Anyone ever try an EMG 89 in the bridge?

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fluff191

fluff191

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EMG says it's modeled after an 85 but how close is it to an 85?

I like the idea of a coil-tap and an 85 in the bridge.
 
To my ears it is about as close to an 85 as the 81tw is to the 81; almost identical (in a neck position comparison, that is. I've never had either in the bridge). My schecter has an 81tw and an 89.

But my ears could be wrong... I always have a better time hearing nuances when they are played back from a recording than infront of a loud amp.
 
Thanks for the input. I was looking at a Hellraiser and like the options of a coil tap but would put the 89 in the bridge.
 
You missed out on a good deal... Amazon had the white hellraiser c1's for $500 over christmas, now they back up over $700 like everyone else.

Nice guitar, but mine came with flat top frets. Needs a crown job. Still good for what I paid.
 
I put an 89 in the bridge of a B.C. Rich Warlock that was a single-pickup guitar. Sounded great and to my ears sat somewhere in between an 81 and an 85. Great sound when tapped. Definitely gets my endorsement for a great tone in the bridge.
 
Ok cool. I think I will give it a shot then. Thanks guys!
 
right, the 89 is just a tappable 85. so if you dig an 85 in the bridge, you'll most likely like the 89 in there plus it's more versatile because you can split it
 
I have an 89 in the neck of my Explorer.........yup basically an splittable 85 :)
 
like racerevlon said sounds alot like a 85 with just a touch of 81
 
I have an 89 in the bridge of a Steinberger GR4.
As others have said pretty much a splittable 85.
 
Thanks guys.

And I was looking at a guitar with an 81/89 combo but wanted to switch the 89 to the bridge.
 
I had an EMG 89 in a custom one pickup guitar at the bridge and I loved it. A luthier friend of mine told me he couldn't believe how good it sounded. I would use one again or try the new EMGs I've heard about.
 
Think the 89 is what the Deathklok dude uses, and most likely who started the tread.
 
The 89 is very different from the 85. I have a LTD EC-1000 that had an 85/85 setup. I just replaced the bridge 85 with an 89 and the two are nothing close to the same. The 89 in the bridge reminds me of an 81. It focuses on the high frequencies instead of the lows found in the 85. The tonal qualities lacked the dynamics and tone found in the 85. It sounds rather flat, very similar to the 81 but a slight but warmer. And I mean slight. I'm gonna give it a couple more days and experiment with it, but I'm strongly leaning toward putting the other 85 back in the bridge.
 
People assume that EMG's marketing blurb about the 89 sounding similar to the 85 means that the 89 is just a splittable 85. It isn't. In fact, imho, it sounds very different from both the 85 and the 81. For me the 89 sounded amazing - warm and singing- in ash and shit - harsh and lifeless - in basswood.
 
It sounds almost identical to an 85, I actually prefer the 81 because it has a "hint" of additional clarity.
 
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