GFS Pickups Dream 180

Tap-able humbucker with 2 rows of adjustable pole pieces.

Beautiful franken-Tele:
- maple highway-1 neck
- midnight wine mim body
- Wilkinson bridge, with 3 brass swivel saddles
- Seymour Duncan Quarter Pounder in bridge, and chrome Dream 180 in neck

Both pickups are well matched (high output). The SD is slightly hotter (as suspected), but adds a desired punch in bridge position.

I first used the Dream 180 in the bridge of a Squier 51. I was very impressed by how well it's balanced, and how harmonics cut through. It has a nice natural compression which really allows for pick definition and detail. Further, this thing is dead quiet.

Curious enough, I put one in the neck of my franken-Tele (honestly, not expecting much, since experience usually reveals that my favorite pickup in one position is characterless in another).

To be shocked, I was blown away by the Dream 180 in the neck position. You can receive surreal jazz tones; particularly noticeable on the mid and high strings high up the fretboard. Again, this thing really shines with harmonics and pick definition.

I call my franken-Tele the 'Bi-Polar Beast': the neck tones are so sweet and defined, ideal for jazz and clean classic rock; the SD QP is pure power and hard rock.

I have been playing for 12 years, and modding for roughly 3.

I've tried a lot of pickups (a lot of Duncans, Dimarzios, and Lace).

I truly believe MOST of the GFS line is comparable to more expensive pickups. I did not, however, have a good experience with the retrotron pickups (cheap sheet metal cover, and devoid of character).

The D180s are cheaper than most of their line. I wouldn't write this review if I didn't think they were fantastic.

I've tried most of their line; the other pickup that is memorable is the alnico fatbody in the neck of a tele (certainly worth checking out for 30 bucks).

Regards,

A.

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also to post an update (i forgot) on how well-shielded these are. I mentioned that I installed coil-splitting - well there's really not a wee-bit more noise in single-coil mode!

I know a lot of people like the "exposed humbucker" look, but really, the covers aren't just cosmetic - they're shields! But they also look great. IMHO pretty shiny metal covers make a difference: whether your guitar looks like a classy instrument or a prototype franken-axe. Of course, the latter may still be preferred by some people and that's ok.

splittable humbuckers with adjustable poles on both coils. beautiful yellow pearloid inlay on the gold shield cover - I found a matching les-paul pickguard and got looks on top of tone!

neck: 11.5 kOhm
bridge: 13+ kOhm - I guess this is considered "hot" or maybe "vintage hot" but read on - they got tone! I am not one to like hot pickups - I like sweet/warm TONE! That usually means low-impedance pickups. These seem to have both.

My guitar is rather cheap - SamAsh's Brownsville GG1 - it's a loose variation on the les paul theme, but very nicely made - solid mahogany body (and set neck), striped maple top. I have since installed a bigsby vibrato on it. I love this guitar - after my mods it's easily on a par with gibsons in both looks/feel and tone. I am not inexperienced, either, not hyping - I just made sure I was careful when I picked it out. I loved the tone/feel and that's all there is to a good guitar. Pickups are player's choice.

Dream 180's went into both positions. Stock pickups were "ok" (decent, nice and quiet), but I hate ceramic pickups - they're like gourmet food without salt (even the best of them).

Plenty of output, without loosing "soul". I am currently using the Fender Super Champ XD - an amp with a Class A/B power section but with a digital "modeling" preamp. I am by no means a "modeling" person - I hate everything digital (for music). But this amp was getting very good reviews and I was able to find a deal (can you already tell I'm all about deals). This amp sounds exactly like a tube amp (because it is).

Dream 180's are: VERY articulate - even with high overdrive they maintain string definition. Neck pickup has PLENTY of clear punchy bass, not loose or muddy or wobbly. Bridge pickup sounds like a bridge pickup - way less bass, more treble and twang, but that's also due to position, right? I would maybe wish for a bit more bass there, but maybe that's not even possible. Maybe in ensemble situations it'll help "cut through the mix". And yet (with this amp) even the brightest settings don't make your ears bleed.

I also installed coil-splitting (currently 1 push/pull splits both pickups). Dream 180 sounds VERY nice in single-coil mode. Let's just say that I really don't miss not having a strat or a tele (I respect their tones, but never liked their feel in my hands).

These pickups are very sweet-toned - rich harmonically. If that's possible they are both: warm and jangly at once. They have the deep sweetness of PAF and they're "kerangy" like gretsches. I am getting more into rockabilly, but also blues/classic rock type sound, so they're a great match. I don't like being like everyone else, so these seem to give me an edge - a little extra "special" something.

I truly love the sound of these pickups, so can't help but give them a 10. Maybe a 9.5 due to bridge being trebly, but again, maybe that's not even a fair rant.

I've seen a few people with strats/teles who didn't like this pickup in their axes. I happen to think these are more for the lespaul/es335/gretsch type instruments.

Excellent value. I used to have an Epi LP Custom and bought Gibson Classic '57 pickups for it (gold). they were like $150/each! These GFS Dream 180 ($35 each) are same quality, more interesting tone and better look (gold/pearloid) plus both coils are adjustable.

First shot at "modding" any guitar (yeah, after 35 years of playing). I am stunned. I really am. I dropped these in a Chibanez Artcore AS73 335-knock-off, and it morphed this guitar from a bland guitar to...well, you pick you own hyperbole. These pickups are awesome.

The Dream 180's are HB sized pickups that supposedly mix a PAF with a vintage Rickenbacker sound. I don't know about all that. All I do know is that each string is super clear and articulated, and either on clear or OD'd, the guitar oozes tone. I play 3x a week on a church worship team, and I get tons of comments from the band about this guitar now...

Ibanez AS73, replacing the stock HB'ers. Email me if you want to buy the stock pickups..I sure won't be needing them.

Had the pickups installed by Gary at Yancy's Music in Ormond Beach. He's great. Tell him Pat sent you.

I replaced the original pickups because they were muddy and tonally pretty dead. I got the guitar as a Christmas present 4 years ago, and never played it because the sound was so uninspired. This guitar sings now.

These pickups are hot, way more than the stock ones.

Playing through a Digitech RP350 (no amps on the stage), and carefully monitor my sound through an Aviom IEM. Clean or overdriven, these pickups sound good. Real good.

Tone is well balanced.....these pickups are pretty thumpy on the bass end, and pretty sparkly on the treble end. I like 'em.

We're doing a lot of Tomlin/Redman/Hillsong-ish music. If you play at a church, you know what I mean. Pop-rock, U2-ish maybe.

I play rythmn, and they're great for that.

I've had these for around 3 months, and wanted to wait before I posted a review. I wanted to make sure I was over the honeymoon stage, or see if I got tired of these. I haven't and I don't think I will.

Really makes you think about what it would be like to buy up more good guitar bodies and drop these GFS pickups in them....they sure are cheap enough to buy. What a killer way to experiment with different tones and stuff. I want to try their P90's on something.

8.7 impedance for Bridge

Put it in a Squier '51 bridge position

This thing is the you know what.

Let me get right to the point. It is the best pickup I have ever heard, it smokes everything in its path.

It eats gain for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it soars, shimmers, it's lighter than air but with a real rock and roll attitude and a lot of soul. It kicks total .ss. Great for blues, classic rock, you name it.

It is a very bright pickup, but not harsh. Everytime I play it, I hear different tonal characteristics. I think it really occupies it's own territory, it's unique but familiar at the same time. It takes from a lot of different categories, somehow blends them all together in a greater than the sum of its parts way.

It's just jaw droppingly awesome, after I play something I often get one of those "holy ..it" moments.

I've been playing for 5 years, I've got about a dozens guitars, some pretty good ones, LP's, teles, etc.

I don't think it is possible to create a better sounding pickup than this, it's tonal nirvana.

This could be the sound you are looking for, I know its mine!

Get this pickup now, it might change your life!

Passive humbucking pickup, neck position

I installed this in the neck position of an Agile Ghost III. See my review of the GFS Crunchy Rails for more information about my background in pickups. The GFS Crunchy Rails is in the bridge.

I wanted to replace the stock AL-HOT neck pickup (which, as stated in the aforementioned review, was not at all -bad-, but which lacked qualities I was specifically looking for). This pickup is advertised as combining the "jangle" of a Filtertron with the "warmth" of a PAF. Seeing as the bridge pickup of this guitar is incredibly hot and crunchy, I wanted a neck pickup that would have a jazzier character to it, but still have the high-end definition I needed.

This pickup is advertised as "vintage voiced," but "hot." I don't know about the first claim - frankly, "vintage" has a very gimmicky connotation in today's guitar merchant world so I tend to gloss over it. As to the second, while it certainly isn't as hot as the Crunchy Rails in the bridge (which is the single hottest pickup I've ever used, by a wide margin), it is definitely a lively neck pickup. It doesn't need a boost pedal to push a distortable amp into overdrive. However, it also isn't overpowered - it is in fact a very versatile pickup, capable of everything (with judicious use of the volume and tone knobs) from very jazzy, smooth, warm bell-tones to crunchy, full-bodied riffs. It is a great complement to the Crunchy Rails because it allows me to switch easily between a screaming, thick lead tone to a smoother, rounded rhythm tone very easily while using distortion, and it essentially provides the entirety of this guitar's clean tone (frankly, I love neck pickup cleans more than any other - what a lovely, round sound).

The key word is balance. This pickup has an excellent, even balance of tone that lets it respond very nicely and adroitly to volume and tone knob adjustment and amplifier idiosyncrasies. It is the kind of pickup that brings out the positive characteristics of nearly anything you plug it into. Comparing it to the Lace Blue in my Stratocaster, it has more low-end depth and definition without sacrificing the midrange swell and high frequency delicacy that I've grown to love in the Lace Blue. Of course, being a humbucker, it is a bit less responsive to playing dynamics than the Lace Blue, but the world of guitar is one of give and take. Overall, this pickup has an excellent sound, at least to my ears and with my gear.

I am very impressed with its versatility and with its tonal character. I would like to experiment with a bridge Dream 180 to see how it might differ from this neck position Dream 180, but I am so in love with the Crunchy Rails that such a thing will have to wait until I stumble across a project guitar.

If I had the same guitar to do over again, having used this pickup in it, I would purchase it again except faster so that I could get the finished sound sooner. I don't mean to dote, it's just that this really is an extraordinary neck pickup that expands the tonal versatility and general utility of the Ghost III (with the GFS Crunchy Rails in the bridge) to places it would not otherwise go. By blending the bridge and neck in the middle position with the two volume controls, I can get whatever degree of tonal variance I want, and it is a great thing.

I had envisioned this guitar as a guitar specifically for the kind of music I like to make - very heavy riffs and leads layered with melodic cleans. I thought the bridge GFS Crunchy Rails would be -just- for the riffing, and that the neck Dream 180 would be -just- for melody, but the end result has surprised me with its versatility. I won't be retiring my beloved Strat, but I can see it getting a bit of dust between plays now that this axe - and more saliently to the topic, these pickups - are around.

See my other review of the GFS Crunchy Rails for some more comments about the overall rating of these two pickups.

Hello again...another follow up review here.

Installed in both positions of a Jay Turser JT 200 Serpent (LP copy). The guitar is a few years old...from the CHALICE inlay headstock days.

While I prefer the neck Dream 180's sound for clean passages and nice, smooth jazz / blues rhythms, the bridge absolutely rips, with heavy distortion laid on. The clarity and cut of the bridge pickup in heavy distortion mode is wonderful sounding and unbelievably musical while being piercingly clear. It also drips with harmonics and controlled harmonic feedback. Outstanding. You metal guys owe it to yourself to try these alnico magnet jobs.
I have to roll my volume back a tad when using the bridge pickup for clean solos and clean rhythms. It's just too bright otherwise. This is not a problem on the Les Paul. Dial back the volume to 8-8.5 and this guy gets very tasty, indeed. The neck and middle positions are beautiful, played clean. These are the most musical and the clearest humbuckers I have played to date. Others I have tried are: Lawrence 500 XL, SD JB, Lacie Hemi Humbuckers (great pickups!) and Schaller Golden 50.
I'm not sure if JANGLEY is the right word for these but CLARITY of SIGNAL definitely applies. They ring out with punch and musical authority. Put a set in your solid body and never worry about cutting through the loudest background accompaniments. PERIOD! Plus, they sound mucho musica, musica excellante, amigos.

Passive, Humbucking pickup. According to GFS website, the impedence of the bridge pickup is 8.5k. I think the one I received is closer to 10 or thereabouts.

Installed in the bridge position of an Epiphone Dot. I've read reviews here that these pickups aren't quite "jangly" enough for some. But then, they've installed them on solid body guitars. I have to say that (along with the Dream 90 in the neck position) this pickup is quite jangly - almost too much so for my taste.

I'd say these are medium output pickups. On my Heritage Les Paul, I have a DiMarzio multibucker in the bridge position and that is high output. The Dream 180 has a higher output than the stock pickups the Epi came with. I mainly use it with amp modelers straight into the board (Digitech GSP2101, Digitech GNX1, and Digitech Genesis 1). I don't gig out these days, just studio work, so it definitely fits the bill for what I need.

I've been playing since I was 14 - I'm 42 now. I have a Heritage Les Paul, a Jay Turser Les Paul (vine inlay), 2 Jay Turser SG-style guitars (a six- and a twelve-string), the Epiphone Dot, an Antoniotsai SG-style, and a Jay Turser Hofner-copy ("Beatle bass") I'm currently debating putting one of these in the neck position of my Antoniotsai SG-style guitar and matching it with a Dimarzio multibucker in the bridge position.

Humbuckers- supposed to be "PAF meets Filtertron". I'm not sure they are, but I know they're too hot for my tastes. I really tried to like these pickups, but they just don't sound good. They talk about "vintag" sounding on the website but there is nothing vintage about these. I'm not putting in ratings numbers here because it could just be my tastes.

These went in (and came out of) a Hamer Newport. Initially, I had a Duncan 59 in the neck and one of these in the bridge. It sounded OK but the output on this one was so much higher, they were impossible to match through height adjustment. So, I bought the neck too.

I use several good tube amps. The output on these is hot, real hot.
They have one good sound - overdriven leads. The clean sound is sterile and, to me, pretty much unusable. I play blues, rock, country, rockabilly, whatever and I need a real warm clean sound and let the amp do the overdriving. These pickups just get lost in the mix when we play out. They sound like cheap pickups.

I don't want to rip these things too bad because I think I got what I paid for. I was looking for professional quality pickups at a discount price. These are not them. If you're looking for something cheap to play around with in your import guitar or to play in your bedroom, they can be fun and if you don't like them, they're only about $35 each. I chose these on price and on the reviews I read here. I would never buy these (and probably no other GFS pickups). The guy at GFS is very helpful but these look, feel and sound like cheap Asian pickups.

Read my previous reviw for specs.

Jay Turser Serpent-chalice headstoc-old stock. Neck and Bridge

Here's my follow on review, as I promised...
I played with these through several different amps and the sound has really grown on me. I also sat in with a pro player and let him put the Turser through its paces, playing jazz, classic rock and funk standards. He was duly impressed with the pickup vibe.
I like the clarity and the ever-so-slight jangle that accompanies the sligtly fat, PAF tone of this pickup. Extremely balanced output across the entire frequency spectrum. This is up there with the top three favorites of mine, for sure. I love the sound of these pickups.

It took a few weeks for these to grow on me...I'll admit that. When i installed them I had expectations of a more jangly sound, so I guess I was a little disappointed. But the more I heard them through a variety of good amps, the more I liked them! These are good, full range, clear-as-a-bell humbuckers with a nice, subdued jangle and brightness that is very pleasant-never harsh at all. I think they are some of the best pickups I have ever heard.