Is the Het Set really an improved 81/60 ????

D-Rock

D-Rock

Well-known member
I've heard all sorts of words describing the EMG JH set, but are they all beneficial or needed improvements over the original 81/60 that Hetfield used for so many years?
 
D-Rock":2t93iv5k said:
I've heard all sorts of words describing the EMG JH set, but are they all beneficial or needed improvements over the original 81/60 that Hetfield used for so many years?
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I didnt like the Het set bridge at all - the neck was good but I didnt gel with the bridge at all - went back to Blackouts :)
 
It shares some characteristics (as all EMG actives do)....But is also very different. the bridge in particular is very percussive and tight sounding....almost "boxy" in the palm mutes. It presents as kind of dry and punchy. I dig it for certain applications, but it is different for sure...Some may call it "improved" in terms of string to string articulation, others have hated it. It really is a matter of taste. The 57/66 is also something to consider.
 
Which guitar?

They will be tighter and more percussive and articulate than the 81/60. In the Eclipse, they work well. I wouldn't put them in any thin bodied guitar.

So, in the right guitar, they are great.
 
I like them but they aren't always better. Just different. Played em for awhile but went back to the 81.
 
Thanks alot guys, your various takes on them have generally been what I've deduced myself from online research.
The JHb seems to have a bit... grittier attack than the 81..boxy is another good term. Not sure If I want that inherent quality in my sound. Definitely a character feature that you'd be unable to dial out if it became tiresome. Other than that, everything else about them seem to not stray too far from the original set.

The guitar is the one in my avatar, I'll be replacing the Blackouts in it.
The guitar is very thick and darker sounding. The Hets would work well in it I think, but I'd like something a bit less output and more...even across the EQ. For the bridge I'd like something warmer, but still have a nice cutting treble and some warm, present mids.
 
I didn't think they were better, just different.

I agree with everyone saying the JH-B is more attacky than the 81. There's also a bit more low-mid content compared to the 81, and it's a whole lot hotter. As hot if not a tad more than a Blackout.

I personally preferred them to blackouts, as they're tighter and more focused to my ears.
 
D-Rock":n8kwjscy said:
Thanks alot guys, your various takes on them have generally been what I've deduced myself from online research.
The JHb seems to have a bit... grittier attack than the 81..boxy is another good term. Not sure If I want that inherent quality in my sound. Definitely a character feature that you'd be unable to dial out if it became tiresome. Other than that, everything else about them seem to not stray too far from the original set.

The guitar is the one in my avatar, I'll be replacing the Blackouts in it.
The guitar is very thick and darker sounding. The Hets would work well in it I think, but I'd like something a bit less output and more...even across the EQ. For the bridge I'd like something warmer, but still have a nice cutting treble and some warm, present mids.
Click to expand...

In a darker, thick sounding guitar....They will work well
 
I have the Het set in one of my ESP EX's and I don't care for it that much. The neck pickup is great, but the bridge is really boomy. I would bypass the Het Set and go for Fishman Moderns if you want to try something different.
 
BTW, I personally think there's an overstament in all of the reviews that say "oh, yeah, they're totally more organic and passive-like". Yes. They're slightly more attacky/percussive than the 81/60, and yes, the low-end rolloff isn't quite as steep (not by much, though), but they're a lot hotter. They also run on the same old EMG preamp (not the same as the X series), so, them being hotter, their preamp clips a whole lot more. So technically, they are really more compressed by the time they hit your amp than the standard 81/60 set. Just my experience.

They're still nice pickups, though, especially if you want something hotter and fatter than the 81/60, but tighter and more focused than the Blackouts.

And personally, I liked the bridge pickup, but not the neck.
 
D-Rock":h9ogjtc5 said:
Thanks alot guys, your various takes on them have generally been what I've deduced myself from online research.
The JHb seems to have a bit... grittier attack than the 81..boxy is another good term. Not sure If I want that inherent quality in my sound. Definitely a character feature that you'd be unable to dial out if it became tiresome. Other than that, everything else about them seem to not stray too far from the original set.

The guitar is the one in my avatar, I'll be replacing the Blackouts in it.
The guitar is very thick and darker sounding. The Hets would work well in it I think, but I'd like something a bit less output and more...even across the EQ. For the bridge I'd like something warmer, but still have a nice cutting treble and some warm, present mids.
Click to expand...

FWIW...I replaced the 81/60 in my Eclipse with the Het set. It was an improvement. The 57/66 combination works well too.
 
Rex Rocker":1pc7uc5n said:
BTW, I personally think there's an overstament in all of the reviews that say "oh, yeah, they're totally more organic and passive-like". Yes. They're slightly more attacky/percussive than the 81/60, and yes, the low-end rolloff isn't quite as steep (not by much, though), but they're a lot hotter. They also run on the same old EMG preamp (not the same as the X series), so, them being hotter, their preamp clips a whole lot more. So technically, they are really more compressed by the time they hit your amp than the standard 81/60 set. Just my experience.

They're still nice pickups, though, especially if you want something hotter and fatter than the 81/60, but tighter and more focused than the Blackouts.

And personally, I liked the bridge pickup, but not the neck.
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Have you tried them with the 18 volt mod? if it has the same preamp as the original 81 maybe that would really open it up dynamically.
 
Ok, I bought a black set of 57/66. Since I have black chrome hardware I was going to get a set in black chrome, but I realized I've never liked shiny pickup covers lol!
I have options though, if they don't suit my Schecter LP then I'll put the 81/85 set from my LTD Horizon in the Schecter and try the 57/66 set in the Horizon. If that doesn't pan out, I'll try the Blackouts in the Horizon.
If still have the itch after all that, I'll try the Het set lol!
 
webrthomson":1fygccex said:
D-Rock":1fygccex said:
I've heard all sorts of words describing the EMG JH set, but are they all beneficial or needed improvements over the original 81/60 that Hetfield used for so many years?
Click to expand...

I didnt like the Het set bridge at all - the neck was good but I didnt gel with the bridge at all - went back to Blackouts :)
Click to expand...

Wow, good to know. I think I will stick with blackouts as well.
 
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