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GFS dream 180 pickups


goatman

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i need help selecting some pickups. I wanted to get the GFS filtertrons, when i heard the clean sounds, but the distortion sound is rather ordinary. I'm after a more PAF-ier distortion sound while retaining that beautiful undistorted vintage jangle.

http://cgi.ebay.com/GFS-Dream-180-Vintage-Tone-Tuxedo-finish-Neck-H37_W0QQitemZ180096888462QQcategoryZ22670QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

anyone got any sounds of these?

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I'll be your huckleberry, I've got both! Here's some clips I recorded a while back of each, using a pod xt live and in one clip a trademark 60.

 

http://www.putfile.com/lumpslair

 

liverpool retrotron-best clear tone I've ever heard in a humbucker short of a gretsche. Just love them. They are not hot pickups so I'd suggest the hotter bridge bucker. They overdrive in a decided vintage flavor. I like that alot.

 

Dream 180's-clear is not quite as awesome as the retro's, but still better than other double coils I've played. Very nice indeed. They overdrive more like a traditional double coil. Good, clear, and I'd probably pick these over the retro's if I was going to play primarily heavier distortions.

 

Both were top notch construction, and quite nice looking.

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I'll be your huckleberry, I've got both! Here's some clips I recorded a while back of each, using a pod xt live and in one clip a trademark 60.




liverpool retrotron-best clear tone I've ever heard in a humbucker short of a gretsche. Just love them. They are not hot pickups so I'd suggest the hotter bridge bucker. They overdrive in a decided vintage flavor. I like that alot.


Dream 180's-clear is not quite as awesome as the retro's, but still better than other double coils I've played. Very nice indeed. They overdrive more like a traditional double coil. Good, clear, and I'd probably pick these over the retro's if I was going to play primarily heavier distortions.


Both were top notch construction, and quite nice looking.

 

 

 

they all sound excellent! what guitar/amp/string-gauge were you using for the dream 180?

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I'll be your huckleberry, I've got both! Here's some clips I recorded a while back of each, using a pod xt live and in one clip a trademark 60.




liverpool retrotron-best clear tone I've ever heard in a humbucker short of a gretsche. Just love them. They are not hot pickups so I'd suggest the hotter bridge bucker. They overdrive in a decided vintage flavor. I like that alot.


Dream 180's-clear is not quite as awesome as the retro's, but still better than other double coils I've played. Very nice indeed. They overdrive more like a traditional double coil. Good, clear, and I'd probably pick these over the retro's if I was going to play primarily heavier distortions.


Both were top notch construction, and quite nice looking.

 

 

I agree 100% with your points as well as the original post about the Liverpools being the best clean HBs, but ordinary - sometimes almost boring distorted. They can be dialed right into the neighborhood of a great Tom Petty twang with just a bit of an edge.

 

I had Dream 180s in an Agile that I have since sold (to get my LP Studio) and I currently have Liverpools in my Turser SG.

 

The neck Dream 180 is one of my most favorite pickups I have ever had. I think it is the closest thing I have heard to Slash's tone without going all out for his gear.

 

The 180 and Liverpool are very different from each other and very good at what each does best

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I agree 100% with your points as well as the original post about the Liverpools being the best clean HBs, but ordinary - sometimes almost boring distorted. They can be dialed right into the neighborhood of a great Tom Petty twang with just a bit of an edge.


I had Dream 180s in an Agile that I have since sold (to get my LP Studio) and I currently have Liverpools in my Turser SG.


The neck Dream 180 is one of my most favorite pickups I have ever had. I think it is the closest thing I have heard to Slash's tone without going all out for his gear.


The 180 and Liverpool are very different from each other and very good at what each does best

 

 

how did you find the dream180 bridge model? its on my list but im worried that it'll either be lacking in bass or not be able to handle high gain.

 

although it sounds great in lump's recordings

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how did you find the dream180 bridge model? its on my list but im worried that it'll either be lacking in bass or not be able to handle high gain.


although it sounds great in lump's recordings

 

You are correct on bith concerns. It is a bit thin on the bass and it will not handle high gain very well. IMO The neck pickup totally outclasses the bridge.

 

If I were to get a neck Dream 180 again and wanted another GFS in the bridge, I would consider pairing it with a 59 (which my son has in his Agile)

or a Mean 90 which is a kick ass pickup that DOES handle high gain - better so than any GFS I've used. I have also read good things about the FAT PAF but have nevr used one.

 

I would expect the FAT PAF to handle high gain better than the 59 as well.

 

My only concern there would be differences in output of the FAT PAF vs the 180. The 59 is a closer match output-wise.

 

Mean 90 bridge + Dream 180 neck.... Hmmm :idea:

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they all sound excellent! what guitar/amp/string-gauge were you using for the dream 180?

 

 

don't laugh. it's an OLP orange county choppers. It got given to me.

http://www.samash.com/catalog/showitem.asp?ItemID=38767&ovchn=NXT&ovcpn=Sam+Ash+TL&ovcrn=38767&ovtac=CMP&AffiliateID=615

one of these, but black.

 

I'm yet to get a guitar amp, i'm using an audiotelex lc30 at the moment.

sting gauge is .01

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I put GFS in both my Artcores: crunchy PAFs in the semi-hollow and Fat PAFs in the hollowbody. The difference is most notable on the neck pickup - the PAF has more bass response while the crunchy is brighter. They sound good in their respective guitars. Good pickups for minimal price.

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The dream 180's were strictly the mocking bird in my picture. String gauge of 10. For the dream's I only used my pod XT live. I'm not particularly sure what patches I used, a fender sim for the clean, and I think a marshall sim for the dirty. I didn't realize that I never did a really heavy recording of the 180's, I'll try to get something done soon and post it.

 

I do actually like the overdriven sounds of the retrotrons, I was just trying to say they have more of a vintage flavor too them. Definately lower output too.

 

The dream 180 are more modern sounding. Still not quite the stereotypical humbucker, but alot more so than the retro's. I would not quantify the bridge pickup as lacking low end, but more that the pickup is very even sounding. Alot of pickups can overly accentuate the low end (tone zone comes to mind). This is more of an even range, which in my opinion, is what you'll get with any humbucker that actually sounds good when played clean. Now if your looking for more of the classic humbucker tones then I would point you more towards the PAF's and varients of that, the dreams still have just a bit of gretsche character in them. Clean tone is important to me, so I've come to really love both pickups in there own way. :thu:

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Well, I can't give advice on the Liverpools, but I've had Dream 180s in my OE30 for over a year and they work fine at high distortion levels for me. I find that they have a nice Gretschy twang the closer you pick towards the bridge when played clean. Just my two cents, but they were a great match for the guitar and a great bargain to boot.

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