« Alternative to the EMG 81 »

The Seymour Duncan Blackouts are a new beast in the active pickup market. This is the main bridge pickup of all the Blackouts. This pickup takes aim at the iconic EMG 81. This pickup like the 81 is an active pickup. This means that you need a battery for the pickup to operate. You also need special tone and volume pots. These are usually included if you buy the pickups new but if you buy them used you may have some problems trying to fit these into a guitar. Usually if you need both active pickups because it is very difficult to run an active pickup with a passive pickup. The 81 is a great pickup and has been used for years but everyone knows its weaknesses. This AHB-1B Blackout aims to make the 81s weaknesses its strenghts. The thing that most people dislike about the 81 is its lack of bottom end. That is not a problem with the AHB-1B because this pickup has bottom end a plenty. The pickup has all the high end crunch and gain that you expect from an active pickup. They are just as hot as any EMG's you have heard. With the added bottom end it does not sound harsh and thin like an 81 can sound sometimes. To me it is more like an 85. I prefer the 85 to the 81 due to its fuller sound. This AHB-1B is like they combined the 81 and 85 and stuck a Seymour Duncan label on it. Where the extra fullness hurts you is if you are tuning very low. If you are tuning very low you may want to stick with the 81. You will need the top end clarity to keep everything clear. If you are not tuning super low the AHB-1B can give you a much bigger sound than the 81 at higher tunings without clarity problems.