Rex_Rocker
Well-known member
So I wanted to post how the 85 in the bridge is working out for me. I've discovered some interesting things as well as confirmed some others, so I thought I'd share.
A long time ago, the 81/85 combo was one of the first aftermarket pickup sets I got. I wanted it mainly because some of my favorite recorded tones were done with an 85 in the bridge (As I Lay Dying, Killswitch Engage, etc.), but I was also curious about trying the 81 in there. I liked the 85 for a while, but then I swapped the 81 in there, and liked how easy it was to get a mix-ready tone from it. I always wanted a little more low-end, though, so I tried the 81X, 81TW, the Hets, and the AHB1-B Blackout searching for that middle ground between the 81 and the 85. I then moved to passives, but always preferred the more mid-focused ones. My favorite passives have been the JB, Black Winter, and Duncan Distortion.
I decided on revisiting the 85 recently, and I'm really digging it!
First it's not as bassy as I remember it. Absolutely every passive I've tried has had a deeper bottom-end, even the leaner ones like the DiMarzio Dominion. It's definitely the fattest EMG active in the original non-X lineup, yeah, but it still has that low-pass thing going on that makes it unmistakably active-sounding.
The pickup itself is not really all that bassy, but it does have a ton of low mids compared to the 81, which definitely lends itself to this sledgehammer type of tone. It's almost scooped in the high-mids compared to the 81, but it's still very mid-focused compared to passives. It's also got about as much highs as the 81. Definitely not airy like a PAF or even as bitey as a JB (hell, even the JB is less mid-focused than the 85 and 81 IME), but it's not all that dark either, just really smooth.
Second, it's not as hot as the "active" label might suggest. It clips within the pickup's preamp, so at 9V, it's putting out noticeably less output direct into my interface compared to the Duncan Distortion. It feels around DD-levels of saturation when playing it, perhaps a bit more, and I'm sure if you 18 or 27V-modded it, it wouldn't be far off in actual measurable output. But the Black Winter is fiercer, for sure.
It's also louder than the EMG 81. Not by much, but it's definitely noticeable. I remember not liking the 85 in the neck with the 81 in the bridge before, but this time, I also gave it a try since the pickups can be easily swapped with the Quick Connect thing, and I didn't dislike it. I did have to lower the 85 quite a bit to balance with the 81, but that also helped clear the mud from the warm/smooth 85 in the bassy neck position. It's better than what I remember, but I prefer the 85 in the bridge, so I didn't leave it.
So yeah, those are my thoughts, lol. Definitely good to swap some actives back in and realize there's benefits to both actives and passives. Now I really want to try the 57 and 58 to see how they compare to the 85. Hope I didn't bore you guys with the long read.
A long time ago, the 81/85 combo was one of the first aftermarket pickup sets I got. I wanted it mainly because some of my favorite recorded tones were done with an 85 in the bridge (As I Lay Dying, Killswitch Engage, etc.), but I was also curious about trying the 81 in there. I liked the 85 for a while, but then I swapped the 81 in there, and liked how easy it was to get a mix-ready tone from it. I always wanted a little more low-end, though, so I tried the 81X, 81TW, the Hets, and the AHB1-B Blackout searching for that middle ground between the 81 and the 85. I then moved to passives, but always preferred the more mid-focused ones. My favorite passives have been the JB, Black Winter, and Duncan Distortion.
I decided on revisiting the 85 recently, and I'm really digging it!
First it's not as bassy as I remember it. Absolutely every passive I've tried has had a deeper bottom-end, even the leaner ones like the DiMarzio Dominion. It's definitely the fattest EMG active in the original non-X lineup, yeah, but it still has that low-pass thing going on that makes it unmistakably active-sounding.
The pickup itself is not really all that bassy, but it does have a ton of low mids compared to the 81, which definitely lends itself to this sledgehammer type of tone. It's almost scooped in the high-mids compared to the 81, but it's still very mid-focused compared to passives. It's also got about as much highs as the 81. Definitely not airy like a PAF or even as bitey as a JB (hell, even the JB is less mid-focused than the 85 and 81 IME), but it's not all that dark either, just really smooth.
Second, it's not as hot as the "active" label might suggest. It clips within the pickup's preamp, so at 9V, it's putting out noticeably less output direct into my interface compared to the Duncan Distortion. It feels around DD-levels of saturation when playing it, perhaps a bit more, and I'm sure if you 18 or 27V-modded it, it wouldn't be far off in actual measurable output. But the Black Winter is fiercer, for sure.
It's also louder than the EMG 81. Not by much, but it's definitely noticeable. I remember not liking the 85 in the neck with the 81 in the bridge before, but this time, I also gave it a try since the pickups can be easily swapped with the Quick Connect thing, and I didn't dislike it. I did have to lower the 85 quite a bit to balance with the 81, but that also helped clear the mud from the warm/smooth 85 in the bassy neck position. It's better than what I remember, but I prefer the 85 in the bridge, so I didn't leave it.
So yeah, those are my thoughts, lol. Definitely good to swap some actives back in and realize there's benefits to both actives and passives. Now I really want to try the 57 and 58 to see how they compare to the 85. Hope I didn't bore you guys with the long read.
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