4:10 you can really hear the cutting edge clarity of the EMG where as the passive pickups sounds muddy and sloppy when playing the same high speed riff with high gain
I have both. JB have a better voicing/eq for solos and riffs with mids and highs, while the 81 prevails on lower tone riffs. There is no such thing of this is better and that. They are both great choices, if you know what to expect...
JB definitely sounds fuller and has more mids and less fizz on top. I have EMGs in one of my guitars and compared to my other guitar, which has passive burstbuckers, it doesn't sound good to me anymore so I am thinking about changing them out for some passives. Thanks for the Comparison. You're a pretty good player too :)
It's because EMG's are made for lot of bass settings, that's why they were use by Metallica or lot of trash metal band (trash metal is played with lot of bass).
It's not just you. I quite like the cleans on 81s, despite it being a go-to pickup for metal (sometimes). That's not to say it's not good distorted. If you're really keen into some genres of metal, the compression of the 81 helps to give some extra bite. But it's all up to taste, at the end of the day.
I'm a hardcore Seymour Duncan fanboy, and I gotta say I actually like the 81. Only reason I wouldn't pick it over the JB is because the JB is passive and never requires a goddamned battery, and I prefer alnico pickups.
cleans sound better on the EMG but dirty, high gain and lead sounds way better on the Duncan. It sounds way clearer and has more dynamic range to it than the more compressed sounding EMG
Vini Mattos - I have a JB/59 set in one of my guitars and I love the JB for its range. I'm possibly getting an EMG loaded LTD EC401 in a trade for another of my guitars and wanted to hear some EMG81/60 demos. I think I prefer the JB over the 81.
EMG 81 on clean: Muddy, but at the same time less edgy. A much warmer sound. SD JB on clean: Bright, edgy, alive. A much sharper sound. Winner: SD JB EMG 81 on dirty: Refined. Extremely tight. Pure thrash. SD JB on dirty: pouring over with power. Pure feeling. Pure umph. Winner: SD JB EMG 81 on High Gain: Square. Spine chillingly heavy. Reminds me of Thor's hammer. SD JB on High Gain: Full circle. Its like being high... on gain. Winner: EMG 81 EMG 81 on Lead: Less organic but much more cleaner sound (no picking sound) SD JB on Lead: You can hear every pick. You can feel every note. Winner: SD JB So I would say, if you're the rhythm guitarist, get yourself an EMG 81. But if you want to destroy and melt faces with your solos, get the SD JB. For recording the EMG is probably better.
This demo has been very helpful as I am planning on replacing the JB that’s in my Jackson with an EMG 81. I heard exactly the pickup that I am looking for! I’m even surprised by the sound on the clean channel. I thought a passive pickup would sound better clean but I like the 81 more.
It's a;ll about clarity and the JB wins. EQ and gain structure in your amp and pedals can do most everything else but if your source sound lacks clarity your basically screwed.
It all depends on the tone you want, different guitars handle different pickups differently, different players make different sounds with each. Neither is "better" they're just different.
Duncan JB winner in both clean and distorted. Great shootout and it definitely made of up my mind to get the Duncan JB/59 in both my Epi's......an Epi 335 and an Epi 400 SG. Thank you for making this video!!!!
Both pickups have it's own charm. But the beauty about passive pick ups is the Dynamics. You can pick gently and get a cleaner sound and pick harder to get more aggressive tone. You can roll down the volume knob and get a nice clean tone even from a dirty dirty/overdrive channel.
Can't always go by these pick-up shootouts because the main thing most uploaders fail to do, or at least mention, is making sure the pickup heights are not only identical but also the same as before removing and after replacing..SDs are greatly affected by this. In my usa jackson, I can raise the bridge pu (JB) about a millimeter or two and it changes the bottom end on cleans a lot more than I would have ever thought. Emg 81s sound almost the same whether practically touching the strings or 3/4 of an inch away, just more or less sustain, as with any pickup. I actually tested the SD-JB before posting and just a couple screw turns on each side lowering it really made my cleans thinner and harsher..moved back closer and they became noticeably warmer. This alder body is super resonate so not other guitars may not experience this amount of sensitivity from a couple of turns, but a quarter inch up or down adjustment of a SD-JB in any guitar will cause a clear and noticeable difference especially at volumes loud enough to where you don't hear your actual strings ringing from the guitar. Haven't recorded direct with them but I'm sure it corresponds that way as well.
The EMG sounds better clean, hands down. The SM sounds a bit too bright, and somewhat "flat" when clean, but when driven trough any level of distortion this seems to help it for my ear, making it sound better overall distorted. SM seems to have a bit more clarity and distinction between notes when distorted.
Got 2 81s yesterday for 100$ :) Also have been using the jb for about 10 years now most reliable pickup I've ever used alnico v magnets in them so it handles high gain perfectly
For metal the EMGs take the edge with their really tight attack and accurate lows. The JBs sound a little spongy in comparison which means they lose some definition in the fast palm mutes. However, I do think the JBs have more "character" in their frequency response which gives them the edge in the clean passages. The EMGs sound like their entire frequency range is at the same level whereas the JBs have a really nice upper mids spike. So for me, from clean up to classic rock, JBs take the edge, but from then on to metal it's got to be the EMGs.
EMG81 is so compressed and one-trick-pony that prevented me from evolving as a player (while I owned only 1 guitar 12 years ago). The moment I got my second guitar, the world of organic, uncompressed and mellow sound was back in my ears and I realised what I had been missing. EMG81 is an excellent pickup that can do one thing only. It also makes every guitar sound the same so if you're buying it, put it on a cheap guitar, no need to waste space on your beloved Charvel/Caparison etc
Both sounded good on my side. The EMG is a bit muddy for my taste. But SD JB sounds more organic even on hi-gain. I would prefer to the SDs because of the versatility of the passives, that you can change the tone just by using the volume on a guitar. Nice demo by the way.
I have heard many words to describe the EMG 81 but "Muddy" was never one of them! Middy? then yeah! Don't know what you think "Muddy" means but the 81 is not Muddy at all! and no i do not favor the EMG's. I use the Duncan's am not a fan of active pu's.
I think the EMG is more balanced while in the JB, the higher frequencies are more noticeable. But both are great pickups! I Use a JB paired with a 59 and love em, but also love my EMG 81 & 85 on my LTD.
I've both they are XLNT choices! By this mirroring almost identical. You can tweak dial in whatever your efx to get a little more of this or dial back. (Emg81/ 85 DiMarzio SD's TB4 498T 500T TB6 DD)
JB is a little thinner on cleans but more articulate with higher notes. Dirty the JB can be tweaked to sound just as thick and full as the EMG. Someone already ripped the EMGs out of my LTD EC1000 for Blackouts. I gutted the bridge for a JB and kept the Blackout in the neck. Good sounding combination. Organic sounding distortion with a lot of attack and a not too tight low end and strong thick cleans.
to me JB sounds a little bit too cripy in the clean sounds so I'd prefer in that case the 81, but in hi gain, the JB has that extra presence that is cool for definition… so there's never a clear winner but the thing of not having batteries makes me pick JB here :P
Thing about EMG's: they provide more compression to get something like a processed studio sound right at input. But feel-wise, passive pickups are likely better.
i never give to much attention to JB. Because it's a very hot pickup and used by so many guitar. This comparison shows there is similarity between 81 and JB. I like 81. Maybe I will like JB if I try one.
In my humble opinion....granted I work in a very noisy environment, so my ears may not hear the same, but it appeared that the emgs on the clean side were a bit louder, but had a slight break-up, so I liked the Duncan jbs for clean (with a boost they would smoke the emg, since emg has a 9 volt battery to boost it I would say its only fair to boost the jb) for gain, I love the sledgehammer lows and mids on the emg. I use a Duncan invader for high gain rhythms and love them, but that's just my preference. great demo, thank you
The emg 81 sounds better than the jb. I like the darker sound compared to the lighter sound on higher octaves and on the chugging I felt their was barely a difference. Both sounded very nice, perhaps for different moods.
EMG's all the way. Ironically, I find their clean tone outshines the SD the most. I think the SD had a slight edge on their distorted lead tone, but not nearly enough to make up for the other comparisons in sound.
I've had both, but the JB it's my go-to. EMG: More definition, better palm mutes and works great on low tunings. Plus they're dead silent. JB: Great rock sounding pickup, more upper mids and it's perfect for lead work. I think the JB cuts better through the mix though.
The difference are very subtle, though EMG has a bit more punch being an active pickup while the SD-JB being passive. I have the 81 on one of my guitars so I knew how it would sound but was surprised how the JB performed. Looking to upgrade an older guitar and the JB might fit the bill. Better price and will be easier to install.
I have hed 3 guitars with EMG's and have a JMT USA strat with 3 Seymour Duncans......but in my opinion Dimarzio's kik their AZZ...had a few strats with Dimarzio's still got one.....so I could pick up a guitar loaded with EMG's ,change to one with SD'S..then play the one with DIMARZIO'S.......had Fenders with Hot texas pups and standard Fender pups.....but I am a Dimarzio fan now......I wont comment on the demo as I thought the clean sounded bell like not great to listen to,and the dirty sounded as it should.......thanx for reading...cheers from Sydney Australia.......
Yeah 6505's aren't the best for clean tones. I had more of the dirty recordings but I scrapped them to keep the video from being too long, I figured people would be more interested in the high gain sounds.
Got both and both are great. They each have their strengths and works great for different things. EMG 81/85 AND JB/Jazz FTW! BTW, I use more JBs (6) than 81s (2, if ye include the 81TWX) mostly cuz the JBs are cheaper, more readily available and easier/cheaper to install (actives requires a suite of supporting electronics installed: pots, bus, batteries, etc.).
I play metal and I've been using EMG 81s in my 2 Ibanez's forever never even trying anything else. Just started looking into a Parker PDF100 that comes with the SD's. This video actually helped me out a lot. As much as I love the EMG's I didn't notice too much of a difference in the distortions. Yes, there are some, EMG's definitely more gain, but I think I liked the SD's a little more. The dilemma in my head continues, haha.
That's awesome! When I made this video I didn't expect it to be very helpful to anybody, so its really cool to hear it helped you out! The difference between them isn't very drastic, just different flavors of tone. To add to your dilemma, you should checkout the Dimarzio Crunch lab and Bareknuckle Juggernauts too.
Great comparison! I like JB better here, it has more detailed sound. 81 is kind of too tight for my taste, but i like the clarity of EMG's. SD's are more percussive sounding pickups. My favorite is an generally disliked pickup- a HZ H3 pasive.
Yep same here. Used to do either 81/85 or 81/89 in every guitar. Even my Gibson LP Standard. Since then I’ve read up on passive pickups-different magnets, wire size, DCR etc and tried the Duncan JB and Dimarzio Super Distortions (among others). I’ll never go back. Sometimes old technology just has good sonic properties that can’t be beat. At least to my hands and ears.
I think the 81 sits very well in the mix, for it has a very thin sound, and it's so called sterile character contributes for it not sounding muddy with ease and interacting more with the amplifiers tone. On the other hand, if you use digital amps, i think they can sound too sterile at times, and then that would suck.
Both sound great. I would go for the SD JB since I'm really looking for a hard rock, near metal sounding pickup, while at the same time having the ability to play some blues. If I were playing only metal, then EMGs all the way. But since I'm not, I would go for the SD JB.
I think both perform equally well at blues or metal. The JB is passive but its still a high output pickup. Changing the eq and gain on your amp will have a more drastic effect than switching between these two pickups IMO.
After reading many comments below and watching this video, both pickups are good, just different for different taste. A lot of people like EMG and alot of other people like JB. And that does not make it easier for me since im about to buy a new guitar and dont know 100% if i should get emgs or jb pickups. For my music maybe the emgs are more suitable in this case, but i like both.
Do keep in mind you're comparing a JB/Passive to an 81/Active. My biased toward Seymour Duncan makes me wanna choose it automatically, but the 81s cleans I must admit are good. All around, the EMG is surprisingly crisp, but I still choose the JB just for the simple fact that it's passive and alnico, and I never have to fuck with batteries for it. I went with an Invader in the bridge of my LTD Viper in favour of the HZ4. Invader is just a JB with even higher gain and ceramic instead of alnico. The cleans are really nice though.
I have a LTD Ec series with the sh-4 and sh-1, and it is the most versatile guitar i've ever came across, and if the question is metal, It sounds awesome for real, even in drop B tunings (for real). I Know the EMG is a great pickup, but I'm just in love with JB.
I prefer EMG because as high output as they are you can back off the gain on your amp a little and have that much more if you really feel like it. Also the JB sounded a little too trebley.
well when it comes to quality pickup it's useless to say "this is better than that". they're both very good and versatile, from this clip I must say I prefer a little the JB for clean sound and EMG for high gain, but I think you could get a great tone using any of the two.
i play both of these pickups in all 7 of the guitars i own. always close. but for the sound i like and the way i play (which is just not one certain heavy picking hand) i always feel better playing the jb. it seems to respond much better with volume control
It is SOO crazy to me, how EMG has become this Metal icone , although the active, more compressed output of these pickups really tend to favor more the clean and warm tones of a bluesy guitar style, imo. I'd have an EMG on neck for clean and any high quality passive on bridge for metal, any day of the week, instead the other way around.
I love the EMGs. clean they had a lot more bass and were fuller. the difference was harder to hear at gain and high gain. blindfolded I probably couldn't tell them apart with a lot of gain. the SD's had a bit more clarity for lead. I already have EMG's, so I'll stick with them, but yeah, for a new guitar, I could just flip a coin and be happy.
Very minute difference. The JB sounds slightly more "musical" and organic. I already have 2 different sets of EMGs in my Schecters but I want to replace the bridge PU in my Ibanez and was hoping to keep that guitar passive. Looks like the JB might be the one.
Good Vid demo. I wonder if anybody that commented already knows you can make passive pick up active? :) very simple mod you can do with a battery and if you rig it right then when the battery dies you can still play passive but that set up requires drilling a hole for a switch I call a toggle, like having a push pull pot but it's a different part you use that has many different little things to hook wires to and it has a flip switch for on off. I did one on a old guitar for a friend and when I get the cash I'll be adding one to my guitar. I have actives on one of my guitars with that kill switch as well to save the battery by making it disconnect the line to the hot wire which while gigging does a instant volume cut for you so you don't have to roll down you knob after palm muting. :)
Not as drastic of a difference as I was expecting. I'm sure there would also be a more "noticeable" difference depending on the guitar neck materials, construction (bolt on, set neck or neck thru) guitar wood, amp, speakers & cabinet. Diehard EMG fan, but if I got a nice BC Rich with an SD JB or SD SH-6, I wouldn't rip them out to put EMGs in. On the other hand, I have some good guitars with crappy pups in them & I'm leaning towards the SD SH-6. I'm sure the difference you hear "live" or more noticeable than from a recording.
I have recently been using both the jb and the 81, I find the jb to be the best all rounder. The 81 was ok when dialled back by half with a good crunchy, tight bottom end but way to brittle in its highs. The clean sound of the 81 was passable but not great.
There is a slight fuzz to the EMGs I don't like. On the other hand, the JB has a crispy sound every now and then I'm real digging. Though it's not as smooth and balanced as the EMG.
EMG seems better for a lead type thing...good for higher notes, dirty or clean. JB sounds deeper and more chunky with the lower notes (but seems dead when played clean), good in the dirty/gain...hmmm.....but then again when the notes are REAALLYY high,(from the audio anyway), i can't tell much of a difference.....tough choice... good audio ! Very Helpful! [im NOT an expert btw]
the 81 is overly compressed& mid scooped. the jb lacks bottom end &the highs are harsh. it really comes down to personal taste and what works best with your setup.!!cheers guys \m/
The dirty SD sounds more complex with more overtones than the EMG. The active sounds a bit cold and compressed but for cleans I actually liked it better, it had more bottom and mids and wasn't as trebly as the SD.
around 3 minutes in the Semour sounds a bit cleaner not as muddy. But the rest they all sound teh same for the most part I would take either one. I am trying to make up my mind between the whiet epiphone with gold cover semours 899 with case, the slash with 2 semour duncuncs green, and the ltd deluxe 1000. I am torn and its a fun hard choice. I am getting the mexican stratocaster because i had the same one when i started playing 30 years ago. SO thats a definite. The one that is hard is the white epi with emg;s, the slash green anaconda with semours and the LTD orange with semours or the shiney black with emgsl Its a tough tough choice fun choice but really hard. I think i am going to go with either the slash anaconda with semours or the ltd with emgs. That is the ltd deluxe 1000 shiny black with EMGs boy its a tough one. I don't play in a band but i got a new electric yahmaha piano a new fender mustang amp, and I got a 6 piece maple drum kit with double pedal and A custom cymbals. I can play them all. but like i said, since i dont play in a band, the guitars i get have to be 1000.00 and under for now. Or i would probebly get a prs. I will probebly get a prs in thenear future.
For clean I found the emg to have more clarity and the jb was a little messier, which is really a preference thing. With higher gain the jb had more highs I found, which isn't ideal for the tone, but the pick squeal was better. Personally I use neck position for lead, but I found the emg to be better there
Both pickups have its beauties ,none is better than other
Paulo Toledo It all boils back down to preference
Paulo Toledo Agree!
Got them both, EMG 81 on BC Rich Beast and SH-4 on Jackson RR3 Pro. Absolutely love them both :)
I'm thinking they would be a great match for a guitar duo in a band. Sometimes i preferred one, and sometimes the other. ^^
Now I've got the same plan - to get two guitars, one with 81 and the other with JB for a perfect combo!
They are both very great. The JB can definitely do metal. Having two guitars with either is a killer combo.
4:10 you can really hear the cutting edge clarity of the EMG where as the passive pickups sounds muddy and sloppy when playing the same high speed riff with high gain
Sure, That's cause why more metal guitarist use EMG81 85 for play thrash / death / black metal styles.
but on leads its a whole other store. emg's will sound sterile there and the duncans way warmer/ more lead like.
Exactly as i hear it. I bought a ltd 1000 with sd and regret it..wellwell
I have both. JB have a better voicing/eq for solos and riffs with mids and highs, while the 81 prevails on lower tone riffs. There is no such thing of this is better and that. They are both great choices, if you know what to expect...
JB definitely sounds fuller and has more mids and less fizz on top. I have EMGs in one of my guitars and compared to my other guitar, which has passive burstbuckers, it doesn't sound good to me anymore so I am thinking about changing them out for some passives.
Thanks for the Comparison. You're a pretty good player too :)
I think the EMG sounds a bit more compressed and the SD sound a bit more dynamic. Very good comparison by the way, thank you!
It's because EMG's are made for lot of bass settings, that's why they were use by Metallica or lot of trash metal band (trash metal is played with lot of bass).
It can be weird but I liked EMG's cleans and SD's distortions sound.
Unbeatable EMG 81 and Gibson 498T. Best bridge humbuckers for me. И тебя сюда занесло, Орхан)))) Это я, Guitars Luthier.
Хахаха) Как видишь да. Постоянно в поисках)))) The best humbuckers in bridge for me is DiMarzio Evo 2 and DiMarzio Evolution Bridge
It all depends what you set up the amp for.
It's not just you. I quite like the cleans on 81s, despite it being a go-to pickup for metal (sometimes). That's not to say it's not good distorted. If you're really keen into some genres of metal, the compression of the 81 helps to give some extra bite. But it's all up to taste, at the end of the day.
I'm a hardcore Seymour Duncan fanboy, and I gotta say I actually like the 81. Only reason I wouldn't pick it over the JB is because the JB is passive and never requires a goddamned battery, and I prefer alnico pickups.
Thanks for this demo man, Cover very well different metal styles perfectly. The JB is quite tight i'm surprised.
+seinthomas Thanks! Just a bunch of random riffs I was jammin at the time.
cleans sound better on the EMG but dirty, high gain and lead sounds way better on the Duncan. It sounds way clearer and has more dynamic range to it than the more compressed sounding EMG
How pickups/guitars sound comparison videos sould be!!!!
Seymour Duncan.
Vini Mattos - I have a JB/59 set in one of my guitars and I love the JB for its range. I'm possibly getting an EMG loaded LTD EC401 in a trade for another of my guitars and wanted to hear some EMG81/60 demos. I think I prefer the JB over the 81.
EMG 81 on clean: Muddy, but at the same time less edgy. A much warmer sound.
SD JB on clean: Bright, edgy, alive. A much sharper sound.
Winner: SD JB
EMG 81 on dirty: Refined. Extremely tight. Pure thrash.
SD JB on dirty: pouring over with power. Pure feeling. Pure umph.
Winner: SD JB
EMG 81 on High Gain: Square. Spine chillingly heavy. Reminds me of Thor's hammer.
SD JB on High Gain: Full circle. Its like being high... on gain.
Winner: EMG 81
EMG 81 on Lead: Less organic but much more cleaner sound (no picking sound)
SD JB on Lead: You can hear every pick. You can feel every note.
Winner: SD JB
So I would say, if you're the rhythm guitarist, get yourself an EMG 81. But if you want to destroy and melt faces with your solos, get the SD JB.
For recording the EMG is probably better.
For recording, passives are better
I don't think so. Listen to Judas Priest Metallica they use EMG for recording and they have an awesome sound
meh sometimes actives work better than passives too, but i still prefer duncans if i would buy an active
GamerDudester okay, but what kind oF potensiometer whood. U gotta mig like to have :250k or 500k.?
I felt more attack and punch on the EMG 81 soloing.
This demo has been very helpful as I am planning on replacing the JB that’s in my Jackson with an EMG 81. I heard exactly the pickup that I am looking for! I’m even surprised by the sound on the clean channel. I thought a passive pickup would sound better clean but I like the 81 more.
+Francois Breton Thanks man, I'm glad it helped!
my opinion on both pickups aside, this must be the best comparison i've found so far. thoroughly focussing on the tone in different playing scenarios.
It's a;ll about clarity and the JB wins. EQ and gain structure in your amp and pedals can do most everything else but if your source sound lacks clarity your basically screwed.
It all depends on the tone you want, different guitars handle different pickups differently, different players make different sounds with each. Neither is "better" they're just different.
FORD is better than CHEVY, dangit !! ;-)
The JB is better.
I prefer the emg clean for sure, but the duncan for dirty.
agreed!!! ..SD for dirt!!! EMG for Clean
True!
Agree
Duncan JB winner in both clean and distorted. Great shootout and it definitely made of up my mind to get the Duncan JB/59 in both my Epi's......an Epi 335 and an Epi 400 SG. Thank you for making this video!!!!
This is troll proof great demonstration.
Thanks ;)
Both pickups have it's own charm. But the beauty about passive pick ups is the Dynamics. You can pick gently and get a cleaner sound and pick harder to get more aggressive tone. You can roll down the volume knob and get a nice clean tone even from a dirty dirty/overdrive channel.
I play SD Sh-2 and sh-4 on my Epiphone sg. I like the sound, the high output on the Sh-4 it's simply awesome and clear
Can't always go by these pick-up shootouts because the main thing most uploaders fail to do, or at least mention, is making sure the pickup heights are not only identical but also the same as before removing and after replacing..SDs are greatly affected by this. In my usa jackson, I can raise the bridge pu (JB) about a millimeter or two and it changes the bottom end on cleans a lot more than I would have ever thought. Emg 81s sound almost the same whether practically touching the strings or 3/4 of an inch away, just more or less sustain, as with any pickup. I actually tested the SD-JB before posting and just a couple screw turns on each side lowering it really made my cleans thinner and harsher..moved back closer and they became noticeably warmer. This alder body is super resonate so not other guitars may not experience this amount of sensitivity from a couple of turns, but a quarter inch up or down adjustment of a SD-JB in any guitar will cause a clear and noticeable difference especially at volumes loud enough to where you don't hear your actual strings ringing from the guitar. Haven't recorded direct with them but I'm sure it corresponds that way as well.
The EMG sounds better clean, hands down. The SM sounds a bit too bright, and somewhat "flat" when clean, but when driven trough any level of distortion this seems to help it for my ear, making it sound better overall distorted. SM seems to have a bit more clarity and distinction between notes when distorted.
Got 2 81s yesterday for 100$ :)
Also have been using the jb for about 10 years now most reliable pickup I've ever used alnico v magnets in them so it handles high gain perfectly
awesome shoot out by the way.
Thanks!
For metal the EMGs take the edge with their really tight attack and accurate lows. The JBs sound a little spongy in comparison which means they lose some definition in the fast palm mutes.
However, I do think the JBs have more "character" in their frequency response which gives them the edge in the clean passages. The EMGs sound like their entire frequency range is at the same level whereas the JBs have a really nice upper mids spike.
So for me, from clean up to classic rock, JBs take the edge, but from then on to metal it's got to be the EMGs.
So Gojira is classic Rock?
EMG81 is so compressed and one-trick-pony that prevented me from evolving as a player (while I owned only 1 guitar 12 years ago). The moment I got my second guitar, the world of organic, uncompressed and mellow sound was back in my ears and I realised what I had been missing. EMG81 is an excellent pickup that can do one thing only. It also makes every guitar sound the same so if you're buying it, put it on a cheap guitar, no need to waste space on your beloved Charvel/Caparison etc
both very good, i think the JB lacks bottom end
Both sounded good on my side. The EMG is a bit muddy for my taste. But SD JB sounds more organic even on hi-gain. I would prefer to the SDs because of the versatility of the passives, that you can change the tone just by using the volume on a guitar. Nice demo by the way.
I have heard many words to describe the EMG 81 but "Muddy" was never one of them! Middy? then yeah!
Don't know what you think "Muddy" means but the 81 is not Muddy at all! and no i do not
favor the EMG's. I use the Duncan's am not a fan of active pu's.
I think the EMG is more balanced while in the JB, the higher frequencies are more noticeable. But both are great pickups! I Use a JB paired with a 59 and love em, but also love my EMG 81 & 85 on my LTD.
to me, the EMG sounded like it had a fuller clean tone and more of a crunch in the distorted tone; like it was just more defined
I like the EMG 81 I think it sounds amazing also it *feels* better than the JB
Love the high gain EMG, everything else JB.
I've both they are XLNT choices! By this mirroring almost identical.
You can tweak dial in whatever your efx to get a little more of this or dial back.
(Emg81/ 85 DiMarzio SD's TB4 498T 500T TB6 DD)
JB is a little thinner on cleans but more articulate with higher notes. Dirty the JB can be tweaked to sound just as thick and full as the EMG. Someone already ripped the EMGs out of my LTD EC1000 for Blackouts. I gutted the bridge for a JB and kept the Blackout in the neck. Good sounding combination. Organic sounding distortion with a lot of attack and a not too tight low end and strong thick cleans.
Emg have a better Sound for me! But sd are Nice too! A stay with emg! Thanks for this vidéo!
I really noticed the most difference clean, and oddly in favor of the EMG for me. It had a certain tight smoothness...
to me JB sounds a little bit too cripy in the clean sounds so I'd prefer in that case the 81, but in hi gain, the JB has that extra presence that is cool for definition… so there's never a clear winner but the thing of not having batteries makes me pick JB here :P
Thing about EMG's: they provide more compression to get something like a processed studio sound right at input. But feel-wise, passive pickups are likely better.
I really like how active pickups even out the dynamics for clean guitar.
i never give to much attention to JB. Because it's a very hot pickup and used by so many guitar. This comparison shows there is similarity between 81 and JB. I like 81. Maybe I will like JB if I try one.
I like both. I like to record with both and blend them in the mix.
In my humble opinion....granted I work in a very noisy environment, so my ears may not hear the same, but it appeared that the emgs on the clean side were a bit louder, but had a slight break-up, so I liked the Duncan jbs for clean (with a boost they would smoke the emg, since emg has a 9 volt battery to boost it I would say its only fair to boost the jb) for gain, I love the sledgehammer lows and mids on the emg. I use a Duncan invader for high gain rhythms and love them, but that's just my preference. great demo, thank you
The emg 81 sounds better than the jb. I like the darker sound compared to the lighter sound on higher octaves and on the chugging I felt their was barely a difference. Both sounded very nice, perhaps for different moods.
EMG's all the way. Ironically, I find their clean tone outshines the SD the most. I think the SD had a slight edge on their distorted lead tone, but not nearly enough to make up for the other comparisons in sound.
I've had both, but the JB it's my go-to.
EMG: More definition, better palm mutes and works great on low tunings. Plus they're dead silent.
JB: Great rock sounding pickup, more upper mids and it's perfect for lead work. I think the JB cuts better through the mix though.
Thanks for this comparison video.
Plus all the licks and phrases u have made sound really nice and apt.
+BeeElectric Thanks! It's just a bunch of random stuff I was jammin on at the time
To me, the EMG just has a primal sound, really hard to beat. Love the JB for other types of tones though.
The EMGs sounded really nice clean, and dirty, I would use the EMGs for rhythm, and the SH-4 for lead.
Great presentation did a good job in comparing
The difference are very subtle, though EMG has a bit more punch being an active pickup while the SD-JB being passive. I have the 81 on one of my guitars so I knew how it would sound but was surprised how the JB performed. Looking to upgrade an older guitar and the JB might fit the bill. Better price and will be easier to install.
Started watching for the pup comparison. Finished watching because awesome video game-sounding diddies.
+ch0g0nda1 Thanks!
I have hed 3 guitars with EMG's and have a JMT USA strat with 3 Seymour Duncans......but in my opinion Dimarzio's kik their AZZ...had a few strats with Dimarzio's still got one.....so I could pick up a guitar loaded with EMG's ,change to one with SD'S..then play the one with DIMARZIO'S.......had Fenders with Hot texas pups and standard Fender pups.....but I am a Dimarzio fan now......I wont comment on the demo as I thought the clean sounded bell like not great to listen to,and the dirty sounded as it should.......thanx for reading...cheers from Sydney Australia.......
Yeah 6505's aren't the best for clean tones. I had more of the dirty recordings but I scrapped them to keep the video from being too long, I figured people would be more interested in the high gain sounds.
thnks for your effort to post the demo...good viewing cheers
***** Using a 412 recto cab, they come with v30's. They are great speakers.
Excellent Comparison, nicely done, Thank you.👍👍👍.
Melbourne, Australia.
Got both and both are great. They each have their strengths and works great for different things. EMG 81/85 AND JB/Jazz FTW!
BTW, I use more JBs (6) than 81s (2, if ye include the 81TWX) mostly cuz the JBs are cheaper, more readily available and easier/cheaper to install (actives requires a suite of supporting electronics installed: pots, bus, batteries, etc.).
Blindfolded people would be hard pressed to find the difference.
I play metal and I've been using EMG 81s in my 2 Ibanez's forever never even trying anything else. Just started looking into a Parker PDF100 that comes with the SD's. This video actually helped me out a lot. As much as I love the EMG's I didn't notice too much of a difference in the distortions. Yes, there are some, EMG's definitely more gain, but I think I liked the SD's a little more. The dilemma in my head continues, haha.
That's awesome! When I made this video I didn't expect it to be very helpful to anybody, so its really cool to hear it helped you out!
The difference between them isn't very drastic, just different flavors of tone. To add to your dilemma, you should checkout the Dimarzio Crunch lab and Bareknuckle Juggernauts too.
Great comparison! I like JB better here, it has more detailed sound. 81 is kind of too tight for my taste, but i like the clarity of EMG's. SD's are more percussive sounding pickups. My favorite is an generally disliked pickup- a HZ H3 pasive.
I like both the EMG 81 & Duncan JB Both. 2 great pickups & both sound Great.
These are my two favorite pickups, with the Het set a close third. I keep going back to the EMG and JB.
Both are excellent and yet very different. I guess if it were me personally, I'd get the Duncan. EMG 81 is amazing though.. Great options
EMG 81 - high gain - 3:26
SD JB - high gain - 3:35
3:02 81 dirty
3:13 jb
JB...Used to be an EMG guy. So glad I started playing quality Passives again. EMGs have the most sterile and lifeless feel to them.
Same here dude, I used EMG's since I was thirteen and decided to throw some Black Winter's from SD in my ESP and haven't looked back since!
Yep same here. Used to do either 81/85 or 81/89 in every guitar. Even my Gibson LP Standard. Since then I’ve read up on passive pickups-different magnets, wire size, DCR etc and tried the Duncan JB and Dimarzio Super Distortions (among others). I’ll never go back. Sometimes old technology just has good sonic properties that can’t be beat. At least to my hands and ears.
Brandon Bryson 18v EMGs all day. 808, 85, 66. I don't use 81 tho
I think the 81 sits very well in the mix, for it has a very thin sound, and it's so called sterile character contributes for it not sounding muddy with ease and interacting more with the amplifiers tone. On the other hand, if you use digital amps, i think they can sound too sterile at times, and then that would suck.
Impulse-bought an ESP Eclipse with an 81/60 set. Hoping to salvage it with JB/59 or something.
Both sound great. I would go for the SD JB since I'm really looking for a hard rock, near metal sounding pickup, while at the same time having the ability to play some blues. If I were playing only metal, then EMGs all the way. But since I'm not, I would go for the SD JB.
I think both perform equally well at blues or metal. The JB is passive but its still a high output pickup. Changing the eq and gain on your amp will have a more drastic effect than switching between these two pickups IMO.
Being a SD fan I gotta say 81's cleans are ktulus!
After reading many comments below and watching this video, both pickups are good, just different for different taste. A lot of people like EMG and alot of other people like JB. And that does not make it easier for me since im about to buy a new guitar and dont know 100% if i should get emgs or jb pickups. For my music maybe the emgs are more suitable in this case, but i like both.
I think the JB army is larger and stronger.
Clean: EMG Dirty: JB
Do keep in mind you're comparing a JB/Passive to an 81/Active. My biased toward Seymour Duncan makes me wanna choose it automatically, but the 81s cleans I must admit are good. All around, the EMG is surprisingly crisp, but I still choose the JB just for the simple fact that it's passive and alnico, and I never have to fuck with batteries for it. I went with an Invader in the bridge of my LTD Viper in favour of the HZ4. Invader is just a JB with even higher gain and ceramic instead of alnico. The cleans are really nice though.
totally unespected.. at clean the JB sounds much more thin and distorted than the EMG....
I have a LTD Ec series with the sh-4 and sh-1, and it is the most versatile guitar i've ever came across, and if the question is metal, It sounds awesome for real, even in drop B tunings (for real). I Know the EMG is a great pickup, but I'm just in love with JB.
JB for dynamic tones, EMG for in the face imo.
Nothing but the JB!!!
liked jb for rythm, and emg for leads
Im thinking about active pickups 81 60, or the Het set, right now i have the JB in bridge, jazz in neck on a Schecter c1 classic.
I prefer EMG because as high output as they are you can back off the gain on your amp a little and have that much more if you really feel like it. Also the JB sounded a little too trebley.
EMG has more definition and clarity.
...and no low end
@@fidodido664 😅😅😅😅
well when it comes to quality pickup it's useless to say "this is better than that".
they're both very good and versatile, from this clip I must say I prefer a little the JB for clean sound and EMG for high gain, but I think you could get a great tone using any of the two.
SD JB for the win (batteries not required)
Thanks for this comparison.
+Dissent WI You're welcome! Hope it helped!
Beautiful review straight to the point.
Thanks!
i play both of these pickups in all 7 of the guitars i own. always close. but for the sound i like and the way i play (which is just not one certain heavy picking hand) i always feel better playing the jb. it seems to respond much better with volume control
JB all day long
Have one in my promod Charvel and it rips like no other
It is SOO crazy to me, how EMG has become this Metal icone , although the active, more compressed output of these pickups really tend to favor more the clean and warm tones of a bluesy guitar style, imo. I'd have an EMG on neck for clean and any high quality passive on bridge for metal, any day of the week, instead the other way around.
I love the EMGs. clean they had a lot more bass and were fuller. the difference was harder to hear at gain and high gain. blindfolded I probably couldn't tell them apart with a lot of gain. the SD's had a bit more clarity for lead. I already have EMG's, so I'll stick with them, but yeah, for a new guitar, I could just flip a coin and be happy.
Very minute difference. The JB sounds slightly more "musical" and organic. I already have 2 different sets of EMGs in my Schecters but I want to replace the bridge PU in my Ibanez and was hoping to keep that guitar passive. Looks like the JB might be the one.
I've tried both... And I prefer the Seymour Duncan, but I think that's just a question of taste! EMG are good PU.
JB overall tho I loved 81's cleans :)
Good Vid demo. I wonder if anybody that commented already knows you can make passive pick up active? :) very simple mod you can do with a battery and if you rig it right then when the battery dies you can still play passive but that set up requires drilling a hole for a switch I call a toggle, like having a push pull pot but it's a different part you use that has many different little things to hook wires to and it has a flip switch for on off. I did one on a old guitar for a friend and when I get the cash I'll be adding one to my guitar. I have actives on one of my guitars with that kill switch as well to save the battery by making it disconnect the line to the hot wire which while gigging does a instant volume cut for you so you don't have to roll down you knob after palm muting. :)
Not as drastic of a difference as I was expecting. I'm sure there would also be a more "noticeable" difference depending on the guitar neck materials, construction (bolt on, set neck or neck thru) guitar wood, amp, speakers & cabinet. Diehard EMG fan, but if I got a nice BC Rich with an SD JB or SD SH-6, I wouldn't rip them out to put EMGs in. On the other hand, I have some good guitars with crappy pups in them & I'm leaning towards the SD SH-6. I'm sure the difference you hear "live" or more noticeable than from a recording.
I have recently been using both the jb and the 81, I find the jb to be the best all rounder. The 81 was ok when dialled back by half with a good crunchy, tight bottom end but way to brittle in its highs. The clean sound of the 81 was passable but not great.
I think that i'm going for the SD JB since they sound nearly the same for me but the sd are 60 euros cheaper :) thx for the compairison
you'll also save on batteries!
There is a slight fuzz to the EMGs I don't like. On the other hand, the JB has a crispy sound every now and then I'm real digging. Though it's not as smooth and balanced as the EMG.
EMG seems better for a lead type thing...good for higher notes, dirty or clean. JB sounds deeper and more chunky with the lower notes (but seems dead when played clean), good in the dirty/gain...hmmm.....but then again when the notes are REAALLYY high,(from the audio anyway), i can't tell much of a difference.....tough choice... good audio ! Very Helpful! [im NOT an expert btw]
Azam HuQ Thanks!
the 81 is overly compressed& mid scooped. the jb lacks bottom end &the highs are harsh. it really comes down to personal taste and what works best with your setup.!!cheers guys \m/
Huh? The 81 is known for it's cutting midrange, that's what gives it it's trademark tightness
Amazing play!
Thanks buddy!
The emgs sound more fuller to me than the jobs. Emg has always been my favorite
The dirty SD sounds more complex with more overtones than the EMG. The active sounds a bit cold and compressed but for cleans I actually liked it better, it had more bottom and mids and wasn't as trebly as the SD.
Both sound almost exactly the same to me. But since the Seymour Duncan's don't require a battery, I would say that they are more efficient, though.
around 3 minutes in the Semour sounds a bit cleaner not as muddy. But the rest they all sound teh same for the most part I would take either one. I am trying to make up my mind between the whiet epiphone with gold cover semours 899 with case, the slash with 2 semour duncuncs green, and the ltd deluxe 1000. I am torn and its a fun hard choice. I am getting the mexican stratocaster because i had the same one when i started playing 30 years ago. SO thats a definite. The one that is hard is the white epi with emg;s, the slash green anaconda with semours and the LTD orange with semours or the shiney black with emgsl Its a tough tough choice fun choice but really hard. I think i am going to go with either the slash anaconda with semours or the ltd with emgs. That is the ltd deluxe 1000 shiny black with EMGs boy its a tough one. I don't play in a band but i got a new electric yahmaha piano a new fender mustang amp, and I got a 6 piece maple drum kit with double pedal and A custom cymbals. I can play them all. but like i said, since i dont play in a band, the guitars i get have to be 1000.00 and under for now. Or i would probebly get a prs. I will probebly get a prs in thenear future.
Those all sound like good choices
I come here regularly just for the music. :)
Thanks man! I've got more stuff on the way. Most of these riffs belong to almost complete songs I'm working on. I Should have something new next week.
Sean M
Awesome! Can't wait to hear the finished songs.
For clean I found the emg to have more clarity and the jb was a little messier, which is really a preference thing. With higher gain the jb had more highs I found, which isn't ideal for the tone, but the pick squeal was better. Personally I use neck position for lead, but I found the emg to be better there