EMG 81

Pickup features: HUMBUCKING
Impedence or other specs: OUTPUT IMPEDANCE ( Kohm) : 10

Model of guitar or bass: CUSTOM GUITAR
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 89 NECK HUMBUCKER
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): THRASH-POWER METAL
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: I THINK EMG 81 IS THE BEST PICKUP FOR METAL GUITARISTS.
Tone: GREAT SUSTAIN, HIGH OUTPUT,VERSATILITY
Sonic evaluation: I USE A MESA BOOGIE TRI-AXIS 2.0, A MESA BOOGIE RECTIFIER STEREO 2 : ONE HUNDRED,MESA RECTIFIER 4x12 CABS (CELESTION V30),EVENTIDE DSP 7500,SPECTRAFLEX CABLES, DBX 266 XL,CUSTOM AUDIO ELECTRONICS 2 x 4 AUDIO CONTROLLER+RS 10 MK 2. I HAVE A CUSTOM GUITAR WITH EMG 81 BRIDGE,EMG 89 NECK, ACTIVE CIRCUITS : PA2,EXG,SPC,DMSK(FOR EMG 81).KAHLER 2300 TREMOLO,GROVER MACHINE HEADS.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: THRASH-POWER METAL .

Comments: I WOULD BUY MY EMG PICKUPS AGAIN AND AGAIN, THESE ACTIVE PICKUPS
HAVE A SOUND THAT SETS THEM APART.I THINK DI MARZIO,SEYMOUR DUNCAN DON'T HAVE A GOOD SOUND LIKE EMG.AN ADVICE FOR ALL METAL GUITARISTS :
USE MESA BOOGIE AMPS AND GUITARS WITH EMG PICKUPS,IT'S THE BEST .

Pickup features: Active Humbucjer
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Multi ESP LTD'S, F-200,F400,KH202,EX400BD
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: EMG HZ Passive
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 81's or EMG 60's
Artists using this pickup: Metallica!!!!!!!!, and loads of other metal bands
You musical style(s): Metal,Rock,Blues
Reason for pickup change: They are great pick-ups

Perceived output level: Great,slightly heavier then HZ's
Tone: Very bassy and Crunchy, some times palm muted courses a bit of too bassy effect,so you just have to fiddle with the amp settings
Sonic evaluation: Playing throught a very large pedal board into a Marshall AVT275 With 6 speakers connected up "Loud"

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: metal, perfect match, its not brilliant if you're playing varied styles with it,but luckily i have PRS Soapbars to do that!

Comments: Great i'd always choose them over HZ but if HZ's are all you got and u cant afford an upgrade they are a perfeclty good subtitute to use.

Pickup features: active Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Resonant Frequency (kHz) 2.25;Output Noise (dBV) -91; Output Impedance (Kohm) 10

Model of guitar or bass: ESP KH602
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: -------
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 60
Artists using this pickup: me^^/ kirk hammet/ james hetfield/ zakk wylde...but who the fuck cares
You musical style(s): some clean stuff, Rock and Metal babeee
Reason for pickup change: i didn't change them ^^

Perceived output level: really HOT (yeah it's an EMG81 and they are HOT ;) )
Tone: too bassy in neck, but really nice balanced in bridge maybe a little bit trebly but i LOVE that
Sonic evaluation: ESP KH602----> KORG AX1500G -----> ENGL 50 screamer tube amp

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: it's unsuitable for LOUD clean stuff! if you want to play clean stuff which is TOTALLY clean use the EMG60 in the neck (which i do)! the emg81 is everytime a little bit overdriven when you play loud (neck or bridge)! but it's fuckin' perfekt for distortion, solo and overdrive sounds in the bridge!

Comments: i would definitely buy it again for the bridge! in my opinion a EMG 81 in the neck SUCKS! but in the bridge this baby rules :)! perfekt for fuckin' awesome solos, metal and rock sounds! i love the loooong substain (neckthru :P) the tone, and the brightness of the sound! and i think active pickups DON'T sound sterile! when you play it the right way theres a looot of feeling in this sound which makes you wanna cry ;)!
(my rating is for the EMG 81 ind the bridge position! in the neck i would give it a 4 :P)

Pickup features: Humbucker, Active
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Les Paul Classic
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Gibson 500T
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 60
Artists using this pickup: Metallica, Zakk Wylde, Slayer, metalheads...
You musical style(s): Metal, Rock, a lil blues, learnin some jazz hopefully
Reason for pickup change: 500T are PERFECT for rock n' roll in my opinion, but i needed heavier sounds because I play metal mostly

Perceived output level: First of all I HAVE to recommend having a 7 band equalizer with this pickup, it makes it much easier to tone down the treble and turn up the lower midrange. Other than that, the pick up in my LP sounds like the distortion off of Master Of Puppets. The sound is a bit trebbly but with the EQ u can really balance it out. Its good for speed playing and such, but those who are into really downtuned nu-metal may feel its a bit too bright for their tastes...try an 85 maybe for that. I was really hung up on whether or not to get an 85 or this but I think I made the right choice. For rock they are still a bit overthe top and its harder to get that "pushed" sound out of them (as if the distortion is naturally breaking up). For metal though they are great.
Tone: With the EQ mine is beefy with a good amount of low mid and treble. Without the EQ tho it is a bit too trebly
Sonic evaluation: Gibson LP Classic with 81 bridge, 60 neck into marshall avt 50...soudns great..too all of who are reading this, check out the emg 60 for ur necks..teh sound is really glassy adn also warm, through a tube amp it sounded great...to me sounded like a cross between fender and gibson cleans, if u can imagine that. Been playin for about 6 years and am really picky about my sounds. def check out the 60 though. For those lookin at the Zakk wylde set, i think teh 60 is better than the 85 as teh 85 is a bit dull and muddy in the neck. Dont take it from me thouhg, try to find a guitar in the store with some of these pickups (81 is more common) in them

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Metal..yea great match

Comments:

Pickup features: active humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Scecter v-1 plus
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: duncan designed 101 n&b
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): all types
Reason for pickup change: Had all types except for active; wanted to add to my collection

Perceived output level: Hot
Tone: balanced
Sonic evaluation: Schecter V-1 plus w/ Crate GFX 120 & 1967 Sears Silvertone twin 12

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: tweakable for all types and styles

Comments: Been playing over 30 yrs, some say use 85's in the neck. I disagree.
The 81 in the neck is voiced right; any deeper would be too bassy.
The 81 in the bridge is perfect! It gives my distortions a smooth yet cutting grind like none other did. It sounds good clean & with chorus, phasers, flangers, etc; I can "pinch" easier, I'm in hog heaven!! It's hot (not mega hot) not too trebly, no muddiness!

Pickup features: active humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: samick artis series LP
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock pups
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: kirk hammett, kerry king, hanneman, jon donais, mick thomson
You musical style(s): metal, shredd, rock
Reason for pickup change: not enough gain with stock pups

Perceived output level: the sound is so hot!!! very sharp, like a rezor blade into your ears!!! the clean sound is amazing
Tone: the sound it trebly, not so bassy
Sonic evaluation: i use samick les paul, not the low end one. with roland cube 15 and line6 POD, this pups will kill anything that stand infront of him!!!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: yep, suits my style.

Comments: well, if you like sharp sound, this pups is for you. if you want well balanced pups, go for dimarzio's X2N

Pickup features: Humbucker/Active
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone (Semi-hollow) Les Paul
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock Epiphone Pickups
Other pickups on guitar: I also replaced the stock epiphone pickup in the neck position with an 85 (DEADLY COMBINATION!)
Artists using this pickup: Who gives a ####. Anyone using something just because they want to sound like someone else should be hung.
You musical style(s): Hard Rock/Metal
Reason for pickup change: Epiphone stock pickups SUCK! The feed back sucks, the sound sucks, the tone sucks, everything about them sucks.

Perceived output level: Smokin'!
Tone: A little on the trebly side but I'd say it's pretty balanced. It's perfect for heavy distortion!
Sonic evaluation: Right now I've got this crappy tube works combo. My setup goes: Guitar<Boss DS-1(or a boss ME-50, which ever I feel like using)<amp.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Hard Rock/Metal

Comments: I would defently replace it if it got lost or stolen. I love the clarity I get when I play with heavy distortion. If you get the 81 you should defently get the 85 on the neck postion (81 on bridge)! The 85 has an AWESOME clean, warm tone. Perfect for when your not using distortion or overdrive. I love these pickups and would'nt give them up for the world.

Pickup features: Active Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 10 (Kohm)

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez IC 400 (Iceman)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Dimarzio Evolution
Other pickups on guitar: PAF Pro (Also replaced by EMG 60!)
Artists using this pickup: Does it matter?
You musical style(s): Melodic/pure black metal, death metal
Reason for pickup change: I tried my friends ESP with these pickups and I could not believe how clear it sounded. Passive pickups sound shitty when you use alot of gain. These seem to have a way of clearing it up and make the overall sound bore brilliant. Also VERY sensitive to your picking attack, if you pick sloppy, your sound will reflect that you suck! I would say they are more sensitve than the Evos and not as bassy either. Kind of reminds me of a mix of a good compressor and a sonic maximizer!

Perceived output level: It seems to have more output than the Evo, but does not feed back as much.
Tone: More trebble than mid, more mid than bass.
Sonic evaluation: I use an Iceman with a B-52 Tri-Mode Rectifier, it's an all tube amp by the way. These pickups are by far the best tone I have ever had. I went through many DiMarzios, Tone Zones, Super Distortions, PAF Pros, Evolutions, the Fast Tracks, and played some Duncans too. Dimarzios have more of a mid quality while the duncans are more scooped. Both to me sound muffled, grainy, and dark. They dont handle alot of gain very well, the 81 has a way of making sense of all the grit! And I LOVE TREBLE!! Think Dark Funeral, Immortal, Emperor, Dimmu Borgir, Satyricon, Lord Belial, 1349, Dark Throne, the real shit!!!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is an excelent tool for forging black metal riffs, good for bridge for me. Cleans in bridge are not great, that's why you get the 60 in the neck.

Comments: I will MOST DEFINETLY put the 81/60 set in every new guitar I will get. This is a great tool for trebble worshiping metal players, if you play shred, or anything articulate with alot of gain, trebble and mids and need the most clear sound, this is like hi-def clear. Sure it needs a battery, but the tone you get is incredible. Buy them you moron.

Pickup features: active humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: JACKSON FUSION HH PRO. JACKSON RANDY RHOADS RX10D
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: SEYMOR DUNCAN
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 85
Artists using this pickup: METALLICA,, SEPULTURA
You musical style(s): DEATH THRASH
Reason for pickup change: DESIRED THE ULTIMATE METAL PICKUP

Perceived output level: VERY POWERFUL
Tone: FINE FOR METAL
Sonic evaluation: I USE A BOSS VF-1 WITH A LINE 6 SPIDER 212. I HAVE 2 GUITARS. BOTH JACKSONS. (1) RX10D RANDY RHOADS. (2) FUSION HH PRO. I PLAY METAL (SEPULTURA, METALLICA). THIS PICKUP IS SO OVER THE TOP. IT IS THE ULTIMATE METAL PICKUP. BUY, BUY, BUY. IGNORE OTHER BRANDS IF YOU PLAY METAL. THERE IS A VERY, VERY BIG DIFFERANCE FROM OTHER PASIVE ( SEYMOR DUNCAN) PICKUPS. SELL YOUR BODY PARTS TO GET THIS PICKUP.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: METAL

Comments: OK THEY ARE A LITTLE BIT EXPENSIVE. BUT AFTER YOU HAVE THEM PUT IN YOU WILL KICK YOURSELF FOR NOT DOING IT SOONER. BUY NOW!

Pickup features: HUMBUCKING/ACTIVE and very low magnet pull has to be set close to strings
Impedence or other specs: 10K Resistance /Resonant Frequency (kHz) 2.25 ,wound to a low impedance for clarity then boosted by preamp, result is PERFECT!

Model of guitar or bass: zakk wylde LP, custom 57 re-issue LP, wine red LP custom and a lone star strat
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock pu's except the zakk LP which came with the 81 stock
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 85's,60's andEMG S A single coils
Artists using this pickup: a s**t load!
You musical style(s): Metal
Reason for pickup change: the 81 SLAYED everything passive i
tried the duncan distortion,JB,custom,DIME
dimarzio EVO,super 3,tone zone.

Perceived output level: High output and very clean,driving
Tone: harmonically very rich and present, very tight and not a real lot of bass like a tone zone,this is real good to keep things from getting boomy or muddy, very punchy mids
Sonic evaluation: I play professionally and use a marshall jcm 800 zakk wylde stack
i use a rack eq and a G-force rack as well as a eventide H-3000

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play 99.9% metal and there simply is NO BETTER than a 81 for this

Comments: What makes me really bust up laughing is when i read other players say the 81 is all treble and it is thin
well if you know what you are doing you would not have this problem
the EMG was not made for your squier guitars and crate amps and digitech pedals
it has to be set pretty close to the strings for maximum effect
it is for the pro player who knows what they are doing
first off most dont even know these are wound only to 10K which is the same as the resistance on a dimarzio fred or a duncan screamin demon(LOW OUPUT PU's)
they are then boosted by being active.
actually IF you used a duncan screamin demon and boosted it with a clean boost it would be similar to the 81 but no where near as quiet are tight.
the 81 is very responsive and has harmonics galore all over the spectrum(more than any passive i tried)
even dimarzio "dual resoncance" models cant compare