GFS Pups?

C Squared · 10-19-2008, 11:07 AM

I Know I've read a little hear and there about GFS stuff, but when I just tried to do a search not much came up so, sorry for asking again, just need some info please.

I have one of the old Epiphone Les Pauls (92 I think?), and its always needed a rewire and some new pups, the stock one's squealed BAD and naver really had much life. I used it to gig over probably a 10 year span when my Standard was stolen leaving me only a '59 that I was not going to risk bringing out to some bar. Since I've COMPLETELY worn the frets out of it years ago, it hasn't gotten much playing time at all in a few years. Then I figured out that I could just raise the action back up a bit and use it as my dedicated slide guitar. Problem was when I plugged it in all it did was make noise.

It's over due for a rewire, and way over due for a pup swap.

Anyone here try the GFS 59s or HotPats? I'm usually a DiMarzio guy, but since I'm ordering a set of DiMarzios for my LPVM, along with new pots and switches and caps for two guitars, cash is a little tight. I know I remeber reading a few folks that were VERY happy with their new GFS pup, especially considering the cost, just don't remember which models they were. (senior moment?) Looking for something that will get me a ncie fat Allman Bros tone, but still have enough bite to play some nice chunky power chords on.

Thanks

overdriver · 10-19-2008, 01:38 PM

Did you try a youtube search ? I think (senior also) hard to remember sometimes! , there is a guy that did the same deal as you want and used the chunchy PAF ones. I suspose a person could use the vintage 59's . Any way lots of people seem to like the GFS stuff. I have tried the grey bottom strat pups, not too bad at all.
I just sent off a M.O. to a tele forum member for a set of GFS Vintage 59 HB for a Epi LP of mine .Take about 2 weeks for them to get here for me to install. If you still haven't done any thing I will let ya know how they are. A few members here have experienced them . Nice fat ..... chunky power chords, IMO vintage type spec. will do that! letting the amp and or pedals do the work. How about a 59 neck , hotpaf bridge.
Look for em used makes em even cheaper!

JasonC · 10-19-2008, 01:58 PM

I just installed a Fat PAF (or PAT as they call it on the website) to the bridge on my Schecter. It's not bad. A big improvement over the stock DD humbucker... much more complex tonality, clearer mids and trebs... I would say it's pretty close sounding to stock Gibson 49x type pickups, maybe a hair hotter. They don't give me quite the growl I was looking for after trying out some Duncan JB's and Customs... but they are still a great deal for 30 bucks! You'll notice a big difference on your Epi, especially if you go with one of the hotter models I would imagine.

goofballone · 10-19-2008, 02:35 PM

I haave used both the '59s and the Fat Pafs and liked them both great pups for the price, Oh sure they are not going to put WB or WCR out of business but they are better then what I had as stock. Ok now, what was bad? the '59 had a noticable vol. drop, not a lot but enough. and the neck pup of the fat pafs needed a lot of "tuning" to get some of the bass out.

rdex · 10-19-2008, 05:26 PM

try a search for guitarfetish, i've used their 59's crunchy paf/pat and they're pretty decent pups for the money, no wb's, wolftones, etc. but decent

JasonC · 10-19-2008, 05:40 PM

Also, if you do a forum search using "GFS pickups" you can get results instead of just searching for GFS, cause it's too short of a search string... make sure to use quotes.

C Squared · 10-19-2008, 07:07 PM

Thanks all. I'm gonna give a set a try. A Hot Pat and their 59 Neck. Will post results after installation.

overdriver · 10-19-2008, 07:11 PM

[quote=C Squared;365860]Thanks all. I'm gonna give a set a try. A Hot Pat and their 59 Neck.

looks like you will get your before I do. IMO they will be a better pup than what the stock 92's ya got are .

kspeed · 10-19-2008, 10:28 PM

I've only tried the Mean 90's but I wasn't disappointed. They're very clear and articulate, that's for sure - the only thing to wonder about is how they'll sound in your axe through your amp. These were a bit brighter than I anticipated, but were compensated for by switching out 500k pots for 250k. Very pleased

jdwafc · 10-27-2008, 02:49 PM

The good news I've just got the fat pat(bridge) and the vintage 59 (neck) with black chrome covers,and they look awsome.
The bad news is, my new wiring harness with CTS pot's and some vit q's ain't here yet

It's killin me not to put them in with the crap pot's and caps that are aready in.
Real quick delivery as well, usa to uk in six days.

C Squared · 10-28-2008, 12:20 AM

well, ended up with a hot paf neck and bridge. New toggle, new jack, 4 new pots, two new caps, and a WHOLE lotta soldering later (and a bit of a headache) got to fire up these new pups.

They sound pretty damn good. The bridge has decent gain and good bite without getting nasally. The neck has good treble and huge bass response, but even with it quite a distance away its a wee bit louder then the bridge. Works for me since I like to solo on the neck, but giving everyone else a heads up. In the middle position and with the coils split a get a very cool "strat" type sound, and the bridge with the coil split also gives some tremendous single coil bite. All in all well worth the cash I spent.

But I have a damn ground issue somewhere thats driving me CRAZY!!!!!
I get hum in all positions if my hands aren't on the strings...
Any ideas where to check first? This is the first time I've ever done a COMPLETE rewire, usually I've just swapped pups and pots. I followed all the diagrams for what I was doing setup wise and all the pots and switches work correctly, just that damn hum?!?!

Help, please!!!

Weldaar · 10-28-2008, 07:20 AM

Ground problems are sometimes tough. Check each solder joint. You might have something touching or a cold joint.

Skynyrdpicker · 10-28-2008, 12:46 PM

I'm a big fan, they sound great IMO, got them in both my Xavieres.

dtube · 10-29-2008, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C Squared

But I have a damn ground issue somewhere thats driving me CRAZY!!!!!
I get hum in all positions if my hands aren't on the strings...
Any ideas where to check first? This is the first time I've ever done a COMPLETE rewire, usually I've just swapped pups and pots. I followed all the diagrams for what I was doing setup wise and all the pots and switches work correctly, just that damn hum?!?! Help, please!!!

Check your output jack to see if the leads are reversed on it. That is the most-likely culprit for what you describe.
-Darren

lubi77 · 10-29-2008, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdwafc

The good news I've just got the fat pat(bridge) and the vintage 59 (neck) with black chrome covers,and they look awsome.
The bad news is, my new wiring harness with CTS pot's and some vit q's ain't here yet

It's killin me not to put them in with the crap pot's and caps that are aready in.
Real quick delivery as well, usa to uk in six days.

I just got the same setup (based on reading TONS of forums recommending it), but in the zebra style for my blue Epi. I'd love to hear how you like it. I took some "before" pics as well as clean & dirty recording. Once I get them soldered in I'm gonna compare the old and new.

blakem · 10-29-2008, 01:12 PM

I put a pair of GFS in a ES 335 replica I had, they were horrible..probably the series they were...

lubi77 · 10-29-2008, 01:22 PM

That sucks...

I put a set of "Texas Hot" single coils in an old strat knockoff and they sounded awesome. Then again, that might just have been because the knockoffs were so bad. I'm hoping for that kind of result over the stock epi's.

blakem · 10-29-2008, 01:28 PM

yeah..the ones I got were modelled after vintage Gretsch pick ups...they were awful...

lubi77 · 10-30-2008, 10:46 AM

Ok, got them in last night with only a minor burn and 11 swear words. Definitely a HUGE improvement over the stock Epi's. Here's what I learned:

1. I seriously suck at soldering.
2. The "Vintage 59" neck is brighter & clearer. Just plain better all around.
3. The "FAT PAT" bridge is WAY hotter. I have to roll back the volume knob to '3' or less or my wife starts yelling from the other room.
4. It was a fairly subtle difference between the two recordings. I played the exact same thing, with exact same pup selections, through the same amp models. I believe because I was using the Gearbox-Toneport for the recordings is why the differences were so subtle. BUT, when I played the same thing through my PV Classic 30 tuber it was a HUGE difference.

For me personally, I love the setup. I give 'em an 'A' over the stock pickups for sure. Here are the before and after pics (I changed the knobs and took off the PUP selector ring & pickguard cuz I liked the look)

Stock-closeup.jpg Customized-closeup.jpg

Stock-fullfront.jpg Customized-fullfront.jpg

Custom-angled.jpg

tintin · 10-30-2008, 11:13 AM

Congrats!

I'm tempted to get some replacements for my stock Epi Classic/Classic Plus combo, but I already get the Joe's Garage refrain: "Turn it down! Turn it DOWN! I have children sleeping here...Don't you boys know any nice songs?"

overdriver · 10-31-2008, 02:09 AM

I got my vintage 59 set today , going put them in Sat.

lubi77 · 11-05-2008, 10:02 AM

How'd they turn out?

overdriver · 11-06-2008, 02:43 PM

[quote=lubi77;390826]How'd they turn out?[/QUOTE

Got too busy to do it going for this Sat.

not enough hours in a day,I worked putting fire wood in all day , had dinner friends dropped in, then next thing I knew I was fast asleep

jdwafc · 11-12-2008, 01:24 PM

hey, just got the cts harness fitted with the gfs pups (fat pat + 59 neck) the 59 is great, but the fat paf, well i think i've wired something wrong or burnt-out the treble bleed cap/resistor, there's little volume and it sounds BAD. There's gotta be summat wrong. SOMEONE HELP

qwank · 11-19-2008, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lubi77

Ok, got them in last night with only a minor burn and 11 swear words. Definitely a HUGE improvement over the stock Epi's. Here's what I learned:

1. I seriously suck at soldering.
2. The "Vintage 59" neck is brighter & clearer. Just plain better all around.
3. The "FAT PAT" bridge is WAY hotter. I have to roll back the volume knob to '3' or less or my wife starts yelling from the other room.
4. It was a fairly subtle difference between the two recordings. I played the exact same thing, with exact same pup selections, through the same amp models. I believe because I was using the Gearbox-Toneport for the recordings is why the differences were so subtle. BUT, when I played the same thing through my PV Classic 30 tuber it was a HUGE difference.

For me personally, I love the setup. I give 'em an 'A' over the stock pickups for sure. Here are the before and after pics (I changed the knobs and took off the PUP selector ring & pickguard cuz I liked the look)

Attachment 4766 Attachment 4768

Attachment 4767 Attachment 4769

Attachment 4770

hey that looks great!! are all the GFS zebras reversed? i was going to try a set but i dont want reverse zebras. what would happen if i put them in backwards?

idcraft · 11-22-2008, 12:39 PM

I just installed a set of Vintage '59's in my LP. They sound great, a lot better than the stock pickups!

ren2008 · 11-22-2008, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by qwank

hey that looks great!! are all the GFS zebras reversed? i was going to try a set but i dont want reverse zebras. what would happen if i put them in backwards?

sound will most likely be different at each position.

bridge pickup will sound a little less trebly and more bassy.
neck pickup will sound a little less bassy and more trebly.

IMO, i wouldn't do that. im pretty sure no one will notice they are reverse unless they think about it for a minute or so.

and to me, it kinda ruins the look of a LP if the pole pieces are backwards...

10-19-2008, 11:07 AM	#1 (permalink)
C Squared Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Waterbury, CT Posts: 349 Thanks: 14 Thanked 26 Times in 8 Posts	GFS Pups? I Know I've read a little hear and there about GFS stuff, but when I just tried to do a search not much came up so, sorry for asking again, just need some info please. I have one of the old Epiphone Les Pauls (92 I think?), and its always needed a rewire and some new pups, the stock one's squealed BAD and naver really had much life. I used it to gig over probably a 10 year span when my Standard was stolen leaving me only a '59 that I was not going to risk bringing out to some bar. Since I've COMPLETELY worn the frets out of it years ago, it hasn't gotten much playing time at all in a few years. Then I figured out that I could just raise the action back up a bit and use it as my dedicated slide guitar. Problem was when I plugged it in all it did was make noise. It's over due for a rewire, and way over due for a pup swap. Anyone here try the GFS 59s or HotPats? I'm usually a DiMarzio guy, but since I'm ordering a set of DiMarzios for my LPVM, along with new pots and switches and caps for two guitars, cash is a little tight. I know I remeber reading a few folks that were VERY happy with their new GFS pup, especially considering the cost, just don't remember which models they were. (senior moment?) Looking for something that will get me a ncie fat Allman Bros tone, but still have enough bite to play some nice chunky power chords on. Thanks

10-19-2008, 01:38 PM	#2 (permalink)
overdriver V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Brunswick Canada Posts: 3,258 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: GFS Pups? Did you try a youtube search ? I think (senior also) hard to remember sometimes! , there is a guy that did the same deal as you want and used the chunchy PAF ones. I suspose a person could use the vintage 59's . Any way lots of people seem to like the GFS stuff. I have tried the grey bottom strat pups, not too bad at all. I just sent off a M.O. to a tele forum member for a set of GFS Vintage 59 HB for a Epi LP of mine .Take about 2 weeks for them to get here for me to install. If you still haven't done any thing I will let ya know how they are. A few members here have experienced them . Nice fat ..... chunky power chords, IMO vintage type spec. will do that! letting the amp and or pedals do the work. How about a 59 neck , hotpaf bridge. Look for em used makes em even cheaper! __________________ Its done

10-19-2008, 01:58 PM	#3 (permalink)
JasonC Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,339 Thanks: 24 Thanked 3 Times in 1 Post	Re: GFS Pups? I just installed a Fat PAF (or PAT as they call it on the website) to the bridge on my Schecter. It's not bad. A big improvement over the stock DD humbucker... much more complex tonality, clearer mids and trebs... I would say it's pretty close sounding to stock Gibson 49x type pickups, maybe a hair hotter. They don't give me quite the growl I was looking for after trying out some Duncan JB's and Customs... but they are still a great deal for 30 bucks! You'll notice a big difference on your Epi, especially if you go with one of the hotter models I would imagine.

10-19-2008, 02:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
goofballone Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: The mossy side Posts: 205 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: GFS Pups? I haave used both the '59s and the Fat Pafs and liked them both great pups for the price, Oh sure they are not going to put WB or WCR out of business but they are better then what I had as stock. Ok now, what was bad? the '59 had a noticable vol. drop, not a lot but enough. and the neck pup of the fat pafs needed a lot of "tuning" to get some of the bass out. __________________ Some say moneys bad for the sole bad for the rock, bad for the roll bad for the heart, bad for the brain bad for damn near everything...

10-19-2008, 05:26 PM	#5 (permalink)
rdex Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Bradenton, Fl. Posts: 39 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: GFS Pups? try a search for guitarfetish, i've used their 59's crunchy paf/pat and they're pretty decent pups for the money, no wb's, wolftones, etc. but decent __________________ 2000 Les Paul Standard

Today
Les Paul	Sponsored Links __________________ This advertising will not be shown in this way to registered members. Register your free account today and become a member on My Les Paul Forums

10-19-2008, 05:40 PM	#6 (permalink)
JasonC Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,339 Thanks: 24 Thanked 3 Times in 1 Post	Re: GFS Pups? Also, if you do a forum search using "GFS pickups" you can get results instead of just searching for GFS, cause it's too short of a search string... make sure to use quotes.

10-19-2008, 07:07 PM	#7 (permalink)
C Squared Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Waterbury, CT Posts: 349 Thanks: 14 Thanked 26 Times in 8 Posts	Re: GFS Pups? Thanks all. I'm gonna give a set a try. A Hot Pat and their 59 Neck. Will post results after installation.

10-19-2008, 07:11 PM	#8 (permalink)
overdriver V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Brunswick Canada Posts: 3,258 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: GFS Pups? [quote=C Squared;365860]Thanks all. I'm gonna give a set a try. A Hot Pat and their 59 Neck. looks like you will get your before I do. IMO they will be a better pup than what the stock 92's ya got are . __________________ Its done

10-19-2008, 10:28 PM	#9 (permalink)
kspeed Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 618 Thanks: 6 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: GFS Pups? I've only tried the Mean 90's but I wasn't disappointed. They're very clear and articulate, that's for sure - the only thing to wonder about is how they'll sound in your axe through your amp. These were a bit brighter than I anticipated, but were compensated for by switching out 500k pots for 250k. Very pleased __________________

10-27-2008, 02:49 PM	#10 (permalink)
jdwafc Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 20 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: GFS Pups? The good news I've just got the fat pat(bridge) and the vintage 59 (neck) with black chrome covers,and they look awsome. The bad news is, my new wiring harness with CTS pot's and some vit q's ain't here yet It's killin me not to put them in with the crap pot's and caps that are aready in. Real quick delivery as well, usa to uk in six days.

10-28-2008, 12:20 AM	#11 (permalink)
C Squared Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Waterbury, CT Posts: 349 Thanks: 14 Thanked 26 Times in 8 Posts	Re: GFS Pups? well, ended up with a hot paf neck and bridge. New toggle, new jack, 4 new pots, two new caps, and a WHOLE lotta soldering later (and a bit of a headache) got to fire up these new pups. They sound pretty damn good. The bridge has decent gain and good bite without getting nasally. The neck has good treble and huge bass response, but even with it quite a distance away its a wee bit louder then the bridge. Works for me since I like to solo on the neck, but giving everyone else a heads up. In the middle position and with the coils split a get a very cool "strat" type sound, and the bridge with the coil split also gives some tremendous single coil bite. All in all well worth the cash I spent. But I have a damn ground issue somewhere thats driving me CRAZY!!!!! I get hum in all positions if my hands aren't on the strings... Any ideas where to check first? This is the first time I've ever done a COMPLETE rewire, usually I've just swapped pups and pots. I followed all the diagrams for what I was doing setup wise and all the pots and switches work correctly, just that damn hum?!?! Help, please!!!

10-28-2008, 07:20 AM	#12 (permalink)
Weldaar V.I.P. Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: NJ Posts: 1,375 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: GFS Pups? Ground problems are sometimes tough. Check each solder joint. You might have something touching or a cold joint. __________________ *Jeff Flegler - Christian Guitarist* http://www.soundclick.com/weldaar

10-28-2008, 12:46 PM	#13 (permalink)
Skynyrdpicker Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,276 Thanks: 38 Thanked 5 Times in 4 Posts	Re: GFS Pups? I'm a big fan, they sound great IMO, got them in both my Xavieres. __________________ --------------------- Xaviere XV-500 LP copy Xaviere XV-870 Strat Epiphone '58 Explorer S101 EFT-22 Tele Alabama Dobro and more to come! Check out my MySpace!

10-29-2008, 01:12 PM	#16 (permalink)
blakem Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 890 Thanks: 2 Thanked 44 Times in 13 Posts	Re: GFS Pups? I put a pair of GFS in a ES 335 replica I had, they were horrible..probably the series they were... __________________ Never Forget... 1973 Les Paul Custom 50th Anniversary Stratocaster If 6 was 9 I dont mind....

10-29-2008, 01:22 PM	#17 (permalink)
lubi77 Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Tulsa Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: GFS Pups? That sucks... I put a set of "Texas Hot" single coils in an old strat knockoff and they sounded awesome. Then again, that might just have been because the knockoffs were so bad. I'm hoping for that kind of result over the stock epi's.

10-29-2008, 01:28 PM	#18 (permalink)
blakem Senior Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 890 Thanks: 2 Thanked 44 Times in 13 Posts	Re: GFS Pups? yeah..the ones I got were modelled after vintage Gretsch pick ups...they were awful... __________________ Never Forget... 1973 Les Paul Custom 50th Anniversary Stratocaster If 6 was 9 I dont mind....

10-30-2008, 10:46 AM	#19 (permalink)
lubi77 Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Tulsa Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: GFS Pups? Ok, got them in last night with only a minor burn and 11 swear words. Definitely a HUGE improvement over the stock Epi's. Here's what I learned: 1. I seriously suck at soldering. 2. The "Vintage 59" neck is brighter & clearer. Just plain better all around. 3. The "FAT PAT" bridge is WAY hotter. I have to roll back the volume knob to '3' or less or my wife starts yelling from the other room. 4. It was a fairly subtle difference between the two recordings. I played the exact same thing, with exact same pup selections, through the same amp models. I believe because I was using the Gearbox-Toneport for the recordings is why the differences were so subtle. BUT, when I played the same thing through my PV Classic 30 tuber it was a HUGE difference. For me personally, I love the setup. I give 'em an 'A' over the stock pickups for sure. Here are the before and after pics (I changed the knobs and took off the PUP selector ring & pickguard cuz I liked the look) Stock-closeup.jpg Customized-closeup.jpg Stock-fullfront.jpg Customized-fullfront.jpg Custom-angled.jpg

10-30-2008, 11:13 AM	#20 (permalink)
tintin Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 290 Thanks: 41 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: GFS Pups? Congrats! I'm tempted to get some replacements for my stock Epi Classic/Classic Plus combo, but I already get the Joe's Garage refrain: "Turn it down! Turn it DOWN! I have children sleeping here...Don't you boys know any nice songs?" __________________ 08 Epiphone Les Paul Ultra-II Tiger's Eye Faded Cherry 07 Epiphone Maraschino Cherry Burst LP 02 Black and White Mexican Fender Standard Stratocaster with SD Hot Rails

10-31-2008, 02:09 AM	#21 (permalink)
overdriver V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Brunswick Canada Posts: 3,258 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: GFS Pups? I got my vintage 59 set today , going put them in Sat. __________________ Its done

11-05-2008, 10:02 AM	#22 (permalink)
lubi77 Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Tulsa Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: GFS Pups? How'd they turn out? __________________ --------------------------------------------------- 2007 Gibson SG Standard 2007 Fender American Deluxe HSS 2006 Epiphone Les Paul Plus-Top

11-06-2008, 02:43 PM	#23 (permalink)
overdriver V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: New Brunswick Canada Posts: 3,258 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: GFS Pups? [quote=lubi77;390826]How'd they turn out?[/QUOTE Got too busy to do it going for this Sat. not enough hours in a day,I worked putting fire wood in all day , had dinner friends dropped in, then next thing I knew I was fast asleep __________________ Its done

11-12-2008, 01:24 PM	#24 (permalink)
jdwafc Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 20 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: GFS Pups? hey, just got the cts harness fitted with the gfs pups (fat pat + 59 neck) the 59 is great, but the fat paf, well i think i've wired something wrong or burnt-out the treble bleed cap/resistor, there's little volume and it sounds BAD. There's gotta be summat wrong. SOMEONE HELP

11-22-2008, 12:39 PM	#26 (permalink)
idcraft Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Morehead, KY Posts: 19 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: GFS Pups? I just installed a set of Vintage '59's in my LP. They sound great, a lot better than the stock pickups!