All user reviews of 4/5 for the EMG 81

Micro installed on a Gibson Explorer 76 RI
Installation is already con, EMG provides a seamless kit, there is a volume knob, a tone, a jack, a plug-circuit battery connection and son is fast plug ... except that the user guide is in English, the home ground is black with us is short green have to watch it is the detail that you can spoil the evening ...
Otherwise the sound is heavy Mesa Mark V sends severe mashed high gain mode Metallica fans are warned ... if I have compared to SH5 Duncan (Dave Mustaine) with EMG was more acute, a High level out more and especially palm are silcencieux it does not bleed is awesome, on the other hand I have a parasite compared to SH5 therefore see if it does not come from wiring or other ... if I coupled with the super 60 wedding

The EMG 81 is a classic design in the guitar world. It has stayed consistant throughout its history. For a lot of people the active tone is what they wanted but they didnt like the sterile mechanical look of the black plastic covers they all came in. They wanted the tone but without completely changing the look of their guitar. For the longest time if you wanted a different look from your EMG pickups you had to do it yourself. You had to grind down the plastic covers and place the metal cover over it. This was a messy job and could damage your pickups. Now you can get Chrome and Gold covered pickups from the factory and lots of people are taking advantage of it to put in their Les Pauls and other guitars. They are not exactly like if you did it yourself. The pickups do not have pole pieces on them so you can kinda tell they are not normal humbuckers. If you did it yourself you could glue on some pole pieces to complete the look. The tone of these pickups hasnt changed but lots of people listen with their eyes instead of their ears. The 81 tone is classic metal tone. It has a razor sharp high end sound to it that keeps the clarity now matter how fast you are riffing or how much gain you have piled on. Since it has more of a high end voicing the clean tones are not that great. Personally I do not like the lead tones from the 81 either. To me they come out way too harsh when playing leads with a bridge position 81. If you are looking for high gain metal tone but want to keep the classic look of your guitar these Chrome covered EMG pickups are what you need.

The thing I like most about EMG pickups in general is the absurd amount of clarity. The note separation is awesome and there is absolutely no mud. Its also dead quite due to the active preamp.

What I like least about the EMG81 is the low end response. Its very very punchy, which is good, but its also tight to the point of stifled in my opinion. I have a very tight rig to start with, so that combined with the tightness of the EMGs pretty much takes away the low end from my rig. That said, the EMG 81 would work really well with a looser rig.

Also, the EMG 81 is really bright, which adds to the clarity, but also needs to be compensated for with eqing on the amp or it can be too bright.

A lot of people give say the EMG81 is a one trick pony, I don't agree with that. It definitely has more output than most passive pickups, but if you expect that and setup the gain on your amp with respect to it you can get great crunch and clean tones out of this pickup.

I think the real trick to getting excellent tones out of EMGs is knowing that you'll have to eq your amp differently than you would for passives. Personally, I don't like them, but that doesn't mean they're bad. I've heard a lot of guys get amazing tone out of them.

I use this mic for a fortnight because of several hours / days
This Micro possde trs good momentum, a significant gain, which tends to "crunch" sounds clear. It is extremely prcis, has a large sustain it with a sound not quite SPECIFICATIONS a lot of high harmonics and spectrum sonoreassez east on mdium high / high .. I feel he has to hear a range of sound reproduction is rather strait ... Finally an impression ... I do not like the sound of this microphone that means, it sounds a bit "synthetic"
I used mainly Dimarzio (tone zone, fred) and the sound is close to a sharper tone zone with a bit more than DEFINITIONS, harmonics and saturation in potato ... it's perfect for the solos and riffs nerve .. Using the potentiometer it sounds less "mtal" and can not address the pb directory rock ....
The microphone is coupled with a perfect 85 which is more serious and "vintage" with 2 microphones and position a couple on a wide range of sounds ... trs
The only criticism that I make for this microphone is that it is not "splittable" and that it is not musical in use "clear" ... So lack of versatility over the competition ( fred tone or area or evolution) ....
I do not put the maximum ..

Mount on a ESP LTD F-50 any con, in a bridge. I use it for two months, micro Obviously this is unstoppable, matre unchallenged in the field of heavy distortion, the TRS 81 is prcis, cutting edge, it picks up any noise (although sr is active) due to the beginners in pramp Chan! if there is noise is that it comes from a strong compression, a simulated pickup or jack rotten! So it's a micro Reserved to mtal of all kinds, heavy, progressive, death, grind, black (though in nivo not care a bit ...), but not only! It is comfortable on the trs trs Shred solos or fast picking, and it is far from cold. Obviously we prfrera rather the 85 solos for the hottest and round. Tight deadlines that I have not much say about the quality of the firm EMG, a fortiori, on the 81. This is the big sound, prcis, millimtr (the tone is very sensitive to nivo the knob, you can get dozens of DIFFERENT sounds nothing that this nivo!), Contrasting with many dynamics, even if it's expensive, it is indispensable!!

Edit 2007: I am less subjugated by micro present but that remains even when sre uen value. See the test on the Seymour Duncan Livewire Audiofanzine Metal to understand ...

This will be ending for two years I use this microphone. I bought a scraper 400 euros, ok but nothing special, and I wanted a big sound. The original pickups lacked clearly dynamic and palm muting the volume on the bottom amp frighten anyone. Then I install the microphone rack, and bam! he ressucit my guitar, she had to blush at the sound we hear the biggest. A coarse, nothing Exceeds ultra prcis, and much less unbearable feedback between two compounds in BPS.

Nanmoins if c'tait again, I will not choose the same microphone. For since my tastes have changed and I am more on the sounds ax hot vintage, grimey and drooling instead of cold incisive clean this microphone. Then over time I play more often in clean, and this mic is just unbearable. Just be a sixth or seventh agreement for the amp so you sound a slurry or each note can be discerned in a compact block of the agreement.

I think that even when the microphone to sound big and prcis.

I use it for several months on my ESP LTD Viper.

I like his power and sound with distortion that is trs prcis, the opposite of my old Gibson pickups or my SD. Harmonics are very easy to play also. It is trs own nickel to play solos and stuff prcis even with high distortion, a does not bleed, never strike a draft.

I like less coldness and lack of grain. It lacks bass. In his clear, it is almost useless without effects, fewer titles only play the Metallica or Megadeth encoreIl and lack of clear prsence and personality.

With my Pod XT Pro, I can have correct sounds for the riffs and for arpges but on my amp without effects, has clearly not only rings.

I think it's a good complment EMG 85 but I will not use two EMG 81 on my guitar, I find it far too restrictive under the mtal play only "cold ". It is highly versatile, hard to play a solo November Rain or type GNR arpge clear sound and rock 70's, will not ring. For me it's EMG 81 85 or nothing!

Price lev but it is a quality microphone (power, no wind) so it's correct.

Is what I will do the same choice, so on a guitar plutt typemtal or cold / neutral / clean with good amp derrire lamps or good effects and EMG 85 in complment, Otherwise, I prfre my SD liabilities that whatever is said, do not buzz / hum and are almost as powerful, even if they are clearly dirtier with more grain.

EDIT: since the acquisition of my Pod XT Pro, I can get something out of 81, and finally I can not find it so bad with good modlisations derrire but in my little amp with no effects or lamps little effect, it did not sound.

Install two Lespaul, coupled with the same or EMG85, for 1 year. (I also Musicman Luke with the 85 in comparison)
This is indeed trs dynamic super sharp and clean, I recommend approaches for metal. However I would prfre the position 85 Bridge / bridge that I find more harmonious. In the neck position, the 81 gives all its precision, high INTERESTED.
TRS is a good mic that I recommend to pair with a 85, either in one direction Bridge / Neck, or vice versa.
Essay with multiple guitars and two dozen microphones, see, I fell in love with the EMG 81 and 85 ..
I add, a few months later to use this microphone on the neck position and bridge, I find it a little too hard I got on the bridge. I would really prfre EMG 85 at this position. However, it is his advantage in the neck position.

Features- 9 volt active pickup which requires proprietary electronics to properly install.
Includes pots for volume and tone as well as A battery snap and quick connect cables.

Guitars used for evaluation- Esp Stephen carpenter 6 string- Alder/mahogany body, maple neck, ebony fret board, tom bridge
Carvin DC127- Alder/mahogany body, maple neck through, ebony fret board, floyd rose bridge
Epiphone LP- Mahogany body, maple neck, rosewood fret board, TOM bridge

I have tried this pickup in a variety of guitar with different woods and still got pretty much the same results. It's probably a cliche to say at this point but I really feel like this pickup sterilizes your guitar. It made my ESP SC6 and old Epiphone LP sound very similar and those two guitars couldn't be farther apart in terms of construction. It's not a bad pickup in fact I would almost say it is a great pickup for guitars that don't have the best of woods and construction. It can pretty much make any cheap guitar suitable for metal, especially modern metal. After having these in my cheaper guitars I pretty much swore by them for years even putting them in the nicer guitars I started buying. It wasn't until I really set out to try new passives that I realized what I was missing by using these exclusively. It's a stiff sound that stays tight and consistent which is great when just pummeling through power chords with a super saturated amp but they lack character. I did not get the dynamics of a good passive pickup. They are also touted for their low noise but I have not experienced any more noise since switching to passives. In my guitars I have switched to Anderson, bare knuckle, Duncans and, unless I do something silly like get an 8 string, I don't see myself going back

The EMG 81 is probably one of the company's best known pickups and is highly regarded by the metal community worldwide for its tightness, compression and output. I've tried it in many different guitars by Gibson, ESP, Jackson, Schecter, etc and I've come to the conclusion that it's a great pickup for higher gain metal applications. However, my tastes have changed quite a bit in the last couple of years and that type of high output pickup doesn't really do too much for me anymore tone wise. However I'll try and give as unbiased a review as I can.

First off, I should mention that when I was more into active electronics, I found that EMGs wired for 18 volts (as opposed to 9 volts) sounded thicker, punchier and just BETTER overall. Not that 9 volt operation sounds bad, it's just that I (along with many others) just feel that the 18 volt wiring sounds better.

The clean tones are very interesting to me. I find that they're better in many ways, such as the amount of clarity, the top end sparkle and the built in compression. The resulting tone is one that is a little bit more high fidelity sounding when compared to a passive humbucker, which I find is great for eighties and modern clean sounds. However, if I want to really dig in and get a bluesier and more tube-like character... I don't find that this pickup gets there very well. It just has this "perfect" character that doesn't really allow for things like gutsy blues tones to shine through.

The distorted tones are very high output and killer for nineties rock through to modern metal. The added output and compression that comes from the active circuitry really helps to add a cool dimension to the sound. They retain their clarity at even the highest of gain levels, and are quite articulate as well. That being said, they definitely lack some of the openness of passive humbuckers, and doing things like volume rollback/swells or using fairly low gain levels doesn't sound all that stellar to me, so given my current (more vintage based) musical tastes... this pickup doesn't really work well for me.

All in all I feel that the EMG 81 is a great active pickup for those seeking something that is articulate and has that cool high fidelity character. However, for those wanting a more vintage vibe to their tones... look elsewhere.

I use it for one month on a Ltd EC1000 VBK and for 6 months on a Jackson RR24 apartennant to my brother.

I had already tried various models (Gibson 500t, 498.496, EMG and Seymour Duncan Dimebucker 81,60,85, Blackout, SH4, sh2, 59) and I find the EMG 81 on the dreaded crunch and distortion.

I play mostly hard rock / heavy metal (AC / DC, Iron Maiden, Metallica ..) but also classic rock (Led Zep ,...) and I think this mic to a huge response on a mahogany body. playing in the volume, I get sounds really interesting and perfectly suited to my influences. Like what, not forced to play 11 so that it sounds. . .

I love the special ceramic magnet / active pickups. It is a very good combination that perfectly addresses the effects (a slight chorus on a high saturation gives you fast sound 80 ').

I want to say that the EMG 81 respectively lutherie.En the effect, I compared the Jackson RR24 my brother and my EC1000 on my amp. "And the result is obvious: the Jackson, features an alder body , neck and neck-thru OFR, delivers a loud, which did not sustain a lot and seems really synthetic. In contrast, the EC1000 is the presence in the low-frequency and frequency médianes.Hors, it has a mahogany body, a tune-o-matic and a set neck.

I also note that the EMG 81 is often installed in the bridge. Inevitably, the sounds are not clear .. So good that round, the clean sound is great!

I find the value for money very good, because it is a micro reliable, not too expensive and sending severe.

For years, EMG has been an instantly recognized name in heavier genres of music for their high output active pickups. And who doesn’t recognize the ‘blacked out’ look of their matte black covered pickups? Used by top acts such as Metallica, Slayer, Zakk Wylde, and MANY more modern bands, EMG has defined a sound of its own that some love, and others don’t.

The 81 a ceramic magnet humbucker usually found as the bridge pickup in EMG’s recommended sets. As with all EMG pickups, it features a quick connect interfacing of circuitry and pickup, so that pickups can be swapped easily. In an active design, pickups usually have weak magnets, and couple with a preamp (the ‘active’ part of the circuit) to boost and mold the signal. This is why EMG pickups are usually found set very close to the strings. The preamp is also why EMG’s tend to sound a bit more similar in different guitars than your average pickup.

In the bridge, the 81 is a very sharp, compressed, and percussive pickup. It offers a very quick and tight low end, which lends itself well for adding clarity to dropped tunings. The midrange is slightly scooped, and treble response is sharp. Harmonics fly off nearly every position of the fretboard with this pickup. Those looking for a constantly aggressive, tight, and quick sound tend to love the 81, though it quickly comes off as sterile when used in more mellow applications. The hot signal of the EMGs pushes an amplifier hard, so cleans can come off as harsh and even distorted. When using the 81, I like to couple it with the 18V mod, to add a little depth and undo some of the treble peak.

Oddly enough, I also find the 81 to be a GREAT neck pickup. It is much clearer than the usual 85 EMG recommends, and definitely produces a more ‘glassy’ sound. With the quick connect cables, it is easy to try this, and you might be pleasantly surprised!