I wish Barden's were cheaper!!!

Sorry for whining. I've just noticed lately that I am not hearing much talk about Barden pickups....compared to Fralins, Lollars, Duncans, Duffs, etc. When I go see bar bands or big concerts for that matter, I rarely see Barden-style rail pickups....Merle Haggard being the last. I joined this board a couple years ago when Bardens were in very high demand, and there was a daily thread praising the pickups....and I've since been dying to try a set. I would just like to play someone else's Barden-equipped tele, but I can't find one.

The only reason I haven't bought a set is the price. I don't have a problem paying for a $1500 hand-built amp, but geez Bardens are so high-priced compared to other pickups. I understand that you have to pay for quality. I'm a po' college guy, I have a nice tele, a silverface Fender amp, a Keeley compressor, but something inside me won't let me buy a set of Barden pickups.

So tell me, am I just a big cheapo or what? Should I just suck it up and buy a set? I could probably get good re-sale value out of them.

I wish Barden's were cheaper so that people like me could try them.

Like you, I wanted a set for a long time but I balked at the price ($125 each at the time). Finally, I got a Barden bridge pickup and loved it. I dragged my feet for about a year before I got the neck PU to complete the set. I consider the purchase a great investment now. I played my Barden Tele all weekend and it rewarded me with great tone. I played an outdoor country gig yesterday and was able to set my amp on about 3. Man, I had the best twangy and clear tone--I just got off on it so much.

There is a difference between Bardens and other pickups. A touch more high fi, a bit more muscular, bright yet balanced and always very musical sounding. Using the tone knob, there are other shades of tone--especially if you have a real bright sounding guitar. String to string balance is very even. And that neck pickup is my favorite Tele neck PU ever. Plus, no 60 cycle hum.

But Bardens are not everybody's cup of tea, thus all the discussion on Lollar's, Fralins, Duffs and Nocaster pickups. Everybody's got their own holy grail and I totally respect that. I would suggest that you try a set. You may fall in love with them. If you don't, you can surely get most of your money back on a sale.

I've ran Bardens in my 52 Tele RI and now have them in my Strat and they are undoubtedly great pickups, but expensive. I've just received a set of GFS "barden clones" and hope to install them tonight in my tele and see what they sound like. The Mean 90's from GFS I put in my Les Paul sound great so I'm real anxious to hear these. Will let you know.

they are expensive, but you pay for quality. when i buy my next tele i plan on saving up for a set of bardens (first mod will be Barden saddles). i may buy some cheaper replacement pups before then, however, from what i hear they are worth the price. now that hes making them again, the prices should go down, especialy the second hands. incedentaly, they typicaly have very good resale, but like i said, now that there being made again this may change.

I lucked out getting some mid-90s-era Bardens on my TimbreSmith. They never fail to impress me. They have this full. muscular sound that has the qualities of both a single coil and a humbucker. IMO, they're worth the $$$.

They are a key ingredient of my sound. However, they are not for everybody. Just like your amp, they do what YOU need them to do depending on your style, attack, type of music, etc. The resale value is high, so if you spend the money you should be able to earn back most if not all of your investment. They are the high-end sports car of pickups, IMHO, but not everybody wants to "drive" them. Based on your other equipment, they should fit right in.

Just like your amp, they do what YOU need them to do depending on your style, attack, type of music, etc.
Could someone who knows and appreciates Barden pickups narrow it down for those of us who haven't had the opportunity to play them: what styles, attacks, types of music, etc. fit; and which don't; within the range of what Bardens are well suited for?

The bardens in my Strat are at least 10 years old and from what I understand, there were probs with the company, it went under and now they are back making pickups but word is they aren't as good as what was out before.

Something to beware of....

Check out Pete Biltoft's excellent (and value-priced) pickups at www.vintagevibeguitars.com.

He's got some blade-style pickups there that are much less expensive than Bardens...

Might be worth a look.

The bardens in my Strat are at least 10 years old and from what I understand, there were probs with the company, it went under and now they are back making pickups but word is they aren't as good as what was out before.

Something to beware of....
FWIW, I know JB pretty well, and he tells me they're exactly the same as before. Just FYI. – CS

I've also heard directly from Joe that the new pickups are exactly the same as the old ones.

A huge +1 for Pete Biltoft's pickups!

Do you think Bardens will ever get significantly cheaper, or at least in a year or two?

I doubt it, it seems like Barden Co. is very busy as it is. While I strongly believe Barden would recieve several more orders if his pickups were more competitively priced, I have no idea if that is good for his business.

Jon

I pulled a "Chris S." and did a Barden search. This link ought to give you more insight into the Barden thang:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/just-pickups/39377-got-set-bardens-coming-what-expect.html?highlight=Barden

As I stated previously, these p/ups are not to everyone's liking, but thry seem to do real well for a number of folks. Hope this helps!

Could someone who knows and appreciates Barden pickups narrow it down for those of us who haven't had the opportunity to play them: what styles, attacks, types of music, etc. fit; and which don't; within the range of what Bardens are well suited for?

Bardens in a Tele are good for blues, country, classic rock, R&B and jazz (neck PU). Really, any kind of music where you'd think a Tele could fit in, a Tele with Bardens will do a great job.

They are not overwound and dark sounding like some pickups made for metal. They retain top end clarity and some midrange punch. They are closer to a Tele single coil sound than a P-90, if that helps.

Ive got one of the first few Danny Gatton Teles when Fender CS released them. Danny bent the 3 way switch and intialed it, and the lacquer was still curing on the guitar. One of the many things that knocked me out then in '91 and still does are the Joe Barden pickups. They have an almost intuitive
push-pull thing going. If you can swing them financially I don't think they'll let you down.

They are not overwound and dark sounding like some pickups made for metal. They retain top end clarity and some midrange punch. They are closer to a Tele single coil sound than a P-90, if that helps.

crawdad, you had said earlier they were a bit more muscular, bright yet balanced.

Can someone compare the Barden bridge pickup tonally with some relatively common A5 Tele bridge pickups, say a 7.6k (actually mine have been 8k and 9k) Duncan STL-1B Broadcaster, a 7.2k Duncan STL-1 Vintage '54, and a 6.4k Fender Classic Series (or similar 6-6.5k wind)? When I hear things like "a bit more muscular, bright yet balanced, retain top end clarity and some midrange punch"; it leads me to believe they are tonally similar to an STL-1B, or maybe somewhere between that and the STL-1.

Have Bardens always been wound about the same number of winds? I thought I had read somewhere that some early ones were lower wound and DG wanted something more berefy or muscular, so newer ones were made with more winds.

I'm perfectly content with the crisp treble of my Classic Series 6.4k A5 bridge pickups, with a baseplate added. I hear the STL-1 as slightly less bright but a little more muscular, and the STL-1B as even less bright, mids becoming noticably stronger, and much more muscular. I don't really want the more muscular sound.

I know it would be a lot of hassle, but I think it would be GREAT for this board if somebody could A/B Barden pickups with some other pickups.....single coils or other Barden-copies.

EDIT: Or you could just send me your Bardens for about a year, and I'll report back with a very descriptive review :lol:

Search for the poster named "Sidneystreet" who did a really great test on some highly regarded single coils.

Jon

When I go see bar bands or big concerts for that matter, I rarely see Barden-style rail pickups....


Come see my band(s) and you'll see all three of my parts Teles with Bardens in 'em. :)

I highly doubt that you'll see any price drop on Barden's. They remain in high demand at the current price and would be totally swamped if a price reduction should come about. Pretty much, the law of 'supply & demand' dictates pricing. What good would great pickups be with a two year waiting list? You get what you pay for.

JD wrote: "I wish Barden's were cheaper!!!"
I wish.....
I would never get old.
Pretty young girls thought I was really something even though I did get old.
Lightweight amps sounded as good as heavy amps.
My Harley Heritage Softtail would never wear out or need new tires.
My wife would let me date those pretty young girls that think I'm really something...even though I did get old!
Guitar strings would never lose their sound or intonation.
Frets would never show wear.
I wish I could buy ANOTHER parts-Tele for $400, part it out to cover the cost and....keep the Bardens that were in it! :lol:
I doubt if any of these things will ever happen....and all for good reasons.
Have a good one,
Wally

I know it's a small consolation, but Bardens are cheaper now than they were a year ago (before joe started making them again). As far as what type of tones you can get... TDPRI member "InstituteOfNoise" has a bunch of Barden clips (http://www.instituteofnoise.com/L6/ampclips.asp) on his site, through different amps. Hopefully this helps as to what styles and tones you can get. I'm happy with mine, and I think they were well worth the money. Just my $.02 YMMV.
- Jay

I am also curious about Bardens. I have a 72 MIM Tele custom. I like the guitar ok, and have had the neck replaced, not the neck pickup but the neck actually. Anyway, I thought it would be smart to put a texas special in the bridge to balance out the levels bewtween the neck and bridge. This was a pretty stupid idea and now I rarely play the guitar. The WRH is muddy, but it sounds ok for jazz, and I can find only one replacement, which I found on this board. Still, I want a useable bridge pickup. How do the barden's compare with a STK-T3 or an Alnico Pro II lead? I play in a rock band but we do some country things as well. I especially like the sound Larry Campbell used to get with Dylan. Also Roy Nichols tone, though those might not be possible with one guitar. Is it it worth it to put a Barden on a low end tele like this? Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

I've ran Bardens in my 52 Tele RI and now have them in my Strat and they are undoubtedly great pickups, but expensive. I've just received a set of GFS "barden clones" and hope to install them tonight in my tele and see what they sound like. The Mean 90's from GFS I put in my Les Paul sound great so I'm real anxious to hear these. Will let you know.

I wrote GFS an email yesterday complaining about the GFS Punchers I installed in my MIM Tele. I told them my high E string was dull and lifeless sounding and that even a professional setup did not resolve the issue.

Here is Jay's reply:
Hi

Yeah these pickups really need to be dialed in just
right- Elongating the rails Barden style tends to
elongate the magnetic field, resulting in a duller
sound, which would require us to wind them lower,
compromising the sound.

We like to tilt the neck pickup quite radically to
compensate- so the High e side is very close and the
low E side is furhter away- We've done it on a lot of
guitars and it works well- Also we like to go up one
gauge of strings- In general rails on Tele's don't
respond well to light strings.

jay

I don't know if anyone else had this problem, but I am not willing to go up in string gauge nor am I keen on the idea of tilting the pickups.
That said, I would not recommend GFS pups!

Have Bardens always been wound about the same number of winds? I thought I had read somewhere that some early ones were lower wound and DG wanted something more berefy or muscular, so newer ones were made with more winds.


Actually you have the story the other way around. :smile: Joe started out making Bardens with more winds, or overwound, and that was what Danny liked. Joe later switched to an underwound, and Danny didn't like it as much, so Joe had the "overwound" option... I wonder if he still does?

I wrote GFS an email yesterday complaining about the GFS Punchers I installed in my MIM Tele. I told them my high E string was dull and lifeless sounding and that even a professional setup did not resolve the issue.

Here is Jay's reply:
Hi

Yeah these pickups really need to be dialed in just
right- Elongating the rails Barden style tends to
elongate the magnetic field, resulting in a duller
sound, which would require us to wind them lower,
compromising the sound.
jay


Barden's rails are longer....... they sound good to me. :rolleyes:

Rockin' Carl has is correctly on the winding. The Sept/Oct issue of Musician's Hotline has an interview with Joe Barden in which he explains the evolution of his pickups.

Barden's rails are longer....... they sound good to me. :rolleyes:
The GFS Rails suck!!! Dull birds with or without the 500K pots!

...I've just received a set of GFS "barden clones" and hope to install them tonight in my tele and see what they sound like....Will let you know.

so, how do they compare? -jason

so, how do they compare? -jason


I'm quite surprised to be honest. I've only got a couple of hours time on them in my practice room crankin thru my 18watt, but so far I am impressed to say the least. The guitar is a MIM 50's tele RI and while it sounded good, it sounded brittle to me. Running an amp with EL84's gives me alot of top end and single coils can really give you that "fingernails on chalkboard" kinda sound. These GFS's are quite close to the Bardens in my strat in that they give me alot of dynamics. What I have always like about Bardens is that when you dime the guitar volume it gives you some good firepower for solos and these GFS did exactly that, and some.

Pure country players won't like these, but blues players who like to jump out there and make a statement on their solos are gonna love em. I especially like the sustain (sustain on a tele?!?!?!?) which lets me get really aggressive, yet it still has that tele bite, with much more attitude.


I've got two guitars now running GFS pickups and I will recommend them to my friends. These guys are gonna hurt alot of the traditional pickup builders because of the cost+performance they offer.

Would I buy Bardens over these?

hard answer since I don't have any stage time with them but I'm looking forward to getting under the lights and test drive them for real.

I'm quite surprised to be honest.
thanks for the review...I appreciate it. One other quick question: did you go with the vintage, modern or hot flavor? thanks again, jason

thanks for the review...I appreciate it. One other quick question: did you go with the vintage, modern or hot flavor? thanks again, jason


I purchased the "Calibrated Set "Cool Vintage" Lil Punchers.

I purchased the "Calibrated Set "Cool Vintage" Lil Punchers.
And the rails line up with your E strings? Mine did not and I am returning them.

And the rails line up with your E strings? Mine did not and I am returning them.


no problem at all....fit perfectly

the more i play them...the better i like them....

like I said...pickup manufacturers better take notice...these guys are going to be very big players....

Sorry for whining....

The only reason I haven't bought a set is the price. I don't have a problem paying for a $1500 hand-built amp, but geez Bardens are so high-priced compared to other pickups. I understand that you have to pay for quality. I'm a po' college guy, I have a nice tele, a silverface Fender amp, a Keeley compressor, but something inside me won't let me buy a set of Barden pickups.

So tell me, am I just a big cheapo or what? Should I just suck it up and buy a set? I could probably get good re-sale value out of them....

Ok, you "don't" have a problem with a high-end amp, you own a "Silverface" Fender amp, a Keeley compressor...and yet, you claim to be a "po' college guy". Then you suggest buying a set...and eventually, "get a good resale value". Maybe you don't really need a set of Bardens...
I'm not knockin' you, but I'm a bit confused. If you're willing to spend some money on certain higher-end guitar gear, why not include pickups? Why do you have a Keeley compressor, when an MXR Dynacomp should suffice?? Why do you have a "nice" Tele, when a Squier Tele should be good enough???
But "whatever"...it's your money!
I've read other guitarists use $100.oo Elliott capos or Alessandro cables or Jodi Head straps. That's cool, I guess. But by having these high-end guitar gear, will it make us guitar players into "guitarists"? (There IS a difference ya'know!)
But are Bardens really THAT good? I mean, REALLY....

Ain't yet found a guitar pickup/transducer worth more than $40/each - and even that's a lotta loot for me to spend on what's essentially a coil of wire around some magnets and in that respect they're just about the same when it comes to materials costs. None of them are really THAT special, THAT amazingly different in tone, IMHO. So it comes down to tone AND price = value. Most of this "tone" stuff is personal hype and gets in the way of making good music - you think yer listening audience knows or cares what pups are in yer guitar? :mrgreen:

Ain't yet found a guitar pickup/transducer worth more than $40/each - and even that's a lotta loot for me to spend on what's essentially a coil of wire around some magnets and in that respect they're just about the same when it comes to materials costs. None of them are really THAT special, THAT amazingly different in tone, IMHO. So it comes down to tone AND price = value. Most of this "tone" stuff is personal hype and gets in the way of making good music - you think yer listening audience knows or cares what pups are in yer guitar? :mrgreen:



I'd have to disagree up to a point. When Bardens hit the scene 15 + years ago they were light years ahead of the traditional single coil pickups. They were so evolutionary that I think they were a major impact on the meteoric development of many single coil pickup designs that we take for granted today.

Now, what we are seeing and GFS is undoubtedly a part of, is the effects of offshore manufacturing and the dramatically lower costs it offers. It had to hit the guitar pickup business sooner or later as offshoring has hit every other business out there.

Could someone who knows and appreciates Barden pickups narrow it down for those of us who haven't had the opportunity to play them: what styles, attacks, types of music, etc. fit; and which don't; within the range of what Bardens are well suited for?

I'm not a heavy Barden user. Had a set, neck pup never worked right...shoulda got a free fix....moved'em on to RockinCarl.

My take on them is that they're like the Fender Twin Reverb of pickups.
Always clean & clear, can be bright, can go as loud as you want...but they stay clean. They can pummel an amp, mind you. Very noiseless.

One thing about the price of BArden's....they are more expensive than quality single coils because they are not single coils...they are double coil humbucking pickups. What is the price of new Barden's. The boxes that my old Tele set are in indicate a list price of $159.99 and 'our price' of $119.99.
That wasn't cheap, but then they weren't mass production items, either.
They are my preference for a Telecaster....I don't care for single coil hum if I can avoid it...and the Barden's just sound so good to my ears.

Im curious about this particular pu (barden), now I wonder if anyone ever plays metal/high-gain type music with them. How did it perform if anyone has indeed tried them in that setting?

Im curious about this particular pu (barden), now I wonder if anyone ever plays metal/high-gain type music with them. How did it perform if anyone has indeed tried them in that setting?


You can play metal with a dobro if you want to..the pickup isn't going to matter. My barden equipped strat will get as gnarly as you want..just crank up the distortion on a pedal and wail away!

Most of this "tone" stuff is personal hype and gets in the way of making good music - you think yer listening audience knows or cares what pups are in yer guitar? :mrgreen:

With all due respect, I feel differently. While I think too many people are on an endless quest for someone else's tone instead of their own, once you do find a tone you love and that's yours, it facilitates good music. It's not the audience that's important, it's the player who's in his/her personal "tone zone" that matters. When you find your tone, you're more comfortable, more into your sound, more expressive, yadda yadda--basically, a more musical, happier, better player. Well, it's part of the equation, anyway. IMHO.

With all due respect, I feel differently. While I think too many people are on an endless quest for someone else's tone instead of their own, once you do find a tone you love and that's yours, it facilitates good music. It's not the audience that's important, it's the player who's in his/her personal "tone zone" that matters. When you find your tone, you're more comfortable, more into your sound, more expressive, yadda yadda--basically, a more musical, happier, better player. Well, it's part of the equation, anyway. IMHO.

+1

If your tone sucks...how can you make good music if you can't stand what you sound like?


That would be like being in a marriage with a woman you hate.

A few years back I paid for a set of Barden's. They went skirts up and I never took delivery. Like most musicians in the world today, I don't have money to donate to a company, and I am certainly not impressed with folks who take from others, reguardless of the circumstances. When they took mine and other folks' cash, they knew they were going under. I don't think I will order another set, no matter what the price, until I get either a refund or the pickups I ordered. There are plenty of other pups around these days that sound just fine, real OR imagined..... I sent the "new" company an email asking if they were going to make good on all the orders from other pickers who got stiffed........here is the answer I got back.............................

A few years back I paid for a set of Barden's. They went skirts up and I never took delivery. Like most musicians in the world today, I don't have money to donate to a company, and I am certainly not impressed with folks who take from others, reguardless of the circumstances. When they took mine and other folks' cash, they knew they were going under. I don't think I will order another set, no matter what the price, until I get either a refund or the pickups I ordered. There are plenty of other pups around these days that sound just fine, real OR imagined..... I sent the "new" company an email asking if they were going to make good on all the orders from other pickers who got stiffed........here is the answer I got back.............................

you can try to take them to court...I'm just sorry you lost your money.
But IMHO, I don't believe that Joe Barden (or any "legit" company) was going to take the money and "run". Unfortunately, as the saying goes, "Buyer Beware".
I DO agree that there a lot of other pickup companies that manufacture decent pickups. And it's VERY tempting to get swayed to getting the "latest and the greatest" gear, especially when using the internet. But it's really up to US on how we CAN apply and make it as part of our OWN sound.

I sent the "new" company an email asking if they were going to make good
If you didn't get a response to your email, you could try calling them: (703) 530-TONE. AFAIK, their intention was to make good on all unfilled orders. Hope it helps, CS

Anyone ever try this combo for a Tele: a seymour Jerry Donahue for the bridge position and the Joe Barden Tele pickup in the neck position. I was thinking of any compatibility problems mixing single coil pups with Joe Barden Tele pup. Also, I believe you need 250K tone and volume pots for the Barden pickup. Is this also what the JD SD needs. Comments would be appreciated.

I guess I'll find out. Bought the neck pickup on ebay new for about $139 (ouch). They seem to be slightly more than that at $149 to $169 for each pup. I'll try it in conjunction with the single coil SD JD. Hopeflly it is a good match.:?:

Not trying to speak for RobDi, but I agree, in that I *think* he's not saying anything about 'finding your tone' but more that it shouldn't take $150 pickups to find 'your tone'...

I have a set of bardens and they're great. I also have a set of GFS cool punchers and they're really good too. Finally, I have a set of Lawrenceusa 250s, and really like them. I can hear differences, but they're very subtle. Can the great unwashed out there hear those differences after my amplifier, the PA, and the 'loudspeakers' deliver my tone? I doubt that I could... My bardens arrived in a guitar that I've really bonded with and will stay. The GFS set was $70. The lawrence set was $80. Both are 'close enough' for my ears to avoid spending $300+...

Not trying to speak for RobDi, but I agree, in that I *think* he's not saying anything about 'finding your tone' but more that it shouldn't take $150 pickups to find 'your tone'...

I have a set of bardens and they're great. I also have a set of GFS cool punchers and they're really good too. Finally, I have a set of Lawrenceusa 250s, and really like them. I can hear differences, but they're very subtle. Can the great unwashed out there hear those differences after my amplifier, the PA, and the 'loudspeakers' deliver my tone? I doubt that I could...

I have a guitar with Lawrence 250's and a very similar guitar with Bardens. I can hear the differences quite clearly and to me they are not subtle, but are significant. Playing both at a gig, I always end up with the Bardens.

If I can hear the difference, I'm sure anyone in the audience could. Whether or not they care is another story. But the point is that I do care and that makes all the difference....

All price/performance tradeoffs need to be put in perspective. If I needed that extra $100 to put food on the table or pay the rent, then of course I'm not going to prioritize a 25% improvement in tone. On the other hand, for the guy that thinks nothing of dropping $200 on a nice bottle of wine, the cost of a pickup is of absolutely no consequence whatsoever. Most people are somewhere between those two extremes and we all weigh price into the equation to fit our own comfort level.

IMHO, it's silly to say that no pickup should be worth more than $XX based on the cost of raw materials. That's like saying no tele should be worth more than the cost of a hunk of swamp ash, maple, a few pieces of hardware. There are many other variables at play; some real costs (like R&D, labor, and overhead), and some defined by the marketplace.

Likewise, it's silly to say that "finding your tone" should cost less than a certain amount of money. The boundaries are defined by a person's individual preferences, priorities, motivation, curiousity, and financial state.....not by somebodies arbitrary price tag.

Well, it's time for me to "pony up" and take foot from mouth. Back in Sep of 2003 I ordered set of Barden pups. I waited and waited. (my card was charged right away) Anyway, after a couple of months I finally called and was told that due to this problem and that problem, they were running about 2 to 3 months behind. I never even thought they were heading for the dumpster. Then the last time I called, the phone was disconnected. It was too late to backcharge my credit card. I saw a notice here that said they had rolled over and sank. Not answering calls and emails gone unanswered. When I saw they had returned to biz again, I went to their web site and sent them emails..........ignored. Then I spouted off in this thread and someone suggested I call them. I had to call a couple of times to catch the "right person". But once I got ahold of the CEO, he looked up my old order and saw it was never filled. He said they intended to honor all the old orders as folks called in. I asked him the price difference between then and now, and I offered to pay the offset. He refused. I offered to split the diff and he still refused. He would not accept shipping either. He said that I had waited long enuff and it was their fault and they were sorry, thanks for understanding, we'll send ya some pickups. A few days later they arrived here with a nice note from Frank and Joe thanking me for being patient and understanding. So....they came across and righted a wrong that had me very P.O.' ed for a long time. Three years and month since I ordered them, I rcvd them. Not too many companies these days would do that, and I guess I didn't believe they would either. Anyhow, I have bashed them a couple of times here out of anger and frustration, but I wanted everyone to know they DID make it right once I got connected with the right person. Now I have to decide which geetar to put them on.................I will now return to my hole....thanks for the read..........

Thx for sharing, it's good to hear stuff like that. :-) CS

I've also heard directly from Joe that the new pickups are exactly the same as the old ones.

Internet history has shown that manufacturers are the least qualified to determine these things.

:razz:

Internet history has shown that manufacturers are the least qualified to determine these things.

:razz:

I cannot understand the basis for this remark. Manufacturers are undoubtedly the best qualified people to know whether or not their product is built of the same materials and with the same methods. Whether or not some specific manufacturer is willing to reveal the validity of such a claim is definitely an unknown.
In this case, I would believe that Joe Barden knows exactly what magnets, wire, bobbin material, etc. that he has used throughout his production of his pickups. Furthermore, I am going to believe that Mr. Barden will stand behind his statement that his new product is the same as the old Barden pickups. I would challenge someone to prove otherwise. Get an old Barden and a new Barden. Take them apart and analyze the magnets, wire, bobbin material, etc. Please report back to us with the scientific results....heresay and opinions are not established scientific measurements. "internet history' definitely doesn't establish the Barden claim as false.

While I don't have any experience with Bardens (I'm in the Hamel pay-too-much-for-them-but-I-want-them camp), I once saw a used Gatton Tele at my local GC. They wanted BIG bucks for it - but the Bardens were replaced! I thought that was rather comical to say the least. Maybe the previous owner loved them and kept them?

I wrote GFS an email yesterday complaining about the GFS Punchers I installed in my MIM Tele. I told them my high E string was dull and lifeless sounding and that even a professional setup did not resolve the issue.

(edit)

I don't know if anyone else had this problem, but I am not willing to go up in string gauge nor am I keen on the idea of tilting the pickups.
That said, I would not recommend GFS pups!

...i have this same pickup in the bridge position of my aerodyne tele, and have not encountered this problem at all.

that said, i find the gfs lil puncher just too dark and muddy, and plan to replace it with....you guessed it! a joe barden dual-rail danny gatton tele bridge!

and, yes, i will report back.

-dh

Well, it's time for me to "pony up" and take foot from mouth. Back in Sep of 2003 I ordered set of Barden pups. I waited and waited. (my card was charged right away) Anyway, after a couple of months I finally called and was told that due to this problem and that problem, they were running about 2 to 3 months behind. I never even thought they were heading for the dumpster. Then the last time I called, the phone was disconnected. It was too late to backcharge my credit card. I saw a notice here that said they had rolled over and sank. Not answering calls and emails gone unanswered. When I saw they had returned to biz again, I went to their web site and sent them emails..........ignored. Then I spouted off in this thread and someone suggested I call them. I had to call a couple of times to catch the "right person". But once I got ahold of the CEO, he looked up my old order and saw it was never filled. He said they intended to honor all the old orders as folks called in. I asked him the price difference between then and now, and I offered to pay the offset. He refused. I offered to split the diff and he still refused. He would not accept shipping either. He said that I had waited long enuff and it was their fault and they were sorry, thanks for understanding, we'll send ya some pickups. A few days later they arrived here with a nice note from Frank and Joe thanking me for being patient and understanding. So....they came across and righted a wrong that had me very P.O.' ed for a long time. Three years and month since I ordered them, I rcvd them. Not too many companies these days would do that, and I guess I didn't believe they would either. Anyhow, I have bashed them a couple of times here out of anger and frustration, but I wanted everyone to know they DID make it right once I got connected with the right person. Now I have to decide which geetar to put them on.................I will now return to my hole....thanks for the read..........

...great story - thanks for taking the time.

-dh

...i have this same pickup in the bridge position of my aerodyne tele, and have not encountered this problem at all.

that said, i find the gfs lil puncher just too dark and muddy, and plan to replace it with....you guessed it! a joe barden dual-rail danny gatton tele bridge!

and, yes, i will report back.

-dh
David, the Barden will be anything but dark and muddy. Get to know it before casting a quick judgement. I picked my Bardens up in a parts tele. I didn't even take note of what they were. When I was checking the guitar out before the trade, I thought the sonics were a bit bright. The second time I played the guitar, I gave it a good ear and realized that there were some complexities that I had not bothered to note the first time.
After, playing them a while, I took a good look at them and then realized that they were Bardens. I consider them to be the best Tele-type of pickup that I have played.

I don't mind paying Barden prices if the pickups work for my purpose...and I don't have to wait months and months with no communication after forking over the money. Has anyone mail ordered pickups from the new company?

Also, how mid-heavy are Bardens? For reference, I don't like the boosted mids on Duncan rails.

I don't mind paying Barden prices if the pickups work for my purpose...and I don't have to wait months and months with no communication after forking over the money. Has anyone mail ordered pickups from the new company?

Also, how mid-heavy are Bardens? For reference, I don't like the boosted mids on Duncan rails.
I would not categorize Bardens as mid-heavy...they have great presence across the range. FWIW, Seymour says that if you want a Barden-like sound from his pickups, wire the Hot Rails in parallel. I haven't tried that. The Cool Rails might be a bit light in parallel to yield much.

JD wrote: "I wish Barden's were cheaper!!!"
I wish.....
I would never get old.
Pretty young girls thought I was really something even though I did get old.
Lightweight amps sounded as good as heavy amps.
My Harley Heritage Softtail would never wear out or need new tires.
My wife would let me date those pretty young girls that think I'm really something...even though I did get old!
Guitar strings would never lose their sound or intonation.
Frets would never show wear.
I wish I could buy ANOTHER parts-Tele for $400, part it out to cover the cost and....keep the Bardens that were in it! :lol:
I doubt if any of these things will ever happen....and all for good reasons.
Have a good one,
Wally
...and Beer w/ Steak & French Fries followed by long naps were the sure fire way to a long & healty life... of young and pretty girls:wink:

David, the Barden will be anything but dark and muddy. Get to know it before casting a quick judgement. I picked my Bardens up in a parts tele. I didn't even take note of what they were. When I was checking the guitar out before the trade, I thought the sonics were a bit bright. The second time I played the guitar, I gave it a good ear and realized that there were some complexities that I had not bothered to note the first time.
After, playing them a while, I took a good look at them and then realized that they were Bardens. I consider them to be the best Tele-type of pickup that I have played.

...its the gfs lil puncher that i found dark and muddy, wally. but, yeah, i am seriously pumped about the barden bridge pickup. unfortunately, i won't be able to order it until january, but count on me to report back here once its installed.

-dh

I put a Barden neck pickup in my '52 RI and I am genuinely blown away. It is a truely phenomenal sounding pickup, so great that I am having a hard time figuring out what Bridge pickup to match it up with...

The funny thing is that the Barden neck pickup souunds almost exactly like what I've been trying to get out of a Bridge pickup, LOL... can the Barden bridge be dialed in to sound fairly close to the Barden neck pickup? (strange question, I know)

The one & only chance I had to play a Barden-loaded Gatton sig. Fender, I thought I sounded a lot like Danny - real bright, shrill icepicky tone! Don't get me wrong, I've got every record he ever made.. love his playing!

Dig Kirchen, too. Another Barden user who gets a fat, round, warm sound out of his tele - Could it be a magnetic versus non-magnetic bridgeplate thing, or what??

Ain't yet found a guitar pickup/transducer worth more than $40/each - and even that's a lotta loot for me to spend on what's essentially a coil of wire around some magnets and in that respect they're just about the same when it comes to materials costs. None of them are really THAT special, THAT amazingly different in tone, IMHO. So it comes down to tone AND price = value. Most of this "tone" stuff is personal hype and gets in the way of making good music - you think yer listening audience knows or cares what pups are in yer guitar? :mrgreen:Holy Cr@p!! I've been spending waaaay too much on pickups for a long time now.. Even the first Seymour Duncan I got to replace the uncovered bridge 'bucker in my fake LesPaul (the original drowned in blood, sweat & beers) cost twice as much (and those dollars were worth a lot more in 1975)!

And SDs seem cheap compared to some aftermarket p-ups I've since purchased from "new" guys like Fralin & Kinman.

But there's so many choices out there now that I'd be totally overwhelmed if I was in the market for replacement pickups. That's why I've been trying to be very careful about the guitars I've bought lately; used "Hellecaster" w/frankenstein parts & a custom made guard/harness & a Gretsch that came factory-loaded w/TV Jones..

I'm still curious, tho' - Besides GFS & Bill Lawrence, who else's making $40 pickups??

Im curious about this particular pu (barden), now I wonder if anyone ever plays metal/high-gain type music with them. How did it perform if anyone has indeed tried them in that setting?

Bardens are great for clean tones with clarity and not particularly good for high gain settings. The pickups will fight your distortion pedal or high gain setting on your amp to keep things clean and the resulting sound is pretty anemic.

I had a set a few years ago and while it sounded great on its own, it never sounded right with my overdrive pedal. I have since replaced them with a set of Kinman Broadcasters.

...None of them are really THAT special, THAT amazingly different in tone, IMHO. So it comes down to tone AND price = value. Most of this "tone" stuff is personal hype and gets in the way of making good music - you think yer listening audience knows or cares what pups are in yer guitar? :mrgreen:

I totally agree.

And I think that the way people compare pickups is the wrong way to do it. If you really want to see what the difference is between two pickups, do this: Take a guitar with one pickup in it and make a live recording with your band playing in front of an audience. Position the microphone somewhere in the middle of the room, where people are likely to stand. Set the tone controls where it sounds best for that pickup. Then do the same with the other pickup, changing the tone settings so you're getting the best sound from THAT pickup. When you compare them, I doubt you'll hear much difference.