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**Rosewood** · 08-09-2007, 04:42 AM

Maybe it's like cheap tires, if it's new rubber, has tread, holds the car up and rolls then it must be pretty good. With pickups, guitars, amps, etc, if a cheap one sounds any good at all they feel relieved and satisfied. I blame it all on Wal-Mart.

**R.G.** · 08-09-2007, 04:47 AM

Why do you think that mass marketing and false advertising would even exist if they're not effective?

Business guys wouldn't spend the big bucks on MM&FA if it didn't work.

This is one reason I like to try to get real facts out to people in forums. The more you educate people about what's good and what's trash, the better and smarter customers they are. I don't sell anything, but I like to think that people who know the real facts don't get taken as often.

**David Schwab** · 08-09-2007, 05:23 AM

Hype. He might have been hearing they were good. Eventually players will want the tone of their favorite players, who will be playing cheap guitars with cheap pickups through Pods....

**Spence** · 08-09-2007, 06:15 AM

It is disheartening to see people wasting their money on these pickups. I too have heared people rave about GFS. They don't seem to keep them for long though.

**Ruel** · 08-09-2007, 08:58 AM

Tsk, tsk, tsk......

I am from Asia but I don't think and believe that these cheap Asian pickups are better, tonewise, constructionwise, whatever. Yep, you're right. It is the effect of mass marketing and some guys being so gullible. They will believe everything they read or hear from others without bothering to check if the claims are true. Tsk, tsk.

**corduroyew** · 08-09-2007, 10:23 AM

Originally posted by Spence View Post

It is disheartening to see people wasting their money on these pickups. I too have heared people rave about GFS. They don't seem to keep them for long though.

It's funny how many people say "GFS are great! I had some in my strat befor I got some duncans." I think it's down the the options. People don't get a lot in the way of options with stock pickups. They look at GFS as a stepping stone to the tone they want. When the tone sucks they still get something better but at least they didn't have to keep the stock pickups that were compleatly wrong for the sound they wanted.

**kevinT** · 08-09-2007, 11:37 AM

IMO a lot of it has to do with the price of the pickup and the perceived value. Folks believe they're getting a really good deal for boutique pickups in the $20 to $40 range when most boutique pickups are $80 on up. Whether or not there is an improvment in tone, i will give the customer the benefit of the doubt. Guitarfetish trys to give off the boutique pickup maker vibe but i'm sure he contracts with an asian company and has the pickups mass produced.

I would also like to know the demographics of their customers, their rigs, and playing experience. I would think that these folks are between the ages of 16 to 27 with limited income. Maybe have 1-3 electric guitars and have 5 to 7 years playing experience.

IMO with more playing experience, age, and the ability to afford better pickups, one develops a more refined taste for tone... eventually those pickups will probably end up in the scrap pile.

**Mark Hammer** · 08-09-2007, 02:53 PM

Yes, there IS hype, and many purchases are subject to an "emperor's new clothes" effect. On the other hand, taste is taste and sometimes people LIKE something that another person would turn their nose up at. The weaknesses can be endearing quirks to someone else. You know all those Kay, Harmony, Silvertone, Eko, Pyramid, Kent, Regent, etc, etc guitars that people pay big vintage bucks for? Just exactly how snazzy was the quality on those pickups? If they're good enough for guys like Lindley and Cooder, they're good enough for me. I can't see GFS being discernibly worse.

**mkat** · 08-09-2007, 02:54 PM

Originally posted by kevinT View Post

I would also like to know the demographics of their customers, their rigs, and playing experience. I would think that these folks are between the ages of 16 to 27 with limited income. Maybe have 1-3 electric guitars and have 5 to 7 years playing experience.

IMO with more playing experience, age, and the ability to afford better pickups, one develops a more refined taste for tone... eventually those pickups will probably end up in the scrap pile.

Not so, there are varying reasons and not everyone fits into a narrow bucket even though I've noticed the same as you for the most part. I've known this really hot guitar player for more than 15 years. This guy started playing in the 60's, has collectable guitars and a good rig that he has gigged with for decades. He knows the sound of a PAF and early strat pickups because he has them and does prefer the better pickups ofcourse.

His comments were very favourable of the cheapies due to the cost. Maybe he can get a reasonable sound or one he'll put up with in a cheap pickup. The thing is, that if it's that cheap, even though there is a difference in sound, it may be that it is really not worth it for him to spend the extra money if funds are low. Human nature, nothing new in that.

As was already mentioned, some players are just not satisfied until they have a pickup they really like so will keep looking and trying them out.

Not sure where this thread is going with this, but there seems to be a whole lot of head scratching about it to no avail. Is it a call to educate young and experienced but ignorant guitar players about pickups? It's an unfortunate thing that there are companies that have the dollars to market making inferior products, but this has always been the case and always will be.

**Louie Seven** · 08-09-2007, 05:03 PM

Also, keep in view that some people actually like a very harsh nasaly tone, and think that brittle highs and overwrought mids are desirable.

No accounting for taste...as they say.

Louie Seven

**GlennW** · 08-09-2007, 05:22 PM

Almost opposite of that is the popularity of DeArmond gold/silver foils and Dano lipstick tube pickups. When they were new they were on a lot of cheaper guitars and for that reason associated with crappy sound, so not many who played one were taken seriously. Things have changed.

**Matt T.** · 08-09-2007, 05:42 PM

Isn't there a PT Barnum quote that goes something like: Nobody ever went broke under-estimating the taste of the American public.

**voodoochild** · 08-09-2007, 06:53 PM

All of you are on the right track here. I didn't want to mention any names but you guys have nailed it. It does kill me to see people think of these as boutique level pickups when they are no match to the boutique makers at all. The bottom line is you usually get what you pay for. Oh and FYI: I certainly have nothing against asian products so hopefully this was perceived in the correct point of view. I just can't stand hype thats all.

**madialex** · 08-09-2007, 11:19 PM

It kills me

Over at the TDPRI they rave about the darn things, and what I am seeing is comments like this, " heck for the cost you cant beat them and they sound fine to me" why buy the expensive boutique stuff, most of it is just hype anyway right? or, heck its just wire wound around magnets, or, the parts cant be that much, why the cost? I want to scream everytime I go there but the owner will ban you for life if you say anything, not to mention the ones there that say those things, they will start a war with you so how the hell can you educate these people?

I did read 1 comment about a set of GFS pickups that over a years time started sounding very dull and lifeless and the thread was something like how long have you had your GFS pickups and are they still ok. We'll see how that goes......

I bought one to see and it was pure shit, plain and simple. Very harsh and obnoxious to my ears, ripped it out in about 2 minutes.

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