Thoughts on the EMG 81

[Metalman_666]

Hi guys

I was sifting through the threads here and I noticed many ppl have different things to say about the EMG 81. Some say its very trebly and midrangey, or too much so.... some seem to think its bassy! So I was wondering what all of you thought, and then we can have all the opinions on this pup in one thread.

Nick

 

[RG 2570]

Re: Thoughts on the EMG 81

Hi guys

I was sifting through the threads here and I noticed many ppl have different things to say about the EMG 81. Some say its very trebly and midrangey, or too much so.... some seem to think its bassy! So I was wondering what all of you thought, and then we can have all the opinions on this pup in one thread.

Nick

all i can say is that IF zakk wylde, jeff hanneman,kerry king, kirk hamett,james hetfield, james murphy, and a crap load of others love them so much they must me great!
I tried a KH esp sig guitar through a mesa rectifier and man it was devastating! :saeek:
big low end,crunching mids,and searing trebles.
through a JCM 800 reissue it still sounded real good but a lot different of course more like slayer and the mesa sounded like old metallica :burnout:

 

[fenderiarhs]

Re: Thoughts on the EMG 81

I am not a big fan of the emg81...i think it is a bit exagerated and has a lot of highs which i don't like.I think the emg85 is a much better design than the 81.

 

[DiminisheD-7th]

Re: Thoughts on the EMG 81

to my view, one of the best pickups out there, especially for lead playing.

 

[kammo1]

Re: Thoughts on the EMG 81

Hi I have to agree pound for pound the 81 can obtain all the classic rock tones of the 80's and all of the modern tones of todays Nu-Metallers. After all unless you are into other musical styles then yep maybe the 81 is not for you but at the end of the day I have not found one thing that I don't like about it and if it sounds too trebly turn your amp settings to compenste and if its bassy dial in more treble. I think with all pick-ups you can expect to do some tweaking to get the sound where you are happy at and whether its an EMG or Seymour,Di-Marzio or whatever nearly always you will end up as near as possible to the sound you're looking for. Kammo1

 

[Hunter1974]

Re: Thoughts on the EMG 81

I think it depends on what guitar you put them in.I have a Emg81 in my 91 Les paul classic and it sounds killer with the 85 in the neck.I had a pair of 81's in my ibanez rg520 but I changed those to duncans which I glad I did.

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: Thoughts on the EMG 81

what wood do you find best compliments those active beauties?

 

[some_dude]

Re: Thoughts on the EMG 81

Just about any wood, as long as it's good in the first place.

Active pickups are said to ignore many tonewood qualities when compared to passives.

 

[fab.regnaut]

Re: Thoughts on the EMG 81

Put the EMG in a cardboard guitar and it will be sheaper , you will still have a smoking sound !!!

 

[kaknight]

Re: Thoughts on the EMG 81

I had an 81 in my old ibanez s. It was really big and bold in the bottom. soloing seemed to come easily (there weren't a lot of weird noises from other strings or from the sound of the frets being scraped). but i found the thing very sterile. I didn't find that the notes articulated well, particularly when distorted and as I like to play a lot of funky chords this made my work more difficult. M7th's just sounded like crap when I was playing them, and forget about 13ths.

 

[invader777bk]

Re: Thoughts on the EMG 81

I have it in my MIM strat and I think it's a great lead pickup. Rythms are simply chunky, you can get a ridicolous amount of gain! Cleans are decent, pretty bright too. In a strat it sounds way better than in a les paul type guitar. I play some jazz on it, too.

 

[Metalman_666]

Re: Thoughts on the EMG 81

has anyone who complains about EMG's being sterile ever tried the 18 volt mod? that's supposed to breathe new life into the pups

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Thoughts on the EMG 81

has anyone who complains about EMG's being sterile ever tried the 18 volt mod? that's supposed to breathe new life into the pups

I have, and it makes them sound A LOT better. Big improvement, but they still have that EMG vibe. I like 'em alot, just favor passives now after using EMG's for a long time.