Favorite pickup for metal.

[Bram576]

I always seem to come back to emgs. Have 81/60, 81/81, 81/85, and a het set. 85 my least favorite. Het set has really grown on me.

 

[Deleted member 38657]

i have a L500XL here i just got im gonna put in my old carvin v220, kind of excited for that

You wouldn't happen to be looking to unload the old bridge pickup would you? Asking for a friend:

 

[The One]

I always seem to come back to emgs. Have 81/60, 81/81, 81/85, and a het set. 85 my least favorite. Het set has really grown on me.

Curious as to why you don't like the 85? Have you tried it in the bridge?

 

[RaceU4her]

You wouldn't happen to be looking to unload the old bridge pickup would you? Asking for a friend:
View attachment 143296

let me see if i can find it, i swapped the original out many years ago, i must still have it in a box somewhere

 

[napalmdeath]

Duncan Custom.. Flies under the radar, IMO.

 

[cardinal]

For just full out metal, I also like the Duncan Distortion or EMG 81. But things like the JB, Duncan Custom, etc can pull off metal just fine.

 

[The One]

Duncan Custom.. Flies under the radar, IMO.

i agree completely. That's the Pickup that Erik Rutan used for YEARS. & Jeff Waters uses to this day.

 

[Bram576]

Also, anyone know what’s with the new trend of hating on EMGs?

 

[Bram576]

Curious as to why you don't like the 85? Have you tried it in the bridge?

Think I just prefer ceramics honestly. Sounds less muddy to me.

 

[The One]

Think I just prefer ceramics honestly. Sounds less muddy to me.

The 85 has more mids which usually means less muddy. the 85 is the hottest pickup EMG Makes.

 

[griff10672]

used EMG 81 in my bridge since 89 or 90............ then about 5 years ago .... girlfriend bought me a LP Tribute .... just for poops and giggles I put a Duncan JB in the bridge ....... now all my guitars equipped with humbuckers have a JB in the bridge ...

 

[The One]

Also, anyone know what’s with the new trend of hating on EMGs?

That's been going on for years due to EMG's being Very Compressed & kinda digital sounding.

 

[creep66]

Also, anyone know what’s with the new trend of hating on EMGs?

Started with the gear page. Dude playing "Clapton metal" complain it's not organic.

 

[Rex Rocker]

The 85 has more mids which usually means less muddy. the 85 is the hottest pickup EMG Makes.

More lower mids, though, which means more stuffy.

I like both the 81 and 85, personally. But I prefer the 81. The 85 has this kind of subdued attack that sometimes works, sometimes doesn't.

Also, pretty sure the Het Bridge and the 57 are hotter (from the standard line). At least from the ones I've tried. You're right, though. The 85 is pretty hot. Hotter than the 81 for sure.

 

[VESmedic]

I have to say unless I was playing the BLUSA L500XL(and it was flipped) into my compete Dime setup it was thin sounding and not pleasant at all into my Marshall's. It was killer for Dime stuff and that was it. Maybe the Bill and Becky Wilde L500XL has a fuller low end I have one but haven't installed it yet.

What caught my ear was the new Wes Hauch Jupiter 6 pickups and to my ears is like an L500XL with more clarity and fuller low end that's still tight. I bought one of these as well but have not installed it because the guitar is not built yet but I'm looking forward to hearing it.

The Jupiter is flat out incredible sounding to me. I need to get a set asap

 

[Chuggs_The_Barbarian]

The Jupiter is flat out incredible sounding to me. I need to get a set asap

I’m installing the Jupiter in one of my ml’s today!

 

[stephen sawall]

Seymour Duncan Distortion or JB.

 

[DaveShred86]

Seymour Duncan Black Winter on a Warmoth King V with Arcade neck (mahogany body + mahogany neck + ebony fretboard). --> LETHAL.

Emg 81 on the other 2 Warmoths I got.

 

[Bram576]

Seymour Duncan Black Winter on a Warmoth King V with Arcade neck (mahogany body + mahogany neck + ebony fretboard). --> LETHAL.

Emg 81 on the other 2 Warmoths I got.

I definitely want to try a pair of black winters out.

 

[SpiderWars]

It’s not just guitar dependent, it’s everything else dependent too. That said, I’m loving the Tonenerd Roxy right now. I always liked the EMG81 but always wanted a little more sizzle. But I’m not really metal by todays standards so I still love the PAF-y stuff too.