EMG 81 vs DiMarzio EVOLUTION //// Active vs Passive Pickups Comparison
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- Опубліковано 6 січ 2014
- A quick comparison between my RG550 with a DiMarzio Evolution in the bridge, and my RG321 with an EMG81 in the bridge. This shows how the difference can some times be obvious, and other times not so obvious. Enjoy!
Axe FX with the exact same settings for both guitars. Marsha HBE amp model.
I own everything in my backing track / instructional / original song videos, including the audio recordings, editing and photography used. All software used has been purchased legally.
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I like both of them...but the Dimarzio sounds a little better.
Maybe guitar sounds a little better, not pickup?
@@mlody969 Nah, the 81 is more compressed sound and the evolution is clear and open.
pure bad ass riff though. man, it's hard to pick one. they both sound killer.
Evo sounds more in your face. I like that.
Evolution sounds better.
I've watched this video a lot. I love this riff! Thanks for the demo! Take care, Sam.
Thanks for the demo dude; I've been thinking about getting the Dimarzio Evolution bridge pickup and this video kind of sealed the deal for me.
5 years later.. Awesome performance bro. Thanks for posting.. :D
WOW. If I wasn't looking straight at them I couldn't tell the difference. We've got a pretty good little studio setup here [loudspeakers]...but we couldn't tell the difference.
Hope this helps you.
Thanks for the work.
Greg
Damn I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the Evo is killing it here! More clarity, and just overall better tone here!
Thanks for putting this out a great quality demo!
Thanks for doing this video, I didn't know whether to switch the Dimarzio/Ibz pickups in my RG2550GK for the Evolutions or EMG but now I'm pretty certain I'll get the Evos!
Finally a comparation video done properly, with the same parts played on both guitars one after another instead of playing the first guitar for 2 minutes then playing a totally fucking different part in the second one.
Thank you.
i love Evo's in your face, forward sounding sound. such sound cuts through nicely but still retaining beautiful sonic scape
Great Vid mate! i have guitars with Evo and EMG-81 and love them both both!
dont sound too much different to me
have you listened with earphones on?
You must be tone def ?
The one with the emgs sounds slightly warmer, the evolutions sound brighter . But it could be mostly due to the wood and not the pickups
lol i hear what you here, IwishIwereJoe, but *slightly* and *not too different* are kind of the same thing.
All that hostility from someone who can't even spell 'deaf'
I personally use EMG81, but dude! That Dimarzio is killer!
I've always used EMG schecters. Now wanting to try Ibanez with evos. Love the sounds.
I will just say; very good comparison brother, been looking at the Evo to replace an X2N also have an 81/60 set in another guitar. Very accurate to what the 81 sounds like 👍🏼
hey I have a question that I recommend pick up because I'm torn between a dimarzio evolution and seymour duncan jb tb4 for melodic death a jackson js32 rhoads with floyd rose
Hey guys, I am looking for a good pair of passive pickups for metal, nothing too crazy here just standard metal pickups. Any ideas where to look?
I couldn't tell that much difference, but it sounded like to me the EMGs had more crunch to them on the heavy chords but the DiMarzio had more clarity on the higher notes. Am I right?
I think you are correct. I have Evolutions neck and Bridge and they're are ass kickers for about any genre
EVO has more cut thru and bite, which makes it seem clearer because we hear the note in the mix more. Overall I thought the EMG had more clarity across the range. That makes sense, because it is what they were trying to do when they designed them. The blurb back then was that due to the built in preamp they have the clarity of a low output humbucker, but the power of a high output one (an EMG 81 is a low output humbucker kind of like a PAF, but the preamp inside them turns it into a hot signal).
tell mi ur opinion ,i want in my Indonesia Rg 370 dx Evolution pickup,will i have better sound than Inf pickup?
I have emg's in my schecter and the evo's definitely sound brighter in the midsection and top end the EMG' do sound almost flat on this recording! Nice playing man that sounded badass!
which set up are you using? I love that glassy sound that you get without compromising the bass and treble, I use a line 6 Uber metal and a line 6 spider iv, Marshall mg, or peavey vyper depending where am I at and sounds great for leads but I want an amazing glassy riff sound like yours
Have you ever tried crunch lab ? im between evo and CL to swap some emgs on my basswood jackson
i think the the active pick up is no static or ground annoying sound?
As someone who owns an ibanez rg with dimarzio evolutions, I like this video. Honestly it's super hard to tell the difference. I think the evolutions have a slight few cents more on the highs, but both sound great.
Any chance you can post the EQ settings you used for this? The Evolution is a tough beast to tame but looks like you did it quite well.
I can listen to this forever :))
For me Emg 81 is the best sounding bridge pickup!
what amp and pedals are using to get that sund? lease...great sund
The evos sound so alive and have so much character. I never realized how stale 81s were
Is it possible to buy this backing track, please...???
What pickups have a stronger pick attack?
is Mic Dragonfire clon DiMarzio EVOLUTION?
passive and actives are different in terms of transmission not really about the sound. actives have a less dynamic tone in contrast to passives. that's why a lot of metal players choose actives because hard strumming and shreds sound parallel from note to note in contrast to passives that can sound different in ranges from note to note.
Can the evo do like black flag and make a switch to say obituary?
i love these riffs!
a quick question. i have rg2550x. dimarzio/ibanez pickups installed originally. will it be a big sound difference if i install evolution ?
Haven't tried the Dimarzio/IBZ pickups, but there will probably be a noticable difference.
How did you get that glassy tone in the chugs? I love it!
Evo beside are pasive, holds all. Its hard to believe that video wasnt edited. Great video
There's something very sweet sounding about the EMG81. the high is a tiny bit higher and the low a tiny bit lower. their pretty damn similar sounding though. is the EMG an active pickup though? I almost bought one but I don't like active pickups.
Nice comparison!
Is that dimmu borgir u playing in 0:44 ?
Nice demo and t-shirt.
They are both great, but the Evo, being passive, is not as sterile as the 81. It's a matter of preference. I own a lot of DiMarzios, Duncans, EMGs, etc. All companies make fine pickups. The active circuitry of the EMG 81 does serve a purpose. They are very quiet, have a lot of headroom, and this adds to their punch. The Evo is also punchy. But it depends on your needs. The 81 does not coil split, but they do make the 81TW. I own one and the coil split is nothing to write home about as the cleans are still lousy. But an Evo, as with many DiMarzios, can sound wonderful clean when in parallel or coil split. One thing about DiMarzios I want to point out, and this is just my experience, but I find that they are often quieter than Duncans. This is not so much the case with their X2N, but with other high output DiMarzios, even the very high output Super 3 and Steve Morse model, they are surprisingly quiet and very punchy. As for a really tight low end, it's hard to beat the 81. Not only is it active, but it's ceramic and a dual blade design under the epoxy cover. Again, it all depends on your needs. If you play thuddy, djenty, thrashy stuff most of the time I'd go with the 81. If you mostly play hard rock, traditional metal, or even jazz, I think the Evo will deliver. It's a very powerful pickup, very sensitive, and not for amateurs. It won't hide your mistakes. But the same goes for the 81. Both are solid.
bro what effects you are using?
What is the signal chain ?
When I bought my first decent guitar, I made sure it came with emgs because "everybody likes them and uses them for metal. I was never happy with the sound of the guitar, I tried really hard to like them but ended up trading it for the same model with Duncan's. I prefer the passives over actives, eventually I got a hold of an ibanez with Demarzios and I fell in love with passives even more, I then got a 7 string brand new schecter because it was half the price, I gave emgs another try and ended up returning it. I guess it's just a matter of taste, there are really good bands that sound really good with actives such slayer, killswitch and many more.
i'm not a huge EMG fan. But both sound very good, and your playing is great, keep the videos coming,
Thanks!
Yes but Basswood and Mahogany 2 different woods and pickups....both have good values in different areas - compare in exact guitars then we should choose in my opinion.
True that, I would love to compare both pickups in the same guitar, but I simply don't have the time to do that.
which one is better for soloing???
Eitheir EMG or Dimarzios sounds good. The real question here is... why haven't you release a video with the complete track ? Awesome Riff /m/
great comparison .. Awesome lick.. Can you post the backing track?
Great video dude,can i ask what is the name of this song?
These both sound really amazing. I wouldn't call this a comparison though...with a mahogany and a basswood body, their 2 totally different animals. I would love to hear both these guitars with the pickups swapped.
Metal Guitar Stuff Thanks for this video and great track, by the way. I connected my laptop to my stereo to hear it better but unfortunately couldn't hear much difference between the two, sorry!
Please tell me about the Axe FX. I know nothing about these things... lol Do you just plug into it and connect it to your laptop? I really like your tone! :)
I would love a tab for this riff if anyone could help that would be awesome
for me the best were the 81 with mahogany, less flat highs, sounded more dynamic and well balanced. at least in the context of the mix. filled out more midrange
in the mix. for those discussing the sound differences of the wood, yes i can hear the difference in the wood. a little, liking the mahogany with these guitars and amp settings. nice looking purple rg!!
nice playing and nice tunes !
Awesome comparison dude. Btw, what is the title of the song you are playing?
I own a Godin Redline 3 which had EMG 81 & 85 on it. It sounded chunky, and rather compressed. It didn't sound natural at all, and the volume didn't seem to respond well to the roll.
Now I changed to Evos and they sound natural and lively. But it depends on you.
The EMG sounds good but I think the DiMarzio has a bit more crunch and texture, so it gets my vote.
Both sound great , but i prefer Dimarzio more suitable for my guitar .
i need a tab for your riff i like it can you post link for that riff .
what music style is this? can anyone suggest bands with this kind of rhythms?
Just listening the guitars it´s difficult to know, but i think probably could be technical thrash/death metal ;)
which song is it playing?
I like both. Bends, pinch harmonics, dynamic picking techniques and the like all come through in a much more articulate and aurally pleasing manner with passives, but nothing beats an 81 in the bridge for a super tight, percussive thumping rhythm tone, although my guitars with SH-13's in the bridge come close. I've been looking forever for something to replace the pickups in my 2 EMG-loaded guitars but I just can't seem to part ways with them. Maybe better EMGs?
What tuning is this?
Great video
I like both. I have the evolutions, but I wouldn’t be against putting the EMG in another guitar👍👍👍
dimarzio evolution dp159 o dp158?
The first riff was definitely EVO, then as I listened through, some hard to tell for me...I still think the EVO more sonic tone...
You have to use different amp settings for both these pickups. If you dial in the amps differently you can get a much better sound out of the emg's and the Dimarzio's. You can dial in an amp to make the actives sound as alive as the passives. And at the end of the day it's all preference.
I like them both. The Dimarzio sounds a little brighter for me, but that's not the best word to describe it maybe. They both sound great to me..
I honestly like actives and passives both for different reasons. I like to mix my Schecter Solo 6 with it's SD Blackouts with my Telecaster single coils on recordings, makes for a ridiculous sound.
I'd error on the side that the Evo's are great for lead guitar work and may be to harsh for rhythm unless balanced out with pedals
When I was recording in the studio with my lead guitarist, he has an ESP guitar with Active EMG's and I have an Ibanez with Seymour Duncans however, when we compared the same rhythm section, you could physically see his EMG's signal was much larger and powerful than mine; our music is metal of course!
When I recorded my band's album, one of the guitars I used was equipped with an EMG 81. Other guitar player used a different guitar, but with an 81 as well. Both guitars are made of mahogany with set mahogany necks, TOM bridges and had same string gauges. I am a heavier picker and my guitar resonates better. Compared to his signal, mine was 1-2 dB quieter. Why? At that time I used softer picks :D
EMG seems darker than DiMarzio. I really like how DiMarzio sounds. BTW the riff is really nice. Any link to the backing track?
That Tab👌 you should post it 😍
I have used Evos and currently use EMG 81 and 85 pickups. The evos Id prefer at times over the emgs because they pick up nuances and ring clear. Striking harmonics is easily heard and or achieved with the Dimarzio pickups. These also cut through a mix of sound. The Emgs in this video seem to mirror the EVos, but they are a touch on the muddy side, less clear mid range pickup. Spent much time dialing in amp settings to achieve clean and clear sound but so far want to change them to a custom set made for me which lean toward the EVO.
100% Evos are almost plug n play, while 81's require a lot of tweaking
Both are great.. What strings did you use in each guitar ?
Daddario 10-46 on both
both of them are great!
can I get tabs of this? :3
and yeah, awesome riffs!
The Evolutions have more pronounced mids. I like them better than the EMG's
Two different pickups in two different guitars doesn’t really help me much 🤷♂️
I actually have both myself (on Ibanez RGs too lol), but they are seven string versions (that's if consider the 707 the same as the 81...) and I got to say I like the EMG better, but that's for distorted tones mostly. For cleans, I like the Evolution... but I hardly ever play clean so that particular guitar sits in the back of my closet.
The DiMarzios sound ever so slightly tighter. There's a very, almost extremely subtle airiness to the EMG 81. For metal, I'm going to have to go with the DiMarzios.
nice man!!!!! coOoL WHAT THIS PEDAL DISTORTION?? i like very very.. thankss
Adriano Rilla Axe FX
Came here for the comparison, stayed for the music.
Dude is this an improvisation/ original song ? Because I shazamed it and found nothing, if so great job man, sick. \m/
Thanks! Its just a couple of riffs i made up for the video
iam looking for pickups. i will buy the dimarzio evolution. also awesome song. i stuck an hour at repeat! make my night :P
Dimarzios sound more alive and less like the sound is coming from underwater. About to put a neck Dimarzio in my Mockingbird ST, can't wait to hear how it sounds
Yeah man, compare two pu with two different guitar, it's the way to do ! Congrat !
can only tell a slight crisper difference in the DiMarzio at the :09 to :16 timeframe. So I like that one better. It sounds like it took a bit of the muddiness out and sounded a bit better to me
Well played! The emg seems to have slightly more mids, but both sit well in the mix and could probably be made to sound identical with the mids knob
No, active pickups sound and feel a lot different from passive pickups, regardless of EQ
those evolutions sound much more clear and articulate. thanks because i am pup shopping right now.
What's that song
I like both.
I much much prefer the DiMarzio one. By the way, could I have the tabs or the name of the song you're playing? It's so fucking amazing
I preferred the Evolution here. It seemed to be clearer and more natural-sounding.
honestly..they're both very good pickups... I'm a big fan of active..and yet the passive sounds amazing!!! I have had guitars with both..;)