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Putting Gretsch FilTron pickups into humbucker hole


zinzin

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If the eBay seller won't ship reasonably to you, I will. He can ship to me and I'll reship to you for actual cost, I can bike to the post office in 7 minutes. If you find the retrotrons lacking and want to do this, just pm me.


The GFS are much easier to install, of course, since they are drop in replacements. TVJones does drop in replacements, but thy are much pricier.

 

 

hey, thanks for the offer. in 7-14 days the pickups will arrive, I'll test them and let you know in case I don't like 'em.

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i yet have to buy the pickups. rather pricey those tv jones and lollartrons pickups ...

 

Yet they are the only authentic sound for this sound. :) Don't pay twice, buy the original in English Mount version.

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got my GFS retrotron nashville pickups last weekend and installed 'em. made some quick recordings before, with the orignal hagstrom humbuckers and after, with the new GFS pickups. here are the files if you are interested. i let the settings the same for both pickups and didn't edit the recorded files.

 

played through a vox pathfinder, neck position, clean:

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/hag-vox-neck/s-UDlYi

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/gfs-vox-neck/s-t76YY

 

again vox pathfinder, bridge position, with overdrive from a vox ottb pedal

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/hag-vox-bridge-crunch/s-wbP8p

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/gfs-vox-bridge-crunch-1/s-6KjUx

 

now with my orange tiny terror, neck and clean

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/hag-orange-neck-clean/s-PTaKg

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/gfs-orange-neck-clean/s-GnvG3

 

orange tt, bridge and crunchy, the GFS have way less output than the hag pickups, that's why i recorded a second file for the GFS's with adapted gain

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/hag-bridge-orange-crunch/s-nmnGu

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/gfs-bridge-orange-crunch/s-1rZ6o

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/gfs-bridge-orange-more-crun/s-e8MYJ

 

and finally some arpeggio from the orange, bridge pickup

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/hag-bridge-orange-arpeggio/s-lGgAs

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/gfs-bridge-orange-arpeggio/s-R9195

 

my impressions are good. the GFS look very nice, were easy to fit in. the have less output, are more vintage sounding than the hagstroms. the GFS pickups have a clearer ton, a bit more like singlecoils, are quiete bitey. the hagstrom pickups are 100% your typical humbuckers but way muddier than the GFS, undefined and to modern sounding for my tastes. the growl more off course than the GFS nashvilles. the GFS neck pickups are very nice sounding, a round tone, not to bassy, so no jazz in sight, but i don't care. although i have to say that the are really quite light in the bass section. the bridge pickups as i say bite very nicely, it's great for alternative rock or retro sounds, they do have a bit of twang. With both pickups selected they strangely sound a bit faint, i won't use that setting, it gives me nothing. i cannot say how much they sound like a gretsch pickup as i only played gretsches in shops. i guess if you want a gretsch sound you have to buy a gretsch! but i can get close to some beatles tones and i can play retro rockabilly sounds with my new GFS nashvilles and i am happy with the sound. i consciously didn't mention the phrase "they are quiete good ... FOR THE MONEY" as i hate saying that, either they are good or crap.

i def will keep the GFS in my hagstrom and for the moment it's my new favourite axe!

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got my GFS retrotron nashville pickups last weekend and installed 'em. made some quick recordings before, with the orignal hagstrom humbuckers and after, with the new GFS pickups. here are the files if you are interested. i let the settings the same for both pickups and didn't edit the recorded files.


played through a vox pathfinder, neck position, clean:

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/hag-vox-neck/s-UDlYi

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/gfs-vox-neck/s-t76YY


again vox pathfinder, bridge position, with overdrive from a vox ottb pedal

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/hag-vox-bridge-crunch/s-wbP8p

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/gfs-vox-bridge-crunch-1/s-6KjUx


now with my orange tiny terror, neck and clean

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/hag-orange-neck-clean/s-PTaKg

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/gfs-orange-neck-clean/s-GnvG3


orange tt, bridge and crunchy, the GFS have way less output than the hag pickups, that's why i recorded a second file for the GFS's with adapted gain

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/hag-bridge-orange-crunch/s-nmnGu

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/gfs-bridge-orange-crunch/s-1rZ6o

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/gfs-bridge-orange-more-crun/s-e8MYJ


and finally some arpeggio from the orange, bridge pickup

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/hag-bridge-orange-arpeggio/s-lGgAs

http://soundcloud.com/zinzin/gfs-bridge-orange-arpeggio/s-R9195


my impressions are good. the GFS look very nice, were easy to fit in. the have less output, are more vintage sounding than the hagstroms. the GFS pickups have a clearer ton, a bit more like singlecoils, are quiete bitey. the hagstrom pickups are 100% your typical humbuckers but way muddier than the GFS, undefined and to modern sounding for my tastes. the growl more off course than the GFS nashvilles. the GFS neck pickups are very nice sounding, a round tone, not to bassy, so no jazz in sight, but i don't care. although i have to say that the are really quite light in the bass section. the bridge pickups as i say bite very nicely, it's great for alternative rock or retro sounds, they do have a bit of twang. With both pickups selected they strangely sound a bit faint, i won't use that setting, it gives me nothing. i cannot say how much they sound like a gretsch pickup as i only played gretsches in shops. i guess if you want a gretsch sound you have to buy a gretsch! but i can get close to some beatles tones and i can play retro rockabilly sounds with my new GFS nashvilles and i am happy with the sound. i consciously didn't mention the phrase "they are quiete good ... FOR THE MONEY" as i hate saying that, either they are good or crap.

i def will keep the GFS in my hagstrom and for the moment it's my new favourite axe!

 

 

 

Never mind how they sound:mad: How does it look?:poke:

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;. With both pickups selected they strangely sound a bit faint, i won't use that setting, it gives me nothing.

 

 

Reverse the lead and ground wires on just one of the pickups. It sounds like you installed them out of phase with each other, reversing the leads should give you a bigger sounds.

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A set of Rose Pickups Day Breakers will get you very much into Filtertron territory. They cost less, and are just as well built add Lollar or Jones.

 

 

 

 

Rose pickups? Never heard of em. Why haven't you ever mentioned them before?

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I actually think that Gretsch High Sensitivity Filtertrons are more versatile than most of TV Jones offerings. TV Jones seems to go after that greasy rockabilly twang too much. Originally Gretsch was going after the jazz archtop market when they designed the Filtertron. They never made a true solid body until the early 60's. A High Sensitivity is more true to that. They might "twang" less but are great for pop, rock, jazz, fusion, and blues.

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Solid Body?


Filtertrons will drop right in the humbucker route. You can mount them with wood screws through the pickup with a spring behind like a Tele or cut up a mouse pade for a cushion underneath for adjustability. Trim off the humbucker route with gretsch filtertron mounting rings. Two screws will catch the body, two may be off so you just buy a longer screw that will reach to the bottom of the cavity to hold the rings in place.


Semi-hollow or hollow will require the TV Jones English mount.

 

Or do this, might be easier.

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I'm pretty sure the old gretch pups were an odball size.

I'm not even sure they would fit in a HB routed hole without

mount adaptors, hole routing or both.

Best to go with the TV Jones or budget GHS type pups to be

sure you dont get stuck with something that wont fit.

I seem to think the poles were closer together on some of those gretch pups

but its been a long time since I messed with them. I did see an electromatic on

EBay saturday and its all in one metal mounting ring/cover didnt look like it wourl work on a standard

humbucker route. Best steer clear of something questionable unless you're building something from scratch and

can make it fit when you route the hole.

 

 

Filtertrons are just slightly wider than Humbuckers, but also narrower. I can squeeze one in a HB cut pickguard, but in the Hagstrom you'd probably have to cut a little bit of wood off the sides. Then use the surrounds to cover the gap. Or, get the TV Jones humbucker mounts.

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Damn now i have hagstrom GAS. Is the neck on that thing like really skinny? Ive heard they are and that would be a dealbreaker for me. The GFS sound great BTW.

 

 

nah, it's not THAT skinny. off course it ain't no strat neck, but it's just about right.

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