First time playing EMGs - now I get what you're talking about...

[Seraphial]

So picked up a 2nd hand Charvel Desolation yesterday, primarily for the fantastic neck, but also for the 81/85 set installed.

Holy cow, now I know what people are talking about. Tremendous cut, feels like someone put a cattle prod up the backside of a humbucker.Rammstein, Metallica tones for days.

Neck clean was surprisingly decent. Not vintage PAF by any means, but better than expected!

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: First time playing EMGs - now I get what you're talking about...

Try the 85 in the bridge too!

 

[Masta' C]

Re: First time playing EMGs - now I get what you're talking about...

Glad you finally got a chance to check them out!

There's a reason the 81 and 85 are still popular and plenty relevant after nearly 40 years!

 

[Masta' C]

Re: First time playing EMGs - now I get what you're talking about...

Try the 85 in the bridge too!

Yeah, a lot of people like the 85 in the bridge...a swap is simple plug n' play. I prefer the 81, though.

I also like an 81/81 combo or a 81/60 (think: Metallica)

 

[Big Mike Blues]

Re: First time playing EMGs - now I get what you're talking about...

Glad you finally got a chance to check them out!

There's a reason the 81 and 85 are still popular and plenty relevant after nearly 40 years!

Agree. They're very good at that thing they do. Some love them.

 

[Big Mike Blues]

Re: First time playing EMGs - now I get what you're talking about...

Yeah, a lot of people like the 85 in the bridge...a swap is simple plug n' play. I prefer the 81, though.

I also like an 81/81 combo or a 81/60 (think: Metallica)

I always liked the 85 better, but the S single coil more. the S/S/85 or SAV/SAV/85 was a damn good set.
When I played strats...

 

[jeremy]

Re: First time playing EMGs - now I get what you're talking about...

i used sv/sv/81 then sv/sv/85 for a long time. both really good sets. the sv neck and middle were really good pups

 

[Demanic]

Re: First time playing EMGs - now I get what you're talking about...

Makes me want a single pickup guitar with an 81 with a 48V mod.

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[Despair]

Re: First time playing EMGs - now I get what you're talking about...

Makes me want a single pickup guitar with an 81 with a 48V mod.

So it can run off phantom power?

 

[Demanic]

Re: First time playing EMGs - now I get what you're talking about...

So it can run off phantom power?

Yowza!
Can you imagine?!

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[daenius]

Re: First time playing EMGs - now I get what you're talking about...

Honestly, the EMGs are more versatile than just "Metallica" too!

The active circuitry allows you to do a lot with just the guitar knob without losing tone fidelity so to speak.

Most of us grab a guitar and just dime all knobs, but with active pickups, the "halfway up" is very usable and you can set your amp accordingly. This allows you to dime the knobs when you want to get a little boost in saturation for solos and what not. The knob tweaking allows for more tonal variations out of those pickups for different styles of music too.

Pickup height adjustment tends to yield more variation in sound too which I find very fascinating.