Members brandass Posted June 3, 2011 Members Share Posted June 3, 2011 Pickups and parts have done well, often very well, for my purposes. Haven't ordered a guitar from them yet, but probably will in the near future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Verence Posted June 3, 2011 Members Share Posted June 3, 2011 I've only ordered parts, and they've been great. However, it bothers me that the descriptions and specs are sometimes inaccurate, even misleading. Like the fretboard radius of the guitars. I emailed them a while back about which specs were right for the new offset line. Some said 7.5, some said 9.5. Evidently those are BOTH wrong, and all Xavieres are a 12 radius. They said they would correct the mistake on the website. Months later they still say 7.5 / 9.5. Even new guitars being added to the site say 9.5 or 7.5, but I guarantee you they're 12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gorebuc Posted June 3, 2011 Members Share Posted June 3, 2011 I've ordered a set of pickups (Memphis Retrotrons) and they delivered what was promised. Thus, I wouldn't hesitate to order another set of pickups. I also have an Xaviere JT-100 and its a very nice Jazzmaster clone. Neck, fit and finish, and electronics are very well done. The pickups nail the Jazzmaster vibe. As far as little parts, I'd rather order from someone else for electronics (with real CTS/Switchcraft parts), but the Wilkinson line of parts they carry are pretty solid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tkachuk07 Posted June 3, 2011 Members Share Posted June 3, 2011 The website can be confusing/have incorrect info. I was interested in Zebra pickups, but the website shows pictures for the screw coil being both creme & black. I asked about what they actually had & got a response, but I wasn't 100% convinced they actually knew what they all had in stock. If I could speak to someone on the phone, we could have maybe done business, but I ordered somewhere else. You can see here the different color schemes right on the same page, but I was led to believe they only have one. http://www.guitarfetish.com/Crunchy-Pat-High-Output-Humbucker-Zebra-Bridge-Position_p_189.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xStonr Posted June 3, 2011 Members Share Posted June 3, 2011 I used to order all my parts from them until I found many of the items even less expensive. I've used their pickups in the past but seem to change them shortly after the honeymoon period has passed. I don't buy their pickups anymore. Their guitars look pretty, but I'll pass on buying one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted June 3, 2011 Members Share Posted June 3, 2011 GFS is pretty much the Behringer of Pickups. They are cheap, cand do the job. Some are better than others. I bought three sets of their pickups and they all been pulled out and sitting in my parts cabs now. They just didnt perform to my standards. You get what you pay for. If you look at it from the point of view of best bang for the buck, then sure, you can buy worse for the money. Alot of the hardware is real cheap import metal. If you just want to make a beat up guitar look better, it will do it. Dont expect any amazing tonal improvements there. As far as their pickups, most are overwound. You see it in every description where they say they give it extra winds like its something thats good. Its a trap to sucker you into thinking you get better tone with more winds. Overwinding makes the sound hotter but in return you get mud. I got great amps and boxes and dont need overwinding. I've pulled nearly every hot wound pickup out of my instruments and replacing them with lower impediance normal/vintage winds. The sound quality is like night and day. You do need a good amp to make them sound good though. If your's using a dinkey practice amp I can see where a hot pickup may give a littel boost to the front end. GFS does have some unique builds too some seem to like. I'm just not convinced they are much better than other simular builds. been burned 3X and thats enough. So my Vote, GFS has lower end components which is fine for low end builds, or guys wanting to try out different pups to see if they can get a different sound. Many are OK for that but that kind of stuff. I cant rate them any higher than that and consider them the Behringer of pickup makers. They copy all the other pickup makers and undercut everyone elses prices. I have nothing agains GFS or Behringer. I have own products from both. But if you consider their stuff as being top of the line, I dont see you as having very high expectations for good tone. Artec and others have many of the same kind of generic pickups sold all over for less money. I recently pulled out a pair of the GFS mini humbuckers in a build and replaced them for Artecs and the sound was absolutely like night and day. I have gibsons with minis and have owned many of them over the years. GFS just doesnt get there because of their stupid overwinding they feel is nessasary for some reason. Same goes for a set of their Filteron type pups I pulled out. I can also buy the same kind of active circuits they sell at 1/4 the cost as well. In know this all sounds negative to some. If you think the stuff sounds great, thats fine. They are just low end stuff to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members honeyiscool Posted June 3, 2011 Members Share Posted June 3, 2011 ^^ Doesn't Artec make GFS stuff? It's odd that you'd consider it night and day. I think that has to be considered a difference in taste rather than in quality. You hate overwound pickups. I generally do as well, except for bridge humbuckers, but that's that. Anyway, BIGD raised a good point in this thread. Considering that Xaviere guitars after shipping can cost more than a Squier Bullet and Affinity (and almost as much as a Squier Standard) from a reputable dealer with free shipping and good returns policy, they should be better than and at least comparable to a Squier Standard. And are they? Grab 10 Squier Affinity Telecasters and 10 XV-820s and I have a feeling the Squiers win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members A-20 Posted June 3, 2011 Members Share Posted June 3, 2011 My experience: they are fine, lower end (mostly) parts at reasonable prices with high shipping. Pickups have been very good value. Never bought guitar necks and such... have had some of their guitars. Guitars: good value, but about what you would expect in that price range. (like getting a good deal on a Jay Turser or Squire). Bottom line: if they have the part or guitar you want/like the looks of/ etc. don't be afraid to buy. Jay the owner will try hard to give you good service if there is a problem, AND THAT MEANS A LOT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members axegrinder Posted June 3, 2011 Members Share Posted June 3, 2011 With one exception, every Squier, SX, or Xaviere guitar I have bought new on line (or in two cases two friends) came with one or more issues varying from junky hardware/electronics to rough frets to poor workmanship or crappy setup (i.e. no setup). Keeping score based on my poor memory we're talking about: 3 Xavieres 4 Squiers 4 SX's Of those eleven guitars, only one (an Xaviere) didn't require more attention than saddle adjustment (height & intonation) out of the box. AT the same time, only one of those guitars had an issue that was not worth addressing on my own (that was an SX). In summary, unless you are prepared to perform a setup or pay for a setup while having some realistic expectation of the quality of the hardware/ electronics, then you have no business ordering a sub $300 guitar on line and expecting perfection out of the box. That's regardless of brand or vendor. IMHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members noisebloom Posted June 3, 2011 Members Share Posted June 3, 2011 I got a Wilkinson MIM-spaced bridge for my Highway One Strat. I like it, and the price was great. I wanted a Callaham, but that's too rich for my wallet. GFS's brass blocks are super cheap. Thinking about getting one for my MIM Strat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twotimingpete Posted June 4, 2011 Members Share Posted June 4, 2011 bought a few xavieres. sometimes there are issues but the return/exchange policy has been pretty good. in every case a lot of setup work is needed. after some work, they're good guitars. for this reason though I would never recommend them to new players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members laserdanger Posted June 4, 2011 Members Share Posted June 4, 2011 bought a few xavieres. sometimes there are issues but the return/exchange policy has been pretty good. in every case a lot of setup work is needed. after some work, they're good guitars. for this reason though I would never recommend them to new players. Totally agree. All these low end guitars can be great bang for your buck if you know how to do a proper set-up. I had good luck with my SX but I basically rebuilt that thing top to bottom. all these guitars and parts fill a niche. My Lil Killer pickup I got from them sounded awful to my ears. I replaced it immediately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vintage55 Posted June 4, 2011 Members Share Posted June 4, 2011 From what I can tell from various comments in a number of threads, GuitarFetish is maybe not what it once was. Jay used to be around here quite often, as he built the company through interaction with forum members. He probably did so on other forums as well. When was the last time he made comment here? Is he still involved? Sold the company? Got what he needed from the forum(s) and feels he doesn't need to be a part of the community any more? Who knows... I've ordered quite a bit from them over the years and never really felt I didn't get what I paid for. But with the rise in their shipping costs (way beyond what is necessary, regardless of any rise in actual shipping costs recently), I'd say something has gone to someone's head...or the company has indeed changed hands and the new owners are confused between the shaft in a pot, and the shaft they're trying to give everyone...maybe from smoking too much pot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ej Posted June 4, 2011 Members Share Posted June 4, 2011 GFS get a lot of praise around here, but after several orders from them I've come to these conclusions: Their electronics decent, not great, but not bad by any means. Their hardware is absolute rubbish. Its cheap for a reason, and even though Jay claims the bridges are made from steel, the screws definitely are not. I have ended up destroying screws on every piece of hardware I've ordered from them. I'm using the right sized bit, their hardware is just crap. I got one decent set of tuners from them, but the other sets have been horrible. All the bridges I've bought have felt cheap (except the floyd rose bridges). It all boils down to you get what you pay for. After years of receiving mediocre parts I've decided I'm done with guitarfetish. I'd rather pay a few dollars more for something quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members scolfax Posted June 4, 2011 Members Share Posted June 4, 2011 Jay used to be around here quite often, as he built the company through interaction with forum members. He probably did so on other forums as well. When was the last time he made comment here? Is he still involved? Sold the company? Got what he needed from the forum(s) and feels he doesn't need to be a part of the community any more? I respect him for the effort he made to communicate with us, but it got to a point where it must have taken a crazy amount of his time to respond to all manner of hostile and/or ridiculous posts. Total speculation on my part, but I would bet that he either decided the kind of exposure he was getting here wasn't positive for his company anymore, or he got tired of the frustration, or HC told him that it was inappropriate use of the forum. Guitar Fetish isn't and never was Stew Mac. Not everyone wants Stew Mac. It's like Target vs. The French Laundry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vintage55 Posted June 4, 2011 Members Share Posted June 4, 2011 That could indeed be the case...there certainly were some posts that were truly unfair to Jay and GF. After awhile, most everyone gets tired of dealing with those who just seem to find joy in complaining. As I said, my experience with GuitarFetish was nothing but positive. The best stuff on the planet? No. But I wasn't paying for or expecting that when I ordered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mac_C Posted June 6, 2011 Members Share Posted June 6, 2011 That's the great thing about the word "sometimes". It is not all inclusive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WRGKMC Posted June 6, 2011 Members Share Posted June 6, 2011 He got his business going off of EBay. I bought something from him in an EBay listing many years ago then discovered he started to sell products direct. Its mostly all budget stuff. I build alot of guitars and have bought from many sellers. GFS is only one of many that sell budget stuff. They just seem to be popular here. There are many others, worth investigating, thet sell better stuff at lower prices. They may just not have their own online store front thats been rhumored throughout all the forums. Honeyiscool. I'm not sure weather artec makes his pickups or not. I've bout artec stuff that is different from what GFS sells. The parts sure look the same but the Pickups impediance in ohms is definately different. GFS may contract from Artec but you can buy direct from Artec as well or from other sellers of Artec stuff. There are other budget imports that use the exact same covers and base plates, magnets etc too so I'm guessing there a bunch of pickup winders flooding EBay all trying to outbid each other. Nearly all sell for less then $20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members andett Posted June 12, 2013 Members Share Posted June 12, 2013 Be VERY careful about what you buy. I have purchase many different items from them. Their Neovin pups are outstanding. Humbuckers are ok. Pedals are spotty on reliability and hardware is generally ok. Avoid their cables like the plague. Be aware that customer service is non-existant. They are clueless as to technical support and, if you are dissatisfied with the performance of a product, expect a runarouns and unanswered e-mails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GilmourD Posted June 12, 2013 Members Share Posted June 12, 2013 andett wrote: Be VERY careful about what you buy. I have purchase many different items from them. Their Neovin pups are outstanding. Humbuckers are ok. Pedals are spotty on reliability and hardware is generally ok. Avoid their cables like the plague. Be aware that customer service is non-existant. They are clueless as to technical support and, if you are dissatisfied with the performance of a product, expect a runarouns and unanswered e-mails. LOL A one-post n00b resurrecting a dead thread on a forum where the owner of the company he's saying has no customer service actually posts. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Nine Toes Posted June 12, 2013 Members Share Posted June 12, 2013 In a nutshell, I believe that Jay has bigtime salesman chops. It's how he makes his living. Descriptions of merchandise available from GFS generally imply that you are buying top shelf products and that GFS has cut through the profiteering b.s. to give you a world class bargain. You can guess the rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Old Fart Rocker Posted June 12, 2013 Members Share Posted June 12, 2013 I've been using their pedal tuner for about a year and it works great. Tracks as good as any pedal tuner I've tried and the display is REAL bright and large. This helps an old fart like me at a gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Steadfastly Posted June 13, 2013 Members Share Posted June 13, 2013 To me, their guitars look cheap. On the other hand, I would buy some of their parts. I would buy from Rondo, though and will likely end up getting an LP from them in the not too distant future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members *BLEEP* Posted June 14, 2013 Members Share Posted June 14, 2013 Nine Toes wrote: In a nutshell, I believe that Jay has bigtime salesman chops. In a nutshell, Jay needs to go to intensive grammar and spelling clinics. Plenty of the product descriptions on the GFS website are sophomoric. Other product descriptions are lacking information, like he was bored that day or in a rush. Misspelled words are sprinkled all over the place. Years later, those flawed product descriptions remain that way. Maybe 60 percent of the GFS pickups are pretty good to excellent values. Maybe 90 percent of the hardware he has for sale are pretty good to excellent values. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Scott Abene Posted June 14, 2013 Members Share Posted June 14, 2013 I have bought a few bodies from them and the quality is usually a 5-6 out of 10. They do not seem do any QA on items in my opinion. The pickups and such that I have bought have been in the 6-8 out of ten range. Not amazing but still great for the money. It is my opinion that their communication skills and gerneral customer service is a 3-4 out of 10 at the best. I tend to go through DragonFire lately because they ship fast and communicate well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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