best cheap humbuckers?

[twotimingpete]

have a two humbucker axe laying around with no pickups in it for a while (as a tinkerer, this type of thing happens) and I want to play it but have nothing free to put in it, so I'm looking for a budget based solution.

 

I generally like traditional humbucker voicings or a bit hot.. not looking for anything brutal or otherwise exotic.

 

first thought is obviously GFS. most of their pups are $30 - $40 but they've got some $22 ones.. crunchy pats. price is attractive and the lowest priced option I've seen. are these a safe bet? if these seem to be good I may go for it because of the super low price. otherwise I'm going to be bumped up into the $35 - $40 price range which contains a lot of choices, not just from GFS, but from other makers such as ToneRider.

 

btw, anyone ever try any of the GFS retrotron series (the ones that fit the humbucker routes, like the liverpool)? they have an interesting look but I've really got no experience with the type of pickups they're emulating, so it'd be a shot in the dark.

 

any other suggestions?

[Sheik Yerbouti]

I hear good things about the Bigmouth, if you like that look. A lot of people say it's like a humbucker sized Quarter Pounder.

[SirJackdeFuzz]

any other suggestions?

 

 

. . . imho, you can NOT beat used Duncan units

[jedisb]

 

I generally like traditional humbucker voicings or a bit hot.. not looking for anything brutal or otherwise exotic. first thought is obviously GFS. most of their pups are $30 - $40 but they've got some $22 ones.. crunchy pats.

 

 

I always though the Crunchy PATs were supposed to be similar to a Dimarzio Super Distortion. Don't know if that is too hot for you or not.

[Woody_in_MN]

I think when I bought my GFS PAF's they were a few dollars cheaper than the others - don't know if that changed. I can recommend them either way.

 

- w

[cokekolev]

The GFS crunchy pats are great! I even like them better than the dimarzio super distortion.

[webwarmiller]

The Powered by Lace HB's are good sounding with medium output....here's a set on Ebay that will probably go cheap: http://cgi.ebay.com/Powered-by-Lace-Humbucker-Guitar-Pickup-Set_W0QQitemZ160418270221QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item2559ac8c0d (they only cost $28 new from MF)

[PunkKitty]

You can always try the Lace Alumitones that I have in my sig if you want something different. I installed a set in my XV700. Fantastic pickups.

[twotimingpete]

Um, the original post is for "cheap" humbuckers? Like $20 to $40 ?? Isn't $135 to $150 kinda UN-cheap? Or are you just April Foolin'?

 

it's quite alright. that siad, it's probably a bit out of my price range at the moment.

[_pete_]

Tonerider humbuckers are dirt cheap and IMO walk all over GFS and sound better to me than Duncans.

BG's are also dirt cheap for what you get.

[super56k]

If you search for used deals you can find great HB sets dirt cheap. Last night I paid $95 for a set of Seymour Duncan antiquity HB's. Now, whether I enjoy them or not as they're unpotted is another story..

[brentrocks]

Schaller golden 50s

[guitarcapo]

Tonerider Vintage Plus

 

GFS Vintage PAF (stay away from any GFS pickup labeled "crunchy", "overwound", or "hot")

[twotimingpete]

tonerider has PAF voiced pickups available in alnico 4 or alnico 2. am I correct in believing that the 2 is "darker" sounding?

[cokekolev]

 

GFS Vintage PAF (stay away from any GFS pickup labeled "crunchy", "overwound", or "hot")

 

 

Bull{censored}.

[Bob411]

The Powered by Lace HB's are good sounding with medium output....here's a set on Ebay that will probably go cheap: http://cgi.ebay.com/Powered-by-Lace-Humbucker-Guitar-Pickup-Set_W0QQitemZ160418270221QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item2559ac8c0d (they only cost $28 new from MF)

 

+1 for those. Sort of Pearly Gates. I bought mine on Amazon $24 for bridge, and $18 for the neck.

 

For a little more money, around $70 shipped. I got a Kent Armstong Distortion, and Ultra Distortion. If you like high gain you will love them. Unlike the GFS Crunchy Rails, I like those too, the Kent Armstrong sounds pristine clean.

 

I got mine here.

http://www.wilburncustomshop.com/Parts/humbuckers.html

Vintage Clubber is a dealer for KA, would of got mine from him, but didn't want to wait, he orders stuff when he has enough to make ordering worth it. Still appreciate his help.

[k tone]

 

The GFS crunchy pats are great! I even like them better than the dimarzio super distortion.

 

 

I am on the other end of the spectrum. The Crunchy Pats are good but I do not like them better than the Dimarzio Super D.

[Greg.Coal]

For a little more money, around $70 shipped. I got a Kent Armstong Distortion, and Ultra Distortion. If you like high gain you will love them. Unlike the GFS Crunchy Rails, I like those too, the Kent Armstrong sounds pristine clean. I got mine here. http://www.wilburncustomshop.com/Parts/humbuckers.html Vintage Clubber is a dealer for KA, would of got mine from him, but didn't want to wait, he orders stuff when he has enough to make ordering worth it. Still appreciate his help.

 

I took a look at that lineup. There seem to be some real values in the KA products. I will pay more attention to them in the future and try to track down some online demo's.

Greg

[Willyguitar]

I absolutely LOVE the Wilkinson PAFs in my Lemon Drop. Not sure how available they are on your side of the water. I think Trev Wilkinson had some kind of conversation with Seth Lover to produce them. They are definitely Jimmy Page/Peter Green territory. Bright, but gruff at the same time. Kinda like P90s.

[=JL=]

Speaking as someone who ISN'T a Kent Armstrong dealer, I like all their vintage-voiced stuff. (Strat, HB and P90, anyway)

They seem to have a richness and complexity way above their price range.

[Elias Graves]

I'll throw in another +1 for the Powered by Lace. Terrific pickup.

 

EG

[jdgm]

Kent Armstrong or the Schaller Golden 50s. I have guitars with both and they punch way above their weight, so to speak. Output wiring gives you plenty of options and the tones are beautiful, IMHO better than DiMArzio PAFs which I replaced.

[outtahear]

I absolutely LOVE the Wilkinson PAFs in my Lemon Drop. Not sure how available they are on your side of the water. I think Trev Wilkinson had some kind of conversation with Seth Lover to produce them. They are definitely Jimmy Page/Peter Green territory. Bright, but gruff at the same time. Kinda like P90s.

 

THIS...could kick myself for selling mine. Had a link to a shop in the UK that had them for reasonable $$, now gone.

These have nickel baseplates w/wilkie logo-NO relation to the plain brass back examples on E-bay, w red and blue leads.

 

(That said, the Sheptones in my 'drop are staying...)

[Bob411]

I took a look at that lineup. There seem to be some real values in the KA products. I will pay more attention to them in the future and try to track down some online demo's . Greg

 

Good F ing luck with that. I couldn't find anything on youtube, or any place that sells KA. Googling brings up some threads from 5 years ago, with people saying they are going to order some, and they will post when they get them, but they never did. That's where I found out Vintage Clubber has a deal with them. He gave them the thumbs up, and I am so happy I tried them.

[vintage clubber]

Good F ing luck with that. I couldn't find anything on youtube, or any place that sells KA. Googling brings up some threads from 5 years ago, with people saying they are going to order some, and they will post when they get them, but they never did. That's where I found out Vintage Clubber has a deal with them. He gave them the thumbs up, and I am so happy I tried them.

 

did you end up getting the OEM Distortion/Ultra Distortion set? How are you liking those?