What Passive Bridge Pickup Is Closest To An EMG 81?

[Rex Rocker]

maybe muddy isnt the proper term but the low end is loose, tubby and super soft responding, in my ibanez, certainly nothing like an 81.

I was actually surprised in your thread when you first mentioned this.

My experience with the BW is it's REALLY tight with a low-end rolloff and abundant mids, but not as stuffy in the low-mids the JB, for example. Also, VERY attacky. I'm going to say more attacky than an 81 too. But yeah, if you're comparing to the 81, it is fatter and not as tight for sure. It's not like I've had a HUGE sample pool of the BW to say for sure all of them are like that, but I've had at least 3 in at least 6 different guitars at some point.

Not saying you're wrong. If you're comparing it directly to the 81, yes, it's not nearly as tight. But for passive standards, it kind of is, IME.

It's not an 81 clone either, BTW. It's supposed to be inspired by Scandinavian Metal sounds, which is kinda ridiculous considering In Flames sounds nothing like Entombed which sounds nothing like Mayhem. It's more like a more over-the-top Duncan Distortion/JB kinda thing for me. But it's way hotter than the 81 and the Distortion even.

 

[thegame]

 

[Shask]

I was actually surprised in your thread when you first mentioned this.

My experience with the BW is it's REALLY tight with a low-end rolloff and abundant mids, but not as stuffy in the low-mids the JB, for example. Also, VERY attacky. I'm going to say more attacky than an 81 too. But yeah, if you're comparing to the 81, it is fatter and not as tight for sure. It's not like I've had a HUGE sample pool of the BW to say for sure all of them are like that, but I've had at least 3 in at least 6 different guitars at some point.

Not saying you're wrong. If you're comparing it directly to the 81, yes, it's not nearly as tight. But for passive standards, it kind of is, IME.

It's not an 81 clone either, BTW. It's supposed to be inspired by Scandinavian Metal sounds, which is kinda ridiculous considering In Flames sounds nothing like Entombed which sounds nothing like Mayhem. It's more like a more over-the-top Duncan Distortion/JB kinda thing for me. But it's way hotter than the 81 and the Distortion even.

I always thought the Black Winter was kind of like a Invader with the low cut, and high pass. It is like a much clearer version of the Invader.

I haven't played my Black Winters much lately, so this thread made me grab that guitar this week to jam on.

 

[RaceU4her]

I always thought the Black Winter was kind of like a Invader with the low cut, and high pass. It is like a much clearer version of the Invader.

I haven't played my Black Winters much lately, so this thread made me grab that guitar this week to jam on.

I always see people describing the invader the way I do the BW, the invader for me is tighter with much better attack. Maybe I’ll try the BW I’m something else

 

[Shask]

I always see people describing the invader the way I do the BW, the invader for me is tighter with much better attack. Maybe I’ll try the BW I’m something else

Could just be the guitar. I have the Invader in a Mahogany bolt on, and the BW in an Alder Neck through. The BW is much tighter in these guitars. The BW always seems similar to the Invader to me, but with more high end and the low end cut. Both have a lot of mid-mids and kind of sound like they have a tubescreamer EQ curve built into them.

 

[Detroit1973]

Any particular reason why you seem to take an issue with my posts? I thought this was a forum where we could share our opinions. Heck, people can even name-drop here.

"I Spoke to him MANY times back in the day since i live in Florida about 3 1/2 hours away from Tampa & used to go to shows all the time when Death Played Locally."
Is this a long form of boasting that you knew Chuck Schuldiner personally?
See how it sounds?

Didn't know him personally, never said i did. But i did have conversations with the man on many occasions because back then The DM Community was a VERY Small scene. Not Name Dropping, just sharing my experience & what little knowledge i know or have from that time period. I WAS JOKING ABOUT YOUR POST. It is the nterwebz after all & some people like to clown around....I'm a huge supporter of NOT taking things so seriously.

 

[Speeddemon]

I WAS JOKING ABOUT YOUR POST. It is the nterwebz after all & some people like to clown around....I'm a huge supporter of NOT taking things so seriously.

Ok if you say so. Kinda strange to waste two posts about that, but whatevs.

On topic: EMG81's remain ridicoulously tight for drop tunings.

 

[UsrName]

I kinda think the Duncan JB resembles a 81 a little bit, just with a looser low end and is more open sounding, a Duncan Distortion kinda has that compression level of a 81 but has more high end I would say, or sizzle.

I agree the Duncan distortion always reminded me of the 81 when I had em installed.

 

[angelspade]

I agree the Duncan distortion always reminded me of the 81 when I had em installed.

Thanks for all your feedback and suggestions. I think I'm going to go with one of these:

BK Miracle Man
Duncan Distortion
Duncan Skolnick
Black Winter

 

[JohnnyGtar]

Didn't know him personally, never said i did. But i did have conversations with the man on many occasions because back then The DM Community was a VERY Small scene. Not Name Dropping, just sharing my experience & what little knowledge i know or have from that time period. I WAS JOKING ABOUT YOUR POST. It is the nterwebz after all & some people like to clown around....I'm a huge supporter of NOT taking things so seriously.

I hate the BS about "name dropping". I used to work in the industry and consequently I know some musicians who were or are a big deal. I don't brag about who I know. I've interacted with them. It's part of my life. Some of them have become friends. I won't apologize for that and I won't keep quiet just because someone might not like it. Fuck that. Sorry for the hijack.

Now then... the Duncan Black Winter kicks ass. The DiMarzio Deactivator is their take on an 81. That's what they were shooting for with that pickup. I got that info from a DiMarzio employee at a NAMM show. (not Steve Blucher)

 

[Rex Rocker]

Now then... the Duncan Black Winter kicks ass. The DiMarzio Deactivator is their take on an 81. That's what they were shooting for with that pickup. I got that info from a DiMarzio employee at a NAMM show. (not Steve Blucher)

I don't think you have to know anyone at DiMarzio to realize that.

 

[Rex Rocker]

I always thought the Black Winter was kind of like a Invader with the low cut, and high pass. It is like a much clearer version of the Invader.

I haven't played my Black Winters much lately, so this thread made me grab that guitar this week to jam on.

It makes sense, really. I don't like the Invader, personally. I don't like dark and bassy pickups in general, and the Invader is the only pickup I can think of that's actually darker than the X2N... although, I didn't try them at the same time, but I bet they're in the neighborhood.

There's a lot of debate in the Duncan forum wether the JB and the Distortion are the exact same coils, just with different magnets, but even if they're not, they're at the very least close. So there's the whole JB/Distortion/Invader family that the BW, while it's evidently not the exact same coils because the wire insultaion is visibly different, is at least a similar recipee between all of them.

 

[JohnnyGtar]

I don't think you have to know anyone at DiMarzio to realize that.

I didn't say I know the person who told me that. They were working at their NAMM booth and it came up during our conversation.

 

[dave74]

I didn't say I know the person who told me that. They were working at their NAMM booth and it came up during our conversation.

What Rex is saying is that with a name like D'Activator, it of course is their take on an active in passive form.

 

[RaceU4her]

I was actually surprised in your thread when you first mentioned this.

My experience with the BW is it's REALLY tight with a low-end rolloff and abundant mids, but not as stuffy in the low-mids the JB, for example. Also, VERY attacky. I'm going to say more attacky than an 81 too. But yeah, if you're comparing to the 81, it is fatter and not as tight for sure. It's not like I've had a HUGE sample pool of the BW to say for sure all of them are like that, but I've had at least 3 in at least 6 different guitars at some point.

Not saying you're wrong. If you're comparing it directly to the 81, yes, it's not nearly as tight. But for passive standards, it kind of is, IME.

It's not an 81 clone either, BTW. It's supposed to be inspired by Scandinavian Metal sounds, which is kinda ridiculous considering In Flames sounds nothing like Entombed which sounds nothing like Mayhem. It's more like a more over-the-top Duncan Distortion/JB kinda thing for me. But it's way hotter than the 81 and the Distortion even.

heres a recent test clip i did with the BW and my triple rec, im sure you could hear the soft dumpy low end and loose gain structure compared to my normal clips, its literally complete opposite what everyone else is saying this pickup does i actually want to put a 81 in that ibanez so ill have to put the BW in something else


https://app.box.com/embed/s/hltne9m4pzd8e826e4imf2c6rwv133sh

 

[Rex Rocker]

I didn't say I know the person who told me that. They were working at their NAMM booth and it came up during our conversation.

That's not what I meant. I mean that with the name D-Ac and the whole blurb they write on their site and make ads around, everyone can tell what they were going for.

 

[Rex Rocker]

heres a recent test clip i did with the BW and my triple rec, im sure you could hear the soft dumpy low end and loose gain structure compared to my normal clips, its literally complete opposite what everyone else is saying this pickup does i actually want to put a 81 in that ibanez so ill have to put the BW in something else


https://app.box.com/embed/s/hltne9m4pzd8e826e4imf2c6rwv133sh

Yeah, I remember that clip! I told you back then that it sounded good to me, haha.

 

[JohnnyGtar]

That's not what I meant. I mean that with the name D-Ac and the whole blurb they write on their site and make ads around, everyone can tell what they were going for.

Got it. Sorry for misunderstanding you. Long day. Very tired when I posted.

 

[Bram576]

heres a recent test clip i did with the BW and my triple rec, im sure you could hear the soft dumpy low end and loose gain structure compared to my normal clips, its literally complete opposite what everyone else is saying this pickup does i actually want to put a 81 in that ibanez so ill have to put the BW in something else


https://app.box.com/embed/s/hltne9m4pzd8e826e4imf2c6rwv133sh

Dude emgs make such a big difference in having things tight.

 

[dave74]

The right boost makes almost everything tight and/or bright, but for me the right boost depends on the pickups and of course the amp/speakers too.

I even boost emgs, although with the standard 9v 81 I seem to like a boost with no clipping in the circuit, or a diode-lift option, or even an EQ.