All user reviews for the EMG JH HET Set (James Hetfield Signature)

I just install a gibson flying v '67.

Nice box, everything is well protected, packed, stored

Small flat on the foam to insulate the battery 9 devotees in the cavity of the guitar. In fact, it is necessary to cut the foam box!
EMG could provide cover in exprés foam.

Easy installation, super well done. I chose the assembly diagram 2 volumes + 1 tone

For those who are interested, there, there pil hair space in the cavity of the flying v to receive knobs, toogle, stereo jack, the surplus son and battery

J bought a black pickguard on which I have built this kit. White pickguard guard Gibson pickups and knobs of origin.
So I can use my leisure was flying v version "Hetfield" or original version. It just enough for me to remove the strings, pickguard, reseal the ground wire!

Compared torque 500 T 496 R, for "my personal taste eh ^ ^", there is no photo! Although I do not deny their qualities.

The neck EMG offers a sumptuous clean, sparkling, perfect for back Fade to black!
It also allows for solos or swipping longoureux ^ ^
The EMG bridge sends something! It beats the EMG 81 hands down. It is fatter while remaining precise and warm.

On the first try, I have been conquered.

J have a Ouija LTD equipped EMG 81 and 60 (active) and LTD EC 1000 equipped with Seymour Duncan JB and 59 (liabilities)

EMG JH offer a mix of these two pairs of microphones and better!


The finish is beautiful. Indeed, as mentioned in another review, it marks quickly. But a little bit of soft cloth is c is again!

Good price ... you pay signature c is on, but I do it again without hesitation as a purchase because I am delighted!

The JH-set replaces a couple of my 60-81 EMG ESP Eclipse II.

Level already installed, no worries, we disconnected the old microphones, it reconnects the new, the longest is the installation of new strings In short, it's super easy.

Level of its qualities are active pickups still there, but more punchy, more natural. Although still facing metal, slamming a AC / DC with these pickups no longer seems to be as much a heresy ...

The microwave bridge was clearly built for heavy rhythm, being a bit fatter than the 81 without being rough, the sound becomes even more alive. on the other hand, it is to forget for clean sounds, and I find the 81 a bit better for the solos. And this is where the neck pickup, much less boomy than 60 and in my opinion much more usable.

And this look! What beautiful microphones, it does not hurt ... was quickly ugly fingerprints on the other hand.

The only real flaw of this kit is its price, it also pays the name.

James Hetfield of Metallica has been playing EMG pickups for decades now. All his classic tones were done with the 81 and 60 EMG setup. Now he has a new set of pickups which are based on those old designs but are completely new. Hetfield said he went through 20 sets of EMG pickups to find something new. He didn't want to just slap his name on the old EMG 81 and 60 set like Zakk Wylde did to the 81 and 85. He wanted a completely new set of pickups that encompassed his new appreciation of passive pickups and his more refined tastes. Overall the tone is a bit different. It seems the pickups have less of the high end active fuzz but make up for it by being slightly brighter overall. The note definition is a whole lot better. Not that it was bad with the old ones but it is really improved now. The sound to me is a bit more round but with the better note definition they do not get muddy under high stress. The sound is more focused but in a way that is not harsh. They sound a bit more natural than the normal EMG's but they still have the super attributes of an active pickup. They are a bit more versatility because they are less compressed and metal'y. With these they have great dynamics and the hot output helps this because when you roll back on the volume there is still some output there. If you are looking for a set of EMG pickups that can do more than just metal these pickups are great. They have a new look for EMG's as well with their black nickle cases which I think looks pretty sharp. These pickups do not cost much more than a normal set of EMG's but they have a lot more modern and refined sound and if you do not like them it is very easy to swap them out with another set of EMG's with their quick connect system.

This is James Hetfields current pickup setup. For decades now Hetfield has stuck with EMG pickups and a particular set. He calls his new signature set the Het Set. Along with the Zakk Wylde 81/85 EMG pickup set there is another setup with the 81/60 which Hetfield used for many years. This is a popular setup albiet not as popular as the Zakk Wylde set. The Hetfield combination of the 81 and the 60 is pretty straight forward. The 81 being a bridge only metal pickup and the 60 being a neck only clean tone pickup. These pickups did everything Hetfield wanted to do with them. He could riff away on the bridge position and use the neck position for the Metallica clean passages. Since he does not play many leads he does not use the neck position for high gain leads. If he did do this he would probably use the 85 like Zakk Wylde. Hetfield has modified his pickup set slightly for this new James Hetfield Signature Kit. The idea came around when Hetfield was doing more different types of pickups in his guitars. He had some reliced guitars he was playing and he had EMG make him EMG pickups that looked like reliced passive pickups. The most noticable change is finish of the pickups. They are in polished nickle cases with pole pieces that make them look more like passive pickups. When you get the Het Set it comes with all you need to install it in your guitar. It comes with a few pots and switches along with a jack. You also get a James Hetfield pick. Installing EMG pickups is pretty simple. Once you hook up the battery you are ready to go. Since these pickups have a more passive sound there is really no need to do the 18 volt mod on them. The 60 already had a good clean tone and now that it has even more of a passive feel the neck pickup is great for all types of clean and bluesy stuff. All this helps accomplish Hetfields goal of having a more passive sound from the pickups. The pickups have a more passive sound but they also have more bite. They have a little less low end than the original 81 and 60s. If you are looking for a set of EMG's with a bit more bite and more of a passive sound but also come in a cool looking finish the James Hetfield set may be for you.