Both pickups have its beauties ,none is better than other

@austin12923

7 жыл бұрын

Paulo Toledo It all boils back down to preference

@frankcastelo6980

7 жыл бұрын

Paulo Toledo Agree!

@SimonMedia666

6 жыл бұрын

Got them both, EMG 81 on BC Rich Beast and SH-4 on Jackson RR3 Pro. Absolutely love them both :)

@crypto.obsidian8859

6 жыл бұрын

I'm thinking they would be a great match for a guitar duo in a band. Sometimes i preferred one, and sometimes the other. ^^

@constantinea8149

5 жыл бұрын

Now I've got the same plan - to get two guitars, one with 81 and the other with JB for a perfect combo!

They are both very great. The JB can definitely do metal. Having two guitars with either is a killer combo.

JB definitely sounds fuller and has more mids and less fizz on top. I have EMGs in one of my guitars and compared to my other guitar, which has passive burstbuckers, it doesn't sound good to me anymore so I am thinking about changing them out for some passives. Thanks for the Comparison. You're a pretty good player too :)

4:10 you can really hear the cutting edge clarity of the EMG where as the passive pickups sounds muddy and sloppy when playing the same high speed riff with high gain

@necrogirl666

4 жыл бұрын

Sure, That's cause why more metal guitarist use EMG81 85 for play thrash / death / black metal styles.

@aryinc

4 жыл бұрын

but on leads its a whole other store. emg's will sound sterile there and the duncans way warmer/ more lead like.

@janerikmellesdal3868

3 жыл бұрын

Exactly as i hear it. I bought a ltd 1000 with sd and regret it..wellwell

Thanks for this comparison video. Plus all the licks and phrases u have made sound really nice and apt.

@SeanMohl

8 жыл бұрын

+BeeElectric Thanks! It's just a bunch of random stuff I was jammin on at the time

my opinion on both pickups aside, this must be the best comparison i've found so far. thoroughly focussing on the tone in different playing scenarios.

Thanks for this demo man, Cover very well different metal styles perfectly. The JB is quite tight i'm surprised.

@SeanMohl

8 жыл бұрын

+seinthomas Thanks! Just a bunch of random riffs I was jammin at the time.

How pickups/guitars sound comparison videos sould be!!!!

This demo has been very helpful as I am planning on replacing the JB that’s in my Jackson with an EMG 81. I heard exactly the pickup that I am looking for! I’m even surprised by the sound on the clean channel. I thought a passive pickup would sound better clean but I like the 81 more.

@SeanMohl

8 жыл бұрын

+Francois Breton Thanks man, I'm glad it helped!

It can be weird but I liked EMG's cleans and SD's distortions sound.

@volkwolf2511

6 жыл бұрын

Unbeatable EMG 81 and Gibson 498T. Best bridge humbuckers for me. И тебя сюда занесло, Орхан)))) Это я, Guitars Luthier.

@OrkhanJulfa

6 жыл бұрын

Хахаха) Как видишь да. Постоянно в поисках)))) The best humbuckers in bridge for me is DiMarzio Evo 2 and DiMarzio Evolution Bridge

@XChristianNoirX

5 жыл бұрын

It all depends what you set up the amp for.

@shredboy9163

5 жыл бұрын

It's not just you. I quite like the cleans on 81s, despite it being a go-to pickup for metal (sometimes). That's not to say it's not good distorted. If you're really keen into some genres of metal, the compression of the 81 helps to give some extra bite. But it's all up to taste, at the end of the day.

@DarthEcoli

5 жыл бұрын

I'm a hardcore Seymour Duncan fanboy, and I gotta say I actually like the 81. Only reason I wouldn't pick it over the JB is because the JB is passive and never requires a goddamned battery, and I prefer alnico pickups.

Excellent Comparison, nicely done, Thank you.👍👍👍. Melbourne, Australia.

Great presentation did a good job in comparing

Duncan JB winner in both clean and distorted. Great shootout and it definitely made of up my mind to get the Duncan JB/59 in both my Epi's......an Epi 335 and an Epi 400 SG. Thank you for making this video!!!!

Beautiful review straight to the point.

@SeanMohl

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

awesome shoot out by the way.

@SeanMohl

8 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

I think the EMG sounds a bit more compressed and the SD sound a bit more dynamic. Very good comparison by the way, thank you!

@PunkWithColor

10 жыл бұрын

It's because EMG's are made for lot of bass settings, that's why they were use by Metallica or lot of trash metal band (trash metal is played with lot of bass).

Started watching for the pup comparison. Finished watching because awesome video game-sounding diddies.

@SeanMohl

8 жыл бұрын

+ch0g0nda1 Thanks!

I have both. JB have a better voicing/eq for solos and riffs with mids and highs, while the 81 prevails on lower tone riffs. There is no such thing of this is better and that. They are both great choices, if you know what to expect...

Amazing play!

@SeanMohl

9 жыл бұрын

Thanks buddy!

I like both. I like to record with both and blend them in the mix.

I really like the clean sound-riffs

I like both the EMG 81 & Duncan JB Both. 2 great pickups & both sound Great.

This is troll proof great demonstration.

@SeanMohl

10 жыл бұрын

Thanks ;)

I use and love both!

cleans sound better on the EMG but dirty, high gain and lead sounds way better on the Duncan. It sounds way clearer and has more dynamic range to it than the more compressed sounding EMG

I play SD Sh-2 and sh-4 on my Epiphone sg. I like the sound, the high output on the Sh-4 it's simply awesome and clear

to me, the EMG sounded like it had a fuller clean tone and more of a crunch in the distorted tone; like it was just more defined

Both pickups have it's own charm. But the beauty about passive pick ups is the Dynamics. You can pick gently and get a cleaner sound and pick harder to get more aggressive tone. You can roll down the volume knob and get a nice clean tone even from a dirty dirty/overdrive channel.

These are my two favorite pickups, with the Het set a close third. I keep going back to the EMG and JB.

EMG 81 on clean: Muddy, but at the same time less edgy. A much warmer sound. SD JB on clean: Bright, edgy, alive. A much sharper sound. Winner: SD JB EMG 81 on dirty: Refined. Extremely tight. Pure thrash. SD JB on dirty: pouring over with power. Pure feeling. Pure umph. Winner: SD JB EMG 81 on High Gain: Square. Spine chillingly heavy. Reminds me of Thor's hammer. SD JB on High Gain: Full circle. Its like being high... on gain. Winner: EMG 81 EMG 81 on Lead: Less organic but much more cleaner sound (no picking sound) SD JB on Lead: You can hear every pick. You can feel every note. Winner: SD JB So I would say, if you're the rhythm guitarist, get yourself an EMG 81. But if you want to destroy and melt faces with your solos, get the SD JB. For recording the EMG is probably better.

@lukee_v

7 жыл бұрын

For recording, passives are better

@mettall1981

7 жыл бұрын

I don't think so. Listen to Judas Priest Metallica they use EMG for recording and they have an awesome sound

@lukee_v

7 жыл бұрын

meh sometimes actives work better than passives too, but i still prefer duncans if i would buy an active

@stenmark2235

6 жыл бұрын

GamerDudester okay, but what kind oF potensiometer whood. U gotta mig like to have :250k or 500k.?

@madden7732

4 жыл бұрын

I felt more attack and punch on the EMG 81 soloing.

I prefer the emg clean for sure, but the duncan for dirty.

@emnavs2887

9 жыл бұрын

agreed!!! ..SD for dirt!!! EMG for Clean

@HarbingerOfAnarchy

6 жыл бұрын

True!

@mcfek7575

3 жыл бұрын

Agree

It all depends on the tone you want, different guitars handle different pickups differently, different players make different sounds with each. Neither is "better" they're just different.

@nottyspammy842

10 жыл бұрын

FORD is better than CHEVY, dangit !! ;-)

@crypto.obsidian8859

6 жыл бұрын

The JB is better.

Got 2 81s yesterday for 100$ :) Also have been using the jb for about 10 years now most reliable pickup I've ever used alnico v magnets in them so it handles high gain perfectly

Thanks for this comparison.

@SeanMohl

8 жыл бұрын

+Dissent WI You're welcome! Hope it helped!

Seymour Duncan.

@ericellis2729

7 жыл бұрын

Vini Mattos - I have a JB/59 set in one of my guitars and I love the JB for its range. I'm possibly getting an EMG loaded LTD EC401 in a trade for another of my guitars and wanted to hear some EMG81/60 demos. I think I prefer the JB over the 81.

It's a;ll about clarity and the JB wins. EQ and gain structure in your amp and pedals can do most everything else but if your source sound lacks clarity your basically screwed.

The EMG sounds better clean, hands down. The SM sounds a bit too bright, and somewhat "flat" when clean, but when driven trough any level of distortion this seems to help it for my ear, making it sound better overall distorted. SM seems to have a bit more clarity and distinction between notes when distorted.

I really noticed the most difference clean, and oddly in favor of the EMG for me. It had a certain tight smoothness...

Im thinking about active pickups 81 60, or the Het set, right now i have the JB in bridge, jazz in neck on a Schecter c1 classic.

Thing about EMG's: they provide more compression to get something like a processed studio sound right at input. But feel-wise, passive pickups are likely better.

@SeanMohl

6 жыл бұрын

I really like how active pickups even out the dynamics for clean guitar.

both very good, i think the JB lacks bottom end

Can't always go by these pick-up shootouts because the main thing most uploaders fail to do, or at least mention, is making sure the pickup heights are not only identical but also the same as before removing and after replacing..SDs are greatly affected by this. In my usa jackson, I can raise the bridge pu (JB) about a millimeter or two and it changes the bottom end on cleans a lot more than I would have ever thought. Emg 81s sound almost the same whether practically touching the strings or 3/4 of an inch away, just more or less sustain, as with any pickup. I actually tested the SD-JB before posting and just a couple screw turns on each side lowering it really made my cleans thinner and harsher..moved back closer and they became noticeably warmer. This alder body is super resonate so not other guitars may not experience this amount of sensitivity from a couple of turns, but a quarter inch up or down adjustment of a SD-JB in any guitar will cause a clear and noticeable difference especially at volumes loud enough to where you don't hear your actual strings ringing from the guitar. Haven't recorded direct with them but I'm sure it corresponds that way as well.

Both are excellent and yet very different. I guess if it were me personally, I'd get the Duncan. EMG 81 is amazing though.. Great options

I come here regularly just for the music. :)

@SeanMohl

10 жыл бұрын

Thanks man! I've got more stuff on the way. Most of these riffs belong to almost complete songs I'm working on. I Should have something new next week.

@alexkazhdan

10 жыл бұрын

Sean M Awesome! Can't wait to hear the finished songs.

Awesome video my friend ! Big Like!👍👍👍👍👍👍👍💯

Both sounded good on my side. The EMG is a bit muddy for my taste. But SD JB sounds more organic even on hi-gain. I would prefer to the SDs because of the versatility of the passives, that you can change the tone just by using the volume on a guitar. Nice demo by the way.

@These_go_to_eleven_1959

Жыл бұрын

I have heard many words to describe the EMG 81 but "Muddy" was never one of them! Middy? then yeah! Don't know what you think "Muddy" means but the 81 is not Muddy at all! and no i do not favor the EMG's. I use the Duncan's am not a fan of active pu's.

Awesome breakdown 4:46

To me, the EMG just has a primal sound, really hard to beat. Love the JB for other types of tones though.

Love the high gain EMG, everything else JB.

Is that "Billie Jean" at beginning of dirty lol nice vid. I'm JB bias

Emg have a better Sound for me! But sd are Nice too! A stay with emg! Thanks for this vidéo!

Got both and both are great. They each have their strengths and works great for different things. EMG 81/85 AND JB/Jazz FTW! BTW, I use more JBs (6) than 81s (2, if ye include the 81TWX) mostly cuz the JBs are cheaper, more readily available and easier/cheaper to install (actives requires a suite of supporting electronics installed: pots, bus, batteries, etc.).

I play metal and I've been using EMG 81s in my 2 Ibanez's forever never even trying anything else. Just started looking into a Parker PDF100 that comes with the SD's. This video actually helped me out a lot. As much as I love the EMG's I didn't notice too much of a difference in the distortions. Yes, there are some, EMG's definitely more gain, but I think I liked the SD's a little more. The dilemma in my head continues, haha.

@SeanMohl

10 жыл бұрын

That's awesome! When I made this video I didn't expect it to be very helpful to anybody, so its really cool to hear it helped you out! The difference between them isn't very drastic, just different flavors of tone. To add to your dilemma, you should checkout the Dimarzio Crunch lab and Bareknuckle Juggernauts too.

those pluckings are sic~!!

I think the EMG is more balanced while in the JB, the higher frequencies are more noticeable. But both are great pickups! I Use a JB paired with a 59 and love em, but also love my EMG 81 & 85 on my LTD.

I've both they are XLNT choices! By this mirroring almost identical. You can tweak dial in whatever your efx to get a little more of this or dial back. (Emg81/ 85 DiMarzio SD's TB4 498T 500T TB6 DD)

The EMGs sounded really nice clean, and dirty, I would use the EMGs for rhythm, and the SH-4 for lead.

I like the EMG 81 I think it sounds amazing also it *feels* better than the JB

distorsion i like both, clean EMG!!

EMG 81 - high gain - 3:26 SD JB - high gain - 3:35

@e.jordan544

3 жыл бұрын

3:02 81 dirty 3:13 jb

I'm not sure what you mean. If there are specific tips for recording specific pickups, I sure don't know them. Record them the same as you would record any other pickup I guess?

and again on mahogany body :-D COuld these work on alder as well?

EMG81 is so compressed and one-trick-pony that prevented me from evolving as a player (while I owned only 1 guitar 12 years ago). The moment I got my second guitar, the world of organic, uncompressed and mellow sound was back in my ears and I realised what I had been missing. EMG81 is an excellent pickup that can do one thing only. It also makes every guitar sound the same so if you're buying it, put it on a cheap guitar, no need to waste space on your beloved Charvel/Caparison etc

Thanks for this... still trying to decide whether to rip out my emgs for SDs or not.. do you have any recording tips for emgs...

Based on previous revisions I was expecting the EMG to be thinner sounding. Conversely they seemed to have much more body.

Good Vid demo. I wonder if anybody that commented already knows you can make passive pick up active? :) very simple mod you can do with a battery and if you rig it right then when the battery dies you can still play passive but that set up requires drilling a hole for a switch I call a toggle, like having a push pull pot but it's a different part you use that has many different little things to hook wires to and it has a flip switch for on off. I did one on a old guitar for a friend and when I get the cash I'll be adding one to my guitar. I have actives on one of my guitars with that kill switch as well to save the battery by making it disconnect the line to the hot wire which while gigging does a instant volume cut for you so you don't have to roll down you knob after palm muting. :)

Swapping between the jb and emg, I like the quick response of the emg. Or is it my jb is bad one ?

well to me the JB feel too trebly and the EMG lack of warm so i don't know what to decide..

For metal the EMGs take the edge with their really tight attack and accurate lows. The JBs sound a little spongy in comparison which means they lose some definition in the fast palm mutes. However, I do think the JBs have more "character" in their frequency response which gives them the edge in the clean passages. The EMGs sound like their entire frequency range is at the same level whereas the JBs have a really nice upper mids spike. So for me, from clean up to classic rock, JBs take the edge, but from then on to metal it's got to be the EMGs.

@MegaAndyGG

4 жыл бұрын

So Gojira is classic Rock?

i play both of these pickups in all 7 of the guitars i own. always close. but for the sound i like and the way i play (which is just not one certain heavy picking hand) i always feel better playing the jb. it seems to respond much better with volume control

Also who gives a flip about cleans with these bridge position metal/rock pickups?

I can't decide between active or passive PU's... I really got to go to a music store and try both kinds of PU's for my self. But which one do you prefer anyway?

@SeanMohl

9 жыл бұрын

Gabriel Costa Between these two, I like them both very much, but I think I like the JB just a little bit more.

I'm surprised, but I actually prefer the fullness of the EMG to the brightness of the JB when clean, and prefer the JB's stellar definition in High Gain, it would be nice to know what guitars these are in, especially since the JB will sound completely different in a Les Paul than it would in a Ibanez...

@SeanMohl

10 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment! Both pickups were ran through my Jackson SLSMG. I even used the same set of strings.

Nice playing man, for a moment I forgot about the context of the video..

I prefer EMG because as high output as they are you can back off the gain on your amp a little and have that much more if you really feel like it. Also the JB sounded a little too trebley.

I think that i'm going for the SD JB since they sound nearly the same for me but the sd are 60 euros cheaper :) thx for the compairison

@SeanMohl

10 жыл бұрын

you'll also save on batteries!

JB is a little thinner on cleans but more articulate with higher notes. Dirty the JB can be tweaked to sound just as thick and full as the EMG. Someone already ripped the EMGs out of my LTD EC1000 for Blackouts. I gutted the bridge for a JB and kept the Blackout in the neck. Good sounding combination. Organic sounding distortion with a lot of attack and a not too tight low end and strong thick cleans.

What passive pick up can give you that Emg sound? I don’t want to deal with a battery.

@DanielGonzalez-fw8kl

4 жыл бұрын

The closest pickup I can think of getting a close active sound is the Seymour Duncan Black Winter

I have a LTD Ec series with the sh-4 and sh-1, and it is the most versatile guitar i've ever came across, and if the question is metal, It sounds awesome for real, even in drop B tunings (for real). I Know the EMG is a great pickup, but I'm just in love with JB.

The difference are very subtle, though EMG has a bit more punch being an active pickup while the SD-JB being passive. I have the 81 on one of my guitars so I knew how it would sound but was surprised how the JB performed. Looking to upgrade an older guitar and the JB might fit the bill. Better price and will be easier to install.

Hi! What a pots value you have in this guitar?

The dirty SD sounds more complex with more overtones than the EMG. The active sounds a bit cold and compressed but for cleans I actually liked it better, it had more bottom and mids and wasn't as trebly as the SD.

Being a SD fan I gotta say 81's cleans are ktulus!

Have JB In my Les Paul bridge, and EMG 81 in my explorer bridge! Gotta cover all your bases!

I think before anyone takes anything further, fist of all, what kind of JB is in the Bridge? Because there are a couple of different models.

@SeanMohl

9 жыл бұрын

Just a plain old regular JB.

Proof video for the position that "they can be made to sound exactly the same"???

The emg 81 sounds better than the jb. I like the darker sound compared to the lighter sound on higher octaves and on the chugging I felt their was barely a difference. Both sounded very nice, perhaps for different moods.

If it was a song, could somebody tell me what was being played at 1:41? Good demo by the way, great to play em one after the other there are some really distinct differences.

@SeanMohl

9 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Everything you hear was written by me. That particular lick was probably inspired by the either the Tristram or Encampment theme from D2.

Great comparison! I like JB better here, it has more detailed sound. 81 is kind of too tight for my taste, but i like the clarity of EMG's. SD's are more percussive sounding pickups. My favorite is an generally disliked pickup- a HZ H3 pasive.

What are your settings on the Maxon and on the ISP?

liked jb for rythm, and emg for leads

I've had both, but the JB it's my go-to. EMG: More definition, better palm mutes and works great on low tunings. Plus they're dead silent. JB: Great rock sounding pickup, more upper mids and it's perfect for lead work. I think the JB cuts better through the mix though.

the emg sounds like it was on the neck and the jb sounds like its in between out of phase (in the clean samples)

came for the comparison, stayed by the riffs

I have both and love both of them. But I slightly prefer the jb for gain but I prefer the 81 for cleans

Nothing but the JB!!!

Do keep in mind you're comparing a JB/Passive to an 81/Active. My biased toward Seymour Duncan makes me wanna choose it automatically, but the 81s cleans I must admit are good. All around, the EMG is surprisingly crisp, but I still choose the JB just for the simple fact that it's passive and alnico, and I never have to fuck with batteries for it. I went with an Invader in the bridge of my LTD Viper in favour of the HZ4. Invader is just a JB with even higher gain and ceramic instead of alnico. The cleans are really nice though.

The emgs sound more fuller to me than the jobs. Emg has always been my favorite

was this an apples to apples comparison. or were they on the same guitar and just switched between the neck and bridge

In my humble opinion....granted I work in a very noisy environment, so my ears may not hear the same, but it appeared that the emgs on the clean side were a bit louder, but had a slight break-up, so I liked the Duncan jbs for clean (with a boost they would smoke the emg, since emg has a 9 volt battery to boost it I would say its only fair to boost the jb) for gain, I love the sledgehammer lows and mids on the emg. I use a Duncan invader for high gain rhythms and love them, but that's just my preference. great demo, thank you