Gretsch P90 vs Gretsch FilterTrons

[@Malzanar2010]

The broadtron is more of a typical humbucker, not a true filtertron.

[@BushidoPhoto]

I was just about to say that. The pickups demo’s here are not filtertron pickups.

[@matouscervenka7248]

@@BushidoPhoto yes. Only real filtetron (from Gretsch) is Gretsch HS. Broatron, black filtetron etc are just..normal humbuckers.

[@kingstumble]

Sorry to be pedantic but your examples of Filtertrons are not Filtertrons at all. They are Broadtrons which as Gretsch themselves say, are quite different. Having said that, the G2215-P90 has to be one of the best bargains around.

[@MarioFromMario]

I don't think you're being pedantic. They're not filtertrons in any way whatsoever.

[@frangescozappia]

I own the G2622-P90, the same in the video, and after watched the comparison I said to myself "am I missing something?". Yes, because those are broadtrons. Thanks for clarifying

[@guyinpajamapants6892]

Agreed

[@diogomp81]

Doesn't sound like a Gretsch at all, though.

[@dougwalla6272]

GAK totally missed it by misidentifying broadtrons as filtertrons. Too bad. The playing was stellar.

[@mosesling1010]

those are broadtrons...

[@scottsmith2192]

the guy playing, some one buy a decent watch. pinch bands ouch.

[@modestoney1577]

"how does it compare to the classic Gretsch Filtertrons?" show picture of absolutely non-classic Broadtrons *facepalm*

[@RCGC01]

I also have the new Gretsch G2622 streamliner with fidelsonic p90's....lovely setup and plays beautifully

[@Glicksman1]

There is yet another alternative to the traditional Filtertron. It is a fully reversible mod to that pickup in which one line of the screws is removed and replaced with plastic ones to plug up the holes. This transforms the Filtertron into a kind-of single coil pickup, although the second coil, now ”sans screws” still operates to “buck the hum”, or to “filter the ‘tron”, or whatever. The result is that the good old, familiar Filtertron takes on a punchier, brighter tone, similar to a good, strong P-90, but without the P-90’s characteristic 60-cycle hum. A Win-Win, IMO.

[@RCGC01]

I rebuilt a 92 squire hss, plugged the trem and spring cavities, installed two Banning filtertrons and polish oil paper cap with fender tele 3 way switch....incredible sounds

[@kubilaym9320]

the mustache dude is killing it

[@xWILZTAx]

I've got bareknuckle mississippi queens in my SG standard but honestly the best p90 ive ever played are the ones found in the Revstar RS502t

[@Slim-Bagel]

Spooky, I was thinking the same about the P90's in the RS502

[@vonroretz3307]

Is there not a lot of variation between different Filtertrons, US vs Japanese Vs TV Jones etc ? Those new ones are called aomething else too

[@fposmith]

Yes, those are "not" Filtertron pickup's in the Streamliner's he was demoing. Those pickup's are broadtron's. They do not have the power or voicing of the Filtertron's ! The Filtertron pickup is in a class by itself. It is the most versatile pickup in the music industry. They can chime like delicate silver bells, or snarl like an angry animal. You won't find that range in any other pickup.

[@stephenpowell850]

Those are broadtrons tough, not filtertrons. Those are basically humbucker.

[@superelectic45]

Filterons are humbuckers too

[@Jmans247massathon]

A couple critiques: -Put text on the screen of the guitar that is being played. -The demo didn't play around with different sounds, more-so country-twangy, clean tones only -No links to these guitars in the notes -He said 2665 but the model he was referring to is actually the 2655. There is no 2665. -Would have been nice if you discussed how the P90 on the 2215 is a different P90 pickup than on the P90 used on the other Streamliner models

[@romanhalaz4872]

Informative video, thank you!

[@keithrowe1007]

Thanks for doing this. You've gone to a lot of effort here but the amp settings are all way too dark to compare the thing that is most unique about a Filtertron, and therefore the way to compare it to any other pickup: the jangly highs.

[@harukanaa]

@@INeedsMoneys Its like the treble sound, more like what you would hear on single coil like strat.

[@jeremybaker195]

I'm sure several people have already mentioned that your quote unquote Filtertron is a Grestch bucker broadtron. It's basically a cheap ceramic humbucker with a different split/toaster cover. A far cry from a Filtertron or even a Filtertron style Broadtron. Nothing in the Streamliner range has a Filtertron. The closest you could come in that range is a Rally 2 center block that has Hi/Lo trons in it.

[@RFToob]

Whatever the pickup, they all sound fantastic in the hands of a great player, don’t they?

[@paulvanwal4875]

A very good Review , thanks . P90 / filtertrons .

[@troythompson1621]

There are so many other designs of pups other than hum, P90, filtertron, and single. Gretch Super is a single coil with a lot of extra magnet. Jazzmaster is another. Burns has their own. I would be interested in "other great pickups" vids.

[@Lomoholga2]

Do people simply not have any clean tone guitar playing repertoire at all to demonstrate differences in tone?

[@bobaldo2339]

Agreed. Playing with dirrt means I learning nothing of value about the pickups.

[@StevenSimpson-it5mv]

Blues noodling is the boring boringest.

[@featherknife8611]

All the "not a filtertron" comments, this is a very interesting topic to me, because I am in the middle of building a solid body guitar with a p-90 at the neck, and an actual filtertron at the bridge. I had no idea Gretsch was doing that too, just thought it might be an interesting project. The guitar itself is a fender offset body, solid mahogany, with a telecaster setup, as far as the bridge plate with a filtertron in it, and a telecaster switch plate. Might as well have been designed by Mary Shelly, because it is truly a totally frankenstinian creation. Solid black with gold fixtures, and a wenge neck...black wood with dark chocolate grain. I figured I might as well go all the way into unusual, not knowing that Gretsch was already doing it. Very cool seeing guitars in that direction and hearing what they sounded like a bit. It's turning in to a rather expensive and lengthy project, considering it's just a thought, with the hope that it wouldn't sound terrible. Your demo gives me some hope that I'm not just throwing away money on a crackpot whim. I probably would never have done it, except I already have 20 other guitars, and....why not.

[@thedrogo3953]

2:21 Was grooving on these licks, then suddenly ... MUSTACHE

[@SARGE3439]

Great playing

[@nealo814]

I have played the blue guitar a lot with fidelesonics p90s and they sound great. Very versatile but have tue mid range punch with bit more top end. I wish they would put them in the electromatic range too. Trick is to turn up the treble to get more bite unless you want the mid sound. Can add some clarity on top on the creamy sound.

[@unclestubs8377]

Ok, you demonstrated the Gretsch G2215 p-90, the Gretsch G2622T fidelisonic p-90, and the Gretsch G2655T broadtron which is not a filtertron. Please get your facts straight.

[@justinmckinney39]

Hello Gretch Custom Shop - I'd like a streamliner, fully hollow, with a floating ebony bridge / bone saddle & ebony tailpiece. With Lollar P90's - And could we have 24 frets & a neck with a satin finish so our hands don't get swaety stuck in a glossy nightmare -

[@michaelbugler9452]

Something about that g2622 construction gives a very warm dark soft tone. The g2655 is bright and spanky with the BT-2S pups. Maby the chambered spruce c-block. Oh yeah those broadtrons aren't filtertrons but I bet blacktop filtertrons would be perfect on that guitar

[@MaxNafeHorsemanship]

They make a great sounding P90, but are not consistent. I have two guitars of the same model and they sound very different. Neither sound bad, but very different. The broadtron on the other hand is NOT a Filtertron, but a humbucker dressed up to look like one. The one sounds so bad I will not even use it. No matter, it will get replaced like the other one with a HS Filter'Tron. That combo sounds beautiful. Be warned, it is NOT a "drop-in" part and will require time and money to change, but is worth it.

[@scott7521]

Nathan... damn... great playing

[@davidsala9549]

Just ordered my Gretsch G2622 P90 in Claret Burst! The FideliSonic™ 90 are very interesting and I can't wait to get my hands on it. Love the tones and sounds those pickups, in that guitar, make. Great video! Cheers! Are they Filtertron or Broadtron?

[@Full_Deflection]

Well, how do you like it?

[@jamescreswell9037]

@@Full_Deflection If he doesn't I do. I bought mine a month ago. Haven't been able to put it down since. G2622 with FideliSonics and V-Stoptail in gorgeous Claret Burst.

[@SkyLukewater]

I just want to know what size they are...I need to buy a frame for my fidelisonics...are they the same size as the humbuckers?

[@leckyman2010]

We have a name ! the INCREDIBLE NATHAN ! he is you know . Play anything .

[@spookydirt]

would a Gretsch P90 replace a Broadtron (which was what was in the dark stain 335-style i think) will the screw holes line up and things like that?

[@gerrypair3856]

I just order a Gretsch with 2 P90s. The hollow body with a block in the middle. I have a G and L with A P90 at the neck. But I just one with 2. I think they make a great Rockabilly sound and Country sound. A twang with a punch.

[@Beachbumartist]

How do the Broadtron pick up compare as well? Thanks

[@gerrypair3856]

I have tht Gretsch P90 guitar he is playing and I like the combo they have. Plus the sound is cool.

[@marck1726]

listening to the 2 P90 vs BT- 2S comparison, I would go for thr Broad'tron BT-2S, to me the P90 sounded too "thin".

[@andkemp]

those are NOT Filtertrons at all. The video with its audio samples is pointless, sorry man. Anyways, I swapped those Broadtrons in my Streamliner and replaced with Seymour Duncan Phat Cats (sort of P90s), and the guitar came to life.

[@macauley70]

hey agree.. i have the grestch g2215 , the p90 neck is great for me but this fake filtertron on bridge is very bad... what is your experience with the phat cat on bridge?

[@andkemp]

@@macauley70 really not bad at all! Definitely better than the stock Broadtrons… much clearer and crisp. And honestly, also from a purely esthetic point of view.. wonderful!

[@protectionfromred5054]

@@andkemp Nice. I have the G2210 and will swap the neck pickup to a SD phat cat and the bridge for a Psyclone HB. :)

[@andkemp]

@@protectionfromred5054 you’ll love it!

[@edom4080]

Late to the party but I just bought the g2215 and am really loving the p90 but think the Broadtron is a horrible mismatch...in my guitar, the Broadtrron output is much less than the p90 and they sound like a muddy humbucker to me...I tried raising the pick up height on it and lowering the pickup height on the p90 and that got me closer, but I think the Broadtron is a dud when paired w. the p90. I think I;m going to put a Filtertron type pickup in the bridge....GFS offers one that is a bit hotter than the Gretsch one...comments?

[@11kerol]

Hi I got gretsch 2410 tg, with BT pick ups. I find them very hollow and muddy. Before buying gretsch I played epiphone wild cat and fell in love with the sound but looks and aesthetics didn't impress me. As I am new to electric guitar I loved the specs, looks and all about gretsch. Can you suggest a P90 replacement for my 2410 BT. Where I can get nice clear punchy tone. As I really feel BT lower string response is very muddy, woffy and hollow, where as when I played wildcat I could jut play it like acoustic finger picking and some jazzy chords and licks without any trouble. Your help and input is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance 😊

[@kirvin2]

Broad Trons are not Filtertrons. Filtertrons aren't muddy like BTs

[@cass2771]

Thanks for that. I'm no expert, correct me if I'm wrong: P90 refers to a 'family' of pickups that share some characteristics (?). Where does the Gretsch P90 fit into the family? Pretty representative? An outlier? Is the Gretsch P90 constructed to lean toward the 'Gretsch sound'? Is this an impossible question?

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

I like those "De-Armond" style p-90s. I wanted to hear the other Gretsch "Filtertrons" the old style?

[@masterblaster9838]

im curious if the routing under the bridge pickup mount ring will fit a second p90.... anyone?

[@JosePineda-jn8jk]

I don’t know if the look would be right; aren’t humbuckers a bit wider so you’d still need some sort of pickup ring. I personally am swapping the bridge pickup in mine because it is microphonic. I am going to get a DiMarzio Humbucker sized P90 they sell. Gets me what I would consider 90% of the normal p90 tone without having to mod the body and compromise the finish.

[@seattleday9690]

you can take the p90s out and swap them to HiLo Trons. That's what I do. Tv Jones has the swap mods.

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

Eddie Cochran 6120 , p90 in neck position too!

[@andreapasillas5803]

Somebody buy this guy a comb, please!

[@johnking1689]

Like you maybe?

[@andreapasillas5803]

@@johnking1689 Just teel me where to mail it. I''ll send one along with instructions on how to use it.

[@timothyjames4195]

Finally someone of can actually play

[@lpstd13]

Personnaly, I own Gibson guitars with P90 on one hand and Gtresch with BTron on the other hand, completly different and the world is perfect, no need to have a mix for the while ... 😊

[@jeffreyfortney9180]

P90'S have their appeal but I still like the slumd of the filtertron. It comes down to one's ear .

[@fabiancurto6484]

I’m looking for a pick up that sounds like a lion roar , a mustang car , powerful

[@titanandrews]

Was hoping for real tone comparison between P90 and Broadtron, but my ears can’t tell much difference with this play style. Perhaps something a bit slower with some full chords thrown in. Still can’t decide. Uggghh.

[@TheLadsBandLive]

Wish that Junior Jet had a Bigsby option.

[@rontidgwell8896]

Dusenburg trem should drop right in without mods,it’s easy to do yourself. Best to switch to a roller bridge again should drop right in.

[@fmartinez128]

I have yet to fully understand why a P90 in the neck is so popular. Why would you put a rolled-off, boomy pickup in the most rolled-off, boomy position? I feel like a p90 is perfect for the bridge position where as a pickup that compresses low end and has more clarity would be best for the neck.

[@markferguson3745]

They became a typical neck pickup because they roll off lows and push upper mids.Def matters if the guitar is solid or semi hollow; in a Tele, they are nicely balanced.In a semi hollow, they're fine clean, but seem to get muddy when driven.There are some vastly different specs out there , as well.Dosen't pay to generalize, with so many options available.

[@martockpozo]

Kirk Douglas?? Is it you???

[@massimozirilli3282]

Useful video

[@hasserl]

Uhmmm, those aren't Filtertrons.....

[@johncecilia4517]

Thickness and brightness pickup chart was cool.but should have had Mini Humbucker in there. Especially since Gretsch have them in some of their guitars.

[@Georgios_Kakouris]

Are G2622's last frets easily accessible for, let's say, playing a solo (or even shredding)?

[@not_sutton]

i’d say go try one in a shop if you can, but for me, i have medium large hands/fingers, i can comfortably go up to about fret 17/ maybe up to 20 to play but not super great up there

[@not_sutton]

you can certainly tap all the way up, but actually playing isn’t perfect

[@eenymason]

I realise this video is not about Gibson, but here's misinformation about Gibson P90 pickups in this video - firstly, there was another pickup in production between the "Charlie Christian", and P90. It was called a P13, and these first appeared around 1940, and were replaced by the P90, which first appeared around 1945 in the ES125, et al... P13s had nickel covers, so thanks to the war demands on metal, and presumably, an easier/cheaper production method, the P90 became the pickup of the moment around 1945, well before 1952, as mentioned in the video. As an aside, Gibson "sold a boxcar full of P13 pickups, to Harmony Guitars in Chicago", (according to urban myth), though it must have been several boxcars full, as they continued to use them on lap-steels, and in several archtop models (eg, Espanada) until around 1962.

[@LookieChannel]

I think the ultimate configuration is neck P90 + real Filtertron on the bridge. Period. Done. Take my money :D

[@MaxNafeHorsemanship]

That is what I have. I put a HS Filter'tron in the bridge. Not a drop in part, but worth the work. The two pickups compliment each other so well it is unbelievable. Although not cheap, the HS is right in range of any decent pickup...and worth every dime.

[@thecaveofthedead]

Obvious elephant in the room: a staple pickup is quite a different pickup design to a P90. In many ways, having an individual magnet per pole piece, it's more like a Jazzmaster pickup than a P90 in design. Differences in pickups can be exaggerated, obviously. But those 'Fidelisonic' pickups aren't actually P90s. There's at least as much difference between them and P90s as between a Filtertron and a PAF humbucker.

[@GuajoloteGonzales]

Actually that Fidelisonics are closer to 50's p90s in construction and sound, even if it shares some aesthetic similarities to the staple, but the difference is that the staple was closer to a dynasonic, both in construction and sound.

[@rickclogston5205]

THANK YOU! I've been looking high and low for an explanation of the staple pickups. I'm considering a Gretsch with staples, but have not been able to find out what the difference is between those and a regular P90.

[@thecaveofthedead]

@@rickclogston5205 Ok. So I've since learned that this is basically a P90. The staple elements are not themselves magnetic but link to bar magnets beneath just like the screw polepieces on a regular P90.

[@ResidentSmith78]

I like the p90s but...clean they sound like they dampen the sustain or something. They need a bit of dirt /effects. Plus some are REALLY noisy. I love the sound of them on records tho... I dunno? Never been happy with them in practice-band situations tbh always went back to SC's FTs or HBs.

[@nascargas]

Seems to me people buy to mod, the p90 fits where the Filtertron or Broadtron fit without much modification required. Otherwise the purist knows why he is buying a Gretch. Why would I buy a Gretch only to swap out the pups to have it sound like a Gibson? I did see a pair of original p90s on Reverb going for $22k. Dont know if they ever sold. But still, you cant say a Gretch is cheap and then slap in a pair of 4 digit pups and say you got a deal.

[@garyssimo]

This is as far from Duane Eddy as one can get. Make mine twangy without all the distortion thank you.

[@AllofJudea]

Brother...just delete this video and start over. Awesome playing, absolutely stellar! but a broadtron is not a filtertron. Actually just re title it, although it's apples to oranges. Again, killer playing!

[@4140ajj]

I feel that guy may have made a deal with the devil to play like that, but instead of paying with his soul, he has to have that mustache...

[@grzegorzmielcarek4359]

Didn't pay much attention to the pickups. The moustache guitarist distracted me🙂

[@valueofnothing2487]

I think you're just comparing a humbucker with a p90. What's complicated is the frequency distribution of the pickups. And that's really what people need to know and almost no video creator has done. People over it guitar nutz 2 do these kinds of things all the time, but it's rather disorganized and fragmentary and difficult to read.

[@Chai_K]

You definitely need a better player to demo this, sorry!!

[@hairnation68]

Prefer the Broadtron

[@EndyTheBananaMan]

Those are just some humbuckers with metal covers...

[@stiiimes]

I hate the demo guitarist. Christ how awful

[@norgerepairs8687]

The kid needs to practice a bit more.

[@TonyHarper-j7f]

Sorry, but your sound quality in your video is muddy and poor, so the comparison is unbearable…