Im Switching my pick ups in my guitar and nead to know the Pros and cons of the 2 ?

i have both... X2N.

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x2n in the bridge position only, match it with a creamer type pickip SD 59 or a Dim. paf pro

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EMG 81. Can't go wrong, but don't try to play cleans with it alone.

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i find the emg 85 better for bridge possition than an 81

well, i mean an 89, but in humbucker mode its basicly an 85

i guess its down to personal opinion and what kind of tone your going after

Emg 81

cons
- They sound almost the same in every guitar (This could be a pro if you have a shitty guitar)
- No clean tones (this really isnt a con if your into death metal or thrash)
- You lack the clarity of passive pickups
- Everyone and their sister uses them
- 9v batteries

pros
- They sound good for alot of different styles of metal
- High output, so 110% better than your stock pikcups most likely

X2N

cons
- Some people dont like how they look
- ....

pros
- Clarity
- High output

X2N basically is everything the EMG wishes it was... without wasting 9v batteries

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How are the X2N's cleans? And how does it sound in an alder guitar? Would it still sound better than an EMG81 even though it's not something like mahogany? I'm going to have to pick between the X2N and EMG81 at the bridge, depending on which will sound better in an alder body...

X2N

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ok, thats a pretty good break down except for:

"Everyone and their sister uses them"

why the fuck does that matter, if it gets the tone you want then fine. i think that point is stupid really. thats like saying having an ibanez or a jackson is bad becuase quite a few people use them.

yea...wheres the logic?

EDIT: i heard that the X2N cant handles cleans very well because its got quite a high output. i dunno about that accuracy of that so dont quote me on it.

hes pointing out the fact that alot of people want a unique tone yet alot of people use the same pickups that sounds the exact same in every guitar there for if your going fopr a unique tone to set you out from the crowed dont go with that.

the x2n isnt very good on cleans, which is why i said pair it with a dimarzio paf pro or seymour duncan 59. i have a x2n with a paf pro and I fucking love it. i would say x2n all the way especially compared to an emg....
i have heard if you coil tap the x2n then the cleans are decent

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How would a X2N go with a SD Jazz at the neck? I'm probably going with an X2N/PAF instead of an EMG 81/89, but tell me, will EMGs sound better than a Dimarzio set in an alder body?

Yeh they suck at cleans, but do what chuck did and get coil tapped, that cuts output in half

In alder it will sound good, but its not going to be like OMGAWD DUDE THIS IS SOO HEAVY!!!!!!111

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apples and oranges...

i'd probably say the pros and cons are neck and neck....

both are high output.
both have alot of clarity.
both don't do the clean thing very well.

i'd say the x2n is a bit "warmer" and the emg is a bit more "sterile"... but that is BY NO MEANS a bad thing. it just depends on the sound you're after.

i'd say the 81 is a bit tighter while the x2n has a bit more extra "glass" to it... once again, this is not a pro or con thing. just a comparison.

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the big diff in the 2 is cleans, 81 CAN do them, while the x2n can't.

the more gain you have the more your x2n will scream.

the only thing you need with the x2n is a good neck PU IMO in about 2 weeks ill have a air norton with her, and ill post something about the 2.

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Hey, I had the same dilemma for a while.

I love Death, Coroner, Atheist, Necrophagist, Morbid Angel etc... Great bands, so this is the sound I wanted to work for. (Even though Atheist and Morbid angel are a bit different.)

I heard the EMG-81 / 85 Combo out of 2 guitars, some Les Paul off brand Cort remake, and out of a Gibson Flying V at a local store.

I never heard the X2N in any guitar and I didnt have the chance to play it either before buying it.

Basically out of the two, I noticed the EMG had a lot more power, I think this is because it used a 9v battery for extra power. Although it had more power, it was not what I wanted, so I spent 59$ on a Dimarzio X2N.

After it was put in my guitar, which is a bolt on, basswood body Ibanez, I plugged it into a Randall Titan 300W Head at my friends house and just did a simple warm up for about 20 seconds than I cut into my cover of Death - Symbolic. This thing floored me, it feels better than Kwanzaa and oral sex with a nun in heat.

I'd say Grab an X2N.

In the way of CLEANS and clean channel usage, the x2n works fine in my opinion. I use it with some effects on my pedal and it sounds pretty crisp, with not too much muddiness. I LOVE it.

I am also in this same boat. I was thinking about putting the x2n in my G&L because I also have two single coils in it and that way I could still keep them working which I wouldn't be able to with EMG. I ended up buying the EMG anyway because I wasn't able to hear the x2n so I didn't know if I would like it. But when I get my Razorback Rust I was going to take the Dimebucker out and put in a x2n.

if you want it to be a proper dime guitar, get the bill lawrence p'ups

Yeah, I but I don't really dig on those BL's. Not really for me.

Yeah, X2N > BL for me.

i've never tried them, but i've heard theyre the mutts nuts

i dont nkow anything about passive pickups. i have been using a guitar with na 85/81 setup and my next guitar will probably have passives in it. so this thread was helpful
another con of 81s is the routing, pain in hte ass

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Bump Bump...


Me either. I'm researching for a new pickup. Either the EMG 81, or now this passive? X2N. To my knowledge, I can't have active and passive together, something about the active will interfering with the circuit. Plus all the routing, my Ibanez doesn't have a pickguard or the electronics cavity to nicely tuck the battery away. I want some brutal tone, but I still want some clean tone. Anyone got an EMG 81 in an Ibanez RG? Did you have to do any modifications for the battery placement? Is the setup all active, or did you mix the config with some passives.

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is it worth to change a tonezone for a x2n??, just wondering, im happy with the tonezone. and i dont have money anyway

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Some people carve out a space for the battery in the back of the guitar's body if it's not there. Take a look in the compartment where the pickup switch and pots(tone/volume knobs) are kept, it should be able to fit there. I'm just worried that the Quikconnect wire's head won't fit through the hole going towards the pickup cavity?

It IS possible to correctly wire an EMG active with a passive, I've seen that guy from Kreator with a RR with an 81 at the bridge some passive single coil at the neck, it's probably just more of a hassle, that's all.

Thank you, Great Info. I would like to try an active/passive hybrid setup. I'm gonna contact EMG and get some info.

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i was told passives dont work with the EMG setup, complete bullshit.
ive got a HZ4 in the neck and an 81 in the bridge, they work just fine.
the HZ4 sounds like a cross between the 85 and 81, except in the neck, so a little muddier.
i assume it was wired up as usual.
so as far as EMG passives and actives go, they should work fine together.

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I can only wonder what would sound better: an EMG-81 + PAF Pro or an X2N + PAF Pro. :P

I'm going either all active or all passive, but I haven't decided yet. Will somebody please tell me if some Dimarzio passives(X2N/PAF) will sound better than an active set in an alder body guitar? I understand it's a matter of personal preference, but I don't know jack shit/can't tell much of a difference. I've only listened to people/bands using EMG's but I'm not sure if I've ever heard an X2N before.

I can't directly jump on the actives because I'm afraid it will be necessary to mod up my guitar a bit for the battery and cable(not sure yet), but I would be getting a kick-ass tone from such a relatively cheap guitar. Dimarzio passives are much cheaper and will definately be a simple installation, but will most likely require new circuitry, and I'm afraid that I won't be able to get a sound as good as the EMG's because of my guitar's wood(alder). Will someone please help me out in making the best choice?

Also, could someone please link us to some X2N and PAF Pro sound samples? I can't find any anywhere.

It is possible to mix passives with actives, but you'll have output matching issues.

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EMG just e-mailed me back, they dont' recommend mixing active with passive. But he says alot of folks still want to do it. He also sent me the wiring diagram for mixing an active PU in the bridge with a passive single coil and humbucker in the middle and neck. Gonna also post this in the EMG thread for anyone wanting to know about active/passive.

Soreu:

I would go for the active PU's. I'm not sure how good alder sounds, but it seems to be the low end price for jackson models. Prob wouldn't get that brutal of sound using passives with alder as you would using active EMG's. I'm in the same boat. Mine is basswood. Think I may try the hybrid setup, and if I'm not satisfied, I'll prob just go all active.

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What we should do is make up a story about how the EMG 81 said something about the X2N's mother, and then make up a story about how the X2N slept with the EMG 81's girlfriend, get them together in a parking lot and see which pickup is really the best ...


We'll settle this once and for all!

andras said in some post that his X2N in some cheap shit guitar sounded much wilder than the EMG-81. I PM'ed him asking what wood his guitar had. I still can't decide... going with an X2N or an EMG-81. I really want the X2N but I'm afraid it won't be as brutal in my axe, hence why I'll probably end up with the EMG-81(though it's not a bad alternative at all). Let's see what he replies with...

No guitar shops that carry the X2N in any guitars? Probbalby not, since it's never a stock pickup. Ask around for metalheads in your neigbourhood, maybe on of those plays it. Try dimarzio website, i'm pretty sure they have sound samples.
You have an alder guitar right? I have an JB/'59 setup in my alder guitar, it doesn't sound as full as it would in a mahagony one, but it's still pretty sweet.

My tip: buy it 2nd hand, from ebay or such. If you don't like it, you can sell it again for pretty much the same price, or you can trade it with someone. Orrrrrrrrr, you could keep it until you have a mahagony guitar and put it in that. Plenty of options...

EDIT: and i just remembered, higher gain pickups (like X2N and Invader) are lesser influenced by your tonewoods than the more mid-gain types. Even tough the X2N and Invader are a lot more influenced than the EMG's, the difference should not make you think differently. You should be more concerned that your lesser-gain neck pickup is matched with your tonewoods than your bridge...

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Hey man how is the tone zone for brutal shit,

i was gonna go with the X2N but def told me to go with the tonezone, musically we arent EXACTLY on the same page, but close, and def was sure as hell right when he told me to buy the ibanez

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X2N