GFS Pickups '64 Stagger Greybottom

Single coil traditional 60s style strat pickups. Very authentic build - grey fiberboard, cloth wires, alnico magnets, wax dipped. Specs as in previous reviews.

Installed in an American Series Strat in all Positions.
Replacing stock Fenders and Kinman Blues Plus.
I changed the stock Fenders because they were noisy, I replaced the Kinmans because I felt the sound was too constricted.

These are hot pickups - they are a bit louder than your average stock pickup. They are calibrated so all positions on the switch are the same volume (if you set the pickups level). It's difficult to describe these pickups - they have a wide range to the tone. Full, percussive bass, warm mids and very balanced highs. They are gentle enough for clean strat sounds and powerful enough for convincing overdrive. The middle position is NOT reverse wound reverse polarity, so positions 2 and 4 are NOT hum cancelling. The upside of this, is that those in-between positions sound amazing. Really 'sprangy'. The ace up the sleeve however is the bridge pickup - this has a big, open sound like a slightly smaller Tele bridge pickup. Not the over middley poky sound of the 2 sets I replaced. I can't recommend these pickups enough - I would put these up against any set of pickups out there. My favourite position is the middle on it's own - so versatile. I would describe them as big, grainy and elasticky.

I've been playing 16 years. I own this guitar and a cheapo tele. I've owned a Charvel, a Fender 60s reissue Strat, a 50s reissue Tele and a Squier Tele Custom II with P90s. This guitar eats them all for breakfast.

I chose this because of the hyperbole on the website and they were cheap enough to take a risk. I had to wait a month for them but they were really worth it.

If they were lost or stolen I would definitely buy another set.

Perfect for David Gilmour, Mark Knopfler, Richard Thompson, Hendrix and YOU!

OK, I bought these pick-ups as a "loaded" scratchplate. The pick-ups are '64 vintage greybottom staggers with 5.8k impedance on the neck, 6.3k on the middle and 6.5k on the bridge. They are single coil passive . The tone controls have been modded as follows. Top tone is a master for all 3 p/ups. The bottom tone works like this - Bridge p/up selected, tone on 10 - Bridge p/up. Gradually dial the tone knob back to 0 and you blend in the Neck p/up, giving a very mellow jazzy sound, almost like a telecaster. The p/ups themselves give a nice clear response, although there is a slight hum on the neck p/up (not really noticeable when playing. The combinations of pick-ups, I think, give a very clean warm "surfy" sound, exactly mid-60's. The construction is authentic, including rubber adjusters and cloth covered wiring.

I fitted this scratchplate into my Squier Affinity Stratocaster. The transformation is amazing, giving me a very versatile instrument, very similar in sound quality to a Mexican Strat. With this combination, I would quite happily "gig" this guitar with the confidence it would do itself justice. The unit was installed to upgrade the guitar.

Output level is exactly what I need, no "insane distortion" at the top end. Tone on all three is well balanced, giving a warm mid-60's sound.
Being used through either a Fender 15R practice amp or Fender 210R 65 watt twin speaker with a Zoom 508 and Zoom G1x.
I play '60s music, especially The Shadows instrumental style. These p/ups are giving me a lot of the sound I am looking for.

If this unit was lost/stolen/destroyed, I would certainly replace it with the same combination. (After I had hung the thief from the nearest lamp post by his b***s.) I chose this one because it was advertised on e-bay, and I liked the sound of the mod to give the bridge/neck combination. (An effect Hank Marvin uses by the way). So I am well pleased with what I have got.