EMG 81-7 Black

People tend to be really divided between active and passive pickups. I used to be on the passive camp, until I purchased a guitar with an EMG81 in it. For my custom 7, I knew I had to get this in a 7-string form. I didn't regret this one bit. Sounds vivid, bright and sustain for days. I'll go on record by saying that yes, it does have a very compressed quality. But that's not a bad thing per sé. Having a constant level is great for the metal genre, especially if you go in a more oldschool direction. Paired with a 707 makes a match made in heaven. If you do want some more headroom and less compression, the 81-7X is a great alternative, which I have tested and checked the soundwaves. A clear difference in dynamics, so EMG has fans of more compression covered. Note that the solderless installation makes installing this pickup a breeze. Highly recommended!