EMG HZ

EMG-HZ,H3 model I guess. Humbucker.

Installed in a Jackson DKMG (factory setup HH), same pickup in both positions.

Using it with a peavey 5150 head and a randall rh150 G3 head with randall 300W cab and a marshall jcm800 lead cab respectively. Use some boss pedals, but mainly play on overdrive from amps. Don't like clean too much, so I focus my review only on overdrive settings.

I play metal and have had many guitars with different pickups, passive and active ones. EMG HZ? The worst pickups I ever had in any guitar. I won't compare these with active pups, because it's just silly - any active pickup would put this one to shame.

This pickup just doesn't have the TONE. Or output level, for that matters. Any Duncan, DiMarzio, not to say Bare Knuckle or Lundgren just ripped this one apart. Too much mids, no sustain, not loud enoug, no BALLS. It's said that this is a hot pickup, but I'd totally disagree. This thing is weak. I can't do any decent pig squeals, or just riff out with my guitar. Can't say that I'm a badass player, but I had some guitars, and lots of different setups. This pickup just didn't meet my demands.

However, when not playing it's pretty silent (guess that is because of it's lack of gain), and that gives it a +1 on my rate + it's better than stock pickups on low budget guitars, so I won't label it as total trash.

If it was stolen I would find the guy who stole it and take my guitar back, 'cause I like it and I live in a third world country. However, I would leave the pup ;)

Those EMG-HZs are going to move away from my guitar as soon as I get enough money to buy some decent pups.

I hate everything about this pickup except the fact that it is almost noiseless when not playing.

Beside my Jackson, I have an ESP ltd. anniversary viper with active EMG's and an Epiphone Gothic V with live wire HMET SD (which is, for me, one of the best pickups ever).

Back to HZ:

Anything you wish it had? - HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I wish it had normal pickup properties. This one only has an EMG logo, nothing else.

Ppl who mostly play under a distortion - avoid this pickup.

Humbucking, Passive

I installed two passive EMG HZ humbucker pickups in a 1978 Ibanez Iceman. I installed one in the bridge to replace a dead Bill Lawrence L-500 pickup that was installed back in 1987, and one in the neck to replace a Seymour Duncan JB pickup.

These pickups are incredible. The sound is so crisp and clear and the tone is balanced. I play many different styles of music; classic, metal, punk, new wave, grunge, 50s, you name it, and I'm more than happy with the sound of these pickups. The amp I use is a Crate G-600 half stack.

If these pickups were destroyed or stolen I would definitely buy them again. I've been playing for 20+ years and this is the first time I've tried EMG pickups. I was more than happy with the Bill Lawrence L-500 pickup in the bridge that I had used for 20 years, but when it died I decided to try something different. I saw these EMG HZs up for auction on ebay, brand new, so I read some reviews here on Harmony Central and other sites and decided to give them a shot. I'm very glad that I did.

Passive humbucking pickup with tappable coil. Standard EMG EZ connector. Gorgeous pickup with EMG-HZ silver lettering on flat black cover.
Bridge pickup.

Cort Z42, the factor neck pickup is AWESOME, but the factory bridge desires some ummph. So I bought this EMG-HZ off of Ebay for $28.

The output level is not as high as I would have liked, the pickup does sound a bit microphonic. It's not quite what I expected from EMG, but it does sound better than my stock PU, so I'm happy. It's a bit tinny, and sounds a bit off balance. I think some ppl will like the tone though (it's a bit too "raspy" for me though).

I play from blues, to punk, to rock. I play for church, we play alot of Hillsong United.

If this pickup was lost or stolen (or if it somehow broke), I don't think I would get another one. I think I would put down another $20 and get something with a bit more balance and tone.

I've been playing on and off for about 17 years now. I love my little cort axe, this pickup did do a little to improve the sound. It did help a guitar that already sounded great sound a bit better, but nothing worth getting excited about. It does however look VERY cool!

However, factoring in price, and the fact that it's an upgrade from stock, I'll give it an 8.

Passive Humbucking

ESP LTD Viper 301

Hotter than PAF, Primarily using it through a POD XTLive direct to the board, studio as well as live. The tone is very well balanced, and glassy slightly scooped mids. Very sweet clean, and OD'd, very clear and distinct with great harmonics. You can hear each string ring clearly. No mud. The neck pickup has a lot of single coil/p90 quality, and I play many styles and this pickup combo is great! I usually play H/S/S guitars, and have been looking for a humbucking pickup that will give you the pianolike quality on the E and A strings for rhythm playing for blues Like SRV etc, and this is the first hummer pickup that can get close with much more depth of tone. With the right POD amp model and efx, you can replicate just about anything you need. This also covers metal very well. If you want the typical mushy saturated death metal sludge that a lot of these reviewers are looking for, just dial in more mush and distortion and balance it with screetching highs...

Please ignore many of the reviewers here who only use it with cheap equipment. Many of their amps may be fried, speakers blown, dirty strings, or they may just be deaf.

Take my word for it. I use this playing live/recorded running direct to the board and running through many different systems for monitoring which shows that the tone of the pickups are consistant. They are very versatile and very dependant on your signal chain. I can just about literally play any genre of music on these. DON'T crank them too close to the strings, or you will get mush and a lack of sustain.

I love these pickups. I am curious to see how they behave in a non mahogany body. I tried dimarzio Humbuckers from hell on a few H/H guitars to try to get a cleaner more P90/singlecoil sound, but got mud with no definition on the bass strings. These EMG's are perfect.

Passive humbucker... specs online at www.emginc.com

I tried this in the Epiphone Zakk Wilde Les Paul Custom Bullseye at a Guitar Center in Phoenix. The HZ-H4A is in the bridge with the regular H4 in the neck position. The one I picked up had to be the HEAVIEST Les Paul I'd ever tried. It was like a neck glued to a bowling ball!

Playing through a new Vox AD120VTH head and matchign AD212 cabinet, which I'd just purchased, I was evaluating these pickups against the Gibson BurstBucker Pros in an LP Standard 60's neck. Same Marshally sound, as the amp as just turned on and stock, with no changes to the settings, the EMG HZs just blew away the Gibsons, hands down. Every frequency was clearer, and better defined with silky smooth highs and a tight bottom which was great for choring. I almost hate to admit it but the ZW Bullseye Custom is worth every penny that Epi wants for each copy they build, simply because of these pickups. If you're like me, and the sound of the "active processing" bothers you a little, this is the answer. I have EMGs in two of my other guitars and the HZ-H4A and H4 will soon find a home in one of my other guitars!

If you want a big rock or heavy metal sound, you can do it with this pickup. Playing with the Vox settings, I selected "Fat OD" then slammed it into a "UK Modern" sound with a healty chunk of stereo chorus and a touch of reverb and delay and, voila, there was Zakk's sound flowing out of the speakers! The Gibson BurstBuckers just didn't feel that "alive" by comparison.

Pickup Features: Humbucker, Passive
Impediance or other specs? : N/A

Model of guitar or bass: ESP LTD EX-260
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Thrash metal, heavy metal, metal and heavy in general
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: High
Tone: Balanced, crisp and clear
Sonic evaluation: ZOOM G2.1u Multi-fx (tube pre-amp+dist mainly)Fender FM 100 series stack. Haven't head any combination with more studiolike sound ever.

Comments: It's a great pick-up. High output, Crunchy high tone, Superb harmonic and artificial harmonics. In my opinion the only passive pick-up
that's better is the famous dimebucker, even so it's not alot better and considering the prices; the HZ 64,90 ??? the Dimebucker 118,90 ??? (by the local store)

Pickup features: Passive covered Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: n/a

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson DKMG (cobalt blue swirl)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: n/a
You musical style(s): Power chordal heavy rock
Reason for pickup change: Though I haven't replaced it quite yet though, it's replacment is in the mail, I'm really replacing it for output reasons. I needed more output.

Perceived output level: Enough for reasonable Heavy Metal. But, total metal meltdown saturation may not be a good idea.
Tone: Crunchy high mids and useful clarity in 'loading' situations. Sterile sounding when used straight up.
Sonic evaluation: My tones are mid-dy and using the Jackson DKMG that this pickup is loaded in doesn't flatter my tone. If I used a darker sound and/or used a heavy effects/processor, then this pickup would rule in that sense. Since my tone has sparkley brights this pickup is a loss when it comes to my perfect idea of what MY tone should be. I wouldn't knock this pickup because it has moderen tone even past the 12th fret (can't beat that)and helps when clarity is an issue in today's detuned, heavily disorted Metal styles. It was really just an output issue with me as regards this stock pickup, I needed more output, not a whole lot, but more than the HZ provided. I wanted to replace it with another EMG, but their pickup tones (like the 81 and 85 that everybody clamors about) weren't what I like... at all.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play heavy, but not detuned, power chordal textures. The HZ had a REALLY nice crunch and way to deliver the power chords!

Comments: I'd just buy the Seymour Duncan Distortion trembucker in place of the HZ due to higher output and tone, the S.D. tone is more of what I like in my personal guitar tone. I've been playing for 12 years and never bothered changing pickups because all the pickups I used 'til now were adequate. It wasn't until a few weeks ago(maybe a month) I realized that I had come to my natural wits end that pickup output could no longer be tolerated. If you like a covered, crunchy, clarity (but sterile) loving, moderen sounding pickup, then maybe the EMG HZ (passive)humbucker line is for you.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: ESP LTD Viper-301
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: Seymour Duncan SH1 '59
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues/Jazz
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickups, changed the HZ to a Duncan 59 in the neck, left the HZ in the bridge.

Perceived output level: Hotter then my 59, but quiet compared to most pickups floating around today
Tone:
Sonic evaluation: Using my LTD Viper-301 through a Kustom 200dfx head with a Kustom 4x12 cab. I think everybody who doesnt like this pickup is into metal, these pickups just dont work for metal. They have sparkle on the mid-high range when you turn down your volume knob to half way or less. I really dont see these as meant for metal, they do a great job of cutting through with the 'magical guitar' sound of the late 60's or early 70's humbucking guitars.
When you crank your volume all the way on your guitar, it really doesnt sound to well, its not muddy, but its unappealing. Im not a fan of hot pickups, if I want a higher output Ill just get a booster pedal. This pickup has a nitch, but you have to find it. It really can hit a magical sound, but its not meant for thrashing.

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

Comments: I replaced the neck HZ because I wanted something not as hot, and something to sound more balanced for low distortion play. I got the SD 59 and Im happy I did, having an HZ in both positions can get bland. Ill never replace my bridge HZ, I love the retro sound it offers when you lay back on the volume.
I know all the guitar tone-philes make fun of solid state amps too, but there are some great options out there. Im not one for metal, and my Kustom Amp is not a metal amp. The Kustom head I have does not sound like any other solid state, and when you fiddle around the HZ's through the kustom are a perfect match.
This pickup lacks versatility, but you do get a few good retro tones if you play around with it. In the end, the pickup doesnt effect the sound of your guitar as much as your body wood, neck wood, fret wood, strings, amp, or effects.

Pickup features: passive humbuckers
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Custom
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: JCC of Doodis
You musical style(s): jazz, jammy rock
Reason for pickup change: New custom guitar.

Perceived output level: I have XLR 500's that are hotter.
Tone: Balanced, crisp and clear
Sonic evaluation: see below

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Jammy rock in the vein of Moe., also Jazz (mostly latin and swing)

Comments: These pickups are in a custom guitar I had built by luthier Dave Cronce. The guitar is an electric hollowbody w/ maple top and neck (bolt on) and mahogany back and sides, trapeze strung. Also a block under the bridge. I play through a fender twin. With this wood recipe these pickups sound excellent. I have owned several guitars over the years and am extremely happy with the sound of this one. These pickups have a very clean and distinct sound. The notes come out crisp and clear, they are well balanced and very quiet. It was hard at first for me to set my amp up properly for them, but now that my settings are dialed in these pickups sing.

Pickup features: MINE ARE ACTIVE HZ
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: JACKSON DKMGT
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: NONE
Other pickups on guitar: NONE
Artists using this pickup: NONE
You musical style(s): ROCK- HEAVY METAL
Reason for pickup change: NO COMENT

Perceived output level: SINCE MINE ARE ACTIVE AND I HAVE A TURBO CHARGER THEY CAN GET" MEGAHOT"
Tone: THEY ARE BASSY AND TREBLY
Sonic evaluation: A MARSHALL MODE FOUR

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: ROCK AND METAL IT IS A VERY GOOD MATCH ALL POSITIONS SUITABLE

Comments: IVE HEARD THE HZ STORIES AND THEY ARE NOT TRUE IF U GET THE NEW ACTIVE HZ'S THEY CAN ALMOST MEASURE UP TO AN 81 IVE BEEN PLAYIN FOR 7 YEARS SO IVE HAD MY FAIR SHARE OF EMG'S AND THERES NUTHIN WRONG W/ THESE