G-Man
Hi all
So I found a set of emg 81 and 85 with electronics and wiring for a grand. I really like playing metal and hard rock so these are right up my alley, I think. For the price I think its a steal.
Anyone have any thoughts on these active pups?
To give you a background I have always wanted a ballsy dimarzio x2n for my metal but could never find a cheap one. This way with the emgs I'll be ulgrading my standard ibanez V pups and getting a little more flexibility than just once monster pickup.
Anyone thats used these before around here?
Hasie
It is a good price for those.
I had a seven string with EMG 707s, which is the 7-string version of the 85, if I remember correctly.
The bass strings (B and E) sounded dull. And they sounded a bit flat, but I think my taste in tone just changed a bit.
They do drive the amp hard though, if you really climb into the strings with a thick pick.
Gearhead
They are definately not sparkly pups so if you want to play clean at all, not the best of choices. There is a reason Hatfield and them use a chorus for their clean verses 'cuz without some colour there's not much to listen to. Dominant root note and little response to picking. However.
If you use them into a cranked amp, they come into their own. If you normally struggle to get pinch harmonics, you can now sqeal. If you always wanted better crunch tone, here it is - not in a bluesy way but any rock newer than Led Zep you'll nail. The 81 normally goes into the bridge to exaggerate its bite, but ymmv, it can make a bridge useless for rhythm. Imho.
Then, there's the story about amps. No use putting 9V into a modeling floor-thing, if you want Zakk you will put toobs and no effects. No need to dig in with thick pick as Hasie suggested, just put guitar volume open and preamp volume 7-10.
G-Man
Thanks HAsie yeah the price is a steal, considering that a new set without the wiring is now around 3 grand at current exchange rates.
Thanks Gearhead, that's pretty much what I was looking for. ? I occasionally get the chance to play on a big old Marshall Valve amp and 4 x 12 cab when I go back to my old place for the weekend. Other than that I just play directly into my PC. I am planning on putting them into my Ibanez, it's a mid level guitar and it could use the extra bite so I am sold on the idea. I very seldom play clean on this particular guitar because the tone isn't all that great with these stock PUPS anyway.
Just gotta convince the misses and I'll be good to go ?
Jayhell
Had these and replaced them again. I found them very unresponsive to picking dynamics. It always sounds the same. Clean sound sucks too. But if you are playing high gain stuff and you want everything to sound like Metallica the are awesome.
Was not for me
G-Man
Thanks for the input everyone, I ended up buying a 7 string guitar for the same money, it's a project guitar but it will keep me busy for a few months as I take my time refinishing it.
GAS triumphs again
