fc89konkari

Depends. Try to play them both or listen to clips. BKP's are really organic. I've seriously considered them to replace my 81/81 setup. That being said I've been capable of playing anything with the EMG's, other than just metal. The downside is that I've just been creaming over the bridge single coil sound of Biffy Clyro that's impossible to get with those. I'd think that BKPs with coil splits could give me the versatility that I want.

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Andrew/WK

So would the Zakk Wylde set fit in my Epiphone Explorer?

Andrew/WK

bump

Tom 1.0

Yes.

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MrFlibble

I really wish people would stop throwing out brand names as if every product made by that brand must share any qualities.

The right answer has already been given—EMG 81 and 60, and yes the ZW set will fit so long as you keep the wiring tidy, but there's really no point as the ZW set is just a more expensive way of getting the same pickups, and the 60 will probably serve you better in that guitar than the 85 in that set would—but please, everyone, in future with things like this, talk about actual pickup models, not brands. The brand name attached to a product does not define what it sounds like.

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Offworld92

+1



+1. I say this a lot as well. It's not 1969 anymore - brands don't just make one product.


IMO:

EMGs, DiMarzios and Seymour Duncans all get 95% of the way there. I've owned a BKP and have heard most of them. And they absolutely do not sonically justify an extra $100-200 per set.

Don't get me wrong, they're good. ...But so are SDs, EMGs and DMs. And even some GFS. BKP is IMO kind of a name you throw around, everyone says they're so good, but I can't help but feel like there's a bit of cost justification going on there.



As for my suggestion, I say go for a regular 81/85 if you're playing Thrash. A 60 will work in the neck as well, especially if you want some good clean tones, but if you use the neck for dirty leads the 85 would be better IMO.

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danvwman

I was wanting EMGs for a long time and when I eventually got them I was actually a little disappointed.

Don't get me wrong,they aint bad but they just seem to "top out" in output and seemed squashed tonaly when that happens. Maybe the X series or 18 volt mods sound better.

EMGs you need to find space for the battery, new pots, and you cant coil tap or do series/parallel tricks with them.

I took out the EMGs in my new guitar and put in a Holy Diver set. To me it sounds much better and the BKP have better string articulation sound fuller and have better output. They don't "top out". I think if you are using a lot of distortion or a solid state amp you wont really hear as much of a difference.

But if you are doing just straight up metal/heavysht with that guitar a 81/60 set would be good. The EMG guitar I have is strictly used for Slayer/downtuned style, works for that quite well

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MrFlibble

^Er, active pickups inherently hit an amp far harder than scatterwound passives can. If anything their problem isn't that their output can't expand past a particular point, it's that it starts off too high in the first place.
Also, EMG make the 81TW, 89 and 89R which all work with push-pull, push-push or on-on switches to switch between single coil and humbucker tones (of course, being active, even the single coil tone is hum-cancelling, but you know what I mean). EMG also make various other controls to do all manner of EQ shaping, phase switching and anything else you can mention. Seymour Duncan's active Blackout pickups also come with two different modes of output/tone that can be chosen with a push-pull or other 2-way switch.

Also, with a solid state amp you can certainly still hear a difference in output. It's just a different kind of reaction than with valve amps. It's like comparing a rear-wheel drive car to front-wheel drive; both turn a corner when you move the steering wheel, they just get there by a slightly different method. I still don't usually advise people use active pickups with transistor distortion simply because it's such a flat and even response that most people end up unhappy with, but to say you wouldn't notice the difference between a scatterwound passive pickup and an active one is ludicrous.

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danvwman

I forgot about those other emgs, regardless , I feel passives sound better than actives , the effort in installing a set of emgs to me at least , is a waste of time

And if I remember I am going to measure ma output of my pups tomoorrow. I know it sounds like my BKP and my Dimarzio spank my amp harder than the emgs I have. IDK maybe my battery is at 50% and tricking me.

Your last paragraph goes against what you guys say when somebody asks if they should upgrade their pups in a cheap guitar when they have a ss amp. So now your saying you CAN hear a difference with different pus on a ss amp and other threads you advise people to save and get a better amp.......which one is it????? You guys seem very bipolar in your suggestions sometimes

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TheRiffGod

My suggestion to you, as i say to everyone, is to run EMG 81/85/60 pickups at 18v, as opposed to 9v. i have this one both of my guitars (thanks MrFlibble) and the sound is epic. the headroom that you get is so good. the main variations i find are considerably better clarity and note definition, better dynamic response and such nice fluid sustain. and they sound much more natural through a SS than the 9v mode ones, let alone boosting them into some valves.... it is a very simple mod, and you can find instructions on google easily enough. try using just 3 battery headers first, so you can easliy plug in either 9v or 18v, and compare them properly. using the battery headers make the mod 100% reversible, as you arent touching the guitar's internal wiring at all.

the mod can save a LOT of money, because you get what is effectively a 'new' pickup, but costing only £3 in materials, and a couple of minutes time.

i would say that you should look into it and give it a shot before you look into splashing out on some new pickups.

i really cant recommend it enough ( i hope i got that across :P )

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