GFS Pickups

[jpn]

Hello guys... :coolsmiley:

I recently found out about GFS pickups...I checked that there have been a couple of references to GFS here, so I thought I could start a thread to have all info gathered.

I can't say that my Burstbuckers sound bad at all on my G-400, but GFS prices make me think that if these guys can come up with a pair of HB that comes close, I could get rid of my BB and have a great sound with a great price.

What's most important, they can even ship an order to Greece!

The link:

http://store.guitarfetish.com/pickups.html

So, if anyone has a story to share or could provide useful info, please post here...

 

[Sludgenutz]

I have heard good things about GFS pickup, in general. On the Seymour Duncan web-forum, you can do a search for reviews of GFS products.

Here is a "GFS pickups" search performed on the SD site. Enjoy!

http://www.seymourduncan.com/forum/search.php?searchid=378779

However...the difference is in the details! Magnetic strength, build consistency from pickup-to-pickup, and feedback resistance make the pickups you already have the obvious winner for most players.

That is not to say that GFS has nothing to offer. In the area of neck pickups for players who do not drive/amplify the tone to high levels...you just might find a GFS is perfect! Does this mean you can get the "same" pickup tone if you order one a year from now? Who knows.
i have poked around the guitar fetish site before, and GFS makes no mention where they are made. This leads me to believe that GFS pickups are made in Asia. There is nothing wrong with that.

 

[jpn]

Well, it has to be Asia, sth like Indonesia or China, or I can't figure out how on earth they offer such prices...

I didn't say that GFS have to be better than a pickup with a widely known brand name...I just guess that even if GFS come close to the real deal...you have a couple of pickups for pocket money.

 

[Stareater]

I wouldn't count on foreign-made pickups with such a low price sounding much like a top-of-the-line pickup. I bought a Musician's Friend Perfromer Scorcher for a Squier Strat I had put back together for a spare practice guitar. It's a Duncan-designed Hot Rails knockoff, but sounds nothing like the real deal. It sounds like you'd expect a $30 pickup to sound: mediocre. I didn't go in expecting miracles, as I simply wanted a cheap humbucker to fit a single coil slot and it was the cheapest out there.

If you go in expecting a cheap pickup to sound nearly as good as a true Gibson or Duncan, disappointment will follow. Usually, the old standard of "you get what you pay for" is on the money, no pun intended. Knockoffs are usually serviceable for the price, but aren't going to sound like the real deal. That's my view, anyway.

 

[SGmole]

From what I've heard GFS pickups are pretty decent. Still, it hardly seems worth it to buy Asian made factory pickups made from inexpensive parts when for just a little bit more money you can buy 'boutique' hand wound pickups made to your specs from http://www.truetonetechnologies.com/ or www.vintagevibeguitars.com.

 

[If You Want Blood]

GFS has the "dream 90"s which I'm debating on. They only cost $40 as opposed to Gibson's $100. I have heard great things about them but you get what you pay for :dontknow:

 

[gotdabluz]

[quote author=If You Want Blood link=topic=9006.msg116151#msg116151 date=1150842801]
GFS has the "dream 90"s which I'm debating on. They only cost $40 as opposed to Gibson's $100. I have heard great things about them but you get what you pay for :dontknow:
[/quote]

Blood . . . save your money and get the P94's . . . trust me, they're worth it

 

[If You Want Blood]

i trust ya bluz O0

 

[happy_tom]

[quote author=If You Want Blood link=topic=9006.msg116151#msg116151 date=1150842801]
GFS has the "dream 90"s which I'm debating on. They only cost $40 as opposed to Gibson's $100. I have heard great things about them but you get what you pay for :dontknow:
[/quote]

Our guitarist just bougt these about a month ago for his epi 400.
Hmm, it's hard to say anything at this point, as the whole thing hasn't been set up properly yet, but i'll try...

Well, it doesn't sound anything like a 60s SG special, that's for sure ;D
You would expect that it would have more mid-range bite compared to the humuckers (it had pups from an epi LP black beauty before), but the sound is actually much more bassy. Well, it is actually pretty well balanced, but more bass than HB. Go figure...
Distortion is... ...just different... ...than anything else I've heard so far; it's kind of synthetic, like playing through some strange fuzz pedal, while with humbuckers it was more 'Link Wray wrannng'. (we mainly tested it through 1959 echolette m40, but also tried a hiwatt custom 50 and it's very similar). But I mean that in a good way, the sound is really interesting. I guess it's a good idea to move the pole pieces on 4-6th string a little lower than others, though.

On the other hand, these pickups have a great clean sound. Actually, it's the first time that neck pickup is in fact useful!

To make a long story short: In my opinion GFS pickups are a great alternative for, for example, stock epi pickups; they do have a different, interesting sound; but I wouldn't recommend them if you want to come as close as possible to original P90s sound.

 

[Jim Jones]

I only have experience with the GFS Dream-90.  If you're really after a P90 sound in a humbucker package...run the other way because these damn things aren't even in the ballpark.  I may have gotten a skunky one but it honestly sounded more like a low output Strat-type pickup than anything - no balls or grind whatsoever.

That said, the company is amazing to deal with - very prompt shipping and obviously great prices.  I bought the pickup and a plain-G compensated wraparound bridge for my LP Jr. copy in two separate eBay auctions and both transactions were perfect.

Jim 

 

[If You Want Blood]

[quote author=Jim Jones link=topic=9006.msg118385#msg118385 date=1151610711]
I only have experience with the GFS Dream-90.  If you're really after a P90 sound in a humbucker package...run the other way because these damn things aren't even in the ballpark.  I may have gotten a skunky one but it honestly sounded more like a low output Strat-type pickup than anything - no balls or grind whatsoever.
[/quote]

whew thanks for that one.