ok - what's the real scoop on guitar fetish pickups

[mayfly]

Gentlepeople,

I want to use lipstick pickups for my 12 string build, and I found these ones from guitar fetish:

I've been staying away from GF because it's my perception that the quality is lower than, say, SD.  However, I'm very tempted to get a set of these suckers.

Any folks have experience with GF pickups?  Good?  Bad?

I want the scoop!

- Mayfly

 

[dmraco]

I have never used tham but have been tempted.  I have heard all positive comments.

On another positive note...they are so cheap...even if they suck your total investment is minimal!

They do make some cool looking PUs

 

[jackthehack]

As usual, you get what you pay for, I've tried some sets and not been very happy with them:

1.) "Texas Specials" - I bought one of the overwound sets, they're not horrible, but not especially good either. I would put them about on a par with the pickups in a Fender MIM Strat.
2.) "Vintage Split Humberbuckers Fender Style" - Icepick in your ear trebley, lacking mids/bottom
3.) "Vintage 59 Classic Alnico V Humbuckers" - Muddy as all hell, very low output, about on a par with what comes stock in a $199 Epiphone
4.) "P90 Black Soapbar" - Installed one to test, pulled it out without bothering to install the other

Overall from my experience, these are pretty low quality, ordered by the ship container load from China type pickups. I wouldn't recommend any other than the "Texas Specials", but would encourage one to save up more money and buy a better set. That being said, their customer service is pretty good, the overwound Texas Special set I bought had 2 middle pickups, missing the bridge and they immediately shipped out the bridge pickup and I didn't even need to send the 2nd middle PU back, that should tell you something?

 

[SustainerPlayer]

I've heard a set of those GF lipsticks in a W-strat and I wasn't impressed with the sound.

But I am terribly biased with lipsticks as I am a Talman freak. To my ears the original SLV-1 and SLV-1r has a far superior sound.

Mind you that they do not fit normal pick guard cut outs as these are a bit longer.

http://www.wdmusic.com/kent_armstrong_lipstick_pickups.html

 

[Soylent]

I've used the rails, marko has too along with a few others, and we've both been pretty happy. My 2 cents.

 

[erogenousjones17]

I used the '64 greybottoms in my Strat and am happy with them. You can't go wrong for the price either. And their customer service is great; my pickups disappeared in the mail somewhere and they sent me a new set without putting up a fight.

 

[tfarny]

Mixed experiences here, too, but pickup choice is really personal - I didn't like the SD Pearly Gates as a bridge pickup until I changed the magnet, I really didn't like the Rio Grande P90 (talk about mud), didn't care much for the lil 59s, those are all pickups that various people rave about. I would give them a shot, see if they work for your rig and the sound you're after, if not it's an opportunity to build up those Ebay feedback stars.

 

[shanejw]

I've got them on my Warmoth LP and I really like them.  I think they are the best deal in pickups out there. 

 

[dbw]

The MM4 pickup on my bass is a GFS.

Very difficult for me to judge the sound quality... it's my only bass, my only bass pickup, I'm not a real bassist, and I don't own a real bass cab.  But the construction quality is excellent.  And the price is unbeatable... less than a third of what I would have paid for a brand-name MM4.

 

[m4rk0]

I initially bought a set of lil killers as a temporary solution!  I ended up really liking them though! a lot. so they will stay where the are!
I also really like their loudmouth humbucker, other than that I have not tried any of their other stuff.
when it comes to budget pickups, I was also very impressed with my Tonerider Humbuckers.

Right now, I am really excited about IronGear! I love the Steel twins! I also have a Hot Slag (not installed yet) and am about to buy a steam hammer and a set of jailhouse rails!

 

[Dan025]

it is hard to say what really makes a good pickup. i have been dissatisfied with 90% of seymour duncans i have tried and i like dimarzio's in other peoples guitars, there is a sound that only dimarzio humbuckers seems to produce. i do like most noiseless singles that i have tried other than lace sensors, emg's are easy on the ears but seem to lack some of the pleasantly unexpected qualities of some passive pup's. most of the major manufacturers don't have some magic formula for good pickup sound, they try alot of things and get lucky here and there and leave the rest up to marketting, same with gfs but maybe they get lucky a little less, i wouldn't be opposed to trying them and maybe if they don't sound right there is something that can be done in the circuit to tweek them to what your ears desire.

 

[bpmorton777]

I put a set of Lil killers in my strat (6k in all positions). loved the sound of them might need to be wired split with a super switch for the 2 and 4 positions to sound better on those. I say try them and if you dont like them they are cheap anyway.

Brian

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I also really like their loudmouth humbucker, other than that I have not tried any of their other stuff.

I'm considering a loudmouth for my baritone tele.  I'm tossing up between that or the Liverpool.

I have a Power Rails, very hot, hit's like a sledgehammer.  I've heard some great things from some guys on the S.D. forum about the Vintage Extra Hot's.

I think they're a good option at a reasonable price if you're interested in experimenting.  Not every one can afford to have Jason Lollar custom wide them some pickups, and we all know how expensive it can get buying pickups to try out at $85.00-$130.00 at a wack.

 

[mayfly]

I've heard a set of those GF lipsticks in a W-strat and I wasn't impressed with the sound.

But I am terribly biased with lipsticks as I am a Talman freak. To my ears the original SLV-1 and SLV-1r has a far superior sound.

Mind you that they do not fit normal pick guard cut outs as these are a bit longer.

http://www.wdmusic.com/kent_armstrong_lipstick_pickups.html

You know, those were my first choice until I saw the GF lipsticks.  To my shame I immediately thought "cool - won't have to cut the pickguard!!" when I saw the GF ones  :icon_biggrin:

 

[dbw]

GFS also makes the only tele bridge lipstick pickup that I've found.  And they have a lipstick humbucker.

 

[Watershed]

Yea, I am really close to seeing how those lipstick humbuckers will sound.
I'm thinking of putting a set in a tele deluxe build.
As others have mentioned, I'd be putting a whole $80.00 (for the pair) at risk if they suck.

 

[bpmorton777]

Jack,

I recall a post by you talking about the grey bottom staggers and how they were as good as the Fender custom shop stuff. :icon_scratch:

Brian

 

[blue313]

GFS also makes the only tele bridge lipstick pickup that I've found.

SD makes one (SLS-1B), its just not carried by a lot of places. It is mentioned in their "Calibrated set" that nobody carries either.  :laughing7:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/stratocaster/vintage/lipstick_tube_f/

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

GFS also makes the only tele bridge lipstick pickup that I've found.

SD makes one (SLS-1B), its just not carried by a lot of places. It is mentioned in their "Calibrated set" that nobody carries either.  :laughing7:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/stratocaster/vintage/lipstick_tube_f/

That's for a Strat.

 

[Cagey]

Gentlepeople,

I want to use lipstick pickups for my 12 string build, and I found these ones from guitar fetish:

I've been staying away from GF because it's my perception that the quality is lower than, say, SD.   However, I'm very tempted to get a set of these suckers.

Any folks have experience with GF pickups?  Good?  Bad?

I want the scoop!

- Mayfly

Sound/tone is so subjective, I don't know how anyone could give you any comfort on such a thing. But, consider that the original "lipstick tube" pickups were actually literally built inside surplus lipstick tubes. That should tell you something. GF wants $30 or so for these things, so what's the big whoop? If you don't like it, put it on eBay, and pay $80 for an American made in China version of the same thing in the same factory by the same political prisoners. The extra $50 will probably make it sound better <grin>