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February 14th, 2012, 04:18 PM
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#1 (permalink)
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Electromatic
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: France
Posts: 34
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Detailed view of FilterTron Black Top
Hello All,
While I was installing a B-5 Bigsby on my G5435LH BK Pro-Jet, I removed the pickups in order to see how they were built and mounted, and I took some pictures. Here they are :
As you can see, the FilterTron Black Tops seems to have nothing different externally from the standard FilterTron, with the exception of the cover. So a swap is probably possible... But let me say that I find the Black Top very good sounding, probably having "that great Gretsch Sound" kind of tone, so eventually I wonder if a swap is worth (?).
A+!
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February 14th, 2012, 08:44 PM
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#2 (permalink)
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Synchromatic
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma
Age: 23
Posts: 639
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Thats pretty cool! I've never tried the blacktops, or regular filtertrons for that matter, but people around here seem to be very pleased with them. I did recently round up a set of tv classic pups, and they are absolutely amazing, especially compared to the stock gretschbuckers. But it took a lot of patience to wait around and find them in my price range. As far as your blacktop filtertrons go, I'd say if it isn't broke don't fix it. But nodding sure is fun...
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February 15th, 2012, 02:07 AM
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#3 (permalink)
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Synchromatic
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 774
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Don't forget that they have different magnets. The Black Top Filter 'Trons have Ceramic Magnets whereas all the other variants have Alinco V magnets.
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February 15th, 2012, 02:59 AM
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#4 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: London...ish
Posts: 3,323
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How difficult is it to swap the magnets over?
Also, anyone compared the Blacktops to Megatrons? I suspect that they're very closely related.
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The Marlin
The love of money is the root of all evil.....damn, I could use some really rather naughty right now.....
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February 15th, 2012, 03:03 AM
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#5 (permalink)
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Synchromatic
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Cornwall, England
Posts: 697
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Hey Marlin...you just blocked my post and I lost it....  ? We've got to stop posting at the same time 
Anyway, I'll start again.
Bit confused Sterg, in first shot there's shielding in the pick up cavities and in the second there isn't. |
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February 15th, 2012, 03:06 AM
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#6 (permalink)
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Synchromatic
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: teignmouth uk
Posts: 641
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Interesting pictures, I wonder why they used that complicated and expensive mounting system when the simple two screw mount is used on top line Jets.
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February 15th, 2012, 05:22 AM
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#7 (permalink)
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Electromatic
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: France
Posts: 34
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Quote:
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Don't forget that they have different magnets. The Black Top Filter 'Trons have Ceramic Magnets whereas all the other variants have Alinco V magnets.
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Unfortunately I didn't found any "official" information about the magnet technology used in the Black Top FilterTrons... But what you say about the FilterTrons is of interest : are the HS FilterTron alnico-equiped too ?
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Bit confused Sterg, in first shot there's shielding in the pick up cavities and in the second there isn't.
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I confirm that there's no shielding in any of the cavities (PU, pots...). The black shinig color you see is the table paint color and the final coating traces, which doesn't cover all the cavity by the way.
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Interesting pictures, I wonder why they used that complicated and expensive mounting system when the simple two screw mount is used on top line Jets.
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I suppose that it would allow a pickup swap more easily for non-Gretsch models, like Humbuckers "PAF"... Nonetheless, it seems to me that a swap to HS FilterTron or TV Jones Classic would be very easy to do with that mounting. Is it worth is another question, indeed... |
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February 15th, 2012, 07:24 AM
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#8 (permalink)
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Synchromatic
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: 'Yurp, pro tempore Germany
Age: 50
Posts: 636
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Anni_Lover
Don't forget that they have different magnets. The Black Top Filter 'Trons have Ceramic Magnets whereas all the other variants have Alinco V magnets.
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.. except for the "Black Tops" in the Gents  modern ones are a TV Classic+ in a Hilo case....
Interesting, the mounting system is pretty much the same as some members here and on the GP have fashioned for mounting FilterTrons in 5120s. |
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February 15th, 2012, 07:37 AM
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#9 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: The Netherlands
Age: 40
Posts: 4,830
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February 15th, 2012, 07:42 AM
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#10 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: The Netherlands
Age: 40
Posts: 4,830
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And after taking it apart:
As you can see, it's very easy to take apart (and a paun to put back together with all those loose parts).
The magnet is a simple bar magnet thats slapped to the underside of the bobbins. It's probably ceramic.
I didn't test wether I could take it off easily.
On the supertrons of my Viking, the bars and blades are held in place just by their own magnetism. I suspect on this filtertron it's stuck there with some glee, as the pickup poles probably won't procide enough magnetic pull.
Nether this filtertron, nor my supertrons. Are waxpotted.
BTW, this filtertron must've been taken apart before; the two washers that are used to mount it to the alu bar are not identical. One is a pertinax bus, the other looks like a bus taken off of something else.
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February 15th, 2012, 07:49 AM
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#11 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: The Netherlands
Age: 40
Posts: 4,830
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Soundwise, that blacktop makes my '70 Viking sound like my '09 Country Gentleman.
I don't have the feeling there is much difference between the two (vintage blacktop vs. modern HS).
What differences I -could- hear were more related to the differences in bracing (parallel tonebars vs waffle bracing on the Gent) and bridges (space control vs TI compton on the Gent).
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February 15th, 2012, 08:31 AM
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#12 (permalink)
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Synchromatic
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: 'Yurp, pro tempore Germany
Age: 50
Posts: 636
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cool pics I've never opened one ...similar mounting system again.
I've read Baldwin often used ceramic magnets between 70-81 and many of the modern pre FMIC PUs also sport ceramics. I prolly should have said 6122-59 |
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February 15th, 2012, 10:28 AM
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#13 (permalink)
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Synchromatic
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Cornwall, England
Posts: 697
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Some greats shots here, thanks, really interesting.
Hope I can find his thread again in future time
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February 16th, 2012, 02:58 AM
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#14 (permalink)
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Electromatic
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: France
Posts: 34
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Thanks Michiel for the Vintage Black Top Filtertron details +++
A+!
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February 16th, 2012, 03:00 AM
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#15 (permalink)
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Country Gent
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: West of civilisation
Age: 46
Posts: 2,431
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Thanks for the pics Michiel, better than porn...
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July 16th, 2012, 02:46 AM
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#16 (permalink)
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Gretschie
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: California
Posts: 275
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reviving this old thread!
I've been curious as to changing out those chrome pickup surrounds with the regular silver Gretsch ones, such as on the Duo Jet.
looks like different screws need to be fit, but look like it will fit
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July 16th, 2012, 10:18 AM
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#17 (permalink)
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Electromatic
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Nashville
Posts: 95
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Quote:
Originally Posted by acousticplays
reviving this old thread!
I've been curious as to changing out those chrome pickup surrounds with the regular silver Gretsch ones, such as on the Duo Jet.
looks like different screws need to be fit, but look like it will fit |
The regular Gretsch filter surrounds are smaller and won't cover the holes completely. I believe they used that mounting because it was already tooled for the BT-equipped Electromatic Jets, and also to differentiate them from the prolines. |
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July 16th, 2012, 02:14 PM
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#18 (permalink)
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Synchromatic
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: teignmouth uk
Posts: 641
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mike fried
The regular Gretsch filter surrounds are smaller and won't cover the holes completely. I believe they used that mounting because it was already tooled for the BT-equipped Electromatic Jets, and also to differentiate them from the prolines.
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That's interesting. The old Gretschbucker mounting plate holes on the 5120 could be covered with Filterton bezels. |
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July 16th, 2012, 08:57 PM
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#19 (permalink)
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Electromatic
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Nashville
Posts: 95
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Yeah, they had a smaller footprint.
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