Just bought a set of the EMG 81/85's for my 2020 LP.

[Mightyquick38]

I bought this LP on a whim back in April of 2022. It was the first one I found here in the Albany area. I've been a player since I was 12 and have had many guitars over the years. I've since read that a lot of guys try playing dozens or more of LP to see which ones meet their requirements of playability, tone, sustain, etc since one gets the impressions that the quality of LP varies widely. I love the solid sustain of the chords when I play Rythm thru my Blackstar HT5R amp but find it's a little lacking on my lead runs. I had Guitar Center install a Lollar Bridge pickup (replacing the Zebra ) and while it seems a little better, I still doesn't seem like it's that pleasing to my ear. I've been reading about the active EMG 81/85's and so I ordered a set and they arrived today. Looking forward to see how they sound.

 

[Mightyquick38]

Ha... Good thing I rewatched the install video on these pickups before I tore it down. I didn't notice the prior time I watched it but it said you can't reuse the stock LP knobs on the supplied new EMG Volume/Tone pots. The guy in the video ordered some EMG knobs. Ordering mine now.

 

[Zungle]

I have a 2010 50's Tribute with P85/60 set in it.....stock knobs work perfect with EMG pots....

The issue is in the shaft length of the pots.....I used long shaft pots....no issues.....

I also have a P81 used it a lot ...but prefer P85 in the bridge....more versatile...smoother and thicker lead tones....

EMG60's are great in neck on any LP .....pretty my favorite along with Gibson 496R

 

[Zungle]

If you're looking for a little extra something on leads you may want to add a TS9 (or something similar) to your signal chain....

Also as I posted, I feel like the EMG 85's are superior to the 81 in the bridge for smooth sustain .......

You can easily check it out with the quick connects making swap out painless...

 

[Mightyquick38]

Thanks for the input. I did pull off my LP knobs and try to push them onto the EMG pots but as the Youtuber indicated, they wouldn't fit. Perhaps it's dependent upon the year of the LP?

As far as the TS9, etc, I did try that. I bought the Tube Screamer, a B&B preamp, a Blue Note over drive and tried all them . I still couldn't get what I was looking for. I just bought an EVH 5150 Pedal and I like it so far but still looking for that sweet spot. Long ago, I built some Warmoth guitar bodies, some reverse headstock necks and put in active Bartolini pickups years ago. I *REALLY* liked the Bartolinis a lot and played with those setups for years on my gigs. Fast forwarding to today, I liked that this EMG setup was both Active and seemed to include everything in the box.

 

[searswashere]

The pickups will be fun but theres a good chance its the small amp fyi.

 

[Mightyquick38]

The pickups will be fun but theres a good chance its the small amp fyi.

I'm somewhat afraid that it's that. I love the Blackstar's. I bought a HTClub 40 back in 2015 or so when I was still playing in a band. I'd been using the Line6 Spider Jam up to that point and a Mesa Lonestar(still have both of them) and I really like the Blackstar HT40's great rhythm sound, just like the HT5Rs. Great 'tube' voice as is, but couldn't get the long effortless singing sustain on leads like the Line6 in 'Slipnot' model. Then when I stopped playing in the band, I 'downsized' to the HT5R by trading in the HTClub 40(plus a little cash). I've had two '76 50watt Full Marshalls stacks back in the day. I can't tell you how many times either neighbors, apt managers or cops came by to tell me to quiet down, even though the stacks were on like 1/2 of position 1. Now I have a home and it's easier to get away with some volume but I sold one of the stacks back in 2010 and the other is at a friends house in Houston TX(I'm in upstate NY now). I just play for fun these days(about an hour or two per day) watching Youtubes, Ben Eller, Cameron Cooper, David Brewster and others to learn stuff, keep it interesting. It has been fascinating (Humbling?) to discover how many songs I played back in the day , I was playing incorrectly. I've noticed some references to the Marshall Combo Amp "Marshall JCM 800 4104 50W 2x12 Combo" and the artist that was using it sounded fantastic. But, when I went to see a review of that amp, the first guy that popped up sounded freaking awful. If I were Marshall, I'd ask him to take it down. Lol.

 

[ArchEtech]

I have 3 guitars with the. So I’m a fan.

The 81/85 combo is a standard and not just fit metal. Getting a full wiring kit with the pickups is the way to go, and I’m assuming you did.

The 85/85 combo it good two. Since they have quick disconnects, I try different configurations. For chugging, the 85 is a little smoother than the 81 but doesn’t cut through the same way.

I have a 60 in my esp eclipse, and I put a single coil (in a humbucker sized) into my LPC. The single in the neck sounds sort of like a p90 with no noise, and has s perfect guns and roses sweat child intro sound.

I also have a Steve Luke loaded pick guard in one of my strats and it screams. Their single coils are very under appreciated as are their passive line.