GFS Surf90 AII Rockabillies (DeArmond/dyna/2k style bucker)

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Sun Mar 21, 2010 9:22 pm

Apologize if reposting. Never seen these. Just sitting here going "nice" over and over again like a douche skater or something.
As per usual with GFS when they say they're copying something, wrong magnet, wrong construction, but looks tits.

http://store.guitarfetish.com/gfssu90aliir.html

jcyphe · Post by **jcyphe** » Sun Mar 21, 2010 10:04 pm

Product description lolz.

Also the Dearmond 2k is not like the vintage Dynasonic, neither is the Dearmond 2000 which isn't even the same as the 2k.

Confusing yes. Read about the differences here.

http://gretschpages.com/forum/pickups/d ... 121/page1/

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 1:09 am

jcyphe wrote: Also the Dearmond 2k is not like the vintage Dynasonic, neither is the Dearmond 2000 which isn't even the same as the 2k.

Yeah I just read up on the differences earlier before posting, haha. I just used all the names because it kinda looks like that, and probably just sounds like a humbucker or P90 anyway. I was laughing at the part where he said they're geared towards pretty much everything.

endsjustifymeans · Post by **endsjustifymeans** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 1:41 am

I generally love GFS gear. but these pups are severely underwhelming. the sample is about as blah as it could be.

Now that new BFG copy they have, that is drool worthy.

jcyphe · Post by **jcyphe** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 4:46 am

paul_ wrote: I was laughing at the part where he said they're geared towards pretty much everything.

His descriptions are proper BULLOCKS, dipped in German Silver, which of course is just copper/nickel. I suspect he didn't type that cause he wanted to throw the words "silver" in there a bunch of times.

endsjustifymeans · Post by **endsjustifymeans** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 4:57 am

jcyphe wrote:
paul_ wrote: I was laughing at the part where he said they're geared towards pretty much everything.
His descriptions are proper BULLOCKS, dipped in German Silver, which of course is just copper/nickel. I suspect he didn't type that cause he wanted to throw the words "silver" in there a bunch of times.

I take no offense to his hyperbolic descriptions. People who believe you can have the world for $39.99 deserve exactly what they get. Actually in this case they're getting better than they deserve, because his pickups are actually decent.

The store is on the internet. Therefore the customers are on the internet. What else is on the internet... ah yes... google!
And the infinite possibility to educate ones self and become an informed buyer.

Will · Post by **Will** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 5:11 am

If yr gonna completely change the formfactor, materials, and construction, why not just go the extra mile and make them hum-cancelling?

In fact, why are new PUPs being released that aren't hum-cancelling? Bell Labs pioneered basic hum-cancelling coil construction in THE FUCKING 1920s. It's inexcusable - especially since homes contain more noise-emitters now than ever.

Mages · Post by **Mages** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 6:13 am

eh? what are you saying? is there some kind of hum-canceling technology I don't know about that makes a pickup that sounds the same as a single-coil?

Will · Post by **Will** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 6:41 am

mage wrote:eh? what are you saying? is there some kind of hum-canceling technology I don't know about that makes a pickup that sounds the same as a single-coil?

But what does a single coil sound like? Most players agree on some generalities, but there's wide variation between, say, a Ric Toaster and a P90 and a Lipstick and a Strat. There's even variation between different examples of the same exact design and materials, and even more variation if we're talking about vintage hand-would coils.

The basic premise of hum-cancelling is a coil of wire - that's it. Just some copper wire. Provided it's adequately separated from the PUP's magnetic field, all it's doing is adding a little series resistance. Resistance by its nature doesn't alter the signal's frequency curve, and the decrease in signal amplitude would be barely noticeable. The main change is the decreased treble caused by the interaction between this extra resistance and the capacitance of the tone circuit and cable. That could be compensated for in any number of ways - stronger magnets, a higher value tone or volume pot, having the PUP coil structure closer to the magnet, etc.

For a real life example, I've installed dummy coils in two of my guitars now. It softened the tone a bit, not near as much as I expected, and a little tweak to the tone knob was all it took to compensate. Even doing a direct A/B, switching the extra coil out of the circuit while playing, it was difficult to hear a meaningful difference. And this is playing totally clean through a SS jazz amp. Were I going through distortion or fuzz I think I'd be hard pressed to hear any change at all.

I don't think there's any reason to live with hum and buzz.

Will · Post by **Will** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 6:43 am

YEAH PAUL POSTED THIS AWESOME NEW PICKUP AND I'M GONNA SHIT IN THE CHEERIOS.

Mages · Post by **Mages** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 7:06 am

ah yeah, the dummy coil thing. that is a pretty cool way to do it. I think those Suhr strat backplates with the coil in them look really cool.

but in answer to your question (why no hum-canceling), I imagine it's much cheaper to just build these rudimentary style pickups. a lot of people aren't looking for hum-canceling and will buy them.

Will · Post by **Will** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 7:16 am

mage wrote:ah yeah, the dummy coil thing. that is a pretty cool way to do it. I think those Suhr strat backplates with the coil in them look really cool.

but in answer to your question (why no hum-canceling), I imagine it's much cheaper to just build these rudimentary style pickups. a lot of people aren't looking for hum-canceling and will buy them.

I'm sure it is cheaper, and for most players it doesn't matter. I remember when I played with bands we'd stop between songs and there'd be a solid 60-70db of noise. PAs hissing, the hum from a bad keyboard power supply, three amps buzzing from distorted single coils. When we were playing, though, you couldn't hear any of it cause we were rocking out. That's the situation most people play in. For them, it doesn't matter.

Playing solo fingerstyle electric, though, has really made the problem apparent to me. I've got no other instruments to drown out that noise and, if I start to play quiet, the noise just makes the chords sound off.

So yeah, I basically vent my anger at an industry that didn't make hum-cancelling the standard back in the 50s.

Mages · Post by **Mages** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 7:30 am

I guess the few times they have tried to introduce it, like with the gibson blueshawk or whatever it's called, it hasn't proven popular so it never came into common production.

if you're interested, here is the patent that suhr hum-canceling coil thing is based on: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7259318.pdf

Will · Post by **Will** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 8:09 am

EPIC. I'll check that patent out when I'm less sleepy/drunk.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 1:28 pm

I'm pretty sure I'm putting a set of these in my DeArmond M-65:

(except with nickely case, rather than black)

along with these:

With a four way switch (for series/parallel) and push/pull pots for coil taps and phase.

It'll either look really cool or really gay.