EMG 81

Pickup features: Active Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Bleh bleh bleh

Model of guitar or bass: Kramer 1988 Focus 4000 (RR with Floyd Rose)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: None
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup: Children of Bodom, Shadows Fall
You musical style(s): Metal, metal, and some more metal
Reason for pickup change: Needed a pickup in the first place

Perceived output level: High
Tone: More treble than anything else, but also lots of mids
Sonic evaluation: My gear blows, but this pickup is the only thing that allows me to play the shit I want to play. Harmonics fly out of it, and the tone is 110% balanced. I keep my gain down a few notches compared to using DiMarzios/Duncans. The transistions from rhythm to lead is so smooth, it's like you have Dave Mustaine's tone and Paul Gilbert's solo tone in the same pickup.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Now how would I know that?

Comments: Everything about it rules. Too bad there's not an 11. I've heard some people saying that you'd have to change the battery in it a lot, not true. The site says if you play 8 hours a day, you're set for a year, and it's true.

Pickup features: Active HB
Impedence or other specs: ??? im not good with this stuff on active electronics

Model of guitar or bass: Peavey V-Type EXP
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stocl passive ceramic
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 60
Artists using this pickup: Tons, from all spectrums of music.
You musical style(s): Metal, Blues, Experimental, Classical, Shred
Reason for pickup change: stock Pups lacked dynamics, tone, and harmonic response

Perceived output level: its pretty hot, but i have heard hotter in passive
Tone: clear, emphasis on the upper end, and harmonics
Sonic evaluation: Depending on my mood and time of day depends on what I use. I have 4 amps that I use it with on a regular basis: Crate Blue Voodoo 60w combo, Kalamazoo Model Two (really old all tube amp from the 60s i think), Roland Micro Cube, and a Fender Studio Lead. I also use any combination of effects consiting of: an MXR Dyna Comp, Boss Metalzone, H@O Liquid Chorus and Echo, and Ibanez Weeping Demon Wha Wha. How ever, i do like to plug directly in too, depends on my mood. This Pup is very dynamic and clear, but it still packs some punch. I also have 2 Jacksons. A dinky with a DiMarzio Tone Zone in the bridge and an SL3 with the stock Duncan JB in the bridge. The 81 has more balls than the JB but a much more balanced tone. However my Tone Zone whoops the 81 when it comes to output.
I thought that i had put in an old battery at first but then I read that active Pups distort w/ a drained battery. it also sonded really thin at first. I went onto the EMG website and read up on thier Pups a bit. i learned that they are rated at 27 volts and that if you add and extra 9 volt in series it will add some more to the bottom end, out put and clarity. They werent lying, it made a world of difference. It honestly sounded weak and thin before the change for what I thought it should be. The Tone Zone still has more out put, but it has a different flavor to it. Much more vintage sounding and a bit muddy at times. The 81 sings and accentuates every aspect of your playing.
In other words this is not the pickup you want to start with, it is the one you want to hone in on your skills with. It is very smooth clear and will show all of your nuances and all of your faults aswell. If you do a sweep and you don't quite hit a string right or with the right preasure, you hear it, and it almost hurts to have bad technique. In fact i never realized i had bad technique till after i got this Pup, but it has helped me fix that too by allowing me to hear what I was doing wrong. You will either learn to have good technique or you will get rid of this pick up.
1 thing i have noticed that alot of people dont mention is that you have to find the right strings for EMGs, more so than any other Pup i have ever used. Since they pick up every thing going on with the strings you have to find the right brand and gauge for your guitar, your style, and your technique. You also have to keep them clean. I won't say what I use bc What I like will Probably be totally different to what you want.
Onto the amps and effects and how it reacts with them. It likes the Blue Voodoo the best. The clean channel remains that untill very late, around 8 or so it just starts to clip a lil. I havent tried with the Duncan but the Tone zone starts to make it clip around 6.5. Maybe it is the overwhelming mids coming out of it? It sounds very good for a bridge bucker on clean, which isnt saying much. (i did try it in the neck for like a week, it was odd tonally. I recomend against this. The 60 in the bridge was the best shred Pup ever though) The Lead channel it really lets loose. If you arent familiar with the Blue Voodoo, it is kinda like a Boogie tonally, but i have EL34s in it so mine is like a Marshall Boogie (ha ha ha!) It gets some awesome tones just about every where on the knobs, especially with the "boost" on (it is a boost in the mids before it hits the drive section, idk how it works but it sounds more full this way, even wit the gain down) I can get any thing from blues to black metal, and every where inbetween. The Kalamazoo is kind of indifferent to it either way. clips around 4 (it is a very low wattage class A amp designed for vintage Pups.) It gets a decent vintage blues tone, but not as good as the DiMarzios or the Duncans. After all Active Pups weren't even thought of at the time it was built. The Fender hates all of my guitars unles

Comments: I would definately but this again. I wish it had a way to coil tap and link in parralell though :-/ The 89 has a SC and HB in it and you can switch between, but the HB is much more like the 85, which is good, but more suited to classic tones than the 81 I feel. I am going to put 1 in my SL3 when i get some spare cash. I am very satisfied with the 81, it does what I want it to, especially after hooking it up in an 18 volt configuration. it helps me get some of "those sounds" you can't have just 1 sound after all, where is the fun in that. ohh it matches very VERY well with the 60, please see my review on that. any questions, feel free to email me. i can also send sound clips if wanted.

Pickup features: Active Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson DK2S
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Duncan designed stock pickups
Other pickups on guitar: Duncan designed single coil
Artists using this pickup: Slayer, Zakk Wylde, and a shitload of other metal bands...
You musical style(s): Metal, blues, and jazz
Reason for pickup change: I couldn't stand the low output of my old pickups so I needed a change and heard that an EMG is what I needed.

Perceived output level: An EMG definitely delivered what it promised. PLENTY OF OUTPUT!!!
Tone: Extremely trebly but once you dial in the right settings on your amp, you can get an amazing sound.
Sonic evaluation: I wanted this pickup for my "metal guitar". If you play a style that requires you to play without distortion, stop reading, this pickup is not for you!!! Simply put, this thing sounds like ass when it's on the clean channel, it's strictly geared towards a heavily distorted rig. Now that we got that out of the way, metal guitarists will love this thing. I'm running my guitar into an all tube Carvin MTS3200. When I first plugged it in, i never thought i would say this but there was to much distortion. I actually had to turn down the gain, bring up some bass and bring up the mids (Bass-8, mid-7.5, Treble-8). The result is almost a fucking dream. With most pickups, turning up the bass gives the overall sound bass without much change to the tone. With the EMG, it gives it a really awesome boost to the low end that gives you this rich, full distortion that I've always looked for. So once again, If you need a cleaner distortion, this pickup is for you. Even with all that gain, you can understand every note that you're playing, even with chords! Back to it's downfall though, i have other guitars to play different styles with, if you don't and want to play different style, this thing isn't for you.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Metal, rock.... anything that needs distortion. This pickup was obviously designed for the bridge position but there are a few bands that put it in the neck because they wanted a weird sound so I don't recommend it unless you have some cash to play around with.

Comments: I'm giving it a 10 based on what it was designed for. If I were rating it from a blues or jazz standpoint, it would receive a negative score. I can't stress this enough, it's strictly a metal pickup that can only be used for distorted playing. It's clean and extremely defined. The thing that I love most about it is how responsive it is to tonal changes on the amp. Unlike most pickups, if you slightly turn up or down the bass, mids, or treble, you're gonna hear and feel it. Because of this, you get huge range of tonal possibilities. Hope I was helpful!!!

Pickup features: active humbucker
Impedence or other specs: low impedance

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez SF-470, Hamer Studio Gatasso
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: Ibanez had an 85 in the bridge, I believe both are 81s in the Hamer
Artists using this pickup: See other reviews. The list of endorsers would discourage me from buying this pickup...
You musical style(s): all breeds of rock, lately early country, bop, and early blues
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Hard to tell because the tone is different too; bigger closer to the strings; output is hotter than the average PAF, but not distortion-inducing on all settings
Tone: extremely balanced; very string-y, very articulate. sensitive, but not colorful. kind of sizzly on top of every note. many have said bright; I feel that's true of top frequencies, but there's an overall darkness that i'd guess comes from an emphasized bass but less emphasized low-midrange. punchy but not overwhelming.
Sonic evaluation: My 2nd guitar was an Ibanez SF 470 w/ EMG 81/85s and a single coil. I played that for years, dumped it for a Guild, and recently picked up a Hamer loaded with EMG 81s. I use a Mesa MkIV and Rivera M60, and an old Magnatone Custom 440 for more vintage sounds.
There is a lot of great information in the reviews, but a lot worth skipping too. These pickups are more like microphones than other pups. On clean settings, the acoustics of the strings come through much more so than on passive pickups. You can hear the windings and metal.
There are some pros and cons of these pickups; They emphasize some aspects of your playing really nicely. For example, picking nuances are all there, even at high gain settings and low tunings. Hammer-ons and muting are very percussive and don't pop unpleasantly or lose volume. Legato playing is easy and there's an overall smoothness to the pickups that makes you want to play to them, if you follow me. They bring out the character of the amp in a different way. Distortion has an edge to it, but also is very singing and gliding. They seem to round out every note. What happens differently with these pickups seems to be somewhere in the middle of the frequency spectrum. On a micro level it almost sounds like the notes are scooped. I know there's an active preamp in each pickup, and i'm not sure how they're eq'd, but i'd guess their great clarity comes from cutting some frequencies in the low mid area and boosting the very bottom and top, giving that shape to the notes. I don't know this, and if I'm wrong and they do nothing of the kind, that's still the way I would describe it. I'm *not* saying that you can only get a scooped metal sound from them at all. They're very responsive to amp EQing like any other pickup.
They may change the way you play. They feel and sound different than anything else, and you'll have to tweak your normal settings, possibly your signal chain and even your guitar setup, to find a sweet spot with them. I find that I listen to different things about the guitar when I play with these. Especially on the lead channel, I want to add more vibrato to string bends because of the way the notes ring. They have a very characteristic way of emphasizing harmonics that make pinch harmonics a lot of fun. You can be very selective about which harmonics to bring out by changing your hand position. It sounds like there's more of the fundamental in the harmonics. You can really hear it when tuning by harmonics, they're very pure and easy to identify.
That can be bad if it's just not the sound you like. These pickups are not chimey and full of character. They sound very unlike an alnico pickup. They take out a lot of the overlapping ring and dynamics of passive pickups. This means you hear everything you play and nothing you don't. There's less noise from other strings when doing runs across the board, where on other pickups there might be some lagging ring.
I tend to miss that sound after playing these pickups for a while. They're a lot of fun to shred around on. The 81 in the neck sounds great for leads, unlike the mushy darkness of a PAF. It sounds thick but still defined and grinding. When I sold my Ibanez w/ EMGs and got a Guild with 70s Dimarzios, I missed the EMGs at first. I learned a lot playing on the EMGs and got very used to the sound. I was more focused on technique and speed with active pickups because you can hear everything so clearly, but wit

Comments: This is all a matter of taste, but I wouldn't buy these new and put them in my guitar. I've got a tele with fralins, and the harmonic depth of those pickups is unreal. I've got a set of fralin humbuckers coming, and they've gotten mixed reviews on HC so I'm anxious to see what I think. If I had a guitar to keep setup for the EMGs and detuned, I would. It's a cool sound that I want some of the time, but not the first thing I wish for on a daily basis. If I had that hypothetical rig with EMGs on tap all the time, and someone stole that guitar and I had to choose between active pickups to try and get that sound back, I'd definitely go with the EMGs. I personally would not go with these pickups if you have only one or two guitars and you need something versatile to grow with you as your tastes change. Grab them if you know that you like what they do and wake up wanting to hear that sound. If that's you, I might sell mine... (I'm still debating, but drop a line.)

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: ???hu??? its active and powerfull nuff said

Model of guitar or bass: 2004 B.C. Rich Bronze single humbucker Warlock
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: BCR-6 (Pice of ****less tone)
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup: Just about everyone, Metallica and Nickle back just to name a few
You musical style(s): late 70's, 80's, 90's hard rock, heavy metal and some rockabilly
Reason for pickup change: the BCR-6 isnt even good enough to be shit on.

Perceived output level: Very fucking powerful (touch a string and break you're ear drums)
Tone: Perfect ballence
Sonic evaluation: i have a little pice of shit B.C. Rich 10watt pratice amp(man i wish i had money) and like i said above, a warlock

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: his sucker is perfect for everything unless it requires that tele tone, because this seams a little muddier then a tele but still nice for my style.

Comments: I love this thing, i went from no tone to HOLLY SHIT! Its just great, hitting the strings hard on a clear channel gets very very punchy, but lightly struming sounds nearly as good as good as a single coil, and it has no hum what so ever, its honistly the perfect pickup, i think for death metal the S&D Invader would be better, but for that thin 80's hard rock sound, this is it, the ONLY option.

Pickup features: humbucking/active
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Les Paul Standard
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Gibson USA humbuckers
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Slayer, Shadows Fall, Zakk Wylde
You musical style(s): Mostly metal
Reason for pickup change: I needed something with more bite to it. Since I use straight up Dual Rectifier distortion and no pedals except a tuner I needed a little more boost to my sound.

Perceived output level: High output for the high player
Tone: It's really trebly and middy, not much bass though. But then again the guitar isn't supposed to be bassy, it's supposed to be trebly and middy.
Sonic evaluation: I'm using the pickups in an epiphone Les Paul Standard, plugged straight into a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier which is hooked up to a Behringer Stereo cabinet.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mostly metal, it's perfect if your using the right equipment. Don't think just because you have an EMG in your axe that your going to sound like Kirk Hammett.

Comments: If stolen or destroyed, I would definetely replace the pickups in the same guitar. I've been playing for about 10 years and I use a fat strat with a Dimarzio super distortion in it. I realize these are two different guitars but the Dimarzio sounds like dogshit for the style of music I play compared to the EMG. I'd like to take this time to point out that this pickup is not intended for the player that plugs his guitar into a Boss distortion pedal and runs it into a small combo. This pickup was intended to be used with a guitar plugged straight into a stack using the amp distortion. The pickup has a built in pre-amp to drive your AMP more, NOT your distortion pedal. In fact you can get more treble using a passive pickup guitar and a Boss metalzone (which personally, I think sounds like a digitized piece of garbage). This pickup in combination with my Dual Recto half stack and Les Paul gives me the sound I need and want. NO PEDALS EVER, in my opinion, if your using a distortion pedal to get your sound, you still don't own the right equipment for you, because somewhere out there, there is an all-tube amp and the perfect guitar for you. So go find it. YOu should buy this pickup only if you have the sound you completely desire and your just lookin for that extra bite to it. This pickup will do it.

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.

Pickup features: Active
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass:
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): All
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: same as passive
Tone: tinny
Sonic evaluation: I put this in the bridge pos. of my Kramer Focus 3000. I run a Digitech 2101 into a Mesa Strategy 400 Stereo and 4 Marhsall 412's. The tone is tinny and ugly. I prefer passive.

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

Comments: If it were stolen I would not replace it. I've been playing 25 years

Pickup features: active humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Les Paul Limited
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: stock neck
You musical style(s): metal, mostly
Reason for pickup change: stock pickups had nasty, nasty microphonic feedback problems. And lacked clarity for the amount of distortion I use. (i.e., more than blues, but less than, say, Smashing Pumpkins.)

Perceived output level: hotter than stock, that's for sure. But not by much. The stock open coil pickups on my Explorer put out a lot more than these do.
Tone: I don't know where people get off saying this thing has no bass. It DOES. It's just really tight. I could finally hear my triplets in the end riffs of Metallica's "One". I don't think it's particularly trebly, either.
Sonic evaluation: I run my Les Paul into an ADA MP-1 into the effect loop in of a Roland JC-120. This pickup handles just about anything I throw at it. I can even get a decent AC/DC sound out of it if I roll off the gain and work the mids up a little bit. The clean sound is to die for, especially through the chorus of the Roland (can anyone say Metallica?)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I haven't been able to try it in any position but the bridge, but it's fantastic there. As far as styles of music, I'd say go ahead and try it in whatever you play, and fiddle with your amp until you get it where you like it (as you would do with ANY pickup). It's more than just a metal pickup. Really.

Comments: I've been playing for about 10 years. I have 2 other electrics (a Squier Strat with the EMG DG-20 set, and an Epi Explorer with stock pickups) and an Ibanez acoustic.
This guitar, with this pickup, though, will be my main guitar, probably forever. If lost, I will replace it. No question.
But the best thing about it: it looks so badass. Just one even, black piece of hardware, unassuming, not distracting from the finish of your guitar. :-)

Pickup features: active humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: jackson ke2, alder body neck through
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: SD JB
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 60
Artists using this pickup: Slayer, Metallica ,Six Feet Under, the list goes on....
You musical style(s): brutal metalcore like superjoint or eyehategod, death metal, black metal, thrash metal, PANTERA
Reason for pickup change: heard good things about it (ultimate metal PU ect.)

Perceived output level: so-hot-you-dont-need-an-amp
Tone: extreme trebly and sharp, no bass, weak distortion. sounds very thin and cheap the worst sound i've ever heard
Sonic evaluation: i'm using a ke2 thtrough a marshall jcm 2000 dsl 100
guitar->crybaby->marshall

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i play hard hittin metal and this crap is the worst choice for that

Comments: i'd never buy an emg again they suck. i reinstalled the SDs and am happy. get SDs they got much more balls and are real heavy

Pickup features: active humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson KE2
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Seymour Duncan SH-4 JB
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 60
Artists using this pickup: Metallica, Slayer, Six Feet Under, the list goes on...
You musical style(s): metal... real extreme metal not this nu-metal sh** for whimps
Reason for pickup change: heard good things about it (ultimate metal Pick up etc.)

Perceived output level: The hottest I've ever played
Tone: extreme trebly and harsh and veeeeeeeeeeeery thin. can't get any good palm mutes out of it NO BASS WEAK DISTORTION sterile
Sonic evaluation: Jackson USA KE2 alder body w/ quartersawn maple neck through body and floyd rose bridge
guitar -> dunlop crybaby -> marshall jcm2000 dsl 100 half stack

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i play extreme metal and this pick up is the worst i've ever heard in my whole goddamn life i don't know why people say its good for metal its total crap

Comments: IF SOMEBODY STOLE IT I'D PAY HIM FOR GETTING THAT PIECE OF CRAP AWAY FROM ME! I'D NEVER BUY IT AGAIN. DON'T BUY IT GET A SEYMOUR DUNCAN INSTEAD THEY GOT BALLS GAIN AND CHUNKY PALM MUTES AND ARE CHEAPER

Pickup features: Active Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson SLMG Soloist, Ibanez Sc420, Ibanez mike mushok mmm, SRV strat
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: EMG HZ and Duncan Dimebucker
Other pickups on guitar: 60
Artists using this pickup: Metallica,Slayer,Slipknot,BLS,Shadows Fall, and enough others to if you wrote their names on my dick it would be long enought to strangle and beat a lot of these people that say EMG sucks when they have a Mini Marshall 3 watt piece of shit. Learn how to dial in tone. You cant just throw an EMG in your guitar that had Passive pieces of shit in them and expect them to sound great on your original passive settings.
You musical style(s): Anything Metal, Blues, Classic, Neoclassical: pantera, metallica,srv,bb king,fear factory,zeppelin,floyd,shadows fall,lynch,dream theater,yngwie,all the way to bto and bach motzart beethoven
Reason for pickup change: Active put more sound out without noise.

Perceived output level: ultra hot
Tone: it can do everything
Sonic evaluation: Everything from Bogner Uberschall to Fender tremoverb,mesa rectifiers,marshall 2203 jcm800 and plexi and AVT, Laney VH100R (Great)for the low price,to crate Blue voodoo and it sounds great on all of them. As long as you have an ear for music you can dial in a good tone 90percent of the time

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: metal blue classic neoclassical suitable for all position, although i prfer a 60 on the neck

Comments: Been playin about 16 years now and im completely satisfied. If it were stolen i would kill the person and take it back or run out and get a new one as fast as possible

Pickup features: Active humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Designer Flying V 1987
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Original Gibson Dirty Finger bridge pick up (passive)
Other pickups on guitar: Original Gibson Dirty Finger neck pick up (passive)
Artists using this pickup: Kirk Hammett, Zakk Wylde, Kerry King, Richard Z. Kruspe-Bernstein
You musical style(s): Instrumental Rock, shred, but mostly Metal when I first got it
Reason for pickup change: No reason, came with the guitar!

Perceived output level: Tons of output, think 400 mV pick ups with steroids!
Tone: Very trebly, lots of mids, but not much bass
Sonic evaluation: This is a pretty heavy (mahogany body/neck) Gibson with an ebony fretboard, so it's not likely to turn very trebly. It did with this pick up though! I liked it at first, it gave me the Kerry King tone, not very Hammett with my set up though. The harmonics were ok, but the overall sound kept bothering me. It sounded so pumped and compressed! Very artificial and sterile, so it especially got on my nerves when I started playing more melodic stuff like Megadeth, Savatage, Marty Friedman, George Lynch, Satriani and stuff. It didn't clean up well, it was totally unbalanced and artificial. If you wanna be able to get a good sound out of this thing, you'll need to adjust everything to this pick up. And after you've created that bulletproof rig, I'd suggest trying another guitar or other pick ups and use it on that exact same rig. I'm sure it'll sound terrible with those settings! If you have the money, time and effort to do this, I'd suggest doing it, but for all you others: DON'T! I know Zakk Wylde gets a hell of a sound out of it, but believe it or not, he kinda overpowers it with his rig.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play (Instrumental) Rock most of the time, I already told you about my styles at the Sonic evaluation. I don't think it's suits any position or any guitar for that matter

Comments: If it were broken or something I surely wouldn't buy it again. I'd probably get a Seymour Duncan Distortion or a Custom. I replaced the EMG 81 and it's electronics with the original ones and a Bill Lawrence L500XL. My sound suddenly got character, while still maintaining output. Sure less output, but enough for my liking! The pick up now really corespondents with the tonal woods and sounds beefier, more kicking with better harmonics. I also own a vintage Fender Stratocaster made in the late '60's or early '70's, and an Ibanez RG3120 Prestige with a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge and a DiMarzio Paf Pro in the neck. The Flying V also has a Seymour Duncan George Lynch Screamin' Demon in the neck. I'm completely satisfied with my sound right now. If I were to try another active pick up it would surely be the EMG 85 or 89, these sound much more natural and have more character. Though I don't think I'll be switching to active pick ups during the next decade or so.
If you're a high school kid, looking to impress your classmates with superhard overdriven sounds, so they won't even hear your playing but will just be impressed by you're overdriven sound, get this thing! Most unsuccesful Metal bands turn to this pick up, and I can promise you only 5% are realy musicians, and 10% play music of which you can actually hear the notes. It's up to you!

Pickup features: humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: jackson sl-4
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: alot
You musical style(s): alot
Reason for pickup change: alot

Perceived output level: way too hot
Tone: thin and trebly,no lows, real clear though, almost silent
Sonic evaluation: these are for metal only. they absolutely suck in the neck position

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i play 70's,80's,and 90's metal and hard rock

Comments: i would not buy any emgs again, they are not versatile enough

Pickup features: humbucker, active....blah blah
Impedence or other specs: 10 k ohms?

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Les Paul Limited Edition
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: Emg 85
Artists using this pickup: Fuel, Nickelback, Zakk Wylde,
You musical style(s): Alt. Rock
Reason for pickup change: the never-ending quest for tone. It didn't end here.

Perceived output level: about the same as stock....
Tone: These have tone? Sounded sterile, cold, blah
Sonic evaluation: Using my trusty Les Paul and a Mesa Dual Rectifier, these produced a very blah tone. Almost as if you turned all the mids down, the treble up, and cut out the bass. There is NO BASS!!!! You can hear the low tones, but with the Recto's bass all the way up, it's not enough to please me. If you like Slayer, Mudvayne, and anything with a chainsaw tone to it, then this is your pickup. Don't get me wrong....I like EMG's, but they will not be used in my main guitar. They have a sound all their own, which is hard to put a finger on. Maybe I'll keep them and put them in another guitar....or they might go back up on eBay.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Alt. Rock - that's a big no-no. Metal - Surely!

Comments: Still searching for THAT sound....
Liked my stock EPI's better...so out come the EMG, back in goes the stock...
They might find a home in my old Yamadog (Yamaha)

Pickup features: Active humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: ESP LTD EXP
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Seymour Duncan designed.
Other pickups on guitar: EMG-60
Artists using this pickup: Too many to list
You musical style(s): Metal, blues, classic rock
Reason for pickup change: I kept seeing all the bands I like using the same pickup.

Perceived output level: The output is more than I could get with any passive pickup
Tone: Very controled, with a massive amount of upper and a little decreasing down the scale, less mids than highs, less lows than mids.
Sonic evaluation: I have been using the same ESP LTD EXP through a Line 6 Flextone for the last 6 years now. I am a big fan of using a model of the Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier. Fantastic clarity and punch can be heard. The crunch is expected, but as I have noticed with non-active pickups, under high gain they become sloppy picking up the strings and just abount everything else. The interference on the 81 is somewhat muted and the sound eminating from the guitar is only what I play, nothing else. That is the reason I think a lot of big bands use this pickup, soley for a built in background noise gate. Add to that the great crunch and screaming highs and this is a fantastic pickup.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I like playing metal with this pickup, but I have also found it useful in making a nice dirty southern blues sound with a clean channel in the amp.

Comments: This pickup is defitely a one trick pony. That is fine, as it's trick is fantastic. If I need a nice jazz guitar, I will use my Gibson Les Paul. Anyone buying this pickup for a metallic sound will definetely be satisfied. This is the gold standard in metal/hard rock pickups. If you want to play other styles of music, don't get this. A good thing to know about this pickup is that the battery for the electronics lasts a long time. But just don't forget to change it, or you will end up like my friend who forgot about changing it and the battery melted in the guitar. That was not pleasent to clean up.

Pickup features:
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass:
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level:
Tone:
Sonic evaluation: I just wanted to agree with the guy who wrote the review after mine. You can get TONS of Bass from an 81, if you know how to properly EQ your Amp and/or Modeler/EFX Unit!!!
These Pickups can make ALMOST ANY Amp or Guitar sound GREAT.

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

Comments:

Pickup features: Active Humbucker blah blah
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Various ESP/Ibanez/Gibson guitars i own
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: All stock
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 81
Artists using this pickup: Any serious hi gain user
You musical style(s): Metal/Rock/Anything (session playing)
Reason for pickup change: EMG rules basically the best sounding and clearest pickups available.

Perceived output level: High output
Tone: Balaced, very sharp attack.
Sonic evaluation: Mesa/Boogie Dual rectifier various effects mesa tri-axis, mesa boogie Mark IV, ADA-MP, krank revolution, peavey 5150, marshall Super lead plexi, mesa stereo 50:50 (these are all the amps/pre amps/power amps i've own/have owned if only for a few months in the past few years)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: ALL/ALL if you know how to use AMPS and GUITARS! not that hard!

Comments: I've just had enough of complete rejects bitching about this pickup i use it in all positions and if you know how to EQ your amp you roll down the volume and change the guitars tone you can get beautiful cleans, fat distortion ANYTHING!!!
Some complete reject saying theres no bass a couple of reviews down, have you ever heard of a band called metallica or slipknot? would you say there sound wasn't bassy? get a good set up good speakers (i use V30s) and learn how to eq your dads stereo! These work beautifully with gain are silent and capture your playing style and amps charactor. It sounds gorgeous on the neck with the volume rolled down with a bassy tone, clear, sparkling and fat and perfectly balanced. What do you expect when you play it at full volume through a crap clean channel? its breaks up and sounds driven....thats how gain works you see overloading the preamp! so learn how to use your amp and guitar well and don't expect this pickup to turn your marshall MG15 into a mesa/boogie triple rectifier! OK!

Pickup features: Active Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Tone Control is set at a lower frequency than passive Pups.

Model of guitar or bass: Currently residing in an Ibanez RG550
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: God-Awful Ibanez "A"-series pickups
Other pickups on guitar: EMG "H" model single coil in a Humbucker housing.
Artists using this pickup: If I had a dollar for all the players using it, I could retire at 32
You musical style(s): Dark, Moody, and Gothic Super-Blues.
Reason for pickup change: The guitar had Ibanez pickups; need I really say more?

Perceived output level: Balanced output level. I'm not using tubes, but I hear they overdrive a tube amp nicely.
Tone: Clear, present, and QUIET when not played! Even freq. spectrum
Sonic evaluation: Bought the 81 and the H model to replace bridge and neck pups in a RG550. Run my guitars through an Amp Modeler/Effects Unit, then straight to a 450-watt Carvin FET series Amp. Stereo signal is then routed into two Behringer 4 X 12 Straight Cabs. A simple setup that gets the job done.
I bought the H pickup figuring I would need a single coil sound as well as the Humbucker. The H is lower on the output than the 81, and is really noticeable; not a great match volume-wise, but that's o.k., and here's why:
I can thankfully say that I am done searching for pickups; I've found what I needed in the 81 alone.
I keep my tone knob around 6&1/2 when playing distorted rythm guitar( which is 90% of the time ). When I need a clean tone, I change patches or toggle channels with my Modeler, and turn up the Tone Pot all the way. For a humbucker, the 81 gets a great sound when used for attempting Sparkly clean tones. Just make sure you're clean channel E.Q. is set right, and the 81 will deliver. I just LOVE this pickup, and I do not forsee any changes in my setup any time soon.
GREAT JOB EMG!!!!!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: For Rock and Rock clean tones, you just can't go wrong.

Comments:

Pickup features: active humbucker
Impedence or other specs: dont know

Model of guitar or bass: ESP LTD
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: thousands of metal players
You musical style(s): all
Reason for pickup change: i just wanted to try it in my guitar

Perceived output level: slightly more than a SD invader pickup
Tone: trebly,strerile, no BASS!
Sonic evaluation: it doesnt matter

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i play rock to metal, blues to jazz...everything

Comments: i just have to agree with a previous review by a guy named edward, he?s absolutely right.ok , YOU THINK this is a good metal pickup...but that?s just your opinion.IN MY OPINION,this lacked warmth and tone.too much treble, not enough bass.You?ll sound like everyone else in metal...that?s pretty good if you?re a kid playing in your bedroom,but not for someone who is searching for his own and personal sound...of course it will depend on your rig too , but remember that after the strings it?s where it all starts.if you crave the slipknot or slayer sound ONLY, this is a good pickup for u,but i can?t understand why copy another guys sound, when you can at least try to innovate...but of course...that?s just my opinion.

Pickup features: Humbucker- Active
Impedence or other specs: emg.com

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez RG 2020
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Ibanez
Other pickups on guitar: Emg - 81
Artists using this pickup: Kirk, James, Kerry, Hanneman...
You musical style(s): Heavy Shit
Reason for pickup change: I thought it would be asskicking

Perceived output level: MegaHot (VERY high Output)
Tone: Big Bass, mid mid, mid treble
Sonic evaluation: + mesa Roadking combo+ tc electronic g-major+ rocktron Hush

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: May be it's good if you have a RACK-WALL, Like Metallica had. With my equipment you can hear and Very GOOD hear the ACTIVE disadvantages!! Very Glassy and flat.

Comments: Wanna know how the 81 truly sounds??
listen to Metallicas Master of Puppets(NOT LATER ALBUMS!!!!)
or to Slayer (for instance Diabolus in musica)
you WILL hear the cheapness of the sound!!
After that listen to St. ANger. Can you hear the difference??
The main part of St. Anger was recorded with Les Pauls with PASSIVE electronics. But at all, metallica isn't a good example for 81 Pickups (Don't forget: except MASTER of puppets

Pickup features: Active Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: www.emginc.com will tell you

Model of guitar or bass: ESP F-200 (2002 model)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: EMG-HZ 4
Other pickups on guitar: EMG-60
Artists using this pickup: Pretty much everyone
You musical style(s): Too much to say.
Reason for pickup change: EMG-HZ 4 was a bit flat sounding.

Perceived output level: Hot enough to overdrive my crybaby (ie, smudge too much)
Tone: Beautifully bright, not harsh sounding.
Sonic evaluation: I use an ESP F-200 (2002 model) with either a Peavey BAndit 112 (100watt solidstate amp) or a Laney LC50 (50watt tube amp) either straight into or though my uber-pedalboard. If you really wanna know the full extent of it, email me and I'll send you the full list.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I have many styles. I have only tried it in the bridge position, and it works well there. Would imagine it would be reasonable for the neck.

Comments: This pickup is very bright (in a good way). Problems though. Its too hot for me (adjusted the pickup height to fix that though) and the clean tone is kinda nasty sounding. The clean is very good when coupled with an EMG-60. The harmonics are fantastic, they will satisfy you way more than a good woman (or man, depending on your gender and orientation). I do love this pickup, gives me a fantastic lead sound. Been playing for 3 years (ie, not very good), but I imagine this pickup will be with me for many years to come. It has a nice shiny silver logo as well :)
(gets a 9 because of the nasty clean sound, its a fantastic distortion pickup though)
Email me with any questions

Pickup features: Active humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 3000 hours of battery life

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson DK2S
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Jackson USA J90C
Other pickups on guitar: duncan design single coil middle, sustaniac in neck
Artists using this pickup: Metallica ,Slayer and ME
You musical style(s): Thrash, Speed Metal
Reason for pickup change: Played it in a similar guitar to my jackson and loved it

Perceived output level: You wouldnt want it any hotter
Tone: balanced and tight with a touch more highs and mids
Sonic evaluation: my guitar goes through a Ampeg VH140C head, Genz Benz 4x12 cab,Digitech 256XL,Rocktron 360Hush/Compressor and a Sonic Maximizer. Of course this is a metal setup and the EMG is a metal pickup.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: metal in the range of Metallica to Slayer. perfect for the bridge.

Comments: C his is one of the pickups that anyone in their right mind will buy as many times necessary. Now that its part of my tone its never going to change(at least in the Jackson). The USA J90C pickup that was in it is one of the best passive pickups I ever had(it put alot of seymour duncans to shame) but the EMG was just more alive,sensitive, and more clear. It wasnt a quantum leap from that pickup but defanetly a great buy. The EMG 81,simply put is the pickup if you want to play metal.

Pickup features: Active
Impedence or other specs: see others' submissions

Model of guitar or bass: 96 Jackson Kelly Standard (bridge), 00 King V (neck), 01 Dinky Reverse (bridge)
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: various Duncans
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 60 (Kelly Standard), EMG 89 (V), S/SA/EXG midrange scooper (Dinky)
Artists using this pickup: would be redundant to say
You musical style(s): metal
Reason for pickup change: needed more harmonics, clarity during distortion, sustain.

Perceived output level: probably would have considered them hot if I played with Duncans or Dimarzios a lot, now EMGs, and even Mastertones, just sound average
Tone: middy, very Slayer drone to it. Would like less mids, more response to harmonics
Sonic evaluation: 2000 Carvin MTS3200, BBE Sonic Maximizer in loop

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: European death metal, like In Flames. Sounds more like a Paul when in the neck.

Comments: I've a pretty serious posting of complaints at http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=491557&perpage=20&pagenumber=1. I don't know how people can say anything about harmonics "leaping" off of fretboards, but in my opinion, a decent lead pickup should sustain pinch harmonics as clear and as naturally as natural ones and sustain should be as long as 30 seconds or more. Not so with the 81. I've links to various soundfiles in that thread demonstrating my frustration with the 81. The only reason why I continue using it is because it's better than any passive I've heard. I disagree on the remarks about a terrible clean (although it is pretty sterile),and think that, for what it does, the 60 is a much better clean pickup than the 81 is a "metal" pickup. If you guys think an 81 is hot, then show me how Slayer sustains for 30 seconds or more or how Arch Enemy gets harmonics on every fret on every string. It may be my technique, or my guitars, or my gear, but in my experience, I have to fight the 81 to get a lead tone and must generally resort to a line-in device to get decent sounds or rely on a wah wah pedal's trebling effect to get any kind of response to nuances, tapping, trills, etc.

Pickup features: active humbuckers
Impedence or other specs: hight out put, muddy, and powerful!

Model of guitar or bass: ESP - Ganesa
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: well....u know
You musical style(s): japanese hard metal...and anyother metal style music
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: i have to say..i didn't know that EMG can be so powerful!! be4 i bought this guitar, i heard a lot of ppl saying about thsoe pups, but i was never realli into EMG, these active pups are so hot it would realli blow ur mind away.
Tone: for the 81 it delivers a bright, and a punchy sound that is so loud, it will blow women's cloth off!!! as for the 85, it has a nice worm tone, and a punchier sound.. great for soloin in my opinion...
Sonic evaluation: the ESP goes to a Boss V-Wah - Line 6 DM4 distortion modeler - Ibanez Tube Screamer - DigiTech turbo Flange - Boss CE5 chorus Ensemble - Boss DD5 Digital Delay - Vox Volume pedal - Mesa/Boogie amp (forgot the model #)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i am japanese, so ESP all the way, they make the best quality/look guitar EVER...if u don't believe me go check out the Japanese wed site www.espguitars.co.jp...anyways i listen mainly to japanese metal/rock and i play a lot them...and of course American metal, as well as Rock' n Roll...so these pick ups have wide variety of tones..it is just depend on how u set it up to extend to the pup's full potential

Comments: ..acutally...i bought the guitar the ESP "Ganesa" that came with the set of 81 and 85, the grand total was 506,000 yen, the price is about US $5,060...i bought it in Japan...it is 100% ESP made in japan. However,this review is not about my guitar, its about the pick ups.
like i said...i don think there is any HOT or a everyone-should-get-it pick up out there. overall, pick ups are just tools that help u in order to achieve the tone YOU seek, and more omportantly the tone that BELONGS to YOU...not Kirk, not Zekk...so if you want something that sounds more hardcore, or metallic...then these are the ONEs...but it all depends on how u set up ur other equipments as well as ur guitar...i have heard the 81's sounded worse than the HZ's cuz they weren't set up right to use their full potential...
my guitar has a alder/quilted maple top body, Maple neck w/ Ebony fingerboard...Bolt on...Oringal Floyd Rose, 1 volume, 1 tone, 3 way switch...i think it's a guitar worth of putting the 81 and 85. i absolutly love the guitar cuz it has the sound that i have been searching for a long time plus i have never seen any guitar that is made so sexy and beautiful something u can't find in US. one thing i might point out is that i didn't know Kirk and Zekk and other artists use these pick ups after i got the guitar...i am also a Seymour Duncan pick up lover...so i know some of you out there hates EMG, and some hates SD...i am not goin to argue which is better...but jsut remember...gettin a these pick ups won't take u anywhere close to being Kirk...so if u r thinkgin about gettin either the 81's set or the 81/85 set...make sure u try it out..hear the sound...love the tone...compare the prices...and then decide...thats all i can say about these pick ups...peace!

Pickup features: Active Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Output Impedance 10, Output Noise (dBV) -91, Battery Life (Hours) 3000, 25K ohm pots

Model of guitar or bass: ESP V-350
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Duncan Designed
Other pickups on guitar: Duncan Designed- Neck (to be replaced)
Artists using this pickup: Slayer, Metallica, Zakk Wylde, Dino Cazares (demanufacture) to name a few
You musical style(s): On this guitar, Metal
Reason for pickup change: Needed more attack and clarity

Perceived output level: More hot than passives, passives don't compare
Tone: More trebly than passives
Sonic evaluation: I'm using a ESP v-350 into a Marshall. Totally changed the overall vibe of the guitar. Pickups are more bright and trebly than passives and don't have that warmth/thickness of passives. They have a much better attack and sustain. I also like the clarity it brings when playing with distortion. The pickups are also very quiet.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Mainly Metal. It's excellent for this style if you're looking for clarity and a tighter attack. It's unsuitable for clean guitar work and blues work as it lacks that warmth.

Comments: I've been playing for 10+ years and these are, in my opinion, the best pickups for metal players especially if you're recording, they are quiet. I prefer the vibe of these pickups over invaders and screamin demons. For this style I'm extremely satisfied and this is it for "that" sound for me on the guitar. I'd also like to add that EMG's customer service is superb and helpful.

Pickup features: Active Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez RG470
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Ibanez Stock
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 60
Artists using this pickup: Metallica, Zakk Wylde and every sreious player in the world
You musical style(s): Metal!!!!
Reason for pickup change: Stock Pickups were dead.

Perceived output level: It's an ACTIVE pickup so it has a built-in PREAMP which supplies TONS of output level, so don't give me shit about Gibson 500T or Seymours.
Tone: It's a trebly pickup with blistering tone!!! Just listen to Zakk Wylde, Metallica and you'll understand!!
Sonic evaluation: I am using this pickup o an Ibanez RG470 and I'm planning to add one to my Gibson Les Paul Standard which I'm getting right now!!I plugged it in a Marshall DSL-100 with an 1960A cab with Boss Metalzone and Dunlp Wah-Wah all the way and the pinches of Zakk were piece of cake!!!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play Metal(metallica, megadeth, iced earth, black label society) and rockies(AC/DC, Zeppelin) and it's heaven!!!I use it in the bridge and it's awesome.I believe it's only for the bridge.

Comments: I will buy it for every guitar I am gonna use.I've been playing for 4 years.ITS ACTIVE!!!! It HAS THE BIGGEST OUTPUT, 10 TIMES BIGGER THAN OTHER PICKUPS!!!!

Pickup features: active humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 25K ohm pots

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez SC620 prestige
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock Ibanez pickups
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 81 neck
Artists using this pickup: Richard Z. Kruspe-Bernstein (Rammstein)
You musical style(s): metal / modern metal
Reason for pickup change: wanted to upgrade electronics and heard alot about EMG's.

Perceived output level: pretty high output
Tone: trebly, with fair amount of mids and good bass.
Sonic evaluation: Ibanez SC620 *thin bodied mohagany with flame maple top* with dual EMG-81's into a Mesa Single Rectifier and vintage 30 cab. these pickups sound a little bright and trebly. i have to cut my treble on my amp to about 12 o'clock and the presence at about 9 o'clock otherwise it is just too bright. they have a lot of output and remain clear, but the overall sound a little sterile. the volume and tone pots are very sensitive and reponsive, and seem to taper pretty evenly.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: again i play metal, some Nine Inch Nails, to modern stuff like Mudvayne and tool

Comments: i've been playing about 5 years, and have finally gotton a nice setup that i'm pretty happy with. these are a little too bright and a bit sterile in my opinion, but are still a very good metal pickup. i'm going to keep them around a while longer and play around with them. if they were somehow lost or stolen, i'd prolly try a warmer less bright pickup like maybe some duncans.

Pickup features: Active Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Deluxe Double Fat Strat (Alder Body)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Seymour Duncan JB
Other pickups on guitar: Emg 85
Artists using this pickup: Zakk, Hammet, others
You musical style(s): Blues, Hard Rock, Metal
Reason for pickup change: The JB was very nice but in a strat it can be rather trebly. I was looking for something more capable of getting a bassy sound.

Perceived output level: Fairly Hot, More than the JB
Tone: Trebly, yet very balanced, the bass end is definitely there and mids are cut but not too much. This thing kicks ass!
Sonic evaluation: I'm using a deluxe double fat strat into a korg ax1500 to a fender princeton '65. My guitar sounds f*ckin great now. People say that the clean tone on this thing is bad. Not in my opinion. It was real easy to get a great clean tone, however, i will say that the clean sound can be a little thin though. So Clean is suitable, but distortion is fantastic. You get alot of room to work with, the sound is fat, VERY clear for soloing and can pound out some mean f*ckin riffs. I have tried many pickups (mostly duncans), while most of them were nice, the emg best suits the sound i'm after. This ones staying in for a long time.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mostly metal and hard rock and this thing definitely gets the job done.

Comments: I have been playing for 7 years. I actually have been shopping around for a good set of pickups for a while now and i finally found what i'm looking for. If it were stolen i'd kick that unfortunate person's ass and put it back in my guitar in a second.

Pickup features: humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Strat (made in mexico)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock single coil
Other pickups on guitar: just the two stock bridge postion pickups
Artists using this pickup: Metallica, Zack Wylde
You musical style(s): metalcore
Reason for pickup change: I needed a cleaner crunch sound for muted strumming, and individual notes

Perceived output level: you don't have to try hard to get a big sound out of this. It makes my old strat pickups sound very weak
Tone: Alot of treble- Stephen Carpenter from the deftones uses this- thats about the sound i get from it. listen to the "adrenaline" album
Sonic evaluation: I'm using a fender mexico made strat, through a peavey blaze 110, and also through a fender 112 chorus(older model)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: this pickup sounds pretty close to bands like undying, seven day curse, caliban, autumn to ashes

Comments: I think i would probably get this pickup again if it were stolen. Its definitely the best pickup i've ever played through. I've been playing for almost 8 years, and i own a '72 restored guild acoustic (d50?), a yamaha rgx series electric with george lynch screamin' demon humbuckers, and a dod grunge pedal, that i use for all my distortion needs. The only thing more i want from this pickup is more of a compatability with the sound of bands like lamb of god, and shadows fall. it has more of a cutting deftones sound, whereas the seymour duncan (george lynch) has a more warm sound. Other than that, this pickup is awesome.

Pickup features: Active
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Charvel: Model 4
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Jackson: J-50-BC
Other pickups on guitar: Jackson stock single coils
Artists using this pickup: Mudvayne, Slipknot, Metallica, Ozzy, Slayer, Static-X, and more!
You musical style(s): Heavy Metal, Altrative Rock
Reason for pickup change: I heard alot about the 81 and I figured that I needed a new pickup for this guitar.

Perceived output level: This pickup is WAAAY hotter than any other pickup I have used.
Tone: My other pickup was ALOT more bassy than this one, personaly I think its a little bit too much trebly.
Sonic evaluation: I am using a Spider212 with Dunlop Wah & BOSS TU-2 Tuner, along with a FB4(foot switch).

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Well, its not as chucky as my old pickup, but I do not think that the problem is this pickup, I think its my Floyd Rose set up, I'm gonna play with it a little bit.

Comments: Personaly, I am looking for the Godsmack(Awake) and then Mudvayne(LD50) sound thru a cheap amp, (laughs) so, I got a Recto rip off, now all I wanna do is get my pickup hotter to make it a little bit more hi-gained sounding like so then I can get my chucky plam mutes the way I want them. Kinda like Greed by Godsmack.

Pickup features: humb
Impedence or other specs: specs ...

Model of guitar or bass: Warlock
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: whatever that was (duncan something)
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 85
Artists using this pickup: i dont know
You musical style(s): Blues, metal, alternative
Reason for pickup change: Because i needed high level output

Perceived output level:
Tone: mids and treble
Sonic evaluation: Peavey 5150 combo w/noise gate , volume, and chorus

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

Comments: Great for some leads and mostly rythm crunchy saturated sounds, sucks for clean sounds.
Thats why i got myself a EMG 85 at neck, for nice cleans.
So i give it a 10 for its metal sound, 2 for clean.
I use the EMG 85 for leads and clean for warm bass and lower mids
And by the way, you dont have to waste all the review space with little personnal issues.

Pickup features: humbucker
Impedence or other specs: sheilded/

Model of guitar or bass: 80's model plywood Kramer
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: emg select
Other pickups on guitar: 85 Emg on neck
Artists using this pickup: Hammet, Zack, me
You musical style(s): name one
Reason for pickup change: looking for more more more!

Perceived output level: very hot
Tone: mids/ trebly with a bit of mud
Sonic evaluation: Kramer mid 80s through a Cry baby into a dbx noisegate into a Alesis midverb4 into a kawai eq 8 out of a Crate BlueVoodoo212.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play country to metal

Comments: I would replace if stolen. I have been a guitarist for at least 18 years, I like the way harmonics leap off the fret board. This pick up has a great sound coupled with my cheap plywood guitar. I was going to replace the guitar but could not find a guitar with the same "Kramer" sound. A Emg 81 can alter the sound of your ax but not in a bad way. If you like the voice of your ax go with a less hot pick up. If you like a balls to the wall wail, this is your ticket.

Pickup features: active
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: bc rich warlock, gibson ORIGINAL 61 sg, fender double aft strat (with the floyd rose)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: yet another gibson paf
Other pickups on guitar: gibson paf
Artists using this pickup: too many
You musical style(s): hard rock
Reason for pickup change: took a BOYS opinion

Perceived output level: "HOT"
Tone: "BALANCED"
Sonic evaluation: GUITAR-AMP-PEDALS

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: "GOOD FOR EVERYTHING"

Comments: i just want to add some things to my past review (look for the guy named Edward). listen people, dont get angry with someone just cause they dont like the pickup. mind you these are all OPINIONS! for all you metal wannabes who all have the same stupid guitar sound (emgs and mesa boogies), relax and consider what YOU think about the pickup. so what if someone doesnt like it? its our opinion. im stating this cause some nerd thinks i cant play guitar...lemme tell ya, i aint no 3rd rate malmsteen, and i sure aint no cheap rip off of hammet. emgs are for a specific sound. "metal." not hard rock. i do play metal (anything iron maiden) and i also search for their sound SOMETIMES. but to be successful in the business, you cant have someone elses sound. you cant get famous playing someone elses solo. think about it. if john sykes were to play everyone of jimmy pages solos, someone is gonna notice and say "hey, those are jimmy pages." my point is that im looking for a specific sound too, and emgs are not my way of going. so please, all you dipshits who sit in your room and play guitar with your practice amps dancing around thinking youre kirk hammet, ease up. and remember, these are opinions. if everyone liked the same stuff...well...every other company would go out of business. i took this guys advice about putting the emg in my gibson. lemme tell ya, i take back everything i said...and i will say it again and mean it twice as much. HORSES SHITTING SOUNDS BETTER. dont ever try and confront me thinking youre all tough...emgs....HAH! seymour duncans are way better. I KNOW SEYMOUR DUNCAN, he custom makes my pickups now. listen, i know all you morons like emgs, but dont get on my case. after all...theyre only words!
"we must fight and defend the name of our great leaders! EMG!" i mean cmon, how and why would you defend a pickup. if i hurt someones feelings (somehow your brain is attatched to the humbucker) im sorry. please forgive me. i didnt mean to make you cry. after all your pickup almost made me cry. ive NEVER modded or opened or anything like that my gibson sg. ive owned it for 24 years. i think i accidently stated in my previous review that i had been playing 7 years. i meant 27. so, dont think im new at this stuff. ive owned about 6 guitars, but i sold them because i had to help my nephews out. so i kept it to my best 3. yeah most of you would think "you kept the bc rich? what an idiot!" yeah, but none of you would have known that i had it handmade in here and i watched it get made. its not made of that chesswood or whatever. its made of MAPLE. can we say "expensive"? i paid more for that than i did for my car. (71 boss mustang, orange and black, its beautiful) alright, but anywho, i hate the emg. it sucks to me. may sound good to everyone else, but im not everyone else.

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

Model of guitar or bass: ESP V350
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: EMG HZ H4
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 85
Artists using this pickup: Hetfield, King, Hammett, Borland, slipknot, Wylde
You musical style(s): Rock, Metal, anything!
Reason for pickup change: The EMG HZ H4 pickups were absolutely useless!

Perceived output level: Hot Very good treble cut
Tone: Very well balanced more to the side of screaming treble than bass, crunchy
Sonic evaluation: I'm playing into a Marshall Mode 4 with MF400 Straight cab, Crybaby Wah, Digitech Whammy, Ibanez delay/echo & flanger/Chorus and Boss Advanced EQ20.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I tend to play more metal or rock than anything else and this is an amazing bridge pickup its the most amazing pickup i've ever heard with gain, TURN IT DOWN FOR CLEANS!

Comments: I Love the in your face cut of this pickup its even nice clean its not bassy but just tweek the tone n eq n TURN THE VOLUME DOWN on the pickup and its crystal clear. This pickup practically overdrives itself when turned up! There is NO better rock metal pickup than this, hearing is believing! Good with an EMG85 on neck, the 85 has a lil less treble cut but is massive sounding on the bass and nice clean TURNED DOWN! I've tried EMG, Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, Gibson & at the end of the day EMGs just blow them out of the water! Overall Especially at high gain!

Pickup features: active HB
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Squier stagemaster
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: bust stock pickup
Other pickups on guitar: hehe a nice big gap where an EMG-85s gonna go
Artists using this pickup: Tom morello! woo!
You musical style(s): broad term - 'experimental rock'
Reason for pickup change: bust old pickups. sounded terrible anyway.
needed heavier tone.

Perceived output level: *much* hotter than any stock ive ever tried (but not an EVH stock)
Tone: treble heavy, mid weak.
Sonic evaluation: stagemaster (+EMG) -->Jim dunlop wah --> EH muff reissue --> fender frontman 15

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: sweet for most rock/metal sounds - covers shred and hair metal :D

Comments: if anything happened to it, id have a good look at SD's or dimarzios - i aint played em much
i own a fender strat, one i made (crappy), a squier strat, and a mountain of parts. theres a hohner copy in there somewhere...
i love the distorted tone, but hate the treble. it really needs an 85 to counter it.
i wish the tone control was a tad more flexible,
i have loads of new sounds that i didnt have before. it makes any guitar sound twice its value

Pickup features: Active Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson SL1
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar: 2 EMG SA
Artists using this pickup: who cares who uses them.
You musical style(s): Metalcore
Reason for pickup change: Needed a good metal pickup.

Perceived output level: Very high output pickups, feel like im straining to play louder on my guitars with Passives, to equal the output of the 81.
Tone: Has a very good balanced tone, not to middy, good bass, highs come right through.
Sonic evaluation: I use a 5150 head and cab with 4 Svetlana 6L6GC power tubes and 5 Sovtek 12AX7 preamp tubes. I also have it modified with an adjustable bias to get out of crossover distortion. This pickup screams, i have to turn down my amp when I use this guitar. It has great output, but still remains clear for intricate guitar work, very good sounding.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Metalcore, perfect pickup for the style. This pickup is best in bridge position.

Comments: I'd buy EMG 81 for all of my guitars, and then for the new ones when they were stolen. I've been playing for 8 years. I currently own a Jackson Custom Shop Dinky, a Jackson USA Soloist, a Jackson USA Dinky, a Jackson USA DR2, a flamed koa Warmoth Dinky, and a Neal Moser custom (you guessed it) Dinky. I love how high output it is, it can pick up on the slightest movements, while thats probably not good for begginners, it's great once you know how to play guitar. This pickup is really clear even under heavy distortion. I found that sound, and it's an EMG 81.

Pickup features: Active Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: see: http://www.emginc.com/specs.html#EMG81

Model of guitar or bass: Cort M-500 "Mirage" (love it!)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Mightymite Vintage alnico
Other pickups on guitar: none (for now, will put in a second EMG81 soon)
Artists using this pickup: Kirk Hammet, James Hetfield, etc. etc.
You musical style(s): Heavy Metal/Speed Metal/rock/blues
Reason for pickup change: I recently accuired myself that nice PW-10 v-wah boss makes, and no matter how much I loved my old mightymite, it was never going to scream like this baby does.

Perceived output level: This would be in the so-hot-you-break-sweats-hearing-it, so-hot-your-crowd-gets-scared-by-your-output-they-start-running-during-the-soundcheck-your-roadie-is performing
Tone: This pickup is so versatile by means of tone, not as versatile as you'd like if you are an allroud player. I have never ever seen a pickup that gets affected by the tone knob as much as this. I'v got one pickup in the bridge (read this people...). When turning the knob to 0 it's to bassy to play rythms, when turned to 10 it's almost too hot for soloing. I wondered how the hell kirk hammett got his first ESP signature with one single pickup in the bridge. I was wondering about the rythms & stuff, now I know...
Sonic evaluation: I play this badboy on my cort m-500 (prs-style guitar, cool!) through the boss v-wah and through a tube-emulating solidstate (yeah kinda sucks saying it, but it's a good sound). The distorion is so crispy and sounds so natural. No more tone worries for me, every guitar I have/will have needs the emg's from now on. Superb lead-screams, heavy palm mutes. (I'm actually affraid of my own guitar tone, and wonder what will happen with another pickup in the bridge :))
You will have to adjust your gain settings because the emg distorts more easely that any pickup I've heard.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup is definately a good metal-pickup. Cleans work ok, but I wouldn't recommend them to jazz players and effect guru's.

Comments: Doesn't need to be stolen, Definately gonna get more of those things anyway. After a tone quest for the last 7-8 years of playing I finally found something to rely on. Just lay back and enjoy my tone when playing, it's an awesome feeling. Stock pickups, or even other great pickups didn't give me THAT sound, when playing you always hear a note here or there that doesn't sound crispy enough, hot enough,.. bassy enough... Now I have total control over my tone, the great attack-response of this pickup helps you to shape your tone with a standard distortion... all you have to do is... FEEL IT. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go enjoy some guitar ;) Peace!
btw us-people... your president's a fucking idiot! ;)

Pickup features: Active Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Pickup is coverd for less noise.

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Gothic V
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Gibson 500t
Other pickups on guitar: Gibson 496n
Artists using this pickup: Metallica,Slayer,Machine Head,Dino Cazares.Lots of Metal bands
You musical style(s): Anything Metal except that fake crap.
Reason for pickup change: Always wanted to have a Emg-81 cause of its great sound.

Perceived output level: It didnt totally destroy the 500t in output but theres definatly more.
Tone: Its very thick sounding but has better clearity in the highs than the 500t.
Sonic evaluation: Well I'm using the Gibson V in either a J-station or a Crate Combo with a BBE and Metalzone.And I know how much better my guitar sounds in a amp of higher quality like the Engl Savage120.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: For my style oh yes perfect not much better Ive heard yet.

Comments: For this guitar or any guitar with a Mahogony body Im putting the 81 in them.For its overall clearity in low tuning.And its overall character.For anybody who thinks they cant get good cleans roll your volume down man.If it were Destroyed that would probably be my own fault.But I always keep my guitar in its case when I dont use it.Oh yeah always unplug your guitar when not in use to save battery life.Ive been playing for 3 yrs and Im very satisfied with my guitar now.It definatly helps me in being a better player

Pickup features: humbucking
Impedence or other specs: NO clue BUT F******** HOT

Model of guitar or bass: guitar
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock jackson peace of S***
Other pickups on guitar: EMG 85
Artists using this pickup: Zack,kirt,Mudvayne But not my favort john Pertrucci :(
You musical style(s): Progressive,Metal,Rock
Reason for pickup change: The other stocker sucked

Perceived output level: So hot it makes my guitar Bleed my guitar
Tone: it is verry trebly and not to much bass but just the rite amount :)
Sonic evaluation: My rig OOOOO boy hear it go's A peavey XXX head>Lany 412 loaded with 30's>donlop wah>Boss Flanger>Boss Nosie supressor>into my Shure wire less>in to my guitar!!!!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Progressive,Metal,Rock

Comments: If this was stolen i would cry theni would kick my cat then i would cry somemore and finaly buy a new one. i have ben playing for 12 years and this is the best pickup i played. TYO ALL U DREAM THEATER FANS LET THE SPIRIT CARRY ON!!!!!!!

Pickup features: i dont know
Impedence or other specs: ?

Model of guitar or bass: bc rich custom usa warlock
Position: middle
Pickup being replaced: gibson paf
Other pickups on guitar: sd jazz neck
Artists using this pickup: weird people
You musical style(s): hard rock
Reason for pickup change: wanted to try it

Perceived output level: i thought it would be as said...to be "the best"
Tone: ugly
Sonic evaluation: my axe>ds1(with the mod!)>chorus>phaser>delay>randall head, peavey 4x12. it sounds....not good with everything ive tried. ive tried it with....countless distortion pedals (i never buy an amp for the distortion...what a waste of money), and every wah pedal i use doesnt like it. its too damn...ugly! no mids! too much highs! and....lows that make me look bad on stage!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i play 80's hard rock, classic metal, classic rock....this pickup doesnt work. all the "Gods" used seymour duncans and gibsons...i wasted too much money on this piece of crap.

Comments: if it were stolen...hell id pay the guy for getting it off my hands. if it were destroyed....well....id be the one to do it. ive been playing for 7 years. i own 3 other guitars, and one other amp. oh and a whole shit load of effects. i hate everything about it. not only does it sound ugly...but it looks ugly. not just too plain, but too...harsh. compared to a horse ass, this thing is total shit. i wish i bought a seymour duncan screamin demon. i know they sound alot better. dont waste good, valuable money on something that will/can get you booed off stage. if youre some dumbass numetal/detuning/7string/raprock/punkshit/deathmetal/grindcore idiot who likes to look and sound like a goat pissing into a can, then be my guest and buy a few. but for that much money, it aint worth the shit out of jimmy pages ass. i wouldnt buy emg pickups if i had to waste 100 dollars. id at least buy something worth anything. like seymour duncans."emg"...hah! whats that stand for?! Electric Mouse Guts? its not even worth a 1. its worth...id say a....-75, only cause im nice.