Why Filtertron Pickups ROCK! - Pickup Shootout!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ก.ย. 2019
- The bite and chime of a single coil + the power and silence of a humbucker = the FILTERTRON!
Today I compare 4 common filtertron pickups
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1. The guitars - 1:10
2. What makes them different - 3:35
3. The tones - 5:18
4. Final thoughts - 10:03
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The TV Jones Classics sound amazing. What surprises me is how much I like the sound of the Blacktop FilterTrons. I like them more then the TV Jones PowerTrons and the higher end Gretsch FliterTrons, Great video, Darrell. Thanks.
I own a nick 13 edition G5230T and ill tell you they ive been using a headset amp and the lows are just right now too thumpy and the highs aren't to high I have hooked it to rocksmith and it sounds great getting my Marshall 15 today let you know how it sounds
I love the black top Filter’Trons too. I didn’t think I would like them more than TV Jones, but I do... there’s just something about them. I was on the fence of changing mine from blacktops to regular toasters, but I fell in love with them.
I agree with the op. Classics sound best to me. Black tops sounded surprisingly good. Power trons sounded good too but a little more like a Gibson humbucker
Wow
I'm a gretsch fan and I had 2 of their guitars. One very entry-level, cheap instrument. Neck pickup died and I had to get a new one. Never did, sold the guitar with the issue. The other is an electromatic G5556TG. Great guitar. Even though is not built with a high-end wood, it certainly is a great guitar. But I also had issues with the neck pickup. Now, one might say "hey, I think the problem is you"... I had Fenders, Gibsons, Ibanezs, Epiphones, Memphis (reeeeaaaally cheap, Brazilian guitar, 10000000% entry level)... And the Gretschs were the only ones that I had issues with the pickups.
I'm a student, so I don't take my instruments here and there all the time, I don't have gigs, I don't play in a band... My guitars stay at home... I think it's possible to say there's a chance I have bad luck... But I think it's fair to say I have all the right to be suspicious about Gretsch Filter'tron pickups. At least about the entry-level ones. 😅😂
The overdriven sound from those blacktops was really, really nice.
A cool raunchy tone if you want it to be. Can be toned down as well. Great bang for your buck.
I agree! I felt it had great mid range definition👍
I just bought the None trem gold top Electromatic pro jet for $275 w/orig hsc mint
So my opinion may seem biased but the Black Tops really caught my ears in this shootout
Chinese made guitars have come a long ass way with quality and performance
Nice review and great playing!
Out of all gretschs the pro jet is the most like a les paul
Highly recommend the Gretsch G5420T!
I’m lucky, my brother loves the single coils and Humbuckers. I love the p90s and filtertrons. My brother uses a Marshall I use the vox. So we can play the identical riff and have wildly different sounds.
@@keithclark486 LOL
The Filtertron was my personal favorite i like how it had just enough snarl but never overpowered the tone.
I never knew what the story was with Filtertrons. Now I do. Thanks.
I have to say that the most pleasing pickups to my ears were the Gretsch Filtertrons and not the TVJones.
They all sound great. The classics definitely stand out of the bunch as the most distinct any unique sounding.
The blacktops were my favorite overall.
The tv Jones classics were my favorite. They sounded the most tone rich to my ears, with the black tops being a close second. Just sold my Gretsch pro jet, but I may try and find some second hand black tops now.
Oh how I want that red Gretsch! I love that thing, sounds great & is absolutely stunning!
Rich Johnson I agree, I like the red ones sounds the most too.
I managed to find a red gretsch identical to this one for sale not far from me! So glad I bought it!
@@thetattedpharmacist3215 I'm looking at that red Gretsch or the Epiphone ES-339 P-90 Pro.
Yeah, I'm inclined to agree.
Totally agree! I think it sounds the best and not to mention looks amazing.
I like the sound of the Blacktop FilterTrons the best. I also like the Jet the best of the guitars.
"The bite and chime of a single coil + the power and silence of a humbucker = the FILTERTRON!" ... ok, P-90 vs. filtertron.
Yes! Would love to see a p90 vs filtertron video.
Trons have some compression in the chime zone to my ear. P90 can do that too by digging in, easier to control.
Compare a P90 (it's a single coil, reallly!) to a Dynasonic or Dearmond single coil. A P90 has more hum compared to a Filtertron. A Filtertron has beautyful highs like a P90 but is a little more creamy due to the humbucking double coils
Darrell, many thanks to you and your website! Without a doubt, your U-Tube contributions are among my favorites, due to your objectives and never-ending positive attitude. I may be grumpy as hell when I login, but within minutes of you being you, my negativity melts away, and I can enjoy the positivity and honesty that you portray in your videos.
That being said, my most honest thanks and gratitude fo both r this video. More years ago than I'd like to admit, I fell in love with a Dean Stylist hollow body guitar that was definitely more acoustic than electric, and with it's twin high output humbuckers, it did nothing well, but I saw the potential this guitar had, so I bought it.
.After 2 years of research and experimenting, I bought a set of Gretch Blackface pickups, installed them, along with a piezo under-bridge P/U, along with an internally mounted condenser mic.
The result is that this poor little orphaned guitar has gone from ugly duckling to being my favorite are out of my seven guitars. It definitely has a unique voicing, and truth be told, if I had to choose just a single guitar, it would be 'Dino', my name for this hybrid Dean guitar, simply because with its Gretch Blackface Filtertron pickups, undersaddle p/u and internal condense condenser mike, it has made this guitar my absolute favorite go-to guitar, being able to play nearly all genre's of music , with both Cass and Distinction.
Again, Thank you for your positive and obgectivness in your postings. Way too often many of us are surviving through many medical issues, the most common being anxiety and/or depression, a situation that feeds upon itself.
Darrell's channel is just perfect; his voice is ASMR calm, great GUITAR content & great PLAYING. Perfect guitar channel. 👌🤘👌
Loving that orange tele! Powertrons for me. Very informative great watch.
They simply aesthetically look amazing indeed! Sound has so much potential to go about! Makes me wanna go out and try one now, Cheers!
Great Video! 👍🎸
The classics definitely have it all!
I've been wondering this lately. Perfect timing! Thank you.
Darrell is my favorite TH-camr. Always positive and great content. Love the videos.👍👍👍👍
Thanks so much LB!
Luke Bierman
Yes, always entertaining and educational straight shooter no bs or hype.
A good man... He's Canadian right?
Hi Darrell ! The big surprise for me came from the Blacktops: great sounding in clear as well as crunch tones. The less pleasing to me were the PowerTrons and the most were the FilterTrons. One has to take into account that those were mounted on a large, hollow body which modifies the result quite a bit. I personnally have a Classic mounted on the bridge position of a Tele, with a series/parallel switch that sounds amazing ! Cheers
Can you do a video showing us how long it takes to do your dusting every week?
Darrell's a guy. He doesn't do dusting, since every woman knows we are slobs ... ;)
@@ToddSauve:😁😆😂🤣!!!!
dusting is only for donuts or fingerprintz
@@roxilulu I was just kidding. 😉
@@roxilulu
*whoosh*
Why Filtertron's rock? Well the best Rhythm player of all rock used them: Malcom young!
George Harrison used it for a long period too.
Bernardo Soares Ime glad u mentioned George Harrison, he’s my favourite guitarist.
I've gotta disagree about the best rhythm guitarist. For me, that's Pete Townshend, but he used Filtertrons too so there you go. His best tone ever was the who's next tone, when he used that big orange hollowbody Gretsch. Then he destroyed it at a live gig cos that was still the gimmick of the Who, but he said he forever regretted destroying that guitar as it was the best one he ever owned. Then he switched to using Les Pauls, but again nothing beats that big power chord tone of Who's Next snd Quadrophenia. Filtertrons are the best pickups for classic Rock.
Best rhythm guitarist would be John Lennon.
Guys, music isn't a competition event.
Wow, that was awesome 👏 That opened my eyes to a whole world of possibilities! Thanks, as always! I hope y’all are loving the new place 👍
GREAT INFORMATIVE clip . . . thank you very much Darrell.
I love the Orange Tele it sounds as good as it looks.
Seriously good demo Darrell, much appreciated!
Great video Darell, I learned a lot. Thank you!
So excited to see this video. The only guitar-related clothing I own is a Filtertron shirt, and I wear it PROUD.
Thanks for the great comparison! I love the TV Jones Classic the most for the clarity especially for a Tele
I LOVE the sound of filtertrons, thanks for this vid!
I am looking at ideas to give a bit of Fender chime to my DIY es-355, and this video helped me on my journey. Thanks!
You always have great content. Im a Gretsch owner and the tones are gorgeous. TY for the comparison and TY FOR DOING IT with no backing tracks.
Thumbnail is epic since in German pups means fart. So I read it and understood: the coolest fart
I had Blacktop FilterTrons on my Pro Jet. Sounded great! Switched them out with a pair of TV Jones Classics. Sounded even better!
They ALL sounded good! None were bad, all in the same ball park! I found the black tops quite surprising! BETTER than I was expecting! Competes well with the others! Good comparison Daz! \m/
Best sound for me on the orange Fender beauty! Thanks for the nice video!
Great shootout !! Thanks so much for making this. I have a Gretsch Black Panther with HS Filtertrons and I like them but they are missing that high end chime I associate with Gretsch. I do love the “compressed” tone of them and that’s what the Powertron sounded like in your video. I’m thinking about getting the Brian Setzer TV Jones set for my guitar, since they seem to be right in between the Classics and the Powertrons.
While all of those 'Trons sounded terrific, my (bass player) ears found the tone of the Green Beast most appealing. Great work, Darrell...as usual. And yet, as far as eye candy is concerned, the candy apple red Gretsch goosed my drool glands the most.
Thanks for another great and original vid, Darrell. I was quite surprised that I prefer the fuller sounding HS Gretsch, they really rock imo.
Great Job...I love Gretsch guitars. I've played them for over 30yrs. love you channel..
Love the display in the background Darrell, it's given me some ideas
Cheers
Son of Nun
Would have to be in a windowless room or one with the curtains always closed. Don’t want to advertise to thieves crazing the area.
Love Filter'trons. Most versatile pickups I know.
Wow! Like that sound. Never tried those myself but I can see them working with an AC30 just fine! Thanks for the vid!
Dude, once again your content is perfectly timed with what I am wondering. TV Classics, FTW
I love the Creamsicle, man. I've got a TV Jones Classic in the bridge of my 5120. I will say, I've never heard another pickup in anything that sounded as good as the ones in my old 1971 Superchet. I think they were microphonic, but man, those tones were the richest thing you ever heard.
Nice video! Very interesting, great tones!
Another really cool take on this pickup is what Reverend is doing with the Jetstream with its Retroblast pickups [they use two different voiced pickups], neck and bridge. Combined with their fantastic electronics, which includes the bass roll off, can range anywhere from a very traditional sounding filtertron to a traditional humbucker tone. Thanks for your videos, always top notch content.
The Gorgeous Red Electromatic pro jet for the win!!! Followed for close 2nd Gretsch filtertron
I am contemplating a Gretsch purchase and this video was vastly helpful in guiding my decision. Of the four I liked the BlackTop FT as it was closest to the tones I'm looking for. Thanks for a great review.
One of my favorite shoot outs!
Except my Jaguar i got min. one Filtertron in every guitar.
I run Classics, Duncans, Häussels and Dynasonics.
Thank you for sharing!
Great review, as usual! I discovered your videos not long ago Darrell and I am a subscribed fan now, keep ‘em coming, you are doing a great job man thanks a lot. Another huge user of the Filtertron/TV Jones pickups is Billy Duffy from The Cult... Gretsch into a JCM800 through those pick-ups give a great idea of their sound on the album Electric. I am not 100% sure about this combo but it certainly sounds like it! Malcom Yound also made their sound known worldwide! Cheers
Thank you Darrell!!! I've been wanting to trade out the blacktop filtertrons on my 2014 Gretsch 5420t. You made this such an easy choice!! HS Filtertrons for me!!! The blacktops are a little too bright for a rhythm player. Thank you for yet another great video brother!!!
Thanks for the video! They all sound great, but I had a hard time telling them apart :)
Tv Jones in the green tele is so awesome. Both clean and overdrive tone were amazing!
Thank you for this info, I like Gretch Guitars, but you told me more about them
TV Jones Power'Tron are one of my favorite pickups ever, i have a bridge position one in a "TV Master" that was put together by a friend, using the Savalas bridge as well, this thing goes from classic rock, clean spanking tone and brutal metal sounds when dialed in the Mesa MKIV.... beastly and versatile pickups.
Great Vid! It's important for folks to know that Filtertron's have many different types and tones. Similar to that of a single coil on a Tele or Strat (a truckload of versions ). Whether it's the inexpey Chinese made versions or American Made TV Jones, pretty much every model has a different (yet similar) pickup in them. Really appreciate this video. Became a HUGE Fan or the Filtertron's a few years back, never before realizing how versatile they are. Kudos!!
Gretsch filtertrons smoked the others IMO. Extremely warm while delivering all of the classic Gretsch tones. Gorgeous sound!
That helped a lot. I have just bought a Gretsch Duo Jet with BlackTops, and have a TV Jones Classic bridge sitting on the shelf, so I think I need to buy
a Classic Neck. I like the chimey high end.
nice back to back tone comparison, and the crossed pairing was nice. favorites: tvj classics, but the blacktops were also nice.
Love the tone of the Green Beast. That's my vote.
Im 60 years old. My favorite sound i ever got was a '76 strat, dod compressor, mini muff fuzz and a Boss DM-2 analog delay played through a 1 watt Harmony tube amp. Love the pickups though. I was 17 then. Still trying to find that sound.
They sound amazing!
Thanks a bunch!! Im trying to upgrade my black tops to something with just a bit more high end info- powertrons!
Hi Darrell !
I was looking forward for this video and indeed it is very informative.
However there are some issues in the method used for comparing these pickups:
Firstly the scale lenght in the guitars used, Fender 25.5 vs Gretsch 24.75 inches - this affects tone to a great degree;
Secondly the pot values in the guitars may be different, as well as wiring scheme with the master volume on the Gretsches.
The ideal method would be testing all pickups on the same guitar with the same electronics, yet I see why that would be a problem especially with the hollowbody Gretsch.
As it is I see it more like a comparison between Tele type Guitars and Gretsch types, wich is a good thing nonetheless.
Thanks and keep the videos coming! I love them!
Cheers!
Great comparison, thanks! The TVJ Classics did it for me with the High End Gretsch a close second - 'warmer' altho I suspect the deeper guitar body may have played a part. I have a solid body Japanese made Gretsch and the Filtertrons are gorgeous for my needs (mainly clean, just a touch of Beatlish chimey break-up). Would grab the TVJ Classics in a heartbeat if the right guitar came along to mod!
Excellent video! I was between Powertrons and Classics, and this video helped me out a lot in making my choice. Classics would have been too twangy for me, Powertrons are my choice!
Wish you had the Brian Setzer TVJones Filtertron's. Wasn't sure if they were just a marketing version using his name, quickly changed my mind after trying them, awesome pickup, so crisp when clean and bite when ya want it. Cheers
I recently acquired a 1998 Gretsch Tennessee Rose with the high end filtertrons, and a 2014 Korean Electromatic with Black tops, and I was curious about TV Jones. Thanks! Awesome guitars BTW.
Thanks Bro! TV Classics it is!
Hi Darrell, long-time listener, first time caller. I'm in the middle of trying to decide between powertrons and filtertrons. Thanks the comparison, it's gonna be powertron. Thanks for saving me time!
Glad to help!
Thanks for this. Great info! I have a duo jet with classics and im not bonding with it. Going through this I think the classics are the best sounding though....
A fascinating exercise, well-researched and impeccably presented as usual... but I do have to remind us all that unless the same guitar was installed with each separate test pickup in turn, this can not really be a true pickup comparison... but we knew that didn't we! That said, this is an awesome showcase of Filtertron tones, and I am getting some dangerous ideas looking at my Samick Royale semi-hollow after this - thanks, Darrell!
100%. The guitars have a LOT to do with the sound.
Filtertron’s and Tele’s are a great match, I love the TV Classics. I have 2 with them installed. Really great pickups!
Yeah, I've been planning to mod a tele, routing it out and getting a different pick guard and bridge to put some of the seymour duncan filtertron style pickups in it. Though then I discovered Harley Benton guitars, and they sell telecasters that already have filtertron style pickups in them, so that saves a lot of work, I'd just have to replace the pickups with seymour duncan, no routing needed
Another one that hasn’t been shown a lot of love . Was Malcom Young’s Signature - 62
Gretsch. Three filtering pickups .
TVJ absolutely awesome. Thanks for the post.
Ye I love FilterTrons, best pickup out there for sure. So gritty!
I like the TVJ powers and the Gretsch blacktops, but those JBE Trons from a while back were the goat. I can't get over that blues solo you did with them in that mint-colored tele.
The Powertron and Blacktop sounded fantastic to my ears
No wonder I always grab one of the guitars that has them at guitar center
This channel consistently provides outstanding, detailed information as well as the fact that You a monster guitar player. Thanks for all you do.
Kevin O'Rourke
I could not help but notice the sunburst, black guard maple neck Tele on your wall! I still have the "78 that I bought 2nd hand ($300) 32 years ago! :)
love the black tops and the red gretsch they are attached to.
Great comparison!
Would love a Duesenberg comparison!!! Great video.
Even with critical listening to this on Amphion One18's ($4k monitors in a tuned environment) I was shocked how great these all sound and as I always say, "if it sounds good it is good." The only ones I don't like are the entry level Gretsch pickups as much but still great. Incredible!
Good demo! Id love to hear the classics vs TV Jones Ray Butts
Any filtertron fans out there? Which ones did you like best?
1. The guitars - 1:10
2. What makes them different - 3:35
3. The tones - 5:18
4. Final thoughts - 10:03
A man after my heart! My son gave me a HH Tele that he had a Filtertron put in the neck and a Gibson Dirty Fingers pup in the bridge. I never used the neck pup before but now I'm loving it!
1-Tvj powertron
2-Tvj classics
3-Gretsch blacktops
I think the filtertrons sounded best.
Powertron for me I like that bluesy tone
For me the TV Jones Classic in a Tele. I'm also curious to the sound of a TV Jones Magna'Tron
Great and very different video👍
keep in mind that the fullness of the gretsch high-senses could be due to the fact that the guitar is fully hollow, as opposed to semi
Absolutely! I wish he would’ve pointed that out
The Jet is semi hollow, it has a a very bare bones frame inside of it, but it doesn’t have F holes.
Great Comparison. I Agree with you about the Gretsch Smokey Green Having the Fullest Harmonically, Rich Warm Sound. Clean, Clear, Warm and Articulate. The Body as well as the Bridge, Strings Attached to the Body, could Figure in as well. Each Guitar could be Picked up, in CONTEXT, to a Particular Song, where you Wanted or Needed that TONAL QUALITY. A Lefty of the Smokey Green, is on my Dream List, already. Thanks.
I have the blacktop FilterTrons on my G5420 (not the top pickups), but Oh My, I love the sounds I get from them.
Hi, it's all a matter of taste preference. I did prefer the Gretsch ones, my ranking being 1st HS Filtertron, 2nd Black Top Filtertron, 3rd TVJ Classics, 4th TVJ Powertron. I think the hollowbody plays a role in tones, versus the thinline, adding lows and keeping chime.
Man, proof that more money doesn’t necessarily mean better tone, those blacktop trons are fantastic! Gretsch Electromatic line is the best value for money out there!
Love the pickups in the orange Tele, think I'd go with putting those pickups in an Elecromatic
Surprisingly enough the black top pick ups were very bright and clear. IMO it held it's own
I agree with you that the high end pup was the warmest. Seemed like no chime at all. But I liked the black tops the best of all. Of course it's got to be very different in the room with the amp.
They all sound great to me :-) I basically love all the oddball pickups. Mini humbuckers, filtertrons and P-90s ftw!
Also goldfoils, the lapsteel horseshoe, dearmond, hofner diamond and staple, mosrite, jazzmaster, asat style, widerange, oversized single coils and more. Endless fun, plus Japanese, Italian, German and Russian guitars affordable and come with weird pickups.
@@pastorkev777 Yes indeed! I see you're a fellow oddball pickup appreciator. Love that stuff.
@@thedondeluxe6941 you guessed right. You can't go wrong with tele bridge pickups and PAFs either, but the unique stuff is what get me going.
the gretsch filtertron is my favorite from the video! i don’t know why but i gravitated to that sound the most even though the differences are slight. the blacktop would be my next pick.
That red one has the best sound by far in my opinion but I watched the video on my iPad with its tiny speaker and I also have partial hearing loss.
Because of this video I'm now in the market for the Aztec Gold Telecaster Cabronita with TVJ Classics in it!