EMG 81/60 pickups question.

[porcubot]

Something's been bothering me for a while. When I see a guitarist that uses EMG 81s and 60s in their guitars, I read that the 60 is usually kept in the neck position while the 81 is kept in the bridge position.
Well, 'bout a year and a half ago for Christmas I convinced my parents to get me a new set of pickups for my guitar, an 81 and a 60. I installed them myself (Thank God for the instruction manual) and I put the 60 in the neck position, like I had read about.
It stayed that way for about an hour. I switched the 60 to the bridge and the 81 to the neck, and I couldn't have been happier with the sound I got.
So is there something I missed? Is it just a preference thing?

[gbhuff]

Everything is a preference thing. The 60 has less output than the 81 and has a really nice "squawk" in the bridge position, but in the the end it's a combination of guitar, amp & what YOU like that's important! Fortunately EMG makes it very easy to experiment...and if it weren't for that, nobody would've ever paired the two in the first place. So, be happy you took some initiative!

[drgamble]

You can't argue with results.

[brandondrury]

It stayed that way for about an hour. I switched the 60 to the bridge and the 81 to the neck, and I couldn't have been happier with the sound I got.
So is there something I missed? Is it just a preference thing?

Guitar players tend to be the most rigid, uncreative musicians on the planet especially when it comes to gear. The EMG 81 is extremely in the bridge. No doubt about that. But to assume that is the only place for it or the ideal place for it for your particular tonal style is crazy.

You should learn a valuable lesson from this. It's a good thing to listen to what others have to say. However, that's only the beginning. Developing your own voice is EVERYTHING! Give hell however you like it.

Brandon

[dante]

Originally Posted by brandondrury

Guitar players tend to be the most rigid, uncreative musicians on the planet especially when it comes to gear.

this is correct.

Originally Posted by porcubot

So is there something I missed? Is it just a preference thing?

well, yes and no. if it works, great. i have an 85 in the bridge and a 60 in the neck. i also use 500k post with emgs, everyone tells me this is madness, but hey, i like it.

the reason the 60 is not used in the bridge is a technical one. the 60 has supercharged treble and bass frequencies with very little mids. this lack of mids means your going to have a hell of a tough time pushing your amp into the same level of overdrive the 85 and the 81 achieve. also, the 60 is wound to sound thin, like a powerful strat pickup.

also, when ppl make pickups, they usually make the bridge pickup stronger (they wind them with more copper, which lowers treble and raises mids) so there is less difference when switching from one pickup to the other. to most people this is a concern. also, neck pickups will more easilly sound muddy. a pickup with tons of mid in the neck isn't everyones cup of tea. the 81 is actually not muddy in the neck because of it's magnet type. ceramics are stronger, thus requiring less copper and keeping more treble. kirk hammet reputedly uses it in the neck as well as the bridge.

now, if this sounds good to you, great. but i'm gonna go out on a limb and say something a bit harsh: i don't think you're really listening. much like i wasn't really listening when i made the last 100 wrong choices. for instance, when i bought a tonebone for awesome distortion. or when i used daddario strings for downtuning. in contrast to what brandon said (brandon, you rock, i love you, but this is my nest! ) i don't think gear makes the guitar man. of course you need a great axe to grind. but at the end of the day, all of it, ALL OF IT, is just like an EQ, and what it sounds like is 90% how it was played.

i'm not gonna tell you which way to go. you're gonna find out eventually. and taking the easy road is more or less opposite to the character a guitarist should develop. but when you do find your sound \that really rocks, you'll be a really happy man.

[Vanan]

I'm with the old school idea of tone being in the fingers. It's what you do with them, that counts. There's tons of guitarist using the 81/85 and the 81/60 combo out there. But you sure can tell the difference between Kerry King's playing and Zakk's. That's only one comparison you could make out of many, but you get the point. If you like what you hear, stick with it, cos it only gets better from there.