EMG 81 - fell out of favor (for me)

[BahamaDada]

I feel the same about the 81 at the moment.

4 of my 5 electric guitars have EMG bc I hate soldering and the quick connect system is a blessing. 57/66, 81/85. 81/85 and SLV/SLV/58 (not 85). I adore the 57/66. Superb pickups in my Tremonti.

Now those 81s... Sometimes, when I have my Metalcore or Extreme Metal phases I love them and get out everything I want from them. Right now my thoughts are "Damn, these sound so weak. The Carl Wheezer of pickups".

Just power through. As @DrewJD82 said: Wait a month and they will be the best pickups ever, again. Fresh strings help, too.

 

[Tito83]

Any pickup is better than the JB. I hate that damn mid honk so much

 

[DrewJD82]

Any pickup is better than the JB. I hate that damn mid honk so much

@la szum

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

For the last 35 years I always had one gitfiddle with 85/81.

And for gainy bucker lead sounds it’s still my go too.

Now that said I do dig the Fishman fluence.

 

[la szum]

@la szum

That looks fun!

Man, I have wanted to swap out the JB in the Edwards LPC, but it just works.

Jerry Cantrell on line 1.

 

[maguchi]

I have one guitar left with EMGs. 85 in the bridge and a 60 in the neck. I had put it away for probably 8 years and when I got it out it sounded dull with no top end. I used some deoxit on the potentiometers and it came back to life. Maybe those 25k pots are sensitive to humidity or just sitting around.

Fresh string on both? I have a similar experience though. Have to adjust the settings to fit each.

^^^This. Put some Deoxit on the pots, install some new strings and a new battery and a 81/85 combination will sound great.

 

[EOengineer]

My main guitar back in my Hetfield/Metallica fanboy days was a LP with an 81 in the bridge. Initially I loved it. Eventually I began to pick up on a noticeable loss in playing dynamics when playing less distorted material. I battled with it for a couple years and eventually went back to passives.

 

[Warmart]

Went from my Cort X-TH EMG 81/85 guitar to my Edwards with Seymour Duncan JB (SH-4) and 59 (SH-1) for a year.
Today I pulled my Cort, installed fresh 9v battery and.... I don't like what I hear.

The EMG 81 is flat and dull sounding to me now.
The JB in comparison, chugs, snarls, bounces and responds to "digging in".

WTF? I used to like the EMG 81 very much.


EDIT:
Recorded sounds doesn't do justice to what I feel when playing.

JB Clean (DI track)


EMG 81 Clean (DI track)


JB Dist


EMG 81 Dist

Try a 24v mod, makes a tremendous difference with the original 81/85/60 EMG's, in most cases. I prob even have a coupon code laying around in my email, if interested.

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

In my 40+ years of playing, I haven't been 10ft near any EMG pickup (that I know of).

Ever.

 

[FuzzyAce]

In my 40+ years of playing, I haven't been 10ft near any EMG pickup (that I know of).

Ever.

They make great pickups, but they're no better or worse than most popular brands. Active pickups have their place but I definitely prefer passives these days.

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

A few years ago, a semi-famous mathcore guitarist died on stage after his active pickup electrocuted him. As soon as he touched the strings, a current of 9 volts coursed through his body; lighting his hair on fire and killing him.

The guitarist? Isoceles Johnson

The pickup? EMG 81

And they had to have a closed casket funeral because the 9V battery exploded in his face.

 

[0XI0]

THRII high gain classic reeeealy likes EMG 81 omg. the first 1/3 of the gain pot has a JCM800ish treble peaker sound on it too (recto doesn't have that), way more prominent top end boost than just a bright cap. it's the best edge of breakup tone in the whole thing

 

[spawnofthesith]

I never liked them. Prefer blackouts for active pickups but active in general suck to me

 

[State of Epicicity]

I'm still surprised Blackouts never dominated the active market. No internal compression, natural feel, high output, powerful tone, and the most powerful noise rejection due to the balanced input to its preamp. I think they do not market them well now, especially their Blackouts Strat, which are phenomenal. My two cents.

 

[Los-D]

A few years ago, a semi-famous mathcore guitarist died on stage after his active pickup electrocuted him. As soon as he touched the strings, a current of 9 volts coursed through his body; lighting his hair on fire and killing him.

The guitarist? Isoceles Johnson

The pickup? EMG 81

And they had to have a closed casket funeral because the 9V battery exploded in his face.

…they were Fishman Fluence Killswitch Engage, obviously

 

[FuzzyAce]

I still think the EMG S is one of the best neck pickup sounds. If I could get that exact sound without the battery I'd be on it, although I still have 2 that are pushing 30 yrs old.

 

[6CA7-A]

There's an op-amp missing from current EMG's that the older ones had which they dont make anymore.
I have an EMG-81 from the 90's in a 1986 MIJ Charvel and it absolutely destroys.

 

[JiveTurkey]

There's an op-amp missing from current EMG's that the older ones had which they dont make anymore.
I have an EMG-81 from the 90's in a 1986 MIJ Charvel and it absolutely destroys.

I usually don't go for red guitars but this thing looks killer!

 

[6CA7-A]

I usually don't go for red guitars but this thing looks killer!

Ive had it 26 years. Its solid, plays & sounds amazing.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Ive had it 26 years. Its solid, plays & sounds amazing.

Cool guitar. This thread and your guitar is making me want to update a partscaster I've had for a minute. It's a soloist body with recessed Floyd/Schaller with an old 80's Kramer neck. Problem is the neck is thin and it has a crack around the locking nut screws. It's beyond what I want to fix because I don't particular like the neck shape anymore. Anyways, I think I'm gonna get a new neck and put my old EMG S and 81 in it. Why not. I may even repaint the body with another color but still keep the striping background. Here it is in its current state: