Simply put, the Filter’Tron has the warm humbucking tone of a PAF and the brightness and clarity of a single coil. It is worth noting that these pickups were conceived and chiefly employed in fully hollow guitars usually equipped with a Bigsby. It is hard to separate the sound from the “Great Gretsch Sound” where these pickups began. The tone of the Filter’Tron is what has kept this unique beast around and successful for so long. While fundamentally a humbucker, the Filter’Tron and the PAF humbucker are miles apart sonically. The bobbins are also taller than PAF bobbins, which contributes to brighter tone. Filter’Trons also use a magnet that is nearly twice as large as a traditional PAF magnet. The hook-up wire was simply clipped to the pickup. The pole pieces are also 1/16” closer together than a traditional humbucker.Įarly Gretsch pickups were also not soldered in place. A Filter’tron is much narrower than a PAF, so the coils are closer together. The uniqueness of the Filter’Tron compared to the PAF humbucker is rooted in the details. Jones also makes updated versions, which help capture new sounds with the technology. TV Jones has been considered to make the most accurate recreations of Filter’Trons with Gretsch using his models in their own high-end instruments. This pickup is much closer in sound and construction to a traditional humbucker. Gretsch has also introduced the Broad'Tron on recent budget models. Gretsch Streamliner G2420T with Broad'Tron Pickups Butts wired two coils out of phase, creating what could be considered the first humbucker. Chet was constantly battling the hum as his popularity and volume increased. Gretsch was utilizing DeArmond pickups at the time. HistoryĪccording to Chet Atkins’s 2001 autobiography, Chet Atkins: Me and My Guitars, it was his friend and inventor Ray Butts who devised the Filter’Tron to combat the 60 cycle hum inherent in early single coil pickups. Pickup maker TV Jones brought new life to the pickup and, soon after, Seymour Duncan and Lollar were producing their own flavors of the classic Gretsch sound as well. When Fender took over operations at Gretsch in 2003, the beloved pickup made its way out of traditional hollow-bodied guitars and into all manner of Telecasters (such as the popular Cabronita models), Stratocasters, boutique builds, and brand new Gretsch models. But today, many guitar and pickup manufacturers are utilizing the Filter’Tron’s unique sound and look more often. In the past, the Filter’Tron was championed only by staunch Gretsch devotees. They are sold individually or as a matched set.Few pickups have seen the kind of resurgence that the Filter’Tron has experienced recently. These pickups are available with a shiny nickel cover or an aged nickel. Each pickup is individually Serial Numbered and engraved with a logo on the base plate.Ĥ conductor lead wire allows you to split this pickup. Every pickup is meticulously assembled to make a pickup that is the ultimate in quality. Wound on an antique winding machine with Plain Enamel wire, and using tuned Alnico Magnets, built with precision milled parts and select grade steel for all the components. These pickups split extremely well and come with 4 conductor lead wire. The tone has loads of twang and clarity while crossing into PAF territory. Ultratron is a modified filtertron design that fits in any humbucker equipped guitar, they excel in the neck position of Tele’s. These fit HUMBUCKER style guitars only-not a direct drop for standard Gretsch style. Never installed as the guitar they were intended for was sold before this happened-brand new.
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