GFS VEH Vintage Extra Hot Bridge Pickup
The Guitar Fetish GFS VEH. Hold on! Is there V and H in that name? V? H? VH? Well, yep, there sure is. While I’m no Eddie clone, I am a sucker for Eddie-themed pickups. The ones I’m trying are all good “rock” pickups with a lot of variety. I ran across this particular pickup a few years back. And I foolishly dismissed it because it wasn’t a ‘big name’ brand. However, for you, my loyal readers, I work my way through some of the Eddie-themed pickups. And it’s totally worth it, as this is a good pickup.
The order get fast processing and speedy shipping. Try that with some shops… know what I mean? If you’re already looking at the super affordable price, you might be wondering how it is on arrival. Dude, it shows up well packed, with it’s own retail box. Inside the box, the pickup is already in a pickup ring with the leads all ready to install. Very nice touch! And you get a sheet of installation schematics. Lemme tell ya, I’ve heard of very high dollar boutique shops that do none of that. A tip-o-the-hat to Guitar Fetish for that.
Installation
I am installing it in a single hum super strat with a Floyd Rose. You know, what you expect for this sort of pickup! LOL! It is to a p/p pot for series/parallel. For reference, this same guitar has had at least the other EVH type of pickups already tested and reviewed – Smit’s EBS-2 Brownsound, Arcane Brownbucker, DiMarzio DP214 Virtual Hot PAF (the EVH Gear Wolfgang set and the Bare Knuckle VHII bridge were tested in different guitars). Going with a direct mount to the guitar with some #3 screws, so the threads are still good if I want to have a pickup ring install later down the road. Time to plug it in for my stock clean and dirty amp settings.
Clean Tones
Playing on a clean amp tone in parallel wiring, the overall vibe is riding the line between concise and wide open. Single notes have definition and chords are big. The highs are clear and chimey, while the lows are big but not fat. Playing in series on a clean tone can reveal how the pickup can be quite touch sensitive, responding to the player’s finesse or drive.
Dirty Tones
On a dirty amp setting, it’s more than what you’d expect… yet, the VEH matches the description on the product’s web page. The general voice of the pickup is big. The lows are right on the verge of being huge, but they maintain control while delivering a nice thud to the chest without being muddy or too thick… you go to work on some of your 80s chugging riffs and you’ll know what it’s like to get a punch in the chest.
The upper mids and highs are the star of the show, putting out nice edgy leads and solo work that cuts on through and sustains with plenty of drive. Across the mids, you can get some grunt and you can get some growl and you can get some roar… all out of this pickup. Harmonics pop right through like it’s cold outside, making all your squeals dominate with ease. And all of this was with the pickup installed to a generic height, without any tweaks made to the screw poles… so imagine the fun that’s still in store.
Specs
Series – 11.340 K
Inductance – 3.974 H
Split – 5.657 K
Split – 5.705 K
Parallel – 2.839 K
Magnet – Alnico 5
Samples
Straight from the Guitar Fetish site, here are some MP3s of the VEH bridge humbucker:
VEH Bridge: Crisp, clear high end with the round vintage bottom end: Click HERE
VEH Bridge Blues: Warm and crisp yet lots of girth: Click HERE
And check out this 2009 video from The Guitar Hangar YT Channel:
I am comfortable with saying this pickup from Guitar Fetish is worthy of being on par with any of the other options that cost a LOT more. The VEH is going to be good for funk, garage, classic rock, heavy rock, blues, punk, alternative, and even metal.
You can purchase the GFS VEH directly from GuitarFetish.com <- click and scroll down. The VEH is available in zebra, black, white, and with gold or nickel covers.
For reference, this Guitar Fetish GFS VEH Vintage Extra Hot bridge pickup evaluation was conducted with a Fractal Axe-Fx II XL+ featuring Celestion Impluse Responses and Fractal MFC-101 MIDI Foot Controller. Real cabs in use are Marshall 1960B, Mojotone British, and Peavey 6505 cabs loaded with Celestion Classic Series Vintage 30s and Classic Series G12M Greenbacks.
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