EMG JH HET Set Black Chrome Pickup humbucker

EMG JH "HET" Set BC — Hetfield's Signature Active Humbucker Pair

The EMG JH "HET" Set BC is the active humbucker pickup set co-developed with Metallica's James Hetfield and EMG president Rob Turner, pairing a JH-B bridge pickup with a JH-N neck pickup around ceramic-magnet cores. The Black Chrome cap is part of EMG's Metal Works line of stainless-steel covers, made in the USA.

What Sets the JH Pair Apart from Stock EMG Active Pickups

Unlike the EMG 81, which uses bar magnets, the JH-B bridge pickup uses individual steel pole pieces over the same ceramic core for cleaner low end, while the JH-N neck pickup uses ceramic poles and a taller, larger core than the EMG 60 for more attack and fuller low end. Together they cover a wider range than the 81/85 or 81/60 pair.

Pickup Architecture — Ceramic Cores with Split Pole Design

Ceramic cores throughout, with steel pole pieces on the bridge and ceramic poles on the neck — that's the defining design choice in the JH Set.

• Bridge Pickup (JH-B): ceramic core, steel pole pieces — tight attack, cleaner low end
• Neck Pickup (JH-N): ceramic core, ceramic poles, larger than EMG 60 — higher output and fuller low end for thick rhythm and lead tones
• Circuit: active, onboard preamp — single 9V battery

Cap Finish, String Spacing, and Pot Options

BC in the name denotes the Black Chrome Metal Works cap. String spacing and pot shaft length are configurable at order time.

• Cap Finish: Black Chrome (Metal Works stainless steel, USA-made) — stealth look that matches Hetfield's signature aesthetic
• String Spacing: 49 mm (Tune-O-Matic) or 52 mm (Floyd/Fender)
• Pot Shaft Length: 10 mm (standard) or 19 mm (Les Paul) — matches the guitar's control cavity depth

Solderless Install System — Everything in the Box

Every JH Set ships with EMG's exclusive solderless install kit, so the swap requires no soldering iron.

• Volume and Tone Pots: 2 × 25 kΩ each — matched to the active preamp's input impedance
• Output Jack: 1 × stereo output jack
• Battery Bus + Pickup In/Out Bus: included for single-9V powering and pickup linking
• Cables and Hardware: 2 pickup cables, 4 connect cables, 1 output cable, 1 battery cable, 2 pairs of mounting screws and springs — everything needed for a complete install