emg 81 vs 85

[shogunlegend]

i've heard people say that the 85 is actually a better bridge pickup, and that the 81 is really only good for the neck. i've also heard that the 85 is just a better pickup than the 81. it has also been said that the same is true the other way around. what do you think?

i like to play malmsteen type stuff, plus a lot of metal and some blues. in any case, i love that grinding kind of sound that i hear from bands who use emg actives when they play metal. which would you choose for instrumental guitar music and why?

 

[Mephis]

Re: emg 81 vs 85

If you want the grinding sound, try the 85. They work well for blues too, buddy guy uses em.

 

[shogunlegend]

Re: emg 81 vs 85

how does it sound with malmsteen and satriani type stuff?

 

[Mephis]

Re: emg 81 vs 85

I could see it doing satriani by a long shot. But yngwie+ginding tone+satch=doesn't mix.

It's not really going to be good for the yngwie thing, but I don't know of any humbuckers that are.

 

[shogunlegend]

Re: emg 81 vs 85

i think the 89 does split

 

[Ascension]

Re: emg 81 vs 85

I have a 89 and it does not split in the traditional sense. It is two seperate pickups under one cover. The bucker is much like a slightly lower powered 85 and the single is the SA and is humbucking.
I personally prefer the 85 as a bridge bucker and use the 60 A as my neck pickup with a 85. The 81 is too harsh thin and biting for my taste. The 85 has a HUGE woody tone and the 60A is a perfect match. I can cover metal to smooth jazz with that set up.

 

[ksmith63]

Re: emg 81 vs 85

For pure metal agression, nothing beats the EMG 81 in the bridge. Tight, punishing, and crushing. The 85 is much tamer, with more mids and bass, but it can still throwdown. The 85 is a much more versatile pickup in the bridge.

For virtuoso guitar, I would pick the 60A neck/85 bridge combo (which I have and love).

85 has more output than an 81 so i'm not sure about the 'tame' thing. i've found that 81's are only usefull when using unhealthy amounts of distortion. the 85 is much better all around. may not be as clear as the 81 but its still really clear.

 

[lex666]

Re: emg 81 vs 85

I've got 2 guitars with EMG's:

ESP LTD KH602 with 81's

Gibson LP studio with 81B & 85N

In my ESP, the 81B sounds kinda bright, mostly midrangey... I like it for shredding and some rhythm stuff... I don't really care for the 81 in the neck, it sounds kinda muddy and un-distinct. The 81N leaves a lot to be desired...

In my LP, the 81B sounds fantastic. Lots of low end grunt. Nice singing highs, nice even balance over all the strings and it can go over the top if you want it to. The 85N is a much nicer neck pup than I've experinced with the 81N. It sounds very nice and clean with the vol rolled back and blends much better with the 81B.

I'm very anxious to try out the new SD Blackouts in my Explorer...

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: emg 81 vs 85

(cough) blackouts (cough)

 

[El Dunco]

Re: emg 81 vs 85

The 85 may have more measurable output (from EMG's site) but the 81 definitely sounds like it has more output, due to its high mids and treble. The 81 will overdrive my amps much faster than the 85, which can actually be played clean.

Mine can't... it's crunchy.

 

[OrkestrA]

Re: emg 81 vs 85

if im going to use an EMG in the brigde... it HAS to be an 85.

The 81 is spaz, it sounds fuzzy and gunky, fizzy and brittle.

It's terrible in the bridge, in the neck it's really bright but I quite like it - the combo of the two, with the neck volume rolled off is quite thick and almost juicy (as 'juicy' as EMG's can get...)

The 85 is thunderous.

 

[D-EJ915]

Re: emg 81 vs 85

THe 81 isn't super ultra-hot like everyone makes it out to be, the duncan designed JB in my 7 overdrives my clean channel more.

 

[fullfistrock21]

Re: emg 81 vs 85

81 sounds great in the bridge but once again bedroom rockers dont like it because its not thick enough, it cuts through a mix great and is great for leads maybe thats why rhythm players dont like, its awesome if you play a lot of solos. I mean it is dumb to say that it is only good in the neck, also wood does make a different with emg's no matter what anybody say because of the vibrations of the strings into the wood, i can see ibanez type giutars sounds good with a 85 in the bridge to make the sound thicker, so many people play with uber bright guitars and put a bright pickup and say the pickup sucks and has no balls, and 81 in an explorer, V, or lespaul sounds sick, in a strat or ibanez type guitar it can still sound good but it may be too bright

 

[ksmith63]

Re: emg 81 vs 85

The 85 may have more measurable output (from EMG's site) but the 81 definitely sounds like it has more output, due to its high mids and treble. The 81 will overdrive my amps much faster than the 85, which can actually be played clean.

not the 81 i've tried. the 81 that came in my schecter was sterile compared to the 85. the 81 could be played clean but it sounds like crap because it lacks any character.

 

[fullfistrock21]

Re: emg 81 vs 85

a lot ceramic pickups have a sterile sound, obviously A 5 pickups have more warmth but in hard rock metal solos, the 81 is awesome. sg bodys or super thin bodies do need added warmth though, they definatley dont have that dark resononace of a lespaul....which sounds awesome with an 81

 

[fullfistrock21]

Re: emg 81 vs 85

i dont even know why a person who plays blues rock or pop music would even want an 81 though, too much agression.

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: emg 81 vs 85

if EMG ,the 60A is the best Bridge PU.Extreme clean ,crunchy ,rich and balanced.Don't looses the bottom control like the 85 ,and it's not thin and sterile like the 81.
60 and 60 a are the best EMGs.

I would give a try to the blackouts tho!!!
I am going to try them on my new 7..It have to be standart sized tho!I never ever want to re-route that thang!

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: emg 81 vs 85

I've heard time and time again that the 81 is better than the 85, and that the 85 is better than the 81.

While I haven't tried the 85 myself, I have lots of experience with the 81 in the Ibanez SZ520 I used to have (Mahogany/Maple body, Rosewood fretboard). I find it's a great pickup for super crunchy rhythm, and screaming leads, but sometimes the high end to me sounded a bit thin and piercing on the lead sound.

The 85, I've been told by a very credible source, is much rounder and thicker, and the lead tone and cleans are a big improvement. In short, it is a better pickup for everything but that super-tight, super-crunchy high gain rhythm. If I put EMGs into my Schecter I will plan on finding an 85 somehow.

 

[shogunlegend]

Re: emg 81 vs 85

alright, i've extensively tried out each pup. the 81 sounds very very good. i think it's more versatile than people give credit for. on the other hand, i went ahead and bought the 85 because it sounded so damned good. the output is very high, so i will adjust the pickup height so it won't be so sensetive.

in my opinion, the 85 is a more mature version of the 81. it's got so much tone that i think people who don't spend enough time with it write it off as being muddy or something. it's really full of great tone. if you lower the distortion, up the mids, and really try to get good tone out of it, you will certainly acheive it. it has more harmonics than the 81, and sounds a little more aggressive. it's the 81 that seems a little smoother to me. then again, with the right amp/effect settings, you can tame the 85.

on the other hand, at higher distortion settings, i like the 81 a little more. it's very clean, but then again, legatto and harmonics don't come as easy as they do with the 85. in summary, i think the 81 is a superb pickup and a very safe choice if you're not sure what to buy. the 85, on the other hand, is for serious players who want serious tone. the 85 has so much to offer that you have to spend some time getting it right. i've always been skeptical of actives, but i've finally come around.

HOWEVER, this evaluation only solidifies my belief that alnico pups are slightly superior in tone.

 

[Darth Nihilus]

Re: emg 81 vs 85

Well, I've tried both and the 81 is without a doubt, the victor!
More bite than the 85, more clarity, more perceived gain and way better harmonics. As someone who's played them outside of my bedroom, I can say that at high volume and gain, the 81 has a huge but more importantly a tighter low end than the 85. At low bedroom levels, sure the 85 sounds thicker but once that 85 leaves the bedroom and is taken to the real world, at high volume and gain, the 85 sounds too bassy and messy.

But all this doesn't matter because I already played the Blackout pup and it destroys both the 85 and my beloved 81, so there b1tches