EMG bridge pickup shoot-out (57, 81, JH, HA)

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I got sent some new pickups from the awesome guys at EMG and did a shoot-out to hear the differences between some of these active pickups. 57, 81, James Hetfield bridge position and the active single coil HA (which is housed in a humbucker casing).
ESP Eclipse II into my Marshall JMP into an Orange cab and Torpedo Live
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[@Hagstrom4ever]

I'm an 81 user but man, the 57 is absolutely the best of the batch, clear, lots of gain, tight, harmonically rich. I love it.

[@AudioBoi1]

absolutely agree

[@jasonwat6564]

I have both and I would choose the 57 all day everyday!! It's the tightest pick up I've ever had!!

[@Erock09291]

57 or 81 for me, love both. Use both already, this just reaffirms that they're my fav haha

[@zakkmylde1712]

I love my 57/66 set in my Schecter Solo ii diamond series, they absolutely kick ass, I aslo have a Wylde Audio Barbarian with the Wylde 81/85 set and absolutely love them too. They are 2 of my 3 primary players, the third is a LTD EC 1000 with Fluence Fishman Moderns, also amazing pickups.

[@michaelgarcia2050]

I'd never heard of the HA until I saw this video. Awesome pickup! It does have single-coil characteristics. Really unique sound.

[@rebelrog]

I was amazed the significant differences on the clean setting. With the muddy setting, I could hear the differences in the low frequencies. I couldn't really tell much difference at all with the thrasher/metal setting. But the winner for me clearly stood out with the sustain test. Just having fun. I have the 81. I think there is a much bigger difference with what amp and effects you are playing through than the pick-up itself. Of course pick-ups are important but all 4 of these are excellent. Put all 4 in a hat and draw out a model number for which one to buy, you made an excellent choice!

[@chingersfreind]

57 is my favorito. Growl and gain with clarity!

[@scottydog62]

The 57 overall has clarity and meanness all at the same time, by the way your right hand is a machine, very nice!

[@dre1kke]

For me: - 57 has mor low end and has more harmonics with warmness. Very similar to passive Gibson 498T but with more bite; - 81 has lots of treble and pretty compressed one; - JH is full of mids and treble, and even more compressed on chuggy rhythms; - HA is kinda... mids + treble with a bit scooped higher mids, very unordinary. I would go for 57 or 81 pups, thus these are more common and useful in the different types of metal. HA is not my kind and JH are pretty narrowed to my mind... Anyway, thanks, as it is very useful review that I saved for the future. Good luck, mate! \m/

[@DanzoSrife]

Sounds like the 81 has more gain than 57, but with tech these days , there's no limit on how much gain u can get. Tone is a harder thing to achieve.

[@TheShreddingHand]

57 narrowly beats 81 for me. Biggest difference is the single string/note playing. 81 goes cold for this while 57 sounds fuller. Both sound killer for power chords.

[@kevinerickson84]

Exactly what i was thinking

[@justynfogarty6209]

I liked the 81 the best all around

[@64wy4x8s]

57 sounds best

[@UseTheSupeRsonic]

The HA!

[@dimgrav]

I liked the 81 and the HA the best, I was pleasantly surprised by the HA, it is a single coil on steroids, giving you enough punch for heavier styles, while maintaining awesome clarity and a totally "stringy" sound.

[@Remmy0930]

I own a set of 57/66's and I have to say...I love them. Perfect blend of active and passive. They have the boost and gain of an active while still maintaining the dynamics and warmth of a passive. I do want to get a Het Set though...something about those pickups is calling my name. I like what they did to tweak the 81/60 pickups.

[@botondpapp8650]

57 JH 81 2:04 2:24 2:14 3:24 3:43 3:33 From other videos I thought I like the JH B most, here the 57 sounds better to me, and the 81 sounds best. I wonder how it compares to the 85 and to the X versions.

[@kotyk_saber]

81 sounds tight, low bass; 57 sounds like 81, but less highs and more mids; JH is meaty and bassy, kinda reminds me of 85 in bridge position;

[@playandsinger]

That HA sounds kick ass as well as the 81

[@SuperPimpek123]

JH the best, 57 is a close second. 81 is a bit thin, but not far behind, while HA just can't compare to the others.

[@d77sauce]

That last chord with the HA makes me want one

[@jasonweir9155]

I have the JH set in an LP standard and love them. Also have the 81/60 combo in my RG, but have been looking at some other types of EMG's for my other guitars. That 57 sounds killer but I have to say, I was surprised by the HA a lot! I see why you'd want to use that as a recording pickup and am thinking about getting one myself now!

[@hadley101]

EMG 57 is the winner! EMG 81 sounds thin in comparison, didn't expect that.

[@wandcfirst]

57 sounds the best to me out of those, though I really like the 85 in the bridge! Worth a try if you find the 81 too "flat" as I do..

[@lewisstorer89]

The Single Coil absolutely slays!. Best one imo

[@maxxstock]

57 for me!

[@steveeatthesun2540]

Fuc!in love the 81 !

[@AudioBoi1]

57 sounds the best all-round to me. JH is kinda the same as 57, but with more brittle highs which I don't like. They sound fizzy on distortion. 81 is just too thin in comparison. It will work great for high-gain stuff. But it will sound bad in clean situation. HA is a great one but only as a side option. Conclusion: 57TW should be the one to strive, since it has both 57 and single coil pickup inside of it, which gives u a single-coil option.

[@playandsinger]

The 57 has the best classic sound, but the HA sounds raw and dirty! Both are really nice

[@FFOJ777]

Love that JH in gold!

[@chriswalton3383]

The JH sounds so Bassey..is that you spell that. And so is the HA. Maybe is my head phones. I think from what I hear, the 57 is the best bridge sounding pickup in that shoot out. IMO🤘🤘

[@TheFatApache]

Eventually I want to try a 57, my go to for the last 14 or so years has been a 85 in the bridge.

[@JoelCaseyJonesMusic]

TheFatApache same here, just took a dive and popped in some 57s and I have to say it’s very similar in fatness to the 85 but they have a little more clarity and the sound of the strings “glue together” better when chording if that makes sense. I am going to swap all my 85s for 57s. The 66 ain’t too shabby either. Not overly bass heavy like most traditional EMG pairings... it sounds good clean and in leads.

[@metallicaspiker16]

As a 57 owner, if you haven’t done it yet, TRUST ME, GO FOR IT. I was a massive Seymour Duncan elitist before I decided to try the 57/66 set at my other guitarist’s recommendation, and they not only look awesome, but they SOUND awesome. I run these pickups in both of my main guitars, a Jackson KEX Kelly and KEXQ Kelly, and they sound incredibly tight through my 5150 Iconic head. 🤘

[@anhedonia0]

HA is a really great pickup for neck

[@dakotamerrier672]

The EMG JH B sounds the best I say :F

[@erikhulst6431]

Really like the 57. The JH and the 81 sound too much alike to justify the upgrade (just my opinion!). Now to order a 57....

[@themaggot8]

Erik Hulst 81 and JH sound nothing alike. Trust me, I have the both. They are really different and the JH tends to get lost in the mix

[@DesmadreOG]

57 and the JH are the best sounding...

[@jasonwat6564]

Great videos bro, is your bridge and stoptail all the way down as far as they will go touching the guitar? I have the exact same guitar different color, so I'm just curious how you have the bridge and stop tail setup, would be grateful for any information. I'm a big fan bro!!

[@sorinkrithuk1080]

57 wins here imo, great vid 👌

[@MrKingswebe]

@Josh Sylosis, thanks for a well-recorded, good audio quality video. I have a LTD EC-331 with the sort-of-rare specs of having a 24.75" scale plus a floyd rose locking tremolo and I am looking for an active humbucker to replace the OEM-brand stock (active) bridge humbucker. The stock humbucker is a little too bland for what I am looking for. However, I am concerned that an 81 is not the right fit for me either because I have never liked the high-mids sizzle that seems to be present in an 81 (and I have never been able to dial out using EQs) in every 25.5" scale guitar that I have tried that had an 81 in the bridge. The 57 and the Het, to my ears, had *less* of that sizzle, but still more sizzle present than I would like. The HA had none of the sizzle that I am looking to avoid, but in this video it lacked enough gain for my liking. So to summarize, I am considering the HA as a bridge pickup if you can tell me that the HA can be fed even more gain for a gain-ier sound than in this video but still sound as tight as it does in this video (i.e. no high mids sizzle under more gain)? *OR* if not the HA, is there another pickup you recommend as a bridge pickup for me based on the preferences I just described? *OR* would the 57, Het or even the 81's sizzle be tamed sufficiently because my particular guitar has the darker sounding 24.75" scale? Thanks in advance, Josh

[@anvil777]

thanks for a really good video man! I really dig the HA, I have to admit. Don't care for 81 or JH as those are the ones I already tried in the bridge. Maybe a 85 in the bridge and HA in the neck? We'll see...

[@kotymccallister5150]

The 57 sounds like a slightly lower output less abrasive 81. Just a tad less treble. Now the jh seems to really embody the dynamicness of a passive with 81 punch and boost.

[@svtrader]

You nailed it, amigo.

[@WholeLottaBulldog]

57 is way hotter that the 81, champ

[@xander5133]

In that guitar the HA and the 81 sounded the best IMO.

[@wspeed657]

Thanks dude. If you threw an 85 in there this would have been perfect. I'm curious how the 85 and 57 compare.

[@andreydyumaev5131]

+wspeed657 better yet, an 85X (aka EMGX-85, aka Xseries 85) in the bridge. And at 18v, coz EMG marketing is messing with ppl, it does change at 18 volts... they were just trying to pitch it as an alternative to screwing with battery configs for the conservative community I guess.

[@majinmudkip4185]

He didn't throw the 85 in because it's a neck pickup. The 57 is a bridge so of course the 85 is mainly bassier.

[@wspeed657]

+Deavon Strode the 85 is whatever you want to make it. I use it in the bridge position and so do many others. it sounds much better than the 81.

[@Sublight77]

57 my favorite, cleanest less fuzzy, theyre fantastic in 7 strings. Theyre all good pickups.

[@playandsinger]

I'm surprised no one likes the HA I was ripping on those fast rhythms. Nice and clean and gritty

[@raul21md]

Excellent video thanks

[@mogmason6920]

I actually like the HA the best. It sounds more aggressive than the rest of them. The 81 and JH are joint second in my opinion. The 57 is too dark for my taste.

[@kuzWich]

Morgan Mason, must agree with you on this one, though I’d place 81 second and 57-JH third. I’m a mid-high freq appreciator though, always trying to project the sound to my applications within a mix. And H/HA should slice through like a hot knife through butter

[@edsonguitar777]

57 for me! 81 is a little artificial for me and has too much treble, JH has too much bass, and HA is strange, a single trying to be a high output humbucker.

[@jmhanelineiv]

Still torn between the 57/66 set and the JH set. Great demo though!

[@gregsoepboer9494]

In the same situation right now.. what did you end up picking?

[@jmhanelineiv]

I never bought anything else because I'm broke but when I can I've decided on the 57/66 set simply because of watching Andy James play 'In the Fading Light'

[@gregsoepboer9494]

oh that's right, I forgot that Andy uses them in his ltd signature axe. I do love his tone, especially on that song. Thanks for the reply

[@Remmy0930]

Richie Faulkner also uses them...same with Jeff Loomis, Devin Townsend, Marty Friedman, and Josh uses them as his main set as well. Loomis, Friedman, and Townsend have their own signature sets now but I dare say that they based those sets off of the 57/66 set...ESPECIALLY Loomis...he may say he didn't but the specs, look, and tone of his sig set is exactly the same as the 57/66 set, only in a Seymour Duncan casing. Loomis would never legally be allowed to say "yeah they are based off the 57/66" because EMG would sue Seymour Duncan. Either way, I own a 57/66 set and they are my go-to pickups now...although I definetly wanna get a Het set as well just because they look sick like the 57/66 but are just a more dynamic 81/60 set.

[@crovian1985]

Same here

[@smetaninda]

57 was made to be different from the classic EMG line so of course many people like it more. But it's just because it is different. In this example it sounded more scooped than 81, and JH has more upper midrange harmonics so it might to seem a bit more biting. If I had to choose one of the line, I would take an 81. Yes it is a classic and after checking many comparisons now I get why it is.

[@Nsypski]

Hard to pick between 81 or JH. The 57 doesn't seems to lack bite of the other two. 81 is more clear but the JH seems more full.

[@Benzodiazpine]

Very interesting to hear the 57!!

[@PGBigRed]

I thought the 57 and 81 sounded awesome. The JH had a good attack when it came to lead tone though. Did't really like the HA at all though. Maybe mixed in a song with more instruments would help it sound better? But I'm unsure.

[@LordLuc94]

Yeah, so hide it up ya mean. xD It's about the pickup.

[@PGBigRed]

+Luc Laros not hide it. mix it. you'd be surprised how absolutely terrible Dimebag's tone is without the rest of the instruments. mixing does not suggest hiding sounds, it suggest that a sound that may sound unpleasant by itself, may actual blend well with other sounds. you're not a sound engineer though so I wouldn't expect you to know that.

[@Airakobra]

I'm not an active pickup guy. But I must say that 81 sounded sick to me =D Awesome stuff

[@JordanLake25]

I never really liked the 81. JB is really sweet and sounds animalistic but the 57 sounds balanced and fucking killer.

[@HugoWelti]

81 sounded a bit thin compared to JH and 57, but it had a nice bite to it. 57 sounded the most well-rounded all around. JH is definitely higher-output than the others. HA is interesting, but not my cup for a bridge pickup.

[@AkiraSpectrum]

nice demo! I prefer the 57. Second place is a tie between the 81 and JH. The HA is cool for being an active single coil but not my cup of tea.

[@pontakun7852]

57 and 81 fucking best

[@CK-kc7wn]

JH seems too boomy, 57 isn't a sharp enough attack to my liking, 81 would be perfect if it wasn't as shrill. Conveniently, the fishman fluence modern seems like the one active pickup to solve all the things I don't like with EMG.

[@xdx2653]

HA is very weak 57 is amazing.sound like sd jb but with more output i thing your video made me deside what emg to buy. ty

[@themodernguitarist]

+XDX The HA is a single coil, that's why.

[@XChristianNoirX]

I thought so too... But the HA ended up sounding awesome at the end of the video. In the end, what really matters is how it sounds in a mix. The 81 is still the tightest of them all. That's helpful in lower tunings especially. Josh tunes standard though...

[@ItsCiarian]

Hey josh do you think you could do a video on learning scales and that how you did it what you learned and moving them up and down the neck

[@zsaz4453]

I had a 81 for years.DiMarzio Illumminater sounds harder. Its passiv, a Monster.

[@beardedslavbrew615]

81 and JH B sound similar with the JH sound more thick or beefy, the 57 is good but the 81 translates open chords better with more beef and clarity, the best 2 here are the 81 and JH-B

[@fellowgenie]

hey Josh, do have some small tips for a starting band? you' re doing a great job on your videos by the way!

[@MrScrofulous]

Go to art school (or some kind of music school). The list of bands who met each other at art school is long.

[@WillVRam]

1:12 EMG 57 1:23 EMG 81 1:33 EMG JH B 1:45 EMG HA RIFF 2 1:55 EMG 57 2:06 EMG 81 2:16 EMG JH B I continue later if someone like it here.

[@joostravesloot6125]

Boss delay pedal video??

[@SuperCooldude24]

So these are active pickups ? But with a vintage cover ?

[@maxiomguitarist]

why is it that you favour LP shaped guitars? They don't seem to be the most ergonomic guitars for this style of music.

[@beckoningoblivion739]

57 is the most well rounded and dynamic in my opinion.

[@hightimeswithseagore598]

josh is there a reason why yall don't play "after lifeless years" I mean you have a great singing voice.

[@alvarg]

with that much gain and saturation they aren't going to sound much different, if at all

[@dmn_smk]

4:02 4:27

[@XChristianNoirX]

Pickup Heights? I have an ESP Eclipse I put 57's in, but it sounds a bit more muster and less defined than all of my other guitar that have non active pups, like JB, Aftermath, Pavey EVH, Tone Zone, BC2, 490T, etc etc...

[@williepadre1316]

what effects do you use on this?

[@kevinerickson84]

like the 57. looks like im saying goodbye to my 81's lol

[@eddiem4868]

kevinerickson84 haha I thought the same thing also

[@lonehunterband]

In this comparison 57 wins. I have 81 and Jh in my guitars.

[@lonehunterband]

+Christian Noir No, I have not. 81, 57 and JH are very close. I think you will be happy whatever you choose. Depending on your setup you will not hear any difference.

[@virra98]

nice Devil Sold His Soul shirt, man B)

[@powerface71]

81 all day long.

[@diegoambrosio9903]

57 and HA for me.

[@peterp1126]

gr8 compare,thanks.57 is more dirty and turns to brutality

[@frankcastelo6980]

81

[@123lowp]

I've owned the 57 and it slaughters the 81

[@jnbovee]

57

[@JeDxDeVu]

Yup, 57 still sounds best.

[@bargoldstein4898]

the ha is the worst. the 57 is the best

[@romanpleshkov1125]

57 sucks. good only for solo

[@toriandicapmond161]

Nah.. although the demo is great, this just isn't where the 57 shines its heaviest, if you will. Drop C that shit into a 6505+ with some DDT .054-.011 (round core strings are key, imo) and there's no looking back.

[@themaggot8]

57 all the way. 81 is great, JH is cool, but it tends to get lost in the mix, even with the mids all the way up which is weird.

[@williamschaffer2858]

Since you own the pickups I feel like you're the best person to ask: What would say are the differences between the 57 and 81 tonally? (I couldn't really hear it in the video) Also does the 57 cut through the mix like an 81 does?

[@themaggot8]

William Schaffer 57 cuts more than the 81 by far. 57 sounds warmer and has a richer tone than the 81. Have in mind that the 57 is basically a PAF on esteroids

[@williamschaffer2858]

+Juan José Fonseca Godoy Thanks man that's better than on any forum/ video I've ever been on. I think I might check some out at my local Guitar Center

[@MrMotherfuck123]

57 sounded great and the further it went the more spicier it got, like a lil too much.