EMG
EMG, Inc. (dba EMG Pickups) is a privately held, Santa Rosa, California-based manufacturer founded in 1976 that designs and sells active and passive electric guitar, bass, and acoustic pickups directly to musicians worldwide through its e-commerce storefront and online retailer partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersSanta Rosa, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What EMG does
EMG, Inc. (dba EMG Pickups) is a privately held, California-based manufacturer of electric guitar, bass guitar, and acoustic instrument pickups founded in 1976 and currently headquartered in Santa Rosa, California. The company designs and builds active and passive pickup systems using ceramic, alnico V, and ceramic/steel magnets with proprietary integrated preamp circuitry, and supports a wide catalog spanning humbucking, single-coil, P-90, soapbar, and signature artist configurations for 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9-string instruments. A key technical differentiator is EMG's solderless wiring harness, included with most pickup sets and engineered for tool-light installation by end users.
The company runs a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront at emgpickups.com supplemented by online retailers and a certified pre-owned program distributed through Reverb. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time hardware unit sales, with complementary income from related parts and accessories (wiring kits, knobs, pots, batteries, switches, strings) and branded merchandise (t-shirts, swag, picks). Pricing is unit-based with no subscription model; example price points include $109-$129 for E-Series bass pickups, $169-$239 for signature bass sets, and $149-$219 for bass EQ and J-system configurations. Free shipping is offered on orders over $150 to select countries, and all products are built to order with 7-14 business day lead times.
EMG serves professional and amateur guitar and bass players across rock, metal, blues, jazz, funk, progressive, and country genres, with marquee endorsement relationships including Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield, Robert Trujillo, and Tom Araya (Metallica/Slayer), Les Claypool (Primus), Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath), David Ellefson, Frank Bello (Helmet), Doug Wimbish, and Lee Sklar. The firm is privately held with no disclosed external investors, parent company, or subsidiaries, currently celebrates its 50th anniversary, and operates with a workforce in the 51-100 employee range from its single California site.
EMG firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- EMG
- Legal name
- EMG Inc.
- Website
- https://emgpickups.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- EMG, Inc. (dba EMG Pickups) is a privately held, Santa Rosa, California-based manufacturer founded in 1976 that designs and sells active and passive electric guitar, bass, and acoustic pickups directly to musicians worldwide through its e-commerce storefront and online retailer partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
EMG industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Musical Instrument Pickups
- NAICS
- Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140)
- SIC
- Musical Instruments (3931), Electronic Components & Accessories (3670)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Audio Accessories & Consumables (Cables, Stands, Cases, Strings, Picks, Heads) (MPAIAJAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Pro Audio & Recording Equipment Retail (MI-adjacent) (CRALAEAC), Instrument Repair, Maintenance & Luthier Services (CRALAEAF)
Keywords
Where EMG is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Rosa
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
EMG business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Pickup Sales: EMG generates revenue primarily through the sale of guitar and bass pickups, including electric guitar pickups (humbucking, single-coil, P-90, signature sets), bass pickups (E-series, P/J/PJ models, soapbars), and acoustic pickups. Products are sold as complete sets or individual pickups.
- Parts and Accessories: Sale of complementary parts including switches, wiring kits, knobs, pots, batteries, strings, power supplies, cables, and tools for guitar and bass setups
- Merchandise: Branded merchandise including t-shirts, swag, picks, and gifts
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | E-Series Bass Pickups |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Signature Bass Sets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Switches |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bass EQ Systems |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Jazz Bass Pickup Sets |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
EMG product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EMG designs, manufactures, and sells built-to-order electric guitar pickups, bass guitar pickups, and acoustic instrument pickups, sold as individual units or complete sets. The portfolio spans active and passive designs, signature artist collaborations, complementary parts and accessories (switches, wiring kits, knobs, pots, batteries, strings, power supplies, cables, tools), and branded merchandise. All products are made in California and distributed primarily through the company's own e-commerce storefront and online retailer partners.
Product overview
EMG is a manufacturer of guitar and bass pickups offering electric guitar pickups, bass guitar pickups, and acoustic guitar pickups. The product portfolio includes core pickup products organized by instrument type (Guitar, Bass, Acoustic), with Bass products featuring sub-categories like E-Series and Signature Sets. Signature Sets are pickup combos developed with professional musicians. The company also offers Parts & Accessories (switches, wiring kits, knobs, pots, batteries, strings) and Merchandise. Products are manufactured in California since 1976.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Electric Guitar Pickups Active and passive electric guitar pickups for rock, metal, blues, jazz, and country players, including Humbucking, Signature Sets, Pickguard Sets, Retro Active, Single-Coil, P-90, and 7/8/9-String models. Built to order in California.
- Bass Pickups Active and passive bass guitar pickups including E-Series, P Models, PJ Models, J Models, Soapbars, MM Models, Thunderbird, and HB Models, available in 4, 5, and 6 string configurations.
- Acoustic Pickups Acoustic instrument pickups for soundhole mounting, banjo, archtop, and bouzouki, designed for natural tone amplification on stage and in studio.
- Parts and Accessories Complementary parts including switches, wiring kits, knobs, pots, mounting rings, batteries, strings, power supplies, cables, and tools for guitar and bass pickup installation and setup.
- EMG Merchandise Branded merchandise including t-shirts, swag, picks, and gifts bearing EMG Pickups branding.
- E-Series Bass Pickups Slim soapbar E-series bass pickups available in 4, 5, and 6 string options, including E4W (4-string from $109), E5W (5-string $119), and E6W (6-string $129).
- Artist Signature Pickup Sets Pickup sets co-developed with professional bassists including DE Set (David Ellefson), JA Set, DW Set (Doug Wimbish), FB Set (Frank Bello), GZR P/PJ (Geezer Butler), Lee Sklar P Set, LC Set (Les Claypool), RT Set (Robert Trujillo), and TA Set (Tom Araya), and guitar signature sets such as the KH-BB Set (Kirk Hammett) and JH-Het Set (James Hetfield).
- NS-WAV/NXT Retro Fit System Direct replacement pickup system for NS Design WAV/NXT bass instruments, providing enhanced control, output, and sound quality.
- Soapbar Pickups (Extended Series) Extended series pickups in 3.5, 4, and 4.5 inch soapbar housings, including CS, CSX, DC, DCX, HZ, J, JCS, JCSX, JX, P, P4, P4X, PX, TW, and TWX variants, used for basses requiring broader housing formats.
- Bass EQ and Control Systems Onboard EQ and preamp systems for bass including the B30EQ System ($179) and BTC System ($149), plus additional control systems starting from $59.
- Jazz Bass Pickup Sets J-series Jazz Bass pickup sets including the J System at $219, with other J-series configurations ranging from $99-$199.
Companies that use EMG
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
EMG technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
EMG partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
EMG competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Seymour Duncan: Direct peer — manufactures electric guitar and bass pickups and accessories, with both active and passive designs (e.g., Active EQ, Blackouts) competing head-to-head with EMG's active pickups across rock and metal genres.
- DiMarzio: Direct peer — long-established manufacturer of guitar and bass pickups with signature artist collaborations (Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, John Petrucci), directly competing with EMG's signature-set strategy in the rock/metal segment.
- Fishman: Direct peer — pickup and preamp manufacturer with strength in acoustic instrument amplification that overlaps EMG's soundhole/banjo/archtop/bouzouki acoustic line, while also offering electric guitar pickup systems.
- Bartolini: Direct peer — boutique bass pickup and on-board EQ specialist whose soapbar-format active systems directly compete with EMG's E-Series and extended-series bass pickups.
- Lindy Fralin Pickups: Direct peer — boutique, hand-wound pickup maker with strong artist roster, competing in the premium vintage and modern replacement segment for guitar and bass.
- Bare Knuckle Pickups: Direct peer — UK-based boutique pickup maker emphasizing rock and metal tones with artist signature lines, a category peer to EMG's signature collection.
- Nordstrand: Direct peer — bass pickup and preamp manufacturer with active and passive designs plus soapbar/extended formats that overlap with EMG's bass soapbar line.
- Aguilar: Direct peer — bass amplification and pre/EQ/DI specialist whose onboard bass preamps and pickups overlap with EMG's bass EQ systems and signature bass offerings.
- Dean Markley: Direct peer — strings and pickup manufacturer with bass and guitar pickup lines plus artist signature collaborations, sharing EMG's accessory-and-pickup bundle model.
Broad incumbents
- Fender: Broad incumbent — manufactures its own OEM pickups (Noiseless, Custom Shop) and is a major buyer/seller of aftermarket pickup brands. Highly relevant for retail shelf positioning and brand-comparison context, though not a focused pickup-only competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
EMG social profiles
Digital presenceEMG financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
EMG leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
EMG funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
EMG M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about EMG
What does EMG do?
EMG designs, manufactures, and sells built-to-order electric guitar pickups, bass guitar pickups, and acoustic instrument pickups, sold as individual units or complete sets. The portfolio spans active and passive designs, signature artist collaborations, complementary parts and accessories (switches, wiring kits, knobs, pots, batteries, strings, power supplies, cables, tools), and branded merchandise. All products are made in California and distributed primarily through the company's own e-commerce storefront and online retailer partners.
Is EMG a public or private company?
EMG is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was EMG founded?
EMG was founded in 1976. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is EMG based?
EMG is headquartered in Santa Rosa, United States, in the North America region.
How does EMG make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Pickup Sales are the primary driver. The others are parts and Accessories and merchandise.
Who are EMG's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, Fishman, Bartolini, Lindy Fralin Pickups, Bare Knuckle Pickups, Nordstrand, Aguilar and Dean Markley. Fender is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does EMG have an API?
No public API is recorded for EMG.
What industry is EMG in?
EMG's product category is Musical Instrument Pickups. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAJAF, Audio Accessories & Consumables (Cables, Stands, Cases, Strings, Picks, Heads), with a secondary code of CRALAEAC, Pro Audio & Recording Equipment Retail (MI-adjacent). Its NAICS code is 459140 and its SIC code is 3931.