EMG ZW

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs: Low imp.

Model of guitar or bass: 1989 Les Paul standard
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock gibson scary wound
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: zdub
You musical style(s): all
Reason for pickup change: Playing under massive light shows, now no noise-really!

Perceived output level: adequate
Tone: very balanced, with a neutral mid range
Sonic evaluation: I run stereo with an old mk2-b for tone and fender hr-d power in only. Assorted stuff (very custom, and toneful) on the floor. A rack with not normal junk, kinda old school. Awesome results.
I ran these babies for a year and loved them, then figured out that I could run them at 18 volts (check the website for details) with the most pleasing of results. Not louder, just more headroom, and when you're high gain it matters, breathtaking all the way.Clean and clear, you dial it in if you gotta hide, otherwise sheer beauty, through just about any amp.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play pretty much everything, been a session musician for many years. If it's real I'll play it, unless you pay me to be dumb.

Comments: Ripped off? hell the guitar police would have a field day, that just doesn't happen any more. I like em, they are quiet, without issues. The tone controls actually work without the mud, no high bypasses to fool with. Put em in and light it up. Get the pick-up height right and there is a wonderful sweet spot that just sings, add a tone-pros bridge and you have infinate sustain forever. 18 volts and you can sounds just like......YOU. The tonal possibilities are as endless as your imagintion-really.

Pickup features: Active 81/85 humbucker set with pots.
Impedence or other specs: dont know. the emg site lists them.

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Les Paul CUstom
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Dimarzio Super Distortion / Bill Lawrence L500-XL
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Zakk Wylde (obviously, its a signature set after all), James Hetfield, Kirk Hammet, Kerry King (they dont use the ZW set but 81/85 combination)
You musical style(s): grunge metal
Reason for pickup change: wasnt happy with the existing set. they sounded fine (heaps better than the standard epiphone pieces of crap) but not what i wanted.

Perceived output level: these are a hot pick up but no where near as hot as some of the death metal pickups out there. they have a good balance between gain and definition.
Tone: Seem to be fairly nuetral and allow the woods natural tone to be heard. they dont really colour the tone much (compared to other pickups) but do have a growly bottom end and a nice smooth top end.
Sonic evaluation: I'm using a randall 120w solid state head and celestian quad. to be truthfull i'm not entirely happy with the tone of this setup, my old marshall 30watt valve combo sounded better but had no volume.
having said that the EMG ZW have improved my tone to the point where i am almost satisfied. a decent eq pedal to sort out the amp's basic tome a little and i'll be happy. you may expect these pickups to be a straight out metal pick up with not much subtlety but you'll be surprised. obvoiusly great for the almighty riff and for ripping leads but with a little bit of tone tweaking can pull a pretty good blues sound and even a useable jazz sound. i definetly recommend these pick ups for anything other than a U2 style band.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i play a variation of metal, my band mates call it grunge metal (heavy drop tuned rythmic but not super fast riffs) this pick up suits me just fine. i'm thinking about buying another set.

Comments: i'd definetly get another set if these went missing. i was surprised to read in the literature that they expect 1500hr's operation from a 9v battery. id be happy with 50hr's. my main distortion pedal lasts about 3hr's before a battery is flat. one thing i did notice is that the neck pick up was a fair bit louder than the bridge, i've adjusted heights to compensate but its still not spot on overall very happy. the zakk signature pick just tops it off. the only thing that did annoy me was the wiring. these are advertised as a direct drop in kit for a les paul, i would expect to get a toggle switch as well as all the pots and would expect to do no soldering. the pickups use little plugs to connect and the rest all goes into the control cavity including the supplied output jack.

Pickup features: Active humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: LTD Viper 50 (lefty)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Zakk Wylde, Nick Catanese etc
You musical style(s): Metal, rock etc
Reason for pickup change: Always wanted to try an active set

Perceived output level: Hot but not stupid
Tone: Nice balance, 85 has a fatter tone with more bass
Sonic evaluation: Set up as follows LTD Viper- Boss tuner- Boss AB box- Dunlop crybaby- MXR ZW44 overdrive- Boss noise suppressor- Marshall MG amps.
These things sound bloody great!!! I noticed the high output right away, what a great difference! The 81 has the tone a bridge pickup should have, it suites its position perfectly, you can hear the highs the lows and all in between perfectly balanced. Pinched harmonics just jump off the fretboard and are full of character, palm mutes sound full with alot of depth and the same goes for chords. The 85 has a fatter tone with bucket loads more bass so it sounds great as a neck pickup. Alot of people hear have said the 85 is way louder than the 81, I thought so to at first but when I really listened I noticed its just the huge amount of bass your hearing, the only volume difference is because of its postion (as with all pickups). Together they produce a great sound that just covers all the basses royaly. I was suprised how amazing the clean sound is with these things, alot of people were slagging it off but I cant see why, they sound great, just get your EQ right and add a little chorus and you get that authentic Metallica clean tone. As well as the difference in tone you also really notice how sensetive these things are, all my legato playing has become totally effortless, the notes just fly off the fretboard, fantastic!!!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play metal and rock and yea these things match my style, but saying that through the right setup I think these things would suit any style of playing, just setup your amp correctly and you can nail pretty much style you want.

Comments: If stolen I'd totally get another set, I absolutly love these things! I've been playing for six years and giging for 3 of them, over time Ive tried loads of different gear but I have to say these pickups (and my Zakk Wylde overdrive) are by far my best purchase, I tried a seymore duncan custom at one point as well as hearing a Bare Knuckle warpig in my mates guitar and my emgs totally blow them both away. Ignore all the crap other people say about these things, just buy a set and judge for yourself "different strokes for differect folkes" and all that.

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs: Dunno

Model of guitar or bass: 70's Epi Les Paul
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Pickups the guitar came with originally
Other pickups on guitar: None
Artists using this pickup: Zakk Wylde
You musical style(s): Hard Rock n Roll
Reason for pickup change: Shitty sound coming from the pickups, noise, no sustain, no nothing!

Perceived output level: Ver high and very clean
Tone: i?d say balanced i can hear, bass, mids, and trebles
Sonic evaluation: Epiphone Les Paul
Marshall jcm800 and 4x12 in the studio, Yamaha T100 and Marshall 2x12 at home.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Loud Hard Rock n Roll, Bridge

Comments: Yes i would buy again.
18 years, a Strat with EMG DG20, Boss, Dunlop, Digitech pedals
So far nothing!
No but i don?t need to, i bought at a good price and they sound great!
Nope.
I think i found the sound.
I am so very happy i bought them.

Pickup features: EMG 81 (bridge) and 85 (neck) active humbuckers
Impedence or other specs: Haven't a clue

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez S540FM
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock Ibanez QM pickups
Other pickups on guitar: EMG SA
Artists using this pickup: Metallica, Zakk Wylde, Deftones, etc.
You musical style(s): Blues, Rock, and Metal
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickups didn't have enough output, wanted a versatile guitar, and I always wanted to hear EMG's.

Perceived output level: The 85 is VERY hot and bassy, the 81 is hot, but both pickups are very quiet considering
Tone: 85 - Bassy and punchy, a little too much output in the neck, the 81 is trebly but sounds great and crunchy when overdriven
Sonic evaluation: Using the Ibanez S through a Marshall AVT50 and a Fender Hot Rod Deville. Great output with little noise, good harmonics, but the 85 is a little too powerful. Nails that Metallica/Zakk sound through the Marshall if set right. They were a pain to install in the Ibanez S, however, since the body is so thin and the cavity is so small, but my father and I managed to get the pots in by clipping the connector and extending it, burying the wires behind the pickup selector, and cramming the battery (fully taped in electrical tape of course) through the pots and sealing the sucker up. It's been holding up for the past few months, and I wouldn't change them back.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Great for Metal, and suprisingly good for Jazz (esp the 85) since they are very clean and bassy.

Comments: I'd def replace them. Maybe try a 60 (like Het) in the neck instead of an 85, though. Been playing for almost 10 years, got an SG, LP, Strat, and the Ibanez S. I love the fact that they are so clean and have a great output, they are more versatile then people say. If your looking for more of a classic Zeppelin AC/DC tone though, go with the 57 classics, they sound unbelievable on my LP and SG. If you want metal though, I would recommend these. Overall, I'm satisfied with these pickups.

Pickup features: 81/85 humbucker set
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Les Paul Custom
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Rio Grande BBQ bridge and Epiphone stock neck pickup
Other pickups on guitar: n/a
Artists using this pickup: Maybe Zakk Wylde? Eighteen Visions, God Forbid, Darling Sinister
You musical style(s): Metal/Hardcore some blues and jazz on occassion
Reason for pickup change: There are two guitarists in my band. I needed something that would cut through a thick wall of sound. He uses EMG's as well and after playing his guitar through my amp I was sold.

Perceived output level: The 81 is hot and the 85 is hotter.
Tone: They are both pretty balanced but the 81 has less low end.
Sonic evaluation: My set up is pretty simple. I run the guitar into a Boss TU-2 tuner, a Morley bad horsie wah, a Robert Keeley Ibanez tube screamer, a Boss super chorus and a Boss NS-2 noise supressor before going into a Peavey 5150 head. The head runs one Marshall JCM 900 1960B cab and one Marshall JCM 800 1960A cab. Everything is connected using Monster 500 cable. The guitar is tuned down a whole step to D or Dropped C using D'Addario strings gauges 13 to 56.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: These are great pickups for Metal and Rock but could be used for any style of music with the right amp/set up.

Comments: Okay, so I don't want to hear anyone complaining about the hype of this pickup set. These are high output humbuckers, yes, but it's the guys who are leaving statements like "so hot you don't need an amp" and "these pickups blew my balls off" and "could start the next world war" that are giving these pickups unrealistic expectations. It's one thing to exagerate but don't blow smoke up anyone's ass. People come to read these things because they're about to drop some cash. They deserve to get the truth.
Okay that being said I got these pickups installed in my guitar after I A/B'd my other guitarist's instrument through my amp. It was loaded with EMG's and I liked the sound I got. I really liked the BBQ humbucker but it wasn't quite aggressive enough for me. Anyway, I think it's important to say that I did notice a difference in tone right away but I noticed more of a difference in feel. These pickups are really sensitive! They have a fast response and will really make you pay attention to your playing. The best way I can think to describe the tone of the 81 is this. It's like when you run an overdrive pedal in front of your distortion channel to increase the gain. Before you turn the pedal on you have a nice, warm and organic tone but you lack good definition and sustain. Then you go to turn the pedal on and now you have great sustain, awesome crunch and punch but you've lost a little of your low end and dynamics. For example with your od pedal on your tone won't clean up very well when you roll back on the volume. Having the 81 in the bridge is like having an OD pedal in your guitar. That's the best way I can think to describe it. You gain some but you lose some too. Because I'm using this guitar for Metal/Hardcore I'm not bothered by that much. It works great for what it does. They aren't kidding when they say the attack is razor sharp. It's almost too sharp in some cases. Palm mutes sound great, chords have great definition and the wide vibrato pinch harmonics a la Zakk are so easy to hit on any string and on any fret. Harmonic feedback is very easy to control as well. The pickup seems to be pretty well balanced but has a nice rounded midrange crunch to it.
I think the 81 was designed with the frequency range of guitar in mind, which is why it's a little dry in the low end. It get's you riding right on top of your bassist instead of competing with him. I didn't like this at first but the band sounds better because of it. It works well for clean but sounds better when used in combination with the 85. Very full and nice. I was pleasantly surpirsed because it's hard enough to get a good clean tone from the 5150 as it is.
The 85 has more low end to it and makes for a bad ass neck humbucker. You can get some nice blusey and jazzy tones out of this pickup. When you click on the distortion it gets really creamy and thick. Fast runs and wide vibrato sound great with this pickup. It cleans up a little better than the 81 when you roll back but still not as well as passives. EMG designed them so the tone doesn't change as you roll back. I think this my only complaint. So I give them a 9. Otherwise they sound great if your willing to spend a little time working with them and reconfiguring the settings on your amp, pedals etc. It's worth it.

Pickup features: active humbuckers
Impedence or other specs: not sure

Model of guitar or bass: les paul DC standard plus
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar: ZW
Artists using this pickup: the man ZW, and others but who cares
You musical style(s): classical, heavy, whatever
Reason for pickup change: wanted the clarity

Perceived output level: hot
Tone: AWESOME!
Sonic evaluation: 4 setups....XXX/5150 cab, Flextone II, 5150 cab, Zakk wylde JCM800zw/hughs and kettner cab with greenbacks, 86 red tolex jcm 800 with matching cabs...various effects...main guitars 2 les paul DCs one les paul supreme.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i use it for all styles

Comments: I had to write this review for one reason...cause of the other reviews. I have an unorthodox approach to using my gear...let me explain. would you call me crazy if I told you that for all my clean channel recording for an album of all clean shit I used 2 les pauls both with 81/85 combo, through a ZWjcm800 into the H&K cab? And the clean tone has gotten compliments from all who've heard?? yeah sounds crazy but true..learn to use eq/volume/micing to get tone. And to the reviewer that says there was no bass you must have a broken set cause the bass is sick in both metal bands I play in..when we had auditions for bass players they kept asking me to turn down the bass. I love precise note clarity and thats what these give you. My two friends have each a less paul and a parker. One with a JB and Airzone...one with Pearly Gates and Duncan Distortion. Don't get me wrong they all sound good. but the tones are there in all, you just have to learn how to use your amp friends. Anyone in the Pa area can come check out the clean sound these pickups make through the 800 with the 85/81s...you'll be as surprised as I was!

Pickup features: active
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson slsmg soloist
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: EMG-HZ H3
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Zakk Wylde
You musical style(s): metal
Reason for pickup change: the factory HZ's are ok but i wanted the real thing. the real active EMG's.

Perceived output level: much stronger output than the HZ's
Tone: awesome
Sonic evaluation: i use an old Fender Quad-Reverb 4x12 300watt amp with digitech pedals (metal master, digidelay, and multichorus) and a Vox Clyde McCoy wah pedal.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: these pickups are perfect for metal and high gain music. unfortunately, not good for anything else.

Comments: only comments is that these pickups rock. i would highly consider these pickups if your into metal or high-gain applications.

Pickup features:
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Les Paul
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Metallica, Zakk Wylde
You musical style(s): Metal, Hard Rock, Blues, Jazz
Reason for pickup change: Stocks are muddy and have shitty ass hiss, hum and feedback

Perceived output level: So Hot You Don't Need An Amp
Tone: Balanced Great for heavy metal
Sonic evaluation: Epip Les->Samson wirless->MetalZone->DOD Death Metal Distortion->MXR Smart Gate->Line6 Spyder 212(First edition)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: All Styles, sound best with drive on and the distortion screaming. You hear every Cruch you play

Comments: If they were stolen, I'd kick the guys ass who stole them. Take them back, buy another 2 sets just incase they were stolen again and i could get the guy who did it.
I've been playing 6 years and this is by far the best sounding guitar and pickup set up ive had. Im a bit disappointed with my line6 though, ill never go solid state again. Id rather have a Mesa.
I love that i can hear every pick and cruch in a heavy chord and we you do a spacy, stop and go riff, its quite between crunches.
THEIR SHEILDED! This means they have virtually no hiss, hum or feedback. I mean if you've got a set up(amp, distortions, and effects) that a crazy on hiss,hum, and feedback it won't work miricles but will be better then all other pick ups(Thats why i have the MXR SMARTGATE). I got mine at Guitar Center in Carle Place for $139.95. The guys jaw dropped lol. The list was $259.99 on sale for around Christmas Time for $200.00 and i had a print out of 8Thstreet.com and they had it for $139.95 and he gave me that price.

Pickup features: Active Humbucking Set of 81 & 85s
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Les Paul Custom
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock Epis
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Those being paid to do so because any true tone pro will clearly shun them.
You musical style(s): Progressive Hard Rock ala' Mudvayne, Tool, Deftones
Reason for pickup change: The hype of EMGs by endorsing artists and user reviews here.

Perceived output level: Less than stock
Tone: Muddy as a swamp and more midrange than a trailer park whore.
Sonic evaluation: Epiphone Les Paul Custom, Marshall DSL100 head, Mesa Boogie 4x12 recto-cab, Boss GT-5 with EQ looped into Marshall head.

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

Comments: I spent one year with this Zakk Wylde set in my Les Paul. I could never get rid of the muddiness and over-mid sound of my set-up whether in bridge mode, bridge/neck mode or just neck mode and in both distorted and clean modes. Full chords just sounded like ass. I changed batteries, replaced my pickup selector switch, replaced all the internal wiring and tweaked everything from my EQs to my nipples and could never clean up the over-mids and muddy tone. After a year of tweaking, I ended up having my luthier put back in the stock Epi pickups and my tone cleaned up immediately. The Epis may be crap compared to Seymour Duncans or other well-knowns, but they DEFINITELY were better than the ZW set. Out of the four guys in his well-known and respected shop, not one thought very highly of EMG actives. Additionally, my Boss GT-5 has an input meter and although everyone hypes how loud and hot these PUPs are, the input meter clearly showed less input than my passive guitars did. Electronics don't lie. In fact, my luthier even showed me on his multimeter the output being a touch less than my stock Epi PUPSs. As far as I am concerned, that's all this active EMG-ZW set is---hype. If you are a two-note barre chord player, this set might sound good for you but the second you introduce more notes into the chord, expect a swamp of mid-mush.
They were sold on eBay to the highest hype-sucker---I mean bidder.