Figstrum Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 I think I might have this all wrong, but tell me if I am missing something here. Recently, I have been looking to replace my Hot Rodded Set from my Epi Lp Stnd. I decided that I wanted a more mellow sound and not as high as the Hot Rodded set got. I actually want the AP2 for the neck, d.c. resistance 7.6k, and the Pearly Gates for the bridge, 8.35k. (The values are listed in the SD site, both pups have Alnico 2 magnets) This combo of pups IMHO maintains a bluesy vibe with rock punch when driven. Looking around I stumbled into the GFS pick up site, and found the Classic Alnico II set for the neck and bridge. Looking at this set the bridge pickup is wound to 8.2K, and the neck to 7.8K. This set is half the price and close to the range im looking for my Epi. The difference in the values of resistance is not much, and should sound comparable IMO. Now, am I absoultely crazy, or should I look into the GFS instead. I think these GFS pups might get to that LP crunchy vibe when combined. Has anyone tried GFS in the past? What do ya'll think? I would appreciate your imput. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcwillow777 Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 I have tried several sets of GFS pickups, and I have the Classic IIs in my Agile AL-2000 TE, an LP clone. I am totally happy with them. They have plenty of punch. The neck pup isn't muddy at all and the bridge pup is nice a bright without being overly so - insert ice pick in ear. Several other members have tried GFS pups as well. A am particularly fond of the Vintage 59s and have them in 3 of my guitars, well I just sold one with them, so I have 2 now. GFS are a very good bang for your buck. They are definitely good enough me. I don't play professionally, but I do play out on a regular basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AS90 Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Go for the Mean 90s, they are amazing!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 I've tried their Mean90s, and they are excellent. Great bang for the buck. Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sledge57 Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 I have yet to read a negative comment about GFS pups. I'm sure some don't like them but those people seem to be in the minority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggy Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Tried both the Mean 90's and Vintage 59's in my Dot Studio. Personally I don't think the Vintage 59's are much of an improvement on the OEM Epi humbuckers, having said that many people love them so it's just a personal opinion. Mean 90's are a different matter - Simply spectacular and not just for their price. These stack up against pretty much any HB sized P90 going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankS1281734010 Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 Yep. Putting Vintage 59's in my LP was the best decision I've made for it. I just sold the Gibson pups I had in my G-400 and you best believe the new ones I get are coming from GFS. I'm thinkin' the Alnico IIs. Best part about GFS is their warehouse is like an hour from where I am, so when I order stuff I usually get it that day or the day after. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest icantbuyafender Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 I think I might have this all wrong' date=' but tell me if I am missing something here. Recently, I have been looking to replace my Hot Rodded Set from my Epi Lp Stnd. I decided that I wanted a more mellow sound and not as high as the Hot Rodded set got. I actually want the AP2 for the neck, d.c. resistance 7.6k, and the Pearly Gates for the bridge, 8.35k. (The values are listed in the SD site, both pups have Alnico 2 magnets) This combo of pups IMHO maintains a bluesy vibe with rock punch when driven. Looking around I stumbled into the GFS pick up site, and found the Classic Alnico II set for the neck and bridge. Looking at this set the bridge pickup is wound to 8.2K, and the neck to 7.8K. This set is half the price and close to the range im looking for my Epi. The difference in the values of resistance is not much, and should sound comparable IMO. Now, am I absoultely crazy, or should I look into the GFS instead. I think these GFS pups might get to that LP crunchy vibe when combined. Has anyone tried GFS in the past? What do ya'll think? I would appreciate your imput. :) :) [/quote'] Resistance values arent everything. Its the character of the magnet that dictates the behavior. Just because the values are similar does NOT mean that they will sound similar. As long as the magnet types are the same then maybe you will get something similar. Its really toooo subjective. Id go with the vintage blues Seymour Duncan set. Its a '59 in the neck and a '59 in the bridge. I own the Classic II GFS pups. They are fair pups. They just dont color your tone as much as a Duncan pup does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AS90 Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I have yet to read a negative comment about GFS pups. I'm sure some don't like them but those people seem to be in the minority. I dont like their cheapo Strat pups or the 'lil puncher I have in my Tele. Their humbuckers are all great though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Amp settings play a big role in the sound of a pickup. I've always hated the ic pick sound of my Strat's bridge pickup, but found it interesting through my Peavey Vypyr Tube 60 the other day. The particular setup model I was on made it sound like it had more body, like a Tele bridge. The same setting sounded muddy when I changed over to the Les Paul. I guess you have to fiddle with the knobs to taste for most any pickup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stig Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I've got one of their repro Fender-style buckers in the neck of my Tele. It's a great pickup for not a lot of money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjones200x Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I recently got a GFS VEH (Van Halen replica pickup) and its awesome. Exactly how i wanted it to sound. Very articulate and clear even when distorted, lovely harmonics and a great rock sound through and through! I paid £30 including postage to the uk and the seymour duncan alternative is over £120 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJB08 Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 i have the mean 90 in the neck of my Dot. For the $42 spent it is unbeatable. It really get better sounding the more it's played! I have the stock humbucker in the guitar. I'm considering swapping it out soon for something a little hotter. No doubt in my mind that I'll head back to GFS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueLesPaul2006 Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 I had a set of GFS pickups in my Les Paul. They were too close to the stock Epi pickups. I would go with some Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers or 59s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figstrum Posted November 2, 2009 Author Share Posted November 2, 2009 I bought a GFS bigmouth a long time ago, and used it in a project Ibanez. As far as I remember it sounded ok, had it for a while but did not use it much. I ended up changing it and going with a Fender Tex Mex in the bridge as I was trying to get that Jimmy Vaughan sound. I dunno but I nerver ran the GFS pup through a decent amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figstrum Posted November 2, 2009 Author Share Posted November 2, 2009 I had a set of GFS pickups in my Les Paul. They were too close to the stock Epi pickups. I would go with some Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers or 59s This is great suggestion. Those pups would prob fit what Im looking for. The only thing is that Im trying coil tap the buckers, and I dont think you can coil split those. How is ur JB/Jazz combo working for you? I thought those were too bright in my Epi LP. Not saying anything negative about the set, its just my opinion in how it worked for my guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sloopy Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 I had a set of GFS pickups in my Les Paul. They were too close to the stock Epi pickups. I would go with some Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers or 59s Which set did you have? It's hard to say that they're all bad based on 1 set, when they make so many different pups. I think they have 11 or 12 different humbucker-sized pickups. You can't judge a whole company based on one set. The thing I like about GFS is even if you don't like the ones you get, you're not out much, and can buy about 3 sets of different pups for the same money as one set of Duncans. Then you can compare, and see what you like and what direction to go. Also, if you watch ebay, used GFS pups pop up sometimes, and the prices aren't much less than new, so if you get a bunch you don't like, sell em off and start over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figstrum Posted November 6, 2009 Author Share Posted November 6, 2009 Has anyone used the GFS Classic II set? If so, any reviews? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AS90 Posted November 6, 2009 Share Posted November 6, 2009 Has anyone used the GFS Classic II set? If so' date=' any reviews?[/quote'] Look on youtube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w1av Posted November 6, 2009 Share Posted November 6, 2009 I had picked up a NICE Epi LEs Paul Classic last Winter......it was totally stock....the sound was "OK" but I needed better definition and clarity. So I got a set of GFS Vintage 59's....It made a noticeable difference.....But I soon found something was lacking.....So I took out my Washburn Semi hollow body.....that one also had GFS Vintage 59's in it, but that guitar sounded MUCH BETTER......So time went on and I realized I just didnt like the sound of the LP...what bothered me most was it was TOO BASSY and when you added a little gain, it would slightly "fuzz out"...the sound was cheap...playing clean was fine, just pushing it with a little Overdrive muddied it up, a problem I didnt have with my Washburn. It must be the wood or design of the LP I am not sure. After playing my little SG junior with a P90, I FINALLY found the sound I have been searching for. So I ordered a set of MEAN 90's and had them installed in the LP....also had guitar all set up and everything adjusted. It SOUNDS 100% BETTER with the P90's.....I play thru a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe with the gain on overdrive channel on about 4.5, and volume knob on guitar about 1/2 way and the sound is NICE!!!! I get plenty of volumn and that nice growly crunch without the "fuzz"....and if I need more output, just turn the volumn knob up a hair!!!! I couldnt get this with a solidstate amp and humbuckers....too messy sounding. I say the GFS pickups are great for what I need them for and they helped me bring out my Lp again. As a matter of fact I am making P90's my staple pickups now. Humbuckers are OK for a clean signal for my style, but if I wanna little BITE the P90's always come thru.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figstrum Posted November 7, 2009 Author Share Posted November 7, 2009 Look on youtube. Nothing much on the tube, just a kid playing around. Cant really tell the tone very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figstrum Posted November 7, 2009 Author Share Posted November 7, 2009 I had picked up a NICE Epi LEs Paul Classic last Winter......it was totally stock....the sound was "OK" but I needed better definition and clarity. So I got a set of GFS Vintage 59's....It made a noticeable difference.....But I soon found something was lacking.....So I took out my Washburn Semi hollow body.....that one also had GFS Vintage 59's in it' date=' but that guitar sounded MUCH BETTER......So time went on and I realized I just didnt like the sound of the LP...what bothered me most was it was TOO BASSY and when you added a little gain, it would slightly "fuzz out"...the sound was cheap...playing clean was fine, just pushing it with a little Overdrive muddied it up, a problem I didnt have with my Washburn. It must be the wood or design of the LP I am not sure. After playing my little SG junior with a P90, I FINALLY found the sound I have been searching for. So I ordered a set of MEAN 90's and had them installed in the LP....also had guitar all set up and everything adjusted. It SOUNDS 100% BETTER with the P90's.....I play thru a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe with the gain on overdrive channel on about 4.5, and volume knob on guitar about 1/2 way and the sound is NICE!!!! I get plenty of volumn and that nice growly crunch without the "fuzz"....and if I need more output, just turn the volumn knob up a hair!!!!I couldnt get this with a solidstate amp and humbuckers....too messy sounding. I say the GFS pickups are great for what I need them for and they helped me bring out my Lp again. As a matter of fact I am making P90's my staple pickups now. Humbuckers are OK for a clean signal for my style, but if I wanna little BITE the P90's always come thru....[/quote'] I looked at your utub Epi Lp with those Mean 90's and I have to say, BRAVO! That Lp has a really nice Santana-esque-tone to it that can't be beat. I saw that you kept the GFS black pick up plates which was nice. I was thinking about doing the same thing. Talent-wise, YOU SIR ARE THE MAN! Excellent playing, very articulate with excellent pronunciation in your notes. I was looking for a tame bluessy tone that I can use with little overdrive. I currently have the SD Hot Rodded set but sounds a little bright to me. I'm hoping that the Classic II set might just do that. Phenomenal Playing, Great Tone!!! I think everyone here should check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Nazarenie Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 i have tried a good few. the ones i've tried: gfs lipsticks. an alnico 2 lipstick humbucker in the neck of my basswood strat is brilliant. i also have a dream 90 (ceramic, the write up on the site is actually wrong.) i am wanting the rest of the set. gfs dream 90 i have this in the bridge. the dream is pretty ok. i'd go for means though really! gfs mean 90's (alnico) not 100% what a proper p90 shaped pickup is but to my ears but still very good. gfs dream 180's... i'm not 100% sold on these but i know my taste can change.i will have to give them another go. nothing special so far. gfs power rails. i wasn't 100% on these perhaps with really low gain they don't cut it for me. i do like low gain. on medium to high gain they are up there with some of my favourite rock sounds. gfs mini birds. these are firebird style ceramic pups. they have a small magnet. i'd say classic rock tone. they would suit a strat style guitar. these are rail pups under the cover. coil tapped gets a good strat tone. gfs little killer. a small ceramic humbucker pup. great idea but maybe i need a full set to really gauge them. i've seen the seymour versions get slated so these may be the 1st ones to try, cheap! they are so many to try. i want a 2 more lipsticks and some neovins. for the price you can't go wrong. i wish they made some of the range they have as alnico but you do get a very close representation of the pups they are styled on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figstrum Posted November 8, 2009 Author Share Posted November 8, 2009 i have tried a good few. the ones i've tried:gfs lipsticks. an alnico 2 lipstick humbucker in the neck of my basswood strat is brilliant. i also have a dream 90 (ceramic' date=' the write up on the site is actually wrong.) i am wanting the rest of the set. gfs dream 90 i have this in the bridge. the dream is pretty ok. i'd go for means though really! gfs mean 90's (alnico) not 100% what a proper p90 shaped pickup is but to my ears but still very good. gfs dream 180's... i'm not 100% sold on these but i know my taste can change.i will have to give them another go. nothing special so far. gfs power rails. i wasn't 100% on these perhaps with really low gain they don't cut it for me. i do like low gain. on medium to high gain they are up there with some of my favourite rock sounds. gfs mini birds. these are firebird style ceramic pups. they have a small magnet. i'd say classic rock tone. they would suit a strat style guitar. these are rail pups under the cover. coil tapped gets a good strat tone. gfs little killer. a small ceramic humbucker pup. great idea but maybe i need a full set to really gauge them. i've seen the seymour versions get slated so these may be the 1st ones to try, cheap! they are so many to try. i want a 2 more lipsticks and some neovins. for the price you can't go wrong. i wish they made some of the range they have as alnico but you do get a very close representation of the pups they are styled on. [/quote'] Seems like you have tried a lot of them. I prob gonna give the Classic II set a try and see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Nazarenie Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 i think that's a good choice. i have my old gibbo alnico 2 magnets in some jackson pickups. they are great! i've also put some ebay alnico 2's in a stacked p90. the actual tone is what i want it to be, so i'm after more. i don't know if perhaps you have alnico v pups and lower them, by the screws, that you could get the same tone as an alnico 2? i haven't gone to town on that... gfs are worth trying. you are getting pretty close to the original intended sound. i also have my variax to guide me on what to try next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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