I switched back to EMGs in my favorite guitar.....

Splat88

Splat88

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Jan 31, 2006
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So I've had this Guitar Center gift card in my wallet since Christmas, and decided to put it to use the other day. Little did I know I would walk out of the store with an EMG 81/85 set. I've had an 81 in the bridge of my Ibanez S before and I never really dug it much, but I decided to give it another go. The first thing I noticed is how much low end power I lost right off the bat compared to the old DImarzio D Activator I had in it, but the trade off is clarity in the more intricate stuff, which I really like without having to rely in a tubescreamer. I'll have to try the 85 in the bridge to see if I can find a happy medium between fatness and clarity. Anyway, I'm finishing up the new guitars for one of our tracks and thought I'd post this. How does it sound so far?

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/868701/Sneap/Sand%20on%20Fire%20test.mp3
 
I really dig this dude - it has a great smoothness and fits itself into the mix really well. Palm mutes are tight as hell but also chug really hard.

The single-note stuff has a lot of definition and still has power to it.

Those slid-up into palm muted chugs in particular are just tight as all get out, great feel/tone to them.

It's overall just got this killer squishiness to the palm mutes and chugs that I die for, which is no doubt due in part to your playing, but this facilitates it really well!
 
Thanks dude! There's no doubt that the 81 is a hell of a tight pickup. The only way I got it to chug though was by turning off the tubescreamer that I usually run 100% of the time. The only time I used a tubescreamer on this track is on the quick paced guitar riff throughout the chorus. The slid-up into palm mutes you referred to sounded kind of weak with the tubescreamer on, but I'm really happy with how everything is turning out so far.

On another note, I installed the new solderless pots and B157 pickup bus into the tiny Ibanez S electronics compartment, and now I can't get the fucking cover on the back on the guitar properly. I guess I'll have to take everything out and install the old school 25k pots to get everything to fit without taking a router to the wood. And forget about the 18v mod, I can barely get one battery in there!
 
Curious - is that tubescreamer find on gearbox/digital sims, or with real amps? I still use my TS 100% of the time with a real amp, regardless of which EMG I'm using.

Check out the 85, you'll probably dig it... I'd recommend the 89 as well - I have a feeling that pickup would be perfect for you, too. Same tightnes as the 81 but more organicness and a smoother top end.
 
wow this sounds awesome, what did you use for guitars? i love your drum sound would you mind going into some detail about them?
 
Ridiculously good mix man, but tbh I'd listen to your music with even a shitty mix. So release it ;p

If I had to nitpick, theres a bit too much lowend in the guitars, tight but a bit too much. And the cymbals sound a bit too reverby.

Definitely need details on that kick and that snare.. that snare is incredible. Slate or S2.0? Or both?
 
Sounds fantastic.
Not that my monitoring is particular good, but at least from what I hear, nothing I can really complain about. The guitar tone is spot on, the drums sound great and the bass guitar is blending in really well with the guitars, excellent job man!
 
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!:notworthy One of the best guitar tones that I heard in this forum. I also have a ibanez S series and you gave me gas for a pair of EMG´s. Tell me something, how are those EMG for clean sounds?
 
Awesome track man. I think the 81 is a bit 'too' tight for your stuff personally. You really need that fat wall of sound. I'm thinking that the 85 in the bridge may even be pushing it. But yeah, definitely try it. I think you'll like it a lot more! I certainly do.
 
The part at 1"00 is ridiculously awesome, not to mention the production (OMG i dig that kind of Deftones-like drums). The guitar sounds really good, but i can't tell if it's better than your Di Marzio previous tones though.
 
FUUUUUUUU! Your tone on this track is just stellar. I forgot to add MarchHare on the topic about bands that rules and refuses to release an album! Looking foward to see how the 85 sounds on the bridge. In my guitar (basswood body) it sounds better than the 81.
 
Thanks so much for all the comments folks! I'll try to address all the questions in the 5 free minutes I have!

Morgan C said:
If I had to nitpick, theres a bit too much lowend in the guitars, tight but a bit too much. And the cymbals sound a bit too reverby.

Definitely need details on that kick and that snare.. that snare is incredible. Slate or S2.0? Or both?
Click to expand...

Yeah the mix is a little bass heavy but I'll address that once vocals are mixed in. I did have some verb on the OH drum bus, so perhaps I overdid it! The snare is all Superior 2.0, the Maple snare in the Avatar kit.

Nuno Filipe said:
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!:notworthy One of the best guitar tones that I heard in this forum. I also have a ibanez S series and you gave me gas for a pair of EMG´s. Tell me something, how are those EMG for clean sounds?
Click to expand...

Cleans are really nice with the 85! I thought it may be too bass heavy, but it sounds ace.

Ermz said:
Awesome track man. I think the 81 is a bit 'too' tight for your stuff personally. You really need that fat wall of sound. I'm thinking that the 85 in the bridge may even be pushing it. But yeah, definitely try it. I think you'll like it a lot more! I certainly do.
Click to expand...

I totally hear you, Ermz. My first thought when I fired up the guitar was "wow, that's a bit much on the razor blade factor" but I'll play around with it for a while!

recemgsol said:
wow this sounds awesome, what did you use for guitars? i love your drum sound would you mind going into some detail about them?
Click to expand...

Guitars on this one are 4 tracks of the Revalver demo (6505) edited to take the hiss out. I have not done anything with Revalver for a good year or more. Yes, I know I need to buy it! Soon......Very soon. I don't think I can stand reloading 4 instances of that damn plugin and dialing everything in each time I load my DAW.

Drums are all Superior 2.0 Avatar except for the kick (Slate Kick 10). I used a minimal amount of processing, just a little EQ and comp, but a lot of clipping on the snare.
 
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