All user reviews of 5/5 for the EMG 81

Unmute ceramic 2 conductors (not split-except perhaps with manipulation shows the EMG website) which will very well in bridge, clear sound quite cold compared to the EMG 85 but very nice despite everything!
These microphones are active, so no bottom to noise, unless you with rotten jacks in your effects chain, if you have a naturally Pramp blowing, etc.

A default of personality almost palpable as 85 b'en the 81 has more gain, is clean, and harmonics out super easily, it has all the same dynamic coronation and pr sence.

WARNING if you want to install it even. EMG have really carrs angles, unlike Duncan, DiMarzio, etc., with rounded corners. The installation of an EMG can then ncessiter enlarge the dfonces pickups on your guitar, violin forcment not working the door of everyone.

Luthier and worthy of the name makes you complte installation kit (wiring + violin) for cheap! Not much GNER rather than do anything with his guitar.

And thank you Rowerfox convinced me to take the plunge (still good old anchors beliefs about active pickups, its cold, lack of versatility, phobia of a battery dcharge).

Moreover, the batteries are given for close to 2,000 hours. Provided good dbrancher think his guitar when you do not play!
Added 30/03/2004: EMG meet the basic sound, the acoustic sound of the guitar ... I had forgotten to point out, thinking that cel was obvious.
Adj there a huge difference between my two teams in Jackson EMG my DR2, poplar has a darker sound and dug in my mdiums SLSMG mahogany! At the same rglage on my amp, I have a sound diffrent between.
Those damn microphones really respect the sound of each guitar!

I used the 81 on my ibanez rg sending her to death
the + no breath
precision
grain standard
the - no versatility
dynamically compresses the sound too
its cold
EMG 81 with no attempt versatility but of his own edged
compar has my old inf1 & 2 they sound more colder but what a potato
I have changed to 1 & 1 SH13 SH6 I gained in heat, gain level is similar and I have more versatility
I'll put them on my next guitar which will surely be a destiny to explore Bourrain
little info for those who happen to have a blast with 81 check your cabling or change the amp, I played on a lot of guitars equip emg never heard of it
Amateur big sounds of EMG and lamps ass and go for any dchire
edit: I come back 2 3 Things the ceramics magnets is good for for potatoes but that's it nothing like alnico magnets h yes what was the point of having to be HiGain amps 6 Max and again and I do not speak of dynamic heat so for me the EMG are good for 300 shovels tried a jackson usa sg Standard or a 6505 or better (no shit transistors) if you have had under the fingers and you doing your emg the trash and for purists lamps if the microphone is pramplifli so there are transis..ahhhhhhhhh !!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!

Mounted on a Lag Rockline Light to replace a Tone Zone in the bridge position and a Lag Arkane Absolute. Of course, the metal will playground with a large saturation. The clean sound is obviously not his forte. The grain is tight, very incisive, very clinical. However, the Absolute Arkane this mic is more versatile than the Rockline Light (Maple Mahogany / Basswood versus ...). The top for a certain style of edgy music, unusable in other cases ... Not possible versatility but it is not the purpose of this very typical microphone.

I tried to avoid active pickups for the longest time, just didn't want to have to deal with batteries and all the negative views on them. Eventually I just bought one and was pleasantly surprised. They do have a different sound from passive pickups but it's in no way a negative difference. They are very tight sounding, low noise, and have a great crunch to them. They are pretty bright so that's all personal taste, but I like it. Hard to describe the stale sound but it's like they're so tight and clean sounding it's almost unnatural, but in a good way. There's no fizziness or any annoying spiked frequencies to these, just overall a great pickup. On cleans they really excel IMO. I like a very bright, sparkly, chimey clean tone and these just nail it. Perfect example is the clean tone off MetallicA's And Justice For All album. They used EMG 81's in the neck into a Roland JC120 for that album and the EMG 81 is a huge part of that tone. Later they switched to using the EMG 60 in the neck but that album is all 81.
Anyways there’s a 18 volt mod that some people are doing, it increases the headroom. The new X series are designed to be like the 18 volt mod but more dramatic, and only run on a single 9 volt. I tried the mod and wasn’t really impressed. I didn’t notice much of a difference at all. It was slight, the overall tone was quieter and thinner, but nothing you’d ever notice in a band setting or multitracking. I’d prefer to stick with 9 volts to save batteries.
I own 3 along with some of the X series and various other EMG pickups, this one is by far my favorite. Check out my 81x review for a little more in depth comparison.

I tried my first 81 model probably a decade ago in an ESP guitar. At the time it blew my mind. It was super aggressive and super hot. It always cut through and seems to slice through every amp I used with it. It had killer bass response too. Sure the cleans don't sound too hot with it but isn't that what the EMG 60 is for? I really think this pickup only lends itself to heavy metal type players. It's way too overdriven for light rock or anything like that. It's hard to get a sound out of it that's not blistering distortion.

These are active pickups of course and so your EQ will be a bit more responsive. One problem I always had with my 81 was a lack of dynamic response. Rolling down on the volume knob never seems to do too much to clean it up (god forbid when you want a little less DISTORTION) from it. A friend of mine suggested a mod he heard about where you wire another battery in the loop to make it an effective 18 volt pickup. I figured heck why not and gave it a go. The result is a very responsive and dynamic pickup with tons of headroom. It almost turns it into a passive pickup in some ways. It makes the 81 sound more organic and less machinelike if that makes any sense at all.

I don't really recommend this to anyone but hard rock and heavy metal type players. I have tried it for other genres and it's just not fit for it, even with mods. Still, for my prog metal playing it can't be beat. I love it. The clarity is just so much better than passive pickups. notes really pop. It's really a love or hate kind of pickup.

-Ca is 3 days that I have.
the installation is done without difficulty, some welds, shmas provides simple and clear.
average duration of the battery: 3000 h
This microphone is an ultimate weapon that the wire must possder,, explanation:
This microphone is designed to get you out of a very typical distortion level (there is a grain SPECIFICATIONS), with, you can get the type of metallica, fear factory, kittie, system of a down, sepultura or soulfly.
everyone says that this mic is cold, well ok it is true that it is relatively dry but that is cold is the k'il mega bullshit, the clean sound is really cool (FC: metallica), must say that its use is the first distortion and more ca dpend EMG must love the grain and it must not stick something like derrire marshmallo 100 MG Machin,
it is super enjoyable because even with the distortion most mchante no pests or bees in your amp, it's like it's total silence and you fitted ds a helping mdiator mchant,,, ca te dgueule in your face ........... neighbors will be happy .... I feel
I have since I take two times longer rgler my amp, and the knob on my guitar because they are ultra sensitive and super helpful.
What I tonn the very first time I have with jou is that palm mute and are very much apparent Submitted trs (CF: Metallica: Holier than you, Fear Factory: cyberwaste or shocks, kittie: spit)
there is no version for bridge or neck microphone, for against what I noticed is that the Tone knob from the bottom after ca mouth like a micro bridge and at least a micro fatter type neck.
I paid 120, the report does not discuss qualitprix.
a dernire info: for those who have the IDE to the korn, black bomb a, it nino, static-x, Coal Chamber and other fatty bourrinage slipknot but I strongly deprecated this microphone you don ' will "not at all" sound, for that I recommend the Seymour Duncan SH-6 distortion gre it exactly that and they are too powerful (see kan even a little too), but they provide good all over the tuning, ect ...... I am not for the EMG 81 for the SH6.
If I had that choice again? I would do without hsiter.

Micro overboosted the ultimate choice for Metal or ceques always a big demand flow in the preamp!

I use a 11 years! has not rejuvenated! Before I went through a Di Marzio Tone Zone / Evolution and Seymour and Joe Barden but I needed a microphone that I recupre some precision the attauq e on my Les Paul! Not that such markings do not manufacture anything good, but my taste was not the color I was looking for! Precis is, a razor-sharp with virtually no noise ... short the top!

The only thing is, with my head I recupr mesa Fuzz even more, but once rule is better!
It is unfortunate also that the only version with metal cover is not available in Dor and only 81 .... it regrtable but at the same time it is a custom shop model 25me birthday ...

Nothing else to say about the specifics

Report Qualit Price: it's all over (although the new connectors can be a delicate borch my taste) and the price is quite reasonable for a microphone preamp incorporated!

I do it again this choice on my Les Paul 4 me if my bank is nice to me!

JellyBellY (https://fr.audiofanzine.com/membres/index% 2Cidmembre 2C34579.html%) came to me with his Schecter C1 Fr (https://fr.audiofanzine.com/apprendre/mailing_forums/?idproduit=23105 ), it was able to test the two teams dun guitar EMG 81 in acute on the same amp
Well for those who doubted: The sound is DIFFERENT between the two guitars!
THE EMG therefore pass the LUTHERIE!

Guitars:
The Schecter has a handle screwed it in Rabl (beautifully ond the rest), (https://fr.audiofanzine.com/img/membres/normal/8/9/8977.jpg) a mahogany body and therefore EMG 89 in a serious and a EMG 81 in acute!
My Vigier MODEL is a former driver with a handle Fully carbon, a key in Phenowood which is actually a matrial close to the woods! The wings are normally alder. She is in serious quipedun EMG 85 and EMG 81 in acute dun.

Sound:
Vigier on the sound is more synthetic, more than anything Dimebag Darrell, It is the fact the neck-carbon! For the Schecter sound is warmer and finally close trs DiMarzio has dun like raisin bread!
Indeed, the EMG 81 is a micro high output (405 mV) and magnets raisin bread! So you have to compare what is comparable, if we compare the EMG 81 Seymour Duncan has a 59 that has 2 times less output level and basic deer Alnico EST sr that nest over the m me!
Jadore for this micro distos videmmentmais I found myself doing with funk! Indeed there is a espce of stuff on the guitar, you know something often black plastic or mtal vicinity of the bridge: It sappel a volume knob
Well, it is lower the volume, so if there is a little sen instead of putting all the time donf makes it less aggressive EMG 81 because the volume is on the bottom cruncher nimporte what clear sound
Jai also test some time ago EMG81 the position of a serious Vigier Excalibur Ultra Dioneae and I agree: the 81 is in serious carrment warmer quen position Acute whether well cest a 81!
Also Igor O Mount of EMG on his Gibson Les Paul Studio and a PRS CE24 and said on the forum that his silent guitar lautre diffrent dune that the microphones are the same !

In passing with my config rack but with no effect Cables quality I have absolutely no breath
And I prcise all EMG pickups are sold with accessories (http://www.emginc.com/productimages/Hcontrol.jpg): Tone & volume knob, medium pile, jack socket and the recess c wheat. EMG actually need knobs diffrent value of those used for passive pickups and the jack starts the active Systm: Cest why that if you leave the branch stack jack s' use! Just think adbrancher the jack when you do not play (as an active low actually)
Buying a short EMG you to change all the guitar llectronique except slecteur microphone, so that the ratio quality price is good trs: same price as a Seymour Duncan or DiMarzio but the electronic (pre-wired and more
Dtail friendly: the cable that goes micro dtach thanks to a plug (http://www.emginc.com/productimages/T3pin.jpg) Which means that once the install cblage on your guitar you dont no welds do to change pickups, you have a 85 in a severe and acute in 81 so you can easily reverse them!

Here I just wanted to wring his neck DEFINITIONS prtendent rumors that the EMG does not comply with the violin! Alalala people who speak without knowledge and / or which allow dmettre an opinion on a micro without washing test on at least two guitars violin making diffrent ...

I invite you to read the other reviews for more details and sound techniques, I recommend including that of Draghixa which is always good advice
My FAQs EMG guitar accessories ( )

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