EMG has been my go to for years, never going to change. 🙌

@michaelgrahamwongacutemadness

2 жыл бұрын

well it appears that the fishmans like the het set and ahb-2 clip the amp input because of how hot they are even if they're more dynamic overall than the 81

@leviathan_is_me

Жыл бұрын

EMGs are perfect for me, why reinvent the wheel? Your likes are at 81...the best EMG model, so forgive me if I don't hit like and upset that, lol.

@SpartanLaserCanon

Жыл бұрын

I think the Fishman Pickups are so overrated now and EMGs always beat them for full band mix tones to me in these tests especially with distortion. Heck, you could eq an EMG to sound like a Fishman pickup if you really wanted to. The EMG81s are very good for getting those classic metal tones. I would only use a Fishman Pickups like Tosin Abasi has if I were doing some solo guitar stuff. If you want EMGs in a guitar and don't have them, they can save you money compared to other Pickups too from what I have seen.

@stallionstudios

9 ай бұрын

I can't complain considering lots of guitars loaded with them now going for dirt cheap. They used to be such a hot expensive commodity 17-18 years ago.

EMG 81 kicks ass! Those lower frequencies make a ton of difference. \m/

I believe Fishman just entered to the electric guitars game with a tone between EMG for high gain and Seymour Duncan for versatility. Almost like the perfect tone for what I play

The voice 2 of the fishmans sounded good on clean and the heavy high gain stuff. But the EMG sounded extra special both clean and high gain. Cheers man great comparison.

Having watched tons of comparisons, I think it's safe to say that you can sound really good or really bad with both pickups and the pickup is not the bottleneck.

Thanks for the comparison dude. Nice playing and good vid👍

Beautiful sound from two excellent, pick ups Thank you for your help.

The riffs used in dist comparison are great, congrats 👏

Sounds like you're playing in Eb. Love it!

Fishmans look cool but to me seem thinner. The EMG's are a bit more full sounding. Both most likely sound fine stand alone but in a comparison video the EMG's seem a bit better. Mileage could vary in an actual mix though

thanks for this video my guy. subbed

I bought a Schecter Diamond Series C-1 platinum recently with an active EMG 81 and 85. Most of the guitars I've owned I've either install these pick ups in or the guitar was bought with them. Nothing going to change my mind from listening to this video. EMG for the win...

this is extremely helpful thank u

The Fishmans seem to have more clarity and mid bite. I like them..I won't change out my EMG's but will consider them for future builds, for sure.

Finallyyyyyyy! I got both pickups. Now im gonna keep them both as well. Thanks, Mike!

In the first passage the biggest difference I heard was the a separation of tones and a harmonic resonance over that on the EMGs. The Fluence sounded "grainy" at the end.

I've recently changed guitar, and pickups, from fusion edges to emg 81 and I'll tell you, it makes a lot less difference than you might imagine, I don't think anyone could tell them apart in a mix. Nowadays with all the processing we have at our disposal pickups are definitely less important than before. The main difference so far I'd say is that active pups are a lot quieter, meaning you can reduce a lot or even get rid of a noise gate, resulting in more sustain, which is pretty cool.

The EMGs have more bass in general, Fishman has more mids and cuts better in a mix for modern metal but if tweaked both can get the job done as well as the other

@chaggasfernandes

4 ай бұрын

Agree

I like the EMGs in this comparison.

In some demos the EMGs sound better and in others the Fishmans sound better. It really depends on so many things like how you play, the preamps in your interface, how much gain you set on the interface, and what amp/amp sim you use. You really just have to try them both on your own setup to really determine which is better for you

@metaldreams3595

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, here its the EMG that wins....but Ive heard the Fishman Moderns adn they kill. Just as good rythym tone and more versatile, and Im an EMG 81 guy.

@michaelgrahamwongacutemadness

2 жыл бұрын

and if it’s the alnico or ceramic version where 81 is always ceramic

@noxow3694

2 жыл бұрын

fishmans sounds is better in the mix

@ahahahaha496

Жыл бұрын

Agreed, I loved my black winter pups when I had a 6505 mh, gave just the right amount of high mids.... tried playing them through my 5150 iii which I'd dialed in with emgs and all of a sudden it was fuzzy and honky... but other passive pups sounded great with those same settings. What pups sound good with what amp and settings is so touchy its almost hard to believe sometimes

They both sound amazing lol. I think the first voicing of the Fishmans takes the modern metal, ultra-hot, harmonically rich & dense distortion sound to the extreme, whereas I can detect a little more of the tone, the clarity & percussive sound of the string material that I’d expect from a more traditional (still very hot & harmonically rich) passive pickup. I feel like I’m detecting more pronounced fundamental frequencies on the EMG that give it a little more definition in the low end, but I also really like that wide, expansive, very clear, open-ended harmonic series you get on the Fishmans which sounds so good in a slow, moderately dissonant arpeggio, in a black metal kind of environment. With the right amp & guitar both of these options absolute rip. There’s a reason they’re basically both the most popular modern active pickups. I’d be very happy with either on a modern metal machine. I’m just torn on whether I want to go the active route at all or just stick with the passives I’ve always known. 😵‍💫 So many options. I’ve got to say though, I am really impressed every single time I hear the clean tones in those Fishmans. They sound so crisp & immaculate &, well, modern. They make me want to play some neoclassical-influences harmonic minor stuff on them, because god it would sound epic.

@ThorsShadow

2 жыл бұрын

My man here talking about them pretty pickup noises like he's some wine sommelier or something.

@geomusicmove

7 ай бұрын

@@ThorsShadow Sommeliers talk about nuances in some overpriced booze as if they were sound engineers or something.

Emg has a lower end which sounds more of a full and warmer tone. I bet in years ahead fishman will come with a programmable eq. Install an app on your phone and adjust your pickup.

@josealejandroaburto7402

3 жыл бұрын

simply buy an eq pedal

@krissmith2396

3 жыл бұрын

That is a great idea.

@ssdravidian

2 жыл бұрын

LOL !

@darenross4187

2 жыл бұрын

You better capitalize on that bro. Seriously, patent that shit asap.

As a fan of 81 in bridge, I definitely love this fishman sound. Someday I have to own a guitar with this pickup on it.

@gonza.shreds

Жыл бұрын

Trust me they are completely different. As a passive pickups player for 15 years, I first tried active pickups with the FFM set and they made me hate active pickups. Their compression is insane and they have almost no low end at all (I think this would be fine for you if you djent, tho). One year later I tried the 81/85 set for the first time and I realized how wrong I was about my thoughts on active pickups. Now I am in love with the 81/85 set. Their chug is insane while FFM have no chug at all because the compression they have is just insane.

About 5 minutes in, I saved $250! Thanks!

Nice video! THANKS😁

EMG 81 in the distorted tone takes it all.

A lot of my heroes have switched. I dunno, the fishmans sound good but to my ears, I still prefer the 81 tone if push came to shove. Both tight as hell but prefer the eq of the 81. I'm staying old school.

EMG 81 all the way for me. Fishman voice 2 was also pretty good, didn't care for the quacky voice 1 mode at all.

There's just something incredibly weird about the Fishmans' voicing that I hear in every demo. They sound almost like running through a cocked wah pedal, or as if someone turned the "contour" or "shred" knob some amps have all the way up. Kinda phasey, thin and janky. I'd prefer any of the EMG bridges over it at any day.

@DunderHead.5000

2 жыл бұрын

They are designed having more mids and treble. More 'modern' sounding like djent and cutting through the mix that everyone talks about these days.

@LucasLeCompteMusic

2 жыл бұрын

Moderns have this odd mid hump in them for some reason. If you play the KSE fishmans or Tosins, that mid hump is gone.

@honigdachs.

2 жыл бұрын

@@LucasLeCompteMusic Yeah, it's true, I'm familiar with the KSEs and they're voiced quite differently. Pretty awesome pickup set overall.

@JSG-mw4qr

2 жыл бұрын

I have an LTD Buzz 7 with Fishman fluence moderns and I also have an LTD EC 401 with emgs and I greatly prefer the emgs. Especially with lots of distortion and lower tunings, the FF get a bit muddy while the EMGs sound more legible. Not sure of this is a neck through ve set in neck issue though

@TheAnalyticalObservers

2 жыл бұрын

It's ok my dear boy, not all kids are able to handle the awesomeness. Seriously though, it's like someone hearing the voice of God for the first time, they don't know how interpret what they are listening to, it's not your fault, it's an acquired taste.

The more I listen to this, the more I convince myself that the bad fame of the emg tone is due to the fact that they are used mostly with a scooped tone

@zjb29877

3 жыл бұрын

Agreed. I bought a set of fishman moderns to replace an EMG 81/60 set I had in a Schecter and I'm honestly kinda of disappointed. Not quite sure if having 2 decent voices plus a split coil that's kinda meh is worth it to keep them. EMGs sounded fine, just wanted to try something different. Chugs aren't as satisfying. Clarity on big chords is maybe a little better. Probably should've just gone with passives lol

@kendalllafollette1948

3 жыл бұрын

its just because people like to hate whats popular. i own a guitar with emg 81s, and ibanez with fishmans and an esp with sd sh, i like each one for playing different types of music. i play my ibanez with fishmans the most just because its more versatile but i still love how my emgs sound playing certain types of music.

@raydog_97

3 жыл бұрын

Honestly if this pickup comparison video was on a baritone guitar tuned to Drop A I bet a lot of people would have went with the fishmans cause the EMGs would have been too bright sounding for a low tuning like that.

@XChristianNoirX

3 жыл бұрын

@@raydog_97 weird.. With baritone guitars, you usually want brighter pickups... (or with less bass) because or else the guitar will fight with the bass guitar... Kind of the reason people use overdrive and such... To cut the bass. And the lower the tuning, the more bass cut people use.. Like the Fortin 33.. That thing cuts loads of low end. It's practically just a high pass filter and volume boost, but then has a supper high input impedance to add insane amounts of high end. Anyhow, in this clip, it sounds like the EMG's have more low end and the Fishman have more high end. The EMG's actually have a slicgh cocked wah thing going on too.

@raydog_97

3 жыл бұрын

@@XChristianNoirX Yeah true

I am an EMG person. I did just ordered a set of the Fishman Fluence So I will see what I like Better.

@jgmopar

6 ай бұрын

@@KhaosWarrior6662 Both are great. Hard for me to say I like one over the other.

What was the pickup heights you used for this demo, I know this is an older video but much appreciated. I have been trying to find out if I had bad pickups and cannot get these tones anywhere near these with the emgs, been considering the Fishmans due to more variety of tones.

I like the emg better. Can i use an emg pickup with the fishman quick connection?are they compatible? I have both thinki i want to put an emg 81 in the bridge position of my warlock.

Both pickups sound good in their own way. It’s all based on preference!

There is no 2nd best here! Although for my personal preference I would still go for the EMG...!!! Grrr8 comparison 🤘👍 Rock til you Drop my Brothers and Sisters!

Not even close EMG. I've been saying Fishman are a fraud for awhile. Better cleans and distortion. Mike great comparison as usual. You are the best on KZread by far!

@mikestamper

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you one more time!!! :)

@Wrathofkala

Жыл бұрын

Fishman Battery life gives you 250 hours verse EMG 1000 hours big difference. EMG all the way, less 9volt batteries which are very expensive right now.

@chief8825

6 ай бұрын

Facts dude, EMGs are also way cheaper and way easier to install then fishmans

@pmarciano1717

4 ай бұрын

What is better for a beginner ? That wants to play other genres beside metal ?

EMG's are great! Not without a reason that they have been on the market since 1981.

I am upgrading my Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro Silverburst and was dead set on Fishman Fluence Moderns. I watched this video today and bought EMG 81/85 set instead. Thanks for the video. I believe I would have been happy with the Fishman pickups but honestly, I preferred the EMGs clean and distorted. I am a product of the Slayer/Metallica generation so.....maybe thats what grabbed me.

@Sorrowablaze

2 жыл бұрын

I have a bc rich eagle that until last week had a nazgul, tuned to c standard with 12-60 gauge strings. I wasn't getting along with it the way I wanted to, so I replaced the nut, tuned to D sharp and back to 10-46. Emg 81/89. It's a thrash monster. I look back at my favorite ols thrash lps. Emgs on damn near all of them. Keeping it old school

EMG pickups are my number one choice, I never use 25K pots but 1MEG high quality potentiometers they make the pickups sound more open and the clean section is incredible, Fishman pickups are very hot right now but I feel that they are very expensive

Yeah! Go go go!

Sounds like the Fishmans are kind of a modern adaption to the classical 81 tone. Guitarists always struggle with disturbing frequencies around 300Hz and 5.000Hz. These frequencies can make you sound a bit...hollow...don't know how to describe it better. It seems that the Fishmans as close as they are to the 81s have exactly these frequencies cut. I think this is the particular reason why they are now loved by so many professionals. They probably have a lot less struggle with the Fishmans when it comes to tone adjustment especially when they, like myself, use the Kemper Profiler. The reason for this is that with this amp...or half PC or however you want to call it, you have to pay really good attention to your midrange settings to get a good tone, more than with classical tube amps. But overall both Pickups are definitely something that you can work with and rely on when you are going for really low tunings. And to be honest...with a little bit of effort and well placed studio monitor speakers you can make both of these pickups sound even more similar ;)

@blahinator9370

2 жыл бұрын

@Ken Severo Cool to know the theoretical background too, thank you!:)

My EMG 81/85 set is the most amazing pickups ever. I feel a little let down this year, every company trying to keep up with Kiesel wood choices have invested in all exotics woods and skimped on electronics. So now I’d have to buy the guitar and pay to get my active set put in. Or maybe I can switch to Fluence?

@Bluesruse

9 ай бұрын

I can forgive 85 on the bridge. But THE EMG neck pickup is the EMG 60.

I love them both

Try running the EMGs at 24volts instead of 9volts. Theres an adapter called 24volt mod. Night and day difference.

@danadane2501

Жыл бұрын

A few people have told me about that I'll check it out but I love my EMG 81 and 85 pickups so much not sure I would mess with it but will definitely do some more research. If you say they're that much different.

To me it sounds like the EMGs are a bit hotter and fuzzier, while the Fishmans are a bit more crisp and throaty. More bass on the EMGs, more mids on the Fishmans. I guess if I wanted a clear and crisp tone, I'd go for Fishmans. If I wanted a hotter and bulkier sound, I'd go for EMGs. Thanks for the comparison!

Great video, thank you. Just bought an ESP with Fishman Fluence Moderns in. Struggling to get past the 'glassy', 'sterile', almost 'digitally clipped' sound. I spent all day trying to get a sound I'm happy with through gear that makes all my other (passive) guitars sound great. May try swapping them out for some EMGs as they sound way better to my ears. And the battery lasts 5 times longer! Reading about it on the forums etc, loads of people feel the same way as me about the Fishmans. It's a shame as I love the guitar!

In the clean voice 1 and voice 2 part and the distorted voice 1 and voice 2 part there is a difference. Can't tell the difference in the distorted active part.

Have to say I'll always be an EMG man, been brought up with early Metallica, slayer and exodus haha. Its frustrating as most brands especially ESP are turning to fishmans, I wish there was an option to choose.

@alijankhan3330

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah I'm looking at this one LTD guitar which used to have emg 81s but comes with fishmans now...I want the damn emg 81s

Kinda makes me wonder how the Fluence Modern pickups would sound going through an amplifier with a lot of low end such as a Mesa Boogie Dual Rec. 🤔

@RockAmRingRocker

Жыл бұрын

Listen to the latest Korn album. Brian Welch plays the Fluence Modern in his signature guitar...and also uses Mesa amps

I listened many review of pickups this day... but nobody adjust the eq or gain of the amp to have the best result i think.... i know thats isnt the correct way if you do that but at the end is liike compare MESA, PEAVVY, ENGL or any amp with the same configuration or not? 🤔🤔🤔

Any chance for Fishman modern vs firman modern open core?

Can anybody please give me their feedback on the fishmans in the passive voicing. I've tried a guitar only wired for the active voicing and i liked that but i'm wondering what the passive voicing is like. Is it actually like a good passive pickup for rock and mid gain tones? or is just passable and still sounds "metal"? Thanks

@mikestamper

6 ай бұрын

Voice 2 is the passive one in this video.

Man, I can't choose who's the Best. They're both have characteristics that i want! My head aches. They're both the best!

EMGs sound so much better frankly

@AbeldeBetancourt

3 жыл бұрын

In this review, sure.

@Metalfreak327

3 жыл бұрын

@@AbeldeBetancourt Interesting

@nielsvangoor8326

3 жыл бұрын

Why do i come to the same conclusion. Kinda weird to me because a lot of people are switching to the fishman fluence’s

@Metalfreak327

3 жыл бұрын

@@nielsvangoor8326 Frankly such videos usually sway consumer decisions. The only way you will know how it feels which is critical is when you yourself plug in and play through your own rig.

@nielsvangoor8326

3 жыл бұрын

@@Metalfreak327 that is also true wich is why I’m not letting my opinion get swayed by one demo :)

shocked by how good the 81 sounds

@heatgrimm8664

8 ай бұрын

I mean how? It’s been a staple pup since literally 81

@MrScrofulous

18 күн бұрын

@@heatgrimm8664 People love to hate it for that exact reason and recent years have seen an exodus to Fishman for no reason other than they are the new thing. I'll take the EMG any day.

Emg81 are the most tight pickup. With mahogany or alder body, 81 are great and can do good clean in the neck. They don't really color to guitar tone, so they are good in a good guitar.

Sounds like the emg got more bottom end. I wonder how they will sound on a 7 string

@ashim0715

3 жыл бұрын

It's only for 6 string but there's 7 string version of it 81-7

Whew!! EMG still rule... I don’t have to go and buy a set of Fishman’s

@bellmeisterful

3 жыл бұрын

Even though he dislikes 81s and has volume lower on them during high gain parts sometimes! Lol. Go listen and come back. On the Nazgul vs 81 vid he did. See if you hear it too. I use 81s and have Black Winter. I don't think an 81 has ever had lower output than another pu.

@timbuk1126

3 жыл бұрын

@@bellmeisterful it's definitely not as hot as the DiMarzio X2N which is a good thing..

@bellmeisterful

3 жыл бұрын

@@timbuk1126 Oh yes. Chuck Schuldiners favorite right? I do like DiMarzio a lot though. I use the Imperium set in one of my guitars right now. Love them. Dude from Revocation sig set.

@wootdeegs3834

2 жыл бұрын

@@bellmeisterful Ive noticed that. EMGs are great pickups. I dont know why people hate on them. All their favorites guitar players use them lol

Team EMG here... and I don't apologize

What clenches it for the EMG for me is the "percussive palm mute" Fishmans are great pickups, nothing chugs like an EMG though.

@gonza.shreds

Жыл бұрын

I absolutely agree with you. I had the modern set in one of my guitars some months ago, and their voice 1 is extremely compressed, and I mean extremely. I guess it is good for djent (which I don't) but it has just too much compression for any chug. No punch at all like the 81/85 or high output passive pickups. I remember that I recorded the "Laid To Rest" riff from Lamb Of God with my Ibanez loaded with Dimarzio The Tone Zone vs my old Schecter with the Fishman Fluence Modern ceramic and I was just so upset for the lot of money that I spent man. The Tone Zone sounded 10000 times better, a really nice chug. The Fishmans even made me hate active pickups because I thought that that "no-chug-at-all" tone was an active pickups thing, until I tried the 81/85 set recently and they completely changed my opinion.

@leviathan_is_me

Жыл бұрын

@@gonza.shreds If I may...I recommend the "old-school" Het set of EMG 60-neck/81-bridge. Use the 81 for EVERYTHING high gain and the 60 for any and all cleans up to p.o.b., as the 60 is just...."chefs kiss" with a good reverb, chorus, delay, and so forth clean tone mmmm hmmm.

@gonza.shreds

Жыл бұрын

@@leviathan_is_me oh I like that!! I don't even use the neck pickup at all but for cleans. I even solo with the bridge

@leviathan_is_me

Жыл бұрын

@@gonza.shreds I was a switching nut with old 498t/490r Gibsons, ANY damn Seymour Duncan's etc... when I got a guitar that was outfitted with stock EMG 60/81 it became my main, and I only switch for cleans now, lol. I can't even you how awesome it is. Of course everyone's different and blah blah blah, but from what I have seen on your channel, you and I have some pretty similar tastes so worth a shot my man. Good luck and enjoy.

Both sounds similar to me....am I wrong?😳

As a Thrasher who prefers scooped mids I got to go with EMG's on this one.

Overall like the EMGs better seem to have more articulation in the distorted tone especially. The Fishmans sound too saturated and muddy, voice 2 helps improve on that.

The Fishman almost sounds “pre-EQd” to me. Like, a lot of the low end that a tech would take out of the guitars is already gone. I’d like to have the option or not have to boost the low end to compensate. I own guitars with both pickups and I gotta go with EMG.

fishman vs emg 81x? what do you think? I have the 81x worth the change?

@mikestamper

3 жыл бұрын

You can compare them here and get your own opinion, :) kzread.info/dash/bejne/jHeEpLORoLfXf5M.html

Clearly Rob made a masterpiece

Well, I have Fishmans and it is whole new level... doesnť sound like this at all...

@shield400

2 жыл бұрын

I agree 100%! I own guitars with both pickups and the Fishman definitely don't sound the way they were "made to" in this video.

@springsgaming7551

2 жыл бұрын

What pickup heights did you use personally? I’m around 2.4mm but I really think I have bad emgs, they are around 16 years old by now.

@BakedTatersOnAcid

2 ай бұрын

Could it be the difference between ceramic and alnico pickups?

@jayz6008

2 ай бұрын

@@BakedTatersOnAcidthe 81 and modern both have ceramic magnets

Personally I'll take Seymour duncan Blackouts over either of these. But out of the two...EMGs definitely sounded better.

Is the same performance in every video? If it is we got a problem here with this video series

@mikestamper

2 жыл бұрын

Is the same performance for each pickup model. Samples are recorded when I get a new pickup, and compared with the rest of pickup samples.

I dont know how to explain this but its like blue eyes white dragon vs galaxy dragon from yugioh with the tones

That EMG sound is iconic. It’s a shame that fluence have mostly taken their spot in new guitars… they’re a very different thing

@brandonharris9160

6 ай бұрын

They really haven't though. EMG is everywhere and Fishman is usually chosen by more modern guitar players. I can go to plenty of music stores without a guitar with Fishman pickups but not EMG, they are everywhere

@ab_cubing

6 ай бұрын

To me for cleans emg sounds pretty much mixture of both the voices of fishman or in middle of them

EMG's all the way!!!

@lorenmorgan1931

Жыл бұрын

Really? Fishman with a compresser will do the same. Squashed like a bug on the windshield at 100mph

EMG81. Definetely.

1:51 that's a cool riff, does it exist in a song or?

@mikestamper

3 жыл бұрын

Hi! This riff is from a song called "Decadence" or also "Dkdnz!". I played this riff a lot of times in multiple versions. Here are some different ones, :) kzread.info/dash/bejne/Yn6qk7KooK6qcag.html (2019) mikestamper.bandcamp.com/track/dkdnz (2010) nosensewithin.bandcamp.com/track/decadence (2009) Enjoy!!

EMGs were the original upgrade pickups back in the day...For heavier music at least. I stopped using them a long time ago thinking I grew out of them and I was convinced that it was a sterile sounding pickup with horrible cleans. On a whim, I decided to go with an EMG set for my partscaster. I was blown away. I couldn't believe how much of a difference they actually made. I've switched pickups out several times with different guitars over the years from Seymour Duncans to Bareknuckles to Fishman and back. I hate to admit it due to the obscene amount of money I've spent upgrading pickups all these years, but there was hardly a noticeable difference in tone. I just put in the EMG T-system, and the difference is night and day. They blow bare knuckle and fishman out of the water.

Fishman voice 1 is a little more harsh and brittle than the EMG, good for screams, not so good for chugs. voice 2 shifts the EQ to emphasize the upper mids and cut the overall volume to mimic the single coil. Meh. EMG is round, deep and good across all the spectrums. I wanted to try the Fishmans, I think I'll stick with my EMG's. I do love them.

i love your videos, dude. EMGs rule and so do the Fishman's. what i've found is, it all comes down to your amp settings. EMGs are way better for someone whose tone is a very treble-y orientated tone where as the Fishman, with a more Bass orientated tone sounds fucking gorgeous and brutal. i use both almost identical guitars, one with EMGs, one with FF Moderns and for my rig, i couldn't be more impressed by the Fishman's. if you haven't tried the Fishman's, do give them a shot.

Nothing touches EMG!! I just bought an ESP LTD GL-200 MT Yellow Tiger Stripe George Lynch (Dokken) Signature with the intention of making upgrades to it, I put and EMG 81 in the Bridge position since it only has one pickup, I’ve never had an EMG pickup before so I was really interested in buying one, and it is easily the best pickup I’ve ever used, out of Duncans, Lundgrens, Fishmans, Bareknuckles (although Misha Mansoor’s “Bulb” Bareknuckles kick ass I still prefer the 81’s) Lace, FU Tone, Rockfield, Tone Zone, and pretty much every well known pickup brand out there, nothing compares to the crushing metal tones and the glistening clean tones of EMG’s 6:22 Is it just me or does that sound like Wild Eyes from Parkway Drive?

EMG daemonum vs fishman please

EMG definitely chugs better

@AbeldeBetancourt

3 жыл бұрын

ha ha ahaaaa!!

@dinonuggies2276

3 жыл бұрын

Well emgs have more low end, the fishmans are made to be as clear as possible. especially with low tunings emgs can get real muddy real fast

@intellectualmetal9850

3 жыл бұрын

@@dinonuggies2276 in all fairness I haven't tried out the Fishman's yet. I wouldnt mind a set in my 7 string. It would be an upgrade from the stock active schecter pickups for sure.

@rickyjones7282

3 жыл бұрын

It's more than that!!! EMG's offer way more than the rubbish that Metallica get out of them!! Steve Lukather,Larry Carlton,Michael Angelo Batio & Reb Beach all use/used EMG pickups & they all possess individuality & clarity!!! I love EMG pickups because they get you out of many issues with signal loss through a pedalboard (I use old Marshall Plexi's & everything goes up front from my pedalboard(s) because their's no effects loop!!) & you certainly don't need to use a buffer at the end of your pedalboard chain too put the presence back like with Seymour Duncan pickups (Dimarzio fair better as do Bareknuckle!) & the active Seymour Duncan pickups sound worse than anything!! Do you remember Evens pickups? These were nice active pickups that Dominique Miller (Sting) used in his Fernandes guitars!!

The fishmans seem like they need the amps eq adjusted. The settings work for the emg but not for the fishmans

That clear definition of higher notes or chords of the legendary 81 are the things your mixing engineers (and you) will need and prefer. That's what you need to have in the densest mixes you're doing with these pickups. Check 6:02 and 7:09 out

If you want to have deep heavy tone buy anything but Fishmans modern. It's been a nightmare to EQout the mid presence and absolute lack of lower mids and Anything that sounds narly and rumbly on lower tunings. It's just not worth your time basically. Too thinn of a tone with crazy reasonanses if you go lower.

The Fishmans sound artificial and sterile, yet amazing note clarity. The EMGs sound full, deeper and more natural, but severely lack clarity on higher notes when heavily distorted.

@joshuanbray

2 жыл бұрын

Yup

@downandloud

2 жыл бұрын

I going to try fluence alnico in the bridge maybe it's the best of both the 81 and fluence ceramic?

@juanfelipeacuna1023

2 жыл бұрын

Spot on, for riffing emg 81 sounds better, but for leads and arpeggios the fluence gets the upper hand.

I think a lot of live players are switching their EMG's for Fishmans is that they probably cut through better. The EMG sound great but are a bit compressed in comparison. I find that too for me personally but it depends on the rig. Love 81 on a lead sound though.

@icaanul

Жыл бұрын

24v mod fixes any complaints of the 81. It's like turning off a compressor.

@A.S.-ty7rv

10 ай бұрын

They do it cause of sponsorship money and gear. Still you can see same artists playing live with their old Seymour Duncans and EMG's

@zombiemosher1139

10 ай бұрын

​@A.S.-ty7rv I still find EMG don't cut through as good. I recently swapped the 81 out for an old Duncan Livewire, night & day.

The EMG DEFINITELY has more body & clarity!!!

I like the EMG over the Fishman.

The Fluence seems to be lacking in the low end. Other than that, not bad.

EMG 81 is number 1 in sales for a reason .

EMG 81 FTW.

My personal preference is for emg's because I'm more old school, I like Zakk Wylde's early tone and they sound better clean to me than Fishman or Seymour Duncan Blackouts!

I prefer fishman clean and Emg for Distortion

On HIGH Gain EMG 81 is a BEAST.

EMG 81 for sure

Damn. Voice 2 on clean is classic humbucker. Distorted, they all sound awesome. Voice 1 is modern metal. Voice 2 has Dave Mustaine vibes. EMG is classic Metallica.

EMG

emg!!!!

Never thought I’d say this but the EMGs sound vintage in comparison

I’d take the 81 here easily, the mids aren’t so harsh. and if you want a better blend go with a passive pup

As a user & owner of both pickups, easily the Fishman. Everything you love about the 81, nothing you don't. I bought this for a 1H SG, so I could do both Sabbath & Metallica & anything in between. I hated the 81 for anything but balls out metal. Sterile cleans, playing old school stuff is a chore, it's just a personality trait that can't be dialed out. Tbh a lot of high output pickups are like this, passive or active. However, I use the active voice as the alternate, and the passive ceramic is default...but sometimes I'll forget to switch back, and none of the grating EMG qualities are there to remind me. It's just a tight, clear sound that plays well with anything - despite my having the 10db activated! Sabbath, Who, ACDC, it never sounds "processed" or overly modern. They could easily sell that voice by itself. The new versions with a noiseless single mode just seal the deal further. Sold my EMGs in 2017 and never looked back, or felt lacking and needing something for that guitar. Oh, except the SA-SA-T set in my ESP tele, in case you think I'm a hater of the brand.