GFS Premium Texas Strat Pickups

[bigoldron]

I may be trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear, but I don't think so. Many of you are modding Squiers and liking how they turn out. So, I'm doing a lot of tweaking to the one that I got from Strum. You've seen the pics of how she looks in the "For Sale/Trade" forum (thankfully I changed my mind), so you know she's looking good with that tortoiseshell pickguard, which is fully shielded with copper foil now.

Anyway, I've ordered a set of GFS Premium Texas Strat Pickups to put in her. According to the website, the bridge is about 30% hotter than a standard vintage coil pickup. The other 2 pickups are about 10% hotter, so she should have some guts to her once I get these babies in. I've already replaced the factory mini-500's with CTS 250k pots, so now the sound should be red hot, but hopefully not too hot. If I'm not mistaken, the Texas Strats are not as hot as Jay's "hot overwound" p'ups, so I should be able to get some decent cleans when I want.

I've also ordered the GFS replacement bridge/tremolo block kit, which has the solid steel block, so that should help with the tone and sustain as well.

My wife's giving me this for my Christmas present, so it looks like I'm having a Merry Christmas this year! Between this and the Crate Vintage Club 20, I should be set for really good sounds in the new year. I've also applied a decal that I got from Andy, that, to me, looks really good. Andy, you did a super job! Thanks my friend! I'll get a picture posted soon for ya'll to see.

Anyway, when I'm finished with all the mods, I will try to record a little and post it. BUT, you guys have got to promise not to ridicule my playing, 'cause it just ain't that great.

[oldguy]

Promise made.
Nobody's playin' was much good if you just go back far enough, I know mine wasn't (he!!, still ain't).
That sounds like it's gonna be one sweet axe, bigoldron, hope you get some pics as it progresses/when it's finished/whatever.
And please do post some clips whenever you feel comfortable with it, we all love member clips 'round here.

[Bloozcat]

That Crate VC 20 ought to have arrived by now bigoldron, so what do you think of it?

[bigoldron]

That Crate VC 20 ought to have arrived by now bigoldron, so what do you think of it?

SSSSHHHHHWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEETTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!! I AM DIGGING THAT TUBE TONE! I haven't had a lot of time to experiment with it, but hopefully over the Christmas holidays, I can find some time to do a little "exploring". Oh, which I posted in "New Amph Day" in the Amps forum, did I mention that this sucker is LOUD!!! I can't stay in the same room with it with the Gain on 8-9 and the main level on 2!

I'll let you know how the Squier sounds after the p'ups!

[bigoldron]

Well, I pretty much finished up late last night. The new pups and the bridge kit are in. First impression of the Texas Premiums are fairly good. They're a lot smoother than the original Squier pups, but seem to have a lot more treble than I thought they'd have. I've got them wired to CTS 250k audio pots and an orange cap .203. I wired them up and shielded the guitar according to the Guitarnuts.com website, so she's pretty quiet for a single coil.

Overall, the pups sound pretty good. They're not as loud as I thought that'd be, but some of that's adjusting the height. I tweaked that it got a lot better.

One thing on the trem kit, the steel block sounds good, but it sticks out the back far enough that I can't put the rear cover on. Don't guess that matters (might as well not). I did have to do a little routing on the bass side so it would line up with the original screw holes, but other than it, it fits fine. I'm still working with it and the neck to get the action like I want it, but I'll get it there soon.

[mrmudcat]

About time ya get to modding.

I play strats with the back cover off alot!!!!

[birv2]

Round and round it goes...

I was looking to post something on these pickups and thought I'd do a search first. Turns out I have these very pickups in my Squier at the moment. I got em from bigoldron, swapped a CC overdrive for em.

I had a set of Fat 50's and while I loved the sweet vintage quacky tone, they were just TOO underwound. For instance, to match the volume on my JV strat with CS 54's, I had to use about double the volume with the Fat 50's (if the JV was on 4, the Squier would have to be on 8). Even with an OD pedal, it was still too clean and soft for my tastes.

So I put in these, thinking they would add a bit more oomph. They definitely are louder than the Fat 50's. I'm not completely sure about the tone yet, but I've fiddled with the pickup height and I'm getting more quack. And they definitely work better with pedals. I haven't yet found that I'm, in the words of their website, "BLOWN AWAY by the BIG FAT BOTTOM end!"

I'll have to play out with them a few more times. I'm really hoping, just for my wallet's sake, that I like them a lot!

Bob

The experiment continues.

[bigoldron]

I was just wondering tonight how the pickups were working for you. Didn't know if you'd gotten them put in yet. I do hope you can find that magic tone with them, 'cause I'm for sure digging the Cool Cat.

I have found that Jay at Guitar Fetish does tend to add a little, shall we say, "marketing flair" to his descriptions. I haven't played enough Strats/Strat copies to really get a feel for what the pickups should sound like, other than the basic quack, but I'm learning.

Good luck with them, Bob! Hopefully, it'll come together, because I don't want you unhappy with me. :

[birv2]

Good luck with them, Bob! Hopefully, it'll come together, because I don't want you unhappy with me. :

Don't worry! If they don't work, I won't be unhappy with you. I did my due diligence before making the swap -- read up on the pickups, read reviews, listened to their sound clips, etc. You always take a chance with something new to your rig. It could have worked the other way, and you could have thought the Cool Cat was way overrated and lame.

I learned a long time ago that every setup is different, everyone plays differently, everybody's ears are different... So if someone says something is the absolute shizzle, that doesn't mean I'll like it.

But the more I play the pickups, the more I like them.

Bob

[birv2]

I played out at the blues jam last night with these pickups. My rig was:
Squier Affinity Strat with the GFS Texas Premium pickups -> Boss SD-1 -> Pro Junior (with pretty new JJ tubes and a newish Ragin Cajun speaker).

To my ears, it was just about the best tone I've heard coming from my rig live. Of course, there are so many variables -- I usually use my modded TS9DX, maybe my new speaker was now broken in.... But in any case, I really liked the sounds, and I particularly liked the bridge pickup. I use it exclusively on Texas Flood, which I play more like Jimmie than Stevie Ray Vaughan. Anyway, I heard some of that "whomp" that GFS advertises. I usually find the bridge pickup in strats not to my liking and hardly ever use it. But this one sounded great with the tone rolled back to 6.

And also score one for the Squier! It cost me $70 off ebay...

Just wanted to let you know, oldron, that the swap worked out for both of us.

Bob

[bigoldron]

Just wanted to let you know, oldron, that the swap worked out for both of us.

Bob

Glad to hear it Bob! I knew those pups would sound good in the right situation. I just didn't have the right setup. Anyway, my little Yammie has been playing real sweetly and the TOD is really sounding good, so it looks like we both came out great!