Single Coil Pickups in GFI Guitar

Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

GFI Guitar Company only installs humbucking pickups in their new guitars. I am wondering if anyone has changed out the factory humbucking pickup and installed a single coil pickup in their GFI? What pickup did you install, and what was the resulting sound? Was there any modifications required to get the pickup installed?

David Nugent · From: Gum Spring, Va.

Keith...I changed my stock pickup for a Wallace Truetone wound especially for GFI guitars. The installation was not a problem, but since there is no pickup height adjustment provided on the guitar and the body of the the stock pickup was taller (thicker), a spacer was needed to bring the replacement to the proper spacing below the strings. (The improvement in tone was well worth the effort however).

Dennis Wood · From: Savannah, TN USA

I have a U-12 GFI that I purchased used. It had a true-tone already installed. I put the original GFI pickup in for a test run but went back to the true-tone. I prefer the sound of the true-tone. It is really clear, brite and lots of twang.
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Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

David and Dennis, thanks for the information. "Clear, bright, with lots of twang". I suppose that is what I am looking for. Did it make it sound more like an old push pull Emmons? Was there increased sustain?

Dennis Wood · From: Savannah, TN USA

Keith, I would not say it sounds like a pp emmons Confused

. It sounds closer to sho-bud to me. I have an LDG that I can play side by side with the GFI into the same amp. Its close but not quite there. As to sustain, I really can't say its better or more vs the original pu, just more single coil tone. There is definately not as much sustain as my Sierra u12, but not as much weight either. I am happy enough with the GIF that its my main gig guitar.
I have not heard anyone who is unhappy with the True-tone pu.
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Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

If you're looking for more sustain, there's a guy on the Forum that makes some sort of Digital Sustain thingy. You might contact him. Laughing

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Doug Livingston has an alumitone pickup on his GFI and it sounded excellent. Whoa!

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Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952.

Chuck Snider R.I.P. · From: West Virginia, USA - Morgantown, WV

I have a GFI U-12 and it originally came with a GeorgeL E-66. I swapped it out for a Truetone and really liked the difference, much clearer tone (to my ears). I was curious about the Alumitone, and finally sprung for one of those. I liked that sound even better than the Truetone! You get the sound of the single coil, without any concern for hum! Very quiet! I now have Alumitone in my GFI and my Carter.

-Chuck
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GFI U-12 Ultra Keyless, Carter Black U-12, both with Alumitones, and a sweet '70 Sho-Bud Permanent D-10, NV400 in Rick Johnson cabs, NV112, '73 Vibrosonic in Rick Johnson cabs, Hilton pedal, Steeler's Choice seat, Bessdang Gizmos from Dale Hansen, and a few other widgets and doodads.
I may not sound good, I just don't wanna sound bad.

Steve Norman · From: Seattle Washington, USA

i put trutones in mine, and loved the sound difference. My e9 one does buzz real bad if the electricity is not clean though. Im fixing to order some alumitones tho based on the feedback I have heard from other gfi owners.
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GFI D10, Fender Steel King, Hilton Vpedal,BoBro, National D dobro, Marrs RGS

David Higginbotham · From: Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA

Keith, I didn't comment on this post sooner as I've always used humbuckers on my GFI's with great results. However, I replaced them last week with Emmons single coils and couldn't be happier with the tone. The clarity and string seperation I'm getting is fantastic! Makes me wish I had made that choice sooner.

Not sure what it is with the Emmons pickups, but they are super quiet in comparison to the other single coils I've tried over the years. The hum has always been my major problem with s/c pickups especially when practicing when it's "very" present. Not a problem with Emmons!
Dave
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'92 GFI D-10 8&6, ‘67 Emmons Bolt-On D-10 8&7, Walker preamp, Sarno Tonic preamp, Tubefex, Stewart power amps, Carvin XT tube amp, Webb Cabinets, all vintage JBL’s!

Thomas Ludwig · From: Augsburg, Germany

my GFI came with the Alumitone pickups. I feel no need for other pickups.

Steve Norman · From: Seattle Washington, USA

Thomas what a pretty guitar! the pickups look great in there.
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GFI D10, Fender Steel King, Hilton Vpedal,BoBro, National D dobro, Marrs RGS

Dave Hepworth · From: West Yorkshire, UK

Hi Folks,
With regard to fitting new pups to GFI guitars -how easy is it? Mine(Ultra SD 10) has 4 screws holding down some black plastic trim.Is this what the pups are secured to- or is something under this trim.I am thinking of swopping out the GFII for a single coil unit - (not sure which one yet).Do new mounting holes have to be drilled into the body?
Regards Dave(UK)

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

Looking at my wife's S-10 GFI, the GFI II pickup hole mounting is standard "wide mount". But, as previously mentioned there is no raise/lower adjustment like there are on some guitars such as my Franklin, Emmons, Zum, etc. You will have to use spacers at the mounting screw holes to raise the new pickup to the proper distance from the strings.

David Higginbotham · From: Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA

Dave,
Jack is correct on the mounting and adjustment. The ring in which you are referring comes out and there are screw holes under that and it will accomodate a wide mount pickup. They aren't needed. The only obstacle is the tabs on wide mount pickups are a bit too wide and the edges have to be trimmed slightly. Same holds true for single coils. You will have to slightly file or grind down the width for it to fit. Typically, the height isn't an issue. If there is, simply place a spacer underneath the pickup to achieve the desired height.
Dave
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'92 GFI D-10 8&6, ‘67 Emmons Bolt-On D-10 8&7, Walker preamp, Sarno Tonic preamp, Tubefex, Stewart power amps, Carvin XT tube amp, Webb Cabinets, all vintage JBL’s!

Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

What difference in tone have you noticed moving the pickups closer to the strings, or further away from the strings? True Tone Pickups suggests having the pickup the thickness of two quarters away from the strings. To me that seems like quite a distance.

David Higginbotham · From: Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA

Keith,
With the magnets exposed the strings do need to be a bit further away. I go the width of 2 quarters as suggested and it works fine for me.
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'92 GFI D-10 8&6, ‘67 Emmons Bolt-On D-10 8&7, Walker preamp, Sarno Tonic preamp, Tubefex, Stewart power amps, Carvin XT tube amp, Webb Cabinets, all vintage JBL’s!

Tony Kotula · From: Detroit, Michigan, USA

I HAVE A GFI ULTRA UNI 12...
IT CAME WITH THE E66. WAY TOO BRIGHT. I PUT IN THE 12-1 AND WAS A LOT BETTER FOR MY EARS. BUT...
I'VE FOUND OUT THAT MY GFI W/HUMBUCKER SOUNDS BEST THRU AN ALL TUBE AMP. I CANNOT GET A TONE I LIKE WITH IT THRU MY N.VILLE 400.
I WOULD LIKE TO TRY THE TT OR AN ALUMITONE.
DOES THE ALUMITONE DROP RIGHT IN? OR IS THERE SOME MOD'S NEEDED??
THANKS...THIS THREAD REALLY HELPS...
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left handed Excel Dl0, left handed GFI UNI 12 Ultra, 2 n.ville 400's, DD3,Lexcicon MPX100...

Tony Kotula · From: Detroit, Michigan, USA

I FORGOT TO ASK,
DO ANY OF YOU GFI OWNERS MISS HAVING A TONE CONTROL?
I DO...
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left handed Excel Dl0, left handed GFI UNI 12 Ultra, 2 n.ville 400's, DD3,Lexcicon MPX100...

Keith Hilton · From: 248 Laurel Road Ozark, Missouri 65721

I never could get anything good out of a Nashville 400. I have heard many other people get great tone out of a Nashville 400. Someone told me Peavey put bass speakers in some of the Nashville 400's. The two I had must of been the ones with bass speakers, because I could not get a sound I liked out of them. I would turn knobs all night and never find a sound I was happy with. I like the Peavey 1000 and Peavy 112, as I can dial in a tone I like. Tony here is my opinion of a tone knob on a steel guitar: I don't want a tone knob on my steel guitar. A tone knob "only" cuts highs. Guitar amplifiers have a whole complex row of tone knobs. These tone knobs can cut highs, plus do a lot more.

Tony Kotula · From: Detroit, Michigan, USA

Hi Keith, I agree with you on the amp controls. But I got used to having a tone ctrl on my Excel D10 w/single coils. I use it just past the off click. I can set my 2 N.villes a little bright this way and use my thumb on the fly when needed. When I am down low on the fret board, it's usually off. And sometimes "ON" when I know I have going to get up higher and depending on the mood of the song and the stage volume of the band. I think it's just a habit I've fallen into. And probably a preference thing.
Some nights I hate my amps..lol...and sometimes not.I work a 3 night house gig. My gear does not move. And it freaks me out as to the tones from night to night. I never heard that about the bass spkrs in them. Now I have to look!! How can I tell what I have? One amp I bought new in 96. The other used in 09. It looks like new to me. But I never really took a hard look at the spkrs. Yikes!!!
I have one of your pedals. Is killer. I got it from Howie D. Hughes in Kansas. You rebuilt it for him!
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left handed Excel Dl0, left handed GFI UNI 12 Ultra, 2 n.ville 400's, DD3,Lexcicon MPX100...

Chas. J. Wagner · From: Denver, Colorado USA

Tony...here's an exert from a paper written by Mike Brown from Peavey...

"The Nashville 400 has been our most popular model to date and was in production for eighteen years. It was available in a small size cabinet and was capable of producing 210 watts at 4 ohms. Up until 1985 we used a 1502-4 ohm Black Widow speaker in this version. It was later changed to the “revoiced” 1501-4 ohm version. This legendary model is still requested by many steelers who make their living “on the road.”

The 1501 is considered to be "voiced for steel".

Tony Kotula · From: Detroit, Michigan, USA

Could the speakers that Keith Hilton are refering to be the 1502's? And were they bass speakers? Or perhaps they did not have the frequency range as the 1501's? just a thought...
Thanks for the info...
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left handed Excel Dl0, left handed GFI UNI 12 Ultra, 2 n.ville 400's, DD3,Lexcicon MPX100...

Chas. J. Wagner · From: Denver, Colorado USA

Yes, the 1502 is considered a Bass Speaker by Peavey. Here's an exert from their Black Widow Specs brochure...

"Primarily a bass speaker, the 1502 is versatile enough to be used for lead guitar, keyboard and general purpose low frequency sound reinforcement"

The 1502 has a kevlar impregnated cone. The 1501 has a paper cone and is specifically "voiced" for musical instruments (steel).

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I have a Nashville 400 that was modified by Peavey before it was shipped to the dealer (I custom ordered it). I "Tolerated it" as I was downsizing from a Session 500 but as soon at the Nashville 1000 came out the 400 was gone.

I tried several of the Nashville 400's with the 1501 BW but no tone modification and couldn't find any combination that I liked. I played one of the 1501 speaker models without tone mod that Scotty had at his store for a couple of hours and couldn't get a good tone out of it. The original 400's with the 1502 are OK and equivalent to the later models with a 1501 and the tone modification.

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