Anyone use GFS Dream 180 humbuckers?

[Gear_Junky]

Just received mine (gold/pearl covers to match my LP copy). Will have to wait to swap them until it's time to change strings. I also ordered a replacement bridge, straplocks and Wilkinson locking tuners (which are a pretty smart design and why don't we have that on all our tuners?).

So I already know that they're expected to be "tight and fat", "warm and creamy", "clear and defined" even with overdrive, etc. I did do a lot of reading prior to ordering. Years ago my pickups were Gibson Classic '57's in an Epiphone Les Paul Custom, so that's kinda what I was going for, without paying over 3 bills.

Anybody else use these? What type of guitar and amp and what sounds are you getting?

Thanks!

 

[Gear_Junky]

Done! Installed! after a few hours of work - I was also replacing the bridge, tuners, installing straplocks, all from Guitar Fetish.

I've only done soldering, guitar modding a few times in my life and I'm not too good at schematics/electronics, so I was really taking my time. Also the control cavity was cramped and I only had a thick solder tip.

Anywho, they're installed and working. I went with just humbucking mode for now (no coil-splitting), just a standard Les Paul wiring.

The guitar is Brownsville GG1 "vintage" sunburst (more like "honey" or "amber" sunburst, I like it) - an imitation take on Les Paul Standard.

The stock pickups were actually quite good, but somewhat sterile. I guess that's the term usually used to describe ceramics.

the Dream 180's definitely have something happening. Some kind of warmness or sweetness, quite subtle, but enough to notice. The guitar now sounds VERY les-paulish.

I haven't had a chance to play around with much overdrive and different settings. I don't own a tube amp, so I'll be using my Behringer GDI21 (SansAmp GT2 knockoff) to test-drive it until I can play it through somebody's tube amp. GDI21 itself was pretty good at adding warmness and sparkle, but I think now it's more complex. I don't have a great ear for this as I don't compare many guitars and haven't really played with the stock pickups that much either.

Stock pickups had a lot of impedance difference:
neck: 8.67 kOhm
bridge: 16.54 kOhm

the Dream 180's are:
neck: 11.5 kOhm
bridge: 13+ kOhm so a little better matched, I guess, I don't know how it should be.

I'll have to post some pics, it really looks nice now!

Also, I gotta give it to Jay of GuitarFetish.com - good parts. The "locking tuners" are not really locking like Schallers, but then they aren't $70 either. They simply have 2 stringpost holes at 90-degree angle. Still, much better than the stock - those were truly cheesy. Stayed in tune, but cheesy-feeling.
The screw holes "almost" matched. I was worried at first, but then just screwed in the little screws at slight angle - the way they wanted to go and it's fine and tight.

Strap-locks are as nice as Sperzels. I like Schaller's design better, but again, 1/2 the price.

The bridge too was nice - those "large bushings" or whatever, the actual pins that you drive into the wood - were a much tighter fit than stock. The stock ones I just pulled out by hand. These I hammered in gently and there's no removing them without a tool now. The bridge is a bit more massive, with sturdier saddles (not clunky) and no stupid spring bracket, which is a pain to install, when you need to reverse the saddles.

I can now begin to enjoy my guitar to the full, a veritable les paul, at about $296 all together

this guitar is a "kit", just like those Epiphones. Epis are nice, but cost way more. their stock parts are about the same - tuners, bridge and pickups are throw-aways. they're probably even made at the same factory.

 

[CoolCat]

post some pics! sounds good....
sounds like some mods paid off.

 

[Gear_Junky]

ok, here are the "before" pics. i am confused by the forum's attachments, so in case the modded pics take over these, i'm sorry!

my camera keeps making the honey sunburst look like red or "cherry". it's not, it's more amber.

 

[Gear_Junky]

Ok, here are the modded pics:

 

[CoolCat]

nice pics...$296 wow.
yes, the "before" were more red-burst?
the after had the honey amber.

guitarfetish has a lot of good rep's. they come up at Squier 51' stuff too.

have you played many LesPauls?
how does this one rate comparable to the LP Studio, or Standard, or Custom etc..?

 

[Zaphod B]

Very cool looking pickups you've got there. I'm glad you like the sound - I hope you enjoy 'em.

 

[Gear_Junky]

i haven't had a chance to A/B this with any gibsons and I've only owned an Epi Les Paul Custom before, which I upgraded to gibson classic '57 pups. that was years ago, and with different amp, so it's kinda hard to really compare.

and i have yet to plug this one into a good amp - i just can't afford one now, so i picked up a used brownsville 35gr solid state amp for $39. and I also have a behringer v-tone gdi21 amp simulator, so i get some nice tones, but haven't "stopped" on any particular settings yet. also, i'm still in the process of adjusting the pups and the poles.

all i know is that i needed a cheap useable guitar, which would also look nice, so this is it. the epiphone i had i bought used, good price, but all in all, after the gibby pickups, locking tuners it cost me about $700+ (i sold it at a premium, of course )

this one, as you saw, is done at $296, so i'm glad.

i really had no illusions about it being same as a gibby les paul, but who knows, maybe i'll take it to the store and A/B it just for fun.

I actually really don't know if Studio/Standard/Custom should sound different (other than maybe different pickups). I thought they differed more because of the decorations and maybe feel of the fretboard. I could be wrong.

all i know is i truly dislike the appearance of Studio's and other non-archtop les pauls, just isn't right. too plain. double cutaways may look nice, but they really don't look like a les paul.

i'll try to come back with more impressions I get.

 

[Gear_Junky]

just to be clear: it was my camera that made the first pics look "red" - i didn't do anything to the finish, only new pickups/tuners/bridge.

... the "before" were more red-burst?
the after had the honey amber.

 

[CoolCat]

and i have yet to plug this one into a good amp - i just can't afford one now, so i picked up a used brownsville 35gr solid state amp for $39. and I also have a behringer v-tone gdi21 amp simulator, so i get some nice tones, but haven't "stopped" on any particular settings yet. also, i'm still in the process of adjusting the pups and the poles.

maybe i'll take it to the store and A/B it just for fun.

I actually really don't know if Studio/Standard/Custom should sound different (other than maybe different pickups). I thought they differed more because of the decorations and maybe feel of the fretboard. I could be wrong.

all i know is i truly dislike the appearance of Studio's and other non-archtop les pauls, just isn't right. too plain. double cutaways may look nice, but they really don't look like a les paul.

i'll try to come back with more impressions I get.

I played a humbucker LP copy through a Valve Jr amp and it was frkn nice.... a single 12" or something basic speaker. But it was really impressive, we did have it on full volume and the Valve Jr seemed to come to life around 12 oclock. Cheap and fun.

I admit this LP copy was so nice, better than any real one I've played in some time. I forget the wood type and all that, but as a "player" and not a "re-sale" this copy was really nice.

I haven't got used to the flat non-gloss-surfaces either. I saw a SG, it looked ok with the non-gloss paint.

Yeah A/B it with the big dollar items.... unless your all about resale, then of course you need the "real" deal. But as a player, thats a nice looking LP with some interesting mods and for $296 thats amazing. Thats like 1961 prices!

 

[Gear_Junky]

ya know, i've been reading about these Valve Juniors for a while now. I tried the head, but it must've been plugged into a bad cab, wasn't bright at all. now SamAsh is supposed to have the combos, so maybe i'll mosey on over there with my guitar and check it out. can't hurt. it's too bad there's no reverb on the junior, but maybe it can be cured with a pedal.