81 clean: 0:49 85 clean: 1:04 60 clean: 1:18 81 strum clean: 1:33 85 strum clean: 1:47 60 strum clean: 2:01 81 clean riff: 2:15 85 clean riff: 2:30 60 clean riff: 2:45 81 crunch: 3:05 85 crunch: 3:20 60 crunch: 3:34 81 higain: 3:55 85 higain: 4:03 60 higain: 4:11

@theabsolute23

4 жыл бұрын

Helpful, thank you

@Loogiz

4 жыл бұрын

no problem

85 neck 81 bridge. Really only got them as an upgrade recommended to me by several people. Once I heard them after I dialed them in I was impressed. Did everything I wanted from the pickups. The ease of the install was also a plus.

@hanovergreen4091

2 жыл бұрын

I wish all pickup manufacturers would just bite the bullet and license EMG's cabling/hardware. Soldering is so 20th century. Best Regards!

@ryant3600

2 жыл бұрын

@@hanovergreen4091 RIGHT!!!!

The best comparision on the web!!! complimenti!!!!!!!!

@megahurtz30

9 жыл бұрын

***** Thanks!! :)

@MaicFoxtrot

4 жыл бұрын

True

@nickinthebeer

3 жыл бұрын

Italiano?

Awesome work mate, very comprehensive. Thank you for taking the time and effort to do this. Certainly helped me with a decision.

Wow! Thank you so much for this post. Straight to the point no unnecessary talking. This is literally one of the best comparisons I've seen here. I think I've made my decision on which one now to decide WHOM is going to install them!

@megahurtz30

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks :)

Superbly done comparison. You really helped clarify the similarities and differences. Thanks!

Just what I'm looking for, thank you for taking the time and effort to do this.

I'd never thought that the clean sound would be that great with the EMG 81 in the neck. I loved it. Thank you for taking your time and helping us choosing our pickups :). Very good demo.

@megahurtz30

10 жыл бұрын

Muito Obrigado! ;) Abraço

@mesiebooga

10 жыл бұрын

EMG 81 in the neck (both) was used for Metallica's Justice and black album. It's my favorite of the 3.

@android199x

6 жыл бұрын

Hahahahahah

Shopping some ESP's with the 60 in the neck and this was exactly what I needed to hear!!

Nice video! I like them all for different reasons. They all shine in all styles. I especially liked the 60 for clean tones and the 85 sounded very Les Paul sounding. The 81 surprised me in the neck. I'd love top hear the same comparison done with all of these pickups plus the 89 in the neck. Awesome job and thanks!

nicely done. no talking and great audio clips

81 all the way. Never hated a pickup as much as the 85 in the neck position.

Brilliant comparison. EMG 85 with EMG 60 Neck for me. Thanks. Off to buy some pickups now. G

Muchas gracias hermano !!! Excelente video para poder decidir la mejor combinacion.

60 neck\81 bridge

@lonely_soulxd3489

3 жыл бұрын

Ok james hetfield

@joeylikescapncrunch

2 жыл бұрын

@@lonely_soulxd3489 it's not just James hetfield

@lonely_soulxd3489

2 жыл бұрын

@@joeylikescapncrunch Hes the one who popularised it. I never said that its explicitly only james who uses it lmao

@motofriend1744

Жыл бұрын

Yep it's true

@kidnasty

Күн бұрын

jim root😂

thx 4 ur effort it help us alot

Thanks for the video. They all sound great to me. :)

I like the 60 sound, ordered a used ESP that has those and I think it'll work well for me.

I'd take either an 81 or and 85 clean, but once it starts getting nice and crunchy, the 60s are pretty solid, to me. I'm feeling pretty okay about getting a 81/60 now. Thanks for the demo!

Perfect video exactly the comparison everyone wants to hear!!!!

@megahurtz30

9 жыл бұрын

Thanks :)

very nice demos thankyou

Thats the exact way I want a demo of such things. Nice!

@sixstringtwangin

7 жыл бұрын

I HATE it when they talk in between. For my ear I need to go straight to the next sound to analyze the difference properly.

just got some 81x/60x in the mail for a custom build.. cant wait to hear em. the 85 on N is a close runner though, but im loving the cleaner, sharper more thin.

I love how tight, wide, chunky, and clean the 60s sound. Definitely going 81/60.

good comparison on same footing. I am deciding on which one to get.

Caramba que som!!!! totalmente diferente do que poderia imaginar!

Don't know why people like the 60s. The 85s actually sound really good. Full, you get those deeper tones. The 60s sound thin and weak. I actually came in wanting to do a 81/60 set but I'm gonna go with 81/85 after this.

@azazulsoulmeister7959

8 жыл бұрын

Same, I was honestly suprised how much better the cleans sounded on the 85 compared to the other two,

@timmarrier

3 жыл бұрын

jones786 Any follow up? How'd it work out?

Yeah the 81 got me I love the tone of that

@megahurtz30 no man, I thank you!!now I'm sure I made a correct decision yesterday that I ordered my new set of pickups!

that 85 is creamy as anything.

Great Video!

Love the 60 for the neck but they all sound good to me

Awesome!! A perfect comparison of these three pickups. And there's a version for the bridge position too. Great!! I have two guitars with the 81/85 combo. Thinking of switching the 85s (neck) for 60s after seeing this. 85 in the neck is quite muddy when distorted.

@akeeperofoddknowledge4956

8 жыл бұрын

Mathew Wheately; same problem with my 81/85 setup. 81 sounds fantastic but the 85 is muddy and over powering in the neck. Can't clean it up or get good "clean" distortion out of it. Maybe it has to do with the woods my guitar is made of. It is an '87 Epiphone Spotlight ("lawsuit model") made of mahogany neck throught body with a 34 feet ebonite fretboard, mahogany body with carved maple top. Maybe all that mahogany in the neck position makes the tone too brassy for the 85? Anyone know?

@akeeperofoddknowledge4956

8 жыл бұрын

+A Keeper Of Odd Knowledge ; that was to read: "a 24 fret ebonite fretboard...".

I think the 60 captured the natural tone better. The 85 helped it sound a bit more like a bassy acoustic. and the 81 was ok, maybe good for players that like the middle position (81+81)

@DunderHead.5000

Жыл бұрын

One of the guitarists for Judas Priest use 81/81.

Awesome demo bro!

@megahurtz30

8 жыл бұрын

+Zach Krovin Thanks! :)

@rolaz666

8 жыл бұрын

Straight forward no bullshit, I like that,HAIL!! From Singapore \m/

Nice clean chops at the demos around 5:00 in

The 60 pickup has that Master of Puppets album tone, when he plays on clean, u can hear Sanitarium for a little bit

Cool video thanks!

My esp ltd h-1001 came stock with some passive Seymours, so I switched them out for emgs, I wanted 81 on bridge and 85 on neck and they didn't have any in stock so I just went with 81 and 81, the bridge pickup with distortion is just amazing, but I find the the 81 on the neck to be really dull when trying to get a clean sound, I was pretty disappointed, now that the heavy work with converting it to active pickups is done I might try to swap it out

@jakerulez11

9 жыл бұрын

IAmCjcj11 wow were you dropped on your head as an infant? the 81 in the bridge position is a no brainer on the other hand if they were out of 85's you should have gone with the 60 instead (or been patient and waited a week or so until they got more 85's) what the fuck would possess you to get two of the SAME pickups? personally i recommend the 60 for the neck position

i like the new 60x it supposed to have the feel somewhat of a passive with the active kick when really crancked and i use it for my cleans and then a regular 81 in the bridge and it sounds fantastic

Why did it sound like acoustic? Man is this the magic of EMGs? As a passive guy is this what i have been missing out on?

@Vestu

3 жыл бұрын

that and no hum at all.

will you please write the songs' name here? Thanks.

thank you alot

81 and 60 seem to be fairly a cleaner sounding pup. 85 adds an over processed eq. When your gear is set for the bridge pup, swithing over to the neck increases dramatically and seems to need a re-eq...cant do that while gigging!

I think the 81 sounds really clean. I could probably achieve an 85 sound quite easily using an 81 and effects, but the other way around might prove difficult. I think the 60 sounds a little too beepy; almost like 8 bit sound.

@DunderHead.5000

Жыл бұрын

The 60 in this video sounds very different than the 69 I have.

how did you do to not saturate the signal with volumen at full? Active pickups with Mooer Radar just crack everytime (even though I got te gain at minimun on my Focusrite 2i2 2nd generation)

@megahurtz30

4 жыл бұрын

I haven't tried Mooer Radar, but it seems it's an Impulse Response loader /Speaker simulator. You need something before the Mooer to treat the signal (decrease volume, adjust gain, EQ, etc) like a Pedal or the fx loop send of an Amp

I like the old 81/85 configuration the 60 sounds too thin to me

2:16 - is that inspiration out of the Floods solo? You know, there are same frets played exactly. Same notes on Standar E tune

@megahurtz30

7 жыл бұрын

No, it's the riff from Message In a Bottle, from The Police, a song that was released in 1979, so, maybe Dimebag got inspired from it ;)

@Midbooze

7 жыл бұрын

megahurtz30 it's funny to notice that, thanks much for your answer (; btw, EMG 60 sounds really awesome while clean. Have a great tone! \m/.

The 60 has more bite than the 85. I'd go with a 81/60 combination.

@kremepye3613

2 жыл бұрын

Use the middle position and tone knob to brighten it up a bit 😉

81 NECK ....REALLY COOL !

On a serious note, who chugs on their neck pickup?

@likeanuuk6612

8 жыл бұрын

she builds quick machines: velvet revolver kinda did it

@azrael8924

8 жыл бұрын

I used to do it sometimes during some songs live, but only softer songs (unforgiven etc...)

@cannibalcorpse6664

6 жыл бұрын

Dumbasses, the only time I use both pickups or neck pickups is clean, I use bridge 99% of the time cuz I'm playing chunky metal

@CorvetteCoonass

6 жыл бұрын

Actually you can get some pretty Sabbathy dirty tones with the neck pickup. Pretty awesome sounding for the stoner/doom stuff.

@animalfitness54

5 жыл бұрын

Some people actually use the neck pickup for rhythm and the bridge for soloing. I alternate, depending on what I'm playing.

Is this melody from Dream Theater endless sacrafice intro?:D

I cannot get a clean sound with my EMG 81... cannot figure out the reason why.

@Tskate3

7 жыл бұрын

have you tried replacing the battery?

I think I preFer the 81 _ the 85 is too bassy /muddy and the 60 liked a turned down 81- however reinforces my preference of no neck pickup -only reason for neck pickup is blues or shred on higher frets - not good enough ROI for me

@Tocoinaphrase

5 жыл бұрын

Or Stoner, Doom, Sludge

I really think 81 sounds amazing in both positions. 60 is just wayyyy to thick sounding for me in the neck position and 85 is just a better bridge position pickup imo but overall my favorite emg thus far is the 81.

Could you please tell me the name of the intro clean riff? It's beautiful!

@megahurtz30

8 жыл бұрын

the first clean riff is from Children of the Damned, from Iron Maiden

@TheStefanowOw

7 жыл бұрын

I need a tab for that! Nice video

81 in the bridge and 85 in the neck is good in that its almost like having two different instruments in one, i.e. a guitar and a bass, whereas a 60 in the bridge would be more like having two slightly different guitars

For cleans: 60 (although the 85 sounds great, but not as good) Distorted tone: 81 got that one Metal kind of tone: 85 by just a little Hrmmmmmm... what to pick...

I llike more of the 81 but 85 os also really good.

85/81 for me.

Great sound test. I guess I'm an 85B/60N guy.

@monkeyxx

6 жыл бұрын

same pick here!!

You can hear how the 85 was designed for the neck position - so for smooth noodling, it's probably the best here - but for crunchy compressed playing - the 60 would really shine. The 81 is good for clean strumming - but by comparison - in the neck position - the 85 does just about everything better than the 81 does - EXCEPT - I have to admit, if you're playing jugga-jigga-wugga metal rhythm, and you WANT to leave a bit of a hole, say for a separate lead tone to play over: you might consider using the 81 at the neck, precisely because it's NOT as full, and therefore leaves room ( but also, on its own, doesn't sound as good ) - but otherwise - for just about anything else: just go 85 - unless you play in a crunchy strat style, in which case, go 60.

As the neck tends to get muddy, a less bassy pickup makes sense. This seems to be the 60. However I did not like any of those pickups sound. I prefer low output passive pickups for any music style.

@LCRLive687

2 жыл бұрын

Buddy there just had cookie cutter tone on this. It would have been just as shrill with a passive.

@moskitoh2651

2 жыл бұрын

@@LCRLive687 Lowering the resonance frequency of any passive pickup is for free. You just put a capacitor in parallel to the pickup. The same happens, if you switch to a long cable. Heigthening the frequency however requires an active electronic (to decouple the electronics). Thus my hint would always be: Stick with the higher frequency pickup and than lower as required. Another hint: Always listen to the guitar in a mix. Highs make the guitar cut through, lows make the mix muddy even more, especially with multiple guitars. Of course tastes are different, so it is up to you, what sounds you want... just my 2 cents.

I agree someone payed attension in school,and Actually got an education! Nice work.

@megahurtz30

9 жыл бұрын

thanks :)

@misterrmjdesigns7197

9 жыл бұрын

megahurtz30 I see so many, Just doing bad comparings. Comparing amps and not using the same speakers...!? It was just great to see someone was awake in science class. nice controlled A-B! I,m gonna A-B EMG 80's with Blackout's When I change my strings as I have them in my charvels . I will not make a video Just a personal thing.

Então amigo, parece que o 81 no braço soa mais grave que o 85. Estou pensando em colocar 85 na ponte e 81 no braço, ta certo ou terei algum problema? Obs.Gostaria que o mais grave ficasse no braço.

@megahurtz30

10 жыл бұрын

Acho boa idea. De qualquer forma, se voce quiser experimentar trocar os dois, mais tarde, é facil de fazer.

@SchecterGuitar

10 жыл бұрын

megahurtz30 Ah sim, vi num vídeo que é só encaixar os pinos, mto prático mesmo. Vou comprar o 85 mes q vem e o 81 no outro para não pagar impostos. Vlw

Man the 81 is the most optimum pickup among these and the 85 has a good clean tone but 60 must be the best pickup for heavy or thrash metal

ihave emg 81 in the bridge and 60 in the neck on an ibanez mtm2 and now i am little worried about this, onestly i think that the best active pickups for all kind of music is the duncan ahb-3 emty blackout .....today i remember the sound of the stock embty blackout duncan designed of the mtm2 and i'll change for the second time the pickups of this mahogany guitar..i can change the emg 81 and 60on this week for the stock emty blackout duncan designed....emg 60 is good for the neck clean or drive position...it is veratile and it sounds like an active single coil with a lot of basses. the 81 in the bridge is not a so good guitar picku for me.i ve used this emg set for 3 years.81 is a terrible clean pickup...and it is so toneless ...more than anyother pickup. 81 is good for its neutrality but it is so cold unexpressive bland pickup...however it is perfectfor legato tapping and fast distortion riffs...the 60 id perfect for blues rock and clean sound stuff...one of the best compromises for a neck guitar active pickup...81 is my delusion, i fight for loving it but it is an orrible pickup its make your best instruments sounds like a cold toy and you ll obtain less inspiration in your music...emty blackouts sounds a lot better for the clean sounds....especially neck pickup...you can play all kind of guitar clean part on it, the clean bridge pickup sound goot too but it shines vith the distorted tone, so warmness, rawness, detailed, clear, aggressive, whit an incredible huge spectrum of overtones and armonic, for me the best pickup in the world for phinch harmonics lead and rytmic parts, it is a rock paf with the emgs qualities for legato but a little less compressed and more expressive qualities and smoothness on the dynaic lead solos parts and more brutal on the rytmh parts cause it has less midlle in its eq than 81, the haronics on the emty are 10 times more easy and singing than 81....for my experiences 81 lost with emty bridge and also the 60 with the emty neck....emty is a set that i ll never forget in my life

To sound like metallica clean tone what of them should i buy?🎸🤘🤘🎸☠

@megahurtz30

5 жыл бұрын

I would advise EMG 60

@guilhermefilipe2368

5 жыл бұрын

@@megahurtz30 thanks🤘

@XENUSproTV

3 жыл бұрын

EMG custom pickups for James Hetfield

Oh this comparison is by you? Cool! I got passive emgs... but I was thinking of this what about going 85 in the bridge and 60 in the neck? Nobody does that. Also I was thinking double 85s and 85 in the bridge and 81 in the neck is possible. After all 85 is a bridge pick up that’s commonly used as a neck pickup just like the 81. It’s just that nobody does that because of zakk wylde lol

@megahurtz30

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, this is an older one. To me the 85 sounds like it has more mids, so, it can be interesting on the bridge, depending on what you prefer. Personally, on the neck, i love the 60

@DiscolorBlind

3 жыл бұрын

@@megahurtz30 yeah I had a 60 neck on my ltd ex 400 I loved the bridge and the pickups on that guitar... I had to sell it when I was leaving Iran tho. 81 on the neck is pretty cool too... I love all of them to be honest... 85 is the only one I’ve never had and always liked.

I think the EMG 60 is the better choice for the music I play.

I have 81s but I think 85s are much better, PD: police 👌🏻👏🏻

Well, 85 for neck and 60 for bridge

Maybe my ears are shit but outside of clean, I can't tell much of a clearly noticeable difference. I like the 60 clean the most, personally.

What song is that at 2:20?

@megahurtz30

9 жыл бұрын

Message in a bottle, by The Police

@AtacamaHumanoid

9 жыл бұрын

megahurtz30 LOL, I was hearing Edi Brickell & The New Bohemians in my head: "I'm not aware of too many things, but I know what I know if you know what I mean..." now I'm going to have to go listen to that and see if the guitar sounds remotely like that.

81 - 85's are boss, can we get 81 with 60's in a jam?

60 for sure

Different pickup combos sound different in different guitars. For say in a les paul id prefer an 81 bridge 60 neck but with a Jackson or ESP lighter guitar with a Floyd rose id prefer either an 81 bridge nd 81 neck or a 85 bridge 81 neck. A lot of people never give the 85 a chance in the bridge position. Harmonics scream easily with distortion

@CaptainRudy4021

7 жыл бұрын

bighf24 Tom Morello uses an 85 in the bridge position on his arm the homeless guitar and I gotta say that it sounds amazing especially in know your enemy.

@lazul6611

3 жыл бұрын

85 in the bridge is usually standard and traditional since the 80’s.

I can hear alot more difference with these in the neck

I think about 81/81 and 81/85 maybe i would try 81/81

Here's the reason - bass in neck =bad -muddy -this is why strat neck sounds good- For me I prefer 1 pickup and roll off volume

85 all the way

The 85 I think...

WHATS SONG AT 4:20 ?

@megahurtz30

4 жыл бұрын

Just some riff i invented at the time...

@WaltERRZX

4 жыл бұрын

@@megahurtz30 cool riff thanks

Cool vid I think that 85 could go well with alder guitars because they sound so thin. And at the same time the 60 sounds amazing with mahogany for the opposite reason. Great vid, thnx

@AbeldeBetancourt

9 жыл бұрын

Please stop repeating pseudo-intellectual nonsense if you don't know what you are talking about. Wood doesn't have anything to do with the tone of a solid body electric guitar while plugged. You should consider real variables like string gauge and material, scale, pickup distance, etcetera. That's where your tone is!

@davidmonroy86

9 жыл бұрын

1st There is no need to be agressive dude, my comment wasn't... 2nd Most of the difference in price in guitars come from craftmanship and wood quality, the fact that 85 has a darker sound makes it more apropiate for alder wood guitars that have a thiner sound opposite from mahogany that have more body and low end into it. I have a gibson custom(mahogany) and an ESP MII (Alder) among others and the difference is obvious, sorry if it's not to you even using the same gauge for strings, same pickup distance, and same pickups. Thus the pickups you choose do balace thing. 3 You are completely right, the string gauge makes a huge of a deal putting low end or thikness into the sound. As well as pickup distance, in this latter case is mostly because the added gain. I like the video because it acually isolates the actuall difference between pickups...And if something 50% of the sound comes from the cabin and amp you use, not the guitar. cheers

@AbeldeBetancourt

9 жыл бұрын

***** rude? I'm not. Now, you are comparing two guitars that are 24, something and 25,5 scale. How are they the same distances for you? Also did you measure the *fixed* distance of your pickups *from the bridge*? Have both guitars even the same bridge? It doesn't have *anything* to do with tonewood!

@joshi666

9 жыл бұрын

Mario G tone does not come from the wood..... Right....

@AbeldeBetancourt

9 жыл бұрын

FuriousJ​ it seems that you aren't from the intellectually developed persuasion. Any evidence to base your arguments upon -if you are going to make any- or just more KZread wisdom? 

60 sounds the best i think, 81 was also good in the neck

60 seems a bit more compressed and sounds more natural to me, 100% the best, sadly enough i don't want to spend 100€ to swap out my 85 for the 60, when the difference is so very minor and the money is required for other more essential guitar things.

81 takes it for me

To me they sound flat, not much tone for EMG pickup's. It could just be the settings in the amp Sim but I reckon Dragonfire screamers or crusaders sound alot better than these EMG pickup's. That's just my opinion though. And Dragonfires cost a quarter of the price.

@megahurtz30

3 жыл бұрын

ok, thanks for your opinion.. that's interesting, i might try to get some Dragonfires and test them

the 81 in the neck gives me p bass vibes

81 all day everyday.

60 neck 81 bridge. the 85 sounded like dookie in the neck.

81 Bridge / 85 Neck.

Thanks for the video, showed exactly what I needed. We even use the same picks haha.

60 sounds thin as fuck. 85 is the warmest sounding of them here. Interestingly, I found 85 sounding the warmest in the bridge, too. So, I guess 85 bridge, 85 neck for me :P

@tehalexy

8 жыл бұрын

+Mario Krušelj Yeah, 85 sounds here so much better then the other PUs O_O cant wait for my guitar with 85/81

81

For me, 81 is better!!

The best for neck pickup is emg 85 The best for bridge pickup is 81

Ill go with the emg 60 is more cleaner and brighter.

85 in the bridge 66 in the neck. Alnico's for the win bitches

85 neck\85 bridge