EMG's best known active set, an aggressive ceramic 81 in the bridge paired with a fuller-sounding 85 in the neck.
9 guitars checked: 2 likely drop-in, 7 requires modification.
Where to buy
Pickup type
Not published
Needs verificationDimensions (L × W × D)
Not published
Needs verificationActive pickups requiring a 9-volt battery and EMG's own solderless quick-connect wiring system. Fits a standard humbucker route.
9 guitars checked: 2 likely drop-in, 7 requires modification.
The exact pickups this guitar ships with from the factory. A genuine replacement part, not a generic substitute.
This is the exact pickup set the H-1001 ships with from the factory, confirmed across multiple retailer listings (Musician's Friend, Reverb, zZounds). A genuine like-for-like replacement, not a generic substitute.
Since this guitar already has active EMG pickups and a battery box built in, swapping to this set reuses what is already there.
This guitar already ships with active EMG pickups, a 9V battery cavity and active wiring, so swapping to another EMG active set reuses the existing wiring and cavity.
The stock pickups are EMG's coil-splitting versions, which wire differently from a standard EMG set. This set comes with its own harness and the controls would need rewiring, and you would lose the coil-split option.
This guitar's stock EMG 57TW and 66TW pickups are the dual-mode versions, which use a 7-pin connector and a push-pull pot for each pickup. Standard EMG sets use a 3-pin connector and come with their own harness, so the control cavity would need to be rewired to suit, and the push-pull pots would no longer do anything. Standard EMG humbuckers are also thinner than the TW versions (0.9 inch against 1.1 inch), so they will sit differently in the route.
Help confirm this fit
The stock pickups use Fishman's own wiring, so an EMG set means rewiring the controls with its harness. The stock pickups are also mounted straight into the body, which needs sorting out. A bigger job than a straight swap.
This guitar's stock Fishman Fluence Modern pickups use Fishman's own harness and controls. EMG sets come with their own solderless harness, so the control cavity would need to be rewired to suit. The stock pickups are also direct-mounted into the body, while EMG sets are supplied with mounting screws and springs for ring-mounted pickups, so the mounting method would need sorting out too. Not confirmed for this guitar.
Help confirm this fit
The stock pickups use Fishman's own wiring, so an EMG set means rewiring the controls with its harness. The stock pickups are also mounted straight into the body, which needs sorting out. A bigger job than a straight swap.
This guitar's stock Fishman Fluence Modern pickups use Fishman's own harness and controls. EMG sets come with their own solderless harness, so the control cavity would need to be rewired to suit. The stock pickups are also direct-mounted into the body, while EMG sets are supplied with mounting screws and springs for ring-mounted pickups, so the mounting method would need sorting out too. Not confirmed for this guitar.
Help confirm this fit
The stock pickups use Fishman's own wiring, so an EMG set means rewiring the controls with its harness. A bigger job than a straight swap.
This guitar's stock Fishman Fluence Open Core Classic pickups use Fishman's own harness and controls. EMG sets come with their own solderless harness, so the control cavity would need to be rewired to suit. Not confirmed for this guitar.
Help confirm this fit
This is an active pickup set that needs a 9V battery inside the guitar and different wiring, a bigger job than a passive pickup swap.
Active pickup set requiring a 9V battery mounted in the guitar and a different wiring scheme than passive pickups. Not just a pickup swap.
Help confirm this fit
This is an active pickup set that needs a 9V battery inside the guitar and different wiring, a bigger job than a passive pickup swap.
Active pickup set requiring a 9V battery mounted in the guitar and a different wiring scheme than passive pickups.
Help confirm this fit
This is an active pickup set that needs a 9V battery inside the guitar and different wiring, a bigger job than a passive pickup swap.
Active pickup set requiring a 9V battery mounted in the guitar and a different wiring scheme than passive pickups.
Help confirm this fit
If you have fitted any of these to this EMG 81/85 Active Humbucker Set (Black), tell us what you found and we'll update the data.
