EMG 81
Electric guitar pickup by EMG, Inc
title: "EMG 81" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["guitar-pickups"] description: "Electric guitar pickup by EMG, Inc" topic_path: "general/guitar-pickups" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMG_81" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Electric guitar pickup by EMG, Inc ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox Guitar Pickup|"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| title | EMG 81 |
| image | [[File:EMG 81 Pickup.jpg |
| manufacturer | EMG, Inc. |
| period | 1979–present |
| powertype | Active |
| type | humbucker |
| magnettype | Ceramic magnet |
| outputrms | 3.00 |
| outputpeak | 4.50 |
| outputnoise | -100 |
| outputimp | 10 |
| outputcurrent | 80 |
| powervoltage | 9 |
| powersource | battery |
| batterylife | 3000 |
| resonantfreq | 1630 |
| :: |
title=EMG 81| image=[[File:EMG 81 Pickup.jpg|180px]]| manufacturer=EMG, Inc.| period=1979–present| powertype=Active| type=humbucker| magnettype=Ceramic magnet| outputrms=3.00| outputpeak=4.50| outputnoise=-100| outputimp=10| outputcurrent=80| powervoltage=9| powersource=battery| batterylife=3000| resonantfreq=1630 The EMG 81 is a popular active humbucker guitar pickup manufactured by EMG, Inc. It is usually considered a lead pickup for use in the bridge position, paired with EMG's 85 as a rhythm pickup in neck position (Zakk Wylde is famous for this configuration).{{cite magazine |url=http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2008/Jun/EMG_81TW_Active_Humbucker.aspx |title=EMG-81TW Active Humbucker |last=Rardin |first=Kenny |date=June 2008 |magazine=Premier Guitar |accessdate=2011-04-13 |archive-date=2011-02-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219105134/http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2008/Jun/EMG_81TW_Active_Humbucker.aspx |url-status=dead
The EMG 81 pickup is preferred as a lead pickup because of its high output and smooth control from having a rail magnet. Rail magnets tend to sound smoother through string bends because they have a constant "rail" that runs through the pickup, while typical guitar pickups have polepieces under each string that lose signal strength as the string bends away from the polepiece. The EMG 81 can be recognized by its dark grey humbucker form-factor and a silver embossed EMG logo.
With its high output, focused mids, consistent tone, tight attack and distinct clarity even under heavy distortion, the EMG 81 is a classic favorite among heavy metal guitar players.
History and design
The EMG-81 was developed in 1979 and released to the market in 1981 (hence the model number). Construction is similar to traditional U-shaped pickups, but there are no separate pole pieces; steel bars (rails) are used instead. The Alnico V magnets of earlier discontinued models have been replaced with ceramic ones. While nominal output is the same as current EMG 85, lower noise ratio gives more gain opportunity.
As most other modern EMG pickups, today's EMG-81 has a Quik-connect output, which is a three-pin header on the pickup which comes with a compatible wiring harness. This allows for a less complicated pickup swap in the future, only requiring the removal of the pickup guard and disconnecting the pickup, as opposed to melting the solder and installing the new pickup.
A few variants of the EMG 81 have also been released, such as the TW and X. The 81TW version features two separate pickups and preamps in a single pickup housing, allowing for single-coil and humbucking tones. The 81-X provides increased headroom giving the voicing an organic and open tone while still maintaining clarity and response.
References
References
::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::