WireNWood
04-20-2006, 06:42 PM
A couple of months ago I threw out a lowball bid on a mixed lot of pickups on eBay, and won. Among them was a brand new unopened GFS Brooklyn, a big single-coil pickup in a 'bucker box.
http://us.st11.yimg.com/store1.yimg.com/I/yhst-50206111187217_1888_8145257
This model has 2 versions, one claimed to have a "DeArmond vibe" and the other with an extra word added: "raunchy DeArmond vibe". To the best of my ability to determine, I had in my hand the 'raunchy' one for bridge position. Eventually I sent to Guitarfetish and purchased a neck pickup to go with it. Unfortunately my eBay purchase was gold and white and currently this model is only available in chrome and white, so although they match inside they don't quite match on the outside.
Many weeks have elapsed with these pickups just waiting to participate in one of my Dr. Frankenaxe moments. That moment came today.
I had taken the Bill Lawrence (handwound, no finer pickup in the world) 'buckers outta my Ibanez Jet King in order to put them in my PRS-style axe when it arrives from Rondo. That left me with a expendable/experimental/beater/labratory-rat guitar hanging on the wall with 2 gaping holes needing 'buckerage.
Don't misunderstand about the Jet King - it is really a good guitar. Bolt-on, alder, T-O-M, string-through. It has a sweet (if plain) neck & board and with the L500 it'll sustain all day. However, the low purchase price and Fender-like ease of modification have fated it to forever be the victim of my evil machinations. Suddenly in my mind today I saw the 'Nez hanging there needing pups and I rememberd the Brooklyns waiting for a home. Ka-CHING.
So, I soldered 'em in. Two-conductor wiring - they are genuinely single coil pickups. Installation was simple as could be. Volpot...hmmmm... a too-fiddy or a fiver? Prolly should be a 250K but there's a fiver already there, so to hell with it. If they're too bright I'll put the 250 in later. Unfortunately, the guitar looks a little funny because one pup is chrome-n-white while the other is gold-n-white. (Abbey........somebody...) Ah, well... it wasn't pretty anyway.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b11/wirenwood/jet.jpg
I string 'er up & tune, then get ready for a critical listen. I sit in my chair facing the wall of amps, with my pedalboard before me. I turn on four amps. But first, here is what Guitar Fetish says about these pups:
*****************************
"GFS Retrotron series combine the vintage looks and tonality of the best classic pickups with modern levels of gain, sustain and noise resistance.
The Retrotron "Brooklyn" pickups give you that classic Dearmond feel- big, open and airy, but with a tough and gritty edge. They really have the classic tone- similar to an old Gretsch Hi-Lotron, but roughly 35% more output. Remember- we have the matching, calibrated, proportionally spaced Neck pickup as well.
These pickups sound AMAZING in a semi-hollow guitar. I've also installed them in a couple of solid bodies and they have a tremendous amount of edge, but with a full voice- substantially rounder than a Strat pickup, for instance. They clock in around 8.3K- that's PAF readings- so SUBSTANTIALLY more balls than a wimpy 5.2 vintage pickup!"
*****************************
Believe it.
Brother man, believe it.
Lord help me, I've heard the monstrous barking voice of the mother of all juice! These things are out-STANDING! The sound is meaty like a good 'bucker but with a big, round BOING in the sound like good single coil. There is plenty of bass, I hadda bring the bass down on a couple of amps where I've had Teles plugged in lately. Plenty of note distinction - every note has little barbs on the end - with hair on the barbs. Still they are plenty capable of being clear enough to be polite when necessary. Individual note identities remained copiously distinct not only during big power chords but even with extended jazz chords tastily overdriven. Adim7 will get muddy long before G major - but nobody got muddy here. It sounded big and pointed and juicy and ballsy and BAM and round through every amp I own. They seem to like the 500K volpot just fine.
The bridge pickup wasn't too trebly or harsh, even when playing leads around 12-15th positions. Even the lowest registers were not muddy through the neck pickup. "Big, open and airy, but with a tough and gritty edge." Straight up.
There isn't an amp in the house that didn't love these pickups - valve, SS, or hybrid.
Today this guitar makes a kind sound I've always tasted in the quiet corner of my soul and yearned to share. These don't sound ceramic to me, but GFS says they are. The sound is everything I've ever liked about a 'bucker and everything I've ever liked about a good Strat pup all rolled together into one perfectly balanced package....
and then slammed into my face on an 8 ft 2X10.
I like it.
The sound definately has a Gretsch flavor. It reminds me of some of the stuff my dad had when I was a kid, only now played through better amps.
Sixty bucks gets you a matched pair. You can barely buy ONE pickup from Seemore Duckbutt for that.... and his probably doesn't sound nearly this good. They seldom do.
Time will tell how I feel about these after the honeymoon is over.
Brooklyns in a Jet King. Coming soon to a gig near......uhhh....me.
*****************************
Teaser:
I did however, recently find a GFS pickup that I don't like. I bought a set (the model of which is to remain nameless for now) and really felt let down. They finally hit a strike with that model, and I'll give you the info soon. It hasn't soured my attitude about GFS, though. GFS has made me so happy so often that one strike doesn't shake my faith. That one strike sure as hell isn't the Brooklyn. The Brooklyn is a homer ......outta the park.
http://us.st11.yimg.com/store1.yimg.com/I/yhst-50206111187217_1888_8145257
This model has 2 versions, one claimed to have a "DeArmond vibe" and the other with an extra word added: "raunchy DeArmond vibe". To the best of my ability to determine, I had in my hand the 'raunchy' one for bridge position. Eventually I sent to Guitarfetish and purchased a neck pickup to go with it. Unfortunately my eBay purchase was gold and white and currently this model is only available in chrome and white, so although they match inside they don't quite match on the outside.
Many weeks have elapsed with these pickups just waiting to participate in one of my Dr. Frankenaxe moments. That moment came today.
I had taken the Bill Lawrence (handwound, no finer pickup in the world) 'buckers outta my Ibanez Jet King in order to put them in my PRS-style axe when it arrives from Rondo. That left me with a expendable/experimental/beater/labratory-rat guitar hanging on the wall with 2 gaping holes needing 'buckerage.
Don't misunderstand about the Jet King - it is really a good guitar. Bolt-on, alder, T-O-M, string-through. It has a sweet (if plain) neck & board and with the L500 it'll sustain all day. However, the low purchase price and Fender-like ease of modification have fated it to forever be the victim of my evil machinations. Suddenly in my mind today I saw the 'Nez hanging there needing pups and I rememberd the Brooklyns waiting for a home. Ka-CHING.
So, I soldered 'em in. Two-conductor wiring - they are genuinely single coil pickups. Installation was simple as could be. Volpot...hmmmm... a too-fiddy or a fiver? Prolly should be a 250K but there's a fiver already there, so to hell with it. If they're too bright I'll put the 250 in later. Unfortunately, the guitar looks a little funny because one pup is chrome-n-white while the other is gold-n-white. (Abbey........somebody...) Ah, well... it wasn't pretty anyway.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b11/wirenwood/jet.jpg
I string 'er up & tune, then get ready for a critical listen. I sit in my chair facing the wall of amps, with my pedalboard before me. I turn on four amps. But first, here is what Guitar Fetish says about these pups:
*****************************
"GFS Retrotron series combine the vintage looks and tonality of the best classic pickups with modern levels of gain, sustain and noise resistance.
The Retrotron "Brooklyn" pickups give you that classic Dearmond feel- big, open and airy, but with a tough and gritty edge. They really have the classic tone- similar to an old Gretsch Hi-Lotron, but roughly 35% more output. Remember- we have the matching, calibrated, proportionally spaced Neck pickup as well.
These pickups sound AMAZING in a semi-hollow guitar. I've also installed them in a couple of solid bodies and they have a tremendous amount of edge, but with a full voice- substantially rounder than a Strat pickup, for instance. They clock in around 8.3K- that's PAF readings- so SUBSTANTIALLY more balls than a wimpy 5.2 vintage pickup!"
*****************************
Believe it.
Brother man, believe it.
Lord help me, I've heard the monstrous barking voice of the mother of all juice! These things are out-STANDING! The sound is meaty like a good 'bucker but with a big, round BOING in the sound like good single coil. There is plenty of bass, I hadda bring the bass down on a couple of amps where I've had Teles plugged in lately. Plenty of note distinction - every note has little barbs on the end - with hair on the barbs. Still they are plenty capable of being clear enough to be polite when necessary. Individual note identities remained copiously distinct not only during big power chords but even with extended jazz chords tastily overdriven. Adim7 will get muddy long before G major - but nobody got muddy here. It sounded big and pointed and juicy and ballsy and BAM and round through every amp I own. They seem to like the 500K volpot just fine.
The bridge pickup wasn't too trebly or harsh, even when playing leads around 12-15th positions. Even the lowest registers were not muddy through the neck pickup. "Big, open and airy, but with a tough and gritty edge." Straight up.
There isn't an amp in the house that didn't love these pickups - valve, SS, or hybrid.
Today this guitar makes a kind sound I've always tasted in the quiet corner of my soul and yearned to share. These don't sound ceramic to me, but GFS says they are. The sound is everything I've ever liked about a 'bucker and everything I've ever liked about a good Strat pup all rolled together into one perfectly balanced package....
and then slammed into my face on an 8 ft 2X10.
I like it.
The sound definately has a Gretsch flavor. It reminds me of some of the stuff my dad had when I was a kid, only now played through better amps.
Sixty bucks gets you a matched pair. You can barely buy ONE pickup from Seemore Duckbutt for that.... and his probably doesn't sound nearly this good. They seldom do.
Time will tell how I feel about these after the honeymoon is over.
Brooklyns in a Jet King. Coming soon to a gig near......uhhh....me.
*****************************
Teaser:
I did however, recently find a GFS pickup that I don't like. I bought a set (the model of which is to remain nameless for now) and really felt let down. They finally hit a strike with that model, and I'll give you the info soon. It hasn't soured my attitude about GFS, though. GFS has made me so happy so often that one strike doesn't shake my faith. That one strike sure as hell isn't the Brooklyn. The Brooklyn is a homer ......outta the park.