Kirk has been going through stuff. He’s actually still very good live. I saw them twice during the Hardwired tour. Indoor and out door US shows. Kirk has so much energy as of late. I saw them in Milwaukee and he was going crazy all night and was on point.

@jonroberts986

5 жыл бұрын

G Birdo as weird as it sounds, when Metallica switched from Axe FX 2 to Axe FX 3, Kirk seemed to get a lot of that magic back, make of that what you will. I have tickets to see them in June, I’m so pumped!

I was in the camp that believed it was just a regular 81/60a set with a green logo, after watching this I totally hear a difference...thanks for clearing that up for me! 🤘🏼

@jonroberts986

5 жыл бұрын

Jimmy C glad I could help! ;)

I think I heard the same things you did. I immediately heard a softer pick attack and low mids. This was a great review

Thankyou for making this video, ive had a set for about 7 months and i am very pleased with them. They sound amazing. The bone breakers are my first set of emgs and my first set of active pickups for the matter, just going off of youtube videos of standard 81/60s i too can tell they have a bit less gain but they are so clear and crisp sounding and great for all types of music. I am very happy with them.

@jonroberts986

5 жыл бұрын

Aydin H thank you for watching! I found that too, the BBs are definitely a ‘cleaner’ pickup, but in being lower-gain and a little warmer, they complement a hotter sound very nicely. I think I’m still an 81/60 guy, but I’m happy I tried them out!

@AydinHuss

5 жыл бұрын

@@jonroberts986 yeah. I want to listen to an 81/60 set in person. Im a massive metallica fan and kirk hammett fan haha. i have an esp ltd kh-202 which is the guitar i put the bone breakers into and i also have a strat copy guitar. I want to buy the kh 20 pickup set (81/SA/SA) and put them in that guitar.

That's an awesome Rhoads inside a windy room!! And nice comparison video too!!

This is the best review of the Bone Breakers I've seen your channel definitely deserves more views. I actually have the Hetfield signature LTD Vulture and replaced the Het Set with the limited BB pickups and I enjoy them so much more. They've become my go-to pickups.

@jonroberts986

5 жыл бұрын

LindströmSteele wow, thank you so much! I have an CS Vulture on the way and know I already love the Het Set, but I bet the limited edition BBs look awesome in there!

Thx for the vid, I just got an old esp ex 50 and the Bone Breakers are a big possibility. I also appreciate your descriptions, you're filling in some gaps in my knowledge, I've built a few solid bodies and need to develop my ear and my lingo... i think i get everything you meat. lol. Nice work!!

Great demo. Time to get some Bone Breakers.

Thanks bruther, good chopping! bb fuller overall, barkier mids, treble pretty close to 60a, great for metal and solo material. I'm installing my bb this weekend! PRS Torreo, EMG bb, Fractal Audio and Atomic frfr monitor = BLISS! - P

I like the way they make your hair blow around. 😁👍💯Good video,

Awesome playing Jon, hope your still playing these days dude 🤘

Is it too much to ask for people to do reviews of pickups and amps without a damn backing track going? It makes it way too hard to hear the difference.

@artificialinsolence3182

4 жыл бұрын

Wouldn't you agree that, what ultimately matters, is the end product? You wouldn't record distortion guitars on their own without any accompaniment and you would certainly not play a live gig without a band. What do differences matter in isolation, when you can't or just barely perceive them in the mix? So, what this video does, is show the difference between the pickups in a realistic context, asking the question if it's even necessary to upgrade to the Bonebreakers when you already have the 81/60 set.

@bellmeisterful

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the warning. He's still talking and I'm outta here.

@bellmeisterful

3 жыл бұрын

@@artificialinsolence3182 Dude...that all sounded very nice and I see some people agreed...but it's horseshit. Review videos are so we can tell if we like it or want to buy it. And 95% of these guys make these videos to where we can't even get a true example. They really are so we have to watch them play their riffs.

@justaguy2365

9 күн бұрын

Gotta hear it in the mix!! Nothing else matters

A lot of the bands that got me into Metal all used Emg's. I personally love them, and I never quite understood the hate they get.

Wicked video man ..i have 81 on bridge and 85 on neck ..i love the warm thick cleans on the neck and the cutting edge sound like an angle grinder steel cutting 81 on bridge .. I just want bone breakers, well just BECAUSE . They are green, clean, dirty and mean. I would have to hear them through my own equipment to really judge . Let's face it , they can't be bad ! , just bad ass👊😎🤘🇦🇺 Kirk was always 81/81 for a long time .. it's cool to see his own signature green set now 👊👽🤘

Thanks for making this video, it will help me make my decision! \m/

@jonroberts986

5 жыл бұрын

ConnorMan Thank you for watching! Which do you think you’re leaning towards?

Intresting vid, just got a mii with 81s in it. My first set of active pick ups, pretty sick i must say. Nice explorer behind you, iv got a white one too

I’m a big fan of EMG pickups as well, ALL of my guitars have them, I have the Hammett Bone Breaker’s so far, the Het-set is next!!! One with the 81/60 set, one with the 81/85 set and one with the H4/H4A set!!! Love my EMG’s!!!

@jonroberts986

4 жыл бұрын

How do you find the H4? I’ve never tried the passive EMGs

@REDDRAGON666ful

4 жыл бұрын

Jon Roberts there the passive version of the 81 set, and when I first played them, I was blown away by how loud they were, they just SHRED, there just amazing in all ways!!! The only reason I went passive on this guitar was there was no room for a battery, BC Rich KKV...

@howtoshootstraighthtss4948

3 жыл бұрын

@@jonroberts986 i prefer the passive pickups, hz4s

@shrake5385

Жыл бұрын

The laiho alx set with abq preamp is godly

@REDDRAGON666ful

Жыл бұрын

@@shrake5385 I had it, worked great, so much power! Ended up selling it though, not a big push/pull pot guy.

I'm fans of EMG Zakk wylde set 81 & 85 I was ever to used it many times on all my guitars and play oldschool thrash/death metal styles more than 20 years passed. and so fucking love shape/more gain sound of it. Now I have plan to consider about buy EMG BB and your video is so very help me for choose it.

Came for the pick ups. Stayed for the riffs

I have the Kirk Hammett signature EMG set on my ESP LTD m10 also use Ernie Ball 11-48 sounds badass in drop d

Still like the 81 better. Sounds angrier. Good comparison, helped me avoid the BB's.

@jonroberts986

2 жыл бұрын

Glad to help! I preferred the 81 too, but the BB is a cool flavour if you’re after something a little bit different

@necrogirl666

2 жыл бұрын

Agree with you. I love green logo but I try concentrate to compare about 81 & BB with many video but think I prefer shape tone of 81 more.

I have an 81 / 60TW-R set and just got a KH602 with the BB and there is a very noticeable difference to my ears plugging back and forth. Was getting ready to order a 57/66 set for the MH but seriously considering just adding a BB set, the neck is VERY nice IMHO.

Nice video, man! I heard some difference between them too.

Cool video! I bought a set after watching.

@jonroberts986

4 жыл бұрын

Wow thank you! I’m so happy I could help you make a decision!

@Elektrifekt

4 жыл бұрын

Jon Roberts it was a great review. I own a few ESP’s and have the usual suspects like the 81’s and 60’s in my KH2 and Truckster. I bought some Bone Breakers for my KH SE LTD. for some reason it shipped with ESP pickups that look like EMG’s. Seems quite fitting to install Bone Breakers as an upgrade.

To be honest, to hear the different in this video is quite difficult. Because it's a full mix video. But, with a little bit effort I think I can hear the different between 81 and BB bridge. BB bridge has less spike/treble. So, I agree with your opinion. As for favorite pickup. Both sound good. I won't change 81 to BB bridge.

I have the KHBB and they are Awsome!!

bone breaker sounds amazing

I use 85/85 in my guitars. Lovely tone and clean up great.

@jonroberts986

4 жыл бұрын

I’ve never tried an 85 in the bridge, but I know a couple of people that have and love it! Personally I prefer ceramic magnets a little more (I find they have a clearer top end) but I love how many options there are for people to get exactly what they’re after, even just sticking with EMGs

Hi Jon. The sound is quality in your playing. What setup do you use in the video? Pedals/amp ? Thanks in advance

@jonroberts986

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you! This video was recorded with a Mesa Mark 5:25 into a Torpedo Studio. The IRs were a blend of a couple of SM57s and MD421s on a Mesa Oversized 4x12 all from Ownhammer. I don’t remember the exact IRs used in that blend but that’s what they make up 😂 no pedals except for the wah and an MXR GT-OD on the solo.

Great video! I really cant' decide! They both sound really great. I think I am going for a bit more of a Master of Puppets era style, so maybe the EMG 81/60...

@jonroberts986

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you! For the older school Metallica stuff I think you’re right to go with the more traditional 81/60 set (although I think for MOP specifically Hetfield was using Seymour Duncan and Kirk was using an 81/81 set? Oh well 😂).

@thebrawnysquirrel6344

4 жыл бұрын

@@jonroberts986 That makes it even easier! I was just looking at a guitar I love all the specs of except for that 81/81, but if that's what he used, then maybe I can rethink that! :)

@jonroberts986

4 жыл бұрын

I've only owned 1 guitar that had an 81 in the neck, a KH Relic (now rebranded Vintage) from 2001, weirdly enough, but I really liked it! It's like a 60 turned up to 11. A little clearer, a little louder, a little 'more'.

Earned a subscriber

@jonroberts986

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you! ❤️

@MidtownMeezus

4 жыл бұрын

Jon Roberts so you feel the bone breakers had nothing to do with his play faltering ?

@jonroberts986

4 жыл бұрын

It was a joke that didn’t come across very well as a joke. Changing a pickup doesn’t change how good someone is. I don’t think it’s controversial to say Kirk doesn’t play like he did in the 80s and 90s anymore, but the Bone Breakers are more about how his preferences when it comes to tone have changed over time.

The 81/60 had a noticeable higher output cleaner sound on the cleans... The necks sounded same on the dirt

We can hear all the note on the bb set, for solos

I think the bones are a little bigger in thumping chug but only just .. I love the green logo. I wanted 89's just for the red logo to learn my 85/81 set up was more for my sound . But these BB's I want me some concept or not dont give a crap love these green breakers .. emgs ,get em all.

Can hear every note out of the Bone Breakers

Either installing an 18 volt mod or getting the 24 volt battery pack is a must-upgrade for the legacy EMG's. if someone has been running only a 9 volt that upgrade may eliminate the feeling of needing to switch to a newer model

@jonroberts986

4 жыл бұрын

Adam Youdell I haven’t done it myself, but I’ve heard that the 18v mod basically makes the 81/60 sound like EMG X series pickups. It’s definitely worth trying if anyone’s interested, for a new flavour of EMG!

@AdamYoudell

4 жыл бұрын

@@jonroberts986 I've got the 24 volt battery pack in most of mine. It uses A23 batteries which tend to last longer than the 9volts. IMO it creates a slightly different feel/more clarity EMG claims it's mostly beneficial for bass guitar systems, I tend to agree I can't play my 8 string with 81-8/808 without it now. Strings 7/8 are much clearer

@jonroberts986

4 жыл бұрын

Adam Youdell interesting! I don’t really tune any lower than C# standard/drop B, but if I spent more time that low I’d totally consider it. I’m not sure how necessary it’d be with the Het Set (which is the only pickups I use anymore) but for the Legacy stuff absolutely

Seem to be pretty similar... just a different EQ “voicing”. I’ve played the BB set, and I enjoy it personally.

@jonroberts986

3 жыл бұрын

Slightly lower gain, slightly different voicing with a little lower resonances, but still very much an EMG sound!

If you are a Tapper, the EMG is simply the best. Where they fail is in the Lows and Low Mid tones.

Bone breaker have way more fullness and bark in the mids. I think they’re better fit in the mix more.

I agree there is a difference in pickups. Personally, I'm not a fan of EMG. I do like how bone breaker sounds. Perhaps I get a new guitar with active pickups will keep these in mind.

It's definitely the fan. You need more wind for the bonebreaker to sound the same.

I can't describe it in word, but there is different. My guitar has 81/85. I won't change it to bone breaker or het set because because I like 81 so much. I don't use 85 very much since I mostly play rhythm. If I have another guitar with 81/60 or 81/85, I will change it to fishman or maybe to passive one.

Hi, how do I know that the battery of these pickups is empty?

To me the Bone Breaker set has a little bit more bite comparing to the 81 & 60.

I just want to know if you kept the bone breakers in your Jackson? Also, I did hear a difference. The bone breakers seemed to have a bassier tone in my opinion.

@jonroberts986

2 жыл бұрын

Sadly not, I preferred the 81/60 with their more aggressive edge, but I’m definitely glad I tried the BBs out to know for sure!

@TheRealKirkHammett

2 жыл бұрын

@@jonroberts986 thanks for the response. I'm also a huge fan of "the greatest band in the world" as I know you are. I love your videos man. Funny, but still serious enough to be enjoyable to watch. Love the opinion/breakdown on these.

I'm on the fence, there's definitely a difference. I'm looking to upgrade to emg and was going to go for the 81/85... shit, have to watch more comparisons. Cheers, for the vid🤘😁🤘

@chriswalton3383

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah but is that difference really worth a few hundred dollars? I've got the Retro active hot 70's that come with the harkey Benton amarok. I was thinking of getting the Het set. But after watching a few video's, to me it's not worth $300+ just for a tiny sound difference. Totally depends on what pick ups you have.

@cradleofphill

3 жыл бұрын

@@chriswalton3383 Man, you could probably spend a lifetime trying different pickups, amps, pedals guitars any whatever else is out there! You can drive yourself mad!! Lol. I think the difference is so small it wasn't really worth it. I ended up getting the 81/60 set and they are great. I did have to change my sound set up because I was using passive pickips before but yeah, I enjoy them. They sound a bit more aggressive and alive then my last pickups. You definitely want to turn up or down mids if you're playing or recording rhythm and lead tracks together to help set them apart from each other. Sound is all in the mids I've found anyway. Good luck with your choice, I don't think can go wrong what you choose. If you like the emg sound then you'll make them work for you. 🤘

@ParasiteBreed

Жыл бұрын

I also have an Amarok 6, real nice guitar and also drive myself cracy about getting different set of Humbuckers. But the hot 70 set is outstanding. I ended up with keeping them it a waste of money to change it

So, at the beginning you made the comment that you think these pickups may have caused Kirk's playing to sound worse, but you never further elaborated on this and I waited through the whole video to see if you would. Can you eleborate?

Gary holt and Zakk Wylde both just play regular 81s.... Jim Root However May be getting a custom set, also since Mick left and got his own custom set of active Seymour Duncan’s ages ago, it’s about time Jim got his too!

@jonroberts986

5 жыл бұрын

rolando e. limon I’m interested to see what happens with Jim Root’s signature set. I know it’s been in the works for a while and that he was messing with the Het Set to see where he wanted to go, but then it kind of stopped out of nowhere. Once there’s a reveal I’ll be all over that!

Couldn'ta howled it better, minus the cool accent! I have been hype- tone happy w my ESP JH-600, which tragically but fairly satisfyingly replaced an original, 1st- run BC Rich warlock that got stolen;/ 'Special place in hell for gear thieves..' Now that I think of it K Hammond was quoted in interview saying that? Anyway a badass hobbit- luthier in Charlottesville I worked w tricked out the warlock w Joe Barden humbuckers, which coincidentally looked & sounded like the JH-600 EMG's, but the clean sounds were sparkly spectacular coming out of a warlock! The luthier mainly built & worked on violins- & electrified those too which is very cool too- so this guy thought the BC Rich demonicly amazingly compelling enuf 2 convince him to modify it Anyways I just got new ESP EII Horizon III FR, liquid black, & I'm gonna change out the stock S Dunc's w EMG H4 set.. just bc they're passive don't mean they can't shriek!! I told the EMG tech the tones I wanna chase w the new axe r of Santana & EVH rendering.. hey it's an impossible but 'tryably' goal, & fun, success lies in that chasing & playing It's not abt the sonic destination so much, it's the journey.. Yup that sounds like I just smoked a tonna weed lol Yah dude total ditto re: EMG.. u got serious skills too man! My main gig is USMC heli pilot; guitars r not my forte but cerebrally they challenge so I much love playing.. Quality guitar requires quality p/u's.. so me too-- EMG makes some serious great gear 'Dear Santa'.. makes u wanna have unlimited bank or b endorsee right?!

Jim Root EMG sig set 2020! \m/

@jonroberts986

4 жыл бұрын

Jay Hallman I’ll definitely be trying a set when they finally come out! I have a baritone I think they’ll be perfect in...

@jayhallman6666

4 жыл бұрын

Jon Roberts Awesome! Hope you make a vid on it. Subscribed.

@jonroberts986

4 жыл бұрын

Jay Hallman thank you so much! As soon as I find the charger for my camera I have 2 or 3 things to get up on here! I moved house and everything has gone missing 😂

big difference yes but prefer hmmm its hard both have they own qualitys i think

I dont know but i think the fan going made both pickups sound the same. may wanna turn the fan off next time.....

Maybe I'm just tone deaf but I can barely tell them apart. I wholeheartedly agree with you in regards to signature gear looking too obvious, (same with signature guitars) the original EMG design is in my opinion timeless and by far the best looking. I also don't understand why a fan of any musician would bother buying signature pickups when usually their best material was recorded with stock EMGs.

I actually took a chance and bought a set. They sound identical but feels different. More of a passive feel and less top end and therefore harmonics are not as sharp and ear shattering as an 81. Much more pleasing to the ear Its basically a tamer 81. You'll think your playing a passive 81. Its a softer feel. Let me say...it is definitely worth getting and you'll see once you do. I have and no more 81. The 81 gets tiring and tough to get it to sound and feel right. Go get this..trust me.

Might be a dumb question, but the kit comes with 4 pots when my guitar only has 3… do I add the extra pot or is it not needed? Be kind… I’m a noob

@jonroberts986

3 жыл бұрын

Not a dumb question at all! If you don’t need the other pot, just don’t wire it in. The guitar I used in this demo only had 2 volumes and no tone controls, so I just didn’t put those extra pots into the guitar and it worked exactly as it should. Hope that helps!

@MrGoober1983

3 жыл бұрын

@@jonroberts986 oh awesome thanks heaps 😁

Great video, especially because it shows that agufish's review of the set is shit. I just bought an ESP LTD KHWZ supposedly with EMG 81/60 but it came with EMG Bone breakers. My first reaction to the BB's was that they seemed to have lower output than I excpected and that the mids were more pronounced.

The BBs are closer to the 81x, imho.

Not sure what you’re getting on about his pickups, they sound loads better than the 81s in this video. Also do you have a fan on your hair?!? Really?!?

BB has more lows and mids, 81 has more highs. I guess the BB set has a more passive sound

@jonroberts986

4 жыл бұрын

That’s sort of the impression I got too! The BBs can probably be described as more ‘vintage’ sounding, but still very much an EMG flavour

Which set would you recommend for a one guitarist metal band? I keep vacillating between the 81/60A and the Bone Breakers. I like the way the Bone Breakers look, but it seems to me like the bottom end might be a bit better with a regular 81. On the other hand, the solo tone seems a bit thicker with the Bone Breaker.

@jonroberts986

4 жыл бұрын

What kind of rig are you going through and what kind of sounds are you trying to get? What do you use at the moment that you're not happy with and why?

@natebemis

4 жыл бұрын

@@jonroberts986 I'm putting together a guitar with parts I purchased explicitly for the purpose of making a metal guitar. As far as rig, I use a a JCM800 2203 reissue (100 watts) and Laney Ironheart 120, both through a Torpedo Studio. The sort of sounds I'm trying to get range from Metallica, Megadeth, and Ozzy through more extreme stuff like Cannibal Corpse, Immortal, Behemoth, etc.

@jonroberts986

4 жыл бұрын

Hmm, the 81/60 would probably sound closer to those kinds of things out of the box, but if you’re planning on playing live with only 1 guitar, the BBs would be a little more ‘full range’ if that makes sense? Mentioning Cannibal Corpse almost makes me say 81/60 on its own, but I guess it depends if you want a little more mids and less spiky treble than they have 😂

@jonroberts986

4 жыл бұрын

Glad to have helped (I hope? Haha), it does change it a little bit, and for recording I’d probably recommend the 81/60a out of those choices. It’s easier to dial aggressiveness out than dial it in, I think. The Jackson I used in this video is in D standard, and they both handle downtuning well, but the 81 felt like it had a little more definition and the BBs felt like they were a complement to be used in conjunction with something else. I have a few Hetfield sig ESPs now with the Het Set in (my favourite pickups ever!) and the BBs feel like they support that rather than standing on their own to me. EMGs are tricky, because they’re (almost) all excellent and pretty much just different flavours of the EMG sound. The BB flavour is a slightly less aggressive take on that vibe, while the 81 is the base, and the Hets are a slightly more aggressive take on it.

@natebemis

4 жыл бұрын

81/60a it is, then!!! :) (I think that was the way I was leaning, but I couldn't fully commit, since I liked the green logo. Thanks again!)

I honestly don't hear a hair of a difference. Sounds just like the 81/60 which is the industry standard.

@mercatorjubio3804

4 жыл бұрын

the difference is not all that big, but it's there

Kirks still has his shit together live..indeed..he's human and not a machine, so he makes mistakes just as anyone else...as each member has their share of fuckups...but Kirk still plays his solos great. In my opinion Lars has become the weaker link....still plays well, but he breaks time more often now.. since my band is strictly classic rock, I think the BBs will be fine, more versatile, and not so much IN YOUR FACE. I ordered the Purple Sparkle KH ESP ...can't wait to get my paws on it

@jonroberts986

2 жыл бұрын

Congrats on the sparkle KH! They’re absolutely killer instruments

I'm not a big fan of them iv been using them for a year in my kh3 the 81bb is ok just meh it's the 60a in the neck I dislike more I'm toying with the idea of putting a 81x and 60x in

You got it so compressed and processed really can't hear the pick ups

I personally think they both sound the same. lol

I have them in a new guitar but don't really like them

The pre amp is tweaked. They are not just a new package emg set. They just aren't. EMG have said their different. Why would they risk a law suit, and as if Kirk would do that to people. He wouldn't do that to people I don't reckon.

@jonroberts986

3 жыл бұрын

Exactly what I say in the video!

Bone breakers just have more bite

81 sounds better

Because not doing a test with another type of metal other than Metallica, it is obvious that the EMG Bonebreaker serve to sound like the band

What's with the fucking fan?

@jonroberts986

3 жыл бұрын

It was a hot day and I thought I’d go for something ‘big dumb rockstar’. Thanks for the attention btw 😘

Bone breakers sound fuckin terrible just like kirk's playing