Homemade strat-style guitar with GFS lipstick pickups

[toomy094]

HI!

I would ilke to ask you where did you buy the pickup covers?

thx in advance :)

Tom

[straycatstrut516]

@toomy094 Hey Tom! The pickups came from the GFS site, and they're the "Pro Tube Lipstick Pickups." Seymour Duncan makes something similar, but they're more expensive. Not sure how the sound compares. But it's more than just the cover; the whole pickup is a different shape but still fits the standard mounting holes on your pickguard. Hope that helps!

[toomy094]

@straycatstrut516 Thanks for your fast reply! I have checked the site :) they build high quality accessories as I saw... i think I buy pickups from GFS if I'll have money for it :D

[gorillazhead]

SO, how would you say these sound as compared to the old Danelec Lipsticks?

[straycatstrut516]

@gorillazhead Not sure if I had replied to this or not... sorry. I have a Dano baritone, so I can't really make an apples to apples comparison. Plus, since they're made out of hollow masonite, there are other factors to consider. I will say that there are some very reminiscent characteristics in these GFS pickups. Somewhat similar, but still different. If you like one, you'll like the other in my opinion.

[aCloudOfHaze]

Do you have any photos of the building process? Make a slideshow or something out of them? I subbed... :D

[straycatstrut516]

@aCloudOfHaze Yeah, I have some photos... I should make a slideshow. Good idea. I've got a Facebook page (search for "Equitz Guitars") with photos of my more current builds and other updates. There are also some more video demos I need to make, so stay tuned. Thanks!

[DetroitMustang]

Great Demo. Are you running the guitar clean? 

[DetroitMustang]

@DetroitMustang my bad just read the demo. good shit man.

[wpc33]

You play like Stevie Ray after a long day. Great!

[zonie9872]

I can't decide if I like this one or your Tele better, the are both kick ass, and probably just as good as they're custom shop models! I f I were you, I would NEVER buy a guitar off the rack again! Have you ever considered building a Les Paul clone? If so, please post!

[straycatstrut516]

@zonie9872 I appreciate the pep talk! The two guitars are pretty different, but this one is mine; the tele was for a friend so I had to say goodbye to it. And yes, I do plan to do a LP someday. Looks like you saw one I did a while ago, but I'd like to do a more traditional one with a few custom tweeks. I've got some other projects in the works that I'll post once I get to them, stay tuned. Thanks again for the good words!

[villadavid4ever]

Man these pickups are awesome. I'd love a Stratocaster with a bridge humbucker, middle strat single coil and a neck lipstick pickup!

[madeyes4u]

Hey, I've got a guitar with just 2 single coils (Alder wood, Rosewood fretboard)...What do you think about putting a 4.9k Lipstick in the Neck and a 8k Lipstick in the Bridge position? How do you think it'll come out sounding?

[straycatstrut516]

In my opinion, I think it'd sound great... but it depends on what style you play in addition to your amp and effects. The difference in output wouldn't be a big deal to me because I like having a substantially hotter bridge pickup for that extra boost to cut through the mix, but that's just my preference. I'd love to hear it.. post a demo and let me know!

[FosterZygote]

Thanks, I've been very curious about what those pickups sound like. I dig 'em. I'm impressed with what GFS has done in the pickup market. I have one of the old XV-850s with the flame top loaded with a set of GFS Premium IIs and I love it. I've got a set of Mean 90s in a Michael Kelly patriot and they sound great too.

[broomiester]

You know pickups are bright when the neck sounds like a bridge! Great sound, very stratty but also fresh and new

[straycatstrut516]

@broomiester Thanks! Some of that "neck-sounding-bridge" tone came from the compression of the audio. But you're definitely right about it sounding stratty, but fresh and new. It's very much a clean, vibey, finesse kind of tone. I couldn't be happier with the sound of those pickups every time I plug it in.

[desr2395]

gfs has very good pickups and they're affordable! i put some alnico ii's in my epiphone les paul and they are AMAZING!!!

[straycatstrut516]

@desr2395 I've been meaning to try those. Most of my guitars have all been retro-fitted with different GFS pickups... just so I could try them out. I'll need to give those Anico II's a shot. Thanks!

[buckykattguitar]

i've ordered a pair of the 8k versions to go onto my Danelectro DC59. this will make 4 of my guitars with GFS pikcups in them. these pickups are of a quality that they could charge 3 or 4x as much as they do and they'd still be well worth the money, you cant go wrong with GFS electrics

[straycatstrut516]

@buckykattguitar I totally agree.... I'm almost afraid to let the word get out. They may catch on and raise their prices or something. Let's just enjoy it while we can, right?

I've been meaning to try their Dano pickups. I've got a baritone that could use a little work. Thanks for the tip.

[piolobato2]

Your video elucidated more than several texts (some huge) that float around the net. I am very grateful

[straycatstrut516]

@piolobato2 Very cool, I appreciate it. And I'm also grateful for learning a new word... "elucidated." Thanks!

[piolobato2]

@straycatstrut516 Sorry...Google Translator

[philipthedude]

you sound like stevie ray vaughan, wich is a huge compliment in my opinion :P

[straycatstrut516]

@philipthedude , that's a huge compliment in my opinion too. Thanks very much!

[wretcheddog]

would these be ok for jimi frusciante tones?

[straycatstrut516]

@wretcheddog, they may be, since they're pretty versatile with amps and effects... which are other variables that may get you those tones.

[JAYossarian]

SAH WEET, Is this the vintage calibrated set or the hotter set? Do you think the Middle PUP could hang in a Neck on a Squier 51???

[straycatstrut516]

Thanks! Yep, it's the calibrated set: 4.9k (neck), 6k (middle) and 8k (bridge). As for a Squier 51, I'm not sure. In my opinion, it would depend on what other pickup(s) you have on there with it. With this guitar, I almost always use the neck and neck+mid positions, but I have been trying to branch out and see what I can get away with on just the middle pickup, and I have to say I'm impressed. Seems like the middle opens things up a bit and sounds brighter without being as twangy as the bridge.

[JAYossarian]

@straycatstrut516 Not really sure what I wanna put in the Bridge I was thinking about a P90, I just got the Guitar yesterday and am still in the planning and research stages. If I do use a P90 then a reverse wound would be a logical Neck choice.

[pbeef]

@straycatstrut516 Nice job. I'm working on a similar project right now, which is how I found this clip. I'm using 3 of the 4.9k GFS pickups. And I plan to wire them in series similar to the Danelectros using a wiring plan I found on the TDPRI site.

[pickrhead]

Sounds good, looks good, & good playing. Did you close-mic this with the mic pointed dead at the speaker's center? I'm wondering because the attack sounds kind of strident when you play hard, trying to decipher if it's the recording or the pickups. My Danelectro lipsticks had that kind of stridency.

[straycatstrut516]

@pickrhead Honestly, I don't really remember the mic position. It was a simple condenser mic that I borrowed, and I know I had to keep re-positioning it and trying different amp volume because the recording would distort like that at the loud parts. Also worth considering, is how the sound changes when compressed for this site. I know the original files don't break up like that.

[ckbcustomshop]

sounds killer! nice job on that build!

[straycatstrut516]

@ckbcustomshop Thanks! I appreciate the kind words. I'll be posting other builds soon, so stay tuned if you'd like.

[pingu787]

@straycatstrut516 How much costs it to make a guitar like that?

[straycatstrut516]

@pingu787 Hard to say because I've learned more since then. If you buy all pre-fabricated and finished parts, a nice one could run up over $1000. If you make the body and/or neck yourself, or go with cheaper parts, you could probably do one for $400 or so.

[SiKxBlAzEr]

im guessing its based off of srv's?

[straycatstrut516]

@SiKxBlAzEr Indirectly, yes. I saw someone else with one, most likely based on SRV's, and I thought the white-on-white with lipstick pups was pretty slick. Mine has some different features than the "Charleycaster," because I wasn't out to build a replica; just something for myself. Fortunately, I loved the way it sounded. That was just a bonus for me.

[SiKxBlAzEr]

@straycatstrut516 well it sounds awsome and looks awsome and is being played great

[punkeratheart]

Bridge sounds like a tele bridge pickup, probably because the lipstick tubes surround the coils with a good bit of metal, so it's kinda sorta like what you get with a tele pickup being actually mounted in to the bridge. I always wanted to try making a 1/8" steel strat pickguard to get that tightness and snap out of a strat, but the lipsticks may do it.

[nymetsrock]

are these any good, the price makes me skeptical

[straycatstrut516]

I wasn't sure at first either; it really all depends on your definition of "good." If you're looking for a clean-sounding, chimey Strat tone, these are great. Think more along the lines of "Sultans of Swing" (Dire Straits), "Life Without You" (SRV), or maybe even "The Heart of Life" (John Mayer). If you like these sounds, then I'd say go for it. No complaints as far construction, wiring, cosmetics or otherwise.

[ganjaking187]

@nymetsrock gfs is top notch dont let the price fool you they make good shit. peace

[ZephaniahZion]

What set of the GFS Lipsticks do you have here? 4k,6k,8k calibrated set? Or some other mixture? Thanks, it sounds cool.

[straycatstrut516]

Yeah, that's the calibrated set in there. Thanks!

[deemilieu]

sounds pretty good. the bridge is a little less aggressive than i thought. it would be thinking about a bridge unit, but now i'll go with something else. thanks for the post.

[legofreak2000]

Did you order the pickups, or make them your self? If you made them yourself, where did you get the casing?

[deemilieu]

@legofreak2000 the pickups are bought online from guitarfetish. they're not home made. they cost $40 each.

[brady5991]

hey what is the build type of the neck i know its not warmoth pro cuz it would have a side truss rod adjuster buy the neck pocket is it total vintage or vintage modern?

[straycatstrut516]

It's the vintage modern. I liked it better because the truss rod adjustment was at the headstock. Haven't tried the side adjustment necks yet, but I've heard they do just fine.

[brady5991]

@straycatstrut516 yeah i should of known that cuz its got 22 frets not 21 lol

[georgwashere]

Um guys....EMG's in a strat sound like a strat also! Just because EMG's are associated with Metal/Hard Rock.....you guys think they distort better than any other single pickup would...not true. They have a very authentic strat sound. Not any better or worse than Fender/GFS pickups. Ive got strats with 80's vintage singles, Seymour Duncan APS's and EMG's.....actually the SD's distort better than the EMG's do.

Great playing and sounding guitar...........

Eric

[giantrobot9000]

That sounds fantastic!

I'm looking to put lipsticks into my Strat. The EMGs that are in there are going into a Yamaha Pacifica that I got for cheap but is pretty decent guitar. I figure I know the wood and neck on my Strat are tonally better to begin with, so I'll stick the lipsticks in there, and put the EMGs into the "lesser" guitar since they will make a huge difference and I can use it for high gain/metal stuff.

I like how you have the 3rd knob removed. Only thing I hate on Strats!

[straycatstrut516]

Thanks for the good words! It would be nice to have an EMG-equipped Strat-style guitar to have both sides of the "strat spectrum" covered. Good idea. These pickups are definitely for a "finesse" sound, but they can be pushed with the right overdrive/amp mix.

[guitargod1598]

is the string spacing a factor with these pickups?

[straycatstrut516]

Don't quote me, but I don't think it's an issue. If I'm not mistaken, the magnet is a one-piece bar instead of individual poles. If they were on a guitar with really wide spacing, you might hear a difference on the outer strings. If that's the case, you might want to see if the longer Danelectro pickups fit. Otherwise, these "should" be OK for normal to narrow spacing. Thanks for your feedback!

[arbitermatt]

@straycatstrut516 Or don't appreciate the feedback ;)

I'm such a funny guy

[gneeba]

woaaaaa, sounds soooo clear.

[straycatstrut516]

Thanks! Yeah, I love the way it sounds clean. The pickups hold overdrive and distortion pretty well, but I'm not much of a distortion guy. I appreciate the feedback!

[SconeMason]

nice job

[straycatstrut516]

Thanks... I appreciate the feedback!

[Herfinnur]

Well, I am modding this guitar for studiowork only, the idea being that the pickups are not going to fit together at all. I've always wanted to do something totally moronic sounding to my guitar. I am going to install a DiMarzio Paf Pro in the neck, lipstick in the middle, and a kind of freakshow monster humbucker in the bridge, made by combining a noname but good sounding soapbar and a great singlecoil pickup from a discarded Hohner Prinz.

[straycatstrut516]

Wow... that sounds killer! You gotta post a video of that one!

[Herfinnur]

Thanks, I was thinking about installing a lipstick in the middle slot of my Yamaha Pacifica. Sounds like a very good thing to do

[straycatstrut516]

Cool... they really are great pickups. I will say that (in my opinion) the neck pickup is the best sounding one on this guitar. They also sound great together (neck and mid). Just make sure the outputs work together, especially for a middle pickup. Hope it works out!

[twoboots4you]

Hey, great Strat, and fantastic playing! I have a couple questions. What output pickups did you use? I've got a Tele project in the works that will have a lipstick bridge and middle pickup and no neck pup. Anyway, Guitar fetish only carries 8K in a lipstick tele bridge pup. So I was figuring on using 6K in the middle. but I'm not sure if that will be too low or not. Based on your experience with these pups what do you think? Thanks!

[straycatstrut516]

@twoboots4you Thanks... I appreciate the feedback! I think the 6k would be fine. I think the bigger issue is to make sure reverse-wound/reverse-polarity­, so they sound good together. The jump from 6 to 8 should be just enough to give each pickup their own sound, without being too drastic to switch between during a song. Either way, I'd love to hear how it sounds. Be sure to post a demo!

[straycatstrut516]

@twoboots4you Thanks... I appreciate the feedback! I think the 6k would be fine. In my opinion, the bigger issue is to make sure the middle one is reverse-wound/reverse-polarity­, so they sound good together. The jump from 6 to 8 should be just enough to give each pickup their own sound, without being too drastic. Either way, I'd love to hear how it sounds. Be sure to post a demo!

[jamesreptile1109908]

i like lipstick pickups do you like them? i like to stuf like the who and the beatles and stuff like that. are thay good for stuff like that?

[DrivenBlues]

good ol charleycaster

[straycatstrut516]

Very similar in the way it looks, yes, but with different features. Charley had Danelectro pickups, a hardtail bridge, ebony fretboard and a painted headstock. The two controls were closer to the bridge pickup too. I wanted to use the look, but wasn't too concerned about making too close of a replica. Thanks for watching!

[rockerdude29]

@straycatstrut516 I actually like the vol and tone away from the bridge so I dont hit it when I play fast.Nice guitar though,Ive got a GFS tube in the middle of my strat,its really low output,but it still sounds great.

[ISirius42]

Thanks for the advice, and, again, great job on your guitars.

[ISirius42]

Very nice! Nice selection of color, style, and playing to demo your creation. I'm about to create my own Might Mite/Warmoth guitar. My only concern is getting the placement of the two posts for the trem system. Any advice?

[straycatstrut516]

Thanks! The neck/body fit is crucial; everything must line up. Once the neck is installed, use a good straightedge to locate the center line of the neck (and body). The scale length of the string should be 25.5" but extra will be needed for the saddles to travel for compensation and intonation. Measure an existing Strat for reference. You can also put the E strings thru the bridge to their tuners. Mark it all out with tape, measure, re-measure, measure again and drill. Have fun & good luck!

[ISirius42]

Just an update on my guitar. I followed your advice and measured 3 or 4 times then took the dive. In the end it turned out tight! The1 and 6 strings are even with the sides and the actions is very low. Thanks again!

[straycatstrut516]

Congratulations! Glad to hear that it worked out, and I hope to see/hear it!

[tinqui8]

really nice job, sound very good, nice pickups!!!!

[straycatstrut516]

Thanks! I'm still very very very happy with the way this one came out. I appreciate the feedback!