EMG 81 - dirty #1 - 3:06 EMG 85 - dirty #1 - 3:18 EMG 81 - dirty #2 - 3:31 EMG 85 - dirty #2 - 3:43

Imagine my reaction when I first played my LTD with Zakk Wylde's EMG 81/85 pickups after selling a Chinese Strat-like guitar which I had used for years.

@Hyder61112

2 жыл бұрын

i have emg 81/60 in my ltd f50 right now, i was feeling like a king of rock when i first got them lol

@kremepye3613

2 жыл бұрын

Same here i threw a set 81/85 in my pacifica for a lol and it turned out to be no laughing matter, it chugs hard now

For those who just want to hear the distortion (which may include me) here's the timestamp: 3:06

@toemasmeems

3 жыл бұрын

Lame that most of the vid is clean lol I mean come on it’s EMG

By far the best EMG comparisons ive heard!

5:02 is the best comparison I've heard on yt so far.

You have helped so much to the guitar community with these videos! Thank you so much for your contribution to society 🙏🏽

The 81 past the test of time.This PU shaped Metal more than any other does. Its a legend. I own both and the x versions.Great.

I really liked how straight to the point this video was. I got exactly what I wanted/ needed to know. Thankfully the one I liked more clean was also the one I liked dirty. Very helpful video for me. Thanks.

Hallo Mike, thank you for your pickups test and corison, they are the best.

81 has balance and the 85 in the bridge sounds like it ruins the tight fast rhythms. 85 in the bridge did fatten up lead sounds though. There's a reason for the 81 bridge and 85 neck. I'm keeping it that way.

81 is the reigning king of metal. If you play extreme metal also check out the Maxon OD808 as a boost. It complements the 81's tight lows and subdued upper mids without turning your single note palm mutes into noise. I also recommend trying the Boss SD-1, depending on your amp. The 85 is too loose and has slightly more upper-mids than the 81, which is the bane of technical palm muted riffs as too much attack obscures note clarity.

at 2:17, we have a glorious Behemoth style riff.Gave me chills bruh.

@fredverdugo4243

Жыл бұрын

Its 4:17 .sorry

@stiffupperlip4

Жыл бұрын

lol I thought you were messing with us

@fredverdugo4243

Жыл бұрын

@stiffupperlip4 Yeah i have false info

@francismcalister7811

Жыл бұрын

lol

@_jeff.medeiros

7 ай бұрын

bro trolled me for real... i literally expected a behemoth like riff

That was a great video thank you!

Great stuff! Really liked the high gain sounds.

The emg 85 has a nicer punchy heavy tone, the emg 81 sounds a bit brighter and lighter. I think it would be good for the 85 for the bridge and the 81 for the neck

@lesterstrikerdroit73

11 ай бұрын

The 80's reverse combo, nice

After nearly four decades with both here’s my thoughts in a live situation. If you’re in a 2 guitar band then get an 81 in the bridge to cut through the mix. If you’re in a power trio or one guitar band then get an 85 or even a 57 to fill the void. Lots of guys use the 85 in the bridge for that thump. Reb Beach for one. I found the 81 lacking in one guitar band situations but often great in a full band.

They sound much more similar than I’d expect them to.

@dathandsometroll1852

4 жыл бұрын

I don't know why, but to me the 81 sound more percussive than the 85, making it better for a rhythm guitar pickup. Aside from that, they sound just about the exact same, and they both make me think of Metallica.

The 81 sounds way tighter and more aggressive, if only a bit nasal (especially when it comes to clean tones) and louder in the high-end. The 85 is beefier but also muddier, which doesn't really appeal to everyone's taste. Both are absolutely great for metal, tho.

They are similar, but both clean and with distortion, the 85 sounds a bit fuller and round, whereas the 81 is a bit clearer in the high end.

Man big difference. I could see putting the 85 in the bridge for rock or a "jack of all trades" but if it's for metal it's got to be the 81, just much tighter

I remember the 85 sounding sexy in the bridge position.

I had twin emg 85s on my Ibanez RGA121 with the 18v mod. That guitar was very bright until the emgs were put in. If you ever get tired of same tone on same guitar and you have emgs try the 18volt mod on your guitar 🎸

Very slight difference to me. Thanks for the video. It helped me decide. Great video !!!

The 85 just sounds more like a natural bridge pickup. It’s a warmer, livelier sound. Those low-mids are deadly.

@SgtZen

2 жыл бұрын

I had the typical Metal 81 bridge and 85 Neck combo in my les paul for along time... Anyways years later I swapped the position of the 85 and the 81 for the 85 to be in the bridge and its remained there ever since....... I don't know if its better but I find it just fitted maybe its just me or what ever I don't know but I thought it sounded warmer and smoother.. but i could be make shit up because they were not back to back tests.

@Patrick-857

Ай бұрын

81 is better for high gain rhythm clearly. It just brings out so much attack and definition. That's why it's not as pleasant with clean tones as the 85. It's always a compromise. Perhaps for hard rock or punk with more rawness and less gain the 85 would have more character, and I suspect it's better for lead but for metal rhythm tones, nothing has beaten the 81. Not the Fluances or the Blackouts, or any passives.

Thank you for this video. I’m contemplating where and what EMG’s I want on my ESP F-10, and this was very helpful 🤘🏼

The 81 sounds tighter than the 85 while the 85 offers that muddy distortion sound I like. It also feels slightly thicker than the 81

The 85 definitely sounds CHUNKIER. I can surely say from listening that the 81 provides a “cleaner chunky sound”. This is cool because not everyone is looking for that ultra chunky sounds of the 85 and I can see why there are people who would prefer the 81 in the bridge as opposed to the 85. 81 is a tamed monster while the 85 seems to be a rampaging brute 😂🤙🏻

Thanks for making the video. I liked the way you seamlessly transitioned from one pick up to the other. I think it could be improved (maybe for any future tests), following are some possible improvements. 1) Instead of always starting with the 81, mix it up. So the 81 starts the riff, but the next riff is started by the 85. This is because I found myself hearing sounds in the 81 and then listening for those sounds in the 85, if I didn't hear those sounds in the 85 I was disappointed. Also, it seemed that in some riffs you played them slightly differently, so, once again, not hearing an expected note or timing changed my view of the pick up. Changing which pick up we heat 1st might help balance that. 2) A couple of the riffs on the 85 sounded to me like the guitar was out of tune. It might just have been different finger pressure?

Nyce comparison bro!

Preety clear difference at 5:00. The 81 is more focused on the high mids but still kinda similar in the overall tone structure.

@AdamYoudell

6 жыл бұрын

Exactly. I can't believe what some of these people are saying. I could see sticking the 85 at the bridge for rock or a "jack of all trades" application but if it's for metal it's got to be the 81 at the bridge. The 81/60 or 81/60a is a good metal combo. I use a 89R in the neck however because I like the option of the single-coil neck sound

Thanks for this. I probably should have tried an 81/81 setup when I still had the 81/85 and a spare 81.

@gmac6529

4 жыл бұрын

My Ltd 1000 come with 2-81s. I wonder why they didn't do 81/85? Made for metal I presume. But wondering about other options of I want to throw in some blues or other sounds later on

The EMGs I have in my active guitars, I have a 81/60 in my childhood guitar, I have a 57/66 in my single cut, and I just put a 77 combo in my ESP strat. By FAR the best sounding and my favorite to play is the 57/66. It seems like it would be more of a vintage sound but it’s honestly as modern as it gets. Super SUPER hot when they are getting driven by an OD. Super harmonic. Out of all pickups, I recommend the 57/66. Never had Fishmans myself, but I have heard them enough to hear the underlying honk or quack that they all have. EMGs in general are not necessarily better or immune to the quack, but I’d take my 57bridge over 99% of the pickup market

They both have the same clarity and tightness, it's just a bit more mid range and open feeling that the 85 has imo

i have both on my old first guitar. i used 85 on bridge and 81 on neck for many years ... last month i have decide to switch position ... and i don't why i don't test that before ... the 81 has more punch ... the 85 is not bad, but today i prefer the 81 :)

I can see why most use the 81 as a bridge and the 85 as a neck; Definitely planning on a set of 81 and 85 solderless pickups with an 18 volt mod in the future, I dunno they may both be 85's, the 85 sounded awesome with distortion.

@angusorvid8840

3 жыл бұрын

The 85 is smoother, but also not as clear. As a rule, ceramics are great for bridge and alnico for neck. The active element takes it to a different level. The 85 kind of schmeres all over the place as a bridge pup but is great in the neck. The 81 is tight, sharp, focused and has great clarity and definition. It's been my main pickup since 1986.

I have a Jackson with an 81 and and 85, of you are playing standard tuning heavy riffs, the 81 is the go. If you play drop tuning or lower tunings the 85 has a little more grime.

I never bothered to consider swapping the pups since I got my Ibanez RG series about 10 years ago (81 in bridge, 85 in neck)...81 sounded good in bridge with metal tones, shitty for everything else, 85 on neck sounded nice and warm for clean tones, and just distorted badly with way too much low end for anything kind of dirty tone. With the selector in the middle they sounded bad for pretty much everything. Then today I swapped them over and holy shit! Way more balanced and I can use either pickup for clean or dirty, a lot more clarity. Although bear in mind the guitar has a (probably not the best quality) basswood body.

The 81 has more presence, which makes it perfect for the bridge position. Cuts through in a mix.

The 85 is better clean, and the 81 is better dirty, though neither are my cup of tea. Great comparison.

@amackclassic6737

4 жыл бұрын

I agree, I hate the 85 on my neck on my crunch channel. Way too dark and muddy. The 81 on my bridge sounds amazing on the crunch. Could be mostly my fault with EQ too, but I just like the sound of 81 more maybe.

81 is tighter and has more bite, clean tones sound too harsh for me, the 85 has more musical cleans but is a bit muddy and thick with distortion. An 81 in the bridge and 85 in the neck offers the best of both IMO, warm beautiful cleans and fluid liquid leads in the neck position and then crushing tight rhythm and punishing face melting leads in the bridge position. Also, the pickups will accentuate the natural tonal characteristics of each position so the neck position will sound more neck-like and the bridge position will sound more bridge-like which I think forces one to use each position more :)

This video should be the model/mold/template to how which every comparison video on KZread should be. BTW.... the 81 all the way to my ears.

I used both on my guitar 81 is for bridge, neck is 85 then other guitar is both 81 Bridge and neck.

81 in bridge is very bright but i guess that's what tone knobs are for

This test shows that the pickups is not important because 90% is in guitarist hands. This guy has a very good hand to play guitar. Good job. Thx.

@Kurdtgerardo

4 жыл бұрын

Try to play rammstein or metallica with single coils bro. Good luck.

@pawerup3631

4 жыл бұрын

@@Kurdtgerardo No problem

Both are the best for a Paul, but the 81 definitely takes its place in the bridge and personally like it better for metal and the 85 neck clean

Before I realized I was watching in 2x speed, I was quite confused. 😂

I really like how the 85 sounds on the bridge, it sounds so smooth but I think I would rather use it as the neck for leads. Even though I prefer the 85 on the bridge, I prefer to put the 81 to do what it was intended to do. It does have a tighter sound, not as smooth as the 85 but I rather have tight sounding riffs and smooth sounding leads

what songs did he play? i've heard a lot of the licks but don't quite remember the song names :( especially from the 2.20 moment onward

I hear more mids and bottom end from the 85

81 is articulate like a Taylor and 85 is thick like a Martin.Your Welcome.and Great vid sir.

The 85 has a lot more midrange content, which is what I prefer.

Put the 18 volt system to work and the 85 will be your friend forever! Now there is a 24 volt mod that plugs up where the one nine volt plugged up, On eBay for about $30. It only takes the space of one 9 volt battery!

the 85 in bridge for a SG...and another 85 in neck (or a 66)

Same as in seymour duncan sh/tb4, emg81 has universal sound that is requested commonly. EMg85 has own character. I like emg85 too much why it has muddy sound.

Great comparo. 81 slightly better on dirt, 85 substantially better on clean. I'd put the 85 in a bright guitar for sure, but I'd use the 81 in a dark guitar that I rarely/never played clean

85 plus sustaniac dream

I think the Alnico vs Ceramic argument has come to the Active pickup realm. I have a handful of both from pulls out of guitars...I think I like the tone of the 85 in the bridge personally. Selling a guitar with the 81 in the bridge position works wonders. I don't shred enough for the 81... I'm sadly lacking in those skills.

@dathandsometroll1852

4 жыл бұрын

I have no preference over them because I believe they were meant for different purposes. If you think of it like the 81 was meant to be a pickup for rhythm guitar, then it's just perfect because to me, it seems like the percussive attack of the 81 is digging into your ear canals harder, making the 85 a better lead guitar pickup.

@MrBurakOzel

3 жыл бұрын

@@dathandsometroll1852 i agree. 85 captures the waves better and puts more 'theoretical' power behind them. 81 is more precise, i can feel that it would be perfect for rhythm

1:22 the song ?? Please

I'm turning my strat into a super strat I'm getting a 1h pickguard and a EMG 85 to play Thrash Metal

@DonnieFreymoyer

3 жыл бұрын

You should look at the dimarzio x2n

@Wheresthepepsibismol

3 жыл бұрын

@@DonnieFreymoyer thanks that is a great pickup Chuck Schuldiner from Death used one I believe.

81 all day for me

What's that riff around 4:15-4:20?

I wonder what the middle position of an 85/85 sounds like.

@mohitrahaman

3 жыл бұрын

Juiced-Up-Telecaster-Twang-like

I prefer an 81 in the bridge way more.

İ bought 85 what do you offer for 2 single ?i play metallica songs

3:30 vs 3:42

Get em both in.

85 sounds more bassy. I prefer it. More of a saturated feel under less gain than the 81.

@miaouew

6 ай бұрын

For sure. I used 85 in all of my single pickup San Dimas style superstrats for this reason, I always preferred it as a bridge pickup.

@giacomoneri1782

3 ай бұрын

For whatever reason i don't know, i prefer ceramic pickups on cleans and alnicos on the overdriven sounds. Same here, the punch n glass from the 81 sounds incredible on the clean, but the rounded top end of the 85 gives it a slight edge over the 81 on the high gain.

85 больше понравился. Видимо, из-за Alnico V магнита у него более сбалансированный звук, нет этого зудящего верха, как у керамического 81.

very similar

clean tab?

for clarity in heavy tones i'd prefer the 81 bridge. unfortunately high notes sound a little toooo sharp

Is it possible to make 85 sound a bit like the 81 with a change in tube amp settings like the Orange micro terror ?

@chriscosgrove1516

3 жыл бұрын

you might be in luck, i might be getting a gibson les paul witha set of 81 and 85 on friday. I also have a micro terror. If you respond to this comment on friday i might be able to tell you.

@thriller_musician9099

3 жыл бұрын

@@chriscosgrove1516 I actually ended up getting 81 instead , as it was being delivered earlier. So now my question is reversed, wheather I can get the 85 sound from it if tweaked. Thanks man , I’ ll wait till when you’re ready to test it out .

Note that the 85 has also higher output voltage than the 81 and delivers higher frequency range.

81 seems more punchy, pierces a bit more, while 85 seems more open, a bit wider, both sound great tho, I've always felt like I'm a seymour duncan guy, but is changing my convictions a bit xd

The 81 is more open. You can hear more of the top end. The signal isn't too heavily compressed and it's almost airy, or light in tone. The 85 is short and punchy. The signal is tightly compressed. Not as open, so the subtle top end doesn't exist. Killer in the trash because of this. 85 is a punch to the throat, 81 is a kick to the balls.

@gmac6529

4 жыл бұрын

So my Ltd 1000 has 2- 81's and it sounds good. I'm just getting back into playing.... I put 81/85 set in an epiphone les paul before and it was good... And I know this guitar is metal ready which is why I got. Is there a better setup for this guitar to make more versatile? Some have put seymore and took the 81s out. Just curious about future options if I want a more blues neck pu maybe?

They both sound solid. He 85 is just slightly bolder sounding and tighter to me.

85 sounds better imho

@venom07786

3 жыл бұрын

85 sounds better imo too

85 for me.

Imagine trying to make a signature guitar and you have to choose between all these pickups and then the strings

@mikestamper

7 жыл бұрын

That's the best part of the game, :P

So basically 85 is more pleasing clean, but the 81 is untouchable for high gain rhythm tones.

85 has that Les Paul Marshall lead tone!

Active pickups take most of the importance from the body itself. You could use it on building lowbudgets or clean crunch efects e heavy drives. Im a fan.

85 for me

1:23 tabs pleaseeeee

“81” much more refined with a tight response and harmonics are smooth. Great for metal. “85” raw and with overtones jumping out at you. Will need a noise gate to do metal well

3:54 4:06

85 rules 😎

WoW 85 sounds pretty good. I jus may switch

Since this is an active strat, would the 85 or 81 sound more like And Justice For All?

@Human-hq3dy

Жыл бұрын

Metallica always used 81 in the bridge and 85 or 60 in the neck

@lesterstrikerdroit73

Жыл бұрын

James used EMG 81 and 60 for the first time in AJFA album

Get both with the quick plug system, swap the two between the neck and bridge to your hearts content. Want more beef? 85 bridge. More punch? 81 bridge. And either way the other pickup is the complimentary neck pickup. Win win win

My bridge pickup is way lower volume than my neck pup...should I adjust the level...up or down?

@henriquemontalvao8492

5 жыл бұрын

Up

@izzyjenz8931

4 жыл бұрын

The reason is that the strings vibrate more on the neck side than on the bridge side, so when you have a pair of pickups which both have the same level of output installed, with the same pickup height adjusted, the volume of the neck pickup will be higher than the bridge pickup. You can try to adjust the bridge pickup height to get its sweet spot or as close to the strings as possible (the closer pickup to the strings the louder it will be but if it's too close, the string will hit it when play and cause buzzing, also the magnet pull would alter the strings vibration causing less sustain and alter the tone) then you can adjust/lower the neck pickup to match the volume of the bridge pickup. But the best way is to install a higher output pickup on the bridge side and a lower one for the neck side. This way you can manage pickup height, output volume and tone of your guitar much better.

81 sounds better in the bridge of a mahogany body guitar, while the 85 would sound better in the bridge of an alder body guitar

@PlebstersPictionary

4 жыл бұрын

Jeff Hanneman had an 81 in his bridge with an alder body.

@villagerswithukulele8274

4 жыл бұрын

can you tell me the difference?

@signofthetrident527

4 жыл бұрын

Villagers with Ukulele. Personal preference is the difference.

idk why people have a hard time telling the two apart, sure they have similar voicing. but the 81 clearly pushes the highs more and breaks up earlier (To stand out in a mix for lead guitar) the 85 is has more mid range with less break up which lets you push chords and resonating notes with more definition. I feel like a lot of rock/metal pickups are starting to emulate the freq response of an 85 more that 81 these days. Since recording gear has gotten better, people have been looking for a pickup thats more versatile and dynamic

85 reminds me of the Duncan JB

@ricksterdrummer2170

8 ай бұрын

Both use Alnico V’s if I’m not mistaken.

I just put a set of these pickups in my les paul. 85in the bridge and the 81 in the neck. These things thump.

Has anybody tried these in an SG? I have an epi SG and want to get rid of the stock ones in there now. Hard to decide what I want. Play hard rock metal... Disturbed Monster Truck Godsmack BLS BB etc.

@Mountdoom614

4 жыл бұрын

Joe R literally doing this tomorrow on mine

@joer2723

4 жыл бұрын

@@Mountdoom614 let me know what you think thanks

@EdwardConcepcion

4 жыл бұрын

Put them in my Epi Les Paul and they are awesome. I switched the 85 to the bridge.

@joer2723

4 жыл бұрын

@@Mountdoom614 so, how are they?

@nickknight8065

Жыл бұрын

60 bridge, 85 neck

81 60 set is way to go

81 forever

who song is at 1:57?

@mikestamper

6 жыл бұрын

"Quiasma" by Unexpectance, one of my bands! You can watch official video here on KZread. Try searching it! :)

81 is warm 85 is scooped.. these pickups are bridges from Kirk Hammet and Steve Lukather Stratocaster Set