Replacing emg 81/85 combo
- Thread starter Lux84
- Start date
Re: Replacing emg 81/85 combo
If you find the 85 at the bridge to be too rounded on the lows or not tight enough, then try the 18v mod.
18v will increase clarity across the whole EQ, but that also takes you back to quicker tighter lows, so really 9v standard seems better for what you want.
If you find the 85 at the bridge to be too rounded on the lows or not tight enough, then try the 18v mod.
18v will increase clarity across the whole EQ, but that also takes you back to quicker tighter lows, so really 9v standard seems better for what you want.
Ascension
New member
Re: Replacing emg 81/85 combo
Have an 85 bridge and a H60 A [alnico mag] in the neck on my Washburn USA MG 122 prototype and really like that set up!!Sounds much like a passive set up the way it reasponds to touch and volume roll back. It's my only active guitar and I really like this set up in this guitar.
donaldr
New member
Re: Replacing emg 81/85 combo
@Lux84: Have you played with your volume knob a bit? Sounds simplistic but that fixed some issues I had regarding my appreciation of EMG
I don't know if it's because my EMG are old versions (made end of '70, beginning of '80), but I have a different sound just by going from 10 to 9. At 10 it looks like it's overloading the (old design) pickup preamp a bit too much and at 9 it's breathing a bit more. I have usable sounds from 3 to 10 on the the 60 bridge and the 1x S neck/middle. YMMV with 81/85, I never used them.
@Lux84: Have you played with your volume knob a bit? Sounds simplistic but that fixed some issues I had regarding my appreciation of EMG
I don't know if it's because my EMG are old versions (made end of '70, beginning of '80), but I have a different sound just by going from 10 to 9. At 10 it looks like it's overloading the (old design) pickup preamp a bit too much and at 9 it's breathing a bit more. I have usable sounds from 3 to 10 on the the 60 bridge and the 1x S neck/middle. YMMV with 81/85, I never used them.
oilpit
New member
Re: Replacing emg 81/85 combo
Oh man what an interesting set of pups!
Has anybody tried these? I don't remember the last time I have been so intrigued at a set of active pickups.
Oh man what an interesting set of pups!
Has anybody tried these? I don't remember the last time I have been so intrigued at a set of active pickups.
Masta' C
Well-known member
Re: Replacing emg 81/85 combo
Ok, just changed 85 to bridge, and 81 to neck. no big difference, still prefer the passive sound of other two guitars. but that guitar is tuned lower, from e to cis standard, so i cannot trully compare.. what to say, for metallica and black sabbath old school kind of stuff it's ok, not for any much else. next thing to try is that 18V mod. i am playing through Bias FX and Randall Diavlo RD-1. i changed the guitar in the middle, and wov. that charvel model 5 with jackson pickups in it sounded much better to me.
Ok, just changed 85 to bridge, and 81 to neck. no big difference, still prefer the passive sound of other two guitars. but that guitar is tuned lower, from e to cis standard, so i cannot trully compare.. what to say, for metallica and black sabbath old school kind of stuff it's ok, not for any much else. next thing to try is that 18V mod. i am playing through Bias FX and Randall Diavlo RD-1. i changed the guitar in the middle, and wov. that charvel model 5 with jackson pickups in it sounded much better to me.
Re: Replacing emg 81/85 combo
I put fat 55s in my LTD ec100 fr and it transformed it.
AFAIK they were made in the USA. Their website says their stuff is made in california and nothing about indonesia.
It took no time at all to fit them.
Would I buy them again?........for a better choice of PAF style pickups I would go for Duncans.
I put fat 55s in my LTD ec100 fr and it transformed it.
AFAIK they were made in the USA. Their website says their stuff is made in california and nothing about indonesia.
It took no time at all to fit them.
Would I buy them again?........for a better choice of PAF style pickups I would go for Duncans.
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donaldr
New member
Re: Replacing emg 81/85 combo
You are down-tuned to C standard? Should mean you have big strings to keep tension, might explain why you have a big sound: more steal on the strings.
I swapped my EMG from a 25.5" guitar to a 24.75" guitar and in the process changed strings from .010 (DR) to .011 (EB). Changed the sound, more beef, less highs.
Maybe try a set of DR Tite Fit 10-50 (or other bright strings) standard tuning just for reference.
You are down-tuned to C standard? Should mean you have big strings to keep tension, might explain why you have a big sound: more steal on the strings.
I swapped my EMG from a 25.5" guitar to a 24.75" guitar and in the process changed strings from .010 (DR) to .011 (EB). Changed the sound, more beef, less highs.
Maybe try a set of DR Tite Fit 10-50 (or other bright strings) standard tuning just for reference.
