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Thread: GFS Mean 90's

  1. #1
    Forum Member Rickenjangle's Avatar
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    GFS Mean 90's

    I just ordered a pair of these on the spur of the moment - to put in my ESP LTD EC256 Goldtop. It sounds great on its own but is a bit too fat and perhaps not as clear as I'd like - it gets lost in a 4-piece band. So, it's a cheap way to spruce up an already-nice guitar.

    "I'm gonna find myself a girl
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    In each other's paint-by-number dreams..."

  2. #2
    Forum Member Russ's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    cool lets us know how that goes please. I have been thinking the same for a Epi LP I have.
    ones too many and a hundred is not enough!

  3. #3
    Forum Member Rickenjangle's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    I dropped off my guitar with my tech on Saturday. It might be a couple weeks depending on his busy-ness...

    "I'm gonna find myself a girl
    that can show me what laughter means
    And we'll fill in the missing colors
    In each other's paint-by-number dreams..."

  4. #4
    Forum Member Russ's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    Quote Originally Posted by Rickenjangle View Post
    I dropped off my guitar with my tech on Saturday. It might be a couple weeks depending on his busy-ness...
    A couple of weeks thats like a couple of decades in fourm life lets us know please
    ones too many and a hundred is not enough!

  5. #5
    Forum Member thegeezer's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    I like Gold Tops with good pickups, I hope the pickups add what you are looking for.

  6. #6
    Forum Member thegeezer's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    I listened to them on YouTube, I think the tone is very usable.

  7. #7
    Forum Member Rickenjangle's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    I got my guitar back with 'em on Saturday - but have only been able to log about 40 minutes on 'em, played quiet and clean.

    First impression is that I'm gonna like these puppies.

    I'm gigging the guitar this weekend, then I'll really know what those pickups can do...

    "I'm gonna find myself a girl
    that can show me what laughter means
    And we'll fill in the missing colors
    In each other's paint-by-number dreams..."

  8. #8
    Forum Member Kap'n's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    Excellent!

    Nearly completely off topic, but how did your TV Jones transplant work?
    Several guitars in different colors
    Things to make them fuzzy
    Things to make them louder
    orange picks

  9. #9
    Forum Member Rickenjangle's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    I didn't do that one yet. Gonna do it but I have not circled back around to Andy's store since Fairport Canal Days and he was (understandably) busy that day with his "Fab Gear" stage...

    "I'm gonna find myself a girl
    that can show me what laughter means
    And we'll fill in the missing colors
    In each other's paint-by-number dreams..."

  10. #10
    Forum Member mmcquain's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    RickenJ - I'm looking for P90 pups (humbucker sized) to put into my Les Paul Custom. I've been leaning towards the Fralin P92 but I'm really interested in the GFS if they do a decent job since they are a much better $ for my wallet. How noisey are the GFS pups? The Fralins are supposed to be hum cancelling quiet.

    Here's the type of Les Paul tone I'm hoping to get...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw5jFbholCM
    .
    MMCQUAIN * Rock, Blues, Christian player * mmcquain@mcquain.com
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  11. #11
    Forum Member NeoFauve's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    Is that even plausible, when you factor in the maple top, ebony board and big inlay blocks?
    It's structurally quite different than a mahogany slab body, rosewood board and little dots, which are probably relatively invisible, sonically speaking.
    "Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
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  12. #12
    Forum Member mmcquain's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    Quote Originally Posted by NeoFauve View Post
    Is that even plausible, when you factor in the maple top, ebony board and big inlay blocks?
    It's structurally quite different than a mahogany slab body, rosewood board and little dots, which are probably relatively invisible, sonically speaking.
    I can kinda' see your point. There are differences between the P90 Les Paul Studio I sold and the Les Paul Custom I'm looking to modify.

    Les Paul 60 Tribute Studio...




    Les Paul Custom I am wanting to upgrade the pickups in...




    BUT there are great examples of Les Paul Customs with P90 pickups that sound more like I'm looking for...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brd_itLEz-0 (great example!)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyoqVMye134

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfEDq0rFzgY

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9wvTHcngg8




    .
    MMCQUAIN * Rock, Blues, Christian player * mmcquain@mcquain.com
    Gibson Les Paul Studio 60's Tribute, Breedlove Acoustic/Electric
    Egnater, Dean Markley, D'Addario, various effect pedals
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  13. #13
    Forum Member Russ's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    Cool thanks for the word on them .
    ones too many and a hundred is not enough!

  14. #14
    Forum Member Rickenjangle's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    I can tell you they're not dead quiet...

    The way my guitar is wired I've got hum cancelling in the middle position.

    My gut feeling is that they're not quite as nice as a boutique set - I know that Duncan makes a set but they're more than twice the cost...Phat Cats I believe.

    "I'm gonna find myself a girl
    that can show me what laughter means
    And we'll fill in the missing colors
    In each other's paint-by-number dreams..."

  15. #15
    Gravity Jim
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    I can't quite discern what those five clips have in common, tonally. Sounds like five very different sounds to me.

    But if I wanted to sound like that Larry Carlton clip (and I do), I wouldn't be shopping for bargain pickups. I'd buy Larry's "335 Blues" instruction course.

  16. #16
    Forum Member Rickenjangle's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    Mike, I would never, ever, ever do anything to that beautiful LP Custom that you have! :)

    I swapped the pickups in a $350 ESP LTD Goldtop knockoff...one of my 'small club, drunks dancing too close, gig' guitars...

    Jim, I can totally see that - if you want to SOUND like LC (or, in my case, like Setzer or Knopfler, or Gilmour, or Beck, or whomever - learn to PLAY like them...and the rest will follow, Grasshopper. :)

    "I'm gonna find myself a girl
    that can show me what laughter means
    And we'll fill in the missing colors
    In each other's paint-by-number dreams..."

  17. #17
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    Quote Originally Posted by Rickenjangle View Post
    Mike, I would never, ever, ever do anything to that beautiful LP Custom that you have! ...

    Jim, I can totally see that - if you want to SOUND like LC ... - learn to PLAY like them...and the rest will follow, ...
    +1

    The P90 Studio you had or a LP Special would fill the bill, with lots o'practice!

    Ever notice that Gregor sounds like Gregor (and sounds great to boot) no matter what he plays?

  18. #18
    Gravity Jim
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    Quote Originally Posted by DanD View Post
    +1

    The P90 Studio you had or a LP Special would fill the bill, with lots o'practice! :
    Exactly. if you couldn't get there with that perfectly serviceable P90'ed LP you bought and sold, then butchering the pretty one isn't gonna do it.

    Because I know a P90 sounds a lot different that a bucker or Strat pickup... but still, "it ain't the shoes, Mars."

  19. #19
    Forum Member mmcquain's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    I would love to have kept the LP Studio but I sold it to help pay for getting the Custom back (not because I didn't like the sound). Anyway, I've been talking to Lindy Fralin and I think his P92 set may be exactly what I'm looking for so I'm going to give them a try I think. That will still keep the Custom looking nice (no wood cutting, etc.). I'll let you all know how it turns out.

    p.s. Yes, the clips were somewhat different tone-wise. I like bits and pieces of each (not exact reproduction of any particular one). I just already have a humbucker sound I'm happy with in my CS-356 and now that I've sold my P90 Studio and my Strat I'm just looking for something different with the Custom.

    But you're right, it ain't just about the pickups, it's the player that makes a lot of the tone on all of those clips (e.g., Larry always sounds like Larry and Gregor always sound like himself, etc.).
    .
    MMCQUAIN * Rock, Blues, Christian player * mmcquain@mcquain.com
    Gibson Les Paul Studio 60's Tribute, Breedlove Acoustic/Electric
    Egnater, Dean Markley, D'Addario, various effect pedals
    http://www.youtube.com/mmcquain * http://www.facebook.com/mmcquain

  20. #20
    Forum Member NeoFauve's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    Quote Originally Posted by silent j. View Post
    I can't quite discern what those five clips have in common, tonally. Sounds like five very different sounds to me.

    The take away could be that it's possible to get a bunch of different sounds from a given very well known type guitar with a very well known type of pickup.
    "Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
    Elvis Costello

  21. #21
    Forum Member Gris's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    Love the Mean 90 in bridge, not so much in neck. Dream 90 is great in neck, as is his alnico II... ; )

  22. #22
    Forum Member Rickenjangle's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    I like the bridge M90 better, too.

    Overall, the new pickups added a lot of usefulness to this guitar, but I think I'm gonna need to get the middle position rewired because it's too polite...and as for the coil tap switching tone pot, it of course has no usefulness now, so I wonder if I could set it up as a series/parallel. But in general, these pickups are an improvement over the stock Duncan-designed pickups the guitar came with.

    "I'm gonna find myself a girl
    that can show me what laughter means
    And we'll fill in the missing colors
    In each other's paint-by-number dreams..."

  23. #23
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    'Jangle, did you change the pots? I find with P90's a 300K pot works better, adding a little depth and girth while still keeping the clarity. I'm guessing you have 500K's in there originally?
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  24. #24
    Forum Member Rickenjangle's Avatar
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    Re: GFS Mean 90's

    Chuck, I'm gonna give you the guitar and have you rewire it. You are the tonemeister after all...I don't *do* guitar wiring 'cause I'm a

    I didn't have John Bucci (at the Music Store) change the pot.

    It's an ESP LTD EC256 goldtop with the relic'ing - all mahogany and a very nice player. Probably had a cheap 500K pot or more...plus, the tone pot is as I've said - a push/pull. I'd love for it to be a series/parallel, or a blower circuit...something.

    "I'm gonna find myself a girl
    that can show me what laughter means
    And we'll fill in the missing colors
    In each other's paint-by-number dreams..."

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