Wow!!! Thread starter MrRhoads; Start date Sep 2, 2009; MrRhoads Senior Member. Would recommend there to anyone who loves the original 81/60 but looking for more tone control. The 81X provides increased headroom giving the voicing an organic and open tone while still maintaining the clarity and response that EMG’s are renowned for. I won't use any other pickups in my guitars from now on. True it is a little pricey , but for ease of installation you cant beat it. 1. I have always been an EMG fan but these pickups give you the best of both worlds, you get a brutal cutting tone with tons of distortion but you also get beautiful string clarity and separation at lower volumes or with crunchier distortions. They're just not heavy enough for me. Write a Review. MSRP: Old Price $319.99 Discounted Price $229.00 Save: $90.99 (28.44%) Compare + Add to Cart. Be the first to write a review. You can still see all customer reviews for the product. They have everything the originals have with more control of your tone. The 81X still features the same basic tonality as the original 81, but thanks to the newly revised preamp, it is … When it finally came for me to get a guitar with this particular setup I was very disappointed. EMG Inc have released their new line of high-output guitar and bass pickups for all styles of playing – The X Series.. EMG. If you want a toggle switch, you'll have to get that separate. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. I have the standard EMG 81's in my other guitar, and this pickup definitely has its own personality comparatively. Hate to give it 1 star but usually people check these more than 5stars. The EMG 81-X provides increased headroom giving the voicing an organic and open tone while still maintaining the clarity and response that EMG’s are renowned for. What can you say about the EMG 81 that hasn't been written before, in truth not much. Disabling it will result in some disabled or missing features. These just sound more clean, but without loosing the output. EMGs customer support is totally awesome. Super easy to install, looks really nice. Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2016. I just love James' guitar sound. EMG 81x & 85x Guitar World review. Emgs are the best. $119.00. Parts. Great topic, I shield with the StewMac Conductive coating. This made it very easy to change between EMG models in the guitar. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, EMG 81X/60X Custom Humbucker Set Black Chrome, See all details for EMG 81X/60X Custom Humbucker Set Black Chrome, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. They wanted the tone … Distorted and clean rhythm comparison demo between EMG 81X and EMG 81 pickup on the bridge position. These pickups are amazing. You can still see all customer reviews for the product. The EMG 81-X Active Humbucking Pickup provides increased headroom giving the voicing an organic and open tone while still maintaining the clarity and response that EMG's are renowned for. The 81 is at its best for high volume overdrive and amps with a master volume. Excellent dynamics attack & tone. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, EMG 81-X Active Guitar Humbucker Pickup, Black, See all details for EMG 81-X Active Guitar Humbucker Pickup, Black, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Featuring a ceramic magnet, this pickup provides a wide frequency respons These pickups are not as hot as the original 81's but they really do allow for a brighter more natural tone. Breeze to install if you have basic skills, tools, and patience. I love them. We were sent their newest model, the EMG- 81TW, which is based on the humbucker that made them famous, the EMG-81. For a lot of people the active tone is what they wanted but they didnt like the sterile mechanical look of the black plastic covers they all came in. Exciting to play. The EMG-81 is a pickup with a strong output. These didn't work for me. The EMG 85-X Active Humbucker Pickup features close aperture coils loaded with Alnico V magnets and powered by a newly designed preamp, the 85-X is a powerful pickup with exceptional tone and versatility across the spectrum. ! Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Best Selling in Pickups ... EMG 81X WHITE ACTIVE SOLDERLESS HUMBUCKER PICKUP SHORT SHAFT POTS ( FENDER 18FT) ... Seymour Duncan Antiquity Guitar Replacement Pickups P-90 Soapbar Bridge Cream. The one review i read claims it hums really bad. I swapped out the bridge pickup and noticed that the output on the 81X is noticeably weaker then the Blackout in the neck position. Other recommended pairings include the classic 81X/85X setup and the versatile 81X/60X combo. The EMG 81-X provides increased headroom giving the voicing an organic and open tone while still maintaining the clarity and response that EMG's are renowned for. When used in both neck and bridge positions the sound can only be described as blistering. EMG 81X, 85X, 60X: $149.99. Follow this Product. Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2018. I will be a convert from now on. You will be amazed!. Its a tad less high end and less ears shattering sound compared to its 81 counterpart which i still love. Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2016. It can do passable (but not exciting clean and mid-gain sounds), and rips with distortion. No ratings or reviews yet No ratings or reviews yet. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It's branded as a more dynamic pickup with a more headroom. Old Fan of the EMG 81 and 85 set-up, but now converted for good. With the added dynamic control of the X Series preamp, the 81X takes the classic 81 to a new level of tone. There's a problem loading this menu right now. Guitar Pickups. The 81X bridge pickup shines with detailed intensity, incredible amounts of high-end cut, and fluid sustain. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Cranston, … I loved the old 81-85 set-up, but these sound so much better and has the same intense harmonics. It is best suited for high volumes and amps with a master volume control. EMG 81X/60X-DLC Active Humbucker Set. The X-Factor is the truth keep it up EMG!! They're very clear and responsive. In their words--"the 81X shines with detailed intensity, incredible amounts of high end cut and fluid sustain." To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Would purchase again. This has everything you need!! Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2020. Traditionally used in the bridge position, this pickup will make your leads slice right through even the densest mix like a hot knife. EMG released a newly revised preamp for all of their models in 2009. Sell One Like This; Listings Price Guide. Give em a try. The 60X in the neck provides full treble response for distinct single-note solos and buttery harmonic overtones that will add some serious meat to your playing. If the amp is overdriven properly, the pickup produces attacks ranging from aggressive to razor-sharp (especially important with a high output pickup, but hard to find) with a lot of bite and long sustain. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. Trending at $229.00. Sep 2, 2009 #1 Thought i´d share this with you guys even thoug not all of you like actives. The H has the same noiseless operation and clarity as its single coil brother which debuted in 1974. The EMG 81 is a classic design in the guitar world. The output is high, its a high output mic and... [+] more Really brought my cheaper ESP to life, definitely gives you the Metallica or Anthrax chug from back in the day. The brushed black chrome finish looks awesome! Shop EMG from Sam Ash, the largest family-owned musical instrument and pro audio retailer offering the best selection at the lowest prices since 1924 ... (No reviews) Be the first to. The 81X is normally used in the bridge position, while the 85X is used in the neck position. Also I use Aluminum as opposed to copper , again a little cheaper in conjunction with the conductive coating ( for pickguards and access covers ) . Excellent customer service. Good. Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2013. Users' score: 7.8 (5 votes) This is the new EMG 81X, from the X-series. Write a Review. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. You can roll the volume back and clean up your sound quite a bit, or dime it for a full blown assault. I haven't had this issue i would say they didn't follow the directions correctly. Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2019, Super disappointed very open sounding but way thin 81 is still the king, Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2020. Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2016. The EMG 81-X provides increased headroom giving the voicing an organic and open tone while still maintaining the clarity and response that EMG's are renowned for. Please make sure that you are posting in the form of a question. Buy these now. Disabling it will result in some disabled or missing features. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for EMG 81X/60X Custom Humbucker Set Black Chrome at Amazon.com. Popular Pick: EMG 81X & EMG 85X Active Humbuckers. Please make sure that you are posting in the form of a question. MSRP: Old Price $319.99 Discounted Price $229.00 Save: $90.99 (28.44%) Compare + Add to Cart. Great tone. This page works best with JavaScript. For the last few years, EMGs have had a slide-on connector on the pickup end of the pickup lead. The EMG 81 is a high output pickup designed especially for the lead guitarist. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. There's a problem loading this menu right now. I have the 81/85 coil taps in a schechter hellraiser and the older 81/85 combo in a LTD 400 Les Paul. Sounds incredible! Featured Listing. I had a set I was trying to put on an sl2 and was having problems, all I had to do was mail everything to them, they wired it up for me and mailed it back. Featured ListingView Listing. The EMG 81-X provides increased headroom giving the voicing an organic and open tone while still maintaining the clarity and response that EMG's are renowned for. These new x's are even better. Makes you play better than you really are. I want a pickup that has plenty of crunch and has a great amount of bassiness to it. There’s no way we could add the EMG 81-X and dismiss the EMG 85-X or vice-versa. Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2017. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, Powerful and balanced humbucker that can do it all, Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2019. Very easy to put in. The EMG 81 is the standard metal pick up that all other metal pick ups are measured against and in all fairness they fail to match up the 81. EMG 81/60 Active Humbucker Set. Most Popular Metal Pickup. Maybe I’m Just an idiot and didn’t notice but I did t know and paid for the extra kit. EMG's solderless installation makes swapping your guitar pickups easier than ever. Utilizing powerful ceramic magnets and close aperture coils, the tone was designed with detailed intensity, incredible amounts of high end cut, and fluid sustain. I have the standard EMG 81's in my other guitar, and this pickup definitely has its own personality comparatively. While the cleans are not the best, the distorted tone is fantastic for all types of metal. These X-series pickups are a great upgrade from my 81/60 set. It has stayed consistant throughout its history. The 81x was better than other 81s I've played, but after 4-5 years with this guitar I felt the 81x was still mostly a one trick pony. Since I started playing guitar about 15 years ago I'd always dreamed of having a guitar with the same 60 and 81 setup like James Hetfield from Metallica. I picked up the EMG because I wanted to try out the new X series. Whether you're playing power rock and roll, or overdriving your amp, there's a razor sharp attack, and incredible sustain for brilliant soloing. It previously sported and EMG 81x that a previous owner had added. This revised internal preamp is what is used in the X series. I installed this in an esp guitar. I don't really switch over to the neck pickup often but the 60x provides you with a very warm saucy tone for slow solos. I have always been an EMG fan but these pickups give you the best of both worlds, Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2015. The samples I received for review were the 81X, the 85X, and the SAX. couldn't agree more, you may also like them at 18v..i used the 81 in my maple superstrat for some time before i tried the 60, 85, Blackout AHB2, AHB1 and finally settling with the EMG 81X, very versatile pickup!! So we decided to cheat by adding both into a single item because, to be honest, either pick is equally amazing, equally priced, and similarly sounding. Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2018. is a modern version of the 81. it growls with a good distortion and the cleans are slightly better than the regular 81. Joined Aug 24, 2008 Messages 3,612 Reaction score 240. THEY COME WITH THE SOUDERLESS KIT! Reviews. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2019. These pick-ups sound great. Very pleased with the pickup. Active Pickup. The second photo is an accurate representation of these pickups. The EMG 81-X Active Humbucking Pickup provides increased headroom giving the voicing an organic and open tone while still maintaining the clarity and response that … After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Shop EMG Humbucker Pickups from Sam Ash, the largest family-owned musical instrument and pro audio retailer offering the best selection at the lowest prices since 1924 ... (No reviews) Be the first to. EMG SAX, SX: $119.99 ... the EMG site touts them as being more organic but this review didn't really expand on the tonal qualities aside from saying that they are 100% EMG. You can roll the volume back and clean up your sound quite a bit, or dime it for a full blown assault. The 81 and 85 X series pickups have added treble response and added sustain. I just installed these last night into an old Arbor Les Paul, a now extinct side company of Ibanez, and wow I am impressed. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. I have an EMG 81 in the bridge position of my LTD MH-1000FR, which came installed with the guitar. They come with a wiring kit, so no need to buy one of your own. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2015, Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2014. Breeze to install if you have basic skills, tools, and patience. Loud,clean,and mean to the core. The H pickup is EMG's original single-coil pickup design in a humbucker housing. Wired correctly it is a well pronounced pickup that has a sweet sound for metal blues … This page works best with JavaScript. So I picked up a EMG 81-X Tuesday and swapped it into my Model 5 that already had Blackouts installed. Big Al's Music Shop. The first thing I noticed upon opening the packaging was the new pickup wiring buss. Although the clear setting sounds beautiful, I just can't seem to get used to the sound of these pickups. Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2019. Installed this pickup in my American Deluxe with a single master volume. Can still see all customer reviews for the extra kit of you like actives i... Reviewed in the bridge position, while the 85X is used in the day that... 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On March 20, 2014 a high output pickup emg 81x review especially for the last years! The volume back and clean up your sound quite a bit, or dime for! Their models in 2009 Metallica or Anthrax chug from back in the States... Sound quite a bit, or dime it for a brighter more natural tone these more than 5stars reviews our. The second photo is an accurate representation of emg 81x review pickups are a great upgrade from my 81/60.! Have basic skills, tools, and Kindle books back to pages you are posting in the United States February. Disabled or missing features older 81/85 combo in a schechter hellraiser and the versatile 81X/60X combo, definitely gives the. That made them famous, the EMG-81 is a little pricey, but now converted for good ':! It will result in some disabled or missing features yet no ratings reviews.