- Active pickups are a staple within the rigs of metal guitarists.
- But which ones on the market perfectly fit your playing style?
- We list the seven best active pickups for metal and its subgenres.
- Check our Active vs. Passive Pickups post if you need a refresher.
Guitar pickups are much more than a modification or upgrade. They are a ticket to iconic metal tones from the past, a foundation to etch your future sound, and an outpost for current-day creative expression.
Luckily, we’re long past the era of ubiquitous EMG 81/85 sets because consumer preferences, metal subgenres, and the list of metal-oriented pickups on the market have expanded drastically.
We are talking HH, HSH, active, and extended-range soapbar pickups, with each configuration tailored for different needs and preferences.
For those whose heart is set on actives, this post will serve as a springboard to discover the absolute finest active pickups for metal styles.
Below, I’ve compiled seven top-rated options to consider, with each pickup review highlighting its pros, cons, and tonal characteristics.
Criteria
- Performance: Metal genres demand output, low noise, and clarity, and our top recommendations deliver them in spades.
- Tonal Characteristic: This list contains classic, vintage, modern, and hybrid active pickups, providing versatile choices for metal tones.
- Reputation: The active pickup brands on this list have a strong standing in the metal guitarist community.
- Budget: The individual cost of our top picks ranges from $100 to $175, with clearly labeled budget and premium options.
What Are The Best Active Pickups For Metal?
The Fishman Fluence Moderns are the best active pickups if you crave power and versatility. Their range of voicings, effective noise reduction, and lithium power pack propel them into a league of their own.
The EMG 81 remains a steadfast option for tight budgets and classic preferences. It’s been a crowd favorite for over four decades and is still one of the most affordable and reliable pickups for all sorts of metal music.
The EMG JH HET Set stands out as the best active pickup set for discerning metal guitarists. Artfully calibrated to please James Hetfield, consider it a gateway to sculpting an envious metal guitar tone.
Here are the seven best active pickups for metal and high-gain settings.
- Best Overall: Fishman Fluence Modern Active Humbucker
- Best Value: EMG 81 Active Ceramic Bridge Humbucker
- Best Premium: EMG JH HET
- Most Recommended: EMG 85
- Best for Classic Metal: Fishman Fluence Classic Humbucker
- Best for Low Tunings: Seymour Duncan Mick Thomson Blackouts
- Best Vintage-inspired: EMG 57/66
1. Best Overall: Fishman Fluence Modern
“Top-rated active pickups that square up to industry giants like EMG.”
Since their introduction in 2013, Fishman Fluence Moderns have risen to prominence within a relatively short period.
I’ve picked them as the best active pickups based on four attributes: innovative design, voice switching, versatility, and easy installation.
Pros
- Power, balance, and clarity
- Unrivaled tonal versatility
- Easy installation
- No permanent modification required
Cons
- The lithium power pack is a paid extra
- “co*cked Wah” sound is hit-or-miss
Review
The Fishman Fluence Modern Humbucker symbolizes the forward momentum that is rare to find in active pickup technology.
Designed for modern metal, these active pickups are individually voiced and offers two peak frequencies for modern metal and drop tunings.
IMO, their switchable voicing yields more tonal versatility than any other passive or active pickups available. The voicing options are activated via dip switches installed as a reversible and non-invasive modification.
If this is inconvenient, you can wire these functions to push/pull or push/push potentiometers, similar to how coil tap or split can be wired.
Technological advancements don’t mean much if the sound isn’t there.
Luckily, the passive setting of these active pickups provides ample warmth and dynamic sensitivity. In contrast, the active setting is finely tuned for tight, punchy tones native to aggressive playing styles.
The rechargeable lithium power pack is another standout feature, offering 200 hours of playtime on a single charge.
This optional extra will pay for itself within a year through the savings on batteries, although it would be a welcome addition to the stock package.
Verdict
The Fishman Fluence Moderns are my top pick for metal because they cleverly address problems associated with the active pickups of yesteryear.
These active pickups have quickly risen to the status of a modern classic and will reign as the modern metal pickups to beat for years to come.
2. Best Value: EMG 81 Active Humbucker
“The tight character of this timeless classic is a metal community favorite.”
The gold standard in active pickups for over 40 years, the EMG 81 humbucker has been on more metal records than one could count.
Competitors come and go, but this high-output beauty continues its reign as one of the best active guitar pickups to cut through a mix with clarity.
Pros
- An industry standard
- Aggressive, tight, distorted tone
- EMG’s sold-less kit for easy installation
Cons
- Cleans tones can come across as slightly sterile
Review
Even though the base model of the EMG 81 humbucker remains relatively unchanged, it’s as relevant a choice today as it ever was.
Positioned at the bridge, this active pickup is a nostalgic throwback to the cutting tones of metal guitar legends such as Zakk Wylde, Kirk Hammett, Kerry King, and Dave Mustaine, among others.
This pickup’s tight response and balanced sound are perfect for heavy rhythm guitar work and searing lead tones.
It is exceptionally responsive in high-gain settings, ensuring every little detail of your guitar playing comes through as intended.
Moreover, the EMG 81 is famed for its tight, low-end response and ability to retain note definition in heavily distorted guitar riffs and rhythms.
Admittedly, some may find its clean tones sterile and overly compressed, but this pickup wasn’t designed for dynamic cleans in the first place.
The good news is that the latest iteration of this active pickup features a solder-less quick-connect system for simple installation.
Verdict
If you want time-tested tones without blowing your budget, the EMG 81 is definitely worth a closer look. Plus, an EMG 81 in the bridge position paired with an EMG 85 in the neck position is as classic as it gets.
PS – Are you in the process of building a cost-effective guitar rig? Check out our post on the best combo amps for metal (under $500).
3. Best Premium: EMG JH HET
“The best pickups for unleashing a Hetfield-approved torrent of sound.”
The EMG JH Set consists of the JH-N (neck) and JH-B (bridge), both patterned after the tones James Hetfield laid down for decades.
This signature set combines the warmth and clarity of passive pickups with the higher output and tightness of active circuitry.
Pros
- An updated take on classic designs
- Added headroom and dynamic response
- Attractive aesthetic
Cons
- Only available as a set
- Price may rule this option out for some buyers
Review
The James Hetfield (JH) signature set is yet another offering aiming to provide the best of both worlds: the attack and aggression of an 81/85 set with the added dynamics and warmth of passive pickups.
I’m glad to report it delivers what it promises in spades.
As one of the best EMG offerings to date, the JH set is a shoo-in for aggressive playing, down-tuned riffing, and high-gain adventures.
It avoids the pitfalls of other active pickups for metal, such as the 81, delivering desirable overtones and headroom for clean tones.
I also noticed improvements in the dirty sound, especially the thick low end and tight midrange, ensuring nothing ever sounds saggy.
The neck pickup is great for leads and its an increased output is guaranteed to provide singing sustain for any soloing application.
The brushed chrome aesthetic oozes class and looks both modern and classic. It’s almost as if vintage Gibson PAF humbuckers time-traveled into the modern scene, hard-armored to endure the rigors of metal.
Verdict
The JH combo is a no-brainer for Metallica diehards or metal players who desire to a more premium iteration of the EMG 81/85 set.
Its sonic flair brings out the best in aggressive playing and down-tuned grinding, and the solder-less connections are a welcome convenience.
4. Most Recommended: EMG 85
“A time-honored active pickup for rich and expressive metal tones.”
Pros
- Exceptional dynamic response
- Improved clean sound
- Useable in neck or bridge position
Cons
- Other contemporary options fulfill the same purpose with less subtlety making this an outdated choice for some users.
Review
The EMG 85 is one of the oldest pickups in the EMG lineup and has serviced the needs of guitar legends like Kirk Hammett and Zakk Wylde.
This humbucker is typically paired with an EMG81 in the bridge position, but it does a fine job as a bridge pickup with a darker tonality.
While there’s a lot to like about it, the increased headphone is a standout feature, and it remarkable clarity, sustain, and note definition.
Moreover, the pickup’s voicing lends exceptionally well to expressive techniques like pinch harmonics and artificial harmonics.
However, that doesn’t imply that the EMG 85 is meek or polite. It can deliver saturated distortion as belligerently as its competitors.
In fact, its dynamic response under high-gain settings make it a go-to choice for a wide range of metal subgenres.
Verdict
Overall, the EMG 85 active pickups are the best classic option for metal, especially if you want to retain more dynamics within an active setup.
The way I see it, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better combination of clarity, sustain, output, and tonal versatility at this price point.
P.S. – Enhance your pickup’s bottom-end and bite with the perfect set electric guitar strings from our 2023 roundup.
5. Best PAF-Style: Fishman Fluence Classic
“Grade A actives for vintage goodness, hot-rod tones, and gain on tap.”
The Fishman Fluence Classic Humbucker aims to be the traditionally voiced alternative to the Fluence Moderns reviewed above.
Summarizing Larry Fishman’s MO on the Fluence Classic: They aim to excel at parameters associated with “old school” metal pickups.
Pros
- Versatile
- Easy installation
- Modern Aesthetic, classic tones
Cons
- Lithium power pack not included in the stock package
Review
The Fishman Fluence Classic Humbucker are a more traditionally voiced alternative to the Fluence Moderns reviewed above.
These active pickups have two voice modes selectable via push-pull pots.
The PAF flavor is open-sounding and harmonically rich, whereas the hot-rod mode offers a hotter signal for blazing leads. They even deliver a 3rd single coil voicing that is perfect for some gritty country twang.
IMO, these active pickups are the best option for aural anarchy in the vein of Iron Maiden, Black Label Society, and Judas Priest.
They are a perfect fit for fat/gritty hard rock tones or velvety blues, although they can descend into hardcore or metal mayhem if required.
Like the Fluence Moderns, the Classics have a hassle-free installation that does not require permanent mods. Voicings are also controlled in the same way, with the same options available in terms of layout.
The pickups are powered by a traditional 9v battery or the optional USB-rechargeable battery pack, but the latter costs an extra $100.
Lastly, they are designed to be hum-free and impervious to the frustrating inductance issues that plague most wire-wound pickups.
Verdict
Fishman Fluence Classics are the best active pickups available for vintage-minded metal guitarists. They are easy to use and offer a more versatile palette of PAF-style tones than the traditional alternatives on the market.
6. Best for Low-tuning: Mick Thomson Blackouts
“Premium active pickups to power your low-tuned guitar assaults.”
Seymour Duncan has had a strong presence in the active pickups segment since the ’80s and saw a fair bit of success with its livewire series.
However, the Blackout line has firmly established them as a top choice for metal and rock guitarists, particularly those playing low tunings.
Pros
- High output
- Stylish design
- Mick Thompson approved
Cons
- May require routing or permanent modification to your guitar’s pickup cavities.
Features
- Extremely quiet
- Tight low-end
- Made in California
- Great and improved sustain
- Output from original Blackouts
Review
I cannot overstate the importance of investing in high-quality active pickups if you play down-tuned or low-tuned guitars.
They require a meticulously voiced set, and the Mick Thomson Blackouts are the perfect solution to prevent your guitar tone from turning into a muddy mush when you get down and dirty.
This set features Alnico V magnets for the neck and ceramic magnets for the bridge position. The combination delivers well-balanced tones and a desirable blend of aggression and clarity.
Mick Thompson has worked closely with Seymour Duncan to develop this set, and it reflects in their performance. I noticed that accentuated attack never sounds harsh, regardless of the settings or extended tunings.
The bridge pickup sounds incredibly raw and meaty, while the neck pickup excels in delivering smooth melodic guitar passages.
On the flip side, your instrument may require routing adjustments to accommodate the shape and depth of this active pickup set.
Understandably, permanent modifications to the guitar cavity can be a potential deal breaker if you own a high-end electric guitar.
Verdict
All things considered, the Seymour Duncan Mick Thomson Blackouts emerge as one of the best active pickups for metal and modern rock.
Consider them if you are a Slipknot fan or looking for an active pickup set that can handle the demands of low-tuned riffing.
P.S. – If you’re a low (range) rider, you might find something of value in our roundup of the best baritone guitars for metal and heavy genres.
7. Best Vintage-inspired: EMG 57/66 MetalWorks Set
“The best active pickups for expressive tones across classic metal styles.”
This being the fourth EMG set in our list, one thing is clear: EMG has nailed various iterations of the sonic formula that pleases metal guitarists.
The 57/66 is yet another winner, geared to deliver clean tones and screaming leads in hard rock and classic metal.
Pros
- Classic aesthetic
- Wide dynamic range
- Hassle-free installation
Cons
- With so many other options pursuing the active/passive balance, it is easy for this set to be overshadowed.
Features
- An active neck pickup built with Alnico V magnets
- Big PAF-like tone
- Warm, smooth mid-range and expansive lows
- Defined sound with headroom and punch
- Solderless installation system
Review
EMG 57/66 active pickup set is a calling card for metal players partial to the Seth Lover PAF and other Gibson-esque counterparts.
It melds vintage warmth and smoothness of traditional tones with the buff presence and biting midrange of modern active pickups.
To put it bluntly, this active pickup set bears EMG’s trademark fidelity geared towards hot, detailed tones for heavy metal and modern rock.
Moreover, it responds well to knob tweaks and picking dynamics. But how does it fare against the other options on our list?
After some A/B testing, I was thoroughly impressed with the robust cleans and smooth lows of the EMG 57/66 set. The detail and sustain lend well to clean chords, snappy riffs, and nuanced lead work.
These active pickups are best viewed as an alternative to the Fluence Classics. They have relatively less tonal flexibility, which isn’t always bad.
Frankly, some metal guitarists prefer simplicity over overwhelming choice, particularly when choice comes with a significant uptick in price.
Verdict
IMO, the EMG 55/56 fidelity nails the finest moments of PAF tones.
It’s the best choice for metal players who dig tight lows, uncluttered mids, and silky highs – all dressed in vintage character. However, some of it comes at the expense of dynamics in high-gain settings.
P.S. – Stay the course with our post on the 12 Best Guitar Amps of 2023.
FAQ
What type of pickup is best for metal?
While the best pickup for metal is subjective, active pickups are preferred by most metal guitarists. Their clarity, high output, and reduced noise make them suitable for heavy distortion and high-gain settings.
Why do metal guitar players use active pickups?
Active pickups utilize a preamp circuit that boosts the output signal and hits a guitar amp’s front end considerably harder than passive pickups.
This provides increased saturation, sustain, and a tighter, more focused bottom end – desirable tonal characteristics for metal guitar players.
What are the best passive pickups for metal?
Bare Knuckle Rif Raff Humbucker, Seymour Duncan JB Humbucker, and DiMarizo DP100 are top-notch passive pickups for metal guitar playing.
You can discover more options in our separate post on the nine best passive guitar pickups for high-gain needs.
Are active pickups sterile sounding?
Traditional active pickups possess a relatively compressed nature and high resistance, contributing to further output signal compression.
This, combined with the relatively flat frequency response of many actives, has resulted in a stereotype that active pickups sound sterile and lifeless.
Whether there is any truth to this depends on the player’s perspective. Many recording engineers encourage the use of active pickups, as it allows them to shape the guitar tone via outboard fx and guitar EQ.
Can you modify active pickups?
Yes, a common modification for active pickups is a wiring mod that results in them being powered by 18v (two) batteries.
Doing so results in more headroom and enhances dynamic nuances typically omitted in a traditional 9v battery setup.
Before You Go
Once this roundup helps you discover the best active pickups for your playing style and budget, you may also want to find the best practice guitar amps for rock and metal.
If low-wattage amps aren’t on your radar, our list of the best 2×12 guitar cabs or demos of a vast range of overdrive pedals might interest you.
