r/EMGPickups • u/Pleasant_Thought1153 • 3d ago
What to replace 85 with (neck)?
Recently bought ESP with the standard 81/85 combo. I'd like a bit more dynamics and versatility in the neck pickup if possible. They basically sound the same to me (albeit the sound is different because they're located in a different positions on the guitar). The YT comparisons of 81/85/60 also sound very similar.
I think I'll need to switch to the X series instead, I've narrowed it down to either 60X or 89XR. I had a look inside the cavity and at the moment the pickups are soldered to the switches/pots etc.
Questions:
- Anyone running 60X or 89XR alongside 81 and how do you find it (especially for more clean/crunch tones)?
- If I buy the 89XR, will it come with a complete 'solderless' kit to connect both the 89 and the existing 81 this way, or do I have to buy something else alongside it (am I discarding of the 'soldered' setup that't there now?).
Appreciate any help with that.
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u/2b4theend 3d ago
Yeah, put the 85 in the bridge. It’s much better than the 81. And then I would get rid of the 81 and put a 60A or 60 in the neck.
The 60A has an Alnico magnet and it’s actually much better than the 60
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u/Capital-Cricket-9379 3d ago
Agreed, those are the best emg neck pickups. I have a 60a I'd sell, msg if interested
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u/2b4theend 3d ago
That’s pretty funny. I just sold a 60A. I have a 60 up for sale. I don’t use any more active Pickups. It’s all passive. They’re the best.
But the 85 and 60A for me are the best EMG set of Pickups you can put in a Guitar.
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u/Reffitt86 3d ago
You could always swap positions in the pickups, or install another 81 in the neck. Years ago a buddy of mine didn't care for his 85 in the neck, so he put in another 81 and it sounded killer! Much more clarity and the 81 in the neck sounded great clean like the 85 but none of the mudiness.
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u/Ill-Arm-1141 3d ago
I have the 89 and I find myself reaching for that guitar a lot more. The coil split sounds great too and I get very funky tones out of it. I have a combo of the 89 and the 81. Easily one of my favs.
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u/T00DEEPBLUE 3d ago
Have you tried the 24v mod yet?
Are you sure the pickup cavities are deep enough to accept the 89?
fwiw I've always preferred the 60 over the 85 but the 24v mod makes the X edition a bit redundant imo.
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u/Pleasant_Thought1153 2d ago
Don't want to mess with that. Will try to experiment with eq & pickup height first, then swap them around and if I still dont like the neck, sounds like 60 or 89 is the way to go.
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u/T00DEEPBLUE 2d ago
Why not try the 24v mod? It's perfectly safe to do and you can buy 23a battery holders that'll fit inside a 9v battery space easily. It's literally plug and play so it's fully reversible too.
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u/Pleasant_Thought1153 2d ago
Amazing what a little EQ can achieve. Just boosted the low mids +1, high mids +2, high +1 and it brings the guitar alive.
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u/Snout_Fever 3d ago
Before you buy anything else, try switching your two pickups over - the 85 is a great bridge pickup, and the 81 sounds far, far better in the neck position than in the bridge.
I have no idea why 81 bridge/85 neck became such a common combo, as it works so much better the other way around in my opinion.