introduction/background:
i was a passive pickup guy strictly, as i find it a hassle to have to use batteries for pickups. then i got my hands on some EMGs.. and i'm a convert now as the tone on offer won me over.
the review is for the EMG81, used for bridge position, on high gain.
sound:
amazing clarity. playing on high gain, power chords come out clean and clear. when i say clean, i don't mean clean/distortion kind of clean, i mean a clean and smooth high gain sound that yields amazing clarity, without fizz, fuzz, "hair" and noise. the sound is very tight and focused. not muddy. i find the tone on offer to be very balanced, bass and treble are not overpowering, and it does not have an irritating nasal mid range.
comparisons:
i compared the EMG81 with seymour duncan's JB and Blackout AHB1 models and overall, i prefer the EMG81, it just comes out to me as a clear winner. i find the JB to have too much midrange for my taste, and despite it having more midrange than the EMG81, the EMG81 has more clarity!
my positive experience with the EMG81 compelled me to seek out the seymour duncan blackout, because i was very curious to know which is better (to my ears). also, the blackout has alot of positive reviews and hype on the internet, and it seems that most people prefer the blackout. and so, i finally managed to compare them, and i find that the blackout has more low end and mids than the EMG81, but the EMG81 has more clarity, tightness and focus over the blackout. the blackout has a dirtier, raunchier sound, while the EMG81 has a cleaner sound. this is a matter of personal taste but i still prefer the EMG81 over the blackout ahb1. i have not tried the ahb2 blackout metal though, they are different from the blackout ahb1.
conclusion:
for all the tests, they were all done on the same amp on the same settings, on different guitars. granted, different guitars/wood will influence tone, but so does string type, string gauge, string brand, picks, bridge, nut, cable, etc etc.
so while this may not be a perfect comparison, there are way too many variables out there. even if the reviewer has all variables constant, with only the pickups being different, the reader will still have to decide based on his own set of variables, which are probably different from the reviewer's in 1 way or another. therefore, reviews only serve as a guide, ultimately, let your ears decide for you, as everybody has different preferences.
if you are a Metal player, both the EMG81 and seymour duncan blackout AHB1 for bridge position will serve your needs well. as to which pickup you should use, it's up to your own tonal preferences.
ps: anyone who tried Tesla's active humbuckers wanna chip in? now i'm curious how they sound like!
i was a passive pickup guy strictly, as i find it a hassle to have to use batteries for pickups. then i got my hands on some EMGs.. and i'm a convert now as the tone on offer won me over.
the review is for the EMG81, used for bridge position, on high gain.
sound:
amazing clarity. playing on high gain, power chords come out clean and clear. when i say clean, i don't mean clean/distortion kind of clean, i mean a clean and smooth high gain sound that yields amazing clarity, without fizz, fuzz, "hair" and noise. the sound is very tight and focused. not muddy. i find the tone on offer to be very balanced, bass and treble are not overpowering, and it does not have an irritating nasal mid range.
comparisons:
i compared the EMG81 with seymour duncan's JB and Blackout AHB1 models and overall, i prefer the EMG81, it just comes out to me as a clear winner. i find the JB to have too much midrange for my taste, and despite it having more midrange than the EMG81, the EMG81 has more clarity!
my positive experience with the EMG81 compelled me to seek out the seymour duncan blackout, because i was very curious to know which is better (to my ears). also, the blackout has alot of positive reviews and hype on the internet, and it seems that most people prefer the blackout. and so, i finally managed to compare them, and i find that the blackout has more low end and mids than the EMG81, but the EMG81 has more clarity, tightness and focus over the blackout. the blackout has a dirtier, raunchier sound, while the EMG81 has a cleaner sound. this is a matter of personal taste but i still prefer the EMG81 over the blackout ahb1. i have not tried the ahb2 blackout metal though, they are different from the blackout ahb1.
conclusion:
for all the tests, they were all done on the same amp on the same settings, on different guitars. granted, different guitars/wood will influence tone, but so does string type, string gauge, string brand, picks, bridge, nut, cable, etc etc.
so while this may not be a perfect comparison, there are way too many variables out there. even if the reviewer has all variables constant, with only the pickups being different, the reader will still have to decide based on his own set of variables, which are probably different from the reviewer's in 1 way or another. therefore, reviews only serve as a guide, ultimately, let your ears decide for you, as everybody has different preferences.
if you are a Metal player, both the EMG81 and seymour duncan blackout AHB1 for bridge position will serve your needs well. as to which pickup you should use, it's up to your own tonal preferences.
ps: anyone who tried Tesla's active humbuckers wanna chip in? now i'm curious how they sound like!
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