Both the EMG 81 and the 85 look the same from top. I want to know from the pick up experts if there is anyway we can differentiate between the 81 & the 85. As in, when I go to buy, how do I identify which one is which? Are there markings at the bottom? Thanks Sanjiv
The picture of the upside down pickup on the website has no markings. When you go to buy them, I guess they'll be marked on the packaging.
Oh Oh, not good. What if the packing gets exchanged at the shop or stuff? Really, how do I buy one then?
See if the pack is sealed properly ... And why will they cheat u on that ... Its the same price for both !!!!!!
@rust - thats the point, once you have bought, you can't do much right? Even if you know the pickups got exchanged, all you can do is hope the seller agrees. @nanda - Correct, its the same price. I am talking about unintentional exchange of pickups.
^^^i wanted to say that u play both of them....if u cant make any difference in sound...then even if the pups get exchanged unintentionally...u wont be worried ...and if u can tell the difference between the two..then you will buy the one u like... so there the problem is solved..
But u should have gone for the Zakk Wylde Set ... With that u can be assured it wont get mixed up ... Its 85 81 boxset ..
small problem here - I just met a chinese manufacturer who is doing OE for Jackson, Kramer, Yamaha and Epiphone. He says the EMGs are now being made in Korea, he is also using those, and he can get me a couple. I can ask him to send two to one of my friends in china and he will courier those to me. But problem is it seems the pickups reach the guy in factory packing, not in the retail boxes, so the marking is on the master carton, thats about it. I am scared he might goof up, because he was saying they put EMGs on very few guitars, so he is not well versed in the production packaging for the EMG. Hence the concern. Still, the price is good, much lower than the retail. Also, can anyone tell me if its a good idea to replace the Infinity pickups of the Ibanez RG370DX with EMGs? Can it be done, and what sort of sound can I expect?
Awesome news. I don't know what the solution is because obviously you can't control it, but can I have a couple too? And about the tone...my opinion is that EMGs sound pretty much the same in any guitar because of their flat response. You can remove it and replace it, but you'll have to swap out your tone controls etc also. Ibanezes typically have a very small control cavity so you need to find out if the preamp etc will fit in it. Also you need to make space for a battery cavity.
I own a 2004 RG370DX and I've replaced the pickups on my guitar with Seymour Duncans. I can tell you that the pickup cavity is quite cramped; it may be a tight squeeze to fit the EMG in. You will have to get it modified. Furthermore, you cannot access the battery cavity from the back so once your battery dies, you'll have to remove the pickup and replace the battery. The EMG battery is supposed to be good for 3000 hours though which should be approximately equal to 6-8 months if you play every day.
Hey this guy said he could get me Duncans and DiMarzios too. So I should drop the EMGs then. Suggest a few single and humbucking Duncan and DiMarzios please.
Are those also much cheaper than the retail price? Dude you've hit upon an awesome arbitrage oppurtunity...keeep buying them from him and selling them in India About recommendations:What sound are you shooting for? It depends completely on that. You said blues is what you like right?
Yes Blues, Blues Rock, some clean, some rock - santana, whitesnake, knopfler, clapton, gary moore - basically everything you expect someone bred in the north east to play. Arbitrage is a good word to use ha ha, but are there so many guitarists in India on the lookout for these pickups?
He he..I am. OK one question..are the pickups Duncan or Duncan Design? The latter are lower-quality SD clopies made in China wound to SD specs. It's possible that the guy is palming off Duncan Designed as genuine Duncans..confirm. OK recommendations for the above: SD-Pearly Gates, Antiquity II, Alnico-II Pro, JB, Jazz, Phat Cats, Quarter Pounder, P-90 set, Seth Lover are good things for your needs. No clue about DiMarzio except the PAF Pro..there are lots of rock/metal pickups there though: Evo, Steve's Special, Air Norton etc.
From what I have found out in the Seymour Duncan forums..you could like the Virtual Hot PAF bridge and Virtual PAF neck...never read a bad thing about these..and no, I am not talking about just the HC reviews All the Duncans mentioned should be good too..though DMZs are mostly 10 to 20$ cheaper
the emg 81 and 85 and very difficult to defferentiate ..one is a a bridge pickup and other is a neck pickup but still its very difficult to differentiate for an untrained ear..i suggest when you buy the pickup and the guy fixes it for you ..play a few squeals using it ..meanin make the guitar sqeal by playin pinch harmonics ...thats the best way to find out .. generally when the guitar squeals..the neck pickup (85) gives you a higher frequency sqeal ..meaning a louder note and more sharper note than the bridge pickup( 81) .. hope you got that .... just go to any guitar teaching site and search for a lesson on pinch harmonics to make you r guitar squeal.. I think thats an easy way to find out .. and regarding good pickups..i assume you want to play metal because you are buying emg pickups..i suggest to get a invader or a SH6 if you want seymour duncar pickups..or you can also go in for a dimarzio combination ( tone zone and Paf pro ) .. and if you want single coils ..i recommend SD hot rails..it an amazing pickup ...
Dude. EMG81 is not neck pickup. It's a generic pickup which is used as neck pickup with the 81/85 set and also used as a Bridge pickup. Check out 81/81 used in Kirk Hammet's guitar.
