Did a little bridge pickup testing! EMG 81/85/SD Blackout

[ApeScaleConflict]

Never really done this before but now i decided to try it out.
This is the first riff that came to my mind and its AWESOME you can really hear the talent outta it. But if you don't listen to that and concentrate to the point that there's really noticeable differencies i think.

Clips are recorded with 5150 fron cab out to dummy load and then to a impulse with same EQ and settings on every clip.

Note that this is just a scientific experiment with my Charvel 650XL to find the best pickup of these. Have an opinion?

A) 85
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7606286/Charvel 650 XL EMG85 Bridge.mp3

B) 81
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7606286/Charvel 650 XL EMG81 Bridge.mp3

C) Blackout
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/7606286/Charvel 650 XL Seymour Duncan Blackout Bridge.mp3

 

[colonel_claypoo]

thanks for the clips.
I prefer the good old EMG81.

 

[drope934]

what did you use as loadbox?

the emg 85 seems to be the right middle between the 81 and the blackout IMO

 

[Mago]

haha been thinking about looking for this kind of test on the forums yesterday
Awesome, excellent timing
Thanks for the test, and for your question: I think it depends on what you want the guitar to use for.
For faster stuff the 81 may be a bit better/tigher
If you want a lot of chuggaz the blackout would do a good job
as said, 85 is somewhat a compromise between the 2.

Personally I'd go with blackout, but thats because I allready have 2 guitars that are soundwise similar to the EMG clips

 

[ApeScaleConflict]

what did you use as loadbox?

the emg 85 seems to be the right middle between the 81 and the blackout IMO

I used very simple do it yourself dummyload kit from the local finnish musical electronics shop. Yeah, that's what i thought also, the 85 actually had great rock vibe while jamming, sorry for not including anything more skillfull on the clips

haha been thinking about looking for this kind of test on the forums yesterday
Awesome, excellent timing
Thanks for the test, and for your question: I think it depends on what you want the guitar to use for.
For faster stuff the 81 may be a bit better/tigher
If you want a lot of chuggaz the blackout would do a good job
as said, 85 is somewhat a compromise between the 2.

Personally I'd go with blackout, but thats because I allready have 2 guitars that are soundwise similar to the EMG clips

hahaha, your welcome sir! Once again i guess it isn't a surprise that i left the Blackout on it. It just suited the best for my playing style and sounded like it would be easy to tweak. And it also had more versatile info on the EQ curve, might just be my imagination but EMG has more of the unwanted harmonics on the lowmid and 5000hz area to me. But my Charvel is a REAL hard one to get a decent sound out!

 

[Mago]

hahaha, your welcome sir! Once again i guess it isn't a surprise that i left the Blackout on it. It just suited the best for my playing style and sounded like it would be easy to tweak. And it also had more versatile info on the EQ curve, might just be my imagination but EMG has more of the unwanted harmonics on the lowmid and 5000hz area to me. But my Charvel is a REAL hard one to get a decent sound out!

Yeah knowing some of your songs I also think the blackout is a good choice in that guitar!
emg have their own sound...you either like it or not, it can be awesome for some styles and for others not
I like it but not all the time, at least I got a bit bored of the 81 in my ltd...but after nearly a year of having switched to the Epiphone with 81TW I'm going back to the Ltd again I think...just needed a break of the tight midrange bite and have a bit of fatter chuggaz with the 81TW (makes quite a difference, especially on guitar with lot of wood)

edit: in the end it doesnt make that much of a difference for recordings tho
I got nice thrashy sounds with both guitars
makes more of a difference when playing through a 4x12 and the head tho

 

[jipchen]

The files don't work for some reason. Could be my crappy internet, though.

 

[DanLights]

They work for me. I prefer the 81 out of the three, a bit tighter/brighter IMO, but all three sound pretty good

 

[Fbarre]

Thank you for recording these files! Finally a great sounding comparison between EMG and SD Blackout pickups. I prefer the blackout and also really liked the 85 in the bridge position.

 

[rchoi54]

I really dig the blackout.
The 81 sounds a bit scooped.

 

[ApeScaleConflict]

Glad you guys appreciated this!

Blackout didn't impress me this much on mahogany body guitar to be honest. So it kinda stunned that i liked it the best also. And that reminded me also this thing that i really never understood much of the speak that active pickups sound "same" on whatever equipment. I just can't imagine a microphone changing the basic tone of the wood. I understand that it's not as characteristic as passive pickup on dynamics and so but there's no such pickup that will make every guitar sound the same.