Phat Cat vs. GFS Dream 90

9

95strat

New member
Anyone compared the two? The only reason I ask is because I'm replacing my GFS with the Duncan. I'm sure it will be a better pup...or at least I hope it will!

GFS is fairly cheap, but it seems the quality is there for the most part. However, I've never had the opportunity to compare. I will soon, but thought it would make me feel better about my purchase if I heard from some you of guys.
 
Re: Phat Cat vs. GFS Dream 90

from what i understand, the dream90 is very weak and thin, and the mean 90 sounds like a real p-90. the phat cat comes stock with a dual a2/a2 magnet setup, and can be very round. i find it almost too humbucker-like. personally, i've swapped the magnets to be a5/a3 and i like it much better. jangly, clear, chimey, handles distortion very well. i haven't tried any gfs pickups.
 
Re: Phat Cat vs. GFS Dream 90

super rad ska said:
from what i understand, the dream90 is very weak and thin, and the mean 90 sounds like a real p-90. the phat cat comes stock with a dual a2/a2 magnet setup, and can be very round. i find it almost too humbucker-like. personally, i've swapped the magnets to be a5/a3 and i like it much better. jangly, clear, chimey, handles distortion very well. i haven't tried any gfs pickups.
Click to expand...

I remember reading that in another post of yours. I am ordering so magnets to experiment with. Never done that before. When you say a5/a3 which magnet is the top and which is the bottom?
 
Re: Phat Cat vs. GFS Dream 90

seriously, i really don't know:laughing: all i know is that is definitely cuts better, and is as clear of a neck pickup as you can get without going fender-style(traditional single coil) blueman should be in here shortly with some cool magnet swaps. if i were you, i'd definitely get an a5 or two, a3, and a4. btw will this be going into the bridge or neck? if the bridge, i'd also reccomend getting an a8 and ceramic.
 
Re: Phat Cat vs. GFS Dream 90

super rad ska said:
seriously, i really don't know:laughing: all i know is that is definitely cuts better, and is as clear of a neck pickup as you can get without going fender-style(traditional single coil) blueman should be in here shortly with some cool magnet swaps. if i were you, i'd definitely get an a5 or two, a3, and a4. btw will this be going into the bridge or neck? if the bridge, i'd also reccomend getting an a8 and ceramic.
Click to expand...

Are you looking for a PC for the neck or bridge, or both?

Wymore Guitars.com has free shipping with $50 orders, which lets you get a good assortment of magnets for a few guitars. If you're taking out A2's of Phat Cats, for example, you'll have spare ones of those, so you wouldn't order any additional A2's. Ceramics are better-suited to metal, so decide accordingly on those. If you have a variety on hand, when you swap, you have what you need, and you don't have to pay shipping a second time.

In my HB's and PC's, I use a lot of A4 & A5, and a few A3 and A8. All four of these work on bridge PU's, but A8's are too dark and hot for necks. On PC's/P-90's, I don't think it makes too much difference which magnet goes where, especially with the neck.

This is what I've done on my PC's:
Neck
A2/A2 (stock) - dark & muffled.
A5/A2 - brighter, and much more usable.
A5/A3 - even brighter, with some chime/jangle to it. Good for a dark, thick, mahogany body (LP). Very clean and chimey in a SG.
A5/A4 - not quite as bright the A5/A3, but still has a good amount of treble, with more mid-range punch & crunch. Gutsy.
Bridge
A2/A2 (stock) - weak & thin, drowned out by (stock) neck PC.
A8/A4 - Increased output and mids, tighter low end, with enough treble for bite, but not too much.
 
Re: Phat Cat vs. GFS Dream 90

It will be for the neck...sorry I forgot to mention that. I'll be matching it with a Quarter Pound in the bridge. It will go into my CIJ 52RI tele. Maple neck and some kind of ash body.

Sounds like the experimentation takes a lot of work. I'm sure it's worth it.

I'm planning on using a 500K pot for the QP. I may bypass the tone pot all together. Not sure how to wire that yet, but I'm sure some of you guys can point me in the right direction.
 
Re: Phat Cat vs. GFS Dream 90

95strat said:
Sounds like the experimentation takes a lot of work. I'm sure it's worth it.
Click to expand...

Not really. Swapping magnets is a 10 minute thing. Installing a PU doesn't take much longer. The alternatives are: 1) pay someone a lot of money to do it for you (with a much longer wait) or 2) learn to live with substandard tones. This forum is one of the best places in the world to learn how to do this basic stuff. We see a lot of newbies make excuses to avoid doing the work themselves, but those that get out a soldering iron are amazed at how easy it is, and how much better their guitars sound. We hope you'll join us.
 
Re: Phat Cat vs. GFS Dream 90

i'd recommend still wiring it to a tone pot. IMO the tone pot very useful with p 90s, moreso than with humbuckers.
 
Re: Phat Cat vs. GFS Dream 90

blueman335 said:
Not really. Swapping magnets is a 10 minute thing. Installing a PU doesn't take much longer. The alternatives are: 1) pay someone a lot of money to do it for you (with a much longer wait) or 2) learn to live with substandard tones. This forum is one of the best places in the world to learn how to do this basic stuff. We see a lot of newbies make excuses to avoid doing the work themselves, but those that get out a soldering iron are amazed at how easy it is, and how much better their guitars sound. We hope you'll join us.
Click to expand...
I'm all for a little soldering. I make a lot of my own pedals so I'm not afraid of a bit or work. Just figured I'd have to remove the strings each time.
 
Re: Phat Cat vs. GFS Dream 90

if it's going into a tele, that's already a pretty spanky sounding instrument. i'd say go for the a5/a4 combo for a meatier sound to match up well. i'm also going to reccomend a tone pot as well. and make sure you wire this up to at least a 500k pot for the volume!
 
Re: Phat Cat vs. GFS Dream 90

super rad ska said:
from what i understand, the dream90 is very weak and thin, and the mean 90 sounds like a real p-90. the phat cat comes stock with a dual a2/a2 magnet setup, and can be very round. i find it almost too humbucker-like. personally, i've swapped the magnets to be a5/a3 and i like it much better. jangly, clear, chimey, handles distortion very well. i haven't tried any gfs pickups.
Click to expand...

I'd call the Dream-90 anything but weak and thin. I have one in the neck of my Gretch BST-1000. While it doesn't sound exactly like a P-90, it's fairly smooth, yet brighter and clearer than a humbucker. Never tried a phat cat to compare though.
 
Re: Phat Cat vs. GFS Dream 90

95strat said:
I'm all for a little soldering. I make a lot of my own pedals so I'm not afraid of a bit or work. Just figured I'd have to remove the strings each time.
Click to expand...

Naw, we just loosen the strings and push them to the sides so we can pull up the PU (and set it on an old towel). I've never replaced strings when I've swapped a magnet. This really is easy.

If you're making pedals, you have more than enough skills to do this stuff.
 
Re: Phat Cat vs. GFS Dream 90

GFS Mean 90's come with Alnico 5 / Alnico 5, and are completely different from the Dream 90's

GFS says:

We slightly "age" Alnico V magnets, and wrap the coils with Plain Enamel Formvar 42 gauge wire. The result is a pickup that is FAR more agressive in the lower mids, yet still has a crisp and clear high end. Think of the Mean 90's as a 4-10 Tweed Bassman and the Dream 90's as a Tweed Deluxe. The Dreams are more modern sounding and overdrive an amp with a decided CRUNCH- The Means are smoother- warmer, fuller and a tad louder. If you like Vintage Tones and really want to FEEL your pick attack on the strings- I think the mean 90 may be the best pickup currently available.
Click to expand...
 
Re: Phat Cat vs. GFS Dream 90

mrturtle_91 said:
I'd call the Dream-90 anything but weak and thin. I have one in the neck of my Gretch BST-1000. While it doesn't sound exactly like a P-90, it's fairly smooth, yet brighter and clearer than a humbucker. Never tried a phat cat to compare though.
Click to expand...

i see. well i was only relating what i've read on here about the pickup:nana:
:joke:
either way, phat cats are pretty cool too. you may want to give one of those a try if you've got the bones for one.
 
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