GFS Pickups Dream 90

humbucker sized single coil P-90, just drop these into a humbucker hole and you can rip like leslie west.

lower priced machine gun guitar, i wanted to get that growl that my 225 has, these are close but they arn't 50 years old.


original pickups fell apart and didn't even have any coil wire.

very good, i like these for the P-90.

the P-90 are some of my favorite pickup sounds, they are so underappreciated.

they only get a 9 not 10 since i'm comparing these to my old P-90s.

i will get more of GFS pickups, i have 3 different guitars with them in and they all sound amazing, the other 2 have the zebra vintage 59 classics and the crunchy pat zebras.

you can get an amazing set of pups without any rolling of the dice and without spending 100.00 each.

Standard, passive, single coil P90. The neck is reverse wound to eliminate hum when used in conjunction with the bridge...but you've probably been to the site and read all of that...

The GFS site says 8.2K for the neck and 8.4K for the bridge. Mine measured 8.1K and 8.5K...plus or minus the meter tolerances.

I put a set of these in my Epiphone Casino VT. It's a rare custom version that was originally outfitted with humbuckers. The original Epi's were mediocre. The clean was OK, but they had NO body--mostly piercing high end and too much "sub" bass...while at the same time being thin and muddy?? How Epiphone managed to do this, I'll never know??? Plus, they squealed at high volume or with moderate gain.

I replaced those with a set of Gibson 490s. I was very happy with the 490s for many years--definitely a MAJOR improvement. I even put a set of 490s in a G-400 (Epi SG), so I had a backup when playing live.

However, over time the 490T became a disappointment. It was embarrassing to switch to that pickup during a solo...unless you wanted to drop out of the mix. Also, I began noticing how generic and "standard" these guitars sounded. They sounded good, but the 490 [in my opinion] wasn't expressing much of the unique character of a guitar. It was a default, standard sound that you hear A LOT OF. Aurally, you couldn't really tell what kind of guitar you were playing or listening to...

Anyway...Everyone kept telling me, "OHHH, YOU GOTTA PUT SOME P90s IN THAT CASINO!!!" So, the Dream 90s replaced the 490s in the Casino.

These are a little hotter than the 490s (7.7K and 8K). There's more bass from the neck, and more output from the bridge. The increase in bass can make the neck sound muddy with high gain. However, the cool thing with the P90s is that they respond VERY WELL to changes in guitar volume. Rolling off a little volume can make a HUGE difference. I think the Bridge could be a little hotter, with slightly more bass response, but overall they are pretty well balanced. When you keep these moderately clean or use a good rock tone, they sound AMAZING. They actually give the Casino a lovely voice...

My performance FX chain is:
Guitar--> Ottava Magus--> Boss CS-2--> V8 Fuzz--> Hyper Pak--> Valcoder--> Bud Wah--> Nobels ODR-1+--> EB Volume Pedal--> Delay--> Serrano Picoso--> Amp (Peavey Classic 30, Carvin Nomad, Fender Twin, or a Traynor YRM-1SC--my favorite). I LOVE those little Catalinbread pedals.

When recording I use either an old SF Fender Champ or the Nomad with only the few pedals that I need and/or a PODxt (kind of soul-less, but great at 4:30am)

I play lead guitar in an basement/garage rock outfit...a little alt-americana pops in every now and then...very Mid-Western. It's a great sound and a perfect match for me.

I've been playing for 16 years. I've never had P90s before. I don't really have a good reference point. I've had Strat's and Tele's, but talk about a generic "signature tone"...Some people [the wanking Guitar Gods of Classic 99.9 or Yore--wherever they hail, Billy Corgan, Doug Martsch, tons of others etc.] do wonders with those guitars, but I could never really get into single coils. I've always enjoyed humbuckers, and when I wanted a thin tone or less output I use phase switches or coil taps...

If I ever lose or replace these, I might try Mean 90s, possibly a Kent Armstrong, or Gibson P94s [if I have the spare $240]...but I would probably stick with GFS. The whole reason I bought the Dream 90s is due to a set of GFS Retrotrons (GREAT PICKUPS!!!!). The quality and tone for the price is unbeatable, and Jay is incredibly helpful.

I don't know if I've found the right pickup, yet. These sound great, but I need to break them in for a while. I may get a Mean 90s if I can't deal with them. I'm very curious to know how they compare to Gibson P94s or any other quality P90.

P90 single coil in a humbucker-sized mount.
Black & pearl 'tuxedo' model (if it matters)

2005 Fender Highway One Stratocaster
Installed to replace the stock bridge pickup. I've always hated the sound of the bridge position on my strat. The neck & middle are beautiful, but the bridge is just thin and weak.

I am really really happy with the sound of this pickup. As I mentioned I hated the thin, brittle sound of the Fender single coil, I've also tried a Duncan JB Jr. and a GFS "vintage 59" in this guitar but neither of the humbuckers really matched the other pickups. This Dream 90 is just a perfect fit. I get that bright, clear bridge position sound without the harsh, overbearing treble and without overpowering the single coils or distorting the clean channel. I installed a switch when I got the guitar to get a neck & bridge position and with this pickup installed that position is perfect for everything I play from surf to rockabilly to country to old Beatles favorites.

I don't think I'm qualified to talk about "the P90 sound". If you want to know how this stacks up against other P90s I can't help you. What I can say is that this pickup sounds like a single coil should. It's well balance without harsh or brittle highs. It's crystal clear and responsive to pick attack. It has a great 60s rock crunch when distorted and the snap and definition I was looking for when clean. It sounds fantastic on it's own or in combination with other single coils. I wouldn't hesitate for a second to buy another one or to recommend it to others.

P-90 type p/u with gold covers. Others have pretty well covered the specs

I put these in a really pretty natural flame top Epiphone Dot Ltd Edition that my wife bought for me. Both stock humbuckers were replaced. The stock p/u's were fairly muddy sounding and just didn't cut it in a live situation.

These p/u's are about the same output as the original Epiphone humbuckers, but are very articulate. The guitar sounds pretty nice through my Custom Vibrolux Reverb. I play a wide variety of music from old R&R to CCR to Vince Gill to ZZ Top. This guitar seems to work well with these pick ups for anything I play.

I would buy these again, especially for the price. I've been playing for over 40yrs and I own way too much gear. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by these pick ups, because they are very decent sounding. They are just what I was looking for and the discription on the web site was right on.

Dream 90's, single coils man! In a humbucker size.

I have 2 Dream 90's in all 3 of my Les Paul's (Stellar) for my "Clash" tribute band, (I just had to get that in). With different pearl top's in each guitar; they look so cool!

Yeah, humbuckers are just too muddy to cut through a "Clash" band, (there I go again).

I left the stock 500K pot's & cap on the neck pickup's when I switched over, I preferred the sound of less restriction on those pup's.

Wow! Nice and clear. Playing clean through my new DA10 Vox, jangle & SRV tones are very impresssive.

Dirty tone is just what I wanted, nice crunch with good spank on the high end.

Output isn't as hot as the humbuckers I took out, (some wound to 17 ohm's) but you knew that going in.

Bottom line they really opened up the sound of these guitar's and set them apart from any other Les Paul.

I'm real stoked on GFS pickups, and for that price you can go crazy retrofitting your axe collection. They seem to fill a nich, giving you what you really wanted, with cool pearl tops to boot! I'm glad I found GFS pickups before I bought anything else.

Well I'm done buying equipment for now...................Yeah sure;~)

Single coil passive in a humbucker form factor.

Weird Epi set neck Les Paul Special. Bridge to replace the stock USA HB. I'm a big fan of the P90, and quickly becoming a fan of GFS. I originally intended to replace both the bridge and the neck HBs, to try and achieve a vintage Special sound. But, the neck is quite nice and gnarly, so I felt I'd leave well enough alone. The bridge though, was too brittle. So I felt I'd try this first rather than give up on the neck.

I play the blues, and love P90s. You don't really go with these for high output, although they may be hotter than most HBs. It should be a thick tone, and the Dream 90 delivers here. Although I wouldn't say that it is exactly like a great soapbar, but it approaches it. In comparison with a Gibson Junior using the same amp and settings, I'd say that the difference is marginal. The dream 90 seemed a little hotter. Actually, I prefer the Special, because the intonation is better due to the bridge which created a creamier more complex harmonic. I also like mixing the HB and 90 for some granularity on a modded Valve Junior. Very, very Jimmy Reedish.

I'd probably buy it again. I've used several of these HB retrofits, and the Dream is almost as good as the top boutiques, and better than some. I like the fit, and they come with different covers. If you have a flat top or an un-Lester with HBs, try a set of these. But be prepared not to go back.

Single coil P-90 type pickup to fit humbucker rout. Wound hot for single coil- more like PAF impedance 8-9k.

I put these in the neck & middle positions of a 1970's MIJ Matsumoku Les Paul clone (set-neck, all mahogany, 10lb.s) routed for 3 pickups. I replaced the neck pickup because I wanted some different sounds (S-S-H) & the stock middle pickup was DOA.

The bridge pickup is a GFS Nashville Filtertron clone. I installed a 5-position rotary switch instead of the 3-way pickup selector so I could get some coil tap sounds & more variety.

None that I know of beside me, but I really liked the Nashville, the Fat PAF & the Power Rails that I've bought from Jay.

The output is warm & clear with a good bottom end & lots of shimmer. It does not 'jangle', but if I was looking for jangle, I'd have put on filtertrons or De'Armonds.

I play through a Garnet 25W 1x15" combo every other sunday; a Garnet 5W 1x12" combo for rehearsal & an Epiphone Valve Jr for practice. I use a Boss ME-50 multi-effects unit.

The Dream 90 sounds like the missing link between single coils & humbuckers- that is, not as thin as a Strat pickup , but not as muddy as a PAF at its worst. The pick dynamics are the best of any pickup I've ever played. The neck p/u & the reverse-wired middle p/u combined nicely with the north & south coils of the Nashville to give me some cool 'middle position' sounds too.

I play classic rock, blues & folk-rock. I use this axe for slide about 90% of the time. The Dream 90 is an ideal match for my style. There is just the faintest hum though...

I would replace if stolen or lost, but I might check out the Mean-90 or Dream 180's too...

I've been playing for about 35 years. I have two other Les Pauls- a Memphis Black Beauty & an Epiphone gold-top. My other axes are vintage Rickenbacher & Epiphone lap steels from the 30's.

I love this pickup for the muscular, vintage tone & pick dynamics.

I compared this pickup to similar P-90 clones sold by Diesel & Kent Armstrong and I preferred this one. I have also tried other GFS product previously & liked them.

I am satisfied with this pickup, but still might try the Mean-90.

It's a passive, true single coil p90 in a standard, Gibson humbucker size. I believe the impedence is around 8k.

I put this in the neck position of a 2002 Squier Standard Fat Tele to replace the muddy stock humbucker, which was only good for one sound, had no versatility, and didn't mix well with the stock bridge single coil (which also will eventually be replaced). I wanted something that could balance better with the bridge pickup output wise, still be thick and full sounding when played clean, but with more highs and harmonics that would cut through when the gain was up.

This is my first p90 and it's a good pickup. Very balanced tone with a flat natural eq and less hum than I was expecting. Where it really shines is under a good amount of overdrive for rhythm work in a classic rock style. There it gets a good, snarly bite but with great string definition. I can hear the Beatles here, early Rolling Stones, early Black Sabbath Sex Pistols-- basically a lot of hard-driving 60s and 70s rock. It doesn't sound "round" or "cutting" like a Strat, nor is it as thick and full sounding as a humbucker, but it's still useful. However, unlike other people have said, it doesn't "sparkle" when played clean. It's a decent sound, but sort of bland, which was a real bummer.

Although I think this is a good, versatile pickup, it's really not what I was looking for in this guitar. These are great for people who rock out old school--I can imagine them sounding fantastic blasting out power chords through a cranked Marshall-- but that's not me right now. If I keep this guitar, I'll probably sell this pickup on ebay and go back to some sort of PAF-clone for the neck. Still a good pickup at a good price.

I got no clue other than what everyone here says.

Fender Squier Bullet Special--one pickup, one volume control, nothing else.

Put this in the bridge--there is only one pickup in this guitar. I opted for the bridge version of the Dream 90.

Replaced the stock Squier ugliness that was in here.

I wanted a better sound. The stock humbucker was brittle and thin. Also, I wanted the cool look of this white pearloid pickup. Looks really cool in this bland guitar.

Output seems medium to me. Similar to the junky stock humbucker that was in here.

Use this with a Roland Cube-60 and Roland Micro Cube

Tone is midrangy, but with biting treble and more depth than what I had before.

This is a great pickup for flat out rock. Set the amp on a Tweed (Bassman) or Brit combo (Vox AC30), and go from nice clean to flat out overdrive. I have not found it great for really heavy music.

I have only used this as a bridge pickup since this guitar only has one pickup. It has guts.

I am going to buy some more GFS pickups after this. I may try a couple of these Dream 90s in my Ibanez Artcore. The pickups in that are pretty muddy sounding.

I have been playing for about 15 years. I own a MIJ '62 reissue Strat, Gretsch 6119HT, Ibanez Artcore. I have a Blues Jr. (in need of repair) and a Roland Cube 60 and Roland Micro Cube. I also mess around with my son's Jay Turser JT-200D Les Paul copy (dang nice for the price!), and his old Squier Bullet Special that I dropped this thing in. I never would play that Squier because it sounded like total crap. Now it's fun.

I love the look of this pickup and the in your face overdriven tone. It sounds very classic to me. Not modern or metal, just classic rock.

I chose this because for the price I figured if it sucked, I'd only be out $30. I am not disappointed. I love it.

As you can see from my guitars I have a pretty good variety of sound. This pickup fits in between them all which is what I wanted. I swear it almost twangs at times when it's clean, but nothing like my Gretsch.

The only thing I don't like too much is the hum. But I can live with it. It doesn't seem as obnoxious as my Strat. All in all, I'm very pleased and am going to check out more GFS products. They're pretty inexpensive and I think this thing sounds pretty darn cool.

p-90/humbucker case
passive
impedance is 8.ish

pickup is installed in a 1990 fender squier
bridge
pup replaced was a "overwound" aftermarket single coil
none.......all by itself
dont know
i changed the pup in search for a open "vintage" tone

pup output is a nice medium level
my effects are:ts9 tubescreamer,digitech delay into a marshall vs265 with a sovtech preamp tube.
tone is middy of course,fairly tight bass with nice warm highs..just what i was looking for!very well balanced
although mine only has one pup(bridge)i would expect the neck p-90 to sound very good also.i play classic rock,power blues.this pup suits this type of music very well
.

if this pup were stolen,i would get another!!
ive been playing 27yrs.
other gear i own epi les paul with a 498t bridge pup,and a frankenstrat i put together,(1970 body,1998 maple neck,vintage elec.)
i really like the open vintage sound!very well balanced,think the doors,thorogood.
if the pup had a little more volume it would be nice,but thats part of the vintage magic!
the pup is alittle noisy but very tolorable for a p-90

p-90 in humbucker size

I use it on my epiphnone les paul in the neck position for replacing stock pickup.

It's hotter than the stock pickup,with good tone but sometimes muddy,good with clean sound,very good with overdrive sounds for lead ritmics.
I play alternative indie rock

It's a goog pickup compared through the price paid for.
It's better than the stock pickup and not too distant from other brands like seymour duncan.
If you want a cheap good pickup to try new sounds try it.

Pickup features: Humbucker-sized P-90
Impedence or other specs: 8k-ish

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Les Paul Special
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: 498T, SD '59, GFS Liverpool
Other pickups on guitar: none yet
Artists using this pickup: Madd Kalaway, Brenden Misereaux, Jon Cornwaller, Just Kidding, etc.
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: pretty hot
Tone: balanced sound on all strings, but overall dark for a p90. takes well to alot of treble boosting.
Sonic evaluation: I ditched the stock Gibson humbuckers 498T and 490R. I tried a Seymour Duncan 59 in the bridge and neck and thought it was lacking in some frequency, not sure. I just didn't like it. Then I tried a GFS Liverpool and it was the best of the bunch. That pickup sounds awesome, but not for me. If you're looking for a very vintage sound, that thing is IT. Then I tried the Dream 90 on a whim and I love it. I've owned two other p90 guitars and have been trying out a bunch and they sound pretty good, but they never sound as good at home through my Blues Junior. But this thing is kind of in a world of its own. It just rocks. I can't decribe the sound, but it's very thick and syrup-y compared to other real p90's, both clean and all the way up to heavy heavy heavy overdrive. Yes, you can do metal with this pickup. Too noisy? Hell no, it's the quietest single coil I've ever heard. I'm using 500k pots and they're perfect. I can't wait to get a neck one to see how the in-between position sounds.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Funk, CCR/Roots rock, rock a la AC/DC

Comments: I really like this pickup. I was getting sick of shopping around and trying different pickups. Get these! Jay at GFS is a cool guy and knows his stuff. He'll help you pick the right one.

Pickup features: p-90
Impedence or other specs: 8.4

Model of guitar or bass: Squier '51
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock Humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: Strat single neck coil
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, Classic Rock
Reason for pickup change: Wanted more of a single coil sound

Perceived output level: Hot enough that you wont miss the power of a humbucker !
Tone: Trebly with a lot of "bite" , screams & sings with
Sonic evaluation: I play at home through a Roland Cube 30 & Marshall dfx 15.
This pup sounds fantastic, incredibly "tasty" and extremely sensitive to any and all string vibration as other people have noted and they are not lying!
I liked & still like the stock humbucker from the '51 but I have several of them and wanted a more of a single coil sound from one of them and this does the job & more.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: I'd give these a 9 just based on sound, but a 10 considering the value. The only thing I could say on the down side is that I thought they might be a bit more "snarly", but that may just be due to the guitar style itself or my crappy playing! These babies are smooth, snappy with tons of bite and just flat out tasty, a great way to add to your tone arsenal without mortgaging the house!

Pickup features: P90 in humbucker packaging
Impedence or other specs: Bridge 8.4k

Model of guitar or bass: Mexican Telecaster Squier Series
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock Factory Pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Neck, MIM factory pickup with cover removed
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Classic Rock, Blues
Reason for pickup change: Two reasons; I was after a P90 type pickup sound and these look fantastic! Also, the Mexican tele bridge pickups don't do it for me. I think they need the metal bottom plate to give some sparkle.

Perceived output level: I have another Mexican Tele with an after-market pickup with metal bottom plate wound to about 7.3k. This gives a lovely vintage Tele sound. In comparison, the Dream 90 has more power but less of that typical Tele high end bite.
Tone: Surprisingly, this pickup still retains some of that Tele jangle in the bridge position. I suspect this has something to do with the metal plate on the bottom of this pickup. It has less treble bite than my other Tele but has more bottom and mids. Other people have said it already, it's warmer than standard single coils and much clearer than humbuckers.
Sonic evaluation: I play through a Traynor YCV20 valve combo with a couple of overdrive pedals a chorus and a tremolo. This pickup can jangle and shimmer on clean (with or without effects) and it really sings when things get dirty. It also has nice harmonics.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mainly classic rock and blues. I have a collection of MIM Fender guitars which have all been modded to some degree or another to get the range of sounds I'm after. This pickup fits into its own niche between "vintage" and "modern". It's a great pickup for classic rock and blues.

Comments: I installed this pickup in the bridge position of my Tele using one of Guitar Fetish's Tele Humbucker bridges. The whole package looks and sounds fantastic. If this guitar was lost or stolen, I'd buy the same guitar, the same bridge, the same pickup and build another. It's a permanent fixture in my collection.
There are several manufacturers out there offering a similar products but Guitar Fetish wins on tone & price.

Pickup features: Passive humbucker sized P90
Impedence or other specs: #

Model of guitar or bass: Cort Matt "Guitar" Murphy Signature
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Gibson Burstbucker #1 and #2
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Rock'n roll, texas blues, classic rock, everything that gets your toes tapping.
Reason for pickup change: The burstbuckers were good for classic rock like AC/DC, Nugent etc, but didn't quite have the "bite" I wanted. P-90's have more clarity and sings out the notes.

Perceived output level: Something like a mix of tex-mex/ texas special strat pickups and classic Les-Paul humbuckers.
Tone: Just perfect for this guitar. Very balanced set of PU's. The tone of the guitar is now very clear, you hear every tone of the chords. Great pickups.
Sonic evaluation: Plays it mostly trough a Peavey bandit 112 when I am at home, play it trough an old fender amp at band practice. I'm not into all kinds of effects. I just crank it up, no need for messing with the tone when a guitar sings like this one.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play a lot of different music, but I play basically with a mild overdrive setting. Just enough to make the guitar "bite". These pickups wont do metal too good. They are single coils and get a little noise when you put on too much overdrive. Nothing harder than AC/DC

Comments: I've played guitar for 13 years, got a lot of guitars. Gibson, Fender, Peavey, Hagstrom, Cort, Takamine, Danelectro. At the moment I only play the Cort. It's a damn good guitar, and the Dream 90's make it sing. I love the clarity and sound of these pickups. At this extremly low price, it is a bargain.

Pickup features: P90 Style humbucker size passive with gold cover
Impedence or other specs: 8.2 neck and 8.4 bridge

Model of guitar or bass: Heritage 555
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Original Shaller
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Classic Rock, Blues based Southern Rock
Reason for pickup change: The Shallers were just week in every sense. They had no bite when overdiven and too bassy when clean. They were no where when playing with a group. I tried changing the neck pickup to a Burst Bucker #2 because these are on my Les Paul and I like them very much. In this guitar it became too bassy both clean and overdriven. I was considering getting rid of this guitar even though it plays really well.

Perceived output level: The Dream 90's are deffinatly hotter than the Shaller's but slightly hotter than the Burst Bucker which I was surprised about.
Tone: They sound very balanced like a strong P90 should
Sonic evaluation: I am playing through a Marshall DSL2000 50 watt for my dirty tones and a old Music Man 130 watt head for clean. I could never use this guitar before on the Marshall beacuse it sounded too muddy and bassy. There was no definition to the tone. The Burst Bucker was only a little better. The Dream 90's made this guitar come alive. I can now get that Bluesy overdiven tone I wanted as well as use it for a heavier stuff. I was very amazed at the sonic quailty of these pickups. Dirty tones just scream from this guitar now. Clean it gives a nice warm tone that is very much like early 50's guitars. I need to roll the volume down a little but they are very clear and strong. I like single coils for clean anyway.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: These are great pickups for straight up Rock and Roll and Blues. This is the tone I was going for on this guitar. I like all the positions and tones they give me. I don't know if I would use these for Jazz but if you were playing fusion then then I would say yes.

Comments: I would buy these again in a heartbeat. For the price these have to be one of the best sounding and values out there. I have been playing for over 20 years in and out of bands and through a ton of gear. Right now I have the Heritage 555, Class 5 Les Paul, Fender Strat Plus with DG-20 EMG set up, Martin Jumbo, Dobro, and a Tobias bass. For amps I have the Marshall DSL2000, Music Man, and a Ampeg V4 that I also use for bass. these pickups definately crush the Shallers and in this guitar are way better than the Burst Bucker. I would recomend these to anyone who asks. For the price you can always take a chance on these to punch up your sound. I don't normally give out 10's on gear but for the price and quick shipping you cannot go wrong with these in your guitar.

Pickup features: humbucker-size P-90 (passive single coil)
Impedence or other specs: 8.2 neck, 8.4 bridge, according to GFS

Model of guitar or bass: self-assembled, two-pickup Les Paul
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: n/a
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): indie rock, prog, jazz
Reason for pickup change: I bought these for the guitar I was building. I wanted a wide range of sound without too many useless settings, and P-90s allow that. The GFS Dream 90s looked totally sweet on eBay (black pearl/gold model), and the price was right.

Perceived output level: About average, though lower than a lot of modern humbuckers. The brightness makes them seem louder than they are.
Tone: Spans the gap between vintage humbuckers and Strat single-coils.
Sonic evaluation: I've used this guitar through a Tech 21 Trademark 120 and a small, late-'50s Rickenbacker M-8 amp (like a Champ). The Rickenbacker has no tone controls and cuts out a lot of the extreme highs and lows, but is otherwise balanced, and the guitar sounded very much like a Les Paul Standard -- more like a humbucker sound, but a little snappier in the single positions and somewhat scooped-sounded in the mixed position. No equalization was necessary. The pickups played very nicely with a Rat pedal, too.
The Tech 21 accentuates the brightness of these pickups; I found the guitar's tone knobs very handy. The pickups came across as very Strat-ish, but with more bass, on the amp's "tweed"/Fender setting. With the "British"/Marshall preamp, the clean sounds were again glassy and beautiful, and the distortion also turned out to be exciting. The single-coil positions distort nicely on their own, but using both pickups together through a stereo amp creates an incredibly useful "doubled" sound, with each pickup producing a different-enough tone that the result sounds almost like double-tracking. This isn't unique to Dream 90s, but these pickups do it well.
The pickups aren't especially hot, but they are very sensitive to every sound that comes out of the guitar, including string noise, squeeks, taps, and picking technique. This all comes through in the high-frequency range of the pickups' output, so it's important to (1) adjust the guitar's tone knobs to let an appropriate amount of treble through (do it here, the amp's EQ works differently); (2) play well.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Together, these pickups cover eveything I want to do, from jazz to semi-brutal indie rock. But since hum is only cancelled in one setting, extreme distortion gets too noisy.

Comments: My other guitars before this were an LP with humbuckers and a Japanese Strat with two singles and a very hot Dimarzio humbucker in the bridge (a good guitar, but poorly balanced pickups). I borrowed a few guitars and played a few more before deciding that P-90s would give the best balance and range of useful sounds.
These sound better than any combination that exists on the Japanese Strat, and can match the tone quality of a LP Standard if used with a good guitar body and neck, although the output is clearly lower than the LP's humbuckers. However, to get all these different sounds, the Dream 90s require tinkering with all four knobs on the guitar. Use the tone knobs to tame the brightness before trying the amp's EQ; also, some good sounds can be found by changing each pickup's volume separately while in the mixed position.
The hum is not a problem. These pickups come sealed in metal covers, so they're already partially shielded. I also shielded the control cavity of the guitar when I was assembling it, so that could also be helping.
Since this guitar turned out so well, and since I am now super broke, I don't think I'll be buying any more guitars or pickups for awhile. These pickups are hugely versatile (as are most P-90s), and since I could easily replace them for another $80 if some deity smote them, I have no fear of gigging with this guitar.

Pickup features: humbucker size p-90s
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Aria Pro II TS-400
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: both
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): blues
Reason for pickup change: wanted to get p-90s

Perceived output level: normal
Tone: glassy, strat-like
Sonic evaluation: I'm using the Dream 90s in an Aria Pro II (an excellent pawn shop find) through a Nobels ODR-1 overdrive into a Peavey Classic 30 equipped with a Hellatone speaker from Avatar (a great speaker).

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: blues

Comments: I've been playing since I was 12 and now I'm 51 (jeez louise...), and I'm picky about tone. I got these Dream 90s for a very low price on ebay from GFS, and I don't see how I could be happier. I have a strat with custom pups (Frankie Blue) and a 1974 Guild M-75 (The Bluesbird) with the original pups, and I like both of those guitars, but I've been playing the Aria (Thor) for the last two weeks while The Bluesbird and Frankie sit around because I'm so pleased with the sound of these pick-ups. Thor originally was equipped with 'buckers, and I didn't even change the 500k pots to 250s, and I still like these new pups. Describing pick-up sound is like trying to describe wine, but I'd say these are creamy and smooth with the strat-ish glassiness that I was hoping for. They also look great. The guys at the shop where I usually go for work on my guitars put them in, and they were raving about the tone. Excellent pick-ups at any price, and all the better for being inexpensive.

Pickup features: Passive single coil P90 in a humbucker body
Impedence or other specs: 8.0 at neck 8.4 in bridge

Model of guitar or bass: First Act ME501
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Alnico 50 and Alnico 52 humbuckers
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: dunno
You musical style(s): Rockabilly, punk, ska
Reason for pickup change: Bought a relatively inexpensive guitar for the sole purpose of putting in P90s

Perceived output level: Fairly hot, I notice a big difference between these and the ceramic HB's in my Ibanez
Tone: Pretty well balanced for budget PUP's, sound best with both engaged and the bridge rolled down a bit
Sonic evaluation: I use this guitar set-up through a Vox Pathfinder 15R with several different pedal options. These PUP's did force me to evaluate the EQ'ing of my amp, as they have much more high end response than the Humbuckers in my Ibanez Artcore. But with the EQ tamed, I can get some nice chime and these really growl with some drive on the amp. I'm very happy with the bang for the buck on these. As a side note, i play bass in my band, but I took this to practice last night, and BOTH of my guitar players(who have respectively several Ibanez's and an SG) spent about 45 minutes apiece playing this >$200 guitar and talking about how good it sounded especially with amps set on the edge of breakup.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: These are great for the rockabilly & garage punk, some hum when bridge or neck only, but dead quiet in the hum-cancelling midposition, which is what i use the most anyways. I use the volume knobs to blend in more or less of either pickup.

Comments: These really are nice pickups for the dough. I looked at Gibson P94's. $110 apiece and I'd read that Armstrongs ($110 a pr.) were too overwound and muddy. So I went for these on ebay and got a fantastic price on some P90s that are both sonically and aesthtically pleasing. i like them so much that I'm thinking about ordering some of their filtertron clones to replace the 'buckers in the Artcore.

Pickup features: p 90
Impedence or other specs: 8.4

Model of guitar or bass: epiphone dot
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: kent armstrong paf
Other pickups on guitar: same
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): blue's,rock
Reason for pickup change: i was very unhappy with humbucker's.

Perceived output level: these are 8.4 p 90's output is brighter than stock
Tone: the tone is just what i was looking for,very balanced,not muddy as a humbucker.
Sonic evaluation: i use a epiphone dot with these gfs dream 90's and a fender 1965 showman,wow what a nice warm clear sound i get now..

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i play mostly blue's now,these pickups are just what i was lookink for..

Comments: i still can't believe what i bought these pickups for, at 32.00 dollor's apiece they are a bargain and they look stunning too,mine are the cream pearl top's simply stunning...and the sound? amazing!!! you simply cannot beat theses pickups..

Pickup features: P-90 style single coil in a humbucker body
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Les Paul Junior from early sixties
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: neck and bridge
Other pickups on guitar: Bartolini HiAMp neck and Dimarzio Super Distoriton bridge
Artists using this pickup: dunno
You musical style(s): rock, roots
Reason for pickup change: the p-ups in the guitar were't very evenly matched and the sound left much to be desired. A friend recommended P-90s

Perceived output level: the neck is not too mellow, the bridge is not too trebly, all-in-all lively and resonant.
Tone: balanced tone, very pleasing to the ear and not buzzing or humming.
Sonic evaluation: Peavey Delta Blues 1-15" speaker. I use a pedal board, Fulldrive 2, Boss SD-1, Guyatone MC2 chorus and Boss DD-20, but the pickups sound great with no effects. They respond really well when you roll off the volume and tone a bit.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play a bit of everything; jack-of-all-trades master of none. These pickups sound great all around.

Comments: I'd get these again. They are a great value. I've been playing 35 years. For other electrics, I also have a Telecaster Custom and a Standard Strat, and I'd consider changing out the humbuckers in my Epi Sheraton 2 with these. I have yet to try these pickups with my Peavey Classic 30, but I imagine they should sound pretty good through that as well.

Pickup features: P90 in a humbucker form factor with pretty MOP covering
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Samick Royale
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Duncan 'designed' humbuckers
Other pickups on guitar: replaced them both
Artists using this pickup: dunno
You musical style(s): Rock
Reason for pickup change: I liked the look of the guitar but not the sound...don't like humbuckers. Those were probably better suited for jazz. I needed a humbucker form factor and Jay at guitarfetish suggested these.

Perceived output level: Nice n' hot
Tone: Bridge is nice and trebly, the neck pickup has a nice smooth tone to it
Sonic evaluation: I'm using these in a Samick Royale through a Music Man 65...when I crank it up, these things rock out...gets an amazing growly sound to it, really live-sounding like P90s should be. Never potty, never noisy (and no hum!).
Set more quietly, they turn into great rhythm pups, have a nice chimy sound to them. I tend to use the center switch favoring the bridge pickup for that.
It's difficult to get feedback out of these pickups, even with a semi-hollowbody. You CAN get feedback though, if you stand in the right spot--and then it's got a nice, controlled sound to it, not painful to the ear at all (of course, I always wear ear plugs when I'm cranking up, don't you?). Take it a little louder and you think you're possessed by Johnny Thunders...

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Garage rock, trashy blues stuff...

Comments: This is the second time I've bought from Jay/guitarfetish and both times have gone great. I also bought a Memphis for another guitar. He responds instantly to emails and offers nice advice and deals. I'm getting ready to buy another GFS pickup --for me, they're the best deal out there, especially if you dig the retro look like I do.

Pickup features: single-coil, hum-sized
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 1977 Greco (Ibanez) 58 V (Rocket Roll Sr.)
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: stock "super 70"-type
Other pickups on guitar: Rio Grande Tallboy Humbucker (bridge pos., tapped)
Artists using this pickup: unknown
You musical style(s): fusion, punk, some blues & jazz
Reason for pickup change: I was looking for p90 tones for blues work.

Perceived output level: relatively hot, but doesn't break up too much on its own through a clean amp.
Tone: leans toward the treble end, but not harsh; mids and low end are ok.
Sonic evaluation: In this ash body/maple neck Flying V, this pickup gives a nice round single-coil Strato-tone with some bite (think SRV), a definite improvement over the blah tone I was getting w/ the standard humbucker. I play it thru a Peavey XXL 212, and it sounds great thru all the amp models. It sings on the high gain positions (esp. the "ultra" channel of the amp w/ the bass and mids turned down a quarter).

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Rock, jazz, blues--sounds good for all of them. Sounds good in neck pos., but I can't attest to its applicability in the bridge pos.

Comments: I bought this out of curiosity, and I may buy another. I compared it to a Kent Armstrong p90 hum-size, but this was cheaper. This one has the gold can w/ the black pearl top; I wish the had'ed with a plain black top.
However, buyers should be aware of what this pickup really is: It is obviously a Korean-made import, as the baseplate and coil used are EXACTLY the same as pickups I've taken out of Epiphone, SAEIN (Shine), and Agile brand instruments (NOTE the circled "F" stamp on the back of the plate, and importantly, the standard single humbucker coil at the center of the plate). It is NOT an "expensive, custom-wound" item as the GFS ebay store blurb would claim. There is NOT a p-90 size coil (wide & flat) inside the housing, but a standard hum bobbin/coil atop 2 alnico magnets.
For this reason, I feel they should be selling them for far less, say 15 or 20 bucks, tops.
Despite this caveat, it sounds pretty decent and is very useful, and for that reason I rate it a 7.
I've played since the early 1970s; these days I play a bunch of souped-up Korean guitars.

Pickup features: Passive P-90 pickup
Impedence or other specs: Single coil P-90 in a humbucker frame, partial chrome cover. Cool looks!

Model of guitar or bass: Les Paul Standard
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: OEM humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: Bridge--old Duncan Stag Mag (SH-3 I believe)
Artists using this pickup: ME! Let
You musical style(s): Mostly rock and roll to orchestra pit music
Reason for pickup change: I love the old Les Paul's w/P-90s. I have other LPs and hot humbucker guitars and I wanted something a bit different from a standard sounding guitar.

Perceived output level: Med output pickup. Around 7.5 ish
Tone: Has a bite with a thin top but not irritating...kind of like Les Paul's old tone.
Sonic evaluation: I use an old Peavy Classic 4-10 and a Tech 21 Trademark 60 amp. When I tweek the tone with a Boss Eq, the guitar yeilds a ton of quality tones with plenty of distinction and chord clarity. Both pickups are interesting together. The Dream-90 has a bottom end drop out around 6-8 on the pot and then the bottom end comes in full when cranked. Very cool. You can dial in telecaster "honk" sounds. The pickup looks classy and distinctful with the partial chrome cover.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Jazz or be-bop styles are perfect. Can definately cover country-tele tones.

Comments: I've played for 30 years in many bands and for all types of venues. I'd highly recommend this product. GFS is a solid manufacturer that you won't have to pay through the nose for. I wanted a single coil in a humbucker package but balked at the 65+ price tag. This is a great alternative. A great risk for under 50 dollars. If you like versatility and cool looks...take a chance. Jay at Guitar Fetish will provide the best value for you.

Pickup features: Single Coil
Impedence or other specs: 7.2 Measured oat home no spec supplied

Model of guitar or bass: Custom built by me Tele Thinline
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: Bridge "LiL" Puncher humberker
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Classic Rock & R&B
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Very Hot little pup
Tone: Tebbly and hot , piercing leads sound and full rythm
Sonic evaluation: 10 watt roland cube

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This Pup is great for that classic rock sound and does very well under distortion

Comments: Definately a hot pup with lots of punch for the buck. Highly recommend this pup to all, does very well in semi hollow body guitar, like the custom thinline I built.
http://www.pbase.com/blulou/custom_tele_thinline