xtjdx Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 So I have been looking for some pickups for my newly purchased Epi LP (the pickups have such low output, not even worth keeping). I found mixed reviews about GFS pickups and decided that for $35 for bridge/neck set, how could I go wrong? Received them this morning, installed them, and holy wow, they sound great. Comparable to my Seymour Duncan PAF or Gibby 498T. I am delighted with the quality of these pickups and thought that I'd spread the joy in case anyone else is thinking about getting these but are put off by bad reviews. They came professionally packaged and in pristine quality. The leads were just long enough but seem well-made. The leads are 4-conductor shielded. Can't wait to hear these on my main rig. Anyway, that's all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 We've had several threads about them and the general consensus has always been positive to my knowledge??? I have a vintage split and dream 90 in the Meu X, and LVOE them. GREAT buys those guys! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logical Frank Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Yep. I just posted in another thread about how happy I was w/ my Retrotrons in my SG. They sound (and look) awesome--very clear, bright but not lacking in low end. They sound amazing clean but that clarity and definition still comes through w/ loads of distortion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtjdx Posted August 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Oh, I meant all over the internet. Tons and tons of mixed reviews. I've got a couple questions. Anyone have any experience with the Kluson tuners they're selling? Also, how do they sell these pickups for so cheap? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al heeley Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 (edited) Happy to say I'm delighted with mine, I'm on my fourth set now for different projects and they all have been good. Really excellent value for money. Vintage PAF's: replacements on an epi dot Vintage P90's: new chambered Tele build Vintage strat set: ebay partscaster Hot hex humbuckers: Mojo s/c build Edited August 24, 2006 by al heeley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Oh, I meant all over the internet. Tons and tons of mixed reviews. I've got a couple questions. Anyone have any experience with the Kluson tuners they're selling? Also, how do they sell these pickups for so cheap? The pickups are simply made in Korea like everything else. Mad profit. They pick up a run for $2-$3 per pickup and sell 'em at $15-$40 a pop. The Klusons are also probably made by some vendor in Korea as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumphead Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 GFS is one one of my favorite suppliers EVER. I have gotten everything from tuners* to Floyds. How do they sell cheaply? Wal-Mart mentality....VOLUME. I really think most of the stuff they sell is/was intended for OEM use. I mean if you mind they import company that makes pups for say Turser or Indiana guitars and you could probably buy stuff for pennies on the dollar. Throw in some custom stuff just for GFS and you have a winner. Also, I must say the Customer service is amazing. I have placed several orders, none have taken longer than 3 days and all but one was perfect. The one that wasn't a set of tuners got left out. With one e-mail and and on hour later, I got a reply with a shipping confirmation and an appology. As for the tuners, I happen to have used 3 sets of the Kluson style tuners and I give them a thumbs up. While I prefer the split post of the original they are are just as smooth and reliable. And on all sets I had to order the adapter bushings as they went 3/8" holes (mighty might necks) and they worked perfectly. Even the Floyd Rose is great. Granted I have never played or owned another other than an OEM Charvel it replaced, but I love it and it was an easy fit. I have also used several of the strat pup sets, lil' killers, lipstick tubes, a retrotron, and most recently the voiced 180. HTH, R- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logical Frank Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 (edited) Yep. The pickups are made in Asia by cheap labor. I think the mixed reviews are attributable to two things: 1. The pickups are very possibly inconsistant in quality. I only have one set so I can't say but it'd be a good bet they're cutting some corners on quality control. 2. People don't want to admit that they've been wasting money on their Duncans. Ahhhh... By number two I just mean that price will change the percieved value of the pickups to a lot of people (this is basic marketing, see the wine industry to watch the principle in action). There's gonna be some people who will only hear "cheap" out of inexpensive pickups no matter what they sound like. But I was thinking saying buying Duncans was a waste of money might start a riot which would give me the diversion I need to sneak out of work. Edited August 24, 2006 by Logical Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumphead Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Hmmm, quite logical....frank.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtjdx Posted August 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Makes sense. I personally love my Duncan PAF Pro but hated the Screamin' Demon. However, the PAF wasn't worth $50 by any means. I would have paid around $70 each for these pickups, because they have exceeded my expectations and basically all other pickups I have used. I'm about to order a set of Klusons, so hopefully they'll treat me as well as they did you. Thanks for helping me with that info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Makes sense. I personally love my Duncan PAF Pro but hated the Screamin' Demon. However, the PAF wasn't worth $50 by any means. I would have paid around $70 each for these pickups, because they have exceeded my expectations and basically all other pickups I have used. I'm about to order a set of Klusons, so hopefully they'll treat me as well as they did you. Thanks for helping me with that info. Duncan doesn't make the PAF Pro--that's DiMarzio. I think it depends on your expectations and what kind of gear you're running. If you're running a Squier into a Spider II with a couple of Behringer pedals, GFS will probably sound just fine. If you're using a custom guitar built with fine woods and quality hardware into a boutique or high-end tube amp, I think you'll be wanting to use some Lollars, WCRs, or Fralins. For the rest of us with a good Les Paul going into a good Fender or Mesa amp, Duncan and DiMarzio make some good stuff that adds a little character that you're just not going to get with GFS. I used to be more of a Duncan fan, but I've recently installed a set of DiMarzios in my LP and they just sound marvelous to me. It's all what sounds good to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumphead Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 Crafty, if you haven't, it might be worth $30 to order up one of the GFS specific/house brand pups. I think you may be suprised. I don't mean the clearance bin cheapuns' that they do offer but like the retrotrons or boutique pups. I wasn't a believer either until I got some. See logical Franks's clarification of his number two point above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echoes Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 im thinking of buying some dream 180's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logical Frank Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 I was thinking of getting some of the Dream 90s myself when I got the Retrotrons but decided in the end I wanted to keep my old SG as a two humbucker guitar... Couldn't be happier w/ my decision but I suppose I've never compared. What's really funny about this is I was *this* close to buying a set Duncan Invaders of all things but saw how sweet the Retrotron looked and couldn't pass 'em up for the price. I had always thought of this particular SG (old Faded model w/ the half-moon inlays) as being a particularly heinous brand of death w/ strings (and I mean that in a strictly positive way!) so I was uneasy about turning into a jangly pop machine. I plugged it into my Fender Champ a couple weeks ago and have unplugged maybe twice. I put just a wee bit of tremeloed dely from my Memory Man--hoo boy, that sound puts a smile on my face. So are the pickups better than the stock Gibsons? Yes. Are they better than if I got some TV Jones Filtertrons? Dunno, probably not. Do I love them anyway? You bet! But I am no expert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 Crafty, if you haven't, it might be worth $30 to order up one of the GFS specific/house brand pups. I think you may be suprised. I don't mean the clearance bin cheapuns' that they do offer but like the retrotrons or boutique pups. I wasn't a believer either until I got some. See logical Franks's clarification of his number two point above. I may just do that one of these days, but for now I just don't have any reason to do so. If I were going to order something it'd probably be a Dream 90 set or some hardware. I'm actually kind of a savvy pickup shopper and I've been able to find Duncan and DiMarzio pickups for a little more than the GFS stuff with free shipping and it usually balances out. But like I said, whatever sounds good to you is all that matters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samba Pa Ti Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 im thinking of buying some dream 180's i was going to try them but i dont know what they sound like i was after a beatles p90 tone, has anyone tried them ? (i made a thread about this a while ago and got no responses, maybe they are just untested) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorx Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 im thinking of buying some dream 180's i was going to try them but i dont know what they sound like i was after a beatles p90 tone, has anyone tried them ? (i made a thread about this a while ago and got no responses, maybe they are just untested) I bought a GFS P90 off ebay, it sounds good but seems to be a bit microphonic. I get a lot of squeal at high volumes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logical Frank Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 I'm actually kind of a savvy pickup shopper and I've been able to find Duncan and DiMarzio pickups for a little more than the GFS stuff with free shipping and it usually balances out. But like I said, whatever sounds good to you is all that matters. Not to threadjack this but where? Are you getting 'em used of eBay or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 I'm actually kind of a savvy pickup shopper and I've been able to find Duncan and DiMarzio pickups for a little more than the GFS stuff with free shipping and it usually balances out. But like I said, whatever sounds good to you is all that matters. Not to threadjack this but where? Are you getting 'em used of eBay or something? Nope. I just shop around. One time a major website had a set of DiMarzios that they were selling for $50 each by mistake with free shipping and I jumped on that one. Or sometimes my local stores will have a special deal going on or they're trying to get rid of some stock. Stuff like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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