Ibanez FG100 Pickup swap - Super 58 to GFS Retrotron
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ค. 2024
- I swapped the stock Super 58 pickups in my vintage 1982 Ibanez FG 100 jazz box to GFS Retrotrons, to get more of a Gretschy vibe. Worth the hassle? Let me know...
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I'm a huge fan of GFS but the Super 58 sounded good.
Sometimes adding a clear od pedal or an eq can make a huge difference
I've heard some pro country recording artists also use Retrotron Liverpool Classic pups in their Tele's because they give that old country vibe like no others pups can!
The new ones sound tighter - I was a little surprised because the Super 58s are great pickups
I really liked the bass response of the Super 58s & the sparkle/jangle of the GFS. They both really bring out the subtle differences in each amp. Great video.
Excellent review! I really appreciate that you used multiple amps so we could really get how the same pickups respond in vastly different ways depending on the amplification. Each brand has its own unique character. I can't say that one is better than the other; that depends on context and the player. Thanks for providing us with solid comparisons.
You're very welcome!
There's a P90 neck pickup coming this way right now. I might do the same exercise again. :-)
I like both pick ups and I like the way you made the comparison video. Short passages of each pick up and position through different amps. I really like the short passages because it's easier to compare tones.
Thank you! That was exactly my intention. :-)
Thought it was blasphemy as a fan boi of the super 58. But those GFS sound legit!!!
I totally agree on both ends with you 😄
I love my Super58s but these GFS are really something.
Wish all pickup demos were done like this. Thanks!
Thanx man!
@@JeeWeeDonkers you bet! I wasn't looking for a comparison of the Ibanez pups, but wanted to hear a good demo of the GFS pups, and your video helped tons.
Agreed, this format is super helpful! I've got an Ibanez JSM-100 with Super 58s, and don't love it. Looking for more detail and clarity in finger-style playing. Not sure that's the GFS, but thanks!
The GFS added some sparkle I personally liked their sound much better than the Super 58 pups
I replaced the neck pickup with a P90 recently. It's even better now.
Hi, I am an Ibanez JTK2 owner and Ibanez Super 58 pickups are installed on it, but the trick is in the cutoffs for each pickup, plus their mixing, cutoffs are provided in the instrument's device. My Guitar is versatile and capable of producing 11 overtones, even very experienced and strong guitarists are not able to distinguish the sound of the instrument, it is playing, it is Ibanez / Fender / Gibson, or any other brand of guitar.
Fantastic comparison/review.......helped me in my decision, thank you.
James Ramsey any time!
A Very Nice Demonstration. And An Interesting Comparison. Many Thanks And Greetings From Scotland.
Thank you! Greetings back in your beautiful country, and stay safe!
@@JeeWeeDonkers And the same to you. I've just bought a 1977 Ibanez 2355M. Awaiting it's arrival !. Stay safe and Good Wishes, John Fenner.
IM a big fan of the super 58s and also almost all guitar fetish pickups. I could see how one wouldn't want the super 58 sound in a guitar such as that.
Neck pickup was brighter, but I liked the original too!
The original bridge pickup was waayyy better and would clear up the muddy middle position.
IMO.
Interesting comparison, but in my opinion the target groups and genres are totally different. GFS has more chime and a bit thinner to my ear, I prefer the original
That's exactly what I was aiming for ;-)
The GFS pickups definitely took it a step or two closer to Gretsch-y territory. Sounds a little like a Full'tron actually.
I liked the Ibanez better
I still like the Ibanez pickups better
To be honest, the sound. Sound from the GFS pick ups sounds like the Ibanez stock pick ups with just the right amount of treble and mid range tweaking to give a Gretsch like sound. I was going to mod mone but I see now I can get the same sound using EQ and pick up selector in the middle for a spanky jangly tone.
Totally cool with that. Saves you a lot of soldering, too!
I used a set of Memphis Alnico 2 Retrotrons (Rickenbacker tone) on a custom built 12 string. They sound great.
I might have left the Super 58' in the neck position. But the GFS sounded so clear and smooth on the bridge.
It absolutely does. I replaced the neck pickup with a GFS P90 lately. Great combination.
I can't play that good, but the only ones I want is that neck from GFS, and I got it. Love to put it in a telle YIKES! :-) Nice licks sir.
The Cabronita Teles have similar neck pickups, so that seems to be a solid idea to me!
Thanks for the info
Any time!
My preference GFS way better, and some very nice playing thank you.
Thank you. I agree, as the pickups are still in the guitar :-)
The Retrotrons provide more clarity but less bottom end - so the FG100 loses its jazzy character. Which Retrotron version did you use? As far as I know there exist 5 different versions (Memphis, Nashville, Nashville Hot, Liverpool, Liverpool Hot).
Harald Engels True, but with the right amp and a bit if treble roll off you can still approach the classic jazz sound if you need to.
These are the Nashville Vintage version, KPH128 and KPH127.
(I replied logged in with another account, my apologies)
Plus there was no need to retain the original character, as I have an Ibanez PM20 at hand too..
Not a lot of difference. The retrotrons don't give it a very Gretchy vibe to my ear. Just a little bit less full, some more mids, maybe a tad scooped.
... I would never have made that exchange.
That's your valid opinion and I respect that. I must admit I have kept the original pickups just in case.
I had an Ibanez AS-50 semi...traded it for a drum machine, YIKES
One question:
WHY????
Hi, do you still have the original super 58 pickups?
I do, as a matter of fact.
I thought the super 58 sound better with the fender amp and the GFS Pups with the Vox.
That complies with the general opinion in regard to Gibson guitars into Fender amps and Gretsch guitars into Vox. :-)
I love GFS pickups when used correctly. Those sound bad vs. the Ibanez, much less punch, thin sounding. Myself, I would have picked a greater wound one like the Hot Nashville or Liverpool with higher output. Not sure which you picked but to me it sounds terrible.
These are hot Nashville
@@JeeWeeDonkers did you change the caps and pots? That makes a huge difference
Geschmacksache, beide gut, :-)
Which version of the Retrotrons are they?
These are the Nashville, I believe. I need to check.
You could have made some nice $ on those super 58s specially if they were mid 80s very sought after
True, but I have the tendency to keep all the parts in case I want to revert the changes to the original state.
IMHO every serious guitar player deserves a good rockabilly guitar, but you shouldn't have your precious vintage Ibanez jazzbox altered in such a way. I hope you didn't drill the top for that Bigsby. The value of an original Ibanez FG100 is EUR1100-1500.
Now it has become a player's guitar with a value of EUR 850,- max.
You should have taken a cheaper guitar.
For instance an Ibanez Artcore that already has a Bigsby.
All you would have needed would have been these GFS pickups and you could have kept the money for the Bigsby in your pocket.
The value of the Ibanez FG100 would have stayed intact.
Now you loose EUR250-750 PLUS what you paid for the new parts MINUS the value of the leftover parts.
I am not interested in money value, I am interested in playing value. And I bought the guitar second hand in 1987 for the equivalent of €400, so I am still on the positive side, money wise 😊
No, as you can see this is a non-drilling Bigsby tailpiece and I still have all the original parts (including the Super58's). So if you offer me $1500 plus shipping, I will be able to reverse all alterations. 😉