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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
They Have Their Place 
| Comments |
The 81/85 set came standard in my ESP LTD MH-400. I've gotten the impression that these EMGs are pretty sensitive to the tone wood of the guitar. My LTD has a mahogany body, so they do a great job of showcasing the low-mid oomph and darkness characteristic of mahogany.
I'll throw out a few adjectives that characterize the sound of these actives, and expand on each: Precise, transparent, quiet, high output.
The 81 particular is a very precise pickup. It can be a bit unforgiving, honestly. Your quick rhythm playing might sound tight through a guitar with passive pickups, but every little imperfection is made abundantly clear with the 81. Of course, the trade-off there is that you can hear every note, no matter how big the chord, or how much distortion. And, if you have decent chops, you'll be rewarded with some of the most articulate, cutting rhythm tones out there.
When I say transparent, I mean, your fingers have to do a lot of the work. Passive pickups will usually add more overtones to your playing. These won't. It's all up to your fingers to create something that sounds interesting. To get an interesting, singing lead tone out of these pickups requires good vibrato skills, and the odd pseudo-pinch-harmonic.
"Quiet" and "high output" should be a bit more obvious. The high output part of that equation requires some consideration, though. Plugging an EMG equipped guitar into an amp dialed in for passive pickups, expect to dial back the gain on the amp considerably. This can be a bit annoying if you want to play through the clean channel... they'll distort it quite readily.
I wouldn't say these are particularly versatile pickups, though. They'll do most kinds of humbucker distortion very nicely. Even moderate overdrive. But, don't ever expect to hear anything even resembling "twang" coming out of these. Clean tones also sound pretty bland to me. Though, I'll usually opt for the single coils in my stratocaster if I want a nice clean tone anyway.
As to my review's title, "They Have Their Place": An 81/85 guitar is fun to play on your own. However, in a band setting, or when recording, I personally think they sound best when complemented by a brighter sounding guitar with passive pickups. That combination really seems to fill up the sonic spectrum the guitar typically inhabits.
I really do like this set of pickups, though. They're something I intend to always have around, because they fit really well in heavy music. Their precision and grunt are true assets, especially when paired with the right guitar. They aren't the only pickups I want around, though. One guitar's worth of pickups just isn't enough for me, no matter which pickups are in it.
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| Liked about it |
Precise, transparent, high output, low noise.
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| Didn't like |
Precise, transparent, high output.
"Meh" clean tone. Not all that versatile.
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| Overall satisfaction: |
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4.0 |
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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).
I'm doing some different stuff with sound clips, so both the neck and bridge pickups can be heard on this little blues clip here:
Playing is a little sloppy but it's bridge for the rhythms and below 12th fret leads.
Update: I added some individual sound clips with the pickups by themselves.
EMG_Zakk_Set.mp3 EMG_ZW_Bridge_Clean.mp3 EMG_ZW_Bridge_Dirty.mp3 EMG_ZW_Neck_Clean.mp3 EMG_ZW_Neck_Dirty.mp3
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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 |
By racerevlon Aug 06, 2009
Last updated: March 23, 2010
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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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Great for drop tuning
| Comments |
I originally had these pickups on my Epiphone SG Prophecy, where they came stock on the guitar. After trying out through a few different amps af all sides of the size spectrum(from a nameless 10-watt to a marshall JCM 2000), I knew that these P/U's would be a ton of fun. Through a heavily distorted amp(Egnater Rebel 30 w/ a Digitech Grunge distortion), the bridge provided huge amounts of extra distortion and great false harmonics, while the neck provided a smoother and slightly quieter sound that was great for speed picking and soloing. Unfortunately, The clean channel on your amp is not this guy's friend, and will be slightly distorted from the huge amounts of power these things have behind them. Eventually, the guitar with the pickups in them became my drop tuning guitar, and I was amazed with how clear the sound was. Also, the lower tunings allowed these pickups to get a pinch harmonic better than ever(i'm talking lamb of god type HUGE harmonics)
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| Liked about it |
-Huge amounts of power
-Best pickup I've ever heard for drop tunings with distortion
-Now comes in colors, to match a fancier-looking guitar
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| Didn't like |
-Having to worry about a battery
-Having to sacrifice the clean channel for the amazing distortion
-Won't sound good on all guitars, sounds best with mahogany
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| Overall satisfaction: |
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4.5 |
 By Jet9 Dec 05, 2010
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A high gain pickup suited towards modern metal.
| Comments |
Active pickups are notorious for their high gain tone and their low feedback. These are a must have if your into high gain metal. The plus side of these pickups is you don't have to worry about lots of feedback and "hum" that you typically get with passive pickups. I currently have the ZW set in a mahogany bodied Jackson soloist and it sounds great! In the past I have had EMG's in everything from Gibsons' to Fenders and they all sound excellent. The EMG's really shine through a high gain tube amp.
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| Liked about it |
As mentioned before, I like the fact that there isn't lots of unnecessary feedback or hum that passives commonly produce. I love the look of the pickups as well. The design is simple, yet extremely appealing. I would suggest performing the "18volt" mod to the ZW set for a little extra headroom and harmonics. The pickups sound great recorded as well!
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| Didn't like |
I don't like the fact that Emg's often sound "sterile" EMG's are known for their one dimensional sound, but the 18volt mod really helps relive the problem. Other than that, they have it all; Good lucks, affordable price, and outstanding harmonics! Definitely worth checking out.
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| Overall satisfaction: |
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4.0 |
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A popular metal standard
| Comments |
These pickups have become so popular for a reason. Actives are not for everyone, but these are the standard active pickups for metal musicians.
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| Liked about it |
The clarity at high gain and high volumes. The note seperation and articulation is great. Low noise and very responsive. I also like the relatively flat eq these pickups have.
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| Didn't like |
Cost.
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| Overall satisfaction: |
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4.0 |
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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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AWESOME!!
| Comments |
I originally got these pickups because I purchased a rr24 on ebay and it had passive emg's in it. I have plenty of guitars each with different features and pickups so I can get a variety of sounds. This guitar, you guessed it, was going to be dedicated to "metal". haha, Therefore, I though what better pickups for a metal guitar, than emg's??? At that point in time I had never tried active pickups so I though I Would go for it. Installation-piece of cake. Took like five minutes with emg's new solderless installation system. After playing them and hearing their sounds under every setting I have mixed feelings on emg.
For one, I love the real crisp, clean, awesomeness you get from emg's and how you can get legato licks to sound just as loud as an all picked lick due to the preamp in the pickups. They really deliver the perfect metal sound. Rhythm, solo, harmonics. Its all there
On the downside, I dont like how no matter what you do, an emg always sounds the same in every guitar. And you dont get different picking dynamics with emgs. If you pick soft or hard, it all sounds the same coming out of the amp due to the circuitry in the pickups.
Overall, I like them alot, but in the long run-I prefer passives
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| Liked about it |
Love the sound!!! Harmonics are the easiest in the world to pickup. Really High gain but with alot of clarity. Easily able to get the sound of any band that uses emgs.
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| Didn't like |
No picking dynamics, they all sound the same.
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| Overall satisfaction: |
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4.0 |
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Not a fan!
| Comments |
Well, they're active pickups. There are many people that like these--I'm not one of them. They are powerful, but not what I was looking for. I installed this set into a mahogany body/neck Les Paul knock-off, and just didn't like the tone.
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| Liked about it |
These pickups pack a lot of punch. EMG, or any other active pickups are easier to install than some think. They look cool, but that's not the reason to buy pickups.
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| Didn't like |
They sound too thin and sterile. While they do provide a kick-in-the-teeth punch, I just didn't like the overall tone. I EQ'd my amp out to various settings to try and make them sound more organic--I couldn't do it. The price is also a little high for what they are. Sorry EMG, but I'm going to stick with DiMarzio...
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| Overall satisfaction: |
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2.5 |
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A metal guitar standard!
| Comments |
These pickups are what you could consider the standard for metal. The tone for metal you can get out of these bad boys is awesome. I love the way these sound with mahogany bodied guitars as well as alder.
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| Liked about it |
Absolutely shred for metal, roll the volume back a bit and you've got some super clear distortion. As with all active pickups the bends stay for days, love the way you can attack any part of the guitar with anything you want and the pickups get it all. Easy install and easy to take apart. For metal by the way you're not going to get a better sound imho.
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| Didn't like |
I wish they had a different casing and more colors. The EMG logo would look better in a darker black I think, or they could even engrave it. They're a little plain looking. Sometimes when I play at high volumes the feedback is horrible depending on the amp head and cab I'm using. It's probably not as bad when you stand further away but I play in a small room.
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| Overall satisfaction: |
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5.0 |
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OK sounds..
| Comments |
I liked these for a short while. To compressed, no life at all to me.
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| Liked about it |
Good high gain hardcore tone, battery lasts along time if you unplug it when you're not playing, and the fact that your can say "I have emgs in my guitar and you dont!".
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| Didn't like |
Too compressed, had to worry about the battery dying(^ i know i just contradicted myself but you are going to worry about the middle of a gig and blam!!), and the cheap feelingness of it.
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| Overall satisfaction: |
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4.0 |
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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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