[CharlyG]

Could someone please explain the difference? I saw a post where a guy wants to split the coils on his filtertron. How is it wired in the first place, and is that why it doesn't sound like a Fender single coil?

I R CORNFUSED!!!

[jeffm1]

First I don't think you can split filtrons. I have some Duncan classic stack 4's on my strat which are noiseless and simulate single coils (they are wonderful by the way thanks Seymour). They have a coil tapping output wire that turns them from simulated to true single coil by only using one half of the pickup (hum buckers use two sets of coils out of phase thus canceling hum or bucking the hum). If I use a switch and select coil taping mode "supposedly" it will sound like a true single coil because it now is one. I have found that it sounds simular but with all the noise back in it. Why would you do this when you spent all the money for noiseless pup's? I just don't think it's possible to do it with stock filtrons.....anybody differ?

[CharlyG]

I wouldn't want to do it, I'm just puzzled by the difference between Gretsch pups and everybody else.

[drmilktruck]

TV Jones says the TV Classic/FilterTron doesn't have enough oomph to be split. He says to split the SuperTron or PowerTron. The HiLoTron is basically a single coil FilterTron.

[Tele295]

Filtertrons are humbuckers, with two coils that cancel out the hum. In theory, they can be split. Filtertrons are different than Gibson humbuckers in that 1) the coils are narrower, thus producing a brighter sounds than wider coils, and 2) the coils are wired in parallel rather than series, which also contributed to the bright clean sound over a Gibson's beefy midrange.

[CharlyG]

AHA! Enlightenment at last. Thank you very much. It also seems the windings are different impedances as well. I saw the GFS "knockoff" impedances and one coil was 9.~k and the other was 4.~k.....

[Henrytwang]

I love Filtertrons. Before discovering them I used to steer clear of humbucking pickups as I found them too muddy and lacking "sparkle". Filtertrons have a great bright sound and well defined bass end. As well as using them on my Gretsches I've also put them on a couple of my Teles'. The result is amazing, you get all the Tele sparkle along with the great Filtertron character and no single coil hum. I think that the low DC resistance has a lot to do with the tone. I've tried things like GFS Nashvilles etc. and they come close but just lack that true Filtertron magic. I'm inclined to think that their higher DC resistance which means more turns, which means a higher inductance results in a less clear sounding pickup. I've noticed the same effect with high output Fender single coils, the more turns give a higher output but you do start to loose clarity and sparkle.

[TV the Wired Turtle]

I sometimes order the split coil option on the filtertrons. My gretsch spectrasonic has a supertron neck with a split coil. I use a blender pot instead of a switch and I get a more tele like neck sound and "bouncy-ier" mids when engaged with the powertron bridge.

[kitronic]

FilterTrons are 2 wire but can be taken apart and made 4 wire for coil tapping. A bit tricky. I experimented on some cheap HBers. A PITA. I have HS FilterTrons on my 5120 now. I wonder if the HS have enough output vs plain FilterTrons to coil tap?
I would send them out and have them modified to 4 wire if I decide to try it.
I think around $20 each.

[kitronic]

Originally Posted by TV the Wired Turtle

I sometimes order the split coil option on the filtertrons. My gretsch spectrasonic has a supertron neck with a split coil. I use a blender pot instead of a switch and I get a more tele like neck sound and "bouncy-ier" mids when engaged with the powertron bridge.

I wish I had known you could order them with 4 wires.

[TV the Wired Turtle]

Originally Posted by kitronic

I wish I had known you could order them with 4 wires.

I supply some builders along with my own business and you can order the split as well as short screws instead of long. Its kinda like burger king where you can have it "your way".

[kitronic]

I already have some push-pull pots and love modifying perfectly good guitars, cars, motorcycles,.. just about anything you can think of. Nothing is sacred.

Is tapping the HS Filters worth trying? Do they have enough output as singles?

Do you do the 4 wire mod yourself?

I really like all the sounds I get from my Charvel SSH so modding me 5120 is what I've been thinking about.

Kit

[tartanphantom]

Originally Posted by kitronic

FilterTrons are 2 wire but can be taken apart and made 4 wire for coil tapping. A bit tricky. I experimented on some cheap HBers. A PITA. I have HS FilterTrons on my 5120 now. I wonder if the HS have enough output vs plain FilterTrons to coil tap?
I would send them out and have them modified to 4 wire if I decide to try it.
I think around $20 each.

HS Filtertrons ARE the same as "plain Filtertrons". HS stands for "High Sensitive". That indicates the standard Gretsch (NOT TV Jones) Filtertron.

The TV Jones versions are a whole different game altogether.

[kitronic]

Good to know. Thanks

[TV the Wired Turtle]

tartan.. back when Mike Lewis was leading things I got into a spat with him at namm show as I was talking to someone about tvjones and he had to interject "we make them the same way tvjones does" and of course I had to enter into debate (its in the dna, like a rattle snake with its head cut off it keeps biting). "No they are so not" I said and he sort of cocked his head and sez "I personally taught them the correct way to make them" so I told him then they werent being made correct because I pull those things all the time out of customers gretsch's and they LOVE their tvjones. I told him to take a standard gretsch with the HS filters and flip it over to the bridge with a medium gain overdrive pedal pushing into a medium stage volume level on an amp AND you can use the guitar as a microphone. Doesnt happen with the Tvjones.. He turned his head to dismiss me.. so I had to make sure he heard " I thought so".
I'm a crusader for Tom cant help it. gretsch needs to knock off their crap pickup production and just use tv's IMO.

[tartanphantom]

Originally Posted by TV the Wired Turtle

tartan.. back when Mike Lewis was leading things I got into a spat with him at namm show as I was talking to someone about tvjones and he had to interject "we make them the same way tvjones does" and of course I had to enter into debate (its in the dna, like a rattle snake with its head cut off it keeps biting). "No they are so not" I said and he sort of cocked his head and sez "I personally taught them the correct way to make them" so I told him then they werent being made correct because I pull those things all the time out of customers gretsch's and they LOVE their tvjones. I told him to take a standard gretsch with the HS filters and flip it over to the bridge with a medium gain overdrive pedal pushing into a medium stage volume level on an amp AND you can use the guitar as a microphone. Doesnt happen with the Tvjones.. He turned his head to dismiss me.. so I had to make sure he heard " I thought so".
I'm a crusader for Tom cant help it. gretsch needs to knock off their crap pickup production and just use tv's IMO.

Re-read my post-- I wasn't disputing the difference between TV's and Gretsch Filtertrons-- the difference is huge.

I was simply answering kitronic's question, which was whether there was a difference between "Filtertrons" and "HS Filtertrons". In the modern FMIC era guitars, they are one and the same. "High Sensitive" is simply a marketing name used for the stock Gretsch Filtertrons. Lots of people aren't aware of that, since in common talk the term "HS" is often dropped in favor of just plain old "Filtertron".

It ain't got nothin' to do with TV Jones-- which is why he calls his product "TV Classics" and not "HS Filtertrons".

[Lizardkinged]

Originally Posted by tartanphantom

Re-read my post-- I wasn't disputing the difference between TV's and Gretsch Filtertrons-- the difference is huge.

I was simply answering kitronic's question, which was whether there was a difference between "Filtertrons" and "HS Filtertrons". In the modern FMIC era guitars, they are one and the same. "High Sensitive" is simply a marketing name used for the stock Gretsch Filtertrons. Lots of people aren't aware of that, since in common talk the term "HS" is often dropped in favor of just plain old "Filtertron".

It ain't got nothin' to do with TV Jones-- which is why he calls his product "TV Classics" and not "HS Filtertrons".

Doesn't sound like he was disputing what you said, maybe just adding just a little sidenote.

[TV the Wired Turtle]

sorry it was totally a sidenote story, just hanging out... but I'll take my glass of Smoking Loon '08 Syrah and go back to the pedal cave

[Lizardkinged]

Originally Posted by TV the Wired Turtle

sorry it was totally a sidenote story, just hanging out... but I'll take my glass of Smoking Loon '08 Syrah and go back to the pedal cave

LOL get back out here... a little clarification everyones all smiles again.

[tartanphantom]

Originally Posted by TV the Wired Turtle

sorry it was totally a sidenote story, just hanging out... but I'll take my glass of Smoking Loon '08 Syrah and go back to the pedal cave

Hey Tavo, no problem! In these virtual group therapy sessions it's sometimes difficult to see who's looking at whom when someone is "speaking!"

Uh-oh, I think Den Mother Tara just shot us a nasty look for passing notes in class... guess I better sit back down... here, have another glass of wine.