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I read great things about GFS pickups here. Other folk say that you get what you pay for. Can I really expect similar results from GFS pickups as I can Fralin, Lollar, Kinman, Fender CS, and the other big dogs? I have Delta tones in my USA Fender. They do not sparkle at all and sound rather bland and lifeless.
besides the actual pickup, your sound will be 'influnced' by your amp, your settings, and your playing style. All the swapping in the world will not change those factors.
(FWIW)
+1 rudutch and Fezz. Amp choice, not having a hundred pedals between the guitar and the amp (or just a couple tone suckers), your playing style--these are all factors to getting the tone the way YOU want it. I'd put new pickups at just about the bottom of the list.
That said, if you already have a great amp--i.e., to your ears your other guitars sound just fine through it but this one guitar is dull and lifeless, then you may be able to fix it with new pickups, but (sadly) it might be just that guitar and no pickup will fix it.
Everything I've read here about GFS has left me with the impression that they are great pickups for the money. Some have implied that meaning as being they great for such a low price, and others have implied that it means, "Why on earth would the other guys charge so much?"
Since getting a couple good amps, I haven't felt the need to change the pickups in any guitar I have/had except for one last year, and that was only to verify what I wrote above. Three different sets of pickups in that guitar did nothing to breathe life into it--stock Fenders, Fralins (which sounded amazing in the Tele I borrowed them from), nor GFS. That guitar was just a dud.
(The GFS has never been tried in another guitar, so I can't really rate them aside from the swing & miss with that guitar last year).
I like mine...:D
Yeah i will go along with what has been said, some of the GFS are good sounding pups , that being said I have tried the GFS 64s sound good , I have tried the Fender CS custom 54s and now have some copperhead Alnico 5-2 ,a mix made to order a neck 5-2 67 a mid 5-2 59 and a 59 Alnico 5 wound to 6.5. These three sets I installed in the same guitar (one set at a time LOL) and the copperheads are the best set so far for that guitar and what I want . Any set of pups made by who ever will do or not do it for who ever. IMO
You can take advice from guys like me or fezz, or who ever. But its up to you to decide which pup makers pup you want to buy into.
What are delta tones ? are you talking about the tone control (delta system) as far as getting a bit better vintage sound most often vintage type pups help you out compared to the stock AM standards.
Even the AM standards can sound great depending on all the other factors tossed in the mix. If you want to get a set of the GFS hear what happens if they do what you want enjoy.
Oh my GFS I put in another of my starts and they will be staying in it they work well ,the Copperheads and start that they are in work better for ME (50s classic), The GFS work better for me in the guitar they are in now better than the stock MIM classic that where in it (classic 60s)
I don't have the GFS 60s Repros I ordered yet, but but I figure one advantage GFS pups have over others is that they don't cost much to try. :D
The pickups in a Delta Tone equipped Fender are just fine. Just keep tweaking the height until you find their happy place.
+1!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by fezz parka
So, so true. And you also never know what you'll get until you get it all put together. I put a big, fat, chunky neck on a Strat last year, hoping for some girthy tone, and it sounded brittle and thin. Then I replaced it with a USA Std. Strat neck, and the guitar really opened up.Quote:
Originally Posted by fezz parka
For nice, sparkly, spanky vintage Strat tone, I love my 60's Repros. They don't leave me wanting for anything else. But then, of course, YMMV. Whether you'd like them better than your Delta Tones, I can't say.
I have no experience with the GFS pickups, but if I was unhappy with my Kinmans and didn't want noiseless, the GFS pickups would be the first thing I tried, based on the recommendations I've seen around here.
Most of the tone comes from the amp. Go to a couple of music stores with your guitar and plug and play. I played on 25 to 30 amps before I found the tone I was looking for.
Tone is subjective.
"I have Delta tones in my USA Fender. They do not sparkle at all and sound rather bland and lifeless."
Really ? I have a set of them and they sound great IMO
"Most of the tone comes from the amp. "
Hell yes !
FWIW
I have many differant pups in my Strats. Dimarzios, Seymour Duncan, Fender and Fender Custom Shop. They are all good and all sound differant and it matters what my mood is that day.
The only pups I don't like are microphonic pups that squeal.
listen to guitar acoustically, does it sound dull? if it does, then you'll need some really bright pups to bring it to life. but with the delta system "bypassing" the tone pot should brighten things up nicely. i think you may have a dull sounding guitsteel. some people put merit in the acoustic properties of a guitar, and others don't. but my experience has been that you can't radically change the sound of a guitar with pickups, it's "shades of grey" when it really comes down to it.
I personally wouldn't trade out stock MIA pickups in favor of GFS's, though I love the set of GFS's I have in my MIM Squire Series. I replaced what was there because it was a pawn shop mongrel with one original ceramic pickup, one Dimarzio Fast Trak II, and one pickup of unknown origin when I I bought it. Whoever had the guitar before me had an sense of "versatility" in the choice of pickup combinations. I wanted something more consistent. I put in a set of 50's alnico overwounds to give me a vintage 50's type of sound, and that's what I got. It's not a "do it all" type of Strat anymore, nor did I want it to be.
From the reports here, the GFS 60's Repros are probably the better "all purpose" Strat set to get. My other two Strats are a MIM Standard with stock ceramic pickups, and an Am 60th Anniversary with stock 57/62's (and DeltaTone circuit). All three have their own unique character, which is what I wanted from them.
As for the stock MIA pickups, if you're not getting the sparkle out of them that you're looking for, try adjusting the pickup heights before you look towards different pickups. Just a few turns of a screwdriver can make a world of difference in the tone you're getting from the pickups you have.
I had a buddy that changed p'up's all the time
and talked about playing all the time also,he couldnt play....
fwiw..
my first post might have sounded.. um ... condesending (?)
My intent was to save you a lot of time, money and frustration while having not a clue about your background / experience / ability / gear
etc.
any of these responses make sense?
I suspect the materials in a single pickup only cost a few dollars. After all, there are only a few magnets, some copper wire, some plastic or composite base materials, and a few minutes of labor. Whether one gets what one pays for when buying pickups is a subjective matter. I don't think cost is a good measure of pickup quality, and I'm sure even GFS is making a healthy margin.Quote:
Originally Posted by snake eyes
Snake,Im sorry for the statement I made.
I was refering in your direction about people who tinker
with a guitar as a excuse for there tone.
I didnt mean it to sound the way it came out.
My old buddy bought a AM Tele he saved money for a long time for it.
The fist thing he did was put a stacked p'up in the bridge,
He got it to play blues on,but wanted the heavey sound that
I had with a lester,he only partialy acheived it,and lost all the
mojo the tele had,he wound up puting the stock p'up back in it.
and wha la it was a tele again....
no biggie bros. I ain't mad at ya. You just trying to help. I appreciate all the replies.
I cant be happier with my stagg POS I put 60's repros in. I have a thread here like 2 down from this but for the money I say go ahead and get them. They give a great clean, a good distortion, but for my next guitar I'll be looking at copperhead 59's for more of a "bite" at 5.95k instead of the gfs 5.35k.
And yes, the guitar has a lotto do with it. I've lucked out, I got one of the best in the shop they had, and it plays great, has good fret ends that won't stab you, and a comfy neck (Which I will replace) and an ok trem (which I will replace). But for $100 and $50 worth of pickups you really cant beat it. 150 for something that competes with a MIM fender in hardware and MIA or CS in sound. I love it!
And string type and gauge makes a difference. I prefer Nickel wound strings like D'Addario .011's-.049's or they're .010-.046's. That or GHS nickel rockers if I feel like spending an extra 2bux a set. I should stop babbling now! lol
But then again, what sounds great to one person, might sound terrible to another, especially when it comes to something as finicky as guitar tone.....totally subjective!
Do alot of reading, some guessing, some prayin, a little spending and you might make some progress, or you might have read the review of bunch of country players who loved said peice of gear, but you wanted more of a Chicago blues sound...its a process. Also look for companies that specializes in what your going for...
Heavily consider your amp....its 1/2 your tone. Think of your whole signal, and try to avoid degrading it....from the pick and your fingers to the cone of the speaker, and all the stuff in between there are things that will make your sound better or worse.
A 5000$ guitar might sound like a 500$ guitar if your playing it through a 200$ amp....
Take that 5000$ guitar, and a 500$ guitar, and play them through a 2000$ amp; you'll hear the difference...