Inflames626
New member
Hi all,
I rarely see this pickup discussed as opposed to the famous EMG 60, so I thought I would describe my experiences with it. For those unfamiliar with the 60A, it differs from the 60 in that it has an Alnico rather than ceramic magnet, so the 60A has more low end and sounds warmer than the 60.
Guitar: Kramer Assault 220 Plus, EMG 85/81 stock, volume/volume/tone .047 tone cap, Original Floyd Rose, 25.5" scale length, set neck Les Paul copy. I think I picked up this guitar for $600-700. One of the very best values I've had for the money as the OFR and pickups alone would be worth $400 or so.
The only downside to the guitar is 25.5" Les Paul copies tend to feel weird as the body can be small and rounded while the neck feels overly long until you are used to it.
Putting the pickup in was just a matter of taking the 85 out of the neck and moving it to the bridge with the quick connects. The 60A went into the neck. The stock 81 I took from the bridge will be used with another project.
The only other modification I made was I used the 24 Volt Mod on this. It fit perfectly into the 9 volt battery clip. The wiring inside was very neat and tidy from the factory. The guitar was made in Korea.
My main concern with the 60A is I thought it would sound mushy and inarticulate compared to the 60, which I associate with a bright clean like a Roland JC120 amp. However, with the 24 Volt Mod the pickup was very lively and reminded me of an Alnico II Pro bridge pickup in the neck. It was warm but also cut through with the extra voltage. It was very musical and flute-like. 18 volts will make EMGs less compressed. Going to 24 will speed up your transients and make the tone feel different under your fingers in my experience.
Where I was not impressed was with the 85 in the bridge. I know a lot of people like the 85 because it has more body and low end than the 81, but I found it mushy even with 24 volts. This might not be the case if it is in a fixed bridge guitar.
I will remain an 81 bridge guy because I think the low end and transients are tighter relative to the 85. The 85 certainly doesn't sound bad, but it isn't optimal to me.
My main conclusion was that for people who like a hot pickup like 85 in the neck to solo with may want to try a 60A in 24 volts if the 85 is too much or inarticulate.
I will keep the guitar set up like this so it is an Alnico/Alnico guitar. I like using Alnicos on one side of a mix and ceramics on the other so the warmth and brightness balance each other out.
The 60A is a great pickup. The only downside relative to something like an A2P is you obviously don't have all the wiring choices you get with a 4 conductor passive pickup. If you just need one tone, then the less flexible EMGs will do the job.
So if you aren't digging the 60 and find it a bit thin or bright, try a 60A. Also, don't be afraid to up the voltage if you need the pickups to cut through a bit more.
Hope this helps.
I rarely see this pickup discussed as opposed to the famous EMG 60, so I thought I would describe my experiences with it. For those unfamiliar with the 60A, it differs from the 60 in that it has an Alnico rather than ceramic magnet, so the 60A has more low end and sounds warmer than the 60.
Guitar: Kramer Assault 220 Plus, EMG 85/81 stock, volume/volume/tone .047 tone cap, Original Floyd Rose, 25.5" scale length, set neck Les Paul copy. I think I picked up this guitar for $600-700. One of the very best values I've had for the money as the OFR and pickups alone would be worth $400 or so.
The only downside to the guitar is 25.5" Les Paul copies tend to feel weird as the body can be small and rounded while the neck feels overly long until you are used to it.
Putting the pickup in was just a matter of taking the 85 out of the neck and moving it to the bridge with the quick connects. The 60A went into the neck. The stock 81 I took from the bridge will be used with another project.
The only other modification I made was I used the 24 Volt Mod on this. It fit perfectly into the 9 volt battery clip. The wiring inside was very neat and tidy from the factory. The guitar was made in Korea.
My main concern with the 60A is I thought it would sound mushy and inarticulate compared to the 60, which I associate with a bright clean like a Roland JC120 amp. However, with the 24 Volt Mod the pickup was very lively and reminded me of an Alnico II Pro bridge pickup in the neck. It was warm but also cut through with the extra voltage. It was very musical and flute-like. 18 volts will make EMGs less compressed. Going to 24 will speed up your transients and make the tone feel different under your fingers in my experience.
Where I was not impressed was with the 85 in the bridge. I know a lot of people like the 85 because it has more body and low end than the 81, but I found it mushy even with 24 volts. This might not be the case if it is in a fixed bridge guitar.
I will remain an 81 bridge guy because I think the low end and transients are tighter relative to the 85. The 85 certainly doesn't sound bad, but it isn't optimal to me.
My main conclusion was that for people who like a hot pickup like 85 in the neck to solo with may want to try a 60A in 24 volts if the 85 is too much or inarticulate.
I will keep the guitar set up like this so it is an Alnico/Alnico guitar. I like using Alnicos on one side of a mix and ceramics on the other so the warmth and brightness balance each other out.
The 60A is a great pickup. The only downside relative to something like an A2P is you obviously don't have all the wiring choices you get with a 4 conductor passive pickup. If you just need one tone, then the less flexible EMGs will do the job.
So if you aren't digging the 60 and find it a bit thin or bright, try a 60A. Also, don't be afraid to up the voltage if you need the pickups to cut through a bit more.
Hope this helps.
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