EMG 85

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EMG 85

Manufacturer	EMG, Inc.
Period	{{{period}}}
Type	Active humbucker
Magnet type	Alnico 5
Output specifications
Voltage (RMS), V	1.25
Voltage (peak), V	1.75
Noise, dBV	-89
Impedance, kΩ	10
Current, µA	80
Power requirements
Power source	9 V battery
Battery life, hours	3000
Sonic qualities
Resonant frequency, Hz	2550

EMG 85 is a famous active humbucker guitar pickup manufactured by EMG. It is usually considered as a "rhythm" pickup for use in neck position, paired with EMG 81 as a "lead" pickup in bridge position.

EMG 85 can be recognized by a humbucker form-factor and gold embossed EMG logo.

[edit] History and design

EMG 85 changed the previous EMG 58 pickup in EMG product lineup as a popular rhythm pickups. Technologically, EMG 85 is an active humbucker with bar-shaped Alnico 5 magnet. This yields a warmer and more "natural" tone than most other pickup types. Bar-shaped magnet affects strings uniformly, without irregularities known in more traditional design with separate pole pieces. Alnico 5 magnet also contributes to warmer tone and longer sustain, as opposed to harsher and more distinctive tone of ceramic magnets.

As EMG 85 is an active humbucker, its two coils are not just connected in series or parallel with single output. Instead, they have two separate outputs and are summed electronically in the preamp. However, such sealed solution makes it impossible to do coil taps or coil splits. EMG 89 is a recommended pickup with a coil tap/split option.

As most other modern EMG pickups, EMG 85 has 5-wire quik-connect output, that comes as a 5-pin male connector on a pickup body and a 5-wire cable to connect it. Easy wire color code scheme that is the same for all EMG products simplifies soldering and installation.