EMG HZ

Pickup features: passive humbucker..
Impedence or other specs: High Impedance, H4A (neck) and H4 (bridge)..

Model of guitar or bass: Dean "Dean Owner's of America" 1/50 SilverBurst Cadillac.. (no, you can't get one)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock MIK pickups..
Other pickups on guitar: none..
Artists using this pickup: millions of bedroom and garage rockstars..
You musical style(s): none..
Reason for pickup change: the stock MIK pickups sounded like stock MIK pickups..

Perceived output level: much higher ouput than the stock MIK pickups.. i'd rather have these than the stock MIK pickups..
Tone: the tone is sterile, like everything EMG makes.. typical EMG-tone.. good for heavy effects usage, or to punch through a muddy preamp.. the neck has a warmer tone than the bridge.. pronounced mids, and not-so-needle-like highs.. the neck pickup can get a little muddy, but if you adjust your height, it gets much cleaner..
Sonic evaluation: Dean D.O.A. Caddy, Digitech 2101, BBE 362 (in the fx-loop of 2101), and Ampeg "Lee Jackson" VL-1001 half-stack.. sweet stuff..

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i have no style, haha.. the pickups do not sound as bad as others make them out to be.. they seems suited for use with effects, and depending on how you adjust for the output, you could play pretty much any "style" you wanted to.. but, since they are a much higher output, rock would seem to be the best for them.. i think that they would probably be unsuited for polka..

Comments: i wold dumpster-dive again for a set.. i don't think that i'd pay the Stew-Mac 75/ea for them.. but they seem to be good pickups, really quiet, and very accurate.. and coil-tapping yields another tone, output is dropped dramatically, but get a narrow tele-like tone to them..
for high impedance pickups these are very similar to the typical EMG output.. pretty sterile, not much color.. not like a DiMarzio, or Duncan, which have much more personality than these do.. but, compared to the stock MIK pickups, these are a much better choice..
i've never liked EMGs, active or passive (selects), but i'm going to give these a serious try..
the neck pickup (H4A) is much warmer than the bridge (H4).. i would imagine that this sounds similar to a Zac Wilde setup (85 & 81), but only passive.. i do have the option of installing a 9v preamp with these, but i really don't see the need for more output.. or noise to creep in.. and to install a 9V every 6 months..
they do sound very nice in my DOA Caddy, which is built like a Caddy Select.. ( www.deanguitars.com ) maple top, mahogony body and neck..
the natural resonance of the guitar comes through, but in a very clinical EMG way..
i must say that EMG is great to deal with.. i was missing the pickup leads, and i emailed EMG and was replied to by a service-tech named Rick Hunt, and was dealt with in a quick and respectful way.. he sent the pickup leads to me, for free.. and included a few picks and stickers to boot.. what a great guy.. this *almost* makes me want to *actually purchase* a set of EMGs..
as far as it goes, i'm pretty satisfied..

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

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

Perceived output level: not very hot like gibson 498t for ex. better clean sound than the active emg, but not hot enough for metal
Tone: quite well, but something is missing i cant specify
Sonic evaluation: besides that guitar i use a gibson explorer with emg 81/85 a gibson lp classic and standard with stock pus and an bcrich mockingbird je with 496r/500t.
run it throug engl e650 richie blackmore head and 4x12 hughes cabinet

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i play thrash metal. this pu doesn't match perfectly

Comments: this pu is ok not really good, but not bad enough to replace it.
looks great (like all emg's). but is?not hot enough for most guitars it comes in (ltd, jackson etc)
by the way this is the h3 model, h4 is said to be way hotter.
so if ne1 wanna trade h4 ---> h3 please contact me

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Evolution
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock p'ups
Other pickups on guitar: sock epi bridge p'up
Artists using this pickup: i dunno
You musical style(s): thrash, black, death, and industrial metal
Reason for pickup change: I needed a more balanced p'up in the bridge of my epi, and the stock p.o.s. just wasnt cuttin' it.

Perceived output level: pretty damn hot for a passive p'up, but amazingly not noisy.
Tone: good and balanced, great with high gain. clean aint all that great but i rarely play clean anyway.
Sonic evaluation: epi evolution running through crybaby wah to my randall rh100 with an ibanez phaser, and arion chorus in the fx loop. Sounds big and crunchy just like i like it, not muddy at all.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is a great p'up for thrash metal, black metal, industrial, etc...

Comments: I have been playing for 2 1/2 years, and this kicks the ass of any stock p'ups of my guitars. If it were destroyed or stolen I would deffinately buy one again, just cuz its so damn cheap. Im considering getting one for my strat. I love this thing because its very affordable, and really dishes out the good shit.

Pickup features: Hum cancelling passive
Impedence or other specs: 14?

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez RGT42
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: INFs
Other pickups on guitar: n/a
Artists using this pickup: n/a
You musical style(s): blues, R&R, etc.
Reason for pickup change: experimentation with sound improvisation

Perceived output level: dependent on the guitar...response and resonance varies with body composition
Tone: read below
Sonic evaluation: I have to agree with guitarmanbfs about people trashing pickups. The HZ is a fine sounding pickup- on the right guitar. I pulled the HZs from an ESP LTD EX351, with its huge mahogany body, and put Duncan Invaders in it. That guitar sounds excellent now. But the Ibanez was a problem child. I wanted a cleaner, quieter, slightly glassy sound for leads. So I dropped HZs from the ESP in the Ibanez, and voila, a match made in heaven. They sound better than both the stock INFs and Duncan Distortions. I believe the basswood body and the Floyd Rose trem help the HZs sustain more and provide substantial harmonics. Like the man says, you have to match up your equipment...and not expect a pickup to overcome deficiencies of poorly designed/ constructed instruments and transistor amps, like (sorry guys, but they are the worst guitars to work on)any BC Rich guitars and Crate amps. Also, I'm just curious about the change...the gentleman who changed out the pickups on his Steinberger...usually those instruments sound sensational when set up correctly. Defect, short, etc? Thanks

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I great lead pickup on the right type instrument, in any position

Comments: I really don't see anything wrong with the design or power of these pickups. They sound clean, have a sweet crunch, and give singing highs. They have average output and are quiet, so if pushing them is a requirement, an overdrive is recommended.

Pickup features: passive hum, neck and bridge
Impedence or other specs: 12-14, varies

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez RGT42
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock INFs--> S/D Distortions-->EMG-HZ
Other pickups on guitar: n/a
Artists using this pickup: not known
You musical style(s): blues, rock
Reason for pickup change: I just couldn't find the sound I was looking for and I tried a pair of HZs I pulled out of an ESP, and was pleasantly surprised.

Perceived output level: normal, but surprisingly quiet
Tone: These pickups match the guitars basswood body, and resonate very well.
Sonic evaluation: I use a BOSS ME-50 and a Marshall AVT50. Great, versatile little setup. The EMGs have just enough crunch and glassiness with this guitar to make it a superb lead guitar. I wasn't impressed with EMG-HZs on my ESP, so that got S/D Invaders, and these became spares. On the Ibanez, they are balanced across the scale.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I'm happy with the combination. Given the Floyd Rose, I didn't have high expectations for sustain.

Comments: I've been playing for years. My first guitar was an old Hagstrom I, which I still consider to be the best playing/ sounding electric guitar ever built. That's why I got the Ibanez RGT42, because it was closest to that guitar, but the stock pickups or the S/D Distortions were not what I wanted for sound. The EMGs were spares, so I decided to try them and I got the sound I wanted. This is strictly preference, not a criticism of the quality/ performance of the other pickups. On the Ibanez, which has a full scale, the EMGs have excellent range and sweet harmonics, definitely a plus with the Floyd Rose that came stock with the guitar. I now know why HZs were originally used on high end guitars. If you're into metal or highly distorted guitar playing, a different pickup like a Dimarzio Super Distortion, Gibson Burstbuckers, or a Duncan Invader may be a better choice.
Also, the encased coil and the slide-in connecter make the HZs appealing to the guitar's overall appearance and convenient, should a coil short out requiring replacement.

Pickup features: Passive humbuckers
Impedence or other specs: 14 K each approx

Model of guitar or bass: Eppiphone Explorer
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock eppiphone humbuckers
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change: i thought the old pickups sounded rubbish

Perceived output level: a good bit better than the old ones
Tone: very midd
Sonic evaluation: my amp is a 80w marshall valvestate combo

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

Comments: the improvement was impressive, but as i can get a new zakk wylde set for less money than i payed for these posted from america!(i wish i knew that when i bought them)
overall good tone and much more clarity. not so good for hiding your mistakes when playing but if you hit the note you want then it will sound powerful thick and with more presence. sweet!

Pickup features: passive humbocker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fernandes Native X
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Worn out stock (bridge)
Other pickups on guitar: wearing out stock (neck)
Artists using this pickup: its not really a pro level pickup
You musical style(s): metalcore, post-hardcore, screamo, pop-punk, ska
Reason for pickup change: I needed something to replace a malfunctioning stock for an upcoming show. I didn't have the money for an active EMG or a gibson, so I made a compromise, get this now, and upgrade later.

Perceived output level: Less than everything I've used before. Its kind of pathetic and weak next to the stock neck.
Tone: little range, mostly treble, but it cuts out very early. If you turn down the tone you can get a lot of mids, but bass is non-existant.
Sonic evaluation: My trusty franken-guitar through a Marshall MG100HDFX. That amp has almost too much high end to begin with, combined with a pickup like this it doesn't get the greatest sound. I don't think my amp has quite as much distortion as other Marshalls, and with such low output I can't really get as much as I want. The root notes don't really pull through the whole chord.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: It doesn't really work well with any dropped tunings as it has little bass. I doubt this pickup would do any better in the neck position.

Comments: I'll be replacing it as soon as I get more money. I haven't decided with what yet. I've been seriously playing for just over two years. I've got the marshall and my beloved Fernandes I call Winona. I've also got a Gibson ES-325, and my mom's old Gibson acoustic that's older than she is. I kind of like the pattern of the tone, but it just needs more of everything. More range, more bass, more mids, and some extra highs to ballance with the extra output.
I picked this pickup dispite its inconsitant reviews because I really wanted to try something with and EMG label on it. Also it was one of the lowest prices I could find on a good condition pickup.
I have either the HZ-1 or HZ-2 (it has one set of exposed screws) maybe the other models are better.

Pickup features: humbucking, passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: LTD Viper 301
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, Hard Rock, Trash
Reason for pickup change: Su sonido apesta. Plagado de arm?nicos, metalico y similar a una ecualizaci?n hecha por un anarqu?sta.

Perceived output level: Muy alta
Tone: De todo, tiene todo elevado xD
Sonic evaluation: Guitarra: LTD Viper 301
Ampli: Peavy Express 112
Multiefectos: Boss GT-6

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

Comments: He de cambiar esa pastilla. Soy un guitarrista iniciado, un manta vamos. Pero hasta yo puedo percibir que esa pastilla es un moj?n, he probado cientos de presets con la pedalera y no hay ni un sonido hendrixiano, pageysiano o metallicano decente. Tengo una guitarra vantage con una seymour duncan y su sonido es sin duda mejor, mucho mejor, infinitamente mejor. La HZ parece estar encerrada en una lata de tomate.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: ESP ltd EC300
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: none, HZs come with
Other pickups on guitar: ya heard me!
Artists using this pickup: none. and if so, i pity them.
You musical style(s): metal. most forms.
Reason for pickup change: i want to change these ones, because i hate them.

Perceived output level: meh, i knew the hz story and thought they would probably live up to it
Tone: bassy, not too clear, not enough output.
Sonic evaluation: i am not a big fan of these pickups. they've sucked half of my "heaviness". if they only didn't suck my heavy tone, they wouldn't be too bad.
i'm using my ec300 through a randall rh100 head into a 2x12 cab

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: suitable: jazz! but i doubt any good jazz guitarist would use them.

Comments: i wish someone would steal these. i play mainly through the bridge p.u., and raised the hell out of it just to get a little more output and drive.
why EMG? why would you put your name on these?!

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs: ?

Model of guitar or bass: Ltd Ec-300
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: n-a
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: any?
You musical style(s): Rock/Metal genres suck!
Reason for pickup change: stock

Perceived output level: hotter than normal passives
Tone: balanced in the bridge, muddy in the neck.
Sonic evaluation: They sound good if you know what you're doing. don't crank them up to the strings, it isn't necessary.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: this pickup is best for bridge, rythmn/heavy styles.

Comments: I am tired of reading people's reviews trashing these pickups. Most everyone dissing them has some little kmart crate practice amp, or they payed way to much for a big solid state amp. I use this pickup with a boss eq and a ds-1 distortion into a vintage tube amp. It sounds great, these are good stock pickups. most of you idiots out there have no clue what your doing with your equipment in the first place. don't wine about pickups sounding muddy on a practice/solid state amp. your amp is junk. another thing, if you have your distortion cranked up all the way your pickup doesnt matter. get a tube amp and your pickups will sound better, these are great. solid states are dry and muddy. you could put a $5000 guitar through a solid state amp and it will still sound like shit, so quit trashing good pickups. if you want passives that aren't expensive, these are the ones. i am eventually gonna get the zakk emg 81, 85 set, actives are good. and i have another hint: get an eq pedal and stop complaining about your guitar, its your amp that sucks.