Anyone use GFS PUs...

[blowtorch]

Originally Posted by harphunt

Does it still have that tele sound? Please elaborate.

peace

It's got the classic tele neck sound, but very rich, full and clear, with tons of bottom end. You really have to hear it to understand it. It's a tele neck pickup on steroids, in a clean, full way.

EDITED TO ADD- you really should note that folks are nearly unanimous on saying how great the GFS Fatboy neck pickup is, and how lousy the GFS Fatbody bridge pickup is.

[Merkin]

I have the GFS Vintage Split humbucker in the neck position and a DiMarzio True Velvet in the bridge. Very happy with this setup. Kinda covers the gamut between Keef and Red Rhodes like twang.

[flashman]

Originally Posted by harphunt

I've read that the neovins are highly sensitive to PU heigth. Have you found that to be true? Keep us posted on the build and PU install! Thanks.

peace

I've been playing the neovin stacked humbuchers - They sound great. After playing a few days I made an adjustment to the pickup height for the neck pickup - brought it nearer to the strings. I will keep you posted on the second build. I'm not sure that overall they are any more sensitive to pickup heaight than any other good pickups I've played with. I still am amazed at the quality and they are inexpensive.

[goldtopper]

Originally Posted by Arbiter

I've had nothing but bad luck with the humbuckers. Bassy and muffled. Glad to hear that the single coils are working out for some of y'all.

That's what happened to me in the neck. I replaced it with a
Mean 90 and it's amazing by all accounts.

[gitlvr]

I've only used their Vintage'59 humbuckers, but they are one of my two favorite pickup setups. Really nice tone with a lot of.....not really sure how to describe it. Air, maybe? They have an almost acoustic-like quality to them that makes the chords ring out nice and full. They sound alive. They respond really well to what I do technique-wise. No mud that I can find. Good clarity and note separation, even at high gain.
The only other pickup set I like equally as much is Seymour Duncan's Hot-Rodded Humbucker set, which has a JB in the bridge and a Jazz in the neck. But they are twice the price, and IMHO don't sound any better than the Vintage '59s. As a matter of fact, if you made me choose which ones I liked the most, I couldn't do it! They'll go in the majority of the humbucker equipped guitars I build from now on.

[aunchaki]

Originally Posted by harphunt

How about single coil bridge PUs? That's what I'm looking to replace.

I've got their 50s Vintage Alnico bridge pickups in both my Teles. Very vintage, very twangy.

One has a GFS P-90 in the neck, the other a Fender Classic Series neck pickup.

[Dr. Pants]

Problem somewhat lies in their exaggerated descriptions of their tele PUs. It seems they all have "Enormous bottom and the Snappiest spank." Hard to wade through the hyperbole

Glad to know I'm not the only one frustrated by their useless, information
free ad copy.

Yeah, their ad copy is over the top, but it probably sells more items than just saying "good value for your money"

Well, there are other choices they could make. It's not merely a choice between hyperbole and "good value for the money" here's the excluded middle for ya's: Product specific ads for each item that give specific, detailed information for each item. See the sites by virtually everyone else that makes pickups for good examples.

you really should note that folks are nearly unanimous on saying how great the GFS Fatboy neck pickup is, and how lousy the GFS Fatbody bridge pickup is.

That's been my experience too. Still have the Fatbody in the neck, the bridge version went back a very long time ago.

[Dan German]

Originally Posted by harphunt

Thanks for all of the replies. How about single coil bridge PUs? That's what I'm looking to replace.

peace

I have tried the L'il Puncher XL (10K) with great results, as well as the Fatbody 7K bridge. The Puncher pairs nicely with a mini-hum neck pickup in my Reverend, and the Fatbody...

Originally Posted by blowtorch

I've got a GFS "Fatboy" in the neck of a tele and it's AWESOME

Originally Posted by blowtorch

EDITED TO ADD- you really should note that folks are nearly unanimous on saying how great the GFS Fatboy neck pickup is, and how lousy the GFS Fatbody bridge pickup is.

Originally Posted by Dr. Pants

That's been my experience too. Still have the Fatbody in the neck, the bridge version went back a very long time ago.

Wow, I agree that there's a whole lot of love for the fatbody neck p'up, but I don't recall any similar level of agreement that the fatbody bridge is "lousy." I bought one based on a number of positive opinions (and some negative, too) and I have to say that I am very happy with it. It was only OK in the first (mystery wood) body I installed it in, but it's now quite happily living in an ash-bodied Esquire. Very twangy, with piano-like bottom end and nice highs with no ice-pick. YMMV, as they say.

[Frontier9]

I love the Fatbody neck pu... roll off the volume and it sounds like a well behaved tele pickup, turn it up and it sounds more like a strat. I did not like the Fatbody bridge or the '60s Hot Alnico that I got to replace it. But I was going for less twang, more karang. Found it in Zhangbucker's Paul Bunyan. These two pickups work well together.

[TeleMan59]

I've seen a few YouTube demo's of the GFS Surf 90's that sounded Gretchy or maybe rockabilly twang is a better description. Anyone try them out? I think I'm going to myself fairly soon.

[waparker4]

I have a set of Liverpool Retrotrons that just sound like muddy hot humbuckers. Every amp setting is too loud with them. Gross.

[blowtorch]

Originally Posted by TeleMan59

I've seen a few YouTube demo's of the GFS Surf 90's that sounded Gretchy or maybe rockabilly twang is a better description. Anyone try them out? I think I'm going to myself fairly soon.

Surf 90s are very bright. I'm not sure if they sound like Dynasonics (which they are trying to look like), I've got no experience with real Dynas, but the Surf90s are almost strat-like to my ears.

[Delta Blues]

I've got a GFS Lil Killer in the bridge and a Lil Puncher in the neck and these are hands down better than the Seymour Duncan Hotrails at less than half the price of one SD pickup. I also installed a coil tap and it goes from Les Paul to Tele in the flick of a switch.

[blowtorch]

I've got a GFS Lil Killer bridge pickup that I've got to get around sticking in one of these teles.

[elmicko]

I've got a GFS Fat Tele pu in the neck position of mine and it's perfect for what I want. Now I'm looking for a good bridge pu to go with it.

[Hoopermazing]

I just swapped out a GFS fatbody neck pickup for a GFS Alnico 5 overwound Strat pickup. The bridge is still a 10k fatbody.

All in all, I've bought around 10 sets of GFS pups. I've yet to have a dud, and their pricing makes guilt-free experimentation possible.

And yes, I'm going to replace that ugly stark white pickup cover forthwith.

[JohnnyBloo13]

Originally Posted by blowtorch

I've got a GFS "Fatboy" in the neck of a tele and it's AWESOME

I agree completely, I have that same pup in a Tele, and Tele with a GFS a mini hum in the neck and a Fatbody Bridge pickup (great combination). Price is great, no problem with quality.

[JohnnyBloo13]

Just a note, you might want to check out Rose Pickups, the "Bourbon" in the neck position, I have one with a GFS fatbody bridge. The Bourbon is very "Straty". Around 40 bucks AND made in the USA.

[twintwelve]

I put a GFS Hot Lead Alnico Overwound Tele Pickup ($25) in my Cheapo-caster. Twangy as heck, wouldn't change it if I could.....

[tweeddeluxe]

I've got a set of Dream 90s in a Squier Tele Custom that I'm very pleased with.