GFS pickups

[Jethro_Dull]

Thoughts? Where do they fall on your scale of 1 to 10? Are they anywhere close to your top 5 pickup maker list?

http://www.guitarfetish.com/GFS-Guitar-Pickups_c_7.html

 

[synzzzer]

Re: GFS pickups

Well, I think it depends upon which model within the GFS pickups as to how good they are. I Love! the NY retrotronss. Let's be honest, to get anything else like it you have to spend a heck of a lot of money. I have a guitar I built that has them. They just sing through a Fender style (6L6) amp.

I also like their overwould Tele pickups. I really haven't found anything else on the market like them. You can find plenty of "vintage" style, but a serious 10K ohm Tele pickup? GFS are my go to pickup for them.

However, their vintage 59' had to be one of the most boring pickups I've ever played. Stock Epiphone pickups are so much better than them.

So again, it can be really hit or miss depending upon the model. But to answer your question, I would rate them a 7 out of ten. I didn't think I would rate them in my top 5 pickups, but when I think of what pickups I have actually used, I'd have to put them at least number 5 behind Schaller, Seymour, Dimarzio, and Bill Lawrence.

 

[Vajazzled]

Re: GFS pickups

For the price, nearly unbeatable
but BEWARE THE SHIPPING CHARGE!:firedevil
it's like $20, oy ve

I haven't got any official GFS pickups myself, though am planning on getting some alnico-2 humbuckers from them to build a les paul style guytar HHH.
Based on other reviews of their stuff, including youtube vids, people seem to react favorably...around and "8" I'd say.
Definitely check out their non-gfs clearance section, I got some ceramic slug humbuckers for like $22 couple years back, awesome clarity, they are warm and open like an acoustic, but also handle overdrive very well too.

I estimated an "8" because, although you can get a good sound for cheap, they are either all based on other famous sounding pickups and/or simulating famous player's "signature sounds."
For the "finely tuned" details and original sounds created by a ground-up take on a pickup, I'd reserve a "10" rating for Seymour Duncan...(It's their forum, don't upset them, they are watching:bad
But yah, totally give GFS a try:burnout:

 

[AlexR]

Re: GFS pickups

For 'tone on a budget' they work well. But they'll not stand up to Duncans offerings from a pure tone perspective.....and even Duncan suffers a bit compared with some of the boutique offerings that go for pure vintage openness....I'd say Duncan was aimed at a more versatile sound but with a vintage core.

So tone for price GFS gets a 9/10, overall 5/10.

 

[HKZSquared]

GFS pickups

I honestly really like GFS pickups and the GFS guitar I had. The ones I've had have been pretty versitile and thankfully, cheap. I'd give them around a 7/10 overall and a 10/10 in quality for price.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: GFS pickups

Their Mean 90 (P-90 in humbucker size) is fantastic.
And their Fatbody Tele bridge and Fatbody 10k are also excellent

 

[sedawkgrep]

Re: GFS pickups

Mean90 gets a LOT of love.

Otherwise I think you'd be better off with tonerider for budget pickups.

 

[koshikas]

Re: GFS pickups

I agree on everything that's is said about them here. But I did manage to get a 'fat pat' that is to my liking. Reading about them elsewhere, they are a bit of a hit or miss thing. But i know a very few here who love them. Tone rider is a good alternative so is Giovanni from artec

 

[blueman335]

Re: GFS pickups

Well, I think it depends upon which model within the GFS pickups as to how good they are.

Yes. They have cheaper models, and better ones that cost a little more (with nickel/silver baseplates and covers). I think their higher end models are pretty good, especially for the price.

 

[HKZSquared]

Re: GFS pickups

Have any of you guys tried the power rails and crunchy rails? Opinions?
Sorry to kinda hijack the thread a bit.

 

[dominus]

Re: GFS pickups

Have any of you guys tried the power rails and crunchy rails? Opinions?
Sorry to kinda hijack the thread a bit.

Crunchy Rails is high output and brighter, almost like a Distortion, Power Rails is high output and darker, like an Invader.

 

[symptom]

Re: GFS pickups

Since i didn't manage to find some decent deal on the toneriders, i'm really considering getting their professional series alnico ii humbucker for my epi les paul.


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[Jethro_Dull]

Re: GFS pickups

I am about to finish painting my first guitar: a RAS kit Strat. However, I want to dump the neck, some electronics (ESPECIALLY the pups) and such and trick it out a bit. Then I sell it. This photo, by NO means, is the finished paint job. Getting there though:



It is good karma to go to Facebook and "Like" Guitarscapes: just ask Seymour Duncan.

 

[AlexR]

Re: GFS pickups

Since i didn't manage to find some decent deal on the toneriders, i'm really considering getting their professional series alnico ii humbucker for my epi les paul.


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I got that exact one for my Trad +. It was better than the 57 classics for my ear, but the Seth Lover will do that tonal ballpark much better if you can get hold of them.

 

[synzzzer]

Re: GFS pickups

Oh, I can't believe I forgot to mention the Lil' Killers! I love those pickups. It kind of shocked me how good they are. My 99 Strat has become my "go to" guitar because of them.

 

[koshikas]

Re: GFS pickups

I haven't been lucky with the Lil Killer I got for my basswood bodied fat strat. I got the 10k version for the neck, but it ended up being too middy. I cannot get any bit of that chime for cleans. However all cranked up with gain and for jazzy cleans it is workable. Maybe the 6k version might have bit more happening in the top end.

 

[Drunken Bowling]

Re: GFS pickups

I tried their Classic II Alnico humbucker in the neck of a LP a few years back. Nothing to write home about. It wasn't very articulate either.

 

[symptom]

Re: GFS pickups

I got that exact one for my Trad +. It was better than the 57 classics for my ear, but the Seth Lover will do that tonal ballpark much better if you can get hold of them.

Seths are way out my budget now. I didn't realize that gfs were in the same ballpark that seths.


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[symptom]

Re: GFS pickups

I tried their Classic II Alnico humbucker in the neck of a LP a few years back. Nothing to write home about. It wasn't very articulate either.

Oh. That's really not nice to hear...


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[AlexR]

Re: GFS pickups

What I mean by ballpark is that A2 mids honky tone. The Seths are way better at that, and are clear and open. The GFS are honky, but nowhere near as clear and open. Drunken Bowling sums up what I felt too......about the 57 classics too.

My problem is that I have some VERY good pickups to compare them to. I think this has made me somewhat of a gear snob in many ways.