I'm your typical oldschool metalhead.
Been using the EMG81 since... forever.
Never heard a pick-up that could beat it.
And I've tried all the usual suspects.
Seymour Duncan JB, Custom 5, Blackouts.
DiMarzio Superdistorion.
Bill Lawrence XL500.
EMG85, EMG Hetset, H4 etc etc.
Nope. Thank you and goodbye. Next.
I figured: if the 81 is good enough for Hetfield, Hammett, King, Hanneman, Hold, Flynn, Demmel, Cavalera, Kisser, Wylde etc, it sure is good enough for me.
But hey, always fun to keep on trying, right?
And I'll be damned....
I like the Daemonum better!!
It still has this brutal tightness in the bass (my main problem with passive pickups; their woolliness ), but its just... wider.
And EMG81 with a wider frequency spectrum. In a good way.
And, it FEELS like an 81 for the hand.
(my second problem with passives; they never felt right to my hand).
Its my nr.1 pickup now.
Which actually SUCKS!
Because now I have to buy AT LEAST one set more 🥴😄