GFS Lil Killer Review and Sound Samples
On this page I have some sound samples that compare a GFS Lil Killer to a full sized Seymour Duncan Custom.
All sound samples were recorded through a Behringer V-Amp using factory presets straight into the soundcard.
–The Lil Killer is in a late 80’s American Standard Strat.
–The Duncan Custom was in a 75 Les Paul Gold Top.
The Strat has a stock TBX control which was set at the midpoint. When you crank the tone knob past 5 the TBX control essentially removes the cap from the tone circuit and the tone gets a little brighter.
I was never totally happy with the bridge pickup in my Strat. I had been shopping around for a mini-humbucker solution and decided on a Hot Rails. I came across the GFS LiL Killer on Ebay and did a quick search on Google.
It seemed like the folks at Harmony Central and the Fender Discussion Page had some good things to say about GFS.
Keep in mind that I am not one of those “golden eared, cork sniffing” pickup connoisseurs. I can tell the difference between a single coil or humbucker when I hear a song but that’s about it. When I listen to the sound samples at Seymour Duncan I can hardly hear a difference between the various pickups. I hate the totally subjective terms that are tossed around to describe a pickup like warm, shimmer, quack, woody, smooth, transparent etc.
Personally I think the Lil Killer kicks some major ass, especially at $25 ! I even had to go back and record some of the sound samples again because I thought I forgot to switch guitars after listening to the completed samples.
Lead Tone
Duncan Custom Lead
Lil Killer Lead2
Riffs in the style of Van Halen
Duncan Custom Halen 1
Lil Killer Halen 1
Duncan Custom Halen 2
Lil Killer Halen 2
Installation Issues
At the GFS site they mention that you may have to slightly open up the cutout on the pickguard to fit the pickup.
Rather than modify an original pickguard I bought a pearl finish pickguard from GFS. I used 100 grit sandpaper to widen the opening just a bit. The area where the connection wire connects to the coil bulges out a bit. The higher you want the pickup the more you need to widen the opening.
I don’t think I removed more than a 1/32″ near the center of the cutout. I don’t think I would notice the small space if I went back to a stock pickup.
The pearl pickguard looks killer on the red strat !
GFS I71 Black Hot Fat Body Telecaster Bridge Pickup
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GFS Overwound Fat Body Alnico Telecaster Bridge Pickup
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GFS Crunchy PAT GOLD HOT Neck Pickup NEW H05
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GFS Crunchy Rails MEGA GAIN Pickup Zebra Bridge H124
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GFS Crunchy PAT GOLD HOT Lead Bridge Pickup NEW H06
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GFS Hot Alnico Stagger Boutique pickups Strat set I02
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GFS Crunchy Rails MEGA GAIN Pickup Zebra Neck H125
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GFS Alnico Tele Bridge Pickup- Sweet Vintage tone I05
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GFS Lil Killer Cream Humbucker Rail Neck Strat Pickup
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GFS Alnico Tele Bridge Pickup- Hot OVERWOUND Lead I06
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GFS Crunchy PAT HOT Chrome Bridge Mount Pickup H04
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GFS Crunchy Pat- High Output PAF Bridge Pickup H02
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GFS Crunchy PAT HOT Chrome Neck Mount Pickup H03
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GFS Vintage Alnico 50 Tele Boutique Bridge pickup I29
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GFS Crunchy Rails MEGA GAIN Pickup White Bridge H118
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Joel said,
March 22, 2007 @ 3:25 am
I bought a set of these Hotrails for my MIM Strat, but I can’t seem to find any schedmatics on how to configure them for coil tap. I want to a set up with 3 DPDT switches so that I can switch between any single and humbucker mode on any pickup. Do you know of any site where I can get a schematic for this kinda combination.
webmaster said,
March 22, 2007 @ 12:23 pm
Did you get back too Jay at Guitarfetish ? They are very helpful. I don’t have the schematics anymore. I do remember the first time I hooked it up it was reverse with the standard strat pickups (of course). If it wasn’t such a bitch to just take off the pickguard I would take a peak at mine.
Rick said,
April 19, 2007 @ 8:57 pm
Go to the Seymour Duncan Website and use their ‘rails’ schematics. Iused a single push-pull switch to choose between single coil and dual coil winding. The color code of the GFS pickup is keyed to the Duncans.
I’m very happy with my rails (installed on a beginner’s Starcaster). Good value.
chris said,
August 24, 2007 @ 3:32 pm
which lil killer did you install? they come in 3 different models:
vintage-6k
modern-10k
hot-15k
im looking to fatten up my sound but im not sure if the 15k will be to hot
webmaster said,
August 24, 2007 @ 6:15 pm
My GFS Lil Killer is the hot 15K one. I know everyone has their opinions on pickups but it seems like the pickups with more DC resistance tend to lose a little more in the high end. That can be a good or bad thing depending on what your looking for.
My Lil Killer is a real nice sounding pickup that can substituted pretty nicely for a regular humbucker.
Ivo Minchev said,
November 12, 2007 @ 11:26 am
I bought 2 pickups. One Vintage 6K (as neck) and one Modern 10K (as bridge). My guitar is Squier Strat by Fender and I think that with these pickups the sound is much closer to the sound that I like (Richie Sambora - Bon Jovi; Dave Murray - Iron Maiden).
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American Strat-Guitar Boot Camp said,
May 21, 2008 @ 2:54 pm
[...] tone on the Strat. To me a Strat shine on the neck and middle pickups. I decided to throw in a GFS Lil Killer pickup. Now I can get a kick ass humbucker tone and all the strat tones that I like. I really enjoy this [...]
GFS Crunchy Rails-Guitar Boot Camp said,
May 29, 2008 @ 8:47 pm
[...] around without a pickup in it. I figured I would just throw a GFS PAF pickup into it. I have a GFS Lil Killer in a start and I really like [...]