EMG 81

High output active pickup.

I have used this pickup extensively in BC Rich guitars, Fender guitars, Jackson and Ibanez. This is a review of my opinions on these guitars.

Just to start off, this pickup despite others claims will not magically "replace" the tone of any guitar. This pickup will react to body and neck woods the same as any passive pickup. I play rock/metal.

For basswood Ibanez guitars, this has got to be the best upgrade. The riff tones are uncomprimising, rich, full and most of all dynamic. It does not over-compress when reacting with bassier sounding guitars.

I had mine in several strats also. Some fared better than others. If you're looking for a good upgrade to your squier, or to a cheaper fender line, this is ideally where you should be looking. However, the American strats I have always found to not be too happy with the EMG pickups. My old Standard Deluxe was a good contender, however the straight standard was a no go. Over bright and a bit buzzy.

The most foul sounding guitar it was in was an old 80s Jackson Stealth XL. Ash body, maple neck, rosewood board: The EMG 81 was harsh, sterile, and everything bad that I've ever read about this pickup. However, in my Jackson DX10, it produced quite the opposite result: Brutal, melodic and very toneful.

So what is the conclusion?

Well, if you own a guitar that is overly bassy, warm and generally hard to get any articulation from, this is well worth considering. If you have a typically bright guitar (And I have found most guitars made of ash to be the case) I would look elsewhere.

The EMGs still have a residance in my Ibanez, however the Jackson got an DiMarzio Air Norton and its tone and playability improved 1000%.

Similarly, you need to think about what amplifier you are using as well. I wouldn't recommend this pickup to anyone using a high gain amplifier - you just don't need it. My Jackson now sings with my VHT CL. However, its a little wimpy with the JCM800. However, the Ibanez is much nicer with the JCM800 given the extra output from the active electronics.

So think about your hardware setup before you buy!

Good in the right places. Don't expect to sound like Metallica or whoever just because you have an EMG81 and let me just reiterate that this pickup will not magically "replace" the tone of your guitar. Everything still matters from your guitar to your amp to your cabinet!

I love it in my darker guitars, ones that I have had issues trying to clean up, however in my naturally middy and trebly guitars, its been one to avoid like the plague.

I also think its that without this knowledge lead many players to completely dismiss this technology as some buzzy POS form metal players.

I have been playing for a little over 19 years and have been a technician and repairer for 10 and a luthier for 7. I have toured with big-name acts and had my fair share of television and session work.

Sure the EMG has appeared at times but as I said, you need to evaluate your setup before you buy this pickup - or indeed any pickup.

Active humbucker.

Came installed as a bridge pickup in my Fernandes Vortex Elite. This guitar has a Fernandes Sustainer in the neck position. Plenty of artists are using EMG-81s. I wanted to have much sustain and a heavy tone.

The output level is the highest I've ever heard, it's simply amazing. Pinch harmonics are very easy to do, even at lower distortion levels, and the pickup has a great sustain.

I use it with a PODxt and a Fender FM65R combo amp.

And now for all the haters of the EMG-81's trebly sound: you have to tune your guitar down to C for example to have that bassy sound this pickup can deliver. In E tuning it will sound too trebly. Clean sounds cut through almost everything, but it will never sound "smooth". It's just sharp.

I mostly play hard rock, and metal (not death and black). This pickup does its best as a high-gain metal pickup.

If it was destroyed or stolen, I think I'd buy something else. Not because the EMG-81 is not good (it's amazing), it's simply too much for me. I've been playing for 1,5 years now, I had lots of different guitars with different pickups (I play very good for my 1,5 yrs...anyways), and I have to say this pickup is the best if you want to make heavy and sharp sounds out of cheap amps/effects. The incredible sustain is simply amazing, and it works even at bedroom levels.

I'm still searching for my sound, what is something like YJM's (a half year ago when I bought this guitar, I was into heavier music, my style is changing so fast...).

Anyways, I'd recommened this pickup to everyone who REALLY needs that VERY high-gain, death or black metal sound. You'll not regret buying it!

Active humbucker

Bridge, mahogany Fokus JCK 52 (v-shaped). I used DiMarzio Evolution 2 and it was too muddy for me. I took out the neck pickup and replaced it with plastic cover. Didn't use it anyways...

Balanced tone, strong output (but I've had stronger passive pickups).
Excellent for metal, but for other styles too I guess.
I use Rocktron Piranha -> Boss VF1 -> Marshall 9200 -> Framus 2??12 Vintage 30

No point in describing this superb pickup again. I just wanted to add a few answers and tips:
1) Someone mentioned this pickup has an awful feedback. Yes it has, if set badly in the guitar. If it's too tight in there, it catches vibrations and makes a strong howling. It also happened to me at first. Just dig a bigger hole in your guitar, so that it sits freely on the springs and the howling is gone completely!
2) I found a notice at EMG website that you can get even better sound from this pickup when powering it with 18V. And works really! Try to add another 9V battery and you'll see the difference! Much fuller sound!

Its a active humbucker as i'm sure most people know by now. Not a lot of features, its a pickup...

I put this in the bridge position of my Fender Blackout set neck tele. I have a 85 in the neck. I replaced the stock pickups which were a Duncan 59 in the neck, and a pearly gates in the bridge. They were nice pickups but i wanted a different sound.

They do have a lot of output, but not as much as people like to think they do. I've played passives before with the same or more output. I like to play heavier stuff sometimes tuned down to C or C# so i really like their clarity and tight definition. The harmonics of these are great and a cinch to pull off, and their virtually noiseless. The sound is very distinct, mid scooped with tight bass and focused on the higher freqs of the treble. At first i didn't really care for their sound but after tweaking for a while i found it. Their pretty much a one trick pony though, they don't do clean well because their too compressed, and the mid gain rock tones just sound dead flat. High gain metal riffs is where they Shine. Oh yeah, i'm playing on a Engl Thunder amp, with some various pedals.

if something happened and i had to replace them i would get them again. I think their the ideal pickup for the lower heavier tones. for drop D and standard i like a passive, but below that i go for the EMG's. You just can't get the clarity and string definition anywhere else.

active humbucking pickup

ESP-LTD deluxe EC1000VB
stock pickup in neck position, paired with an EMG60

the output isn't high as most people say, at least in terms of volume... compared with other passive-equipped guitars i own EMGs don't scream as much as i expected, wich isn't a bad thing at all, i love swapping guitars onstage and there's not need to turn volume down to balance the overall volume. they're very quiet too. In terms of saturation YES, the EMGs DO definitely scream...
- the 81 in bridge position has very definite and bright clean sounds, although it lacks the classic crystalline tone of a Strat single coil, of course... it sounds more metallic but it's still a nice and usable sound even for arpeggios. plenty of treble and some bass, but it cuts EVERY mid from the sound. as I said before this pickup can saturate the dirt channel (or the dirt settings, i usually play through a PODxt) much more than other pickups i'm used too, with interesting results. you can play rock and get sharp attacks full of clarity and definition (absolutely not muddy!), like a distorted Strat - without loosing any of the saturation that just humbuckers can give - and just by turning a bit down your guitar volume you can have bluesy dirts with no loss of volume.
And here come the bad news, at least for me...
if the 81 works well with dirty sounds it's almost completely useless when it comes to heavy distortions. i know, maybe i'm the only person in this world who dislikes the way this classic METAL pickup behaves in metal! it could be a question of personal tastes, but i simply hate the distorted sound of this thing... it remains very definite and never buzzes, even with HEAVY metalzone distortions, but it completely lacks sustain... it cuts like a knife on the treble range but kills even more mids than in clear settings. the only thing i was able to do with my 81 were palm muted rhythms, a thing i don't do very often... i play many different things, but my own style is based on gothic rock/metal. i'm basically a lead guitarist, and i found this pickup completely unusable for solos and smooth lead riffs... i love mids (LOTS of them!) and the 81 has got none. It completely killed the warmth and personality of my Eclipse (that is basically a mahoganey built Les Paul-style model), and gave me the kind of tones thet should appeal much more to brutal-death rhythm guitarists... it could sound well (although a bit too cold) in thrash metal too, but definitely not in melodic death metal and similar genres...
should a pop-rock guitarist buy it? to be true i was quite impressed with the powerful bite of its dirty sound, so i'd say yes, but it sounds way too clinical for my tastes even in rock... i love vintage PAF sounds, after all!
i don't dare to imagine it in neck position... i would be curious to try it but i've got no expectation...

for sure i'll never buy an 81 anymore (i'm still a bit perplexed on what to do with the one i still own!), and to be sincere i removed it from my guitar after 10 days of extensive play... i replaced it with an EMG85 (that thing has got great singing mids, at last!) and i have to say, after 8 months, that i've done the right thing!

Active humbucker, with ceramic casing.

I have dual EMG-81's on my ESP EX-250. They were replacing the horrid, passive "Duncan Design" jobs that were stock. I changed the pick-ups, because at the time(2000), I was really into Metallica and wanted Kirk Hammet's tone.

These pick-ups are really hot. When used with a tube amp, they push like no other pick-ups I've used. That said, sometimes it can unintentionally overdrive on clean settings. But when you're playing lead, these pick-ups have excellent sustain and clean break-up. On solid-state amps, they tend to push too hard, depending on the model, resulting in a somewhat muddy sound. They sound terrible on modeling amps, in my opinion.

As for my rating, I'd give it a clear 10 for tube amps, and maybe a 7 for all other types.

I love my EMG-81's. It's tough for me to play with passive pick-ups anymore, especially I since I usually play high-gain rock. I would buy them again in a heartbeat. The only thing that's a pain is changing the batteries. Each pickup has its own, and on my guitar I have to physically unscrew the neck pickup and lift it out to change the battery. ARGHH. But overall, they rock. If you want and insane lead tone, this is for you.

Humbucking (obviously) and active

Guitar: Ibanez GRG 270
Position: Neck
Replacing stock pickup (Ibanez PWSND)
Other pickup: stock pickup (Ibanez PWSND)
Artists: on neck, Hammett. On bridge, Hammett, Hetfield, many others
Reason for change: needed better quality on rythmics and palm muting

Output level: very very very high!
Amps: Washborn
Tone: maybe too bassy on clean tone, but good on distortion
Style of music: metal, hard rock, but I experimented chorus, flanger and phaser effects with Pink Floyd songs
Suitable: it's not bad for neck position, I think it's better to install two 81 in both positions than a 60 (85) in the neck and 81 in the bridge, to avoid differences in output level

If it was destroyed or stolen, I would either buy another one or install two 85, but I wouldn't install two different pickups.
I play guitar since 1990, and play different kinds of music, not only metal. I use Boss analogic pedals, a Korg AX-1500G digital pedalboard and Dunlop Crybaby Wah Wah.
For this pickup I love the clarity when performing palm muting, and the only drawback is that there are too loud bass frequences. Anyway I have satisfied with the overall quality, and can't wait to install another 81 in the bridge, to get a very very cool guitar

active humbucker

model: cort kx-5 katana
position: bridge
replacing stock mighty might motherbuckers
emg 85 in the neck
artists using: too many to list
reason for change: i wanted more gain, better harmonics and more clarity (and the emgs delivered!)

output: fucking hot like the sun crahsing into the earth man, this thign evn distorts my solid state clean channel!
rig: i usually plug my katana straight into my peavey bandit (yes i know i want a tube amp lol)
an sometimes run the preamp out of my bandit into an old yamaha tube combo my uncle gave me for that tube warmth an extra gain
tone: this is not a clean pickup, this bitch will tear your head off for anything high gain. the harmonics jump out i can get loud clea rpinch harmonics like nothing now, playing rhythm with this pickup gives a razor sharp crunch that im certain could cut through any mix and leads growl with a lovely blend of trebles and high mids but just enough bottom end not to tip the scale.the pickup also has amazing clarity when distorted you can play a chord and hear each note ring with endless sustain through any amount of gain. the clean tone (or lack thereof) is why i took off a point in this section. as i said before this pickup so hot it even manages to overdive my peavey bandit solid state clean channel but wihtout the gain this pickup adopts a more jangly brittle tone. doesnt bother me that much i usually dont use bridge pickups clean anyway and the 85 in the neck is gorgeous clean so im all set :P.

style of music: melodic death metal mostly, but i'll play anyhting if i like it, this is a perfect match for my style and the distorted tone ive had in my head for ages.

positions: kirk hammet an some other folks seem to like her in the neck but i can only comment on bridge position for now an i say this pickup is a bridge pickup at heart. i was thinking though of switching my 85 tot he bridge and 81 to the neck just to compare, its quite easy to switch them wiht the qwik connect clip, and for height i just went as close to the strings as i could get without touching them, pretty simple procedure.

if any douchebag took the time to steal my pickups an leave me with an empty guitar i would probably cap his ass haha, but i would definitely buy this pickup again.

i played bass for 4 years before switching mostly to guitar 2 years ago, ive listed all my gear here, i dont have any effects yet

comparison: the only comparison i did was through the reviews on this site and by memory comparing it to my old pickups, i was thining of going the dimarzio routebut after seeing how many of my major influences use emg 81s i though i just had to try one an now i understand

i am very satisfied with this pickup in any distorted setting, it has brought me closer to "the sound" then ive ever been

Active Humbucker.

I installed it on a Schecter Omen 6 on the bridge along with an 85 in the neck. I replaced the crappy pickups that came with it.

The pickup is pretty hot. The fact that it doesn't make much noise is nice. The tones are unbelieveable for hard rock/metal. The clean tones can use some work, but you need to know that before you buy this pickup. It works great for crunch to high gain sounds. The tighness of this pickup blows me away.

I installed this pickup along with the 85 almost 2 years ago and I play it very often.. sometimes hours on end. These pickups have never given me any problem and get this, I have never had to change the battery!! Everybody thinks it's a pain to have a 9v to change, but it lasts a flippin long time. Great pickup for rock, but if you want this sound and clean, go with the 89s, I just got those installed on my new schecter and those do clean sounds very well.

Active humbucker.

I have EMG 81 on the bridge position in my Jackson RR. I replaced Duncan Design (something with 103 in a signature).

Here comes real metal. The rhtyhm is just smoke. Solos are amazing. Great dynamics and compression. Harminocs are faantastic.

This thing is balzing, it's what I wanted! I've never had a singl problem with this pickup. It looks great, it sounds great! I'd definately buy it again.