LeeVanCleef
Joined: Oct 05, 2011
Posts: 744
France
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Posted on Feb 22 2014 06:07 PM
Hello,
Looking for some pickups for several projects.
GFS Dream 90: need a neck one, black top w/ chrome trim, but pearloid top will do.

GFS Surf 90: need a full set of these (bridge and neck), black or white top w/ chrome trim.
Fender FideliTron: need a neck one. Those aren't very common, anybody upgrading their Cabronita or RI Coronado by any chance?
GFS Vintage Split pickups (Wide Range style pickups, regular humbucker sized): need a full set with chrome covers.
I'm in Europe, but willing to pay for shipping from the US of course.
— Old punks never die... They just become surf rockers.
Last edited: Jul 29, 2014 13:23:58
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LeeVanCleef
Joined: Oct 05, 2011
Posts: 744
France
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Posted on Mar 12 2014 06:52 AM
Bump for visibility.
— Old punks never die... They just become surf rockers.
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LeeVanCleef
Joined: Oct 05, 2011
Posts: 744
France
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Posted on Mar 30 2014 02:51 PM
Bump.
— Old punks never die... They just become surf rockers.
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DonBale
Joined: Feb 24, 2014
Posts: 156
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Posted on Mar 30 2014 03:40 PM
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blackheartsfan
Joined: Jun 13, 2009
Posts: 274
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Posted on Mar 31 2014 08:16 PM
I've got a "Like New" set of black Surf 90's in my Squier II custom built Surf Special Strat, the guitar hasn't seen much use and I'll be putting the single coil loaded pickguard back on. The Surf 90's are mounted in a red/brown tortoise Strat pickguard. Are you interested? I'll include the GFS pots, caps, and 3-way switch, etc. Overseas shipping is ok, I've shipped to Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Germany, Italy with NO problems.
Last edited: Mar 31, 2014 20:24:25
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Stokemon
Joined: Feb 09, 2010
Posts: 413
Goleta, CA
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Posted on Mar 31 2014 10:07 PM
If Mr. VanCleef is not interested, I most certainly am. Lee gets first shot, since it's his thread. Please update the thread or PM me either way. Thanks!
— You're not drunk if you can put your socks on while standing.
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LeeVanCleef
Joined: Oct 05, 2011
Posts: 744
France
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Posted on Apr 01 2014 02:37 PM
PMed back to blackheartsfan.
— Old punks never die... They just become surf rockers.
Last edited: Apr 01, 2014 14:38:17
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LeeVanCleef
Joined: Oct 05, 2011
Posts: 744
France
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Posted on May 08 2014 02:15 PM
OK, so there's a pair of Surf 90s on their way to me (thanks again blackheartsfan!) and I found a FideliTron on eBay. I still need a neck position chrome trim GFS Dream 90 if anybody has one for sale. Or maybe another neck position Surf 90 instead?
— Old punks never die... They just become surf rockers.
Last edited: May 08, 2014 18:56:07
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on May 09 2014 04:51 PM
I've just seen a photo of a stripped down GFS Dream 90, looks like a normal single coil under the cover ..in which case I'm interested in one of those myself. I believe GFS and Artec (in some cases)are the same item, the bonus being that I can find Artec stuff on eBay UK where as GFS is almost non existent.
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LeeVanCleef
Joined: Oct 05, 2011
Posts: 744
France
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Posted on May 10 2014 04:19 PM
Dream 90s have a smaller, Strat-like bobbin, but apparently they use big flat bar magnets, like P90s. That would be consistent with the way they sound -- somewhere in between a regular single coil and a P90.
Here's what the owner of GuitarFetish has to say about them and the difference with the more classic Mean 90s:
The Dream 90s use basically one very overwound coil with flat bar magnets- the Mean 90 uses a typical P90 wide and flat style coil, shaved down to fit the humbucker shell.
Not sure if these are the pics you saw? The wide bar magnets are visible at the bottom. Sorry about the tiny pics, apparently the originals were deleted and all I could retrieve were the thumbnails from Google Image Search.

— Old punks never die... They just become surf rockers.
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JObeast
Joined: Jul 24, 2012
Posts: 2762
Finknabad, Squinkistan
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Posted on May 12 2014 12:51 PM
Anyone have an idea where GFS parts are mfrd? PRC, Taiwan, Indonesia, Korea, all of the above? Whenever there is no country of origin indicated, I suspect it's PRC.
— Squink Out!
Last edited: May 12, 2014 12:51:48
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on May 12 2014 01:18 PM
No idea where from but GFS, Artec Vanson, Winkinson, Entwhistle and other are probably using the same far east source, I can't prove that though. I recently bought an used non working Artec Hot Tele neck pup for shrapnel (coin money), Identical to the GFS version. Fairly nice materials including fiber bobbins, Alnico 5 slugs, pseudo cloth wires, wax potted and taped over windings. Problem was the half sized eyelet had come adrift.
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JObeast
Joined: Jul 24, 2012
Posts: 2762
Finknabad, Squinkistan
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Posted on May 13 2014 08:45 PM
What about Bill Lawrence here in LA? He makes a full line of single coils for $60 and less per piece. All made by him, by hand. No Far East sourcing, AFAIK.
— Squink Out!
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caddady
Joined: Feb 14, 2010
Posts: 802
N.E. Ohio
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Posted on May 14 2014 10:42 AM
I put the Dream 90s in a squire tele. Joy!
Had a prob with a bridge, Larry at GFS made it right. Joy again.
Put in a set of HB size Vintage Split (fender wide tone clone sized for HB routing. Triple Joy!!
where ever they are sourcing, the stuff is working and customer service is strong.
— http://www.reverbnation.com/thegreasemonkeyz
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LeeVanCleef
Joined: Oct 05, 2011
Posts: 744
France
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Posted on May 14 2014 11:24 AM
From what I read, GFS pickups are made in Korea, like most if not all low budget pickup brands (Artec et al.), and even some models from major manufacturers, like Fender's FideliTrons. They are likely made in the very same factory. I know for sure that GFS and Artecs are.
But if what GuitarFetish claims is true, the pickups are made specially to their specifications by the manufacturer. I have no reason to doubt that; this practice tends to become very common with Far East manufacturing.
Those Far East pickups generally use low cost materials, but that doesn't mean they are low quality. Except for a few models (mostly humbuckers), GFS pups sound very good in my experience. More expensive doesn't necessarily equal better sounding, especially with something as subjective as guitar tone.
That being said, I'm planning to build my definitive dream guitar someday -- Firebird body with Jazzmaster hardware -- and nothing but Novak pickups will do for it. 
EDIT: cadaddy, I'd be very interested in hearing more of your opinion about the Vintage Splits. While they're not built like the original OOP Wide Ranges, they seem to sound petty good.
— Old punks never die... They just become surf rockers.
Last edited: May 14, 2014 11:35:18
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Surf_Skater
Joined: Sep 06, 2012
Posts: 1300
Lawrenceville , GA
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Posted on May 14 2014 11:42 AM
JObeast wrote:
What about Bill Lawrence here in LA? He makes a full line of single coils for $60 and less per piece. All made by him, by hand. No Far East sourcing, AFAIK.
Didn't he pass away recently?
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on May 14 2014 11:52 AM
Spot the difference. I don't see many GFS pickups on eBay UK but I do see plenty of Artec. I found this Telecaster pickup was also sold as a generic no name pup, the seller boasted it out performed Seymour Duncan's version.

BTW. I like what I've read about Bill Lawrence, he makes a nice single coil sounding Humbucker but alas import duties/tax/shipping...
Last edited: May 14, 2014 11:53:51
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on May 14 2014 12:25 PM
Surf_Skater wrote:
JObeast wrote:
What about Bill Lawrence here in LA? He makes a full line of single coils for $60 and less per piece. All made by him, by hand. No Far East sourcing, AFAIK.
Didn't he pass away recently?
Wife taken over the business I think..
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Surf_Skater
Joined: Sep 06, 2012
Posts: 1300
Lawrenceville , GA
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Posted on May 14 2014 02:56 PM
crumble wrote:
Surf_Skater wrote:
JObeast wrote:
What about Bill Lawrence here in LA? He makes a full line of single coils for $60 and less per piece. All made by him, by hand. No Far East sourcing, AFAIK.
Didn't he pass away recently?
Wife taken over the business I think..
Yeah, I looked it up after I posted that and saw he passed away back in November. I do want to warn anyone looking at Bill Lawrence pickups to beware of Bill Lawrence USA. This guy is an old business partner of his that somehow retained rights to his name and sells Asian guitars and pickups under his name. I have one of his Swampkaster T's that I bought used. Assembled in the US not made in the US.
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caddady
Joined: Feb 14, 2010
Posts: 802
N.E. Ohio
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Posted on May 14 2014 03:48 PM
Msr VanCleef,
cada'ddy, I'd be very interested in hearing more of your opinion about the Vintage Splits. While they're not built like the original OOP Wide Ranges, they seem to sound petty good'"
I cut my teeth on Gibson SG's and have been looking for a guitar that will feel and sound familiar, like and SG but with the surf/instro look (Jaguar).
The Squire VM Jag with two humbuckers, and two controls has done it, and these GFS pickups were just what I needed to make it right for me. It growls when I want it to and chimes when I want. I play rhythm so different from the lead player (single coils) is good. They look like they were designed to be in this guitar (humbuckers with no covers are just so naked).
I dig them a lot.
— http://www.reverbnation.com/thegreasemonkeyz
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