GFS Humbuckers??

[duhvoodooman]

I'm strongly considering getting a black humbucker for my Fullerton ST4 HSS, a.k.a. the "Fat Fully", and moving the zebra Duncan Custom 5 that's in it now into my Epi Elitist LP Standard. The Duncan Pearly Gates that I have at the bridge in that guitar is an excellent pickup with a very bright, articulate top-end. However--and I think this may be because I play through smaller amps and at lower volumes--it seems a little weak to me in the mid-to-low frequencies. The Custom 5 has a stronger bottom end and may match my tastes and equipment/playing environment better. I want to give it a try in the LP, in any case. Which brings me to the matter at hand....

Not wanting to sink a lot of money into a guitar I paid $27 for, I was looking at the GuitarFetish.com humbucker lineup. The following three models caught my eye as possibilities:

Crunchy PAF

Big Mouth

Dream 180 (quite unique!)​

Just wondering if anyone here has any experience with any of these models in particular, or with the GFS humbuckers in general? BTW, my playing centers on blues, classic rock and hard rock. No jazz, country or death metal.

 

[stingx]

I'm strongly considering getting a black humbucker for my Fullerton ST4 HSS, a.k.a. the "Fat Fully", and moving the zebra Duncan Custom 5 that's in it now into my Epi Elitist LP Standard. The Duncan Pearly Gates that I have at the bridge in that guitar is an excellent pickup with a very bright, articulate top-end. However--and I think this may be because I play through smaller amps and at lower volumes--it seems a little weak to me in the mid-to-low frequencies. The Custom 5 has a stronger bottom end and may match my tastes and equipment/playing environment better. I want to give it a try in the LP, in any case. Which brings me to the matter at hand....

Not wanting to sink a lot of money into a guitar I paid $27 for, I was looking at the GuitarFetish.com humbucker lineup. The following three models caught my eye as possibilities:

Crunchy PAF

Big Mouth

Dream 180 (quite unique!)​

Just wondering if anyone here has any experience with any of these models in particular, or with the GFS humbuckers in general? BTW, my playing centers on blues, classic rock and hard rock. No jazz, country or death metal.

I have the GFS Alnico Fat PAF Boutique humbuckers (zebra) in my Schecter PT Elite and they are amazing sounding. I love those pickups and cannot rave enough about them. They sound great in full humbucker and when coil split.

http://store.guitarfetish.com/alfatpafbohu3.html

 

[Tone2TheBone]

As per our email discussion Voo and also per sting's personal experience I think either the Fat PAF or Crunchy PAF would be good in that Fat Fully. I hear lots of good things about the GFS pickups and their prices are right.

 

[Bloozcat]

The only humbucker in the GFS line that I have any experience with is the Retrotron Liverpool Std. that I have in my Squire '51. I was looking for a pickup that would do a jangly tone through some nice crunchy bite, as I thought this would be well suited to the '51. I'm completely pleased with this pickup in this application, both in humbucker and split coil modes. It does exactly what I wanted it to do.

This may not answer your question directly, DVM, but it does shed some light on the GFS pickups - especially in regards to their descriptions of their tone. They are pretty much right on the money with their descriptions. You do get what they say you'll get.

 

[duhvoodooman]

Just ordered a Fat PAF. Should match up with the Fully and my tonal aspirations nicely!

Thanks for the advice, guys!! ude: :AOK:

 

[jasongins]

Bloozcat,

I was looking at that exact pickup for my '51, the Retroton Liverpool Std, as well as the Dream 180 Dreamtron . I am hoping to get rid of the excessively bright and honky sound of the original humbucker. Am I on the right track?

 

[Bloozcat]

Bloozcat,

I was looking at that exact pickup for my '51, the Retroton Liverpool Std, as well as the Dream 180 Dreamtron . I am hoping to get rid of the excessively bright and honky sound of the original humbucker. Am I on the right track?

Yes, I would say so. I believe that the '51 was designed to have a somewhat bright sound on the bridge pickup, but it shouldn't be excessive. And certainly not ice-picky either. I look at the '51 as a cross between a Strat and a Tele in tone, so it makes sense that the bridge humbucker should be able to get into that jangly, twangy territory. With the addition of a good tone control, the Liverpool becomes a very versatile pickup in the '51.

The Dream 180 looks to be a good choice as well, although I've never hear the pickup personally.

 

[duhvoodooman]

I received the GFS "Fat PAF" humbucker yesterday (typically fast delivery by the GuitarFetish folks), and installed it in the Fat Fully last night. By the time I got it wired in, it was too late to crank up one of my amps, so I just tested it through headphones using the "Boutique Clean" amp model on my Vox AD30VT. I won't be able to render a final judgement until I play it properly through a speaker, but preliminarily it sounds very good. Seems to have a good solid bottom end, but its bright and very articulate top-end is what caught my ear. Another nice feature is that, not being a super-hot humbucker, it gives a better tone when coil-tapped than the Duncan Custom 5 I had in the Fat Fully before. That one just sounded a bit thinner and less loud when tapped but still clearly "humbuckerish", while the coil-tapped Fat PAF takes on a greater degree of single-coil character. You even get a bit of that "quack" tone at the second position on the 5-way pickup selector switch. Kind of cool....

One thing I have to do is get a flat humbucker mounting ring for this guitar, because the slanted style that came with the GFS pickup holds the screw coil substantially closer to the strings than the stud coil. That's gotta affect tone some, and probably not in a good way! The ring I had on the Custom 5 was slanted, too, just not quite as much.

Anyway, so far so good on this pickup, and quite a deal at only $29 + shipping. GFS sells a neck version of the Fat PAF, too. See 'em both HERE.

 

[duhvoodooman]

BRIEF UPDATE: Wasn't around much this weekend, but did finally get a chance to play the Fat Fully with this new GFS Fat PAF bridge 'bucker last night for a while, and the tone on this thing just SLAYS! I had it workin' through the UK'70's model on my AD30VT along with my Rat clone pedal--gain on both amp and pedal set around 50%--and was getting a great driving rock tone. Fat and crunchy, but not muddy in the least. Great top-end clarity, but not harsh sounding. How they sell these for $29 + shipping is beyond me. Easily worth double that. I'll think twice before I spend $75 on a Duncan or DiMarzio humbucker in the future.... :AOK: ude: :R

 

[Bloozcat]

BRIEF UPDATE: Wasn't around much this weekend, but did finally get a chance to play the Fat Fully with this new GFS Fat PAF bridge 'bucker last night for a while, and the tone on this thing just SLAYS! I had it workin' through the UK'70's model on my AD30VT along with my Rat clone pedal--gain on both amp and pedal set around 50%--and was getting a great driving rock tone. Fat and crunchy, but not muddy in the least. Great top-end clarity, but not harsh sounding. How they sell these for $29 + shipping is beyond me. Easily worth double that. I'll think twice before I spend $75 on a Duncan or DiMarzio humbucker in the future.... :AOK: ude: :R

That's good to hear DVM. Since a lot of our modding is on guitars that don't cost a lot to begin with, the GFS pickups seem to fit the theme - inexpensive, but with a lot of potential.

 

[Spudman]

Thanks for the report Voodoo. I have a guitar that one of those might be perfect for.

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

After reading some of this thread..

I finally went with the GFS FAT PAF's neck and bridge for my OLP John Pertucci..
they been in the mail for a few days, so I will get to play with them soon.

Just could not justify putting more expensive pickups in this guitar..
And this thread shows they must be worth it...
Been a year thinking on which to put in it..

thanks guys.

:beer:

 

[Tone2TheBone]

I'm thinking of getting one too. Does anyone know what the spacing is on the bridge pole pieces?

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

I'm thinking of getting one too. Does anyone know what the spacing is on the bridge pole pieces?

Sonofa..gun... I forgot all about this..and the bridge I have is f spaced.. don't know what the GFS is.. how much of a difference do you think this makes?

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Sonofa..gun... I forgot all about this..and the bridge I have is f spaced.. don't know what the GFS is.. how much of a difference do you think this makes?

It won't make a difference at all. I just like my pole pieces to line up that's all.

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

Tone.. the fat paf are standard size.. and don't sound bad...

Alot more power than the stock OLP's had..

 

[250Keith]

hi guys, how would these GFS pickups compair to the Seymour Duncan Hot Rodded Humbucker set, I would like to upgrade my lowend Ibanez pickups, The bridge pickup is tiney and bright and the neck is muddy, I tryed rasing and lowering the pickups nothing helps.
Thanks Keith.

 

[Justaguyin_nc]

I really should not say anything when it cmes to pickup tones.. but they went in easy... they sound pretty good to me in all types music err or sounds...

The bridge don't seem tinny to me..

Umm this clip is on bridge..




:rotflmao:

ude:

 

[bigoldron]

I recently installed the GFS Vintage '59 in the neck and bridge position on my Washburn WI64DL. After playing with it for a couple of weeks, I ordered the Fat PAF for the bridge position and left the Vintage '59 in the neck.

I am totally stoked about these 2! I play Southern, Classic and Contemporary Christian Rock and these babies deliver! The V59 neck put out a ton more volume than the V59 bridge plus it has a SWEET bluesy tone. The Fat PAF gives me a matching volume level plus it delivers the right amount of crunch for what I want. I probably wouldn't recommend them for extreme heavy metal, but they do cover Sabbath well. (I know - there's something wrong with this picture - Contemporary Christian and Black Sabbath played by the same guitar. But, I grew up listening to all this and I still enjoy playing it and listening to it. It's just music - not some kind of brainwashing medium. But I digress, this is fodder for another thread.)

Anyway, for anyone looking for a set of pups for less than the cost of a Duncan, go with the GFS's! They rock! ude: :AOK:

 

[Duff]

GFS pickups

Although I just put a set of SD "hot rodded" in my best guitar, a special edition Epiphone LP Standard with birdseye maple top, I have used GFS pickups before.

I put a "Lil' Killer" in an SX SST 62 strat copy in the bridge because it was a stop tail and you couldn't raise the stock bridge pickup up close enough to the strings to get much volume. I experimented by putting in a 17K "Lil' Killer" rail type humbucker, single coil size, in there with the idea that more sensitivity would make up the difference in not being able to get close to the strings. Boy was I right. The GFS pickup was loud and it was adjustable up closer to the strings too. I have since sold that guitar but it sounded really good. I put on stainless steel saddles and Wilkinson locking tuners. It was a nice guitar with great tone. Not like my Fender Hwy 1's though. They really sound good.

I was playing my sss Hwy 1 through my new Yamaha magicstomp acoustic, the manual says you can, into my Crate Flexwave 15R with twelve inch speaker. It sounded really great.

The Epi LP with the SD Jazz neck and JB bridge also sounds really great. It looks good too with black rings and black pickups. I have taken off the pickguard and the LP looks really nice. I will have to take some pictures and send them in.

I'm pretty much happy with all my pickups for now. All the rest are stock. My new '66 Gibson Standard copy Epi SG 400 sounds really good with the stock pickups. It growls and chimes. What a nice guitar.

Glad the GFS ones turned out great for you. I will definitely buy from them again. My ESP LTD H-101F is beautiful amber flamed maple top and has zebra humbuckers that seem to be not as hot as most of my guitars. It's sort of a PRS copy. It would probably sound great with some hot zebra GFS pickups. For now I'm just enjoying it. It is contoured very nicely and is very light. Plays like a dream. Chords fall right into my hand.

Duffy
Winfield, Pa.
[email protected]