EMG HZ Passive Pickups Vs EMG Active Pickups

Recorded and mixed with Reaper
guitar tone : Amplitube
Guitar : Zakk Wylde Epiphone Les Paul Custom Plus Bullseye
Body : Mahogany
Neck : Hard maple
Bridge Pickups : EMG HZ(H4)/EMG 81
Neck Pickups : EMG HZ(H4A)/EMG 60
Strings: D'Addario XL Nickel Wound
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[@AAAA-lt9hq]

I own several EMG HZ and active EMG guitars. Since a lot of guitarists don't understand electronics well, they often only wire their pickups in series and ignore the different sounds passive pickups can make when they are wired in single coil or parallel modes. One benefit of the HZs over the regular EMG active line is you can do diverse wiring options with the four conductor HZs and something like a Seymour Duncan Triple Shot and phase switch (just clip off the quick connects and strip the wires). I have some HZ1s (mid to high output PAF style ceramics) in an LTD EX set up this way. Active EMGs do not let you do this without purchasing additional accessories or even entirely different pickup models. To get the same HZ wiring diversity with the the active line you'd need an EMG 81tw/89/89r, and even then you couldn't isolate each individual coil or do them in parallel--only split to the front/rear coil depending upon model (81tw/89 split to rear coil/89r splits to front coil). You would also need something like a Pi2 to emulate phase reversal. That said, to my ear the regular active EMGs sound better than the HZs, especially with the 24 Volt Mod. But active EMGs tend to be one trick ponies. I use active EMGs in my dedicated metal guitars, but the HZs come out when I want more complex and varied sounds. The HZs are definitely underappreciated pickups. I recommend them to people who maybe like the EMG mid forward sound but want something that is less compressed and warmer. I also recommend HZs to people who prefer traditional passive pickups like Seymour Duncans or DiMarzios but want something closer to an active EMG sound. HZs are not always worth buying on their own, but since they can often be found in passive guitars that people upgrade with active EMGs, why not keep the HZs for another build? I especially appreciate the HZ line on bass. I'm of the less common opinion that I prefer a passive bass in metal due to what I hear as increased warmth in the low end relative to active bass pickups. The weaker magnet in the HZs combined with rolled off lows/highs and pushed mids (especially with the PJ HZ set) create a more articulate, yet still warm bass sound that works well in metal, even if one does have to compensate for the HZ's lower output by adjusting the amp. By contrast, to me active bass pickups can sound very even and flat but also sterile--like a synthesizer bass guitar sample. On the other hand, very hot passive bass pickups like the Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder can sound very dark and thick. Even though the QPs are marketed to rock players, I prefer QPs for rap and hip hop over rock due to their dark, bass heavy, scooped mid sound. For metal bass, my go to lately besides the EMG HZs are regular old Fender Original 62 P/J reissues. Like the EMG HZs, the relatively lower output of the Fender pickups can be made up by the amp, and they retain clarity. It's easy to boost a low output pickup, but it's hard to dial the mud and grit out of a hot pickup. Hope this helps, Aaron

[@cncyanidecn]

thank you for sharing, i'm sure this could help lot of people that may view this video. in my case especially the bass part, because i havent explored that area yet. and for the guitar, when i changed my HZ back then, i havent thought about reusing them, i just went for new Seymour duncans on my second guitar and implemented the split and series/parallel wiring which indeed cant be done one the active ones. i appreciated the alnico, they're just amazing but i always find my self picking up the active ones ( i'm not sure if i just prefer active pickups or im just lazy to mess with the pickup positions and the floyd rose adjustments to be honest). but i think every guitarist should own both active and passives, choosing one over the other would limit your playability and style.

[@asmongoldsmouth9839]

Honestly, I prefer the deeper sounds of the passive (HZ/H4) EMGs over the 81s.

[@angusorvid8840]

Both sound great. The passives are the flipside to the active 81/60.

[@flip7081]

Interested because I just bought a used set h4 & h4a. I’ve always been sold on the 81/85 set up, but for $40 hz’s it is. On your comparison the distortions weren’t too different to my ears, but those clean bits! The 81/60 all day long, no doubt. Something to look for down the road. Cheers to the way you set up the comparisons. It really made it easily distinguishable.

[@cncyanidecn]

Thanks, that makes me happy knowing my video has been useful, the h4 & h4a are so underrated but for 40$ or less its a great deal, they're not that bad, even H4A has an alnico 5 magnet ! Truth to be said, i bought some seymour duncans and now i barely touch my guitar that has the EMGs 😅

[@fernandoreynaaguilar1438]

Not a significant difference. Proof that haters are deaf. I absolutely love my passive Hz's. Where there is a notably difference Is live, specially if the venue Is very big, where the active has more punch. Only in very big venues, in a club situation there's no difference.

[@CoKeHQ1]

I have the hz's and have always felt they are a bit muddy. but otherwise the sound is great for metal! but it seems the 81 adds just enough of clarity compared to hz's. seems like I'll be buying a guitar with 81/85 combo next! maybe even 7 string and start djenting.

[@syfman6]

Careless Whisper!!

[@ericv7720]

To me, the 81 seemed warmer/fatter on distortion but was brighter clean. H4A was warmer/smoother both distorted and clean (the 60 is bright, making it ideal for the neck pos. if you're into noodly solos).

[@user-vBqDm4l7wE]

The hz pickups sound very close to 81/60. The main difference I can hear is that hzs have less output. So it would be interesting to add a preamp like afterburner or pa2 and make a comparison. As for me, I have a set of hz h2 with pa2 and they sound so massive

[@MrDUBmerchant]

The emg 81 in the bridge position stands out a mile off.

[@MercyNoMore]

No chance!

[@leoncorbett4553]

I like your bends

[@sergiourdanetabluesman]

I have this pickups H4 and H4A on one Epiphone Les Paul NIghtfall. And according to Epi, those are the equivalent of EMG 81 and 85. Are they wrong? I don't know but I really love my passive EMG pickups

[@cncyanidecn]

I think its all marketing, i have both pickups and they have nothing in common, each has its own characteristics at least in my opinion

[@MrRudi534]

2:02 is this Anesthesia pulling teeth?

[@cncyanidecn]

Its lick that i use for warm up that i learned on youtube but it sounds pretty much like cliffs solo

[@joshuabsmith1991]

You need more gain to utilize the active pups like only through my 6505 do they start to cut otherwise yeah I'd use the passive but the passive will prob get muddy with extreme gain

[@cncyanidecn]

I used both pickups with the mesa boogie dual recrifier, it really depends on the sound u want in order to pick a suiteable pickup, i'd advise anyone to have both ( not necessarily EMGs)

[@christopher4443]

That's one skinny fingers

[@joerivera3222]

Is the emg hz h4a the passive version of the emg 60

[@joerivera3222]

Well is it ?

[@cncyanidecn]

I believe its the passive version of the emg 85

[@joerivera3222]

@@cncyanidecn ok cool do you know the passive version of the emg 60

[@cncyanidecn]

@@joerivera3222 there is no passive version of the 60, if u want a sound close to this pickup, u can try dimarzio humbucker from hell, Both has ceramic magnet and similar BMT profil

[@joerivera3222]

@@cncyanidecn ok cool

[@dougb3854]

Dimmu Borgir

[@subzero8410]

How much do a used HZ's cost compared to a new one?

[@cncyanidecn]

Used Hz r so cheap comparing to new ones, i sold mine like both for 50 euros i think, u can get it for even less

[@subzero8410]

@@cncyanidecn Wow thats pretty cheap but now its kinda hard to find used one in my area tho,living in Malaysia btw,but I do find some fake EMG HZ's selling for around 25$ something like that,I did order it just to replace my broken stock Epiphone humbucker :/

[@cncyanidecn]

I wonder how would the fake ones sound like, who knows maybe better. There's even alexi laiho signature HZs that come with a preamp if u've seen his rig

[@subzero8410]

@@cncyanidecnIm just hoping the fakes sounds good enough for me,anyway thanks for the vid man it was very helpful

[@funday8258]

Active unnatural sound