All user reviews for the EMG 81

being good given that emg81, we hear everywhere in the world of metal, and the 3 / 4 of the groups I listen to use this microphone, I say no need to look any further!

good not need to do a drawing, the emg 81 is a legend, the word that everyone know, active micro, ultra prcis, cold, ...
people complain that it is cold, so what? I like the fact its cold, if I want a warm sound I take a strat ac a simple micro worse I play the blues! lol

I have this on a micro and a ibanez jackson JS30RR RG, mounted in 11-70, drop B, drop C, drop some A, A #.

obviously good, it sounds metal, it sounds cold. I play mostly metalcore (August Burns Red, Parkway Drive, As I Lay Dying ...), which is a good mix of bold and aggressive riffs, rhythmic palm mute ultra prcis, net shots, and melodies- Solo ultra precise, short a good mix of style metal.

sound level between the ibanez and jackson, the sound changes slightly, a little fat on the ibanez I would say, but the ear you can hear it a lot.

in rhythm: for me it's the highlight of the microphone, it is pure folly. Palm Mute us chills at each shot, accuracy in fast and rhythmic techniques are waiting for you is a pearl.

Leading in, solo: the 81 sounds tjs as accurate, whistle out the harmonics and sound nothing like bcp, is the sustain, the tapping is a real rgal.

for me this microphone is a microphone perfect for this kind of music, but would go very well for other kinds of metal, but I think it is really made for this mixture aggressive rhythm and solos!

I do not regret at all the assets put on my guitars, for that matter is not for nothing that I rebuilt for ibanez.

if I play on a Hugh and Kettner, so as said before, the guitar, the amp bcp can change things, but for me the Ibanez RG and Jackson are perfect for the V metal (24 boxes and more for solos ^ ^) so I think it sounds perfectly fine.

after ben is clear that people like this sound emg, others not, but for me there is no better, and I'm not ready to change these pickups

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.

When someone says active pickup you think EMG. When someone says EMG you thing the EMG 81. The EMG 81 put EMG and active pickups on the map in the guitar industry. The EMG active pickups use a pair of rail magnets with a built in preamp. As you probably know active pickups require a battery to power them. Rail magnets are better than the normal magnets used in pickups because there is no gap in the signal. When you bend a string with normal pickups the string moves slightly away from the magnet that string is associated with, and you get a slight decrease in signal. With rail magnets there is no gap in detection of the string vibration. The 81 first came out in 1981 along with the EMG 85. The 81 is the more focused pickup of the two. It has a searing high gain metal sound. When I play music with a lot of palm muting I can get an awesome tone. The 81 really shines when you are playing tight chugging riffs. Tight chugging riffs and single note lines are what this pickup is best at. When you downtune all these traits just help to keep the sound nice and tight. It is very hard to get a muddy sound from this pickup. With the built in preamp it has a ton of output. Because of the built in preamp the magnets dont have to be as strong so there is less string pull so you get more sustain. Because the pickup is so focused on metal it may for some people be lacking in other areas. Sometime if I am playing with a clean tone I can feel like the tone is a little cold or sterile. It can also sound a little “off” when you are playing wide open chords. If you are looking for an active metal pickup for the bridge position this is the way to go.

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!

The EMG 81 is one of the pickups that helped make EMG a name for itself. It’s a pickup with an active preamp inside it. That means it requires a power source. In this case, it’s a 9V battery. It’s housed in a special cover with no pole pieces and has a ceramic magnet.

The EMG 81 is a pickup that’s getting a bit dated today, but it is still a great pickup. Overall, the pickup really pushes the amplifier, despite the pickup itself actually being low output. This is mainly thanks to the built in active preamp. It’s a quiet pickup that doesn’t need a buffer for long cable runs, and it doesn’t interfere with nasty RF waves like most regular pickups do. This is what helps make EMGs more appealing, especially in a live situation.

The pickup is very tight, has some good midrange and some screaming high end, but it’s also a bit bright. It has some awesome grind going on, but this can lead to it being overly bright in the wrong piece of wood. I find it works great in more neutral to mid heavy woods such as alder and mahogany. Basswood can be a bit iffy, depending on the tone you’re going for. I don’t recommend using this in a body made of a dense wood such as maple. The pickup can be used in both the neck and the bridge. Some find it works great in the neck, but I simply find it to be too bright for the lead tones I usually go for.

The biggest issue with EMGs is that they can sound a bit “linear.” They’re very compressed, and this can lead to some guitars sounding more similar than if they’d have passive pickups. Some argue this case, but it’s true to an extent. The guitars won’t sound identical, but they’ll sound a bit more similar than if they might have a pickup that’s more picky about woods such as the Seymour Duncan JB.

Overall, the pickup is great, especially for those who play metal. It can be a bit dated sounding thanks to the boutique market, but I still feel this is one of the best active pickups on the market.

I've owned at least 3 different guitars equipped with the EMG 81, and I've bought and installed about 5 EMG 81s in different guitars that I've owned and tried them in both the bridge and neck position. If you took a medium output passive pickup, threw a boost out in front of the amp, you'd get an EMG pickup. In essence, this is what the battery does for the pickup.

as a neck pickup (CLEAN):

Not bad. It's not like any fender glassy clean nor is it like a thick humbucker pickup. But the tone is almost like a transparent, woody tone. Suprisingly, very transparent. Not too bassy or trebly or anything! Just clear and woody is the best way i can put it. Though the headroom is a little bit questionable as it sounds like it's JUST on the verge of break up, but doesn't.

as a neck pickup (DIRTY):
Great! Smooth distortion, not too bright and not too much bass. There's enough gain on tap to do any of the shreddy stuff. Low-medium gains is nothing to write home about however. But it tracks very well under high gain!

as a bridge pickup (CLEAN): The clean is decent. Some people have said that it breaks up but I personally haven't had that same experience, it may depend on the pickup height however.

as a bridge pickup (DIRTY): Very subjective here. Over the years it's been claimed to be either great, or shrill and sterile. I personally think it is a relatively bright pickup, and slightly gritty. I've used this pickup on standard tuned guitars and downtuned guitars, both of which sound good. Of course on a downtuned guitar the overall sound is smoother than if tuned in standard. A lot of metal players use these pickups for this reason. It keeps the tone tight when downtuned. Harmonics leap out effortlessly.

Overall great metal pickup. Very tight, and clear even with downtuned guitars. Clean is not something this pickup excels at. Doesn't clean up with the volume control but it is quiet since it's active. The battery thing is a necessity with these pickups, it DOES help with taming ground noise and whatnot. I do not find it troublesome, though some people do. It's completely subjective these days as a lot of other guitar gear works the same way.

* For how long have you been using it? I received it last week and got into the stride, no problem.

* What thing do you like most/least about it? What really pleasant surprise is the quality of packaging, assembly plan super simple (even in English) that is in the Plugg !!!!( excellent, no need for soldering iron ...!) and especially SOUND!

* Did you try many other models before getting this one? No, I was already 85, I knew what to expect.

* What is your opinion about the value for the price? For 71 € is really present in German. Included in the pretty box: the 81, 1 volume, 1 tone, 1 jack, battery buss, various cables and pickup buss B157.

* Knowing what you know now, would you make the same choice? Yes without hesitation. Roll on next! Mount it on my old Epi SG 99 (Set-Neck, Mahogany), I thought it could sound and indeed it sounds!

Used this pickup in an Ibanez RG550 for over a year... Basswood has a very balanced smooth tone, so.. I think it was a forgiving canvas for a pickup to make an impression. I have had extensive experience in tone dissatisfaction.. so I am always changing stuff in and out of guitars.. It IS a disease! I have used Fender, Gibson, Paul Reed Smith, EMG, Dimarzio, Seymour Duncan, Carvin, etc, etc.
Alright. So, now the pickup. EMG81. The pre-eminent metal pickup of choice for all the Nu-Metal kiddies. This pickup has been around FOREVER. I think I was using this 12 years ago.. maybe longer... so this is definitely not the new piece of gear lots of people think it is. Very high output, neutrally voiced pickup. It has a lot of clear, boosted signal. Kind of the opposite gain approach of the Dimarzio HS-3.. which is a low output... very, VERY neutral pickup. Zakk Wylde seems to love this in a Les Paul.. I imagine it might be a good choice in that guitar.. as the maple may add brightness.Let me also add that he has a maple neck, so.. this has a small bit of impact as well. In the Ibanez, it was opaque. Flat. Neutral. Can't think of any other boring adjectives to describe it. The good news is.. it should take on the characteristics of your rig. If you have a good preamp... or a Marshall JCM800.. with a bunch of Boss pedals in front of it.. you might be able to get a nice dark, heavy tone. (like Zakk) Not particularly complex.. pretty straightforward, high gain. Easy pinched harmonics, but not rich and detailed sounding. The best way to get a rich sound would be if you have a crunchy amp.. and use this to push it into higher gain. I'm sure Zakk Wylde's rig would not scream quite so loudly if you played a Strat thru it. The best part about this is that it is verbose. Huge. Fat. Like playing a regular humbucker with a clean boost. (One good way to avoid buying this, changing your pots and adding batteries) But if you want a dead quiet, high output solution.. need your notes thick and meaty (and your rig provides the character you want) this is the way to go. You hear it on lots of heavy albums nowadays... the question one has to pose themselves is... Do I want to create my OWN sound? This might be it... but there are lots of other options.