SLSMG with EMG 81 Bridge?

[shadyru]

I've been using the EMG 81 in the bridge for awhile now and it just seems to sound sterile and dead. I'm trying to get a nu metal sound (disturbed, etc.) playing through a mesa tremoverb. I was thinking about Bareknuckle Cold Sweats or something similiar?
Anyone else feel the same about the EMG 81 in the slsmg? Anyone change it out for the same reason? What did you guys get?

[toejam]

Try the EMG 85 instead.

[maluco]

For High Gain Distortion there are the Bill Lawrence L500 or something like that or the Seymour duncan Dimebucker. If you prefer actives theres also the SD Livewires mustaine sig pups.

[pro-fusion]

Before swapping all of the electronics out to go passive, try installing a Duncan Blackout bridge. It's a hotter, but more 'lively' and realistic sounding pickup than the EMG-81, and you can literally just unplug the EMG from the quick-clip connector and plug in the Blackout without any soldering or even opening up the control cavity. I've swapped for Blackouts in every guitar I've had with EMGs recently. It's a huge improvement.

[drockilles]

I put an X2N/Tonezone combo in mine. If you decide to go passive, that combo is pretty brutal.

[KBRR]

Before swaping out the actives , give toejams sugestion and try the 85 in the bridge, if that doesn't work try a seymour duncan blackout it has the qucik connect so all you have to do is un plug the 81 and plug in the blackout its way more organic sounding than the 81...

[Sunbane]

Anyone else feel the same about the EMG 81 in the slsmg? Anyone change it out for the same reason? What did you guys get?

I feel the same about the 81 period. In all guitars. There is no other pickup that can rob a guitar of its tone like an EMG-81; the anti-christ of guitar pickups.

I've used EMG-85 and EMG-58 instead. Even though they also have the typical "EMG sound", they let some of the tone through, and rock a hell of a lot more than the 81.

I've since gone away from using actives (my favourite pickup right now is the Duncan Distortion), but I'm interested in trying the Duncan Blackouts, since they've gotten such rave reviews from ex-EMG users.

[blackendvampire]

I personally love my 81, but yeah, you probably need a nice sound to complement it really, I find that the 81 yes is not as bright or brittle, which for me is great because I only have one pickup in my rhoads, It sounds a bit like a synthesiser at times, but I love it.