Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

[SpiderVenom]

Well, I'm trying to decide on a pickup combo for my next guitar, and I've narrowed the choice down to either (bridge/neck) the Full Shred/Jazz or the EMG 81/60.

I'm tending more towards the EMGs for one reason. While I prefer passives, interference is a *major* bugbear for me. Where I am, I get an obnoxiously loud click from the electric fence near the house pulsing - sometimes loud enough to cut through quiet playing. Plus, on my rubbishy, inshielded strat (sigh), turning up the gain to anything above 6 or so starts to really bring in the interference from everything (and it is basically the guitar picking it up too). Now, either way I'll be cavity shielding, but the low impedence/internal shielding of the EMGs seems very attractive when it comes to getting rid of the noise. Not the best reason to choose pickups, I know, but interference drives me nuts.

As for sounds I want to make. In the rhythm department, I'm after two sounds. The Thing That Should Not Be basically summarizes one sound, whilst the other one, I can only describe as a "freight train". Basically, high gain, rolled back treble, and lots of palm muting, to create a very heavy but quite muted sound.

Lead wise, I'd like to be able to get a smooth sound out of it, ala Creeping Death, as well as something with a more blistering edge (perhaps like Petrucci's cover of Battery).

I guess I'm looking for this from the bridge pickup - in both options, I chose the neck pickup to add versatility. Anymore, I'd really be interested to hear your guys' thoughts.

 

[Loserchief]

Re: Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

Maybe you could tell as what guitar those pups will go in.
Otherwise the EMG 81/60 is one of my favorite combos. The 60 as a neck pup does exceptionally well as a rhythm pickup and can definitely give you the sounds you want for rhythm. The 81 on the other hand will give you some seriously aggressive and soaring lead sounds when used in the bridge, it should take you where you wanna go. And the 60 also is a great pup for blues and clean jazz so versaitillity is also given.
I have no experience with the Full shred bridge but the neck version makes a great lead pup for smooth solos esspecially downtuned(but just no rhythm pup imo). No experience with jazz except that i didn't like it in the neck of a ESP Maustaine signature V.

 

[SpiderVenom]

Re: Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

Sorry, should have thought to add guitar specs (duh).

It'll be a Warmoth soloist, maple/brazilian rosewood neck, schaller floyd rose. As for the body, that's up in the air. I liked the idea of EMGs because I figured I might get away with an Alder body, and I'd love to stick to having a light guitar, rather than having a mahogany body (but I'd get one if neccesary).

 

[Pierre]

Re: Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

I have a FullShred in the bridge of my Model 4 (charvel strat, basswood body). It screams. It's quite hot (though not as much as say, a Custom), quite crunchy, very tight and rather bright. If you put it in the bridge of an Alder or Ash guitar it'll be very bright. It's just fine in my guitar (basswood).
I made a thread with a more details review, just use the search function for it, I included much more in it. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

 

[Captain Tightpants]

Re: Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

If interference is a major issue, go for the EMG. I've got fiddles with both, and I've always had a lot of interference problems with the full shred, no matter what guitar it was in. Good sounding pickup, but the EMG 81 is similar, and no buzz.

However, although I LOVE the EMG 60, it sounds nothing like the Jazz. You might try an EMG H. It's supposed to be a single coil in a humbucker size, but it'd probably sound closer to a Jazz. Hope that helps!!

 

[SpiderVenom]

Re: Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

Thanks guys.

Pierre - nice review, gave me some important info. Pickup sounds really good - I think the choice now probably comes down to factors other than sound after that review.

Captain... somethingpants: That definitely tips it towards the EMGs. As for the Jazz/60 thing... I wasn't actually particular about the sound of either, I just wanted a neck pickup that would add a bit of versatility. The 60's renowned rhythm capabilities make it an attractive option anyway.

 

[Captain Tightpants]

Re: Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

You can't really go wrong with the 60, fantastic sounding pickup. Lots of balls, more clarity in the neck than the 85.

 

[Sykes]

Re: Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

I liked the idea of EMGs because I figured I might get away with an Alder body, and I'd love to stick to having a light guitar, rather than having a mahogany body (but I'd get one if neccesary).

I've found that EMG's sound the same in any guitar, so if you like the sound of EMG's, the make-up of the guitar doesn't matter so much. I believe they have a built in "pre amp" that makes this so.

I have a FS bridge right now and find it to be crunchy, articulate, and not alot of bottom. I like it though. I feel to maximize this pickup, you need to play alot of lead. This pickup also holds together well under high gain situations without getting muddy.

 

[SpiderVenom]

Re: Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

I've found that EMG's sound the same in any guitar, so if you like the sound of EMG's, the make-up of the guitar doesn't matter so much. I believe they have a built in "pre amp" that makes this so.

You're probably risking the wrath of the few EMG lovers on this forum there, but I don't think anyone can disagree that EMGs certainly sound very similar regardless of guitar woods.

I know it seems silly to choose a pickup based on things like interference and getting lighter guitar wood, but I'm not so particular about a "perfect" sound (mainly as I don't have the cash to hunt for it), and EMGs have to give me a decent distortion, one would imagine

Thanks for all the feedback, anyway.

 

[ranalli]

Re: Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

However, although I LOVE the EMG 60, it sounds nothing like the Jazz.

I love passives and actives, however, the 60 is probably my favorite neck pickup to date....it does so much so well.


I STILL can't find a passive equivalent though....sometimes I don't want active in the bridge...

 

[ranalli]

Re: Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

I've found that EMG's sound the same in any guitar, so if you like the sound of EMG's, the make-up of the guitar doesn't matter so much. I believe they have a built in "pre amp" that makes this so..

This has already been disproven time and time again with various clips that I've seen around the internet....it's simply not true.

 

[Sykes]

Re: Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

This has already been disproven time and time again with various clips that I've seen around the internet....it's simply not true.

I think I remember those clips. I thought it was cool that all those clips were on the same amp with the same settings. :smack:

 

[neosadist]

Re: Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

While I prefer passives, interference is a *major* bugbear for me. Where I am, I get an obnoxiously loud click from the electric fence near the house pulsing - sometimes loud enough to cut through quiet playing. Plus, on my rubbishy, inshielded strat (sigh), turning up the gain to anything above 6 or so starts to really bring in the interference from everything (and it is basically the guitar picking it up too).

I'd say fix the interference problem first and see if your opinion changes.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

I'm always trying to "improve" my tone, and after 8 years of swapping pickups around, I've finally realized that the 81 was present at all the high points.

 

[fenderiarhs]

Re: Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

I've found that EMG's sound the same in any guitar, so if you like the sound of EMG's, the make-up of the guitar doesn't matter so much. I believe they have a built in "pre amp" that makes this so.

Here we go again..............
If you have found (i am sorry but you gave me reasons to believe you have never tried an emg....you "believe" they have a built in preamp?????????) that EMGS sound the same regardless of the guitar they are in then you might explain this to me:
I've got three(3) different guitars all of them with an emg85/SA/SA combo

A 93 fender am std strat with rosewood fingerboard..........
A 2004 fender strat special Floyd rose with maple fingerboard
86 hamer chapparal custom with set neck, mahogany body, ebony fingerboard........

Believe me those three guitars sound COMPLETELY DIFFERENT even though they are all equipped with the 85/sa/sa combo(i can assure you my ears are still in decent condition)........so excuse me but i think you keep repeating in this forum the crap you just read somewhere over the internet........

 

[WITH FULL DISTORTION]

Re: Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

****ing hails all
i liked the emg 81 in the bridge
it´s awesome.
but ihave to test it in another guitar, cause i found it a little bit bright for my tastes...
its a ASH body charvel fusion 80´s
i like the bass and the mids.
mids in the right spot. crunchy and clear. and the bass is ****ing articulated and crunchy and chuga too. i use it in E standard tuning
so, thats the reason i need to test it in different tunings and in another guitar
cause i found the highs a little icy picky and loosing some kind of sustain.
another tip... i wold suggest you to choose the WARMOTH Z body
i really love it , and the schecter avenger too
i´m designing my custom axe together with a friend from Denmark.. based on a mix between those two axe body shapes
and the headstock will looks like the dimebag one.
24 small/medium frets, ebony fretboard, baritone scale, mahogany neck thru , and mahogany body.
2 infamous hellbuckers(i´ll choose between bare knuckle pickups or emgs)
1 volume pot only.
gotoh or schaller floyd rose
gotoh locking tuners and ...
a special inlay incrustations
natural finish OR see thru black finish.
****ing hails
Ah.. it will be tuned in C.
J.P

 

[SpiderVenom]

Re: Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

I'd say fix the interference problem first and see if your opinion changes.

Which involves getting a new guitar with humbuckers and shielding it
I know that shielding the guitar and throwing 'buckers in will help the interference a lot... just not as much as EMGs.

So what should an 81/60 sound like in an Alder body then? Too bright?

 

[SpiderVenom]

Re: Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

Ah.. it will be tuned in C.

Which reminds me, too. Whatever pickups I choose will have to have E standard in mind, because poking a thousand needles into my... "appendages" wouldn't convince me to downtune (ok, maybe it would, but you get the idea).

 

[Sykes]

Re: Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

Here we go again..............
If you have found (i am sorry but you gave me reasons to believe you have never tried an emg....you "believe" they have a built in preamp?????????) that EMGS sound the same regardless of the guitar they are in then you might explain this to me:
I've got three(3) different guitars all of them with an emg85/SA/SA combo

A 93 fender am std strat with rosewood fingerboard..........
A 2004 fender strat special Floyd rose with maple fingerboard
86 hamer chapparal custom with set neck, mahogany body, ebony fingerboard........

Believe me those three guitars sound COMPLETELY DIFFERENT even though they are all equipped with the 85/sa/sa combo(i can assure you my ears are still in decent condition)........so excuse me but i think you keep repeating in this forum the crap you just read somewhere over the internet........

I hear ya bro! I like what I like I like, you like what you like, it's all good, in the way we better music. I've used 81's, I'm not just regurgitating rement spew of those that try to teach me. I just prefer Duncans brand of magic.

Peace out!!!

Do you play chess?

 

[SpiderVenom]

Re: Full Shred/Jazz vs 81/60

Do you play chess?

Don't dare start a text version of chess in my thread :laugh2: