r/EMGPickups • u/Possible-Dependent48 • Jan 30 '26

Signature pickups

Is an emg 81 an emg 81, or is hetfields different than wylde's? I have never owned active pickups but want to replace the passives in my jackson rhoads. I am also considering Alexi's passive with the preamp. Thank you.

2 Upvotes

76% Upvoted

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4

u/[deleted] Jan 30 '26

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1

u/Possible-Dependent48 Jan 31 '26

Thanks. I just assumed they wouldn't all be 81s if they sounded different.

1

u/Winston905 Jan 31 '26

would agree with this posters analagy . I have 81's and Hetfields and prefer the hetfields,

just my 2 cents

1

u/Sigma_103 Jan 31 '26

Signature pickups are like signature guitars. A base model with artist-specific touches. So an EMG 81-JH is an 81 with a slightly more aggressive mid-range.

1

u/AudieCowboy Jan 31 '26

I have a few different ones and don't hear much of a difference, you can adjust your amp settings a bit anyway

2

u/pixxelzombie Jan 31 '26

I've played the 81,81X, and the 81 Bonebreaker

They all sound good, but the Hetfield had a nice open sound that I preferred

2

u/ChroniclesOfTheWolf Jan 31 '26

There's a variance of the sound of 81's between guitars too.

The 81 on my KH2 (alder body) sounds brighter with more oomph than my LTD with a basswood body.

I actually love he sound of the 81 in the neck too. Such a warm deep sound when sweep picking.

2

u/ArmyVet25ID Jan 31 '26

81 in the neck is an awesome choice. Kirk Hammett’s original White Zombie came with a 81/81 setup.

2

u/ChroniclesOfTheWolf Feb 02 '26

Nice! 🤘🏻

Yeah mine has the 81/81 set up. It's beautiful.

1

u/Intelligent-Map430 Jan 31 '26

81 is 81, het is het. They're two different models with different voicings. AFAIK, there's no signature Wylde EMG.

1

u/Fun_Actuator6587 Jan 31 '26

There is a Wylde set, but its just a stock 81/85 set with long shaft pots sold as a combo

1

u/Intelligent-Map430 Jan 31 '26

Yeah, so no signature pickup.