tone caused by woods, amps, etc.

They in their efforts to ensure a given output of gain and tone destroy the subtleties of amps, shapes, woods, etc that I personally like finding in guitars in amps.

And I just don't like them because of that.

Even the way you pick and play which on passive pups does effect their sound becomes largely flat-lined by the controlled output of the actives.

They're great if you want to guarantee a wall of gain in ny given circumstance, but if you want tonal subtlety, then well they're just not my thing.

[metalhobo]

Tube amp? Solid-state analog? Digital? All you hear are the EMG's. Maple, mahogany, basswood? All you hear are the EMG's.

Completely, entirely, objectively false.



Okay, maybe not "completely." The exaggerated frequency response of certain EMG pickups (e.g. the 81) does mean that you can sort of tell a guitar is equipped with them regardless of the rest of the setup, but neither I nor a plethora of other players or listeners has any trouble distinguishing between any of my four guitars equipped with the 81 nor between my two amps when played with said guitars.

[paranoid]

So all these Guys sound exactly the same? http://www.emgpickups.com/artist/index

[toejam]

EMGs sound more consistent, but definitely not exactly the same in every guitar. Wood does play a role.

[Force]

I have a mahogany ltd 81 bridge 85 neck, a friend has the same set up in a mahogany jackson, they sound worlds apart. EMGs do have an obvious sound that's shared in any given situation but they never sound close to the same no matter what they're in.

[metalhobo]

EMGs sound more consistent, but definitely not exactly the same in every guitar. Wood does play a role.

Bridge also plays a huge role. I have two ESPs: an RS and an M. Same woods, same construction, same scale, same pickup config (single hum: EMG 81), same control setup (single volume), etc. They both even have the same reverse headstock. The only difference other than body shape is that the M is TOM+string thru and the RS has a Floyd. The M is so much brighter it's not even funny.

[xenophobe]

My personal opinion. I am sure many will disagree:

Absolutely disagree. All you need to do is side by side several guitars with EMGs at once, you'll notice the difference. Comparing the same pickup, they all compress or clip the same, but they definitely don't sound the same. That's like saying adding any effect, like delay distortion or chorus, will make every guitar sound the same, and that's not true either. They'll all sound delayed, distorted or harmonized. I guess to some people that would make them all sound the same too.