Compared to the '81, they cut back on the gain but fortunately it still roars, but in return it has a much more modern, organic sound, a nice rich, mature midrange and a pretty patent high end. If you could put the kinder egg together you can put this one together, because it's a solderless kit that includes everything you need to install it including the jack socket, so you don't need to be at the mercy of the instrument dealer because you can install it yourself. If you're really oldschool trash you'll prefer the 81, if you're a bit more modern metal or even 80s-90s hard rock then it's a very good choice, if you use a lot of clean sound then emg is not ideal, but if you're metal then it's still emg. For me it's a 9/10 sound, a very balanced pickup with a sound that's both modern and oldschool.