GFS Pickups FAT TC Alnico

Pickup features: single Coil Passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Customised Austin Hatchet Travel Guitar
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: GFS Memphis Mini Humbucker in Neck
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Thrashy Pop/Punk
Reason for pickup change: overly hot characterless stock hubs
Wanted to create a tele custom (travel guitar)
Sounds amazing fitted in my cheapo 80's Austin Hatchet travel guitar
I replaced the hardtail strat style bridge with 6 saddle Tele toploader ( string ferrules didn't line up for string through )

Perceived output level: medium output a little less than humbucker it replaced
Tone: Classic tele twang, searing lead tones with loads of the infamous " icepick in the ear" which I prefer to describe as "cuts right through" tone that all the mellowed out old farts ( who spend too much time playing on their own at home rather than in a band) hate so much
Sonic evaluation: the guitar is fitted with seperate volume controls (tele custom style) making more tones available
My favorite combination is neck 10 bridge 7 sounds great through AC30 and Fender Twin emulations in NI Guitar rig 10/10 with phase switch on now produces a very usefull brittle sound

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play thrashy Pop/Punk and this pup delivers the grit

Comments:
This little ?35 plank fitted with another ?35 worth of GFS pups is my favorite guitar ..warts and all (check my reviews)
I spend more time playing it than my '79 Strat and Dearmond M75T fitted with the legendary 2k pups which both sound great
The next time I come across one of these guitars I'll try fitting it with a couple of GFS retrofit P90

Pickup features: Single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Telecaster Standard, Mexican, early 90's
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar: GFS Tele neck pickup
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock n roll, country
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickup sounded bad

Perceived output level: Around same output as most normal, Alnico Tele pickups
Tone: Balanced
Sonic evaluation: I play straight-up Teles. For an amp, I'm currently I'm using an Ampeg Superjet reissue, 50 watts with one 12" Celestion from the 70's in it. I don't use pedals, and I get all my overdrive the old fashioned way, by cranking the amp. I do all my volume changes with the volume knob on the guitar.
I installed this pickup in my Fender Standard Telecaster, made in Mexico in the early 90's, which I picked up recently for a very low used price. I needed an inexpensive backup for my other main Tele, a Japanese 62 reissue.
The stock bridge pickup in the Mexican Tele was terrible - no low end at all, no warmth, and didn't even have a baseplate. I decided to take a chance on GFS because of the price, and I'm glad I did. The Fat TC Alnico was a 100% improvement - more low end, more warmth, more twang, more tone.
I don't have a lot of experience with boutique pickups, so I can't really compare the GFS to a Fralin or a Duncan, but I can certainly compare it to the terrible stock pickup, and there is no comparison. Highly, highly, higly recommended for a huge upgrade over stock, at minimal cost.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play rock n roll and old-school country; this pickup is a perfect match.

Comments: I would replace it if damaged, and I would buy another if I happened to get another similar Tele.
I am a semi-pro, gigging musician, not a bedroom player, and I use this GFS to help earn a living. I've been playing 17 or 18 years. I highly recommend the GFS for those who need tone on a tight budget.
I'd like to add that Jay at GFS has excellent customer service. I was mistakenly sent the wrong pickup at first; I almost kept it because it sounded so good. But after contacting Jay via email, he promptly got back to me and offered to swap it out with the correct one. I decided to do it, and went ahead and ordered a neck pickup too. He shipped them both together, and they arrived very quickly. He always answers my questions, usually the same day. Recently I ordered a Dream 90 pickup from him as well, so I'm a three-time customer, and I'm sure I will buy from him again eventually. Great stuff!

Pickup features: Passive sc
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass:
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level:
Tone:
Sonic evaluation: This is REPOST. After playing the pickup at jam-level amp volume, I've come to the conclusion that it's really too thin sounding. Thus, it really shouldn't be called a "fat" TC. it is suitable for those who want a traditional trebly tele tone.

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

Comments: Becuase of the discrepancy between the unit's tone and its advertisement, I'm giving it a 5/10.

Pickup features: Passive single coil
Impedence or other specs: 7.4k

Model of guitar or bass: Tele with northern (hard) ash mody, maple neck/fretboard
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: Seymour Duncan '59 in neck
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Blues, Jazz, Rock, Heavy Rock
Reason for pickup change: Stock bridge pickup was microphic. I saw this model on eBay for a crazy low price (about $20 USD).

Perceived output level: Seems similar to output of standard tele bridge pickup - nothing particularly hot or weak here.
Tone: Diffuclt to tell -certainly doesn't lack any bite and twang. It helps to make sure my tele sounds like a tele.
Sonic evaluation: I play this through a Tech21 Trademark 10. First, no evidence of microphonic feedback (I held the guitar without touching the strings about one foot away from the amp's speaker at high volume). This is not surprising since GFS advertised this pickup as having been wax potted. Beautiful clean tones, and NASTY (in a good way) dirty tones. I rewired my tele so that each pickup has its own volume control. To make sure the bridge pickup isn't too trebly relative to the neck pickup, I assigned a 500k pot the the neck volume and a 250k to the bridge volume. There's now a nice balance between both pickups. If I want a raunchy, cut-through, yet gutsy lead tone (as one would expect from a good tele) I select the bridge pup -- if I want a fuller and more powerful tone (more mids and overall warmth), I select the neck pup (not surprising since it's a humbucker in the neck position).

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues, Jazz, Rock, Heavy Rock. This pickup is definitely suited to playing dirty blues (think Buddy Guy). I certainly wouldn't use it as a lead pickup for a heavy metal band. It's also a little too trebly for clean jazz applications. I play through my neck pup for clean jazz runs with the treble turned down on my amp.

Comments: I'd get it again, especially in light of its price. Phenomenal price/quality ratio. Based on other GFS pickup reviews, I'd grab a GFS soon because prices are likely to go up.