EMG 89

The EMG 89 is an active humbucking pickup produced by EMG, Inc for use in electric guitars. It is customarily used in the bridge position. It is essentially an 85 model humbucking pickup that can be electronically "split" to produce an output similar to that of the single-coil EMG SA model.[1]

Inside the EMG89 pickup are both single and dual-coil pickups, each with its own output. The single-coil mode is an Alnico loaded stacked EMG SA. The dual-coil mode consists of two Alnico loaded coils opposite one another creating a pickup similar to the EMG 85. A push/pull volume or tone enables you to switch from the clarity of a single-coil to the fatness of a humbucking. Virtually noiseless in both modes, it can also be used with several EMG accessories such as the SPC, EXG expander, or the PA2 preamp booster.

The EMG 89R is exactly the same pickup except that the print-position of the EMG logo is swapped to the side opposite of the single-coil. When the pickup is placed in the neck position of an instrument the single coil has a warmer tone.[2] The same effect can be achieved by mounting a regular EMG 89 pickup upside down, however this method is unpopular for the unfamiliar look this method creates. However, this prompted EMG to create the EMG 89R pickup by simply printing the logo on the opposite side.