emg 81 neck or bridge?

[themisfit138]

I like an 81 bridge, but the neck position depends on the tuning I use. If i am using E or D tuning I like a 60, if I use C or lower I like an 85 neck.

[Jack Napalm]

I like both, active and passive pickups. They each have their own characteristics and depending on the application each have their own merits and cons.

I too like the 85 in the bridge and also like the 89. The 89 is a very versatile pickup.

[Sunbane]

EMGs rock!

Absolutely. Listen to this wise man!
There is nothing wrong with EMGs. Like so many excellent members stated previously, it's a preference thing. I will add my two coins to the discussion:

First off. EMGs sound like no other pickup. This is the reason some people will tell you "they sound the same in all guitars". Not true. The golden rule "shit in - shit out" still applies. However, they do have a distinctive sound, as they distort a little differently to traditional passive pickups. I like to say that where an EMG-85 will sound like a propane torch, a Duncan Distortion sounds like burning oil. It's not a good analogy, but hey...

The EMG-85 is an excellent bridge pickup. If you like the way EMGs sound overall, this pickup will be ballsy, alive and tight in the bottom register. You will be able to get good rock'n'roll sound going by just plugging straight into an amp, and the clean sound is nice as well. If you want to be able to split your pickups, the EMG-89 is like a splittable version of the -85.

The EMG-81 is a pickup I love to hate. It has a flat frequency curve, making it sound mid-scooped with my amp setups. This may be a good thing if you're shooting for that type of sound. It also has fantastic string separation, so if you play with a ton of gain, the 81 will assist in making your guitar still sound like a guitar. I used to love it when I played in a death metal band, many years ago. But the moment you step off the dirty patch and go for a clean sound, the 81 will sound like a dead fish. It is an extremely tight pickup - to the point of sounding sterile; dead.

My personal favourite of the EMGs, is the discontinued EMG-58. That's right, 58 - not 85. It sounds very similar to the 85, but sounds a little more like a high powered single coil. It is a little looser in the bass register, it hums a little, and it has more high-end sparkle. Perfect as a neck pickup. It also works as a bridge pickup for rock'n'roll and "traditional" metal, but I think that its successor, the 85, is a little better suited as a bridge pickup, due to its slightly tighter bass frequencies.

All this being said, today i prefer a good passive pickup, I will rather pick a Seymour Duncan or a DiMarzio for my guitars. But like all other things stated in this thread, it's all in your personal preference.

[Coyote]

Search EMG in this forum.
There are too many opinions plus and minus to let anyone else
decide it for you.
I've only used 81's and 85's...and the characteristics vary from guitar to guitar. What I like most about either is they are virtually noiseless. Great for home recording, where electromagnetic interference is everywhere, and tough to control. (I can hear my neighbor's light dimmers in our power supply!).
They are "nuetral", as they don't add their own color to the sound of the guitar. Putting EMG's in a cheap guitar just magnifies the cheap guitar.
If you like the sound of the guitar unplugged, then it's a good candidate.
They don't have a magnetic pull on the strings. This can do a couple of things. If the guitar has good resonanance, then the harmonics will come off well. But the magnetism of a conventional alnico pickup can actually add some of those harmonics, because of the pull. The passive pickup can be set extremely close to the strings. I have found that setting EMG's too close makes them sound "fizzy", and thin, though.
If you already have one, and want to try it, have at it. If you are thinking of buying one, then try it already set up in a similar guitar and rig.
The only downside, I have found, also serves as a benefit: they are very predictable. You won't won't get a lot of "mojo" out of them. The best way to take advantage is post processing through effects and amp settings.
I notice a lot new forum members jump in and trash them, then don't mention it much. I think it's a snob disease they pick up from other boards.
I like them in the right situations, and love old wound pickups for others.
Half a zillion pro guitarists can't be wrong...EMG's are still very popular.

#1

[RacerX]

I prefer the 85 in the bridge with either an 81 or 60 in the neck.

Dude, why don't you put that as your sig

[toejam]

I prefer the 85 in the bridge with either an 81 or 60 in the neck.

Dude, why don't you put that as your sig

I probably should; I've said it about a million times! :ROTF:

[jtr]

The 89 is the most versetile as it has a single coil (SA ) and a humbucking (85 ) it's great for any position and is my personal favorite ( I have them in 2 Guitars) . The tone is close to a dimarzio super dist (H) and the single sound very straty (S) the main differents from a passive is the sound slightly compress. The 81 is my least favorite of their pickups but when you add a EMG RPS Control to add alittle sparkle ( highend )they come alive ( use the RSP control slightly on 2-4 range full up will make a 81 sound like a Tele bridge pickup) EMG will give you a consistant sound where passive pickups seem to be effected by many outside factors.( sound great one day but not the next)

[straycat]

Just thought I'd chime in here I just put an 81 in the bridge of an 87 Charvel bass and WOW it has a very different sound now.Before it was fizzy and lifeless now it screams.I wired it to run 18 volts.The customer just left and was freaking out how great it sounded.The bass was a refin and he had all the pickup cavities filled. I routed it for 1 hum and sheilded the cavity and screwed the pickup directly to the body.I thought he was nuts but it works.
He plays in a death metal group and uses an older Ampeg amp and two 6x10 cabs.The dude is odd to say the least but has some cool ides.

[KMud]

You guys have got me tempted to swap the 81 and 85 around on my SG, can't say I've ever read anyone advocate an 81 in the neck apart from here!

[toejam]

You guys have got me tempted to swap the 81 and 85 around on my SG, can't say I've ever read anyone advocate an 81 in the neck apart from here!

Jon Donais from Shadows Fall uses the 85 in bridge and 81 in the neck (I think the guys from Killswitch Engage also do). Kirk Hammett uses two 81s, so does Jeff Hanneman.

[NextInLine]

I guess I'm one of the few in here that like the 81 in the bridge.

Most people complain the 81 sounds lifeless, to me that's what makes it sound great! Compressed and really clean sound under shitloads of distortion. But you should hear the 81 with a half or full stack at high volumes! Tight and heavy! at low volumes it can sound kinda lifeless..

[KMud]

Jon Donais from Shadows Fall uses the 85 in bridge and 81 in the neck (I think the guys from Killswitch Engage also do). Kirk Hammett uses two 81s, so does Jeff Hanneman.

Didn't know about Killswitch, but I always assumed Hammet just had the neck pickup in there to aid his guitar sales :ROTF:

[toejam]

Didn't know about Killswitch, but I always assumed Hammet just had the neck pickup in there to aid his guitar sales :ROTF:

LOL As far as I know, the only EMG-equipped guitar Kirk doesn't use an 81 in the neck is his old Jackson '85 Custom Rhoads. He uses an H model in that one (single coil in humbucker housing), with the 81 in the bridge.

[toejam]

I guess I'm one of the few in here that like the 81 in the bridge.

Most people complain the 81 sounds lifeless, to me that's what makes it sound great! Compressed and really clean sound under shitloads of distortion. But you should hear the 81 with a half or full stack at high volumes! Tight and heavy! at low volumes it can sound kinda lifeless..

When I put a 25th anniversary chrome 81 set in my old Hamer, it sounded very good (better than the JB/'59 set that was in it), but it was still a little bright sounding in the bridge and I usually kept the tone control on 5 to help tame it.

[marcus]

LOL As far as I know, the only EMG-equipped guitar Kirk doesn't use an 81 in the neck is his old Jackson '85 Custom Rhoads. He uses an H model in that one (single coil in humbucker housing), with the 81 in the bridge.

The EMG KH signature set has an 81 in the bridge, and an SA in the middle and in the neck. I have never seen him play a guitar with that setup, though, so maybe its just marketing.