85 in bridge?

sorceron

sorceron

ken
Jul 20, 2005
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ok ive seen a few threads on this before, but without a search its a pain to find them. that being said...

man im finally going to try this 85 in the bridge thing everybody talks about. what i dont understand is why everyone else makes it sound so standard for the 81 to be in the bridge and the 85 in neck if it sounds so good the other way?
 
Because Zakk Wylde and Kerry King made the 81/85 set popular, Zakk Wylde being a bit more influencial.

Also, it's fairly common to have a hot, tight, crunchy bridge pickup paired with a thicker, more PAF like neck pickup.
 
Brett - K A L I S I A said:
Oh, sorry to interrupt but this is the other way around : the 81 is louder than the 85.
Click to expand...

Thats what I always thought as well, especially with it having a ceramic magnet instead of alnico like the 85. It was just when I looked on the EMG site it that the 85 has a "more measureable output than the 81" I assumed more measurable would have mean't more output. :cry:
 
Then they give contradictory informations, cause I read this on the technical sheets :

RMS Output Voltage : 1.25 for the 81, 1.0 for the 85
Peak Output Voltage : 3.55 for the 81, 3.0 for the 85

Now who are we supposed to believe ? EMG or EMG ? 8^)

Anyway, both pickups are fine, and we can compensate for the difference in output with a Tube Screamer or whatever, so who cares ? ;)
 
abigailwilliams said:
yea, this is getting to be a mystery. hah
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As Brett says the 81 has more output, I have an 81 in the bridge of my Jackson Dinky and although I like the sound I prefer the sound of my old Reflex Reds in my Jackson Soloist. I recently replaced the pickups in my mates Gibson Flying V from an 81 in the bridge and stock Gibson pickup in the neck to a set of two 85's and the difference was clear. The 85's sounded far better to my ears, much more bottom end and a smoother tone. I would choose the 85 over the 81 anyday.
 
I've just swapped my 81+85 around (again, this is like the third time now) and put the 85 in the bridge of my main guitar. It sounds incredible, but I now need a new guitar because my 'main' guitar is a piece of rubbish and it's pulling out all the little intonation problems that even a set-up can't fix (yes, the guitar is that bad).
 
Brett - K A L I S I A said:
Then they give contradictory informations, cause I read this on the technical sheets :

RMS Output Voltage : 1.25 for the 81, 1.0 for the 85
Peak Output Voltage : 3.55 for the 81, 3.0 for the 85

Now who are we supposed to believe ? EMG or EMG ? 8^)

Anyway, both pickups are fine, and we can compensate for the difference in output with a Tube Screamer or whatever, so who cares ? ;)
Click to expand...

I've checked the spec sheet I got with my 81 and your specs are definetly correct. :worship: I always thought the 81 was definetly louder till I looked at the pop up spec window from the site and it says the same spec for both pickups except for the resonant frequency and the output noise:

RMS Output Voltage : 1.25
Peak Output Voltage : 1.75

They must have messed up on the site
 
Remember, though, that DC resistance and whatnot is not a very accurate indicator of how hot a pickup is. A JB and a Duncan Distortion have the same exact coils, yet the DD sounds 2k hotter.
 
Oh, man!

Who cares if the 81 has more output than the 85 or the other way around?!?! SInce with overdrive pedals and gain on amp the signal is even too much pumped.

The good thing about the EMG is the cristal clear definition. Not the output, to me.

Anyway, on my Epiphone Les paul I have the 85 in the bridge and the 81 in the neck.

I like this setup more than the Wylde one.
 
I had an 81 and 85 and swapped them both in the bridge. To my ears, the 85 killed the 81 for bridge. The 81 was WAY too trebley, thin, not nearly enough low end. I put the 85 in and it was much better. Warmth, body, bottom, chunk, solidness. Great pickup. This was on a USA Jackson SL1 through a Marshall JCM900.

I no longer use EMG stuff in favor of Dimarzio Tone Zones, but for what its worth, I though the 85 was MUCH better bridge choice than the 81.. just my 2 cents.
 
Brett - K A L I S I A said:
Then they give contradictory informations, cause I read this on the technical sheets :

RMS Output Voltage : 1.25 for the 81, 1.0 for the 85
Peak Output Voltage : 3.55 for the 81, 3.0 for the 85

Now who are we supposed to believe ? EMG or EMG ? 8^)

Anyway, both pickups are fine, and we can compensate for the difference in output with a Tube Screamer or whatever, so who cares ? ;)
Click to expand...

This just means that the 81 has a sharper attack (better for tight, loud palm muting), and the 85 has better sustain (although a lot flabbier on the palm mutes), which I found to be completely true.

Also, about the tone, the 85 to my ears has a glassier high end, which depending on the amp, can be a good or a bad thing, and definitely more low end as well (which can also be good or bad). Killswitch Engage's tone on The End of Heartache was EMG 85 in the bridge, and it sounds FANTASTIC through those Framus amps. Heavy as shit. However, those among you who have heard Soundtrack to Your Escape know how an 85 in the bridge sounds through a 5150, and I don't think I need to describe it any more. Shadows Fall also used an 85 in the bridge on The War Within, and that tone, to my ears, is horribly muddy and lower-midrangy with an overly-sizzling high end and no definition. But then again, the tone on The End of Heartache is one of the best I've ever heard... I'd say try both and see what sounds best and records best with your amp.
 
yea i tried it out at practice today, sounded pretty good, wish i could a/b it with the same exact guitar but oh well. I have an original tube screamer 808 that i tried to throw in front of my 5150 II today and i couldnt get it to sound cool, from what ive heard alot of people use these in front, i guess ill need to hear someones settings to get me started.
 
DSS3 said:
Because Zakk Wylde and Kerry King made the 81/85 set popular, Zakk Wylde being a bit more influencial.

Also, it's fairly common to have a hot, tight, crunchy bridge pickup paired with a thicker, more PAF like neck pickup.
Click to expand...

I always thought kerry had a 81/81 setup :S
 
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