# EMG Kirk Hammett sig set announced!! -



## lewis (Jan 3, 2018)

I would say its about time?
Confirmed via the EMG official FB page.

Also..I want the green EMG logo on every pickup I buy from them now going foward haha


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## lewis (Jan 3, 2018)

to add, I dont like Kirk the player whatsoever but these are cool and Im interested in how they compare tonally to the Het set.


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## KnightBrolaire (Jan 3, 2018)

They probably come with a permanently cocked wah voicing, since kirk seems to forget there's other ways to play guitar than just using a wah all the damn time lol


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## Mathemagician (Jan 3, 2018)

Sometimes you play a sloppy re-interpretation of your own solo!


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## narad (Jan 3, 2018)

Probably not interested given his tone, but the green is a nice touch.


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## AkiraSpectrum (Jan 3, 2018)

Really like the green!


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## Blytheryn (Jan 3, 2018)

The green is sick.


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## lewis (Jan 3, 2018)

im really hoping that if we buy direct from EMG, we can request getting the green logos on anything!

(unless his set happens to be everything I like in a pup - because then it would not matter haha)


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## KnightBrolaire (Jan 3, 2018)

if you have that much of a hard on for the green you could always paint the emg logos on your guitars. I've seen other guys do that.


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Jan 3, 2018)

I forget the color conventions on EMG's logo's, but they used to be relative to identifying the model. My old 89 was Red logo'd, my S was silver logo'd. I've seen gold logo's, & such too.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jan 3, 2018)

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:


> I forget the color conventions on EMG's logo's, but they used to be relative to identifying the model. My old 89 was Red logo'd, my S was silver logo'd. I've seen gold logo's, & such too.



This is still true for a lot of the models. On the top of my head, the 81 is silver, 85 is gold, 60 is grey, dual-modes are copper, and the GTV set is red (black if you get the red covers).


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Jan 3, 2018)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> This is still true for a lot of the models. On the top of my head, the 81 is silver, 85 is gold, 60 is grey, dual-modes are copper, and the GTV set is red (black if you get the red covers).


I knew it had something to do with that, thanks.


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## lewis (Jan 3, 2018)

yeah thats true!
get some green model paint and a tiny brush haha


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## Descent (Jan 3, 2018)

Identical to the Zakk Wylde set but with a 20% markup?


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## lewis (Jan 3, 2018)

Descent said:


> Identical to the Zakk Wylde set but with a 20% markup?


haha guesswork or inside info?
That would be pretty funny.

The comments about "built in wah pedal" made me laugh


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## FitRocker33 (Jan 3, 2018)

Meh...Kirk hasn’t had a cool guitar tone since the early 90s. Couldn’t be less interested.


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## marcwormjim (Jan 4, 2018)

Supposedly, Kirk requested they stick with the old-school solderless hair plugs.


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## HerbalDude420 (Jan 4, 2018)

It's an EMG so it probably just sounds like an EMG an nothing to see here.


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## btbg (Jan 4, 2018)

Guarantee it’s just a pair of 81s with green logos.

It’s not like a KH signature set is some big new development. He’s had his signature dual 81 pick guard for as long as I’ve known what EMG pickups were


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## Descent (Jan 4, 2018)

lewis said:


> haha guesswork or inside info?
> That would be pretty funny.
> 
> The comments about "built in wah pedal" made me laugh



Just guesswork  
I actually think he does well on his live sounds, had best tone on the Metallica studio movies that I've seen. I think Greg Fidelman just butchered his tone on the last few albums. Even his wah sounds unnatural, so I am guessing it is probably a modeler.


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## lewis (Jan 4, 2018)

Descent said:


> Just guesswork
> I actually think he does well on his live sounds, had best tone on the Metallica studio movies that I've seen. I think Greg Fidelman just butchered his tone on the last few albums. Even his wah sounds unnatural, so I am guessing it is probably a modeler.


yeah I mean his Randall amp is genuinely fucking amazing in tone and features so its surely harder to get a shit tone than an amazing one running through that.

I agree I think the album was Axe FX II;s?


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## guitar4tw (Jan 4, 2018)

KnightBrolaire said:


> They probably come with a permanently cocked wah voicing, since kirk seems to forget there's other ways to play guitar than just using a wah all the damn time lol



Dang beat me to it, I clicked this thread just to write that joke.


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## FitRocker33 (Jan 4, 2018)

Descent said:


> Just guesswork
> I actually think he does well on his live sounds, had best tone on the Metallica studio movies that I've seen. I think Greg Fidelman just butchered his tone on the last few albums. Even his wah sounds unnatural, so I am guessing it is probably a modeler.



When I was a kid I used to obsessively watch the “year and a half” Metallica Black album studio videos on VHS nonetheless. He had great sounds back then amongst the old school Marshall’s, mesas, VHT, etc. if you look closely you can even spot him playing a KH2 prototype with the skull inlays facing the opposite direction from the eventual production model.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jan 4, 2018)

It's hard to judge Hammett's tone namely because he's either drenched in wah or almost always overpowered by Hetfield's guitar. So I'm genuinely curious what he brings to the table. 

Also all his sig models now have a 60 in the neck, which could reflect that Hammett has (finally) ditched having the dual 81s. Also add that his KHDK pedal line (despite the deservingly laughable backlash from his initial statement) are quite genuinely good.


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## KnightBrolaire (Jan 4, 2018)

Bloody_Inferno said:


> It's hard to judge Hammett's tone namely because he's either drenched in wah or almost always overpowered by Hetfield's guitar. So I'm genuinely curious what he brings to the table.
> 
> Also all his sig models now have a 60 in the neck, which could reflect that Hammett has (finally) ditched having the dual 81s. Also add that his KHDK pedal line (despite the deservingly laughable backlash from his initial statement) are quite genuinely good.


yeah the ghoul pedal is pretty nice.


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## Descent (Jan 6, 2018)

Almsot all rhythm on Metallica album is James so you have to listen to concert or footage to get Kirk's input to the band. I think he only played full rhythm parts on Load and Reload,everything else is mostly James overdubbing the 2nd guitar.


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## Spaced Out Ace (Jan 6, 2018)

Descent said:


> Just guesswork
> I actually think he does well on his live sounds, had best tone on the Metallica studio movies that I've seen. I think Greg Fidelman just butchered his tone on the last few albums. Even his wah sounds unnatural, so I am guessing it is probably a modeler.


Greg and Rubin need to stay miles away from any and every rock and metal album. They are absolutely dreadful.

And this is coming from someone who enjoys 80s Slayer, and LOVES Danzig I-IV. I think those albums are great despite the idiotic jack off that produced them. I mean, it's almost like the guy has zero clue what the fuck he is doing. "Hey, what'll happen if we compress the FUCK outta this Hetfield dude's record? What band am I producing again? -does it- WOW! That really makes it jump outta the speakers!" He should be embarrassed that fans did a better job with fucking Guitar Hero stems than he did in a multi-million dollar studio. His protege or whatever you want to call him -- Fidelknobs -- didn't do much better, but at least it wasn't as bad as Death Magnetic was.



Bloody_Inferno said:


> Also all his sig models now have a 60 in the neck, which could reflect that Hammett has (finally) ditched having the dual 81s. Also add that his KHDK pedal line (despite the deservingly laughable backlash from his initial statement) are quite genuinely good.


Yeah, they are, namely because MXR makes them. His statement was ridiculously stupid, very Gene Simmons esque, and it's not like he is making the pedals, designing them, etc. He is just attached to the pedals and probably -- maybe -- tests them before the final version is decided on. He certainly is not the first guitar player with his own pedal line.


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## lewis (Jan 6, 2018)

The good thing about


Spaced Out Ace said:


> Greg and Rubin need to stay miles away from any and every rock and metal album. They are absolutely dreadful.
> 
> And this is coming from someone who enjoys 80s Slayer, and LOVES Danzig I-IV. I think those albums are great despite the idiotic jack off that produced them. I mean, it's almost like the guy has zero clue what the fuck he is doing. "Hey, what'll happen if we compress the FUCK outta this Hetfield dude's record? What band am I producing again? -does it- WOW! That really makes it jump outta the speakers!" He should be embarrassed that fans did a better job with fucking Guitar Hero stems than he did in a multi-million dollar studio. His protege or whatever you want to call him -- Fidelknobs -- didn't do much better, but at least it wasn't as bad as Death Magnetic was.


haha this /\

my basic "demos" sound like the finished product on Death Magnetic...


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## Spaced Out Ace (Jan 6, 2018)

lewis said:


> The good thing about
> 
> haha this /\
> 
> my basic "demos" sound like the finished product on Death Magnetic...


Ugh. Death Magnetic was dreadful. It was like, "Finally, we get something with decent music from Metallica, but the production sucks and the solos are dreadful -- thanks Lars!" According to Lars, and if memory serves, the demos and EP back this up, the original solos were MUCH better before Lars said, "Nah fuck that, just do Kirk by numbers style solos." And as a result, we didn't get Kirk Hammett solos, we got Kirk Hammett if he had a replacement a la Tommy Thayer replacing Ace Frehley. Lars probably also okay'd the shitty production call to brickwall the FUCK outta the album. I mean, that shit takes the fucking cake in terms of brickwalling.

And I know there has been some comments regarding, "well, that's a mastering call," trying to blame the brickwalling on Ted Jensen, which as far as I know, has not had an issue with this shit in the past. In comparison, Rick Rubin HAS, so this only goes to bolster my suspicion that this buffoon should keep his homeless looking Harry and the Hendersons looking ass far away from rock and metal albums. Go ruin some shitty rap albums, Rick. He looks like there is a bird's nest under that beard, and probably smells like onions and stale cheese with bad coffee + tuna casserole breath from not showering and keeping up with dental hygiene in the past 4-5 days.


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## Descent (Jan 6, 2018)

...now going on big Metallica rant...

DM wasn't really that bad if we discard the fact that they pretty much copied their early work, even in some songs painfully close to earlier hits. There are one or two on there that I expected they did like an upgraded take and at last minute they'd add say two extra notes and you realize it is a different song. Then Kirk's lead sound is dreadful, he hasn't had such a bad wah lead sound which makes me thing that it is probably some kind of amp sim done last minute.
The brickwalling...I don't really have that much issue with it, they wanted it to sound really loud and it did. At that time most albums that came out were just as bad as this one. It is definitely done at the mastering stage, but the ME delivered what was asked from him, I am sure.
I think for the next album they dropped Rubin but kept Fiddleknobs which was a really strange choice. Interesting fact is that Slayer also kept working with the Fiddleguy and they sound equally dreadful on these albums, but I think the main idea for both of these bands is a return to an original production sound. I have to give them both credit for that, as soon as you hear it, it is nothing like you've heard before, kind of a return to how it was in the 80s. Metallica's black album production and Slayer's "Seasons..." has been copied by so many bands that they had to differentiate. I gotta give them props for using real drum sounds, or at least if triggered, doesn't feel that way, so it is well hidden.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jan 6, 2018)

I thought Hardwired sounded a bit like Black Album production-wise. Had the same snappy snare and hollow bass drum and cutting midrangey bass like Black. Just the guitars sound like absolute ass.

I'm not gonna blame that on the production, though. Metallica has had consistently bad guitar tones for the passed 15 years.


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## fps (Jan 7, 2018)

btbg said:


> Guarantee it’s just a pair of 81s with green logos.
> 
> It’s not like a KH signature set is some big new development. He’s had his signature dual 81 pick guard for as long as I’ve known what EMG pickups were



85s, no?


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## fps (Jan 7, 2018)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> I thought Hardwired sounded a bit like Black Album production-wise. Had the same snappy snare and hollow bass drum and cutting midrangey bass like Black. Just the guitars sound like absolute ass.
> 
> I'm not gonna blame that on the production, though. Metallica has had consistently bad guitar tones for the passed 15 years.



Hardwired sounds great. They're producing some really good stuff considering where they're at in their careers. Could have cut 4 songs and had one killer album though.


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## btbg (Jan 7, 2018)

Dineley said:


> Whats with the neck being all grey/black, that some fancy as wood, or am I just out of the loop on figuring these days or what?





fps said:


> 85s, no?



81s.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jan 7, 2018)

Yeah, he used a dual 81 set forever, but changed to an 81/60 set around the time of Death Magentic, I think?


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## Marked Man (Jan 28, 2018)

Mathemagician said:


> Sometimes you play a sloppy re-interpretation of your own solo!



And forget how to play 75% of what you could in the '80s.


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## Marked Man (Jan 28, 2018)

btbg said:


> Guarantee it’s just a pair of 81s with green logos.
> 
> It’s not like a KH signature set is some big new development. He’s had his signature dual 81 pick guard for as long as I’ve known what EMG pickups were



But what about the cool Kirk Hammett box they come in? 

I think the Glen Tiptons actually had some useful tweaks. Not sure what these could do on the Kirk theme other than have a permanent wah sound as someone else said.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jan 28, 2018)

Marked Man said:


> But what about the cool Kirk Hammett box they come in?
> 
> I think the Glen Tiptons actually had some useful tweaks. Not sure what these could do on the Kirk theme other than have a permanent wah sound as someone else said.



Yeah the Glenn Tiptons have a mix of steel and ceramic magnets, as opposed to the ceramic ones standard 81s had. It's like the DC vs CS pickups in the bass EMGs.Smoothed out the sound and added more low mids. It's a cool pickup to check out if you hate the attack and thin sound of the 81.

The marketing for the KH set is... sketchy.  They made it sound like you can get both alnico and ceramic tones... but by the looks of it, it's just the bridge pickup is ceramic and neck pickup is alnico. It's like they're trying to claim these can do the Fishman thing.


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## lewis (Jan 28, 2018)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Yeah the Glenn Tiptons have a mix of steel and ceramic magnets, as opposed to the ceramic ones standard 81s had. It's like the DC vs CS pickups in the bass EMGs.Smoothed out the sound and added more low mids. It's a cool pickup to check out if you hate the attack and thin sound of the 81.
> 
> The marketing for the KH set is... sketchy.  They made it sound like you can get both alnico and ceramic tones... but by the looks of it, it's just the bridge pickup is ceramic and neck pickup is alnico. It's like they're trying to claim these can do the Fishman thing.


Thats exactly how i read that too.

Hahah cheeky


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## 1b4n3z (Jan 29, 2018)

Judging by the spec sheet, it's a 81 & 60A set exactly


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jan 29, 2018)

1b4n3z said:


> Judging by the spec sheet, it's a 81 & 60A set exactly



They said there were slight preamp tweaks. I wonder what they changed?


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## Marked Man (Jan 29, 2018)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> They said there were slight preamp tweaks. I wonder what they changed?



The tweak was green logo paint.


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## lewis (Feb 16, 2018)

new demo compared to the Fishman - 



The Bone Breaker set do just sound exactly like an 81 so It probably is right?.

Also, the difference between an 81 and the Fishman does just sound a difference of more treble/twang on the fishmans to me. They do not seem worth the extra money in a mix imo.


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## Curt (Feb 16, 2018)

lewis said:


> new demo compared to the Fishman -
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I'm sure much like the het set, it's a very slight tweak off of an 81, but so similar that you won't hear it in a mix all that well. Having an EMG 81 and a fishman fluence modern run through the same guitar earlier today to A/B them, You're more or less spot on on the 81 vs Fishman thing too. The difference I find comes mostly in the high end, the 81 having a bit more smooth sizzle where the Fishman is kind of this sharp zing. That's probably a pretty vague way to describe it, but that's the best thing I can think of. The main benefits of the Fishman moderns are the added second voice which I find super useful for cleans and leads and getting kind of other textures out of the same guitar. But at the same time, if you like the EMG 81 as is (and I do) it's really the best pickup for its job. Personally, I actually prefer the middy attack vibe of the 81 over the slightly less compressed and more treble focused attack of the Modern at times. The modern is kind of being relegated to side duty since I've found a rekindled love for the 81 lately.


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## lewis (Feb 16, 2018)

Curt said:


> I'm sure much like the het set, it's a very slight tweak off of an 81, but so similar that you won't hear it in a mix all that well. Having an EMG 81 and a fishman fluence modern run through the same guitar earlier today to A/B them, You're more or less spot on on the 81 vs Fishman thing too. The difference I find comes mostly in the high end, the 81 having a bit more smooth sizzle where the Fishman is kind of this sharp zing. That's probably a pretty vague way to describe it, but that's the best thing I can think of. The main benefits of the Fishman moderns are the added second voice which I find super useful for cleans and leads and getting kind of other textures out of the same guitar. But at the same time, if you like the EMG 81 as is (and I do) it's really the best pickup for its job. Personally, I actually prefer the middy attack vibe of the 81 over the slightly less compressed and more treble focused attack of the Modern at times. The modern is kind of being relegated to side duty since I've found a rekindled love for the 81 lately.


yeah bingo. Its exactly how I feel.

actually, if you are in the states, do you think you could grab like the RPC knob for the 81? (which should in theory get it closer to the modern EQ) just to A/B them? It boosts high end sizzle and cuts lows slightly. So on paper at least, should get the 81 to be much closer to a modern.
Im so intrigued to see if their EQ knob options, bridge the tone gap between that and the Modern.

(also, if you dont want to keep it beyond the experiment, I would have no issue buying it from you if you are willing to post internationally haha)

I understand the active/passive options is pretty neat, but interms of tone, I really always feel EMG get such a bad rap. Everyone jumps on these bandwagons imo and they always have to drag EMG in.

Its always "Oh these new bareknuckles are awesome...........much better than EMG"
/\ its like, why did you have to run down a company just because you found another you like?

I bet in 10 years time, the Modern is gathering dust.


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## Mathemagician (Feb 16, 2018)

Also the fact that at the end of the day, the tone of MANY people’s favorite bands/albums was shaped by the EMG sound. So you can come at it 100 different ways. But if you want to sound like so and so who used the SA single coil pickups, then to get closest you’re going to end up at is an SA. 

If “close enough but has other qualities” is acceptable, then that’s what options are for. 

It seems about as logical as “I just discovered this new band, much better than Metallica. Metallica sucks now that I’ve discovered a new band.” 

I bet moderns are awesome, but if it isn’t identical to say an 85, then you’d still want an 85 if that’s the sound you’re going for.


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## lewis (Feb 16, 2018)

Mathemagician said:


> Also the fact that at the end of the day, the tone of MANY people’s favorite bands/albums was shaped by the EMG sound. So you can come at it 100 different ways. But if you want to sound like so and so who used the SA single coil pickups, then to get closest you’re going to end up at is an SA.
> 
> If “close enough but has other qualities” is acceptable, then that’s what options are for.
> 
> ...



AMEN.
Happens all the time.
Best one for bashing EMG was the "Batteries are for flashlights, not pickups they are too compressed" line from Misha which everyone lapped up, yet at one point his chain was compressor > noise gate > maxon od 808 > noise gate into an amp with a built in noise gate.. so 3 noise gates and a compressor for a rhythm tone?
so compressed and noiseless?....like an EM...nevermind.....

then later an axe fx. Seems abit rich?


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## Spaced Out Ace (Feb 16, 2018)

lewis said:


> AMEN.
> Happens all the time.
> Best one for bashing EMG was the "Batteries are for flashlights, not pickups they are too compressed" line from Misha which everyone lapped up, yet at one point his chain was compressor > noise gate > maxon od 808 > noise gate into an amp with a built in noise gate.. so 3 noise gates and a compressor for a rhythm tone?
> so compressed and noiseless?....like an EM...nevermind.....
> ...


Pretty sure the "batteries are for flashlights" bit is from Bill Lawrence.


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## DredFul (Feb 17, 2018)

lewis said:


> AMEN.
> Happens all the time.
> Best one for bashing EMG was the "Batteries are for flashlights, not pickups they are too compressed" line from Misha which everyone lapped up, yet at one point his chain was compressor > noise gate > maxon od 808 > noise gate into an amp with a built in noise gate.. so 3 noise gates and a compressor for a rhythm tone?
> so compressed and noiseless?....like an EM...nevermind.....
> ...



They are probably referring to different types of compression. For example, I've heard some complain that active pickups screw with the picking dynamics making harder and softer picking sound the same. A compressor pedal on the other hand could be used to accentuate the pick attack, making the guitar sound like it is being played harder, for djenty riffs for example.


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## Curt (Feb 17, 2018)

DredFul said:


> They are probably referring to different types of compression. For example, I've heard some complain that active pickups screw with the picking dynamics making harder and softer picking sound the same. A compressor pedal on the other hand could be used to accentuate the pick attack, making the guitar sound like it is being played harder, for djenty riffs for example.


I'm playing with a regular old 9 volt EMG 81 as we speak and that bit a bout picking dynamics is total horseshit. If you pick softer, it's not going to sound the same as picking hard.



lewis said:


> yeah bingo. Its exactly how I feel.
> 
> actually, if you are in the states, do you think you could grab like the RPC knob for the 81? (which should in theory get it closer to the modern EQ) just to A/B them? It boosts high end sizzle and cuts lows slightly. So on paper at least, should get the 81 to be much closer to a modern.
> Im so intrigued to see if their EQ knob options, bridge the tone gap between that and the Modern.
> ...



I might give it a try with my Ibanez. I have it set up weird at the moment, I plan to eventually put 60x in the neck, but right now it's just the 81 and volume knob, with the output jack moved to the old tone knob position because I was too lazy to drill the output jack hole so the solderless system cables would fit right through. I'll probably go ahead and do that before I do the A/B and pick up the RPC knob instead of putting in a regular tone knob. The Modern is in an Alexi Laiho LTD right now, which only has the one volume knob. I'll let you know as soon as I post the test to soundcloud. In the meantime, here's what I'm going for for my sound with the 81 right now.
https://soundcloud.com/kayleighxomarie/emg-81-test

Top 3 things I missed about the 81 during my time using passives
1. That compression on single note lines
2. Razor sharp attack
3. Dat sustain

apologies for low-ish volume, I forgot to reset the master in reaper before rendering (had to be quiet when tracking it)


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 28, 2018)




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## Curt (Feb 28, 2018)

I really want to try them, but I wouldn't need a set, only the bridge. But it just sounds so close to the 81 that I really don't know if it would be significant enough to justify it. The 81 is already nearly on perfect for me.


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## Flappydoodle (Mar 1, 2018)

If I had to get a pickup for a guitar that didn't have one (and assuming I wanted *that* sound), I'd get a Fishman Modern. Voice 1 does everything that an EMG81 does. Voice 2 adds some flexibility. I am also extremely impressed by the Fishman KSE set, where voice 1 cuts more low end and is ridiculously tight, but voice 2 is this fat chunky sound which is amazing for lead lines and chords.

If I already had an EMG81, there isn't a chance I'd replace it with a modern. The difference just isn't big enough IMO.

And if I was dead set on EMG, I'd just get an 81. I can't really see exactly where the "Bone Breaker" set fits in. Kirk famously used an 81/81 or 81/85 combination for literally decades. That IS the Metallica sound. To suddenly announce a signature set, and be very cagey about exactly what the difference is (except green paint), is just weird. A brand new EMG81 is like £60 right now too, which is a bargain.


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