EMG ZW 81 85 Set

Pickup features: Active humbucking pickups -- 81 & 85
Impedence or other specs: na

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Gothic G400
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock Epi LPCLS open-coil humbuckers
Other pickups on guitar: na
Artists using this pickup: Mana, Koezi, Rayzi, Laputa, Pierrot, Dir en Grey
You musical style(s): Gothpel, country, blues, heavy rock
Reason for pickup change: Wanted EMGs; stock tone was supplanted by my Ibanez RG7321.

Perceived output level: Very high output
Tone: balanced tone
Sonic evaluation: I'm using a Korg PX-4 Pandora's Box for guitar. My custom amp models are usually cranked AC30s or cranked 'Boutique'. The pickups sound hot and sweet at full output. I can back off the volume for an amazing 'vintage'-esque sound. with one of my tube amp emulations I got a sound reminiscent of, if you believe it, the James Bond guitar sound. From a goth SG. The sounds are fantastic. Note: I did the reverse install because I wanted filthy meat from the bridge and shatter-punch from the neck. I got both.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: The pickups are great in reverse. Mud for bridge, glass for neck. GREAT

Comments: I love these pickups, and if someone stole my customized G400, I'd pray they like hot weather. I'd rebuild this in a flash. The install was child's play. To do it, follow the 'les paul' diagram. The G400 from Unsung has 3 wires from the toggle, red, graywhite, and blue. Red is red in the instructions; easy. Graywhite is your 'black'! Forget its braid, just use its centre wire and solder it to the green from the jack. Blue is your 'white'. Solder its braid to the bridge pickup volume control casing and its centre wire where it's supposed to go. It worked instantly. I have been playing for 12 years and own 25 guitars with all kinds of pickups; SD, Dimarzio-designed IBZ, DDs, rails, Fender, u name it. I love these EMG actives! I don't care about ZW; I got it bcuz of the Japanese endorsers who play poofy guitars with great sound. I put the pickups into a butch guitar instead to praise Jesus. These pickups are full spectrum, not just lock-step death. Smooth country blues & jazz too. Go for it. Don't buy a guitar based on having these stock. Buy a nice guitar, & install the ZW set.

Pickup features: Active Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Explorer
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Zack, metallica etc.
You musical style(s): Heavy
Reason for pickup change: Zack is so sexy

Perceived output level: Active HOT effect
Tone: Creamy style mud
Sonic evaluation: Soldano Hot Rod Head and 2*12 speakers

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

Comments: Absolutely love these pickups. You should get them professionally installed at a custom guitar shop. Call around because some shops charge $80 don't even tilt them when there installing them. They need to be slanted a little just your bridge is higher on the heavy strings. Lately I plug my Sony headphones right into my guitar and walk around jamming. Because these pickups require a battery (always use Energizer by the way) I've even played without an amp just for practicing = put battery in boss pedal, guitar cable into pedal and head phones coming out of pedal. I could go to the beach with my gibson exployer this way. You don't need electricity to jamm with these pickups there so cool.
Anyway, yes there is no comparison to going active and I choose the Zack Wylde set because he is so cute.

Pickup features: Active humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Check the EMG site if you're interested

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson Rhoads performer
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: ZW
You musical style(s): Metal (black, death and melodic)
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickups were not hot enough.

Perceived output level: Hottest pickups i've ever used and don't particularly car for anything passive anymore.
Tone: It really depends on the position you use them. The 81 isn't very middy, it has searing highs and is scooped sounding. 85 is a "fatter" pickup.
Sonic evaluation: People always say run the 85 in the neck and 81 in the bridge, "that's what it was designed for." That's the biggest pile 'o crap i've heard. Both pickups were designed for both positions and I found that when I swapped them. For me, my style and my gear the 85 in the bridge was a %100 better. The 81 in the bridge sounds very dry, and thin. Harmonics come very easy though. The 85 in the bridge is totally what you want if you want a fat metal sound with good cutting mids. It still has good bass response and enough highs in the bridge position. The 81 sounds good also in the neck, it doesn't really have the fatness the 85 had but it still sounds good. I think it handles fast picked runs even better than the 85 did in the bridge because it's a more trebly pickup. I'm not saying that the 81 should never be in the bridge because when I get my SLSMG soon, (which is a very dark sounding guitar) I may want the 81 in the bridge. I don't think these pickups completely drown out your guitars natural tone but the do have a distinct clarity that is quickly recognizeable. Maybe two EMGS 85's might kicks serios *SS.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Does great for my style, whic is metal. 85 bridge, 81 neck

Comments: I like these pickups but am curious to try others. I have heard that EMGS aren't the be all and end all to heavy sounding pickups. I don't have a comment on clean tone because I don't even know good clean tone. I've been playing since '97 and am still playing my first guitar. I've owned several amps to include various SS amps and a 5150. I like the look of the pickups and they make any guitar look great. You do have to change batteries from time to time but it's no big deal. It's hard to tell when you're batteries are going but a fresh one always seems to make a difference. My Jackson as it is right now through a 5150II with 5150 4x12 is "my" sound. Also, I did not install these myself and I think I payed 40 bucks to have them installed. I have yet to have any problems yet and was really impressed with the 85 in the bridge, once I swapped them.

Pickup features: Humbucking, Active
Impedence or other specs: Unsure

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez S470
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Ibanez stock pickup
Other pickups on guitar: EMG SA (mid position)
Artists using this pickup: Zakk Wylde and many others
You musical style(s): Metal, rock, etc.
Reason for pickup change: Wanted a higher quality pickup

Perceived output level: i haven't heard a pickup that is more hot...Why do you think so many metal guitarists use this thing?
Tone: The 81 is bright and crunchy with nice lows while the 85 is smooth, bassy and creamy
Sonic evaluation: Ibanez S470 into a Peavey 5150 into a Genz Benz G-Flex 2x12 Cab

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play metal, so obviously it's a great match for my style. The 85 was designed for the neck and the 81 for the bridge.

Comments: I've been playing for 8 years and EMG makes some of my favorite pickups. I'm a total metal head, so I like my rhythm tones to be brual, my cleans to be crisp and my leads to be liquid. The Zakk Wylde combo does this very well. I'm giving this combo a 9 though because they tend to overtake your guitar tone. I might think twice about putting them in a really nice guitar like a Les Paul if you really want the guitar's tone to shine through. Then again, they might make an already killer metal-guitar into a metal-machine! OK, that's a cheesy description, but you get the idea.

Pickup features: Active humbuckers
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Michael Kelly Les Paul
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock Michael Kellys (not bad all-around pick-ups)
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Zakk, Metalica
You musical style(s): Progressive and Hard Rock
Reason for pickup change: Needed higher output pick-up to drive front end of vintage Marshall.

Perceived output level: Designed to be hot pick-ups. This is disputable. May just be fuzzy sounding.
Tone: Neck pick-up (85) is deep without much tonal balance. Bridge pick-up (81) sounds thin at first and somewhat brittle.
Sonic evaluation: Running through switched set up: Rig 1) 1980 Marshall MkII 100watt head into 2x12. Rig 2) Pirhana preamp through Marshall power amp into 2x12. (various rack effects looped)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Progressive rock: need big clean sounds as well as over the top scream and crunch

Comments: Playing for 38 years, mostly studio/recording work. Have played through just about everything. Done most of my own guitar mod work, lots of pick-up installs and retros. At first you may not like this pick-up set. It's important to know what these pick-ups are designed for before you buy and install. At average volume levels the neck pick-up volume is much louder than the neck and is somewhat dull sounding. And at average volume levels the bridge pick-up seems thin and brittle. Here's where it's important to recall the EMG marketing for the set: Zakk. After wiring the guitar and playing at low volumes at home I was disappointed. Then I took the guitar into the studio and ran it through a 100 watt Marshall with variac through a 2x12, as well as through a POD directly into the board. These pick-ups work best when amp (or POD) gain is maxed to the point of compression, total harmonic distortion resembling a square wave. Under these conditions the pick-ups provide extraordinary note clarity and drive. As advertised, the 81 bridge pick-up is "razor" sharp, cuts through the mix very nicely, and is fairly smooth, although not "buttery". You can achieve a satisfactory "woman" tone through the neck pick-up under these high gain conditions. If you want to retro a guitar to be your death ax, these pick-ups won't disappoint. They will probably not allow you to achieve a Robben Ford tone with any amp combination or setting. But at max high gain the notes have so much sustain and are so articulate you'll know you're using high-end pick-ups worthy of the stars.... just know that they're designed with one thing in mind.

Pickup features: Active Humbuckers
Impedence or other specs: Check manual.. EMG website should have the specs

Model of guitar or bass: ESP M-100
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock ESP pickups
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Zakk, Kerry, Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield, etc.
You musical style(s): Metal, Blues
Reason for pickup change: I found the previous humbuckers to be too muddy and just too crappy overall.

Perceived output level: Incredibly high output.. arguably about hottest pickups out there
Tone: 81 - trebly 85 - middy
Sonic evaluation: I'm using a Peavey Transtube 112 EFX and an ESP M-100. I'm a lead guitarist currently not in a band.. I had to get a guitar to replace my first guitar, a Fender Squire Affinity Strat.. sad, yes I know. Although the ESP M-100 isn't considered to be much of a step, the guitar really is pretty good. These pickups made it sound a heck of a lot better. Seriously, if youre looking for pickups that can handle massive amounts of gain, then these are the right ones for you. They've been in my guitar now for close to a year or two and I can tell you that I tend to be disappointed in most guitars' tonal abilities now if they don't carry these pickups in them! However, even though I keep emphasizing the fact that these pickups are able to handle massive amounts of gain REALLY well, they're terrific for other classical or jazz type music. Completely forget about other reviews when it comes to this area. These pickups can basically handle anything and everything you throw at them! The only downside is the fact that they both require batteries in order to use them but since those 9-volts last close to half a year or some 8 months without losing their charge, you shouldn't really worry.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Metal, Jazz, and everything in between basically. These pickups are great for just about any style of music.

Comments: I would definitely buy these again if the guitar was stolen or if they were destroyed.. I've simply grown accustomed to the tone too much to really consider other guitars that dont have these EMGs in them. Forget about the fact that they're endorsed by Zakk Wylde. After all, they were available first separately.. the only thing the ZW set does is bring together the EMG 81 and the EMG 85 in one convenient package. They really are incredible pickups though. They definitely are worth the money. I've been playing close to four years and I have a variety of pedals. Unfortunately, I don't have much money to spend for other gear, but as for now, these will do. Don't disregard my opinion because of my lack of gear. Afterall, my friend Glen and I were considered the best guitarists in my entire high school and there were tons of shred-worthy players. Okay, okay I'll stop gloating now ;) I'm definitely satisfied with these. However, I still advice you to try them before you buy them, as with any other purchase. However, I doubt that you'll go wrong with these.

Pickup features: Humbucking Active
Impedence or other specs: A hell of a lot

Model of guitar or bass: SurfCity Mantra Blue Burst
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: Other Stock
Artists using this pickup: Everyone who is a guitar hero
You musical style(s): Grunge, Classic Rock, Blues
Reason for pickup change: Microphonic and weak.

Perceived output level: A little more than my Dimarzio X2n
Tone: Very Balanced with and very flat electronic tone
Sonic evaluation: Im using a beringer ultra 212 with a boss gt6. Little 250$ surf city les paul copy (real wood though nicer than the epi standard I let go of)It sounds pretty good but you know its all the electronics. Without pedals its not very impressive. In my iceman I have a Tone Zone / Fred combo which I have to sadly say I like slightly more. Its just like a x2n with more clarity. Im not saying its crap im just saying it sounds unnatural. They still are damn good in my set neck mohagany guitar. In my Iceman's bass wood body mellowed them out a bit.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Its good for anything if you have a plethura of pedals

Comments: If they were stolen id prolly go cry and then get some custom shop pups from mailbox music .com cause i am poor after buying these things. I have been playing 5 years and I own the Iceman and this guitar and about 8 sets of pups. I wish it sounded more natural without my pedal board but thats why i have my Iceman and its great dimarzios. I really like this pickup but I feel it is limited and not warm enough, Ive dicked around with just about every Eq i can and without distortion its just flat. With my gt6 these pickups are extremely versital and Im pleased. Last Piece of advice if you want just about the same output go and you are poor go with and X2N at bridge and an Evolution in the neck its pretty close in output and and a bit more wood tones. Its a keeper esp cause now im poor lol.