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EMG EMG-ZW Zakk Wylde 81/85 Humbucker Set Black
Searched EMG EMG-ZW Zakk Wylde 81/85 Humbucker Set Black in Reviews
If looking for Power and "in your face" harmonics
| Comments |
I Currently have these in two Les Pauls. Preety diverse range of stuff I use them for. Rock, Hard Rock and of course METAL! Over the top harmonics, and can really turn a stock Les Paul into a powerhouse. Yet, can cleanup a bit for the soft parts. However, not ideal for an all clean sound. Overall a great pair of pickups for the harder stuff.
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| Liked about it |
Great Harmonics and bite.
Adds power and attack.
Fairly easy to install.
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| Didn't like |
Too pricey.
A couple of the emg pots went bad on me.
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| Overall satisfaction: |
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4.0 |
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Metal
| Comments |
I put these in my Ibanez RGR421EXFM after getting rid of the stock pickups. These pickups are excellent particularly for metal, you can pull off some amazing harmonics with these, they are very bright and have a very clear sound. I use the 18 volt mod to run these which i found allows them to sound less compressed. You get all the parts from EMG, however i had to unsolder the majority of the electronics that came pre-wired so i could install the pickups, which was a real pain.
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| Liked about it |
High output
Can handle anything
Nice sound
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| Didn't like |
The volume difference between the two
The lack of volume control
The pre-wired electronics.
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| Overall satisfaction: |
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4.0 |
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Good Lord!
| Comments |
Reluctantly swapped out original p/u's from my 57 LP for these and all I can say is wow. Easy to install and unbelievable sound for any type of distortion with or without other mods.
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| Liked about it |
Great tones in the high gain
* Booming low frequencies
* Screams
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| Didn't like |
Volume difference between neck and bridge (other than p/u height)
* Clean tone is nice but kinda "one trick-ish"
* Pricey
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| Overall satisfaction: |
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5.0 |
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EMG, Excellent Musical Goodness
| Comments |
Now that's not what EMG stands for, but many musicians do not realise that EMGs are actually quite toneful.
EMGs have a reputation as the pickups for heavy metal. Yes they are more than capable of dishing up the fury, but they are also capable of many other styles. Add to them the 18 volt mod and they open up even more.
Pair your EMG equipped guitar with a nice moderately distorted amp and your guitar will sing. The guitars body wood will shine through in this, and clean situations, bringing out a great sound. I have them in alder and basswood, and you can hear the wonderful bright alder sound in the alder bodied guitar, and the darker sound of basswood in the basswood bodied guitar. Both of these guitars have near identical setups, so they are a good base for testing tone.
I play styles ranging from blues through to metal, and I always find my EMG equipped guitars more than capable of delivering me a great sound. The trick with EMGs is that your amp needs to be set up a bit differently to when a guitar with passive pickups are used. Many don't get past this point. Push through that, and you will be rewarded with a great sound. Add the 18 volt mod, and you'll be even happier.
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| Liked about it |
Huge tone, from blues through to metal.
Quick connect EMGs make for easy swaps.
Clean up nicely.
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| Didn't like |
Should come with the 18 volt mod standard.
Would love to see a more standard humbucker as an addition to the range.
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| Overall satisfaction: |
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5.0 |
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Put the 85 in the BRIDGE!
| Comments |
Had the 81 in the bridge for a while before trying the 85 there, I couldn't believe it. The 85 sounds better in bridge position in my opinion! These are the perfect pickups for metal! Reading the other reviews, volume differences come from pickup heights being not right with these- get the heights fairly high and they should balance well (the bridge pickup can always be a little lowered too.) Harmonics really do jump out and hit you in the face, amazing. If you want a massive guitar sound that's perfect for metal and heavy rock, these are for you.
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| Liked about it |
Top 3 positives:
-PERFECT FOR METAL
-HARMONICS HEAVEN!
-VERY LOW NOISE!
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| Didn't like |
Top 3 negatives:
-I feel they're not as expressive as passives.
-18V 'mod' should be sold as standard- it makes a HUGE difference!
-Assuming the pots are authentic (I'm hoping the tech that installed them didnt just install the pickups and keep the pots for himself). They seem to be very sensitive, a slight turn of the volume pot yields a huge increase in volume (0% to probably around 65%) whilst the rest of the pots turn seems to affect to gain to more of an extent.
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| Overall satisfaction: |
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5.0 |
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They do exactly what they are intended to do.
| Comments |
I had these pickups initially installed in a Jackson Kelly and it wasn't a great fit. I switched them over to an Epiphone Les Paul Standard and BLAMMO!, that's when they really came alive. It seems these pickups were definitely designed to be in a Les Paul or similar mahogany body guitar.
You really have to ride the (supplied) volume and tone controls if you want anything other than the flat-out bone-crushing distortion that these pickups will provide. They'll get a little fuzzy and "transistor-sounding" with lower-end solid state amps, but high-end solid state gear and any tube amp worth its salt will absolutely burn when these pickups hit them. They squash and compress nicely for all those signature Zakk artificial harmonics, but they'll adapt to your playing style just as easily.
The crunch that comes out of the bridge pickup is pretty awe-inspiring. Mega-crunch/distortion with almost no noise. The neck pickup is noticeably lower in volume, the the trade-off is a more rounded, focused tone that works well with sweep arpeggios. Make sure you use the supplied controls to squeeze every bit of tone out of these bad boys.
Also, I performed the 18 volt mod to my set, which is basically wiring two 9-Volt batteries in series in the circuit--this is an easy mod with very little soldering. What you get with the 18V mod is a lot more compression, snap, and clean headroom. Just make sure you shield the batteries and the control cavity properly. Also, since they're not labeled well, if you're installing them yourself, make sure you get the correct pickup in the correct position. The difference is the color of the logo on the pickup (gold/silver).
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| Liked about it |
Massive amounts of distortion on tap.
Easy installation and modification.
Controls supplied with the pickups for proper tone.
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| Didn't like |
Difference in volume drop and distortion going to neck pickup.
Only seemed to work well in Mahogany-body guitar.
Price most likely includes "Zakk's cut."
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| Overall satisfaction: |
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4.0 |
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Go Wylde with these!
| Comments |
In these days of political correctness, reality TV rock stars and manufactured celebrities it is good to know that one man stands as a true blue, 101% proof, red meat, no bull, guitar god, and for me Zakk Wylde is the last great guitar player of the 80's. His trademark sound is a mix of pentatonic wizardy, guitars driven beyond the edge of reason and forced harmonics that frankly most of us will never be able to match. This sound is really derived from 3 sources, Marshall, Gibson and EMG. For as long as there have been images of ZW, these have always included the EMG 81/85 humbeuckers.
EMG realized this and a some years ago released the Zack Wylde Humbucker set to help us all get closer to greatness. I must admit that it is a while since I installed mine (into a Les Paul of course) but if memory serves the set arrived not only with the pickups, but also an extra long volume pot and tone pot and some picks. Check manufacturers site for current details.
In the guitar they immediately start to hit all the right subliminal buttons. The answer is "none more black". But it is when you plug in that you really understand what they are about. 2 adjectives spring to mind; power and clarity. These pickups are designed to push your amp into overload and deliver a distorted tone that can bring the monster out of any amp and guitar combo, and particularly with valve equipped gear they really do this very comprehensively. They have a compressed sound that smashes into the pre gain section of your amp and drives it wild (or Wylde). The harmonics on these pick ups are good, and with practice and heavier strings, you will be getting closer to ZW's trademark screams and squeals than you ever thought. As with most active pickups they are noiseless, so the only thing you are amplifying is you.
Sounds good so far? Well yes, but now a note of caution. As with anything that is voiced for a particular range or style of music the ZW EMG set up doesn't necessarily deliver a wide range of tones and sounds. Played clean these pick ups lack dynamics and sound a little flat. I suspect that this is because they do sound quite compressed, which is great for a distored sound but wont give you a lot to play with when the volume is turned down. As with a lot of "pro" gear, you will get the best out of them by using a guitar and amp of a similar level. You really wont get the best out of them playing through a 10 watt practice combo. That doesn't mean they are bad, just don't expect a bullseye graphic to suddenly appear on your guitar when you plug in for the first time! For the best sound from these you want a valve amp and a guitar made from heavier tonewoods.
Another slight issue with this set is that of volume difference. The bridge 81 is louder than the 85 in the neck position. This is both good and bad. Personally I like the difference as it allows a quick change in aggression with the flick of a switch, but some players are more comfortable with a balanced output from both humbuckers. You can switch the positions round, but it isn't the same experience.
Lastly, active pickups need batteries. Not a major issue, but always have a spare to hand, 2 if you are gigging.
All in all, these are really good pickups, and as far as getting the Zakk Wylde sound, they are essential. Just be aware that they are wild animals, and need to be treated as such. Don't be surprised if they drink all your beer too!
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| Liked about it |
Excellent harmonics (as you would expect)
Transparent tone.
High output really pushes your amp
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| Didn't like |
Volume difference between bridge and neck is pretty noticeable
Batteries!
Clean tone not great
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| Overall satisfaction: |
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4.0 |
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