Who Is Using Gfs Pickups?

[chiliphil1]

I’ll add another thing.

GFS sells an electronics upgrade kit for les Paul’s and strats. You get new pots, caps, and a switch in there. I have ordered 2 of these, the first one I had to replace one of the pots as it flat didn’t work right out of the box, the second one is still in use but it does cut out occasionally and give static when moving the knob.

These guys have an awesome marketing team as everything on their site is advertised as the greatest thing ever made but, I don’t think that they have any quality stuff at all.

Imagine if the rogue brand of guitars had an “upgrades” division and that’s pretty much what you’re getting with GFS.

 

[paul-e-mann]

I’ll add another thing.

GFS sells an electronics upgrade kit for les Paul’s and strats. You get new pots, caps, and a switch in there. I have ordered 2 of these, the first one I had to replace one of the pots as it flat didn’t work right out of the box, the second one is still in use but it does cut out occasionally and give static when moving the knob.

These guys have an awesome marketing team as everything on their site is advertised as the greatest thing ever made but, I don’t think that they have any quality stuff at all.

Imagine if the rogue brand of guitars had an “upgrades” division and that’s pretty much what you’re getting with GFS.

I hear ya on that, their descriptions on everything are over the top how good it is, but we all know its cheap stuff from China but we all want to believe the fairy tale LOL. The pickup I got from them isn't a bad pickup it just needs a little work. Another subject, I have a Fender Atomic humbucker the low gain one around 8.5K with A2 magnet (Fender support said it was) and its bright as hell, goes against everything I would expect it to sound like. I thought about pulling that magnet and stick it in the GFS but then I dont really know what magnet it actually is so I think I'd be better off buying a new magnet to try.

 

[wakjob]

I guess I'm easy to please.

I find some 'Duncan Design' and stock Ibanez pickups
like the V8 in particular to be great.

 

[paul-e-mann]

Mojotone is cool, or if you want to get one cheaper a friend of mine that winds his own pickups recommended this to me. http://stores.ebay.com/addictionfxguitarandsound/

I haven't bought from there yet, but I trust the guy that gave me the link.

I just ordered a pair of rough cast A2 magnets from this guy. I'm looking forward to this experiment. I'll put one in the GFS and the other in the Atomic and see which pickup I like better or if they sound the same. Thanks Steve!

 

[Kinkless Tetrode]

I just ordered a pair of rough cast A2 magnets from this guy. I'm looking forward to this experiment. I'll put one in the GFS and the other in the Atomic and see which pickup I like better or if they sound the same. Thanks Steve!

Hope the magnet swaps work out for you.

I would say based on my experience, you don't want the 36th in a bright guitar since you asked about that up thread. The Air Classic on the other hand from them would certainly be one to try though.

On the general question about GFS pickups, I have not had good luck with their humbuckers, but their strat single coils I have liked.

They carry Wilkisen hardware too. The wilk bridges and tuners are good quality parts and not that much more money than their regular cheap stuff. A wilk 6 screw vintage trem with a rolled steel block would be a massive upgrade on the MIM stock bridge.

Maybe its a just poor piece of wood though.....

 

[DirtySteve]

I just ordered a pair of rough cast A2 magnets from this guy. I'm looking forward to this experiment. I'll put one in the GFS and the other in the Atomic and see which pickup I like better or if they sound the same. Thanks Steve!

You're welcome.

 

[Bruno60]

I use a pair of vintage59, a pair of P90 means and one Power rails ( bridge on superstrat).
They are all really good pup's !

 

[paul-e-mann]

You're welcome.

How do I know which way the original magnet is oriented, north-south, up-down, etc., so I put the new magnet in correctly?

 

[Kinkless Tetrode]

Get a compass, a boy scout compass will do, and measure the old mag as you pull it out. Maybe write it down or mark the old mag with a Sharpie. Then use the compass to make sure the new mag is orientated the same as you slide it in.

 

[DirtySteve]

Just slide the magnet half way out, then take your new magnet and put it beside the new one, it should attract, if it repels flip the new magnet over and it should stick. Now it's correctly oriented and you can pull the old one out and slide the new one in.

I do it by sliding the magnet out one end, sometimes it's very difficult to break it free from the wax seal and you have to be careful not to pinch any wires doing it this way. Some guys like to remove the base plate. Either way, the same rule applies for orienting the magnet correctly.

 

[paul-e-mann]

Get a compass, a boy scout compass will do, and measure the old mag as you pull it out. Maybe write it down or mark the old mag with a Sharpie. Then use the compass to make sure the new mag is orientated the same as you slide it in.

So there's 4 sides and 2 ends, does it matter which side is up or only which way the ends are, or both?

I do recall as a kid playing with magnets, they either attract or push away from each other depending on the orientation. Doesn't this tell you which way to orient the magnet in the pickup?

 

[paul-e-mann]

Just slide the magnet half way out, then take your new magnet and put it beside the new one, it should attract, if it repels flip the new magnet over and it should stick. Now it's correctly oriented and you can pull the old one out and slide the new one in.

I do it by sliding the magnet out one end, sometimes it's very difficult to break it free from the wax seal and you have to be careful not to pinch any wires doing it this way. Some guys like to remove the base plate. Either way, the same rule applies for orienting the magnet correctly.

What about the flat side, does it matter which side is up?

 

[DirtySteve]

No. As long as they stick like I show in the pic, that's all you need to worry about.

 

[paul-e-mann]

No. As long as they stick like I show in the pic, that's all you need to worry about.

Awesome thanks!

 

[clutch71]

I have a Squier S73 that I've replaced the tuning keys, bridge, tailpiece, pots, switch, caps, input, and pickups twice...SD custom custom and now a Brandon wound. The guitar has a "hair" to it that I don't like and can't dial out. The money I've put into it is well beyond its worth.

I guess at some point you have to ask yourself...Do you just not like the guitar and it's time to move on? That's kind of where I'm at.

This thread is interesting though. I may go ahead and order A2 magnet and put it in the original pickup(very JB like) and reinstall it. If I don't love it then.... I'll cut bait and sell it.

 

[paul-e-mann]

I have a Squier S73 that I've replaced the tuning keys, bridge, tailpiece, pots, switch, caps, input, and pickups twice...SD custom custom and now a Brandon wound. The guitar has a "hair" to it that I don't like and can't dial out. The money I've put into it is well beyond its worth.

I guess at some point you have to ask yourself...Do you just not like the guitar and it's time to move on? That's kind of where I'm at.

This thread is interesting though. I may go ahead and order A2 magnet and put it in the original pickup(very JB like) and reinstall it. If I don't love it then.... I'll cut bait and sell it.

Magnets get delivered today so I'll be posting something tonight and let you know if it made a noticeable difference or not.

 

[paul-e-mann]

The A2 didnt do anything, the top end of the GFS is still shrill sounding. No soldering tonight, I'll try the Atomic tomorrow, I dont have high hopes though.

So whats the deal? This pickup had an A5 magnet and has 42 gauge enamel wire, nickel pole pieces. What makes it so shrill? Why didn't the magnet swap make a difference?

 

[paul-e-mann]

Didnt do anything for the Atomic either, still shrill as hell. Disappointment...

So what do I do, its got 250K pots, shrill humbuckers with A2 magnets, I think the cap is a stock .022, will changing the cap to something else eliminate the shrillness?

 

[telemarshall]

I put some GFS Surf 90's in my Gretsch G5120, and they sound pretty good. Definitely better than the stock muddy "Gretschbuckers". I've decided that the Surf 90's will be staying in this one.