EMG 57 vs EMG 81 - Active Bridge Pickup Guitar Tone Comparison / Review

Distorted and clean rhythm comparison between EMG 57 and EMG 81 on the bridge position. Settings are the following:
GUITAR
Model: Custom strat (alder body with canadian maple neck)
Tuning: Eь / D#
Strings: D'Addario EXL140 (010-052 gauge)
AMP
Distortion: Peavey 5150 profile (Kemper Profiling Amp)
Clean: EVH 5150 III profile (Kemper Profiling Amp)
RECORDING TECHNIQUE:
- One centered mono track per pickup (this differs from previous comparison videos, which had two tracks in stereo).
- Same config and EQ for both.
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#pickups #comparison #guitar

[@bucketfeet6570]

Emg's have so many pickups I just wished they had some frequency comparison charts like other makers

[@pavelm9078]

I need these charts too!

[@blahinator9370]

The 57 seems to be the to go PU for more modern tasks at least to my ears. I'm listening to this Demo via studio monitors with a perfectly flattened frequency curve. The 81 is definitely a little bit more precise than the 57 but the 57 has a tendency to sound smoother without the disturbing frequencies that you are always struggling with when you want to dial in the perfect guitar tone with a Kemper or a plugin. Using tube amps this would probably not make such a difference but with more direct signals it definitely does. So in my opinion for the Kemper Profiler the 57 might be the smarter choice without spending a huge amount of money on the Fishman Fluence which tends to go in a similar direction. What does the community think about my opinion? :)

[@JRs-guitars]

Fishmans were a huge let down for me. My New Jackson has them and they're ok for clean up to medium gain, for high gain... definitely go with EMGs or Blackouts.

[@sixshooter7201]

You listening with your ears that have absolutely nonlinear frequency curve, besides your brain using stripe eq equivalent to perform transition from ear to brain, so you cam kiss your lovely monitors and think whatever you want)

[@klap00]

I like hig output version fishman moderns more than the 81/85 combo or sd sets

[@genghisghost]

you’re totally off. fishmans are on the other end of the spectrum. they sound like single coils. they’re nowhere as fat and as warm as the EMG 81 let alone 57

[@rmTheWalrus]

I think I get what you’re saying (at least for one aspect). ultimately, if you were recording and want to have more flexibility to settle something in a mix, the 57 might make your life easier. (Listening to these side by side in isolation, I can see how that might be the case…. But if I were jamming by myself, I would probably want to be playing through the 81s)

[@cyril_jq]

3:17 for 81 the low notes sound great among the higher notes, for 57 the low freq is mostly lost

[@oreobiscuit7143]

EMGs look so fucking sick on ESP LTDs

[@robermoeryra7038]

I prefer the 57 because sounds less compressed and more natural and warm, like a passive pickup with the power of an active

[@slm5207]

The 57 sounds better for a bed room amp with no bass player present. The 81 would cut through the mix better in a live situation.

[@erikxander5299]

After seeing Ritchie Faulkner field the 57s with Judas Priest. I will say you are incorrect, but thats okay tho. After studying what he uses, his tone is heavily influenced by the note separation and tighter response of the 57. Its also very robust. Each have their own uses I suppose.

[@sebastien7829]

I tried both. The 57 is more versatile and sounds like a passive pickup. I prefer the 57.

[@aleksistenbacka5925]

But why don't buy passive if the criteria is to sound passive...?

[@paistefever]

@@aleksistenbacka5925 too much extra noise when playing with overdrive or distortion

[@HearGear]

The EMG 81 has a fuller sound when it comes to hardrock or metal, the EMG 57 is better for clean or rock tones, both sounds amazing and I have the EMG 57 in one of my Gibson Les Paul´s,

[@armandomorenotherevival7827]

Sounds like 81 more compressed and more sizzly

[@Lenser]

Everyone skips to 03:05 :)

[@sqlb3rn]

I like the 81 better for high gain rhythms and the 57 for cleans. The 81 just has more gain and compression or something. I have the 57/66 pair in my Schecter Ravendark, and 81/85 in my LTD MH-350FR. I keep switching back and forth between which one is my favorite. I also had the snow white Jackson SLATH with maple fretboard and fixed bridge in 81/85 and it sounded pretty different from my LTD... the fixed bridge Jackson sounded a little fuller and more open than the LTD with Floyd Rose, which is actually not my preference. Jackson sounded somewhere between the LTD and the Ravendark with 57/66 set. Probably the pickup heights weren't exactly the same either.

[@AudioBoi1]

well, for metal 57 is good, but 81 beats it. But 81 looses in clean tones

[@paullalremruat14603]

I agreed

[@AvengingEnder]

57 for cleans or vintage, 81 for modern metal...but probably wouldn't notice in a full mix. 81 sounded especially better to me with the high notes at 4:37. Thanks man, this helped me decide on the 81, as I already have a vintage style humbucker guitar.

[@irvan36mm]

The high-mid frequencies are different between the two pickups. The 81’s high-mid frequency is higher than the 57.

[@isMike999]

I have so many guitars with the 81 in them I'd figure a try on the 57 66 set...

[@axatheoriginalbiitch]

57 has more mids, 81 has a scooped sound with more presence on high frequencies but sounds thin compared to the 57

[@italoresende942]

Exactly my opinion, and I have guitars with same specs (woods and everything) with both 57 AND 61 on the bridge

[@Highrollinhunter]

I like the EMG 81 because it screams Thrash Metal.

[@kazaakas]

Starting to understand why companies are shipping more and more guitars with 57/66 these days. ESP comes to mind. 81 sounds very boxy and shrill to me. Obviously that can be desirable depending on the setup and desires of the player, but 57 sounds better in all aspects to me.

[@woochyna]

Funny thing is that ESP literally threw out EMGs from all of this year's models in favor of Fishmans. I myself got me an EC and immediately swapped it's modern set for a 57/66 set as I couldn't stand the shrill you associate with EMG that I think is more pronounced with the Fishmans (Fishmen???) :D

[@mikeruppe]

I did the same thing though I swapped the fishman in my ec for Emg 81/60

[@attilatoth1051]

It's clear, that 57 is better in every aspects. More dynamics, more attack, more transient, more details, full range of freq's with no holes or boosts. Straight and lively. Absolutely love it! Candy to my ears! The Old King is died, long live the New King!

[@JasonsDigitalStuff]

The 81 sounds more sterile to me vs the 57. The 57 sounds a little warmer and a bit more "natural" by comparison

[@mikelai9897]

I still like the old school 81 man. It’s just gives me so much vibe when it comes to metal

[@4dmind]

The lows are tighter on the 81. But I guarantee that the 57 records better on a dry track - less low mid content. The 81 might be the better choice for live. I played EMG's for years and I'm about to try some EMG passives.

[@eaglex5723]

57 for lead and 81 for riff imo

[@williamtael8379]

57 sounds more full and cleaner. I like it.

[@Wargasm644]

With a decent EQ you can make one sound like the other. A wash. Both good

[@servodav6410]

As an owner of both, I will say EMG 57 is the overall better pickup. But I do love them both.

[@mikestamper]

A great choice!! :)

[@thenewbikers]

57 sound more articulate, but unfortunately noticeably brighter, to my ears. The 81 sounds warmer and thicker which, in my opinion, is a little muddier. That being said, they're both absolutely quality choices in the vast sea of pickup options.

[@rickyb9119]

In terms of high gain, the 57 completely blows the 81 out of the water in terms of clarity. The 81 has much more fizz and much less string separation but does have that more 'in your face' thing going on.

[@bradcofield7848]

57 is touch more dynamic on the clean tones. The comparison is tighter on the high gain where the 81 really shines but the 57 is also awesome.

[@bigchocolate8547]

Emg81 still the best 👌🏿

[@silverdragon0000120]

Imaoo I bought fake Chinese replicas of the EMG 81 and they sound the same! I paid 20USD for them with free shipping, they even came with a battery! :D I say just buy a Chinese copy, they're probably made there anyways lol

[@Francisco17Berrios]

Where xd

[@saskyMac]

Gotta say Mike, I’ve listened to countless comparisons you’ve done and I still love your riffs. You are a talented, multidimensional musician and your contributions helped me decide on a guitar last year. Cheers!

[@invincible581]

57 sound light and clear but 81 has much tighter punch. I think I should go for 81...Both great

[@sorinkrithuk1080]

Both sound very similar, great pickups

[@k5reued]

81 Pickup + Alnico Pole Piece = 57

[@antiHUMANDesigns]

Wow, OK, 57s are much better for clean sound, at least. However, the "JH" are still better, I'd say.

[@옥동스타일]

I have both of these and 81 is better for me, but 57 is great pickup too. If finding more natural and less aggressive but clear one than 81, 57 is just fit for you.

[@nostalgicmind3432]

The 57 has a more dynamic range and the 81 is tighter but has less dynamic not saying it’s a bad thing more or less preference, both good pickups

[@mercatorjubio3804]

EMG 57 3:31 EMG 81 3:43

[@kurtmackenzie7349]

It's like tape versus digital Do you prefer the warm Tone Or the Clear one?

[@Adrenalsky2]

I can see where they would both have their application. I do prefer the tone of to 57 though. It almost has a passive feel to it. The 81’s always felt more mechanical. Kinda like Solid State Vs Tubes. I wonder what an 81 in the bridge and a 57 in the neck would sound like?

[@u563rick6]

What happens when you track them both? I wonder how that sounds. If u can kind of get the benefits of both. Two guitarist different pickups

[@sqlb3rn]

It would probably sound cool, but some recording engineers like to use the same guitar for both rhythm tracks... because the intonation might not be exactly the same for every note and chord between two different guitars.

[@MBS1995]

81 sounds heavier, perfect for metal and hardrock

[@ehacker39]

I have a Schecter Hellraiser Hybrid with a 57 in the bridge and my brother has a Hellraiser with 81 in the bridge and this video pretty much confirms my firsthand experience with both: The 57 has a bigger/looser bottom end, and sounds a little more open, while the 81 is tighter and has a flatter eq. There is no better or worse as they just sound different and are great pickups. I personally think the 57 has a little more "character" to it, but while some say that the 81 is sterile, I would disagree and say it's more "pristine" and puts out exactly what you're putting in. BOTH slay!

[@BigMuff75]

I like the voicing of the 81 a tad more.

[@metalsquad3845]

I think the 57 is modern and the 81 is vintage. Richie Faulkner plays an 57, Kerry King plays a 81. Hard to choose...

[@mercatorjubio3804]

Glenn and KK both played the 81 for ages, nobody complained the 57 and the 81 both have their place

[@bryanstutes4018]

I have the 57 in a PRS Custom 24 and love it. It has a tighter sound with heavy distortion that I like since I'm a sloppy player anyway. More mids and highs, then lows but turning the bass knob up on you amp fixes that. Great for clean sounds and tight on distorted or high gain. I play a lot of metal and its great for my sloppy playing. Was very surprised how good it was with blues playing as well, a good versatile pickup.

[@christophert.640]

I feel the 57 is definitely a more “versatile” tone as to where you can mess around with your settings in amp/pedals etc and anybody can find their own unique “tone” with it and sound awesome! As to the 81 it sounds amazing as is to me personally it sounds more tight and more “heavy” not by a lot but I can hear just a slighter more low end more chuggyness from the 57. As for the cleans I feel they both sound great! I personally would go with the 57 but you can’t go wrong with either as they are both amazing pick ups!

[@duckfluff]

Could you please make some tabs for the heavy riffs? Especially the second distorted riff I'd love to be able to play

[@joshreneau411]

I was wondering could you run a 57/60 combo since you can run a 81/66 combo?

[@stevepozzato7197]

Sure can. They sound ok together. 56/66 still sounds more full as a set in my opinion, but you definitely could run a 57/60 and have a good experience, especially if you use the neck pickup for metal tones and need a bit more bite and clarity.

[@joshreneau411]

@@stevepozzato7197 Thank you for replying to my question.

[@jamesprisciandaro3144]

I have a 60a and a 66 and the 60 is way better than the 66 (and I like the 57 better than the 81). I think 57/60 is pretty ideal.

[@unisonosc1617]

man, they just can't top their 81. The 57 does sound good, a lot better than 81X imo.

[@ESPE2M1]

There are both better than anything else

[@Warsel]

Thanks for making this comparison

[@mikestamper]

Thank you for coming! :)

[@DiosDragon1111]

57 more high 🙀 but $? If emg 81 put more treble and presence in amp? 🤣

[@andy_182]

81 sounsd better for high gain

[@4572dk]

that 81 has one tight bottom

[@existencia07]

57 less compressed

[@kevinerickson84]

Love the 57. Much cleaner chugging and very easy to obtain harmonics. Only downside i've found is the cleans are not as warm sounding. I mainly play dirty so an easy compromise.

[@isMike999]

I'w with ya on that kevin84

[@danteslaugther5657]

81 in the neck and 57 and the bridge??; Thats isane.,.

[@Dylan-vu2gl]

Glad I’m not the only one who thought this

[@danteslaugther5657]

@@Dylan-vu2gl 57 and fishman fluence are great too, but you have so many options to choose from, that the transformation into nerd is inevitable...

[@Sea_Knight]

I like them both but I think the 57 tips the scales with the crisper tone. The 81 seems a little one dimensional, while you can still hear all the notes it’s just a little more articulate in the 57 for me. Both are good pups.

[@edwardholappa8410]

agree

[@ravenstrange8466]

the 57 sounds thinner and the 81 sounds thicker and more robust

[@rickyjones7282]

The 57 definitely has more of a natural vibe & bridges the passive/active gap!! Mind though they'd both sound nicer through a real amplifier with valves & less gain as this distortion sounds awful!It reminds me of a dozen angry Hornets in a jam jar!!

[@frnkytherockstar7760]

Call me crazy or ignorant but I think that the 57 is more brighter

[@CaliforniaCarpenter7]

Crazy, ignorant! Correct...

[@Kanae18]

What? You're telling the obvious...

[@artinrahideh1229]

I like 57

[@peevee605]

I put the 57 in an old Kramer Pacer and was so disappointed with the sound. It had no bottom whatsoever. Probably works for Les Paul style guitars. Put a 85 in there and it stayed.

[@DanielBergonzoni]

I can’t say I like one better than the other. They both sound good to me. I’m going to be upgrading the pickups in one of my guitars and I would be happy with either one.

[@ralpherl5657]

81 is overall brighter, less bass, more lower mid frequencies. 57 has more bass, less shrill, and more upper mids

[@MetalGuitarGuy]

Emg 81 sounds a lil warmer on clean stuff...

[@guitarsbymetaljay]

They both sound great

[@brunobeausse8877]

Nice video and good comparison, Thanks you 😎🤘 It's help me🤗

[@brunobeausse8877]

I like the 2 sounds the 57 as the 81, different and well both

[@brianallen1738]

I don't like the compressed scooped sound of the 81. I definitely prefer the 57.

[@tubo628]

Scooped? It's all mids!

[@DDAR.025]

3:30

[@BobBob-ov8ey]

57 is better for me.

[@ozzylemegeton4620]

57 tutta la vita

[@bryanmchugh1307]

the 57 is clearer than the 81. 57 is a bit more organic sounding

[@jayjaymerritt2785]

i own both a jb custom guitar and an 81 85 loaded guitar. love em both for different reasons. the jb really is a "jack of all trades" pup. good for creamy, dirty, brown sound hard rock tones and even some of the bubblegum metal. the 81 imo is a thrash KING. your top complaint is the "cyborg, sterile, cold" sound but..SHIT that description is fine by me for thrash. they are more limited and less organic, but the few things they CAN do DESTROY all other pups in those specialized areas.

[@somebodysomeone832]

There are Gain settings between Crystal clean and total saturation.

[@TechLikeABoss]

Not with EMG’s lmao

[@kevinerickson84]

I have 81's in all my guitars and ordered a 57 today. 57 sounds a bit brighter and clearer with chugging, I guess i'll find out.

[@toblessedtobestressed9107]

Nice video! I own both of these pickups. And would say that the 57 is definitely thicker and warmer sounding with a passive feel to it. Great for rhythm playing with that thickness in 57. Now the 81 has that tight percussive attack to it. Not quite as thick but it wouldn't be as tight if it was. I think the 57 has more clarity only because its a more balanced pickup overall. The highs in the 81 give it a little less clarity in my opinion but that's what makes it cut through. Both pickups are great just depends on the application your using for.

[@eddiem4868]

Savage Metal I'm sure if you EQ right it sounds fine I try to fill in the brightness with the tone knob on the guitar but I can see if you don't have that as feature on your guitar that can be an issue.

[@louisef1425]

81 has a tighter, thicker and deeper tone than the 57. EMG81 sounds very attractive. to me.

[@louisef1425]

Hi guys, I'm just expressing my opinion to the video. I don't know much about EMG but I'm currently using 57&66. If I was to do shredding I would prefer 81.

[@Paganisma]

4:17 black metal

[@thesilencer3785]

Atranium Official \m/

[@maxterwel]

57 sounds more straty and less compressed

[@DimitriDelCastillo]

Sounds just like Janick's Strat from Iron Maiden

[@nikosikaria1212]

57 sounds more balanced and it's smooth for clean sounds. 81 has more highs and sounds good distorted.

[@MARTHIAN13]

57 is better

[@w0mbatina]

I just changed my 81/60 set for the 57/66 one. The 57 and 81 dont sound that much different, altough i did notice a difference on my amp (engl powerball 1 into a randall cab with V30's), and it sounds slightly warmer and beffier. But the feel of them is way different. I feel like the 57 responds better to my attack and force on the strings, and it sounds clearer with chords and gain. I like it more than the 81.

[@Djeraldancheta]

Both sound fantastic. I can definitely hear the amount of gain the 81 pushes. Really good for lead. Although, when it comes to playing power chords/chords, the 81 has too much gain to nicely hear them all ringing out at once. Thats where the 57 comes in; its clarity. It has just the right amount of juice. Does a great job in lead as well.

[@sinisterminister9920]

My first set of actives have been the 57/66 and still in love with them. Very very hot but can still be dialed down and react similar to how my SD passives react with a lot more push. Now I want to get a EMGs in another guitar. Definitely want the 81b but cannot decide on a neck. Any suggestions? I play metal mostly, but always love a bluesy warm up. So I need a neck that can do both

[@alexkazhdan]

Can’t go wrong with an 85 in the neck. Lots of output with rich mids. Great for metal leads, but can also do blues with right amp setup.

[@honigdachs.]

I prefer the 60 in the neck. It's quite different from the 85 - it has the thickness and a really smooth, liquid lead tone, but at the same time it's also a quite clear sounding pickup with very good definition. It makes picked single-note lines really jump out of the amp and has a singing quality to it. I think it's very good both for metal leads as well as blues, and on top of that it's also fantastic for cleans.

[@WyldestZakk1980]

If you want to play nice clean stuff too, go for the EMG 60 Great sounding PU. If not, maybe the 85. Alnico 5 Magnets always got a bit differnt mid range which sounds at least a bit warmer.

[@shelbyavant5081]

60 in the neck for all styles. It's big and full, but not muddy. The cleans are superb.

[@sixsledges5474]

You can try the 89r

[@rendyandrian7149]

First of all, thank you very much for this comparison. I've been searching for 81 vs 57 for 2 years and always think 57 is the better one. Now, I can conclude that 81 is as good as 57. Each of them has unique sound.

[@YouThinkMusic]

EMG 81 for heavy sound has more punch

[@nethbt]

When you put it in the mix with all the thumping low and mid frequencies, doubt if you really can tell which is which

[@KO-ti8go]

57 better clean fahso

[@jazzboy]

Fantastic comparison. Thank you!!!

[@mikestamper]

Thank you for your comment! :D

[@jonw3462]

Best comparison so far 57 much clearer and less gratey and saturated in a good way. Really good video man

[@m.r.4455]

Got an ESP m-2 with 2 Emg 81. I was thinking about change the 81 bridge with the 57. Still having the other 81 on neck. But if I will not like the 57 on brdige, what about moving it on the neck? I mean, I know it's a bridge pick up, but now on neck I have the 81...so...it will be warmer and fuller anyway! Am I right?

[@davidb8831]

81 all the way

[@TridentEditing]

Does anyone know what the riff is that he plays at 3:07?

[@skakenbake7589]

Just listen and figure it out. Seems simple enough

[@chrisking6695]

@@skakenbake7589 right lol

[@emcdvz5648]

I feel like 57 has more bite and texture to it and 81 had too much flavored whatever you dial in 81 it gives too much flavored that fall in the same spectrum while 57 will give you rawness of the sound causing it you hear to the bite and "in your face tone" and because it sounds natural you can dial your tone very easy and well.

[@DesertScorpionKSA]

With your amp settings these pickups don't sound that much different to me.

[@lightwarp_]

is there an any difference?

[@mohitrahaman]

57 sounds rounded, 81 has sharper sound

[@lightwarp_]

@@mohitrahaman thanks, bought a fishman fluence modern set))

[@saintkirk51]

Really ?

[@lightwarp_]

@@saintkirk51 really what?

[@McOuroborosBurger]

You call it a bridge pickup despite the fact it is clearly a neck pickup in the picture.

[@akeekbergbretto]

Well, it's an Albany expression.

[@bandolierboy1908]

I love the deep beefed up low chugs of the EMG 81