EMG 81

Pickup features: Active Humbucking
Impedence or other specs: Ultra Low Impedance

Model of guitar or bass: Strat Plus Deluxe with Warmoth Neck
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Carvin Holdsworth
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Heaps
You musical style(s): Anything EXCEPT Metal
Reason for pickup change: Heard all the hype, was re-doing my Strat with a Warmoth neck... Got the KH-21 scratchplate which is 2 81's wired to a 3 way switch.

Perceived output level: Pretty hot but not completely over the top as some would have you believe
Tone: Very balanced actually. Scooped in the mids for sure. Slightly compressed but in a very musical way.
Sonic evaluation: Ok. First up I AM NOT INTO METAL OR METALLICA! Seems that every man and his proverbial dog is buying EMG's to sound like the aformentioned band. Not me!
I'm using this setup with a non-master volume Marshall and some Boss Pedals. They do react very differently and as mentioned compress your signal slightly.
I would TOTALLY disagree with people who say they can't get a clean sound out of these pickups.
The 81's do clean really really nicely! Very spanky and articulate and you can hear every note in the chord.
Cranking on a light overdrive works well too and as expected they scream with some gain.
You will need to Eq your amp differently tho... takes a bit of time to get used too.
A nice bonus with actives is that you keep your tone when you roll off your volume. It's all there just quiter.
I'm still getting used to them but I'm now a believer in these. Don't believe the high-school droputs on here who tell you they can't do clean, they're obviously still trying to find the channel switch on that 32 knobbed Mesa POS they have!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Suitable for all styles - NOT JUST METAL

Comments: The Holdsworth pickups honestly sound a lot like these 81's, just not as bright or crisp.
Yes, I would buy these again.

Pickup features: Humbucker: active; ceramic; wax-potted; epoxy-sealed.
Impedence or other specs: Super-low impedance, very low noise, but very touch-sensitive.

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone G400
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: EMG-85 (neck)
Artists using this pickup: James Hetfield (Metallica; both pickup positions); Kerry King (Slayer; both pickup positions); Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society; bridge position, with an EMG-85 in the neck position)
You musical style(s): Hard/Classic Rock, 80's Metal
Reason for pickup change: The stock pickups were anemic and I wanted pickups better suited for metal. These aren't precisely perfect for the 80's metal I prefer--you're probably better with Seymour Duncan's if you want to be a hair-metal cover band--but these are perfect if you want to be up on the times.

Perceived output level: Well...hot. They're very quiet until you touch a string, even at very low levels you can clearly hear the strings.
Tone: Clean, they're a little muddy, with relatively low bass, and more mids and far more trebles than most other pickups. Driven/Distorted this comes in very handy, you get a mostly-warm, lush sound at lower notes up to a piercing shriek at higher registers.
Sonic evaluation: Crate BV120H/Crate 100W 4x12" Combo; Vox Wah-Wah pedal; Ibanez TS7; Digitech Metal Master. Pickups would be better in an alder-bodied axe, they're a little out-of-place in a mahogany-bodied guitar. However, if I EQ the Crate right (and I don't even need either pedal) then I can get a very warm Marshall-ish sound like Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, or new-style AC/DC rip-offs Jet (seriously...most of their riffs were from a boxful of notebooks of "tired riffs" made by Angus Young and sold to Jet in a yard sale of sorts). I also have a Crate BFX15 15W bass amp, and if I use the TS7 with this amp, I get a very Zep-ish sound with emphasized bass and low-end. Since reading reviews about how good Mesa/Boogie's sound with pickups very similar in sound to EMG's, I plan on getting a M/B Triple Rectifier Triple Channel head with Marshall, Crate, or M/B 4x12" or maybe 2x15" cabinet.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Pickups go well in either position; Hetfield (Metallica) and King (Slayer) use 81's in both, but on much "hotter" guitars--no mahogany! For a warmer, more classic sound, use these in a mahogany-bodied guitar--Zakk Wylde uses a Les Paul, but still gets a very good sound with these pickups. It's a lot more about what amp you have than what your guitar is.

Comments: I've been playing about 2 1/2 years, not terribly much but I like to think I've covered a lot of ground in the rock/metal genre. This pickup crunches very well and retains plenty of note definition even at extreme distortion levels, but it comes nowhere close to being as good as the EMG-85 when played clean. The two balance perfectly in a two-humbucker guitar, place the pup selector switch in the middle and use both volume and tone knobs to fully customize the sound you want. These pickups are awesome, you can really get pretty much any sound you want out of them, and if you're searching for some particular, arcane sound, buy these pickups and then just demo a lot of different amps. I live by active California-made EMG's now and will never use anything else.

Pickup features: acive humbuckers
Impedence or other specs: see previous reviews

Model of guitar or bass: RG 2620
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: breed dimarzio DP165
Other pickups on guitar: emg 85 bridge position
Artists using this pickup: huge list from metallica to slayer
You musical style(s): metal, progressive, funk....
Reason for pickup change: although breed PUs do wonder ful job on my esp guitar (alder body), they do not suit with the ibanez model I have.

Perceived output level: hot but not that hot in neck position, ideal for multipurposes
Tone: Wonderful, really balanced due to my gear set up I guess.
Sonic evaluation: I plug my guitar on a Pod XT 2.0 version (this last update gives at last a significant enhancment for the overall sound)which is connected to a laney combo TFX 320.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: this pick up is far more flexible than it was said in ealier reviews. You can have tasteful sound with a clear sound, enjoy funk syncop. However you need to have a configuration gear which is good otherwise this "baby" would not offer you all its capability. Active rules,especially in live!!!

Comments: This PU is fantastic. There is no "add-on" like other PU which gives you more than you desserve. It gives geat overall clarity. I do not recommend this Pu for beginners or for person who are not good enough in technics because all your defects will be multiplied with this pu, no way to hide them!!! But for others playes, it is like a paradise!!!! Quiet, smooth, no bright tone (in neck position), perfect for rusty cooley licks. For one time, I can really play fast without noise, every note is clearly distinguished and sing by itself without yelling or "overllaping" other notes.
Combined with EMG 85 you can turn into blues or arpeggios.For the moment I do prefer clear sound from EMG than Dimarzio Pu I have previously installed.
Try this PU in your configuration first because the subjective features I mentionned may diseappear with your gear.
Definetely , this PU appears to be not cold ( except for unappropriate configurations or for beginners), smooth and with a terrific tone. Why others companies do not try to developp active PU? Bass guitar are more desserved than guitar ones in this case (who says in advance?).
I play for 14-15 years and I teach guitar technics since 2003.

Pickup features: humbucker (active)
Impedence or other specs: ?

Model of guitar or bass: Dean Avalanche (strat copy)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Duncan Distortion
Other pickups on guitar: stock single coils
Artists using this pickup: lots, but who cares?! you should use it because someone else is
You musical style(s): classic metal, classic rock n roll
Reason for pickup change: I was hoping to find a more "alive" sound.

Perceived output level: extreme. I dont know technical info, but it is very hot.
Tone: MIDS, MIDS, MIDS!!! and nothing else!
Sonic evaluation: Ive used these pickups while playing a variety of amps including Marshall and Peavey. Its great for new school metal, but not much else. These pickups seem to take the life out of the sound.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup is only useful if you play new metal. other than that, check out dimarzio.

Comments: the goods: this pickup takes all of the effort out of playing. it has very sharp pick attack and sounds great with distortion. they are extremely easy to install and will most likely last for a long-ass time. also, harmonics leap off of the fretboard.
The bads: the low end and high end are sacrificed. I was looking for a great solo voicing and this wasnt it. they have to take batteries (which isnt really a big deal, i just dont like knowing my guitar is only as good as the 9V within it.) also, it makes the clean channel sound lifeless. bottom line... check out Dimarzio (bad-ass).

Pickup features: humbucking Active
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez js 1000
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Bill lawrence L500XL(Best pickup in the world!)
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: zakk wylde, metallica etc
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change: Wanted to try an active(have always been a passive user). It sounded good on the website.

Perceived output level: ULTRA HOT(very noisy on stage with lot of static)
Tone: trebly (aint worth the money)- so bloody overrated
Sonic evaluation: Guitar- Ibanez Js1000
Amp- 5150
effects- Complete analog setup

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Testament,Satch, Death, Friedman, Chris poland

Comments: I am serious, this is probably the worst pickup I have played. SO BLOODY OVERRATED! I personally love smooth flowing solos(i mean melodic with a touch of heaviness) and a really heavy clear rhythm. This does not serve my purpose. Have been playing metal for 16yrs and I have never come across a noisier pickup than this.
Comin back, u cannot gig with this coz it feedbacks like crazy. A small pause and it screams.
Kirk Hammett has probably the worst tone in the world and this pickup is the reason for it. DON NOT BUY THIS!
Go for a Bill Lawrence L500XL. Has great output, great tone and aint noisy one bit.

Pickup features: ACTIVE HUMBUCKING PICKUP
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: LTD E C 400
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: NONE
Other pickups on guitar: just the emgs
Artists using this pickup: ZACH WYLDE< METTALICA< NICKELBACK, ATREYU
You musical style(s): I play all styles besides country because i hate country music
Reason for pickup change: I BOUGHT AND ESP GUITAR JUST SO I COULD HAVE A MAHOGANY BODY WITH THESE PUPS

Perceived output level: they are very hot giving a tube amp a good enough push for that mettalica sound
Tone: very trebly but tone can be changed simply by changing the settings on your amplifier
Sonic evaluation: As of right now I am playing out of and ESP EC 400. I am running this into a marshal JCM 2000 DSL 100.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play everything from blues, metal, nu metal, hardcore,reggae,hardrock

Comments: I AM GOING TO KEEP THIS REVIEW SHORT AND TO THE POINT.
IF THIS PICKUP WAS STOLEN I WOULD MOST DEFINITELY PURCHASE IT AGAIN. I CANT STRESS HOW GOOD IT IS FOR THE LEAD HARD ROCK OR METAL GUITARIST.
I HAVE BEEN PLAYING FOR SEVEN YEARS VERY SERIOUSLY AND I OWN A MARSHAL JCM 2000, A BASIC RACK SETUP AND SOME CRAPPY EPIPHONE GUITARS.
THIS IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE PICKUP BUT I WOULD STILL LIKE TO TRY THE 85. THIS PICKUP SOUNDS VERY VERY CLEAR AND IF YOU PLAY WITH GOOD TECHNIQUE AND ATTACK IT WILL DO YOU WONDERS. FOR PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT THINK GIBSON PICKUPS ARE GOING TO BE SO MUCH BETTER, AND YOU ALSO PLAY HARDROCK I SUGGEST YOU TRY THESE OUT. THEY ARE DEFINITELY AS GOOD AND BETTER FOR MY TASTES THE ONLY THING IS THAT THEY MIGHT JUST BE TOO HEAVY FOR YOU AND THEY ARENT AS WARM. THIS IS NOT WHY PEOPLE BUY EMGS THOUGH.
AS FAR AS BAD CLEAN TONES..... THIS IS THE MAIN REASON I WROTE A REVIEW. IT DOES NOT HAVE A VINTAGE CLEAN SOUND BUT IF YOU ARE DOUBTING GETTING THIS PICKUP BECAUSE OF THIS I SAY YOU NEED TO TRY IT FIRST. IF YOU USE GOOD TECHNIQUE AND PLAY CLEARLY THE NOTES RING LIKE A DREAM AND YOU CAN REALLY PLAY SOME BEAUTIFUL MELODIES YOU JUST HAVE TO APPROACH YOUR STRUMMING A CERTAIN WAY, NOT TO HARD NOT TO SOFT AND YOU WILL BE AMAZED. GO TRY ONE OUT YOU WILL SEE WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT

Pickup features: active humbucker
Impedence or other specs: low

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez S serie 470
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: standard ibanez humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: standard ibanez single coil (middle) and humbucker (neck)
Artists using this pickup: a lot of people
You musical style(s): metal (black/death/trash/gore)
Reason for pickup change: i bought recently a new head, a Marshall JCM 900 4100 and i didn t get the distortion i wanted using simply the head without any effect. It was only not enough loud on the overdrive channel for what i play. So before getting in expensive modifications on the head, i just tried it with an active pickup first. My whole opinion on the amp just changed at the exact moment i plugged the EMG-81 in the guitar, THIS PICK UP SOUND AWSOME. There's just not enought words in the dictionnary to explain how great it is...

Perceived output level: LOUD, LOUD, and again, LOUD as hell. The pre amp in the pick up sound incredibly clear .
Tone: The whole thing is pretty well balanced, some will say that the clean suck, but i like it that way, a bit trebly. And anyway if you want more tone on the clean channel, buy a EMG-85 to plug at the neck pick up position. Nothing to say about distortion, coz this baby is ALL ABOUT distortion.
Sonic evaluation: As i said earlier i m using this pick up on a ibanez S serie (bridge position)plugged directly in a Marshall JCM 900 head hi-gain dual reverb and a randall 4X12 cabinet loaded with celestions G12T-80 and it just fits great to my style which is mostly metal. The distortion is LOUD, what can i say more? You could use it without any pre-amp and this baby will scream out loud. This pick up isn t for everybody i suggest you try it on your own gear before buying it.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Defenatly at bridge position and to use for extrem distortion only

Comments: If it were stolen or lost (even if i can t figure how somebody could loose a pick up while he s using it on his guitar, anyway....) i ll probably want to kill the thief, and after this litlle crisis, i ll run to the store to buy another one for sure. I ve been playin for around 10 years by now and i ve owned a couple of amps, guitars, and effects and i ve never find anything that get closer from the perfect tone and sound as the EMG-81 for my style. I m plenty satisfied with this piece of gear but i still have problems to fit the battery inside the thin body of my ibanez S (something Ibanez should think about) but that s not reliable to the pick up itself. It s close to be a 10 but hey, perfection isn t part of this world.

Pickup features: Active humbucker
Impedence or other specs: dont now dont care

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson dr-3
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: duncan designed
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 60
Artists using this pickup: Slipknot,Machinehead,Zakk Wylde,even chubby Michael Romeo of Symphony -x
You musical style(s): Trash death metal
Reason for pickup change: I wanted the EMG sound

Perceived output level: Hot,but not too hot.,cant really compare
Tone: Trebbly, and upper midy,great for downtuning.very clear
Sonic evaluation: My guitar is made out of mahogany and i tune to C;i think the wood affects the choice of pickups allot,i would never put an 81 on a guitar that is made out of a light wood such as alder ,poplar ot maple(maybe an 85).I love the tone i get.I use it with a J-station amp modeler going to a PA.My friend thought we had a bass player when he heard us but it was just me and the drummer,i turn the bass on the J way up and i get incredible palm mutes,definition and growl.People say the are sterile and metallic .And the answer is yes ,yes and yes.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: For hi-gain metal these pickups are the best,rock,blues,etc. look elsewhere

Comments: Either you like em or you dont!take a listen to bands that use it and the decide..
i am currently building a custom guitar and i am going to have only 1 pickup............. yeah,you guessed it..................EMG81!!!
If it were stolen i would buy a sawed of shotgun and find the *!?*&%#&*!!!If you like tatoos,piercings,Jagermeister and grouppies and of course metal then this is the pickup for you.If your a pussy go buy some di*dos and be all sensitive and shit!!!

Pickup features: Active Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson SG Standard
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Alnico passive (Stock)
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Eighteen Visions, Finch, Metallica, MPB
You musical style(s): Metal, Punk, Metalcore etc
Reason for pickup change: Wanted something a little different. Made MY guitar MINE!

Perceived output level: Seems a little more than the stock pickup's. It's powerful but in a sharper way than passive pick -ups. (less airy)
Tone: Middy at first but after a play around, it covers a range.
Sonic evaluation: I use a Gibson SG Standard through a Marshall AVT 150 stack. I also sometimes go through Line 6 POD on the rectifier setting. Am currently shopping for MESA triple rectifier As I feel that this will truly push the tone of these things. When I first fit these pickups I was very happy. At my first band practice and when cranked through a half stack in the studio, I started to miss the passive tone as it seemed to provide more of a full sound. After playing around with my settings (essential!)I am once again very happy with the pickup. There is tons of tone waiting to be let out and a little patience as well as some fiddling and you soon realise the capabilities of these pickups. The first thing you notice is the silence. No unwanted noise even at gain 10. They have a sharp underbite as well as a distant rasp to them. The clarity even at high volumes is immense thus the reason for the MESA and playing passive afterwards can seem messy at first.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play metal/punk/ metalcore music. Think 36 Crazyfists, Eighteen Visions. These pickups suit that style very well as you get all the flavour of passive but with added clarity. I wouldn't, despite what others have said, buy these pickups for just clean playing. They are OK for a bit of clean here and there but it lacks the rank - a - chank of passives. Maybe I just need to play around more. I have these fitted in both neck and bridge and they give a nice clean (not sterile!!!!) tone in both. Friends advised me not to change my "precious" passives on my "classic" guitar but forget that! This is my guitar and my tone! I want something a little different! One shop even told me that two 81's wasn't possible, That they would sound awful, ahem Hammett?!?!. BOLLOCKS! They sound great.

Comments: If these were destroyed I would replace them, I would like to try SD's at some stage but these are the buiseness for now. I have been playing 7 years and own several guitars so I have the passive sound if I want it. The sound on High gain is immense and they eat down tuninig for breakfast. Great clarity and they look awesome! I would have liked more from the clean sound but honestly that's not why I bought them. If I play around with the clean settings then I'm sure i'll get there. I am very satisfied and I think that most guitarists will never truly find "that sound" as it changes all the time. For now this is that sound! Get these if you think you want to play at high gain and get the bite and clarity. DOn't expect them to completely re invent you as a player. These pickups are hot but I like the way they keep some subtle passive qualities. The one piece of advice I would like to share with anyone thinking off installing these pickups is do your HOMEWORK! I fit these myself, Quite a task! (7 hours!But I now have a deeper understanding of my guitar) The SG wasn't designed to take these and it got quite disheartening at times. The back plate was a problem when fitting the battery in and the spring in the brigde was too long (cut it in half) the closer to the strings the better the sound (they aren't magnetic). The biggest problem was the new "stereo" jack input. It wasn't long enough and I had to leave a washer out. It's all good now though. Take it in to be fitted, if you have a trustworthy guitar store nearby. I don't! I give them a nine! cos if it were a ten it would be perfection and nothing is!

Pickup features: Active Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: its active... enough said

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson SLSMG
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: EMG HZ-3
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 85
Artists using this pickup: Me and the people below me
You musical style(s): Hard Rock and Metal
Reason for pickup change: HZ's suck ass!!

Perceived output level: Hot as Hell
Tone: Balanced with High Gain
Sonic evaluation: I use a Crate GFX 212 as a cab but run the following through it: ada mp-1,Behringer virtualizer pro, alesis meq-230, BBE sonic Maximizer, DBX compressor.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play Metal and Hard Rock music which this pickup does wonder for me, its best in bridge as the 85 is also great with it in the neck position.

Comments: I wouldn't change to another pickup cuz this pickup does wonders for my SLSMG. I've been playing for 8 years and notice how well this pickup has surpassed the Dimarzio X2N that I used to have on my first guitar. I own a DK27 that has Duncan's in it and man the emgs blow it the fuck away. I love how my harmonic squeals rip through the mix and also they work well with effects which is a plus for me. Im going to have Karosa Guitars build me a custom guitar and Im still wondering if I should stick with the emg's or try something new like the bill lawrence L-500XL.