EMG 81TW & EMG 81 comparison

[Djabthrash]

yes thats what i do now but something is different and feels like something is wrong, because Ibanez feels comfy and powerfull,fluent in solos and Schecter is hard to play maybe it is the gain level, less distorted is hard to play solos but turning up the gain level doesn't exactly solve the problem,maybe changing the pickup with more aggressive one i think..Thats why i ask you is there gain difference between 81 and 81tw

My 2 cents :

-from my experience and the experience related by other people from this forum : the EMG81 has more gain than the EMG81TW in humbucker mode
-the pickup height has a huge impact of how gainy your pickup sounds (the closer to the bridge the more output hence the more gain), so be sure your EMG81TW is not too far from the strings

 

[canneerr]

My 2 cents :

-from my experience and the experience related by other people from this forum : the EMG81 has more gain than the EMG81TW in humbucker mode
-the pickup height has a huge impact of how gainy your pickup sounds (the closer to the bridge the more output hence the more gain), so be sure your EMG81TW is not too far from the strings

thank you for your reply, yes my guitar tech adjusted the guitar and i have controlled the height of the pickup so the problem isn't about the height. In that situation if smo won't say the opposite i will replace it with a 81.

 

[GuitarHack]

I tested my Hellraiser 81 side by side with a mates Hellraiser with 81 tw. I recorded
and reamped later. Preferred 81.

 

[plague_rider]

Has anyone gone through using the 81TW as a neck pickup, utilising the coil tap for solos... or am I talking absolute madness??

 

[MarcusGHedwig]

My 81/81TW/89 comparison

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...eg-baron-k2-re-amps-mesa-vs-engl-comparo.html

 

[Rex Rocker]

Haha, old thread resurrected...

I'm glad, tho, because it seems I'm of the few who's got positive things about the 81TW. I love it, personally, not only because it is beefy, but still REALLY tight, but because the single coil mode sounds super fucking nice too, which is something no one's mentioned in their test.

Obviously not very metal-sounding. It's not noisy, it's super bright but not overly thin IMO in single coil mode. Very authentic hot single coil sounds. Makes my beefy mahogany Ibanez SZ sound like the bastard child of a Tele and LP Junior. IMO, it sounds better than just your average passive in coil-split mode.

And yeah, like djabthrash mentions, something that's not noticeable if you just listen to the clips: the 81TW is quite lower output than the regular 81. Probably around EMG 60 output levels, if not a bit less hot, rather, IME.





Lame thing, tho: They don't make a version of the 81TW like the 89R where the single coil portion is facing towards the neck, so the single coil mode doesn't sound as nice if you put the 81TW in the neck position. Of course, that's just my opinion.

 

[mats_epost]

Waking up a very, very old thread. ;-)

Regarding the 81TW pickup vs the original 81.
First of all I think the sound example in this thread for the EMG 81TW sounds great? I'm not too concerned about having the 81TW vs the original 81 one. I'm confused about people not liking the sound of the 81TW, not sure what you guys hear which I miss?
This 81TW example:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/369408/81TW.mp3

Comparing to orginal 81:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/369408/81.mp3

Forgetting about the 81TW vs 81 I'm very confused right now though if having the 85 in the bridge och or the neck position though... Opinions varies a lot that's for sure.

I do believe I will install the 81TW in the bridge though. 85 is little bit warmer sounding and I like that in a neck pickup.

Any comments about the 81TW pickup and the difficult choice of having the 85 in the bridge or neck position?

Thanks

 

[Trevoire520]

Missed this thread the first time round. I actually prefer the 81TW, a bit more lows. Both sound good though!

 

[mats_epost]

Missed this thread the first time round. I actually prefer the 81TW, a bit more lows. Both sound good though!

Yes, I think you are right.

More lows may be better playing at home and recording but perhaps not optimal in a bandmix. Very, very subtle difference though. ;-)

I've read a couple of other tests with different EMGs, including blind tests and people mixing them up or prefer the sound of the 81TW. Also not easy to tell with all the distortion going on, heavy strings and downtuning.

As always it's a matter of taste.

 

[Megin]

I prefer 81TW too . Old thread, yes, but comparisions never gets old.

 

[newamerikangospel]

One of the things about pickups is how they feel, so I a curious if they "feel" any different? I prefer the feel of the blackouts over the emgs I have played (all 7 string for what it is worth).

 

[Rex Rocker]

One of the things about pickups is how they feel, so I a curious if they "feel" any different? I prefer the feel of the blackouts over the emgs I have played (all 7 string for what it is worth).

The 81TW feels less compressed. It is slightly lower output.