Members PunkKitty Posted July 3, 2011 Members Share Posted July 3, 2011 Here's my Artcore with Surf 90's. These restored my faith in GFS pickups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xStonr Posted July 3, 2011 Members Share Posted July 3, 2011 I agree with the OP. I can't believe how fine these pickups sound. I usually buy GFS p/u's based on the price and use them for a week or so, then dislike them, and flip em. These Surf 90's just sound sooooo good. I have them installed in my Wilshire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chuck1016 Posted July 3, 2011 Members Share Posted July 3, 2011 Has anyone pulled the shell off of these yet? I would really like to know how they're constructed. I assume they're tall/thin bobbin like a strat, but what is taking up the rest of the housing? Do the adjustment screws really work like the old DeArmonds? If anyone has a pic of these without the covers I'd love to see it. Something like this: (Dream 90) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cratz2 Posted July 3, 2011 Members Share Posted July 3, 2011 I hadn't clicked back on this thread since I commented but MAN... Uma's tele is SMOKIN' hot! I think that might be my new favorite guitar on HC... at least my favorite tele. OP speaks truth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jmgruber Posted July 3, 2011 Members Share Posted July 3, 2011 Do the adjustment screws really work like the old DeArmonds? I have not seen a naked picture of these. The screws are just for looks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Uma Floresta Posted July 3, 2011 Members Share Posted July 3, 2011 They're basically just a single coil in a humbucker casing. Magnetic pole pieces. Some extra shielding tape that goes around both the coil and the screws (the screws are just for looks). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members shaun126 Posted July 3, 2011 Members Share Posted July 3, 2011 They're basically just a single coil in a humbucker casing. Magnetic pole pieces. Some extra shielding tape that goes around both the coil and the screws (the screws are just for looks). Ever try em with some fuzz? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Uma Floresta Posted July 3, 2011 Members Share Posted July 3, 2011 Ever try em with some fuzz? Yup, they work great with fuzz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members shaun126 Posted July 3, 2011 Members Share Posted July 3, 2011 So would your opinion be they are "strat like sound" in a HB case? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members vintage clubber Posted July 3, 2011 Members Share Posted July 3, 2011 So would your opinion be they are "strat like sound" in a HB case? I would put them somewhere between a fatter strat and a P-90. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thick_mike Posted July 3, 2011 Members Share Posted July 3, 2011 OP speaks truth. That's a hot tele, but the Bigsby is strung in a bit of an odd way. Don't the strings normally go over the back bar and under the front one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thesinner66 Posted July 3, 2011 Members Share Posted July 3, 2011 Thought I would throw my Surf 90s in the thread. LURVE THEM! Made my Gretsch sound the way I hoped it would and that usually never happens. Photo attached and a link to the song "Apache" I created with the Surf 90s and Gretsch: http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_6601717 I love the hot-rodding design done on the guitar. Was the Surf 90 a direct drop in replacement for teh stock 5120 P/U? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Squier Fat Telecaster Posted July 4, 2011 Members Share Posted July 4, 2011 So, the screws are just for looks and non-functional? It's jsut a single coil on one side of the baseplate? Hmm......was thinking of these but not sure if they seem worth it. It's kinda liek Fender putting a normal size humbucker in the Wide Range Humbucker shell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PunkKitty Posted July 4, 2011 Members Share Posted July 4, 2011 These are different than any regular single coil that I've tried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Uma Floresta Posted July 4, 2011 Members Share Posted July 4, 2011 So would your opinion be they are "strat like sound" in a HB case? No, IMO. They should like a somewhat brighter version of DeArmond Dynasonics. More body than a Strat pickup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Uma Floresta Posted July 4, 2011 Members Share Posted July 4, 2011 That's a hot tele, but the Bigsby is strung in a bit of an odd way. Don't the strings normally go over the back bar and under the front one? Yeah, normally they do, but I think the roller bar makes the bar feel stiffer. Plus I like the shallow angle behind the bridge, like Gretsches and Jazzmasters have. I like the plunky tone that you get from that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Uma Floresta Posted July 4, 2011 Members Share Posted July 4, 2011 So, the screws are just for looks and non-functional? It's jsut a single coil on one side of the baseplate? Hmm......was thinking of these but not sure if they seem worth it. It's kinda liek Fender putting a normal size humbucker in the Wide Range Humbucker shell Yes, that's right. Probably the best use of Surf 90s is if you want a single-coil sound in your humbucker guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thesinner66 Posted July 4, 2011 Members Share Posted July 4, 2011 Physics plays a part in the whole thing as well due to the size of the p/u. a P90 is a single coil, but you can't say that a P90 sounds exactly like a regular strat S/C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Squier Fat Telecaster Posted July 4, 2011 Members Share Posted July 4, 2011 Still on the fence of whether to go P90 or Surf90 in my EBMM SUB-1..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thick_mike Posted July 4, 2011 Members Share Posted July 4, 2011 Yeah, normally they do, but I think the roller bar makes the bar feel stiffer. Plus I like the shallow angle behind the bridge, like Gretsches and Jazzmasters have. I like the plunky tone that you get from that. I'll have to try that out on my Ric-type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thesinner66 Posted July 4, 2011 Members Share Posted July 4, 2011 Consider the Dream 90 as well. It runs a bit hot but has done very well in my MIJ Jagmaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members clay sails Posted July 4, 2011 Members Share Posted July 4, 2011 I need a spanky P-90 in the neck position of my PRS Santana. The Phat Cat I currently use is smooth but too similar to the SH-6 in the bridge. Will the Surf 90 sound like a springy, straty single coil? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Uma Floresta Posted July 4, 2011 Members Share Posted July 4, 2011 I'll have to try that out on my Ric-type. FYI I had to shim my neck a lot to compensate. You can't do that on a fixed neck, of course. But you may still be able to make it work, if your neck has some angle to it already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Uma Floresta Posted July 4, 2011 Members Share Posted July 4, 2011 I need a spanky P-90 in the neck position of my PRS Santana. The Phat Cat I currently use is smooth but too similar to the SH-6 in the bridge. Will the Surf 90 sound like a springy, straty single coil? I don't think they sound particularly Stratty, but they are nice and bright. Think Cliff Gallup, not Mark Knopfler. They'll sound closer to a Strat than a P90 though. They have more brightness than P90s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chuck1016 Posted July 4, 2011 Members Share Posted July 4, 2011 I'm still trying to work out their construction & thought this might be interesting to others as well. From the GFS description: "Well the old Dynasonics sounded fabulous, but their complicated "Elevator" mechanism for adjusting the alnico rod magnets height is very large, making it impossible to mount in a humbucker equipped guitar, in many cases, without serious routing. (not to mention kind of expensive to make) No such problem with the Surf 90s- they fit! The magnetically charged A2 rods have no stagger to them, and we find this to be ideal for most modern string sets. The small nickel plated steel adjusting screws can be raised or lowered to provide correct string balance. " The fact that it says "magnetically charge rods" suggests that the pole pieces are not actually Alnico II magnets. And for the screws to affect string balance they would have to be touching a magnet. That said, I think these are build like a Humbucker, but in stead of a dummy coil, there are just screws touching the magnet where the coil would be...Very interesting... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.