Anyone had any experience with GFS pickups?

[extendedping]

yea I know it is the competition but what better people to ask then the seymour gang...I am getting a squier protone and am considering upgrading the pickups and am thinking seymour or as I am kinda poor at the moment (due to the pearly gates I am having installed in another guitar) something cheaper like GFS. Thanks...

 

[sufferinrewind]

Re: Anyone had any experience with GFS pickups?

I think it'd be better if you'd just wait until you can afford another set of Duncans.

Looking around in The Trading Post here might be of interest to ya.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Anyone had any experience with GFS pickups?

Try the search function. This topic has been brought up before.

 

[Mephis]

Re: Anyone had any experience with GFS pickups?

Most people call them "ok" and say they have a sort of flat EQ hifi sound. I have no idea.

I'd say for upgrading a squier I'd get the GFS. Putting a $90 pickup in a $150 guitar usually just isn't worth it.

 

[extendedping]

Re: Anyone had any experience with GFS pickups?

Most people call them "ok" and say they have a sort of flat EQ hifi sound. I have no idea.

I'd say for upgrading a squier I'd get the GFS. Putting a $90 pickup in a $150 guitar usually just isn't worth it.

Oh but this is a special squier...

 

[RW James]

Re: Anyone had any experience with GFS pickups?

... Putting a $90 pickup in a $150 guitar usually just isn't worth it.

I would have to disagree with this. If the guitar plays well in all other respects, I think it would very well worth it to put SDs in there. And you get good SDs for a lot less than $90.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Anyone had any experience with GFS pickups?

I'll say these two things.
GFS pickups are ALL the rage/buzz at Harmony Central.

My buddy who is a pro player and has played everything known to mankind told me that they are typically an upgrade from no name stock pickups but are not on the same level as Duncans. He said they are alittle Hi fi and are probably just about equal to Duncan designed pups..

I was tempted to toss some into something as Im low on funds, but this guy has always been correct. So Im saving for a pair of AIIpros.:fing2:

Plus, dont forget duncans exchange program.. Find just what you want..

PLUS!! They are made in USA!!!!

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Anyone had any experience with GFS pickups?

I have a set of the GFS bigmouths and they sound just like a humbucker version of the duncan Quarter Pounder. Great sounding pickup. The only problem that I have with them is that I get some 60 cyle hum. The new bigmouths have a shield around the coils I would guess for 60 cycle hum.

 

[BG00]

Re: Anyone had any experience with GFS pickups?

I'll say these two things.
GFS pickups are ALL the rage/buzz at Harmony Central.

My buddy who is a pro player and has played everything known to mankind told me that they are typically an upgrade from no name stock pickups but are not on the same level as Duncans. He said they are alittle Hi fi and are probably just about equal to Duncan designed pups..

I was tempted to toss some into something as Im low on funds, but this guy has always been correct. So Im saving for a pair of AIIpros.:fing2:

Plus, dont forget duncans exchange program.. Find just what you want..

PLUS!! They are made in USA!!!!

Your buddy is correct, except I would give them credit over duncan designed's. They are good pickups, very useable, just not as high quality as Duncan's. In a few years, they might be big competition tho. We shall see.

 

[Young Angus]

Re: Anyone had any experience with GFS pickups?

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?t=77987&highlight=gfs

 

[Christobevii3]

Re: Anyone had any experience with GFS pickups?

I put a set in my cheap jackson. The bridge pickup sounds very similar to a JB that I got with a little less highs.

The single coils i got sound way better than the stock jackson singles did. For the price if they are going in a cheap guitar, go for it.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Anyone had any experience with GFS pickups?

Putting a $90 pickup in a $150 guitar usually just isn't worth it.

Usually but not always. Sometimes you find a cheap guitar that's made of out of some good wood (that somehow snuck over to the cheapy pile from the high end guitar pile) and needs only a few tweaks to be a seriously killer axe.

Most people get a tunnel vision focus on the numbers, e.g., why put a $200 set of pickups in a $150 guitar? But I figure if I got a good piece of wood that cheap, I come out way ahead of the guy who puts the $200 set in a $2,000 guitar. If it's good wood, I don't care how cheap it was, I won't hesitate to make pricey upgrades to bring out its full potential.

As for GFS pickups, never tried 'em but all the reviews I've heard have been very mixed.

 

[Young Angus]

Re: Anyone had any experience with GFS pickups?

My mate had one of their Invader knock offs and while it was a gutsy pickup, it squeeled uncontrollably and was just a general pain in the neck. I wouldn't bother, I'd just go on ebay and get yourself a Duncan/Dimarzio.

 

[J Moose]

Re: Anyone had any experience with GFS pickups?

I just ordered a set of Retrotrons for my whacky ESP semi-hollow and one of their Tele rail neck pickups which is gonna go into my buddies Tele...

He has/had Bardens in there and the neck pickup died several months ago...STILL don't have it back so we're thinking that maybe this will get him through?!

They should be here early next week...I might not have a chance to get 'em in before the moving van shows up on Wednesday but as soon as I can get 'em in and get a grip on what they sound like.

I Figure, $75 or whatever for a set of 'Trons is worth a shot...

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: Anyone had any experience with GFS pickups?

I got a chance to interview there last week so I may have a unique perspective.

The idea is pretty simple; pickups are made to certain specs overseas, shipped here and they sell them. They don't do advertising, endorsements or anything all that special. They're committed to selling a quality product at a great price. They do QC pretty stringently and I think the style of their offerings is doing alot to get folks to sit up and take notice.

I walked out of there with a set of Dream 90's, a set of Dream 180's and a Tele "Puncher" neck pickup. I installed the Dream 90's on one of my vintage MIJ Les Paul clones and I dig them. They're more modern sounding than the "Vintage Vibe" P-90's I had on there about a year ago but by no means are they entirely too hot to not sound vintage. They're a nice in between and I'm digging the versatility of them.

There's alot to like about them. I'm in the planning stages of an Epi Dot 335 project and will likely go with the PAF-style they make for it.

I don't think they're bad pickups, not at all. I think they're just different, both tonally and philosophically from companies like Duncan and Dimarizo. What they HAVE managed to do, which neither has gotten right yet, is the style of the actual covers. The two Dream sets I picked up are gold with MOP and they just look stunning! If they could get a trademark on them it'd be a homerun for them but I'm not sure of the particulars. But truth be told, open coils or just sheer metal is a little boring and these guys managed to take notice of that and they deserve some credit for it.

The Xaviere guitars are what has me the most curious. I wish I'd had the time to play one of the Zemaitis clones, but I'm glad I didn't because I could totally see me justifying the cost of one as I will never own a Zemaitis. There are alot of folks saying good things about them but time will really tell with them.

They're a good company. And I have to admit, as odd as it sounds I don't see them competing with Duncan all that much. Yes, both make pickups but the mindset of the style and the philosophy of how they operate is totally different.

 

[vegetablejoe]

Re: Anyone had any experience with GFS pickups?

IIRC, Squier ProTones were the top-of-the-line Squiers several years ago. Don't those already have stock alnico pickups in them? What's wrong with those?

 

[extendedping]

Re: Anyone had any experience with GFS pickups?

IIRC, Squier ProTones were the top-of-the-line Squiers several years ago. Don't those already have stock alnico pickups in them? What's wrong with those?

I'm becoming a snot thats whats wrong...