software

i had to put my new jackson kelly performer in the shop and it turns out the pups died already... it was used tho so thats ok, good invesment... anywho, which EMG combo should i go with?

1)81-85
2)81-60
3)85-60
4)81-81
im thinking 85 -60 so i can get the highs and the lows... just a thought?

85/89, 85/81, or 85/60.

I'd got iwth an 85/89. 85/81 if you're more into shred, and 85/60 if you play cleans alot, or want a more classic tone in the neck.

1 to 85/60

EMG doesnt have a 89 clip....

the 89 is essentially an 85 an sa in a pickup. as for which combo, i would go either 85/60 or 85/89.

its an 85 what?

It's an 85 that you can tap to make into a single coil.

It's a combination 85 and SA. The SA is one of their Strat pickups. Imagine the 89 like a splittable humbucker

forgot to elaborate. i prefer the 85 in the bridge after auditioning both the 85 and 81. its fuller and more versatile than the 81. neck is somewhat tricky. i love everything the 60 has to offer but it was a tad too bassy in the neck of my mij strat. i swop that out for a 89. it has a a higher output than the 60 and even more rumble. but when tapped, the sa sounded really killer. emg makes a ha model which is an sa in a humbucker housing. you may want to check that out too.

ah thanks for the info, i dont really need a single coil sound tho

85/81 is my dream set.

yeh thats what ive heard, and they sound good, thats even what the tech suggested but i dunno.. i want something that is bright but then can be good for big rytyms.. guess im talkin bout the 81/85.. isnt that how the zakk wylde set is set up?

The 81 might be too bright for some people. I would say stick with the 85 in the bridge because it can get just as heavy, if not more so.

although lower output and brighter than the 81 and 85, the 60 sounds huge in the neck. it has the best clean tone among the humbuckers. hetfield is a believer.

in a nutshell, the 81 is a bright pickup whereas the 85 has less highs and more bass and mids. the bridge slot is inherently brighter than the neck position. that said, theoretically, the 85 should fit better as a bridge pickup and brighter pickups in the neck.

i did try various configuration of the 85/81/60/89. if using the 81 as a bridge pickup, the 85 in the neck is too overpowering in the low and low-mid department. the 60 is a good match since both pickups are relatively bright.

as stated in my previous post, i find the 85 complements my bridge slot perfectly. did an 81 in the neck. articulate tone but the output is way too high to balance properly with the 85 in the bridge. the 60 does wonders here. lower output and plenty bright to offset the the muddiness of the neck position.

these are my observations based on what i have tried but ymmv though.

hope it helps.
dani

I like my 60/89 set. I get nice useable straty like tones from the bridge when split (Excellent for high gain speed solos).

Everything seems to keep complementing its self and every day I grow more fond of the combo.

I haven't tried other emgs, but I really like the 81 in the bridge. I have all the low end I could ever need and no shrillness or ice pickiness in the highs. Earlier on I thought that I'd try out the 85, but I can't really see how I'd improve the 81. That would be my recommendation for the bridge. There's a lot of hype going on for the 85 bridge these days, but it may be just a fashion thing.

I'm not certain on my 81 neck, I'll have to try to adjust it some more and mess around with it. I think that I could like the 85 there more, a bit more mids and warmth. I'll see.

I think that it could be a good idea for you to get quick-connect 81 and 85. Then you can swap 'em around and see which one you like in which position.