arent the GFS pickups just amazing? i;ve built several customs and i use nothing but their pickups, hardware and electronics unless the new owner specifies something else. they could easily charge 3 times what they do now and they'd still be the best for the money. i'm getting ready to do a Squier 51 with dream 180s in both the bridge and with mods to the pickguard and some routing on the body, the neck as well and micro toggles to do the coil splitting.
@Popexssj at "guitar center" or "musicians friend" you could get an acoustic or electric for under a hundred... *NEW* (not the most fancy but still)
E-bay can be cool for stuff, but it's better to be able to pick up stuff and try it out and get a feel if you like it if you can. Do you have a pon shop or flea market in your area? I got a nice marshal practice amp for $20 at a pon shop plus I could test it there. If your comfortable with craigslist you might find someone in your area too
hi gitarcarl ! i have a pacifica112v guitar which is very nice and really good material quality and with an upgrade it will be awesome! it has and hss configuration so i was planning to put some gfs p'ups to make her sound awesome, was thinking to put 60-70 grey bottom non staggered strat single coils (they say "more tone") for neck and middle and a dream 180 for the humbucker what do you think?, also do u have any suggestions? i've decided to put some gfs coz i want to stay in that price range
@ivncdo0809 Sorry I don't know about the GFS strat pickup lineup, but last time I checked on ebay you could send them an email and they had a reputation for giving good suggestions or comments on whatever combination you wanted to know about.
I just got a set of these and they are really neat. I have them in a es 335 and yea they are twangy twangy. I am used to JB and jazz pickups so it is a little getting used to and man do they have bass response ! yes sir. excellent separation on notes they stick out more you can identify them they do not get lost. Really different and very nice sounding.
Hard to get these to overdrive. I figured I would try them on a 6505 dirty and they still ring thru cleanish with a little paf mixed in
@JPML014 Good question, sorry I don't know the answer. Much of any guitar's sound comes from the body wood(s). How massive the bridge is and what type of metal are also factors. Big pickguards and big routs (think Strat) have big effects too. Generally the pickup effects are less significant than that, unless you are far away from original Gibson and Fender designs. For an extra $60 you could buy two tele bridges and compare the Fender-style sound to a tapped humbucker.
This vid goes to show you dont need the best gear in the world to get a decent tone. A cheap guitar and some minor tweaking can yield great results. Good job on the vid BTW.
@belkeSMASH Sorry I don't know. Can't remember if it was plywood or solid when I changed the pickups. The whole guitar weighs 7.5 lbs so I think it is not basswood.
can you tell me, if this pickup is overall good ? I want to try it to my gibson faded SG, because i have VERY strong and hot duncan invader in the bridge and need something more universal, but i dont wanna to spent much... Thank you :)
I like this pickup fairly well, and in general I like GFS pickups a lot. Not every pickup from every manufacturer sounds like you imagined it would before you put it on the guitar. If you don't hear what you expected with a GFS pickup, you have already saved some money to try a different pickup. I am not saying every GFS will work in a particular situation. I haven't compared it to an actual Gibson humbucker. I haven't tried it in a live setting or with loads of distortion. Its clean and clear.
That is basically what i need, i need clean pickup. Ill try that. I can always sell it and buy new one :) I like the look of this pickup. Thank you very much :)
The Dream 180 measures 8.3k. The existing single-coils are each approximately 7.4k.
I wanted the tapped humbucker to fill the role of a normal strat bridge pickup. And the humbucker sound would be for more power.
So at 4.2k per humbucker coil, compared to 7.3k single-coil pickups, its not strong enough for what I wanted. I should have measured the pickups before ordering from GFS!
Its the standard pot. One tap goes to ground, the other end goes to the output of the humbucker, the middle tap goes to the middle of the humbucker coils. If I did it again I'd use 100k or even 50k. See Cheap Guitar pt 4 for the schematic.
Good question! I don't even recall if it was plywood or solid, sorry. Its pretty light so it might even be basswood. All I know is it sounds good and plays well, especially for the price.
How did you solve the 3 to 2 screw problem when you installed the GFS pickup (since the original humbucker was 3 screw)? Anyhow I used some of your tips to lower the action on a Yamaha C40 that I have. Thanks!
Heh heh I took the easy way out and drilled the extra holes in the pickguard. I was too scared to try transplanting the new magnets and coils onto the old 3-hole base. And I was too lazy to screw a bit of metal onto the bass-side single hole and then drill holes in that bit of metal that would take the two screws.
so how do you like the 180's i was thinking about em for my sg but honestly i don't think they might be buttery tone enough so i might end up with a crunchy pat in the bridge
I have tried both, though not in the same guitar. I did replace some 1980's pickups in an old Cort flying V with crunchy PAFs, and thought they sounded great.
love this buddy. you're proving what I always say to my snobby pals. elbow grease makes anything play better, and you get to take pride in your handiwork.
In bars and clubs, talented players give great performances using cheap equipment. It doesn't have to be a big name brand to play good and sound good.
Its 250k. Its just the pot that was already in the circuit. I wouldn't recommend higher resistance. Lower resistance like 100k or even 50k might give more of a blend effect but on the other hand might take more highs out of the sound. The way it is, it acts pretty much like a switch between one coil, humbucking, and the other coil. The coils are of course very close to each other so they don't sound very different. But I didn't have to cut any holes in the pickguard!
arent the GFS pickups just amazing? i;ve built several customs and i use nothing but their pickups, hardware and electronics unless the new owner specifies something else. they could easily charge 3 times what they do now and they'd still be the best for the money. i'm getting ready to do a Squier 51 with dream 180s in both the bridge and with mods to the pickguard and some routing on the body, the neck as well and micro toggles to do the coil splitting.
fuzzybuttcb750 8 months ago
Respectfully, it's not really a "cheap" guitar when you spend hours luthering it and replacing out the equiptment..
TheBluesBeggar 1 year ago
@TheBluesBeggar Yup, you can easily tell I have more patience for tinkering than playing!
GitarCarl 1 year ago
your single coils sound really harsh
nymetsrock 1 year ago
dude i want to play guitar and i found this one on ebay, should i but it? i didnt play guitar before and i dont have much money
Popexssj 1 year ago
@Popexssj at "guitar center" or "musicians friend" you could get an acoustic or electric for under a hundred... *NEW* (not the most fancy but still)
E-bay can be cool for stuff, but it's better to be able to pick up stuff and try it out and get a feel if you like it if you can. Do you have a pon shop or flea market in your area? I got a nice marshal practice amp for $20 at a pon shop plus I could test it there. If your comfortable with craigslist you might find someone in your area too
TheBluesBeggar 1 year ago
hi gitarcarl ! i have a pacifica112v guitar which is very nice and really good material quality and with an upgrade it will be awesome! it has and hss configuration so i was planning to put some gfs p'ups to make her sound awesome, was thinking to put 60-70 grey bottom non staggered strat single coils (they say "more tone") for neck and middle and a dream 180 for the humbucker what do you think?, also do u have any suggestions? i've decided to put some gfs coz i want to stay in that price range
ivncdo0809 1 year ago
@ivncdo0809 Sorry I don't know about the GFS strat pickup lineup, but last time I checked on ebay you could send them an email and they had a reputation for giving good suggestions or comments on whatever combination you wanted to know about.
GitarCarl 1 year ago
cool
MrKrownRoyale 1 year ago
I just got a set of these and they are really neat. I have them in a es 335 and yea they are twangy twangy. I am used to JB and jazz pickups so it is a little getting used to and man do they have bass response ! yes sir. excellent separation on notes they stick out more you can identify them they do not get lost. Really different and very nice sounding.
Hard to get these to overdrive. I figured I would try them on a 6505 dirty and they still ring thru cleanish with a little paf mixed in
mrbrownstone242 1 year ago
Kudos for being the one Youtuber smart enough to do a pickup demo without a ton of effects obscuring the sound of the actual pup.
Hoopermazing 1 year ago
Would the Dream 180s have a good twangy sound in a Tele bridge when activating the coil-tap?
JPML014 1 year ago
@JPML014 Good question, sorry I don't know the answer. Much of any guitar's sound comes from the body wood(s). How massive the bridge is and what type of metal are also factors. Big pickguards and big routs (think Strat) have big effects too. Generally the pickup effects are less significant than that, unless you are far away from original Gibson and Fender designs. For an extra $60 you could buy two tele bridges and compare the Fender-style sound to a tapped humbucker.
GitarCarl 1 year ago
This vid goes to show you dont need the best gear in the world to get a decent tone. A cheap guitar and some minor tweaking can yield great results. Good job on the vid BTW.
ckolonko 1 year ago
what wood is this guitar made of?
belkeSMASH 1 year ago
@belkeSMASH Sorry I don't know. Can't remember if it was plywood or solid when I changed the pickups. The whole guitar weighs 7.5 lbs so I think it is not basswood.
GitarCarl 1 year ago
can you tell me, if this pickup is overall good ? I want to try it to my gibson faded SG, because i have VERY strong and hot duncan invader in the bridge and need something more universal, but i dont wanna to spent much... Thank you :)
eugeene42 2 years ago
I like this pickup fairly well, and in general I like GFS pickups a lot. Not every pickup from every manufacturer sounds like you imagined it would before you put it on the guitar. If you don't hear what you expected with a GFS pickup, you have already saved some money to try a different pickup. I am not saying every GFS will work in a particular situation. I haven't compared it to an actual Gibson humbucker. I haven't tried it in a live setting or with loads of distortion. Its clean and clear.
GitarCarl 2 years ago
That is basically what i need, i need clean pickup. Ill try that. I can always sell it and buy new one :) I like the look of this pickup. Thank you very much :)
eugeene42 2 years ago
awesome clean and sweet : )
jamemusical 2 years ago
Sound is beautyfull!Can you tell me please what is the impediance of your new pickup? Thank you!
Livitation3 2 years ago
The Dream 180 measures 8.3k. The existing single-coils are each approximately 7.4k.
I wanted the tapped humbucker to fill the role of a normal strat bridge pickup. And the humbucker sound would be for more power.
So at 4.2k per humbucker coil, compared to 7.3k single-coil pickups, its not strong enough for what I wanted. I should have measured the pickups before ordering from GFS!
GitarCarl 2 years ago
GREAT!!!
lneme 2 years ago
how did you wire the blend control, i have a variable tap on my sg but it only lets you tap one coil,. is it a special pot
??
btdatd 2 years ago
Its the standard pot. One tap goes to ground, the other end goes to the output of the humbucker, the middle tap goes to the middle of the humbucker coils. If I did it again I'd use 100k or even 50k. See Cheap Guitar pt 4 for the schematic.
GitarCarl 2 years ago
cool, what type of wood is it made of?
chargerx150 2 years ago
Good question! I don't even recall if it was plywood or solid, sorry. Its pretty light so it might even be basswood. All I know is it sounds good and plays well, especially for the price.
GitarCarl 2 years ago
sounds superb for 55 bucks.nice playing too,some mark knopfler style riffs there.
SRV1DOORS1HENDRIX1 2 years ago
How did you solve the 3 to 2 screw problem when you installed the GFS pickup (since the original humbucker was 3 screw)? Anyhow I used some of your tips to lower the action on a Yamaha C40 that I have. Thanks!
gnsvitek 2 years ago
Heh heh I took the easy way out and drilled the extra holes in the pickguard. I was too scared to try transplanting the new magnets and coils onto the old 3-hole base. And I was too lazy to screw a bit of metal onto the bass-side single hole and then drill holes in that bit of metal that would take the two screws.
GitarCarl 2 years ago
so how do you like the 180's i was thinking about em for my sg but honestly i don't think they might be buttery tone enough so i might end up with a crunchy pat in the bridge
trousien 2 years ago
I have tried both, though not in the same guitar. I did replace some 1980's pickups in an old Cort flying V with crunchy PAFs, and thought they sounded great.
GitarCarl 2 years ago
love this buddy. you're proving what I always say to my snobby pals. elbow grease makes anything play better, and you get to take pride in your handiwork.
droid740 2 years ago
Thanks! That's what I was trying to communicate.
In bars and clubs, talented players give great performances using cheap equipment. It doesn't have to be a big name brand to play good and sound good.
GitarCarl 2 years ago
what value of resistance is the blending pot?
awaye123 2 years ago
Its 250k. Its just the pot that was already in the circuit. I wouldn't recommend higher resistance. Lower resistance like 100k or even 50k might give more of a blend effect but on the other hand might take more highs out of the sound. The way it is, it acts pretty much like a switch between one coil, humbucking, and the other coil. The coils are of course very close to each other so they don't sound very different. But I didn't have to cut any holes in the pickguard!
GitarCarl 2 years ago
wow, nice.
ellhow 2 years ago