EMG

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.

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

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

• Guitar pickups
• Bass pickups
• Acoustic pickups
• Pickup accessories
• Musical instrument components

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Rosa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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
3. Merchandise: Branded merchandise including t-shirts, swag, picks, and gifts

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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.

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct 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

• Xx.com/emg_pickups
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/EMGpickupsTV
• Facebookfacebook.com/EMG-Pickups-Mexico-324735431197573
• Instagraminstagram.com/emgpickups
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emg-pickups

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EMG