Removing EMG help!

[J.B.]

OK, I have a guitar that I want to take the EMG's out of because the 81 is just so god damn bright in it. I bought the guitar this way. This is my question. What do I need to replace to go back to passive pickups? I know the EMG's come with their own pots and jack. Do I just need to gut it and start over? What should I buy for a pot, etc, etc?

By the way, there's an 81 and an SA with a 3 way toggle and volume pot. No tone pot. And if anybody has a trick to darken up an EMG, please, by all means, tell me!!!!

 

[tonmazz]

OK, I have a guitar that I want to take the EMG's out of because the 81 is just so god damn bright in it. I bought the guitar this way. This is my question. What do I need to replace to go back to passive pickups? I know the EMG's come with their own pots and jack. Do I just need to gut it and start over? What should I buy for a pot, etc, etc?

By the way, there's an 81 and an SA with a 3 way toggle and volume pot. No tone pot. And if anybody has a trick to darken up an EMG, please, by all means, tell me!!!!

J.B,

I plan on doing the same thing to my Les Paul and have the same questions. Thanks for leading the way. I know you definately have to change out the Pots but not sure to what. 232cap would know, hopefully he'll chime in here. I've been an EMG guy for a while and recently picked up an Ibanez with a JB in it and I can't go back to EMGs now.

 

[J.B.]

OK, I have a guitar that I want to take the EMG's out of because the 81 is just so god damn bright in it. I bought the guitar this way. This is my question. What do I need to replace to go back to passive pickups? I know the EMG's come with their own pots and jack. Do I just need to gut it and start over? What should I buy for a pot, etc, etc?

By the way, there's an 81 and an SA with a 3 way toggle and volume pot. No tone pot. And if anybody has a trick to darken up an EMG, please, by all means, tell me!!!!

J.B,

I plan on doing the same thing to my Les Paul and have the same questions. Thanks for leading the way. I know you definately have to change out the Pots but not sure to what. 232cap would know, hopefully he'll chime in here. I've been an EMG guy for a while and recently picked up an Ibanez with a JB in it and I can't go back to EMGs now.

I've allways really liked EMG's and have owned guitas with them years ago and loved them. Even my friends old Ibanez sounds great and it has an 81 too. But my guitar is way too bright.

 

[RockNRollBabyHead]

You can't re-use the pots. They are 25K pots, and will not work.
Best bet is to get a new pair of 500K pots and start over.

 

[nbarts]

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43659&p=509201&hilit=passives#p509201

 

[J.B.]

https://www.rig-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43659&p=509201&hilit=passives#p509201

excellent. Thanks. I guess I need everything then.

 

[Greazygeo]

Yeah you have to remove everything and start over. Don't forget to hook the bridge ground back up too. You can reuse the jack, just ignore the third tab....

 

[Death by Uberschall]

You could throw an 85 in there and cure the brightness problem, or put one of the correct EMG tone pots in the cavity. Dial in the warmth you want and screw the cover plate back on and forget about it.

 

[jasonP]

You could throw an 85 in there and cure the brightness problem, or put one of the correct EMG tone pots in the cavity. Dial in the warmth you want and screw the cover plate back on and forget about it.

Yes an 85 would be great.. and with a volume and tone pots it would help tame the brightness as it is bleeding some of the signal to ground. Those are 25k pots.
For a humbucker you want 500K.

 

[tonmazz]

You could throw an 85 in there and cure the brightness problem, or put one of the correct EMG tone pots in the cavity. Dial in the warmth you want and screw the cover plate back on and forget about it.

Yes an 85 would be great.. and with a volume and tone pots it would help tame the brightness as it is bleeding some of the signal to ground. Those are 25k pots.
For a humbucker you want 500K.

I had two 85s in mine and I hated it which is why I went to an 81 in the bridge. It was way too bassey. A lot of things play into it for sure but that was my experience with the 85.

 

[Greazygeo]

85's are brighter than 81's....

 

[ke2]

85's are brighter than 81's....

Do you really think so, George?
My experience has been that the 85 has been a more bassy PU than the 81.

Jason, you could also give the Seymour Duncan Blackout a go. Just use the existing (if you have it) quick connector. No soldering required.

 

[tonmazz]

85's are brighter than 81's....

Do you really think so, George?
My experience has been that the 85 has been a more bassy PU than the 81.

Jason, you could also give the Seymour Duncan Blackout a go. Just use the existing (if you have it) quick connector. No soldering required.

I have to agree. I had one guitar set up with an 81 and an 85 and one with two 85s and it was night and day. As soon as I removed the 85 it brightened right up. I was able to compare them in the same environment and no doubt the 85 was bass city.

 

[Code001]

85's are brighter than 81's....

Do you really think so, George?
My experience has been that the 85 has been a more bassy PU than the 81.

Jason, you could also give the Seymour Duncan Blackout a go. Just use the existing (if you have it) quick connector. No soldering required.

Gonna +1 this

 

[Greazygeo]

85's are brighter than 81's....

Do you really think so, George?
My experience has been that the 85 has been a more bassy PU than the 81.

Jason, you could also give the Seymour Duncan Blackout a go. Just use the existing (if you have it) quick connector. No soldering required.

Yes it is brighter IME....look at the spec sheet sometime. The 85 has a higher resonant frequency which means it will be a brighter pickup....

SPECIFICATIONS: MODEL:

81 85
Logo Color Silver Gold
Resonant Frequency (KHz) 2.00 2.45
Output Voltage (Strin g) 2.0 2.1
Output Voltage (Stru m) 4.5 4.5
Output Noise@ 60H z - 91 -89
Output Impedance (Kohm) 10 10
Current@ 9V (Microamps) 80 80
Battery Life (Hours) 3000 3000
Maximum Supply (Volts DC) 27 27

 

[J.B.]

I thought about putting in 85 in there because I was under the impression it darker. There's a video I watched last night were somebody went back in forth with an 81 and an 85, and the 81 seamed to have the trebly thing going on that I'm hearing, but the 85 had..... well, less of it.

I'm just going to gut it and put a BBQ in there......

 

[MrDan666]

I have used the EMG 81's and 85's extensively in many guitars and i can tell you regardless of what the spec sheet says it 'technically' should sound like... the 85 IS much darker than the 81. It has a LOT more low end and low mids.

The 81 has much less low mids and is voiced more in the upper mids IMO. This is the reason why many guys find the 81 to be cutting and tight, when using super high gain amps.. Its why many consider it a 'Metal' pickup. Its not only a 'Metal' pickup at all.. but due to the actual EQ of the pickup and its voicing, it can easily cut thru lots of gain without turning to shit.

The 85 is a killer pickup, but isn't as tight and can sound overly dark or mushy depending on the actual guitar and also the rig setup. In the right guitar and with the right rig, it can sound huge and not mushy at all... Take Lukather for example, or Reb Beach

 

[J.B.]

I have used the EMG 81's and 85's extensively in many guitars and i can tell you regardless of what the spec sheet says it 'technically' should sound like... the 85 IS much darker than the 81. It has a LOT more low end and low mids.

The 81 has much less low mids and is voiced more in the upper mids IMO. This is the reason why many guys find the 81 to be cutting and tight, when using super high gain amps.. Its why many consider it a 'Metal' pickup. Its not only a 'Metal' pickup at all.. but due to the actual EQ of the pickup and its voicing, it can easily cut thru lots of gain without turning to shit.

The 85 is a killer pickup, but isn't as tight and can sound overly dark or mushy depending on the actual guitar and also the rig setup. In the right guitar and with the right rig, it can sound huge and not mushy at all... Take Lukather for example, or Reb Beach

So Dan, do you think it might work in my guitar? It's a late 80's/early 90's M-II Custom. I'm assuming it's Alder. Here's a pic.

 

[Anonymous]

All my guitars sport 85's...Hotter and fatter than the 81 but
I only have 2 guitars..

 

[MrDan666]

So Dan, do you think it might work in my guitar? It's a late 80's/early 90's M-II Custom. I'm assuming it's Alder. Here's a pic.

Hey J!

Killer guitar man, congrats!

No reason why a 85 wouldnt work in that.. I would try it atleast and then if it still doesnt work out.. Then you can just gut it and go passive again.

Give it a go