EMG 81

Pickup features: Active humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: US Masters Artist
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock pickup
Other pickups on guitar: EMG-SA
Artists using this pickup: Metallica, Slayer, Zakk Wylde, metal heads around the world...
You musical style(s): Rock/hair metal/speed metal/thrash/death/black
Reason for pickup change: wanted something with a beefier and more precise tone than the stock pups

Perceived output level: very hot...will overload some pedals if you're not careful about your guitar's volume
Tone: I found it to be balanced..it can sound very different depending on your setup
Sonic evaluation: I'm playing through a US Masters Artist guitar (ps--check out these guitars!) into a Radial Tonebone Hot British tube distortion pedal --> various effects units-->Roland JC-120H (this is the head version of the well-know Roland Jazz Chorus 2X12 combo)-->Kustom tuck-n-roll 4X12 (original Jensen 50watt speakers in it)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Play a variety of rock and metal, anything from hair-band stuff to death and in between, also like to play spacey clean stuff ala Satriani. I'm very happy with my overall sound. With the right amp, I can get beautiful and heavy tones out of my guitar.

Comments: If I somehow lost this pick-up, or even worse, destroyed it, I would probably replace it. I've heard very good things about both Dimarzio and Seymore Duncan pickups, but I just don't know how they could sound much better. However, my one gripe about this pickup is its apparent difference in volume over the active EMG-SA's I have installed...when I go from heavy on the 81 to clean on the SA (at the neck), the drop is pretty noticeable. Minor gripe though, as I can get around it. I've been playing for about 14 years now. I own an ESP F-207 with active EMG 707's, an old Yamaha RG fat strat, and an Ovation Celebrity CS257(an incredible guitar when amplified!), a Vox AD120VTH amp (absolutely killer amp!)
I really enjoy the clarity I can achieve with this pickup. As long as you're using a distortion that allows the nuances of your playing to come through, this pup sounds beautiful. I know how inflated these ratings tend to be on this site, but I'm not kidding about this pickup. It is a seriously good unit that can really make your playing sound more organic. A common concern I've heard about this pickup is its tendency to sound a bit more sterile than others. I'm convinced after spending some time with this pup that the fault lies with the user. It does sound different than any other type of humbucker I've tried. It does take some tweaking and getting used to (particularly the added sustain). The utter noiselessness of this pickup can also fool the ear. I was confounded the first time I plugged in after having it installed. I thought it sounded awful. Turns out, my amp was a big part of the problem, and my eq setting was another problem, and my strings still another. Once installed, your eq settings will have to change to match the character of the 81. You'll begin to hear more of your signal and playing come through. Honestly, folks, the EMG 81 forced me to pay much closer attention to my entire rig and overall sound, and I've become a much better sounding guitar player as a result! Word of warning: watch out for your gain settings! You won't need as much gain to get a good heavy sound. You volume control also will become more important with this pup. At full volume, it can distort your clean tone. Also, the clean tone of this pup, even in the bridge position, is vastly underrated. Don't be fooled by people who tell you that EMG's lack warmth. It's a myth perpetuated by purists with bad ears and an unwillingness to take the proper time to alter their setup. The 81 will give you great tone, but you have to pay attention to how you handle it and how it interacts with your rig.

Pickup features: Active humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Stagg R500
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: some stagg humbucker, that sucked
Other pickups on guitar: one more stagg sucking humbucker
Artists using this pickup: Kirk Hammamet, Wes Borland
You musical style(s): Hard-rovk
Reason for pickup change: My previous humbucker was so bad, so i must have changed it. I couldn't even use my boss DS-1, because of to lot of noises...:( It was so disturbing, even when used noise gate:)

Perceived output level: Sound is very strong...and it's just waiting for your distorted amp, or effect:) It's so nice, it's heaven for your ears!
Tone: Balanced
Sonic evaluation: I'm using my PRS copy guitar Stagg r500 with MARSHALL Valvestate 8280...and it absolutely rocks...even with my guitar:)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play hardrock, like CKY or limpbizkit. I had problems with playing slower ballads:) So I stopped to play it:)

Comments: I'm so glad that I bought it. Now my gear is quite more proffesional that I was in the past. My rock band sound good now. The only disadvantage of usiing active humbucker is that you must have a battery to play...Once playing at the concert i was out of energy in battery and I had to borrow guitar from other guitarist:)

Pickup features: Active humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: BC Rich NJ KKV
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: EMG HZ
Other pickups on guitar: The other stock EMG HZ is still in the neck
Artists using this pickup: Metallica, Slayer, Static-X, and alot of others
You musical style(s): Rock, Hard rock, Metal, anything from soft instrumental to full blown take no prisoners metal.
Reason for pickup change: The stock HZs didn't fit mey needs at all. I couldnt get any kind of tone or sustaine out of them.

Perceived output level: More so than most pickups out there. They're not INSANE, but there isnt much that beats them
Tone: very balanced - The highs are a bit more present, but its very clear
Sonic evaluation: I'm using a Bc Rich NJ model KKV and a Marshall 100hdfx half stack. really I just keep it on the clean tone 24/7 and rely on a DigiTech RP unit for everything I need. Basically Ive found everything I need

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Ive got my own personal style, but I play the heavier stuff most of the time. Megadeth is a personal favorite. The EMG 81 fits this fine. Ive seen it in the neck position also, but I recomend you put it in the bridge cause thats what it does best.

Comments: Ive only had this thing a day and Im very happy with it. I really wanted a DiMarzio Evolution, but if I ever get one of them It'll go in my Dean ML. I actually went to the store to buy a Gibson 500T but they were fresh out so I had to make a second choice. I had always thought about buying an EMG but wasnt sure if it was the best choice. Damn, Im glad the store was out of 500Ts because I love this thing. It is mainly a rock/metal pickup but it fits different styles very nicely. I would recomend that you be fairly experienced if you want this pickup. It is much more sensitive and clear than many passive humbuckers and if you screw up, you and anybody listening will probably be able to notice. Overall a very balanced humbucker. Also keep in mind that it is Active, so you're probably going to have to tweak some settings if you're used to playing with passive pickups. I only had to turn a few things here and there and then I was set. Ill give it a 9 cause it doesnt do the job for EVERY musical style, but for basically any type of rock at all, it fits in very nicely.

Pickup features: Active Humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: ESP EC-1000
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: None
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 81
Artists using this pickup: Whateva
You musical style(s): Lots including metal, hardcore, blues whatever
Reason for pickup change: WOnt change them. Well maybe put in an EMG 85 sometime..

Perceived output level: High output with distinctive clarity
Tone: Id say this pickup is very trebly compared to some passive pickups (Seymour Duncan Invader for example) Personally I would prefer more bass although this amp is very clear but loses some clarity at high levels
Sonic evaluation: I use my ESP EC-1000 with EMG 81's in all positions which then just goes to my Fender Deluxe 85 or my practice Orange Crush 15.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup is a perfect match for the styles of music i like to play. (Heavy music mainly)

Comments: These pickups are very good. I would not say amazing or brilliant but still very very good for a high active humbucker. Quite trebly but can be balanced by simply turning down the tremble on your amp. I've been playing for about 4 years and about 1 year with these pickups. The output is perfect for metal or hardcore music. But it is still quite versatile (not so much as a Fender or single-coils but good enough)

Pickup features: active humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Les Paul Standard
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Gibson 500t
Other pickups on guitar: 490 that's not connected
Artists using this pickup: God Forbid, As I Lay Dying, The Black Dahlia Murder
You musical style(s): metalcore
Reason for pickup change: The 500t was rad, but got mudded up with lower stuff and was feeding back quite a bit too.

Perceived output level: It's hot, but stays clear on everything
Tone: balanced
Sonic evaluation: I'm using the epiphone with the 81 at the bridge straight into a Peavey 5150 and a mesa 4x12. The 81 is only wired to the volume and tone knobs, and nothing else. I still have my old neck pickup in place, but none of the wiring is connected.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Metal, hardcore, 80's cock rock

Comments: If this pickup were destroyed/stolen I'd definitely get another one. I've been playing for 7 years. The only other guitar I use besides my epi with the 81, is a fender telecaster with a hotrails in the bridge. I was worried about what a pain in the ass putting active stuff in my guitar was going to be, but it was relatively painless. Just take your time. If you tune low, and still need clarity, these are the way to go. Just eq your setup right and the 81 sounds awesome.

Pickup features: 9 volt dc active humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez 450dx
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: infinity (ibanez)
Other pickups on guitar: EMG SA (middle) EMG 85 (neck)
Artists using this pickup: see www.emginc.com for EMG's homepage for a list
You musical style(s): rock/metal
Reason for pickup change: Delusional psychosis. But seriously, chances are if you buy a mass produced guitar you are gonna get bad pickups, change those suckers!

Perceived output level: HOT pickup, to the point of breaking up in clean mode but not quite.
Tone: Balanced, bright, punchy.
Sonic evaluation: Digitech 2101 -> ADA Microtube 200 -> two 4x12's.
I have a complete section of presets I dialed in for active pickups, they really do respond/sound in a totally different way than passives do. The pickups have a weak magnetic field so you can set them SUPER CLOSE to your strings, the weak signal is then boosted by the battery.
Distortion -> very balanced, all notes ring out when big chords are played, harmonics jump out with the greatest of ease. This pickup is for 80's style metal, you will not get any "wolf" out of these pickups...but you can solo all over the fretboard on -any string- and it won't get muddy, which is the very reason I bought this pickup.
Clean -> who cares? Really though, I always combine pickups (neck-bridge, bridge-middle, middle-neck) for my clean tones, by itself it's ok, much closer to a "Best of both worlds" than you will ever get with a passive pickup.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: if you like to play fast without any trace of mud, slap this puppy in.

Comments: Several other -very- important things...
(1) If you do home recording I'm sure you will notice a horrible static/white noise whenever you get to close to your monitor with passive pickups in your guitar (unless you shield the crap out of them). With active pickups I have almost no noise at all!!
(2) Gonna buy it? Replace all of your pickups if you don't want to do a major rewiring job. EMG Active and (other brand)passive pickups don't work together on the same circuit.
(3) I'm happy with this pickup combination in my guitar. I don't know if EMG has changed their set up as I bought these pickups about six years ago, but they came with the volume and tone pots already wired up...for Les Paul spacing, Ibanez volume and tone pots are spaced farther apart, but being an expert with a soldering iron I had no problem modifying it.
Remember... no -one- pickup does all styles of music "the best". When you read these reviews beware the hype! But ALSO beware the bashers!

Pickup features: Active humbucking
Impedence or other specs: read their website...

Model of guitar or bass: ESP LTD MH-301
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: EMG-HZ H-4
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 60
Artists using this pickup: doh...
You musical style(s): almost every
Reason for pickup change: old PUps sounded DEAD!!!

Perceived output level: Hot (not something to die for...)
Tone: Alive
Sonic evaluation: Rocktron VooDu Valve Online
BBE 362 Sonic Maximizer
Behringer FCB1010
2x12 Combo (various)

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

Comments: I'm sticking with these... clear... high output... phew!!! If I was hot, passive PU, I was jealous... Muddy? NO WAY!!! Alive'n'kicking I'd say! Along with the 81, try 60 in the neck position... WOW!!!

Pickup features: active humbucking
Impedence or other specs: 10 kohm

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Les Paul
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock Gibson 498T
Other pickups on guitar: Gibson 490
Artists using this pickup: don't know...I think the two guitar players in this famous heavy metal band...what was name again??
You musical style(s): many different, let's name it fusion
Reason for pickup change: wanted to try something new, check out the hyped product

Perceived output level: not as hot as many people here claim, about as hot as the stock passive Gibson. Against the opinion of many other people here, I am 100 % sure that the output level only perceived louder at high gain because the pickup has a much different frequency response than a regular passive pickup.
Tone: sounds very balanced, definitely different from the original Gibson. The clean is very transparent, it seems to be a little less shiny and silky but it has its qualities and also it DID NOT overdrive the clean channel of my amp. At middle distortion I was surprised how good they actually sound with my main amp, a Hughes & Kettner Triamp. Even though I have 6L6 tubes in it, I got this true AC/DC-sound that I was just unable to achieve with my old pickup and the american-style tubes. It just has this treble punch that was incredible to me. Turning up the gain farther up showed me how much bite this pickup has. I usually play with the gain on 10 but for the EMG and the music I mainly play it was a lot too much so I had to turn it down. Not because it sounded bad or because the pickup's output made my amp burst but it was too clear and dominant, again great dynamics and treble. The low end sounds very clear either. It's amazing for high-gain leads because it just cuts through and has a lot of bite.
Sonic evaluation: My main guitar is a Gibson Les Paul. It's played through a BOSS Wah, an Ibanez Chorus into a Hughes & Kettner Triamp (an amazing amplifier) with a rack-mount digital delay in the serial effects loop. The amp is connected to a heavy Orange 4x12 cabinet with vintage 30 speakers.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: As said before, I play all kinds of music, well maybe except for free jazz, with a great amp that really allows you to tweak your sound the way you want it to, you have a huge range of possibilities with this pickup. It's especially great for the heavy stuff I play.

Comments: I've been playing for almost 8 years and I've heard quite a few different setups. I'm still in search for the ultimate sound, knowing I will never be able to achieve it. That is because I'm not stuck with one type of music and don't need THAT special sound. What I need is a great and flexible sound overall and this pickup can cover anything you want to make out of it. You just have to know how to set your amp. What is not true about the pickup is the legend that it's noiseless (it does have a little less hum than the other passive pickup in my guitar but then it puts out slight hiss if you turn the gain all the way up). Also it does not deliver INSANE amounts of output. As I said, I am 100 % sure about that because I adjusted the string distance of the EMG to be exactly the same as I used to have it with my Gibson stock pickup. The result was unexpected: The neck pickup was still a lot louder (I prefer it to be louder) than my newly built-in active EMG 81. Also, it DID NOT break up the clean channel on my amp using my regular settings, still super-clean. But as a matter of fact, if you play at high gain levels, the frequency response of this pickup gives you the impression that your amp distorts heavier than with passive pickups. The sound has more bite and punch to it, it's more aggressive, more edgy but at the same time very defined and clear. I might not be as hysterical about the EMG as many people in this forum because the Gibson pickup I replaced has a lot of output and great tone itself but also because after using it I can't see why there is such a hype about them. I wouldn't say my guitar sounds better or worse than before, just different. Tone remains a matter of taste, don't believe people that tell you this thing or another is 7th heaven.

Pickup features: Active Humbucking Pickup
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Les Paul Special "Bonneville" (My signature guitar!)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Epiphone Special Stock Humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: Epiphone Special in the neck
Artists using this pickup: The only ones who matter: Kerry King and Zakk Wylde
You musical style(s): Metal/ Southern Metal
Reason for pickup change: The Epiphone pickups sounded okay but got muddy with age and play.

Perceived output level: Very very high output. The right amount of attack without clarity loss.
Tone: This thing is the perfect pickup for anybody. I get good blues sounds with this thing as well. Many, many tones can be accomplished with the 81. It's really incredible.
Sonic evaluation: I use Epiphone Les Pauls (I know Gibson owns Epiphone but I want to be different and root for the underdogs!) with BOSS pedals and Randall amps. This pickup kills on any setup.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Perfect match for my tone. This pickup is only for the bridge.

Comments: If it were stolen, I'd buy another one. These pickups can be costly but they're worth every penny.

Pickup features: Active Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez SA360EX Limited Edition
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock Duncan Designed Humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: 2 Duncan Designed Single Coils
Artists using this pickup: Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield, Kerry King, to name a few
You musical style(s): Metal, Punk Rock, Rock.
Reason for pickup change: Wanted improved clarity sustain and smoothness

Perceived output level: Because of all the hype, it was not as hot as I expected. However after a couple of days use I am beginning to appreciate the big difference in clarity the EMG has given me. Really, really smooth distortion which was what I was primarily looking for.
Tone: It needed very little EQ adjustments on my amp/FX setup, and it seems very balanced with lots of low end and middle.
Sonic evaluation: Using an Ibanez SA360EX Limited Edition guitar, into a Jim Dunlop original Crybaby, to a Boss DS-2, to a Behringer V-Tone GMX212. I have used this setup live with excellent results. The EMG really cuts through the mix when needed.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: It suits my musical tastes very well.

Comments: I would put another one in my second guitar if I had one. I have been playing for 2 1/2 years and this pickup has finished my search for tone for now. I would recommend buying a 2x12 amp before going with this pickup otherwise it may seem too trebly, and you will no benefit as much from the improvement it makes. Bottom line is this is a great pickup, and all those who have slated it either did not do enough investigation of the musical styles it is suited to or are using poor amplification. Another point I would like to make is do not expect this pickup to make you sound like Kirk Hammett if you are using a Marshall MG15 and a ?100 starter guitar.