Do You Like GFS Pickups?

Do You Like GFS Pickups?

  • Yes

    Votes: 26 42.6%

  • Ehh, Some are bad and some are good

    Votes: 24 39.3%

  • No

    Votes: 11 18.0%
  • Total voters
    61
Re: Do You Like GFS Pickups?

dominus said:
The humbuckers are also good for experimenting with cheap hybrids. I've got a few that I'll be rebuilding one of these days.
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That's a cool idea, take the north coil from say, a power rails and combine it with the south coil from say, a veh, or something like that.
 
Re: Do You Like GFS Pickups?

TonyFlyingSquirrel said:
That's what I'm saying. GFS does pay homage to some name brand models, but they've also tried to experiment a bit too, and that lil quirky element attracts me to try new things.
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Ibanez and ESP also "paid homage" to other´s intellectual porperty for decades before coming out with anything original... Same thing, different company. Except that "cheap" was not the main consideration but "better". That at least has some merit to it IMO;)

And yes, in the meantime there are some pickups GFS makes that nobody else makes. But GuitarFetish products in general mostly fall under exactly my statement, Floyds, Pickups, Tuners....

As far as the Burns Trisonic pickups being a Custom shop item from every manufacturer but Burns: DUH!!! Same goes for the Retrotrons which are Gretsch´s intellectual property. A Gibson Dirty Fingers is a custom shop item from everybody but Gibson, too... That´s what intellectual Property laws are there for in the first place, so that the people that actually develop new products get paid for it and not the people that shamelessly steal other`s designs and sell them as their own. Retrotrons and Trisonoics are Proprietary designs and it is wholly at Burn´s and Gretsch´s discretion whether they would like to license the technology out or not.

The only reason GFS can produce EITHER legally is because they are made in the far east, were tehy wound in teh USA they would probably be shut down in a heartbeat. If Gretsch and Burns were to push it, they could probably have the production shut down, but my guess is that the replacement pickup market is not a large part of their income so they let it slide, allowing these products to dilute their brand´s identifying features instead of wasting money on litigation.

Would I put GF in the same league as Behringer /Bugera? No, because they do actually develop some of their own stuff these days. But that still doesn´t make the knockoffs and low grade hardware that comprise most of their product line any better or more original ;)

But seriously, anybody that knowingly buys cheaper knockoffs of brand name products just to save money does not IMO have any right to ever design something unique and not have it stolen, copied, and marketed cheaper because they have been knowingly directly supporting these companies and practices with their money. This includes their music.

This is of course all based on my opinions of business practices and why the world sucks worse every single day, so nobody else is obligated to feel the same way.
 
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Re: Do You Like GFS Pickups?

Zerberus said:
This is of course all based on my opinions of business practices and why the world sucks worse every single day, so nobody else is obligated to feel the same way.
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I see your point crystal clear.:cool2: I'll spare everyone my rant about Chinese products ,And such. First let me say, None of my Guitars are equipped w/t GFS PuPs. I do however have one of his steel trem blocks that I'm happy with. ( it's just a freak'in piece of metal) But it's it's over hyped IMO. This is what I love about the Seymour Duncan Company,And why I'm a loyal user. The products SD makes speak for themselves. They give the specs. A brief description And/or a quick statement as to what the product will do. No name dropping ether , Unless it's with the artist blessing. Not a lot of other of other PuP makers can claim this. From the Big $$ boteeky guys, To bargain Asian stuff! Lots of buzz words in their marketing racket. Words like Jimi.SRV etc. (You get the Picture) I have put GFS PuPs in my friends guitars, And I explain to them that they are basically replacing cheap Asian electronics with marginally better Cheap Asian Electronics. I just replaced some El Cheapo Ceramics in my buddies tele. We snagged a Duncan P-90 used off the bay for cheap for the neck, But no such luck snagging a Good tele bridge PuP. So he decided to give a Fatbody hot 10k a try?? IMO he got $33 worth of PUP. As advertised, telecaster snap, bite and growl . O.K. yup there. But then they goes on to say " I promise you- there is no better tele Bridge pickup on the planet if you're after big, bold tone " Err, Nope Sorry ! Then " For a VERY full and rich bridge sound- Get all the power and drive you always wanted without losing the character or appearance of your tele." to my ears the 1st part is a dubious claim? A/B w/t my Duncan 54' in my tele. My tele had more mids & lows? SO! was it better that the cheap crap that it replaced? YES! Does it live up to it's hype? Absolutely NOT! That's my basic point to this post. Make a good product, Make it in the USA or a country w/t a similar workers rights ethics & standards. SPARE THE HYPE!
 
Re: Do You Like GFS Pickups?

If SD really wants to get the "cheaper market" sell the Duncan Designed pickup. But these are Chinese products and should be grouped with the GFS stuff.
GFS are good for the kids that are just starting out and feel the need to change pickups.
 
Re: Do You Like GFS Pickups?

I've tried only one, the VEH bridge. Not a bad pickup. It could use just a little more drive but otherwise, not bad.

I use the Alpha pots and pickguards they sell all the time. Just installed a switch from them too in one of my Strats. Their pickguards really do match USA Strat mounting holes which is great for me.

Their MIM Strat bridge upgrade with the steel block is nice. Slapped one on a cheap Strat and the bridge is loads better than the stock one. Made a good bit of difference in how that guitar played and sounded.

I doubt I'll try any more of their pickups. I'm pretty content with my guitars for the moment and when I do decide to change out, I'll be looking at the used market for what I want.
 
Re: Do You Like GFS Pickups?

Some of these comments are quite amusing. GFS isn't competing with SD. One focuses on the high end market while the other targets the middle range. Like any other product there are going to be differences in quality and performance between the market segments. This doesn't make GFS' product lousy, crappy and low quality and frankly noone should even be comparing them to SD/Dimarzio. If you could only afford a Ford Focus do you compare it to a Mercedes S Class? No, you expect and accept that the Ford will be of lesser quality/performance. What we do is shop and compare other cars in that class. We look for the best product within our budget. If you could afford the Mercedes and would bash someone for buying the Ford, then you're an arrogant, stuck-up, bung hole.

Bottom line: I use SD pick-ups when I can but in some cases it is not justified or practical. In those cases I'm grateful that GFS is there to provide a product that meets my needs.
 
Re: Do You Like GFS Pickups?

Zerberus said:
Ibanez and ESP also "paid homage" to other´s intellectual porperty for decades before coming out with anything original... Same thing, different company. Except that "cheap" was not the main consideration but "better". That at least has some merit to it IMO;)

And yes, in the meantime there are some pickups GFS makes that nobody else makes. But GuitarFetish products in general mostly fall under exactly my statement, Floyds, Pickups, Tuners....

As far as the Burns Trisonic pickups being a Custom shop item from every manufacturer but Burns: DUH!!! Same goes for the Retrotrons which are Gretsch´s intellectual property. A Gibson Dirty Fingers is a custom shop item from everybody but Gibson, too... That´s what intellectual Property laws are there for in the first place, so that the people that actually develop new products get paid for it and not the people that shamelessly steal other`s designs and sell them as their own. Retrotrons and Trisonoics are Proprietary designs and it is wholly at Burn´s and Gretsch´s discretion whether they would like to license the technology out or not.

The only reason GFS can produce EITHER legally is because they are made in the far east, were tehy wound in teh USA they would probably be shut down in a heartbeat. If Gretsch and Burns were to push it, they could probably have the production shut down, but my guess is that the replacement pickup market is not a large part of their income so they let it slide, allowing these products to dilute their brand´s identifying features instead of wasting money on litigation.

Would I put GF in the same league as Behringer /Bugera? No, because they do actually develop some of their own stuff these days. But that still doesn´t make the knockoffs and low grade hardware that comprise most of their product line any better or more original ;)

But seriously, anybody that knowingly buys cheaper knockoffs of brand name products just to save money does not IMO have any right to ever design something unique and not have it stolen, copied, and marketed cheaper because they have been knowingly directly supporting these companies and practices with their money. This includes their music.

This is of course all based on my opinions of business practices and why the world sucks worse every single day, so nobody else is obligated to feel the same way.
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Zerb, I've always enjoyed your posts. I respect you and you seem like a great guy. I don't disagree with your basic premise. I do think you were a *bit* unfair, but not completely unfair. Ultimately we'll have to agree to disagree.

However, everyone copies other peoples pickups to a certain extent. Duncan makes PAF and Fender clones and has always done so. Most guitar companies use Fender and Gibson guitars as the basis of their own. Do they always make them better? Maybe they reach a slightly different market. That is what GFS is doing. Not everyone can afford Duncans. I don't feel any animosity toward those who can't afford Duncans. I can't always afford Duncans, although the majority of my guitars have them.
 
Re: Do You Like GFS Pickups?

sbecker67 said:
Some of these comments are quite amusing. GFS isn't competing with SD. One focuses on the high end market while the other targets the middle range. Like any other product there are going to be differences in quality and performance between the market segments. This doesn't make GFS' product lousy, crappy and low quality and frankly noone should even be comparing them to SD/Dimarzio. If you could only afford a Ford Focus do you compare it to a Mercedes S Class? No, you expect and accept that the Ford will be of lesser quality/performance. What we do is shop and compare other cars in that class. We look for the best product within our budget. If you could afford the Mercedes and would bash someone for buying the Ford, then you're an arrogant, stuck-up, bung hole.

Bottom line: I use SD pick-ups when I can but in some cases it is not justified or practical. In those cases I'm grateful that GFS is there to provide a product that meets my needs.
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Just in case you are referring to my post? I'll clarify myself. I'm not bashing GFS products. It's more a case of CAVEAT EMPTOR ! I never saw a Ford advertisement claiming their Focus is as good as a Mercedes. GFS however does make similar outlandish claims? It maybe fair to say GFS is at the top of the food chain of budget Asian PuPs, But that's about the best grade IMO I can give them. They have obviously found their niche in the budget PuP market,But I doubt their success is going to cause the doors at Santa Barbra to close. If you really want to read comments are quite amusing? Go the GF website,And read how they hype some products.:eyecrazy: I was pleasantly surprised by the Dream 90 I put in a buddies guitar,And I'm very happy with my trem block. So far everything else I've got from them fell way short of their marketing Hype.:28:
 
Re: Do You Like GFS Pickups?

The Dream 90 I've heard is just so-so, but the Mean 90 is great (I've got 2 and love them).

I'm so glad that there are companies like GFS that can sell good quality products at a reasonable price. I got 2 Mean 90s for less than I would have had to pay for just 1 Brand name PU.

I also shop at Wallmart.

Thank goodness for competition. Thank goodness for capitalism. We're going to lose this if we're not vigilant. And then when that day comes, everyone will be wishing they had done more to preserve it.

And one of the best things about capitalism is that you can buy whatever PUs you want and so can I. We all have a choice.
 
Re: Do You Like GFS Pickups?

kmcguitars said:
Just in case you are referring to my post? I'll clarify myself. I'm not bashing GFS products.
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No, not directly; although you did show the same bias towards them that others share "And I explain to them that they are basically replacing cheap Asian electronics with marginally better Cheap Asian Electronics"

What I find so amusing is the notion that just because they are foreign made they are no good. And the comment we all throw around about 'cheap Asian electronics' is very funny; ironic even. The Asian mfg's OWN the electronics industry. Sony, Hitachi, JVC, Samsung; how many of you own an American made TV, DVD or stereo?

I just find it so very interesting that every time a foreign made product comes along that competes with a domestic one we immediately get defensive and denounce these products as inferior. Yet, in time, we come to recognize, accept and even extol these same products as industry leaders; i.e Sony, Honda. The perfect example is the Fender MIM guitars. Remember the reaction to these when they were introduced? Go to the Guitar section now and you'll see posts praising the quality of some of these instruments. Our perception has shifted. They are no longer just 'Mexican junk' they are considered decent, good value and sometimes even quite remarkable.

HOWEVER: These analogies have made me understand Zerberus' posts a lot better and I know what he's trying to say but may not be making clear. There is a basis for our criticism of foreign products; initially they are of inferior quality to the domestic brands. I attribute this largely to their inexperience as a manufacturer. In the beginning Honda, Sony and MIM's were garbage but the price generated enough business to sustain these companies giving them time to gain the experience and knowledge needed to improve on their quality. As their reputation grew so did sales and a snowball effect insued to the point where their quality and reputation was in direct competition with the domestic companies. Since the US companies could no longer rely on their reputation and quality to generate sales, and were forced to compete upon price alone, they were forced to make changes to lower costs. In doing so the quality of their product was diminished and that just snowballed. So, sure GFS may be just O.K pups today but by supporting the company we are giving them the opportunity to develop the experience needed to improve their product and eventually compete head to head with SD/Dimarzio. When that happens it's not just the US company that suffers (assuming it survives) but the product/industry because it was the US companies performing the R&D and they now lack the sales to develop new products much less GOOD new products. At that point we all suffer.
I think that's what Zerb was getting at.

/soapbox
 
Re: Do You Like GFS Pickups?

Diversity in the marketplace is good. As for how some manufacturers describe their product, I'm always prepared to be underwhelmed.

I anticipate that any company, GFS included, is going to hype up their product, it's called marketing. I just hope they're able to post more clips, as they help more than descriptions do.
 
Re: Do You Like GFS Pickups?

i can get a new GFS humbucker off their ebay store for 40 AUD... business ethics and perceived ie relative quality issues aside, they're the ones to beat as far as value for money goes

i've never regretted a cent i've spent on duncans though, make no mistake.

EDIT - new duncans are at least $150 in australia, and usually closer to $200
 
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Re: Do You Like GFS Pickups?

I've never tried them and probably never will. I think SD charges a fair price for a superior product. I know I sound like an A$$ KiSS but that's how I see it.
 
Re: Do You Like GFS Pickups?

I dabbled in the GFS pickup ring for a while, and while I agree that they sound very good... most of the time it is "sounding very good for the price." The simple "value" argument made time after time.

I am, however, a large proponent of USA goods, and those of like-minded developed countries. The post earlier about "the Far East dominating and becoming the elctronics standard" is exactly what will happen to the guitar industry someday. The reason the Far East is the electronics giant is that they killed off the American and European electronics market long ago with cheap imports. Now, you can still get a USA made home theater system, but you have to pay $50,000 for it. It is all boutique because the Americans (and their unions) can't compete with the cheap labor and inferior working conditions found in most Far East nations.
 
Re: Do You Like GFS Pickups?

Or, for the same price, you could just order super-quality USA made Carvin pups. Just sayin.
 
Re: Do You Like GFS Pickups?

GuitarDoc said:
I also shop at Wallmart.

Thank goodness for competition. Thank goodness for capitalism. We're going to lose this if we're not vigilant. And then when that day comes, everyone will be wishing they had done more to preserve it.

And one of the best things about capitalism is that you can buy whatever PUs you want and so can I. We all have a choice.
Click to expand...

As my gandfather says, "We sold our country to China for cheap T shirts."
 
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