Feeler: GFS Pickups (Mean 90, Dream 90, Surf 90, Seymour Duncan P-Rails)

[Gear_Junky]

Just thought I'd holler and ask if anyone has any GFS Mean 90, Dream 90 and/or Surf 90 that they'd be interested to trade. Or even other interesting chimey/twangy pickups.

What I have (I bought them directly from GFS like a decade ago):
A couple of old (never installed) GFS mini-humbucker form factor retrotrons, gold covers and black bobbins.
One is marked "GFS Neck", the other is not marked. 5-conductor.

image.png

(not my image, I'll take actual photos if there's interest).

THIS ONE IS IN GOLD (I just used a generic pic for illustration)
I think this one is maybe the original "New York", also never installed. Meant for surface mounting.
It looks just like their current "NYII" and has a gold cover and white bobbin, it might be the original "New York", that's what it has on the box.


Potentially also (these are currently installed in a guitar and are in used condition, so I'd need incentive to cut them out):
Seymour Duncan P-Rail (neck, white, 5-conductor)

image.png

"Bill 'n Becky" (Bill Lawrence) Wilde L500Xl in cream/bridge (most likely 5-conductor, I just don't know as I got it in a guitar I traded and this one is not tapped). I see these describe as "Dimebag Darrell" and "Nuno" pickups, but I don't know anything about that genre or those dudes

image.png

Again, above pics aren't mine, just for illustration purposes.

Of course, I also have a bunch of other stuff like SX P90 pickups, gold-cover SX humbuckers, no-name strat pups, SX P-bass pup, SX tuners, pedals and who knows what else

[idiotsdelight]

I have a Mean 90 floating around in my parts.

[Gear_Junky]

I have a Mean 90 floating around in my parts.

Thank you for responding. Is it chrome or gold, neck or bridge? Any interest in the pickups above? I am kind of re-thinking the P Rails, but all others are definitely available. Let me know if we need to exchange real photos.

[Gear_Junky]

While we are at it, if someone has a bridge position cream Seymour Duncan P-Rails, I might also be interested. I've been playing with it some more and thinking I might rather keep the one in neck and add a bridge position to balance out the guitar. Still on the fence.

[dabbler]

While we are at it, if someone has a bridge position cream Seymour Duncan P-Rails, I might also be interested. I've been playing with it some more and thinking I might rather keep the one in neck and add a bridge position to balance out the guitar. Still on the fence.

I have none of the pups you are looking for but as someone who has 2 LP copies with Prails I HIGHLY recommend that you put a set of SD triple shot rings which slow you to access all of the configurations of the pup easily (P90, rail, both in series, both in parallel).

You can do the same thing with 2 switchpots per pup, but the triple shots are much easier to wire and it's easier to see what they are set to.

[Gear_Junky]

I have none of the pups you are looking for but as someone who has 2 LP copies with Prails I HIGHLY recommend that you put a set of SD triple shot rings which slow you to access all of the configurations of the pup easily (P90, rail, both in series, both in parallel).

You can do the same thing with 2 switchpots per pup, but the triple shots are much easier to wire and it's easier to see what they are set to.

Well, sir, you've been reading my mind! I was going to look up more info on these to see how easy they are to install. Sounds like with a set of those I could use a standard set of 4 pots and 2 caps (no push-pulls). On the other hand, couldn't I use 1 switch (in a push/pull) to split both pickups at once? I feel I'd never need to have one of them in single-coil, while the other is in dual-coil mode. For some reason I always worried that the various "quick connect" and other "computer ribbon cable" type connections would be prone to corrosion or signal degradation somehow. I'm not someone who keeps swapping out pickups, I want to upgrade and be done with it. But I definitely don't want to add switches to this guitar.

Would you mind sharing your thoughts on tone? My current setup only splits the neck P-Rail going between humbucker and "p90" coil (I'm assuming), so I have no access to the slim rail coil for now. Do you have them on a Les Paul type guit? I don't know if the slim rail is worthwhile for me... is it somewhat strat/tele-like? Or thin-sounding?

Aside from the coolness of switching, do you feel that the P-Rails compete with toneful P90's and vintage-sounding PAF-type pickups? Overall, is it a toneful pickup to you? Worth the money? Thanking you in advance.

[dabbler]

I have none of the pups you are looking for but as someone who has 2 LP copies with Prails I HIGHLY recommend that you put a set of SD triple shot rings which slow you to access all of the configurations of the pup easily (P90, rail, both in series, both in parallel).

You can do the same thing with 2 switchpots per pup, but the triple shots are much easier to wire and it's easier to see what they are set to.

Well, sir, you've been reading my mind! I was going to look up more info on these to see how easy they are to install. Sounds like with a set of those I could use a standard set of 4 pots and 2 caps (no push-pulls). On the other hand, couldn't I use 1 switch (in a push/pull) to split both pickups at once? I feel I'd never need to have one of them in single-coil, while the other is in dual-coil mode. For some reason I always worried that the various "quick connect" and other "computer ribbon cable" type connections would be prone to corrosion or signal degradation somehow. I'm not someone who keeps swapping out pickups, I want to upgrade and be done with it. But I definitely don't want to add switches to this guitar.

Would you mind sharing your thoughts on tone? My current setup only splits the neck P-Rail going between humbucker and "p90" coil (I'm assuming), so I have no access to the slim rail coil for now. Do you have them on a Les Paul type guit? I don't know if the slim rail is worthwhile for me... is it somewhat strat/tele-like? Or thin-sounding?

Aside from the coolness of switching, do you feel that the P-Rails compete with toneful P90's and vintage-sounding PAF-type pickups? Overall, is it a toneful pickup to you? Worth the money? Thanking you in advance.

OK, let me address my biggest oversight first: IF you know that you would only want to use rail with rail or P90 with P90, you COULD control both pups with a pair of switchpots that would allow series/parallel/P90 on each/rail on each.

That said, yes, you could split them both with one switchpot, BUT you would only be able to split to rail OR P90. OR you could use a 2 pole on/off/on switch that would allow you to do either, but you would not be able to have both coils in parallel.

The pups offer a LOT of flexibility and what options you want will depend on your music and how you like the tones. TBH my 2 guitars that I have them in are not main players for me but I DO LOVE having ALL the options at my fingertips. And like anything that is flexible they do not give me my most favorite of any ONE tone, but they are easily my most versatile set of pups and they do give good tone. IOW, I doubt that you will like them better than a GOOD PAF, or a GOOD single coil, but they DO sound good.

I play mostly clean, and use them each in parallel most often as the series mode is kinda dark for me. I should also explain why I have them in 2 guitars. I bought the first set to go in an Agile AL2000 b-stock as an experiment to see how good a budget guitar would sound with (for me) expensive pups. I liked what I heard! Then a Douglas LP copy with an alder body bolt neck b-stock came up on Rondo and I was curious how different it would sound. The fact that I still have both guitars with PRails and Triple shots in each should be an indication that I liked what I heard there too, but here's what surprised me. The Alder body bolt neck Douglas really does a better single coil tone, IMO, than the mahogany-bodied set neck Agile. SO, to cover all bases, I'm keeping both.

I consider those 2 guits my "studio" guits. I also put locking tuners and added an onboard tuner to each. So wherever I take them, I can plug in, tune, select whatever tone I need and play! And if a string breaks, I can change it lickity split! They will likely be some of the last guitars I get rid of!

OF course YMMV and different strokes for different folks, but I tell EVERYbody that is considering PRails that Triple shot rings are the bees knees!

[Gear_Junky]

Awesome stuff, thank you, sir! I watched a youtube demo on them showing all the different sounds anf I gotta say: I like them, the rails sound very usable too! I might eventually do this.

[idiotsdelight]

I have a Mean 90 floating around in my parts.

Thank you for responding. Is it chrome or gold, neck or bridge? Any interest in the pickups above? I am kind of re-thinking the P Rails, but all others are definitely available. Let me know if we need to exchange real photos.

Its chrome. ill have to check to see if it's a B or N. I think it's a bridge.
I'd be interested in that Bill Lawrence.

[nomadh]

I might be interested in your sx p90 so maybe someday I can experiment on a mag swap. I dont want to risk my current ones. Whats the price? I'm in san diego. I also have a firbird a5 copy pickup and possibly an m22 carvin hb. The hotter model iirc. If any of those interest anyone

[Mossman]

How many SX P90s do you have? (after nomadh, of course). I could use 3 for a baritone project that I have on deck. I have a GFS Retrotron "Memphis" bridge pickup (chrome) that needs a home, and a mess of other pickups that I'd need to think for a minute to remember what all I have.

[Gear_Junky]

I might be interested in your sx p90 so maybe someday I can experiment on a mag swap. I dont want to risk my current ones. Whats the price? I'm in san diego. I also have a firbird a5 copy pickup and possibly an m22 carvin hb. The hotter model iirc. If any of those interest anyone

How many SX P90s do you have? (after nomadh, of course). I could use 3 for a baritone project that I have on deck. I have a GFS Retrotron "Memphis" bridge pickup (chrome) that needs a home, and a mess of other pickups that I'd need to think for a minute to remember what all I have.

I had to go and check. I have 2 SX P90 soapbars (cream) in my parts box. And I have another set still in my blue SJM, but I can cut them out on short notice - I already have pickups for that guitar (that have been waiting for 8 years to be installed). So I might be able to accommodate both of yous (assuming that nomadh wants 1 soapbar and Mossman wants 3). I can't guarantee exact color matching (cream plastic is notorious for that), because 2 were on the guitar (mostly in a case, but still some exposure to light), while the other 2 were in a box. Hopefully they'll yellow from light and even out.

I'm not in a hurry, but when you're ready, maybe send me a few pics of what you have and I'll try to do the same. Do you think it's better to send pics via PM's or put them here? I haven't done this for... well, 8 years

Feel free to make me offers or suggestions, I'm pro-free market, so I don't get offended at offers. If I don't like it, I'll make a counter-offer. Worst case I can say no. We'll stay friends

[Gear_Junky]

Its chrome. ill have to check to see if it's a B or N. I think it's a bridge.
I'd be interested in that Bill Lawrence.

Hi, I didn't mean to ignore you. I may be interested, but this pickup is currently in a guitar (Epi LP) and I don't have a ready replacement for it. I am thinking about which way to go. I could get another P-Rails for the bridge or I could get 2 matching pickups (like Mean 90's) from GFS, but they'd have to be in gold... So I won't be able to remove this pickup until I find something to replace it. Hopefully we can figure something out then. I might still be interested in the Mean 90. Trading pickups is fun.

[Mossman]

I had to go and check. I have 2 SX P90 soapbars (cream) in my parts box. And I have another set still in my blue SJM, but I can cut them out on short notice - I already have pickups for that guitar (that have been waiting for 8 years to be installed). So I might be able to accommodate both of yous (assuming that nomadh wants 1 soapbar and Mossman wants 3). I can't guarantee exact color matching (cream plastic is notorious for that), because 2 were on the guitar (mostly in a case, but still some exposure to light), while the other 2 were in a box. Hopefully they'll yellow from light and even out.

I'm not in a hurry, but when you're ready, maybe send me a few pics of what you have and I'll try to do the same. Do you think it's better to send pics via PM's or put them here? I haven't done this for... well, 8 years

Feel free to make me offers or suggestions, I'm pro-free market, so I don't get offended at offers. If I don't like it, I'll make a counter-offer. Worst case I can say no. We'll stay friends

Actually, I don't need 3. I just remembered I still have a spare SX P90 floating around here, so I would only need 2. I'm not in a hurry either, so whenever you get around to swapping them out is fine with me. This project is way down the road. I'll try to marshal up all my random pickups this weekend.

I think we should post all offerings here, in case someone else is interested in something you pass on. This could be like a pickup swap-meet thread.

[Gear_Junky]

Agreed and sounds good, we'll make it happen. When I get around to it, I'll also take pics of some of the pedals I have and the rest of the stuff in "ye olde Gear_Junky's Trunk of Junk"

[Mossman]

Agreed and sounds good, we'll make it happen. When I get around to it, I'll also take pics of some of the pedals I have and the rest of the stuff in "ye olde Gear_Junky's Trunk of Junk"

Do you have any interest in bass pickups?

[Gear_Junky]

Do you have any interest in bass pickups?

I say: show me everything. I haven't done the same yet simply because I don't remember all I have, it'll be a process. The pickups above (GFS), I got them not for a specific guitar, but just because they were cool, it can eventually come in handy. Like a set of USA Jaguar pickups I thought I might eventually put into one of the SJM's. Who knows...

[Mossman]

Do you have any interest in bass pickups?

I say: show me everything. I haven't done the same yet simply because I don't remember all I have, it'll be a process. The pickups above (GFS), I got them not for a specific guitar, but just because they were cool, it can eventually come in handy. Like a set of USA Jaguar pickups I thought I might eventually put into one of the SJM's. Who knows...

Heh... I used to buy guitar parts like that... Don't really need it, but it's a good deal, or it's something that I want to try in some future project that I haven't conceived yet... Until I realized that a good price on a part you're never going to use is NOT a bargain... and that's how you become a hoarder.

[Gear_Junky]

Heh... I used to buy guitar parts like that... Don't really need it, but it's a good deal, or it's something that I want to try in some future project that I haven't conceived yet... Until I realized that a good price on a part you're never going to use is NOT a bargain... and that's how you become a hoarder.

You are forgetting the day you trade those parts - that's when that good deal/bargain comes back to you, my friend

[Mossman]

Heh... I used to buy guitar parts like that... Don't really need it, but it's a good deal, or it's something that I want to try in some future project that I haven't conceived yet... Until I realized that a good price on a part you're never going to use is NOT a bargain... and that's how you become a hoarder.

You are forgetting the day you trade those parts - that's when that good deal/bargain comes back to you, my friend

I don't come across many trade situations. If I don't end up using part, it usually collects dust for a long time, until I realize I'm probably never going to use it and then I sell it for less than I paid for it.

Anyway... I went through all my drawers and boxes, and here's what I came up with (this will have to be broken up in a couple of posts due to pic limitations):

For guitar:

GFS Retro.JPG

GFS Retrotron "Memphis" (bridge) - Unused with plastic still on

GFS 60s.JPG

GFS Tele '60s Repro (bridge)

GFS Fatbody.JPG

GFS Tele Fatbody (bridge)

ceramic T bridge.JPG

Import (ceramic) Tele bridge pickup

ceramic T neck.JPG

Import (ceramic) Tele neck pickups (with plastic still on)

[Mossman]

epi HC.JPG

Epiphone "Hot Classic" (bridge)


For Bass:

Original P.JPG

Fender Original '60s P-bass

SX P.JPG

SX ceramic P-bass

SD MM.JPG

Seymour Duncan Musicman HB

SX MM.JPG

SX Musicman HB

[Mossman]

bass HB.JPG

Bass humbucker taken from a Rogue VB-100. I have both pickups, but I can't find the other one at the moment.

ceramic Js.JPG

Import Jazz Bass (ceramic). I have no idea where these came from. They were sent to me by mistake, and the seller told me to keep them. I've installed these pickups in a bass and they sound pretty good. They also have metal shielding plates on the back, which is unusual for a cheap, Asian Jazz Bass pickup.

SX Js.JPG

SX Jazz Bass (ceramic).


I also have a set of Fender Original '60s Jazz Bass pickups, but I can't locate them at the moment.

[Gear_Junky]

Speaking of Rogue VB100, I have one of those too, what did you put in it?

[Gear_Junky]

I might be interested in your sx p90 so maybe someday I can experiment on a mag swap. I dont want to risk my current ones. Whats the price? I'm in san diego. I also have a firbird a5 copy pickup and possibly an m22 carvin hb. The hotter model iirc. If any of those interest anyone

Hi, nomadh. I'm not sure if PM's get through. I was trying to see if you need 1 or 2 of the SX P90's?

[Longblacktie]

I have a set of older retro trons (not Liverpool, the us model - Nashville or Memphis). Chrome finish

I also have an SX P90 from neck position furrian. Have a cream cover and chrome cover.

I will never use any of those again so make an offer. I’ll go grab pics