GFS Pickups in Guitar Player

I almost bought some GFS pickups actually, for the Hagstrom. I held off, but am looking at a set for the Les Paul sometime the summer.

I made a reccomendation for GFS in the thread about replacing squier stock pickup, (a few threads below) but it seemed to have not gone through.

I'm thinking about a GHS to go in my bridge. I have Duncan Designed Pickups right now, and since I don't use the neck pickup at all, I probobly only put in a bridge. Trying to get more output from the DD's

I'm thinking about a GHS to go in my bridge. I have Duncan Designed Pickups right now, and since I don't use the neck pickup at all, I probobly only put in a bridge. Trying to get more output from the DD's

I don't use my neck pickup all the much. Sometimes, I use it for clean tones though. Have you tried adjusting your pickup height. You might get a little more output from that.

I thought about getting THESE to upgrade my Behringer Strat. I am unsure how to wire them though? I was hoping I could just cut the existing wires and splice these right on but something tells me that it won't be that easy.

Mike,
you can buy that set from Guitar Fetish ( http://store.guitarfetish.com/singlecoil.html ) for 47.95 anytime you like. They also have a whole raft of other sets, for teles as well.
I may invest in a set of their PAF clones.

When you replace pups, you don't cut wires, it makes it difficult to put them in another guitar. Always unsolder wires.

Mike,
you can buy that set from Guitar Fetish ( http://store.guitarfetish.com/singlecoil.html ) for 47.95 anytime you like. They also have a whole raft of other sets, for teles as well.
I may invest in a set of their PAF clones.

When you replace pups, you don't cut wires, it makes it difficult to put them in another guitar. Always unsolder wires.

Thanks greybeard. I knew that. I just posted that link because I had it available. I was either going to sell the Behringer on eBay or use it as a "learning tool" for upgrades and mods. I will try to get "inexpensive" tuners and maybe even a neck just to practice modding. I figured if I screw up I won't lose much and the extra parts I purchase I can resell on eBay.

Mike, I'd trash/sell the Behringer and try modding a Squier. I think you will have better luck finding stuff (the pickguard, for instance) that will fit the Squier. You can probably sell the Behringer for $60 and get a Squier for $85.

Anyway... last I looked the GFS site also has a "clearance" section that feature a FULL set of overwound strat pickups with a RW middle pickup WITH COVERS for $20. I bought them about a year ago and they are in my strat right now. Sound better than the Mexican Strat pickups -- for only $20!! I highly recommend them. EXTREMELY bluesy at the neck position.

Mike, I'd trash/sell the Behringer and try modding a Squier. I think you will have better luck finding stuff (the pickguard, for instance) that will fit the Squier. You can probably sell the Behringer for $60 and get a Squier for $85.

Anyway... last I looked the GFS site also has a "clearance" section that feature a FULL set of overwound strat pickups with a RW middle pickup WITH COVERS for $20. I bought them about a year ago and they are in my strat right now. Sound better than the Mexican Strat pickups -- for only $20!! I highly recommend them. EXTREMELY bluesy at the neck position.

Thanks Dali, I just ordered a set of the vintage for $20.95 shipped! As for the Behringer that is what I will be modding. I have a Squier Strat that I am happy with as is. The Behringer actually plays very nice. I think with new tuners and pickups it will sound nice. I only wanted to replace the neck with a rosewood one. The maple one on there is unfinished and I like a bit of finish on there.

I am thinking about getting THESE Tuners in the future but I never had locking tuners before. Are they worth getting?

Thanks

I just put a GFS Crusader in the bridge position on an old Samick I'm redoing. Combined with the new electronics I wired the thing screams like crazy. Hell of an upgrade for $50.

I don't know that advertising in Guitar Player will cause prices to go up for GFS, seems to me pretty much every guitar player already knows about them.

I haven't used the Wilkinson locking tuners, but in general locking tuners are worth every penny.

Let me know what you think of those GFS strat pups!

Funny that you all are upgrading strats, I have an old samick, and I'm thinking about we doing the pups. The old ones are beat up real bad. I was also thinking about getting a prewired pickguard. Has anyone had expierience with a prewired pickguard through guitarfetish? Should the holes line up?

Funny that you all are upgrading strats
Yeah, interesting, that.
Has anyone tried GFS's humbuckers?

I'm getting tired of the strange noises (extremely microphonic, boomy lows, weak highs) coming out of the pickups on my ancient Les Paul knockoff.

I've got to replace one of the pots anyway, maybe I should do the pickups while I've got it opened up.

What's the difference in sound between the vintage 59's and the Dream 180? In the "sales pitch" they're comparing them to sounds that I don't know.with LOTS of Filtertron tone

Filtertron is the high-end Gretsch humbucker - think Brian Setzer. It's a quite distinctive, nasal (IMHO) sound. You'd have to love it to want your guitar sounding like that!

The GFS humbuckers that I've heard are very good, sound more like DiMarzio (Parker Fly) than anything else I can think of... haven't heard their PAF replacements, but I should think they'd be good and quite authentic-sounding. Their single-coil pups are excellent, almost Seymour Duncan-ish in sound.