Dream 180's-any experience?

[Strat62]

I've had pretty good luck with GFS pups in the past-for instance, I think their Retrotrons are some of the best sounding pups I've ever heard. So I wanted to replace the generic-sounding humbuckers in my new Douglas SG and chose these-they supposedly cover the P-90 sound with the Retrotron jangle with the fat warm sound of the humbucker thrown in. SOP-I also installed 500K push/pull pots for coil split as well. Try as I might, I can't seem to get much out of these pups. My amp settings are such that they pretty much cover any sound my guitars need to make, but no amount of knob twiddling here makes much difference. Dead and flat is the operative word . Mind you-they don't sound bad- just not very good. I've tried raising and lowering them, adjusting the polepieces and I've checked all the wiring as well. Maybe I need to go to 250K pots? Maybe I'm expecting too much from a pickup that basically claims to have practically all bases covered? I'd like to hear your thoughts-especially those of you that have these pups.

 

[toadman]

i've got dream 180's in my Xavier xv650 and in a cheesey LP copy. the LP hs 500 k pots and psh/pull coil taps. it's pretty spanky! i rarely use the coil taps though. been thinking about mean 90s for the Xavier. the bottom end onthat one is kinda dead. i play a couple rooms with bad electricity so i like to have a HB equiped rig handy. i do love a p-90 though!

 

[Hoodster]

I much preferred the Dream 90's--more meat but still incredible clean tones. The 180's struck me as on the thin side and in general didn't have as much character as the 90's.

 

[Strat62]

Ok-so I'm not crazy! You guys describe it exactly-thin bottom end; kinda dead. I'm going to try my Dano Fish 'n Chips 8-band EQ on it and see if I can get some meat on this thing. An SG with no balls is a terrible thing.

 

[Strat62]

Well, that grew some hair on the things, but I'm still not terribly enthused. The EQ helps a lot but it can't create what isn't there. I have a feeling that these pups may find their way into a different sort of guitar; perhaps a hollow or semi-hollow. I've had pretty good luck switching pups around; if they don't sound good in one type of guitar, they usually will in another.

 

[bug music]

Here's a clip of some noodling around with 180's. I made this for someone over at Gretsch-Talk a while back.
Mine are in a Washburn 335 style semi hollow body.
To me they sound really nice in this semi hollow, very P90 / Gretsch sounding.
Maybe it is that they just sound deader in a solid body.
I'm very happy with them in this guitar.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=860460&content=songinfo&songID=6772361

Hopefully this helps.

- Jay

 

[Colt W. Knight]

I got some and thought they sucked.

 

[OaklandA]

I got some and thought they sucked.

+1

I really am not enamored with GFS pickups. Really really wanted them to work out in the worst way because they're such a value. But I've tried their buckers, p90 variants and Tele pickups and never had them in a guitar for more than 2 weeks.

To a one they were either thin and lifeless or overwound sounding and not articulate. Never tried a set that made me smile. YMMV

For the original poster, I'd try SD Phat Cats....tremendous pickups.

 

[stevorc321]

Mine are in a Washburn 335 style semi hollow body.

- Jay

Mine too! My HB-35. I think they sound great in there. I swap out pickups a ton in my other guitars, but thats one combination I'm very happy to leave alone.

 

[Strat62]

Here's a clip of some noodling around with 180's. I made this for someone over at Gretsch-Talk a while back.
Mine are in a Washburn 335 style semi hollow body.
To me they sound really nice in this semi hollow, very P90 / Gretsch sounding.
Maybe it is that they just sound deader in a solid body.
I'm very happy with them in this guitar.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=860460&content=songinfo&songID=6772361

Hopefully this helps.

- Jay

Yup, that's my thinking; that they come alive in a hollowbody. They obviously have in yours, plus they really fit the style of music you're playing. I e-mailed them at GFS telling them that they really shouldn't use the terms "Fat, full, warm and powerful when they are anything but that when installed, apparently, in a solidbody guitar. You can't win them all. I still like practically every other GFS pickup I've bought.

 

[bug music]

Mine too! My HB-35. I think they sound great in there. I swap out pickups a ton in my other guitars, but thats one combination I'm very happy to leave alone.

Yeah, the HB-35 is a nice guitar, and these pickups are a perfect match IMHO.

Yup, that's my thinking; that they come alive in a hollowbody. They obviously have in yours, plus they really fit the style of music you're playing.

That's true, I'm more of a single coil guy, and these sound to me like really fat single coils.
They aren't your typical PAF sounding humbucker by any stretch of the imagination.
That's the kind of vibe I was going for, and like you said, they really nail the kind of music I wanted these for.

- Jay

 

[JohnS]

They work just fine in my semi hollow Gretsch Sparkle Jet. Sort of Filtertron meets PAF. Bridge is single-coily and neck is PAFy. Nice clean sound. YMMV. FYI, I think Jay's demo is killer

 

[Colt W. Knight]

+1

I really am not enamored with GFS pickups. Really really wanted them to work out in the worst way because they're such a value. But I've tried their buckers, p90 variants and Tele pickups and never had them in a guitar for more than 2 weeks.

To a one they were either thin and lifeless or overwound sounding and not articulate. Never tried a set that made me smile. YMMV

For the original poster, I'd try SD Phat Cats....tremendous pickups.

I like GFS Hot Nashville Retrotrons, but I LOVE SD Phat Cats.

 

[bug music]

They work just fine in my semi hollow Gretsch Sparkle Jet. Sort of Filtertron meets PAF. Bridge is single-coily and neck is PAFy. Nice clean sound. YMMV. FYI, I think Jay's demo is killer

Thanks man, they do fall somewhere between singles and humbuckers.
They work for me, but I can see how they wouldn't be everybody's cup of tea.

- Jay

 

[Codger]

I just put a pair of Dream 180s in an Epiphone Dot Studio. I haven't use it much yet, but thought it sounded pretty good.

 

[OaklandA]

I like GFS Hot Nashville Retrotrons, but I LOVE SD Phat Cats.

Phat Cats sound good in anything I've tried.

I did try the GFS Liverpools and their PAF's in an Agile LP copy and just couldn't get a good tone out of either set. The SD Blues Set (calibrated open coil '59's) did the job in that guitar though.

 

[Colt W. Knight]

Phat Cats sound good in anything I've tried.

I did try the GFS Liverpools and their PAF's in an Agile LP copy and just couldn't get a good tone out of either set. The SD Blues Set (calibrated open coil '59's) did the job in that guitar though.

SD 59s are also simply killer Pickups.

SD 59s, Phat Cats, Broadcaster, Seth Lovers, and some others are just killer pickups, and really an industry standard of excellence in my opinion.