Either you're EMG guy or not - what are you?

[constant mesh]

I was fooling around with a guitar that came into my shop and has the ZW set in it. I had the same thing on a Jackson 11 years ago. It was my first heavily modded guitar and from time to time I still felt sorry for selling it, it was such a long time ago I even forgot how EMGs sound. Today I had that chance again and I must say I am not pleased at all. Back then I never understood what people mean with it being too compressed.

On first impression the 81 is not that hot at all, I have a lil 59 in my Strat and that one sounds more organic, distortion sounds are defined like grains of sand, but EMGs sound a bit muffled. There's lack of clarity and lack of gain when you play normally, but on plam mutes you start to feel again it's not the gain issue. I noticed EMGs have a more "choonk-choonk" kinda voice when your palm mute, but with passive pups they are more vocal, more defined and clearer, they sound more like "oomph" to me

I even tried it against friend's ESP Horizon with an SH-6 which in my opinion is a really killer axe for the money and it just sings compared to EMGs which are very flat, lifeless, altough they have a certain character. No matter what I played with EMGs I always felt some of the Metallica in it.
I intentionally used my main tone setting, as I know SH-6 will be a just slightly too bassy (thumpy) and I was expecting the same or worse from EMGs but it was the complete opposite. Even fiddling with EQ didn't get me the sound I'd like.

For the price and extra accessories you need to put in, like battery and not to mention their stupid quick-connector principle, it's not worth the money, IMHO.

[AlexR]

not

[Zerberus]

Depends on the guitar for me. My soloist has EMGs, none of the others do, but a few have active preamps.

[Liam1963]

not...

[Rockstar216]

It depends on who's playing the axe because ive heard players make EMGs sound awesome but they were never really for me.

[Shadow1psc]

It depends on who's playing the axe because ive heard players make EMGs sound awesome but they were never really for me.

I think I'm going to agree with this. I have EMGs in my Charvel Model 5, and I go through periods of loving the sound, and not wanting to pick it up because my DMZ/SD pickup guitars just sound so... I want to use the word 'life-like', or like they breathe better, does that make sense? Even so, there's certainly a time and place for any sound.

[CTN]

strongly dislike EMG.

[formula73]

A lot of people will argue with me but I think a lot of it comes down to the guitar. EMGs may be the great equalizer, yes, but they don't make everything sound the same. I have a few with them and they certainly don't sound the same, guitar to guitar.

FWIW, the 81 is my least favorite of their lineup. I much prefer 85/60. The 85 is meaty and the 60 is clear. The 81 has this mid honky brash tone yet somehow still sounds a bit muffled in the highs. At least, to my ears.

[Empty Pockets]

When I play a guitar with EMGs, I feel like I have to play Slayer riffs.

Whereas a guitar with almost any other type of pickups can play every other type of music, and Slayer too with the right amp or dirt pedal... and it usually sounds better doing it.

[Laughing Kookaburra]

I would say I'm not, but years ago I did get an old Fender Musicmaster from a mate that had an EMG. It was passive, and pretty laid back, more so than the Invader or X2N that I had in other guitars at that time. I got along with it fine.

[vinta9e]

I don't mind EMGs in the right guitar and with the right amp but the same goes for classic Dimarzios and Duncans. I used to hate the 81/85 at first but after about 3 months or so, I learned to adjust my picking technique and dial in my amp. They won't behave like passive pickups, so if that's what you expect, you will be really disappointed. They have their own thing going on, and using them to their full potential means letting them do what they do best, rather than trying to make them what you wish they would.

They are some of the tightest sounding pickups I know of, and they seem to sound very consistent whether you pick hard or soft, not unlike having a compressor and an expander always-on. This feature is a double sided sword; there is no point in bashing the hell out of strings when picking lightly and tidy sounds better. On the other hand, that same "sterility" can be leveraged to make those crazy shred-circus technical licks'n'tricks a little easier to pull off in a clean fashion.

These pickups can work well for a couple specific tones and applications, not limited to metal/shred/cockrock but also for pop, fusion and jazz. I do like them a lot for fingerpicking and slap. I am not an EMG freak and I'd rather have a noose around my neck, than use them exclusively. I still value them as a tool fit for purpose. I like a bit of variety, so that I have a choice in tone and feel, because different tones inspire different moods, riffs and eventually tunes.

When it comes to tools, I don't believe in versatility. At the table, I use a fork, a knife, a spoon or a combination of the three, rather than a swiss army knife, to mutilate and devour my grub.

In a perfect world, I'd have a guitar loaded with Duncans, one with DiMarzios and another one with EMGs always ready (yeah, and another one with Fenders, and another one with Gibsons, and one with Jacksons and Gretsches and Suhrs and Andersons and Bill Lawrence's... you can't have too many, can you?). That way I could forget about searching for the holy grail and just pick whatever matches the feel of the moment and wail away. But then, searching is fun, too.

What makes a pickup a good pickup - to me - is its character, its own distinctive twist or flavour. Whether it's a good match for the player, the guitar and the amp is another story, and a rather long one to boot.

[sixstringsamurai333]

I'm not.

Nothing wrong with 'em, can totally use them and make them sound decent... but just my preference.

[King IzzO)))]

I have an 85/58 set and a 81/H, I use the 85/58 for Isis/Cult of Luna type post metal stuff. I like 'em just fine, for that sound. Actually, I really like them for clean sounds too. The "sterility" lends itself to a hifi quality for them that wouldn't suit other types of music, but I'm almost simulating electro at times, so it works.

I generally use other pickups for Slayer type stuff, but the 81 is def that sound.

The number one benefit of them is how quiet they are, I think that's the main reason you see so many pros using them.

[gman128]

Nope - if i need to use actives I use blackouts - they do what EMGs do a lot better imo. And as for getting lots of tonal variety out of one axe, you cannot beat a set of passives.

[Matt42]

I had a strat with the SA's in it a while back, and while I liked them, I'm not sure I would go that route again unless I had another strat with some SSL-1's or something similar in it.

I'm not a fan of the 81 or 85, never played any of the others.

[esandes]

i'm not an active pickup fan. the best tones i have listened to over the years were from passive pickups. my passive pickups have provided me with all of the tone characteristics i need too, especially my antiquity 2 jazzmasters. why fix something that isn't broken?

[blueman335]

strongly dislike EMG.

+1. "Just say 'No' to EMG's."

[SrDeMaFp]

A lot of people will argue with me but I think a lot of it comes down to the guitar. EMGs may be the great equalizer, yes, but they don't make everything sound the same. I have a few with them and they certainly don't sound the same, guitar to guitar.

FWIW, the 81 is my least favorite of their lineup. I much prefer 85/60. The 85 is meaty and the 60 is clear.

Agreed.

[kramersteen]

If i have to go actives i say blackouts or livewires. Emgs are so overrated imo. I find emg are best for heavy rhythms

[Little Pigbacon]

I have them in two guitars. It's a great sound for some kinds of playing, but I don't want it for all my guitars, or even all my hard rock/metal guitars.