Zakk Wylde EMG ZW Pickups Review
February 15th, 2006
I have been a huge Zakk Wylde fan for at least 5 years now and I have always been fascinated with his playing style. He plays with blistering speed and has some of the most unique sounds I have ever heard. By far though, his signature is the heavy chunky riffs filled with screaming pinch harmonics. It’s pretty frustrating when you are trying to learn a song or style and just can’t get it to sound the same as the original. This happened to me when I started learning Black Label Society riffs. So why couldn’t I make it sound the same as Zakk did? Well most of it had to do with my gear; I needed some EMG ZW Set active pickups.
The major difference is active pickups use a battery to re-amplify the sound before it even gets to your amp. That’s what gives you that extra chunk, scream, and sustain that Zakk is famous for. The EMG ZW pickups are a set of 2 EMG pickups, 1 EMG-81 for the neck and 1 EMG-85 for the bridge. As soon as I put them into my guitar and powered it up I could tell the difference, and if you really want to hear it, try tuning your guitar down to D tuning. Nothings better.
The EMG website describes the pickups as “With scorching riffs and remarkable stage presence, Zakk Wylde has earned his reputation as heavy metal’s premier lead guitarist. From Ozzy Osbourne, Pride and Glory, and now Black Label Society, Zakk has always used EMG Active Pickups. The Zakk Wylde model features the EMG-85 and EMG-81, as used on his signature bullseye Les Paul.”
BMusic reviews the EMG ZW Pickups and says ” The EMG-81 is a high output pickup designed especially for the lead guitarist. It was actually developed in 1979 along with the EMG-58. Like most EMG’s, it wasn’t heavily advertised until 1981. The EMG-81 has the familiar U-shaped humbucking structure but replaces the pole pieces with steel bars and a smaller ceramic magnet. The EMG-81 is at its best for high volume overdrive. It has become the choice for metal and extreme players alike, Kirk Hammett from Metallica and Kerry King of Slayer as well as the subject of this review, Zakk Wylde.”
tagged EMG, pickup, review and Zakk Wylde
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January 7th, 2008 17:00
Hmmm … a 81 in the neck and a 85 in the brige ? Wrong. It’s faaaaaaaaar better to use the 81 as a lead pickup (bridge) and the 85 as a rhythm pickup (neck).
It’s the way Zakk Wylde (and everybody else) uses them:)
July 22nd, 2008 23:29
I use it with the 81 in the bridge and the 85 in the neck. It sounds damn awesome. I’m also tuned a whole step down. My lead guitarist uses it the way you described. Both combinations sounds great but the 85 on the neck is just heavenly.