GFS Pickups Dream 180

These are passive humbuckers designed to match the P 100 tone signature with a PAF resistance and a "filtertron" influence. I metered my set at 8K oms for the neck and 8.5K ohms for the bridge. I bought the gold covers to match the hardware on my Jay Turser Serpent. They do look cool.

These went in to a Jay Turser, early model Serpent / Les Paul guitar. I replaced both of the stock pickups with these. The stock pickups were very ordinary sounding PAF pickups...not bad but they tended to lose clarity with high gain.

The output level is about what you would expect from a PAF style pickup. I'm using this with a couple of solid state amps (Roland BC 60, Fender Princeton Chorus, Modified Peavey Transformer 112) and a Fender Champ 25 SE using two 6L6 power tubes. The tone of these pickups is very well balanced. I would characterize the tone as a fatter sounding P100. They don't have the bark of the P 90, nor the jangle of pure Filtertrons but they do have some of the characteristics of both. They are clear and completely uncompressed with a nice, open timbre. As a set they are very well balanced against each other and the middle switch position is nice. I think their finest quality is their clarity and string definition. These are not exactly what I was looking for...but they are pretty nice nevertheless. I'm waiting for them to grow on me because they are so different from what I'm accustomed to. The jury is still out...so I won't give a rating yet, but I really want to like these.
These would be suitable for everything from classic oldies to hard rock. They are probably too weak for the real heavy stuff.

I have three other guitars..another Turser Les Paul with Lace HEMIS, a stock fat strat SA 160 by Ibanez and a Jay Turser Tele with GFS pickups. My amps are two Roland Blues cubes, a Fender Champ 25 se, a Fender Princeton chorus and a Roland micro cube.
I like the clarity of these pickups. The fact that no particular tone quality stands out is a little disappointing...but I've only had them for 4 days at this point so I'll have to put them through their paces in a band setting next. Consider this as an "Initial Reaction" review. I'll do another one in a month or so.

Passive Humbucking, P90 style with a black casing.4-conductor wiring. Bridge position. Overwound alnico magnets I believe. www.guitarfetish.com for specs.

Guitar: Gibson Faded Flying V
Position: Bridge position
Pickups replaced: Gibson 498 and 500T
Other Pickups: GFS Dream 90 in neck
Artists: none that I know of
Reason for change: Gibson pickups were too hot and sterile, I wanted something different and from the GFS line.

Output: is not listed on guitarfetish.com for this pickup, but says it is wound hot.
Amps: Carvin Bel Air 50watt tube, Peavey Triumph 60watt tube
Effects: Diceworks NPN Fuzz, MXR Dynacomp, EHX Chorus
Tone: Balanced, loud and open. Leave the controls on full for SG era Townshend-esque tone. Roll back for a meaty P90 tone.
Style: I play blues/rock. A lot of slide.This pickup is perfect for that. It can do jangly too.

I have been playing for about 8 years and have tried a lot of pickups. Mainly Dimarzio and Seymour Duncans. My favorite combination thus far has been the Dimarzio Super Distortion and PAF Pro. I've been looking for something to compare to it with different qualities. GFS pickups are just that, different. They are unique in look and tonal properties. They react extremely well to your volume and tone controls. To this point I had been looking for a good slide tone. A pickup that was transparent enough to allow open notes to shine and keep distorted notes tight. The Dream 180 is what I was looking for. If you like classic rock, blues, or slide playing you will not be dissappointed. Plus, they are only $35.

passive humbucker. coil-tappable if you so choose.

Installed in an old-ish Epiphone G400 in both positions, replacing the pickups (stock?) that were on the guitar when I bought it used.

I changed pickups because the previous pickups were underwhelming and looked crappy, and because the Dream 180s seemed to have good reviews and they sure did look sharp. They were also cheap enough to buy on a whim without fear of serious regret.

I first tried these with an early 80s solid-state Sunn combo, and they sounded significantly clearer and sweeter than what I had before.

Now I play through a Sovtek Midget and these pickups make it sing. In fairness, everything sounds pretty great through this amp, but I'd say my guitar with the Dream 180s sounds better through it than my friends' Epiphone Les Pauls with stock pickups. Again, clearer and sweeter are the two best descriptions I can come up with.

I like to play dancy post-punk, typically with relatively low gain; I arpeggiate pretty much everything, and these pickups let those notes ring out and intertwine very satisfyingly, so I'd say it's a good match for me.

They also sound solid on power chords and ringy on octaves and seem to work fine for all the standard pop-punk fare. Sometimes when my band is screwing around I'll put it in drop D and joke around with some metal or hardcore; with higher gain the pickups sound appropriately evil yet still pretty clear. But I'm probably the wrong person to ask about the right tone for metal...

I give these a 9 instead of a 10 because I only know they sound better than whatever comes in Epiphones. I haven't heard any of the more boutique pickups that other reviewers have mentioned.

I would buy these again in a heartbeat, especially considering it would only set me back something like 50 bucks.

I've been playing for 7 years and have played in a number of bands, all the while using crappier pickups than these. In the 5 months since I bought these my setup has sounded markedly better than ever before.

I love that for a tiny investment I made a noticeable improvement in my sound. I also love the looks, and I love that I could have gotten them in black pearloid instead of chrome if I'd wanted. How can you beat that?

I'm definitely satisfied with my sound at this point, but I am fairly easy to please. It's also probably worth noting that my preferred style of music does not necessarily place a great emphasis on "tone" or whatever. Still, if these pickups sound good enough to make me care about my "tone", it should reflect positively on them.

Passive Humbucking pu with 12 pole pieces. All black, but available in chrome or gold also. 5 leads for all kinds of wiring choices. Comes with better wiring info than the last set of GFS Dream 90's that I bought.

Installed on a Mexican Strat in both neck and bridge positions. Not using a middle pu anymore. Had to rout out a bigger neck pu cavity. Used Stew-Mac HB template. Wired a master volume with a treble bypass, master tone with a .047 uf capacitor and a 3 position switch. Replacing 3 Select sc size passive humbuckers by EMG. Changed to these because I'm just looking for something different that has a usefull sound.

Didn't put a meter on them yet. Output is satisfying, somewhere between single coil and humbucker. I Have not been inclined to break out the Seymour D. pickup booster! So far I've played them through a Peavey Delta Blues 210, and a Vox Pathfinder. Tone is nicely balanced, perhaps close to the best of both the single coil and the humbucker worlds. Highs are powerful enough for singing overdriven solos in all switch positions, and the lows are crisp and clear like a Strat or Tele. I even like the bridge pu for snappy clean Tele-like tones. These sound good clean, crunchy and overdriven. No pickup is perfect and for me the weak point on these would be the low end. I wouldn't mind just a little more punch, but I am not saying they're bad. You just can't have everything. I like these, satisfied with both the neck and bridge tones.

I would use these again for sure. Ive been playing for 30+ years. I am picking up this Mex Strat with the GFS pu's more frequently than my Les Paul. I chose these pu's for the fair price, the potential for "coolness" and their looks. They deliver on all 3 counts. I find the Guitar Fetish ebay store to be a little quirky. The checkout process is not customer service based. Seems to be set up to make the seller's life easier than it is the customer's. Jay does answer emails quickly, although not always with clarity. I will buy more, as the product is worth the price and the little effort to make the purchase.

Pickup features: humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: guitar
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock gibson
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): rock
Reason for pickup change: stock pickups went microphonic

Perceived output level: medium output-very vintage sound
Tone: bright, but really well balanced
Sonic evaluation: gibson 1989 sg
vox ac30, fender deluxe reverb
various effects

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: for rock, blues, or anything

Comments: i bought these first for the price. roughly $60 bucks for a pair of pickups. you really can't beat that. after i started playing them, i realized how good they were. really clear, open, bright but never harsh or thin. overdriven, these things really shine. even using an excessive amount of distortion, i still got a very clear tone, never muddy.

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Jay Turser ES-335 Copy
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: Dream 90
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Blues, Classic Rock
Reason for pickup change: The stock pickups sounded like ass, the were very microphonic.

Perceived output level: These we pretty hot, abou the same as a Seymour Duncan, maybe a little hotter.
Tone: This pickup in the bridge positioon is pretty bright, but in a good way. Through a tube amp this thing sounds amazing. Clean or distorted this thing sounds great!
Sonic evaluation: I'm playing this throough a semi-hollow body guitar hooked up to a Fender Hot Rod Deville and a 72' Bassman 10. I can't say enough good things about this pickup. I read the reviews her but I was still not convinced, I went ahead and ordered this one and a Dream 90 for the neck. All I can say is damn!!! I still can't believe how good this pickup sounds, it has that great blues tone, especially with a little tube screamer kicked in. It has a good clear tone, almost like a humbucker but a little clearer, it's hard to describe but it is some of the best tone I've ever had.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is great for blues and rock, it would probably be ok for country too.

Comments: I would buy another one of these in a second, as a matter of fact I have. I've been playing for about 10 years in gigging bands and I think I have a good ear for tone. I've always been a hardcore Seymour Duncan guy but these pickups have changed my mind. I'm actually replacing the duncans with these on most of my guitars (I'll probably try different models of the GFS pickups), I can't believe how cheap they are, I'll be able to sell one set of Duncans for two sets of these. This is a great pickup and if the rest of the GFS line is as good as these, well......it's almost too good to be true! Bottom line, these are great pickups for not a lot of money, I'll never buy another set of Seymour Duncans as long as these pickups are around!

Pickup features: 4-wire passive humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Richwood Les Paul Imitation
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Crap stock pickups
Other pickups on guitar: Now both GFS Dream 180s
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Hard 70s 80s Rock, Blues
Reason for pickup change: The original pickups were extremely low output and impossible to play with.

Perceived output level: Medium Hot (similar to Dimarzio PAF PRO)
Tone: Pretty balanced, very tight mid-low frequencies, good harmonic response
Sonic evaluation: Les Paul Copy into a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier. The combination is very heavy and chunky. With low gain, very nice tone in both bridge and neck positions. The neck pup doesn't go muddy on the low strings.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Can't think of anything. Its a pretty balanced pickup and should work for most

Comments:

Pickup features: PASSIVE FOUR CONDUCTOR HUMBUCKERS
Impedence or other specs: LOW

Model of guitar or bass: 1979 Epiphone Genesis
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Gibson Dirty Fingers
Other pickups on guitar: SAME
Artists using this pickup: Tom DeLonge
You musical style(s): metal, blues, and experimental
Reason for pickup change: Constant search for the ever-elusive perfect tone

Perceived output level: overwound with a filtertron meets PAF tone
Tone: balanced through and through(not entirely as described, but better!!)
Sonic evaluation: I found these pickups to be the best kept secret on the market next to the guitar that they're on. Crisp jangly highs and a well pronounced low end. Never muddy. They absolutely produce some of the cleanest and most beautiful tones imagineable. With the fender twin reverb and a tubescreamer I got a sweet woman tone that I haven't heard since I used to have a PRS McCarty going through a Bluesbreaker. Unbeliveable!!!!! (Oh, and by the way Epiphone Genesis guitars suck and nobody should ever buy one and inflate the already increasing price of them!)The dream 180's are worth so much more than they go for, and Jay is a real gentleman to deal with. He'll respond to your e-mails and recommend a pickup to suit your playing style.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play everything from classic rock, to blues, to progressive metal,and to experimental effect-laden noise.

Comments: If they were stolen, then first I'd be concerned about the Genesis, then I'd order another set of dream 180's.I have played for a pay-check on and off for nine years and after owning 3 Ibanez guitars, a Fender Strat., Telecaster, Cyclone, as well as a custom B.C. RICH Mockingbird with active electronics and Dimarzio's. I've never been more satisfied with my current set-up and I'd like to personnaly thank GFS for helping me achieve tone nirvana. Now, if Epiphone would just come out with an elitist genesis model.......................Anyhow, just go and get'em while they're cheap and forget about the Bill L's, S.Duncans, Deemarzio's and check out Jay at guitarfetish on ebay.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Custom Built
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Hard rock/Metal
Reason for pickup change: Building a custom guitar from scratch.

Perceived output level: A little hotter than the P-90 style pickups
Tone: Very balanced pickup
Sonic evaluation: I put these pups in a custom build grutar that I hand made. The body is one solid piece of sugar pine (a soft yet very musical pinewood). The neck is Maple with rosewood fingerboard. I don't use any pedals or special setup. I just gun the guitar through my peavey studio chorus 210.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Normally I play thrash metal, but this guitar is for playing blues, jazz and a little rock. I'd say this pup is a good match

Comments: I've been playing guitar for over 10 years now & have been building guitars for a little over a year. In the short time I've been building I've learned alot about the inner workings of a guitar that I never knew as a player. Many people will argue that the woods a guitar is made of won't influence the tone & it's all pickups. In my experience I've found this to be false, the woods do influence the sound. This guitar was made specifically for playing blues, jazz, & a little bit of rock. All the materials including the pickups were chosen for that musical style. The sugar pine gives a nice warm soft tone & the maple/rosewood neck brightens it up just a little. The dream 180 pickups is a perfect match for this combonation. The output level couldn't be better. They have a nice warm sound with just a hint of brightness. They sound excellent with a little distortion & even better clean. Every note is crisp & clear. I couldn't ask for a better pickup. I like that these are 4 wire pickups so you can split the coils. The Dream 180's I bought have the pearloid tops so not only do they sound great but look great as well. I am very satisfied with these pickups. I like them so much that I will most likely use them on a 12 string electric I will be building shortly.

Pickup features: Humbucker with 12 poles
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Neck of a tele
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Various
Other pickups on guitar: DiMarzio Virtual Vintage Hot T
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, Worship, Ambient atmospheric
Reason for pickup change: Being a pickup junkie, I change pickups the way most people change their underwear. Always on the lookout for a great sounding "Bargain" pickup.

Perceived output level: Very smooooooth and balanced. String definition is excellent..
Tone: Again, very balanced tone. Good highs, Mids and nice, tight bass.
Sonic evaluation: I have read the reviews somewhat sceptically about the GFS line of pickups. For the price, they sounded too good to be true. I usually stick with boutique pickup makers ala Jason Lollar, Steve Kersting, Electrokraft, Novak, etc and DiMarzio and Duncan to a lesser degree. I've been experementing with pickups on this tele for quite a while and have been happy ( neck wise ) with a Seth Lover and an SK Dualtone ll. Due to financial reasons, it was time to re-evalutae my needs and sell some gear. I figured I could get by with lower end pups until things pick up, so the Seth and DT ( along with several others ) had to go. I have a stash of Stew Mac Golden Age ( great pups btw )and a few other old alnico buckers in the parts drawer and was going to stick one in until I can afford a Lollar Imperial. I forgot I picked the GFS Dream 180 up a while ago for $20.00, so when I came across it, thought I'd stick it in while I had the guitar apart so I would at least know how it sounded before I sold it. Well, I believe it's going to stay put until I get the Imperial. I'm very impressed with the tone it puts out. It does remind me of the Seth in many ways but not quite as woody sounding. Close...and not bad mind you, just different. But, it's a tone I really like and it simply kills for blues. It also matches well output and tone wise with the DiMarzio Virtual Hot T I put in the bridge. The middle position yields some very nice tones. The GFS also seems to respond pretty well to the guitars volume and tone controls. Again, not as well as the Dualtone did, but certainly acceptible. It's claimed this pickup is a cross between a filtertron and a humbucker. I'm not sure about that, but I am sure it's a damn fine pickup. Played clean through a vintage tube amp the sound is lush, complex and well defined. Even when adding overdrive in various stages of grittiness, the D-180 did not get flubby or loose it's identity. As a matter of fact, it sounded killer using overdrive. Very detailed with no mush. Every string retained it's definition. Of course, it was not metal type distortion...just good old fashion ass kickin' overdrive. Now I'm anxious to try some of the other pickups in GFS's extensive line.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I'm blues based and everything I play centers around that style. I do a lot of atmosphereic playing using delays, fuzz, overdrives and volume pedal. THis pickups going to do just fine for my needs.

Comments: When I read the various glowing reviews, I tend to think maybe they are coming from an unseasoned player or one who has not tried a lot of aftermarket pickups. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a snob by any means. I'd use a $2 pickup ( and have ) if it sounded good. That said, I was a bit hesitant to jump on the GFS bandwagon after so may glowing reviews. Suffice to say...this pickup ( regardless of cost ) is the real deal. Still, this will be a stop gap pickup for me until I can afford ( medical hard times and even a $150 pickup is out of the question at this time ) a Lollar Imperial. At that time, I'm sure it will make it's way into the neck of one of my other guitars. I am very pleasently surprised at the tone this beauty ( gold frame and pearloid top ) puts out. If you play blues, rock or country, check one out. It responds very well to picking nuances. I usually like to have a bucker in the neck and a single coil in the bridge, but I could see having two of these in a guitar. The tone ( while humbucking ) has a lot of single coil quailites. No mush...just open, articulate tone. This pickup ( along with the Golden Age ) is a great bargain imo. I'm giving it a big fat 10.