What Is Your Favorite Budget Pickup Brand?

What Is Your Favorite Budget Pickup Brand?

  • Total voters
    16
C

Chistopher

malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
I was looking up budget pickups because my church allowed me to cut loose on the Affinity Strat they use for the youth band. I was thinking I would hot rod it in a fashion similar to my main Strat, but need some advice in the budget pickup realm. I'm not set on any pickups yet, but I want to know what experiences y'all have with certain brands. Please tell me what experiences you have had with the brand, and what specific pickups you have had decent tones with from them. Right now I've heard the most positive reviews about Dragonfire, and for $40 a set, there is little risk involved in the purchase. I know the results will be slightly skewed in favor of GFS because they are certainly the most well known budget pickup maker. I made a poll with the most popular options that I've heard about.

Edit: I'm looking for new pickups, I've got plenty of used pickups just lying around, but I'm saving those for nicer builds. If I were just looking for the cheapest possible option I'd use some of those.
 
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Re: What Is Your Favorite Budget Pickup Brand?

As you imagined, GFS are quite a value for the price. I use them to help clients get 'into the ballpark' for specific tones and usually upgrade the pup or total axe when we are closer to goal.

Ironically, I believe I now have my first permanent GFS. Build a gtr with really unusual pups and dropped a GFS cruiser knockoff in the center while I wound my own pup.

But the GFS so well supports the other pups that I have decided to keep it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
 
Re: What Is Your Favorite Budget Pickup Brand?

I heard people like GFS Dream 90's, but the rest of their pickups are fairly polarizing. The only pickup I've used from them is the Vintage Extra Hot, which is a fairly decent EVH pickup, even among more expensive options.
 
Re: What Is Your Favorite Budget Pickup Brand?

I and my friends and acquaintances here in the UK have had excellent experiences with Humbuckers made here by Iron Gear. It is generally rumored that their business plan has been based on reproducing other popular pick up designs using the same high quality of materials at a bargain price. E.g their Blues Engine is rumored to be an exact copy of the popular Tonerider A4. They sell a lot of pups and the general feeling is that (unlike normally) you get more than what you pay for. Their prices and shipping costs to the US are very good (no VA tax on exports) and I understand this brand has several US fans. They are definitely my first humbucker choice unless a bargain comes up on the second hand market which is very rare these days. I will not bore you with details of the various models as obviously your main interest is in single coils. Unfortunately I can give you no personal experience of Iron Gear single coils but would be very surprised if they did not present excellent value for money.

Many of my friends speak highly of IRON STONE Strat and Telecaster pick ups . I have heard a “Silver “set in a MIM Strat and they sounded pretty good and also other upgrades using IRON STONEs . IMHO these were a definite improvement on the stock items.. The low price of these excellent pups will surprise you. Iron Stone are I believe quite a small company with a limited range of products but the owner Tony is reported to be very friendly and helpful. There are a lot of positive vibes . I would recommend you at least check out their website .

Rose pickups used to have a bit of a following here .Excellent sounding handmade single coils at what used to be budget prices but prices have risen a lot over the years. Nevertheless they are still some followers who speak very highly of the build quality and sound. . Unfortunately Ken, the extremely helpful owner and the actual pick up builder has suffered bad health health recently. Everybody wishes him a speedy and permanent recovery.
 
Re: What Is Your Favorite Budget Pickup Brand?

None of the above; I've used the Epi HOT Bridge and Classic Neck and gotten some pretty good sounds out of them in a Mahogany Bodied L6S copy but eventually replaced theme with Rio Grandes. Anymore I just find a deal on used Duncans, DiMarzios or whatever I run across that I like.
 
Re: What Is Your Favorite Budget Pickup Brand?

Bill/Becky Lawrence @$55.00
Not sure about the other ones you listed, never tried or heard any of those.
 
Re: What Is Your Favorite Budget Pickup Brand?

Rockfield are not bad at all for their dirt-cheap used prices.
 
Re: What Is Your Favorite Budget Pickup Brand?

Discharged said:
At least six of the ten p'ups listed are all made by Artec. ;)
Click to expand...

Epiphone,Kramer, Maestro,Steinberger, and Dobro are all owned by Gibson, all very different animals. And I heard somewhere that most of the Japanese pickups out their are all made in the same factory. Same with Korea and China. It think they probably do it do create artificial competition. If you own 6 of the 10 highest regarded budget pickups, it's gotta be better than 1 of 5, right?
 
Re: What Is Your Favorite Budget Pickup Brand?

I'll throw in another vote for GFS. I've used their Dream 90s, Dream 180s, Lil Killer, Lil Punchers, and Gold Foil singles. I've been impressed with all of them so far and will probably try out some others in the future.
 
Re: What Is Your Favorite Budget Pickup Brand?

The Golden Age pickups from Stew-Mac look interesting to me.

But actually, for PAFs, the Duncans like the Seths, PGs, 59s and Ants are pretty good values, considering the prices of some of the boutique winders.

I don't know if you can buy them aftermarket, and I don't know what they would cost, but Ibanez Super '58s are another good PAF and should be a good value.

Bill
 
Re: What Is Your Favorite Budget Pickup Brand?

Boogie Bill said:
I don't know if you can buy them aftermarket, and I don't know what they would cost, but Ibanez Super '58s are another good PAF and should be a good value.

Bill
Click to expand...

It seems like I checked into buying Super 58's from Ibanez when I was looking at upgrading the pups on my Ibby AS83, and I was surprised to find that they were pretty pricey… to the point of deciding to buy Duncan's instead.

That was a couple of years ago though, so I could be thinking of something else.

I agree with you wholeheartedly, though, about the Super 58s being a nice PAF. I picked up an Artist AR325 a few months ago that has them in it and WOW what a nice-sounding pickup!
 
Re: What Is Your Favorite Budget Pickup Brand?

PFDarkside said:
Used Duncans?
Click to expand...

Iron Gear basically makes copies of SD pickups, so you can get them new for slightly cheaper than used Duncans. They are known to have tighter bass, slightly bigger mids, and usually slightly different highs (it varies by model).
 
Re: What Is Your Favorite Budget Pickup Brand?

Tonerider! I've played several of their offerings and not a bad one in the bunch, and the AC4 and Rocksongs are superb.

I seriously don't think they make any duds, unlike GFS which has both terrific and awful offerings.
 
Re: What Is Your Favorite Budget Pickup Brand?

I think the classic Carvins like the c22b and m22sd are among the best at the price-point they used-to reside,,,,,but their recent price-hike has taken them more into main-brand competition.
 
Re: What Is Your Favorite Budget Pickup Brand?

I meant to hit Armstrong but, instead clicked Rockfield. Coincidentally enough, I'd rather them about the same and don't hate either of them but I'm with Ace...used "name brand" pickupsnare your best value/quality ratio out there.
 
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