What Is The Filtertron Sound?

[@johncrafton8319]

I heard Seth Lover and Ray Butts eventually worked together to create a hybrid, called the Butts-Lover Humbuckers. Apparently, they have a rounder, thicker tone than the regular FilterTrons.

[@budgetguitarist]

Oh My!

[@tusharkakshapati7610]

😂

[@totallykoolyeah]

for a second i thought this was documentary now!

[@marions.120]

✌️🤣👍

[@proteusswarm7291]

You win the internet today my friend!

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

I still have never even played a guitar with true Filtertrons. I think this needs to change. Killer video dude.

[@jonathanhudak2059]

Robert Baker, et. al., same here I haven't played a guitar with true Filter Trons yet either. I have a Gret sch G5220 with the Broad Trons and they sound pretty damn good especially for a $500 guitar

[@noelstemple]

@@jonathanhudak2059 those broad'trons sound amazing in that 5220, damn good with high gain too! The filter'trons in my 5230t are not quite as aggressive and scooped as the broad'trons and they may have a little more jangle. I think they made that 5220 to try and convert some Epi LP or other double humbucker folks over to gretsch... and they should, it's a great guitar.

[@jonathanhudak2059]

Noel Jacob... Thanks man. Agreed. Wow so you have the 5230 with those type of Filtertron pickups. Thanks for the heads up on the comparison of the two. It sounds like what I had reasoned that the Broadtrons will have a little more punch and oomph with distortion and that was also a determining factor plus I wanted one without the Bigsby. I had an older Korean made Electromatic Duo Jet body style bought new around 2005 (no longer have it, all black) but it had a lot of balls with high gain even more than my SG it seemed. But I love my new Casino Gold 5220 with the Broadtrons. You make a good point with yours sounding a little more jangly etc with the Filter Trons. And I would take my garage 5220 over and Epiphone Les Paul and that's why I bought it LOL. For some reason that Duo Jet body style always appealed to me and I even like it a little more than a Les Paul. Not if there's anything wrong with a Les Paul and I used to own one back in the 1990's but it just seems like everybody plays them and it was a heavy guitar as well. I like my Gretsch and SG because they are lighter as well as other reasons obviously. Another cool guitar is the new Guild T-Bird. ST P-90. If you're looking for something different with P90 style pickups it's cool as hell. I like mine a lot.

[@EightNineOne]

A set of HS Filtertrons is pretty cheap and you can fit them in most guitars with a hole big enough for a humbucker, you should get all over it :)

[@tinypocketsmusic]

I was just sitting here thinking the same thing Rob

[@FranciscoLopez-eq8tv]

The intro song is She Sells Sanctuary by The Cult In case anyone was wondering.

[@budgetguitarist]

Killer track!

[@gearViewmirror]

Yes...sort of! Rhett changed it to avoid copyright..!?

[@SalmonFume]

I love that song

[@larrydohanos5893]

Yup. Love it

[@RobbDizzl]

Yeah, but can you say „she sells sea shells“ 10 times in a row really fast?

[@renegonzalez1336]

I really hope for a “What is the Rickenbacker sound” video

[@bipbipletucha]

YESSSS the people need this.

[@TheUnderture224]

Need this

[@JamesSouslin]

I was just getting ready to say this

[@federicodecuadro5672]

Would like a "What is the Guild sound" too, they are quite underrated, but I absolutely love them, i'm torn between a Starfire 3 and a Gretsch as my grial guitar

[@tylerevans1700]

Pleaseeeeee

[@jonlag3000]

This “what is the ______sound?” series has been a lot of fun to watch. Congrats on the idea and all the great follow-through. Thanks, Rhett!

[@Leel3ones89]

Definitely. It is so helpful for inexperienced guitarist and people that don't have a lot of guitarist friends to ask. Which I am both.

[@realtruenorth]

Yes 💯

[@keithrulong6172]

I inherited my grandfather's 1964 Gretsch County Gentleman. With a Supetron in the neck and a Filtertron in the bridge. Matched with a Bigsby Vibrato, it has a truly unique sound, bright and sparkling. Most people ask about the Supertron. I tell them, "It's the best neck pick-up I've ever heard. I am more than happy to demonstrate for anyone who wants to hear. Any reason to play this cherished guitar is all I need to send me into a colorful soundscape. Played through my VOX, Peavey or Fender amps, it sounds Great! Filtertrons kick ass!

[@immastranger6752]

Post a video and put the link here.. 👇

[@zachtbh]

Very curious about this pick up setup..

[@engleharddinglefester4285]

It sucks about your granddad but congratulations on getting that guitar and many happy tunes!

[@NimrodKama]

im cant decide between a supertron and classic filtertron set to put in my gibson es 390. currently it has a pair of very good p 90's but im looking for something more open and less dense in the mids that can still rock out. interested to hear your thoughts:)

[@Roberestiffler]

I'm so glad you name and acknoledge Brian Setzer as a stand-out guitarrist. Many people don't give him the recognition he deserves. Brilliant video.

[@Kaelan66]

Would be cool to see a shootout of the "in-between" pickups such as mini-humbuckers, filtertrons, and p90s

[@ancientsouloutdoors4088]

Exactly! That would be very nice to hear

[@comeflywithme25]

Just an FYI, DeArmond was the name of manufacturer for the original Gretsch pickups, called DeArmond "dynasonic" pickups :) (For reference, this was simply a tip to the name of the original gretsch pickups mentioned in the video, since there seems to be misunderstanding with every reply I get).

[@bipbipletucha]

Was gonna point that out

[@NILGRU]

Dynasonics aren’t Filtertrons, tho.

[@comeflywithme25]

@@NILGRU Yes I'm well aware. If you watched the whole video, rhett mentions gretsch's original pickups (dynasonics) which is what I was referring to.

[@livewire2759]

Gretsch used DeArmond Dynasonic pickups for a while, but they wanted to make their own pickups and they wanted a humbucking pickup like other guitar manufacturers were also wanting at the time. It's my understanding that Gretsch made the Filter'Trons themselves, not DeArmond. If that's not what you meant, that's my mistake, just wanted to clarify.

[@comeflywithme25]

@@livewire2759 No one here is saying that dearmond made filtertrons. My comment was meat to be a tip to rhett, in the video he mentioned the *original* gretsch pickups that were pre filtertron. All I was trying to do was tell him the name of them because he simply said they were "the DeArmond pickups".

[@WS102]

The Cult and a Gretsch. So awesome. Billy Duffy killed it on that song with a White Falcon and it's awesome to see you cover it as well. I love Gretsch guitars and they're my all time favorites.

[@Jamalama555]

🤘my thoughts exactly

[@scott7521]

Love Duffy's early style.

[@nicennice]

I saw them when they were called Southern Death Cult play in a pub in Bradford in my first year at university in 1981. They were the talk of the town at about that time. Deservedly went on to huge success. And yeah Billy Duffy has his own unique thing which is always the hallmark of a proper guitarist. And lifelong friend of Johnny Marr which makes him double cool in my book.

[@WS102]

@@nicennice Super cool and the tie in to Johnny Marr is awesome. That guy is beyond amazing on the guitar.

[@WS102]

@@scott7521 The "Love" album will always be one of my Top 10 favorite albums of all time.

[@sweetdrahthaar7951]

Here’s a puppy tip Rhett. Get several sets of socks fully laundered and tie them as pairs in knots. Every time the pup picks up something other than his sock toys hand him a sock toy. They love them because their teeth go down between those knots. In no time at all the pup will want to chew on nothing but those. I’ve been using that method for decades. Mostly on larger breeds, but training that way when they still have their puppy teeth and it’s a done deal. Cute lil doggo that Penny. 👍🏻

[@chowderwhillis9448]

I trained my dogs to only chew bones, I put wires near their beds that would sound an alarm if squeezed (by their teeth) and I even taught them not to lick my face or put their mouths on humans so they would never bite a child or get too comfortable with their mouths being on anything but food or intruders. Your dog can lick is ass then your face I don’t give af what u say about how clean a dog mouth is, shit particles are shit particles sterilized or not and anyone who lets a dog lick their face should be taken out back and shot.

[@sweetdrahthaar7951]

@@chowderwhillis9448 I agree allowing dogs to lick you on the face is not smart. Michael savage did a long segment in one of his shows a while back about it. There’s evidently something you can pick up that is very very serious and dangerous to your health. I cringe every time I see someone allowing their dog to lick their face. I love dogs but I don’t want them licking me anywhere.

[@DunDefFAN]

I’d love to see a “what is the Gold Foil sound” video. Loving the series.

[@comeflywithme25]

YES I would also love to see this.

[@AfterCircuit]

for sure

[@tylerevans1700]

One million percent

[@marvinbush7304]

I'd agree.

[@ZB-Venom-]

Just a little help with training the puppy... don’t give affection to behaviors you don’t want. For example you told her no not to chew on cables and then picked her up and petted her. That’s sending mixed signals. Be patient and wait for the behavior you are wanting or stop her from chewing but definitely don’t give affection to it because then she believes that chewing cables gets me held and petted. Just trying to help you out bro. Great video as always.

[@glenndavis479]

Ha I'd give the dog a live 9V power cord to chew on and wait till it got zapped...they tend to not want to chew on chords after that experience.

[@georgebarry8640]

Howdy..George Barry Here..musician and Dog-fan. Yep...you got it right. Can't let em think its ok to chew on cables.

[@Reportageandart]

Also, when chewing cables or anything, tell them no but then immediately substitute with a dog chew toy that they "can" chew... they will learn not to crew "daddy's" things and only their own "toys". That worked for both of my dogs. Pups will naturally want to chew, so it's good to train them to chew an assigned item.

[@tomasjones3755]

@@Reportageandart Yep - what he said. Trained dogs for 20 yrs. Substituting is the ticket. Also - best practice is to reinforce positive behavior & minimize correction on negative behav. As to chewing - Dogs have to chew; especially, when teething. Avoid Pig Ear & Rawhide. Dog can swallow small pieces and it's choking or digestion hazard. Go to a good pet shop and get some 'Bully Sticks'. [don't ask] Since they are 'dried muscle tissue' [LOL] small pieces can be swallowed, without a prob; bits just rehydrate and get digested. Added bonus - dogs love em, get obsessive on chewing them & they last for ages.

[@michaelcraig9449]

@@glenndavis479 I would rather force you to chew on live plugged in chords and cables. I actually like dogs a lot, I would never want them to get electrocuted.

[@noremacbeez]

That is one of the best explanations of why the Gretsch sound works so well with delays and reverb..... it is so hard to put into words what we hear or perceive with our ears. .....amazing as always Rhett

[@RC32Smiths01]

The tones you highlight are surreal! Definitely makes me want to experiment to get a tone that's satisfying!

[@maywasp]

DON'T DO IT. The bear you have now is the best gear ever

[@QueuePea]

I love the sound of Filtertrons, and I am interested in acquiring a Gretsch to get that sound. The Who's "Who's Next" was recorded with a 6120, and I just love the sound of the electric guitar on that album. Nice delve into the history of this great pickeup.

[@ArielElijah]

We need a follow up! When comparing these middle-of-the-road pickups, especially for you, how do you decide between Filtertrons and P90s? I’d love to hear your take on a shootout for when you choose one over the other for a song, and pros/cons in relation to each other specifically!

[@stephensmith799]

@@peterhughes8699 The strange thing is my son's P90 fitted SG doesn't hum at all.

[@NewFalconerRecords]

I saw the Cult in concert about eight or nine years ago and what really struck me on that night was how incredible Billy Duffy's Gretsch White Falcon sounded compared to his Les Paul. The Gretsch put out tons of overtones, it really slashed through the mix, whereas the Les Paul was quite muddy and woolly in comparison.

[@nealo814]

I noticed the same when I saw them earlier this month. Really cuts through and looks cool af!

[@Sftd1973]

I love your knowledge of Chet Atkins. He's the best guitar player ever. Most guys our age don't even know who he is and I'm glad you continue to talk about him in a lot of your videos. The first music I recall ever hearing was Chet Atkins. My Dad played his music religiously on his 1960 Chet Atkins solid body 6121 model. I have that guitar now after his passing. Curt Wilson recently completely brought that guitar back to life for me. Keep up the great videos.

[@moitoieuxnous1648]

Chet was great... and i got my frist gretsh because of him... but he was a pionner... Tommy Emmanuel,,, took chet basic style and put it on steroid... no wait Lenny Breau actually was the best all of three cause he played classical.. jaz... and chet style... a feet none of those two ever acheived.

[@Sftd1973]

@@moitoieuxnous1648 Chet Atkins played all that stuff and was better than the other guy you mentioned. He is regarded as the best and always will be in my book.

[@mattcampbellmusicco.8532]

I would love to see a "What Is The Gold Foil Sound?" Video! Deep dive into the Tiesco, Guyatone, Silvertone, and Harmony guitars and those wicked pickups!

[@101Volts]

Gold Foils literally have no specific sound. They can be anything, there is no standard; it's just a term for pickups with gold decor on the top. That said, there are some unusual designs under the Gold Foil umbrella.

[@mikewhitfield2994]

I think you'd have to limit that to the original gold foils that Teisco developed in-house. After that, many (maybe all) Japanese manufacturers made superficial copies with gold foil or silver foil, with no particular construction and thus no particular, identifiable sound. Even later Teisco models were simply regular pickups with wire foil inserts in the covers. I guess one could find some mitigation due to the lack of a solid metal cover, but nothing consistent and certainly nothing as strong as that of the Filtertron design's cut-out design.

[@felipew101]

Please do a "What is the Mini Humbucker sound." I know firebird humbuckers are similar, but they do have a different construction. So make of that what you will. Thanks for the vid, great as always 👍

[@beanotraffini681]

A filtertron cover is also completely unique and actually a lot more effective than a humbucker pickup cover: the separation between the center part of the cover forms what they call a Faraday cage, which actually stops eddy currents from taking away some of the Fidelity of the pick up; this cover design restricts even more noise than the traditional humbucker cover. Genius on the part of the designer, Ray Butts!

[@rodriguezelfeliz4623]

6:47 My heart was not prepared for that... at all

[@mikewhitfield2994]

Love Filtertrons! One can split four-wire humbuckers for a single coil effect but the Filtertron gives most of the single coil's sparkling high end with both coils.

[@harveyvillalobos7151]

Best pickups ever made. That´s all. I used to own a MiM Telecaster with TVJones Magna'Trons and Bigsby... just the best guitar i've ever play

[@tompoynton]

I have a MIM Tele with a filtertron at the neck, love it! Not to mention a Gretsch too lol

[@BobJones-bh9qz]

I just finished a project where I put two filtertrons and a bigsby on a strat and it’s killer

[@geespar1]

I have a Warmoth tele with 2x TV Jones and the tone is to die for, so I know what you mean

[@DawImmigration]

@@tompoynton Does the volume balance well with the filtertron neck and the tele bridge?

[@johnshideler5244]

You have an absolutely adorable puppy! It took a couple months of training to get our pup to be comfortable and nondestructive in my studio. the biggest thing that we learned was to always have more appealing things to chew on around. Toys that you can put a little peanut butter in really helped. Noises were the easy part. Enough time around them and they acclimate. Obedience and CGC training made a huge impact. It did take time and a lot of effort, but having my Gus around makes it totally worth it. Now, dog fur covering everything is a different story...

[@thmp3r]

You fill in so many blanks that I would’ve had to spend a ton of money on buying all the variations to know “what it’s like.” Really appreciate your channel. Thanks Rhett

[@JonDeth]

*The physics of the covers themselves are what give them that crisp, chime and top end chunk people like about them. I have a set on a solid body, sinister style electric I use for metal shredding, sweeping and rhythm that sound awesome.* The metal creates a denser field of magnetic flux introduced into the string path and the coil size and impedance has a significant influence on peak resonant frequency of the inductive circuit, so they achieve some characteristics relative to both humbuckers and single coils, but also characteristics unique to oneself from physical architecture alone. *I'm an electrical/electronics engineer with a shit ton of experience in mechanics and metal fabrication, so I know a million different ways to achieve these characteristics and well beyond, but the filtertron covers are a simple way to do it and if you aren't offended by knock offs, a very cheap way to do it.* My authentic filtertrons were sold long ago and the full sized covers on knock-off pups ended up on more favorable humbuckers I had, but it's still the same result. *They're just a great innovation and pathway for less involved guitarists to achieve a unique and superb performance palette.*

[@m0j0b0ne]

Those single coil DeArmonds are now generally referred to as 'DynaSonic'; they were found on Gretsches AND Guilds, so when Duane Eddy switched endorsers, he didn't lose any 'twang'. If you want to unlock the tones of the early Ray Butts endorsers try a big set of flatwounds with a wound third. Ray developed the Echo-Sonic combo amp, which essentially had a built-in tube Echoplex; Merle Travis, Scotty Moore and Chet got the first ones. Ray basically out-Fendered Leo with his innovation, but he was never able to manufacture it efficiently enough for working musicians.

[@songbear7]

Also the reason why they work so well with effects is because the decay is way different from a humbucker. The sharp attack frequencies linger in the sustain, giving it sort of an upward swell (think We Don’t Get Fooled Again, done with a 6120). So even if an effect like delay or overdrive dampens the initial attack, the rounded decay retains the articulation and it stays present in the mix.

[@joshuabenton3785]

I am building a custom made jazzmaster with tv Jones classics! Sourced the pine myself, finished it like a Novo, textured surface and all. Mastery bridge and vibrato. Gold leafed pickguard. Metallic desert sand finish. Wenge/figured ziricote neck. But the pickups! I cannot wait to rock it soon!

[@mrc2662]

I have a Suhr Select ‘telebird’, pine body, TV Jones classics and it’s my favourite guitar by a mile.

[@cass2771]

I’d be keen to hear more about this. Is it going up on YT or whatever?

[@joshuabenton3785]

@@cass2771 probs not but who knows I could post a quick vid!

[@Mr68Strat]

I have a mid 70's Hagstrom Swede that I installed a filtertron+ at the bridge, paired with a Seymour Duncan P90 at the neck. Fabulous tonal blend for a wide variety of sounds for my home recording projects. Absolutely love that guitar!

[@nazmoking3171]

As you implied, I consider the Filtertron a humless version of a P90 which is a helluva combination!

[@enispenvy9174]

You killed me with Mr. Sandman dude. I was not expecting that. Well played Sir. Well played.

[@narglefargle]

I own a Gretsch G6228, and it's easily my most versatile guitar. Super responsive, works well at pretty much any gain level, and thickens up very nicely if you roll off the tone a bit. I've loved the Telecaster so much for so long for exactly that reason--but since buying that Gretsch, I've become a total Filtertron fan.

[@vicenteb531]

HI! I also have a G6228 and I think the neck pickup has too much bottom end. Do you have the same experience? I have never touched the pole pieces, but they are all just set at the minimum height, so probably thats not a solution? Cheers man!

[@brockstar27]

I got the chance to play that Vila at the Boutique Guitar Showcase, and it was the guitar I would have taken home out of all of them by a country mile. Those TV Jones pickups had such a unique sound and feel to them. The best that I can describe the tone is "thick", and I feel that came through your highlight of the guitar. As always, great informational video!

[@ssravp]

I’ve got a Gretsch Electromatic Center Block Double Jet with a Filter’Tron in the bridge. I love it! It’s my favorite guitar.

[@hotcakesman]

I just put a Filtertron in my tele at the neck.. it has soo much bark and bite that at full volume it has a tube screamer sound. Turned down to half it is just tonally amazing. Very unique indeed! Love it!

[@mlukas]

I have a White Falcon that is my all time favorite guitar and the Filtertrons are just amazing! Candidly, I've always wanted one due to the guitar work and utter cool of Billy Duffy. The tone is just amazing, clean but it can get dirty without losing clarity. Definitely worth every single dime. I have mine paired up with a VOX AC15 which delivers great clean tones and equally clear overdrive when I kick my OCD or Big Muff.

[@Anton_Chigurh_2007]

I had a 6136 for a year or two but sold it. I was never comfortable playing it, maybe the neck profile or because I had 12s on it for jazz stuff. But a beautiful guitar, great build, etc. It also had great acoustic qualities and could arguably just be mic'd if you weren't interested in pedals or simply wanted to sound like an acoustic. I then got a 6122 which has an amazing neck and remains my go-to.

[@dereklong801]

Yep, love my Filtertrons. And the Filtertron has a certain growl that is very distinctive and just makes me smile.

[@craig.encinitas]

My Gretsch g6659tg has Tim Shaw designed Fulltrons (FL65). I can’t find any info about them, but they sound good to me! I’m still Jonesing for an axe with TV Jones pickups. 🎸 😎

[@judemusic6600]

The intro was so good

[@jeffswarts2027]

My No.1 is a Reverend Flatrock from around 2008 with their "Revtron" pickups. This thing does it all, and looks great doing it!

[@therealtech833]

Absolutely an amazing guitar and pick up. I'm also really digging their newest jetstream model using their latest variation on the filtertron called the retroblast. With their bass contour knob, and the slightly tweaked retro blast, gives even a wider array of sounds than I've heard from any other pickup.

[@TheWishPretzel]

Probably my favorite intro track of any video of yours, killer stuff Rhett! Makes me wanna drive a car I can't afford into the sunrise/sunset. They day you release some of these on a instrumental album/incorporate them into your work with Deacon Knight or Big Trouble, a lot of us will be very, very happy fans :)

[@exerminator2000]

Love your pfp!

[@jayseb]

Today I got my first ever Gretsch, a black falcon double cut - and actually fell in love with the pickups - it rocks dual High Sensitive Filter'Tron pickups!

[@benodaboy]

Fenders “wide range” humbuckers are equally underrated. They are hands down my favourite rhythm humbucker, they have a really tight feel thigh great note definition.

[@gpasc]

Agree

[@mc495150]

I have a thinline with wide range. You can plug it into a fender bassbreaker or a 5150 and the pickups still sound sooo rich and beautiful. Great pups.

[@RedboneBlueObelisk]

Hey Rhett. Another excellent presentation. I thought you puppy looked and acted cool. If you spray pepper spray (aka MACE) on your cables, it might be a low cost way to help her through a passive avoidance application- that will help her reinforce in her mind to never chew on cables. Once it’s implanted in her head- it should be a permanent thing. Also adding a treat for her when she clearly first decides not to touch the cable might also help. Be careful not to try to hard or confuse her with to many stimuli. You are a smart guy. You will figure it out. The cool thing is that the pepper-spray I believe is non-toxic (double check this), and a passive measure. No swatting her behind with a rolled up stack off music scores. Good luck. It wouldn’t hurt to have her make another cameo appearance. Thanks big time for bringing this up for musicians with K9s. So important. Take it easy.

[@thethesaxman23]

This video was great timing! I just started building a custom Esquire with a filtertron. I’m really excited to hear how it sounds!!

[@cass2771]

Interesting build! I’d be keen to hear it, and to hear your thoughts on it. Is it going up on YT or whatever?

[@thethesaxman23]

@@cass2771 thanks! Sadly no I won’t have videos for it. I’ll most likely just post photos on Instagram. I’m building it from a thinline style body that I’m staining transparent green and pairing with a black pearl pickguard

[@DaCrazyDingo]

My wonderful wife bought me a G5420T Gretsch and man have I fallen in love with these things. Absolutely killer tones to add the the library

[@andyfeldman2590]

What about Pete Townshend’s ‘59 Gretsch with Filtertrons, used on just about every song on “Who’s Next” (Wont Get Fooled Again, Baba O’Riley) and “Quadrophenia”, my favorite Townshend/Who albums? Joe Walsh gave him the guitar in 1970 I believe. Pete’s initial reaction was sorta “um, great, it’s orange”, but later that night he plugged it in ( using a 3x10 Fender amp, cable, and volume pedal also given to Pete by Joe.) Townshend was blown away and that 6120 has been a mainstay in the Pete collection ever since (despite being smashed in one stroke on TV - Top Of The Pops during 5:15, a semi-live, semi-lip-synced version. Pete and Roger are live, John and Keith are lip-syncing). Pete had the guitar repaired and still uses it. Pete also tried Filtertron-equipt Duo Jets for the first Quadrophenia shows, but quickly moved to Les Paul Deluxes.

[@jakejennings6534]

Pete Townshend also used a duo jet on the last two the Who albums for certain tracks

[@pasteye1671]

Currently playing a Gretsch G5435 Pro Jet and G5232 Double Jet, both with FTs. They both sound different from each other, the Pro Jet probably the most "classic" Gretsch sound, but I love them both. I'm also finishing a Telecaster with a FT in the neck. I call it my Filtacaster! Can't wait to hear it. Great video, Rhett, as usual - full of info and entertaining. Thanx.

[@Brannington]

oh fuck, boys. start countin down for the dynasonics video

[@comeflywithme25]

Unfortunately, he probably won't do one. He said in his livestream last night that he feels like they're less diverse and more of a niche thing, (untrue imo). He also doesn't own a guitar with dynos from what I know, unless he ends up buying a white penguin cuz I think those are stock with them.

[@Brannington]

@@comeflywithme25 fine, we'll start a betting pool then.

[@comeflywithme25]

@@Brannington hahahaha

[@rondelio8562]

I have been a fan of you and Rick Beato for a while now, and your series, "What is the ______ sound?" is absolutely great! I am 62, started guitar at 16, and have walked away and picked it back up time and again over the years. Needless to say, I am not you, nor am I Hendrix or Clapton to be sure, but I play at church and teach music (including guitar lab) locally at our elementary school. Your videos are will done, very informative, and interest holding. Just thought I'd give god credit where it is honestly due. Keep up the good work, Rhett!!!!

[@michaelcraig9449]

My Penny is an 85 pound pitbull, she was a 50 pound 8 month old puppy when I saved her from the shelter. Insane and untrained, spastic with a cartoon level of enthusiasm and energetic intensity. She chewed through a dvd plug that was plugged in one night, did not see her actually do it, I found the plug still in the wall socket, Penny was ok, still here alive and well 9 years later.

[@BrianSGuitars]

I have a $500 Gretsch Double Cut. Their import pickups are called Broad'Tron, but don't let the price point discourage you! They sound terrific! And the guitar itself has made me rethink sub $1000 guitars. Right out of the box super nice setup, and really good fit and finish.

[@TheGatMan91]

Came for the tonez, stayed for the puppy... 😂

[@RambleTone]

Yes! Love the Tron sound! Same as you I came to these pickups only recently. Don’t know why since I was a fan of so many musicians playing them🤷🏻‍♂️ When I finally got a Duo Jet I was blown away and immediately sold on them. I also put a set of GFS humbucker sized trons in a Tele, going for the Cabronita thing, because they’re humbucker sized, they actually sound like a mix of PAF and FT. I won’t go into describing Filtertrons, you already did a great job of that👍👏⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@marin4311]

I like Gold Foil pickups too. They are close to filtertrons in terms of clarity.

[@tobyklatter]

The filtertron can do anything and is really forgiving . I’ve just had a Radioshop pickups filtertron neck delivered for my corvette. Really inspiring to play . They have great feel under the fingers and always seem more immediate that a paf . They make me play better

[@tonydaniels4925]

Great vid. I’ve always struggled to find a good sweet spot with my Gretsch. Love my Les Paul and Strat for what they do. My firebird sounds like a pissed off tele which I love. But you made me pull my Gretsch out. Determined to find some tasty tones with it. It shouldn’t be hard. Thanks again, and kudos on the Cult tune. Great call.

[@g1344304]

Put a Lollartron in there, much better than TV Jones or the other modern repro's

[@DeuCeNTX]

my wife just bought me a Gretsch Rat Rod for Christmas so I'm excited to get to play with it. the tones I have heard through research tell me it's going to be all that you have described. I'm not a seasoned player, this will be my first electric but I have played acoustic off and on for 30 years. I think this will be a whole new adventure.

[@Jam3sk3nna]

There was a guy in a band called The Beatles, named George Harrison. He played a Gretsch.

[@ronnyp6934]

The Beatles i remember them , had an album out in the 60s "Squeeze Squeeze Me" i think it was called ;-) ....

[@DMSProduktions]

Duhh!

[@DMSProduktions]

@@ronnyp6934 No, that was SLADE!

[@ronnyp6934]

@@DMSProduktions No they only had a christmas record , so can't be them ,Duhh!

[@DMSProduktions]

@@ronnyp6934 My oh my!

[@krazwellfishman9158]

Love Filtertron pickups! Jack White's playing is what turned me onto them. That blue triple jet Gretsch that he just auctioned off is one of the best sounding guitars I've ever heard live. Keep it up Rhett! Love the vids.

[@dirtydanthesecretsauceman8519]

When I hear the words “filtertron” I think of Malcolm Young.

[@littlerocker6278]

This one knows!

[@didds8869]

That single filtertron created arguably the most iconic guitar tone in rock n roll

[@vladimirazhgibtsev2092]

@@didds8869 yes!

[@dirtydanthesecretsauceman8519]

@@didds8869 Yep. Listen to one chord from TNT, Jailbreak, Little Lover, or any more mainly Malcolm songs and you will instantly recognize the AC/DC tone.

[@livewire2759]

So many people try to sound like AC/DC by playing an SG with humbuckers, then wonder why they just can't quite get it right. Get a Gretsch with a Filter'Tron...

[@slicksnewonenow]

Hiya Rhett- Great essay! Ray Butts was an electronics GENIUS. He lived in Cairo, Illinois. He invented the EchoSonic amplifier in the early/mid 1950s, he built about 75 of them. All of the "Greats" of the day played one... Chet Atkins, Scotty Moore, Hank Garland, Grady Martin, Les Paul, etc... It was a 30 Watt Combo Amp that had a tape echo built into the bottom of it. They're total Kool... You can see a demo or two of them here on youtube. Cheers, Gang! Slick

[@lightemittingdiode367]

Woah that intro caught me off guard! It sounds crazy good!

[@drdre4397]

It's a song by a band called the cult. She sells sanctuary

[@lightemittingdiode367]

@@drdre4397 thanks, i will check it out

[@asiergonzalez5260]

I have lollartron pickups in my 335 Chris Cornell and absolutely love them. Maybe someday you can show us your Novo mirus more in detail to hear all the pickup configuration sounds. It can be my next purchase. Congrats for the channel, your new band and your puppy 😉

[@TheJayblue1]

Rhet... been following for a while... love your vids... but this one was high and above... I am a massive fan of the Gretsch sound and you nailed it here... thanks for the constant inspiration my good man... Rock on! 👍🎸🙌😎🤟😃

[@TheInfectedWreck]

I'm a heavy metal player... ...death/grind type of metal and my favorite guitar is equipped with a TV Jones Power'Tron at the bridge, that thing is gnarly but also can be tamed for super nice cleans, very dynamic and volume roll off plays well with them.

[@anthonymichael3029]

Oh shit the Cult! One of my favorite bands of all time.

[@dontwasteachance]

This is my favorite video of yours, and I didn't know anything about Filtertrons before I saw this.

[@observerboutique]

My one and only guitar is a reverend tricky gomez rt which just does everything. Being a reverend it has a bass knob so you can roll the bass down to more a single coil sound and it sounds grEAT

[@christophertodd1980]

+100 on Reverend and their RevTron pickups. I have a 2018 Club King RT (a close relative to the Tricky Gomez) and it’s incredible sounding. I love the RT so much I also recently fitted a TV Jones Classic Plus in a soapbar mount to the bridge position of my 2020 Club King 290.

[@dreamscuba]

Great video. A couple of years back, I picked up a gretsch duojet with Tv Jones filterTrons, when looking for a Les Paul. I fell in love with the clarity of the sounds from it.

[@cletusbeauregard1972]

Who's Next is another sterling example of the Filtertron sound.

[@williamkimball7716]

I've watched this excellent video a couple of times over the years. Recently I replaced the pickups in my 96 American Strat with a pickguard loaded with TV Classic neck and Classic + bridge. I'm really pleased. I love listening to the Strat players we all love but the 3 single coil pickups aren't for me. I prefer my Tele or SG so the Strat was neglected and I considered parting with it. No longer! The neck pickup is the best I have ever played either clean or overdriven. The bridge covers a lot of ground too. They are so sweet played cleanly and although humbuckers may offer a little more sustain and girth you can get that with a little tweaking of your amp and pedalboard. I think it is easier to make the filtertrons sound like a conventional humbucker than the other way around. I haven't seen many Filtertrons installed in Strats but as long as you have the larger"swimming pool" routing it is an easy swap.

[@RByrne]

I just picked up a White Penguin '58 version w/ tv jones filtertrons. I couldn't believe how clean and defined they were. Like nothing else.

[@NIn3TY0]

Every time I look "What is the ... Sound", I want that tone. Now I want it all. And every time you nailed the tone. Just a pleasur to hear.

[@wesleycwagner]

Do you avoid the copyright strike when you invert the chord progression?

[@scottruffner7744]

Love the pickups !! I have a fender parallel universe Thinline tele equipped with filtertron pickups ! It's really the only guitar I use for live shows ! Everything you said about the pickups is so true.

[@playtheblues]

Chris Cornell Gibson ES335 has LollarTrons.

[@theflash1425]

I've been playing Filtertrons primarily since I got my first Gretsch Chet Atkins Nashville guitar in 1968! Nice of you to catch up, Rhett! Love your chops, BTW! I've been playing a lot longer than you, but clearly not as well!

[@grahamhawkinson]

So what I'm hearing is I need to buy a guitar with filtertrons 😂

[@malsanders609]

Same 😀

[@tomasjones3755]

Same here. I've got a knockoff full hollow w Bigsby [Korean built '90s - great guit]. I think it NEEDS 'Trons!

[@improvewitherror]

I heard the same thing, time to start looking for a good deal!!

[@ZitherBeast]

Have a HB TE90-FLT with the Filtertrons and they really sound great. For the little amount I paid for it, the HB plays great and it was set up right out of the box. I may have gotten lucky there, but it's pretty sweet.

[@breathevolume164]

I do as well and I love that guitar. I use it for metal, and it’s tuned to drop a#. I actually have been playing that more than my strandberg or my e-ii. It’s wild how good they are for the money. I’m glad to hear someone else likes them too!

[@Burnt_Gerbil]

Fun fact: Louisville Stomp by The Aristocrats was recorded on a Gretsch with Filtertrons. I could pick out the tone. That has to be a Gretsch. Sure enough, the band posts a recording video and it’s Filtertrons. Now you know. 😬

[@toofusnook]

A couple years ago I completely rebuilt/refinished/rewired a pair of beloved Gibson Challenger guitars I have had for decades. I did the “Full Boat” wiring on both, with treble bleeds. The one I have owned for 3 decades got a pair of (4 wire) SD “P90s” (actually stacked humbuckers) where the one I’ve “only” had for a decade-and-a-half got the TV Jones treatment. I put a Classic Plus in the bridge and a Fliter’Tron in the neck. Using this combo with my series/parallel/megabucker/phase option is AMAZINGLY versatile without being complicated (except for all the initial soldering🤣). I almost never touch the tone or volume pots, except to perform my switching functions. I play thru a Metro JTM45, a modded Quad Reverb, and a Gibson BR-6. My #2 guitar became the go to #1. I can get chimey cut and articulation and/or great front end push for breakup. I couldn’t be happier with this choice of pickups. When I ordered them I was thinking “Angus in the bridge, Malcom in the neck”, but the way they interact with the wiring gave me SO much more.

[@ryanlukasik]

I wonder if Ray Butts ever collaborated on a pickup with Seymour Duncan. They could call it a Ray Duncan.

[@cass2771]

Ha! Have you been watching That Pedal Show 😅

[@se7inhand]

I see what you did there naughty fellow.

[@jaybirdk7414]

Ray Butts and Seymour Duncan together? The end resulting pickup might be called “Seymour Butts”!

[@millardbrown4769]

'69 White Falcon (Double Cut). I especially love it for the middle "quack" switch position. It's a head-turner, too! Enjoyed the video. As usual, great information. Thanks!!

[@normanmozley3659]

Always go for less power in the pickup so more effects can be utilized.

[@rodriguezelfeliz4623]

Except if you don't own any effects...

[@normanmozley3659]

@@rodriguezelfeliz4623 let me know how and I will send you a couple.

[@rodriguezelfeliz4623]

@@normanmozley3659 wow that is very nice of you kind sir, and I really appreciate it. But I really wouldn't want to put you through all the trouble, especially since I live in Colombia and shipping anything here costs, A LOT. And don't worry, as soon as I get a stable job I'm going to find a way to buy some pedals or hopefully a good multi effects board (I've got my eyes set on a used headrush gigboard, that thing has it all)

[@lukescott8438]

@@normanmozley3659 dude. you’ve got a big heart for that. props to you

[@seanpatrickwatkins640]

I've got a double-cutaway white Penguin and a Chris Cornell 335 that both have Filtertrons. My favourite clean sound in the world! But the articulation with an overdrive is also killer.

[@hoytdmartin]

Next “What is....” idea: Danelectro or lipstick pickups. It would be a cool reason to do deep dive on why so many musicians keep at least one Danelectro around for recording. I’d also love looking at the Brian May sound and his unique guitar/pickups/plectrum/setup.

[@ReelGoodAudio]

We need a full version of that intro Rhett, it's just TOO good!

[@DeeRok35]

if i had a dollar every time you said Chet Atkins id have a lot of dollars

[@seabass3373]

I recently inherited my dad's Gretsch Electromatic G5122. It needs some work to feel brand new, but the Filtertrons sound awesome! The tone is not quite humbucky or toppy; it is the best of both worlds.

[@thisgoestoeleven]

Just gonna casually play the Chet Atkins “Mister Sandman” and then cut away no big deal

[@lipeguitars]

I have it on a Tele sounds so musical and distinct also captures nuances in my playing that all other pups don’t ...love it 👍🏻

[@simondavid2519]

Okay I’m buying a Gretsch…

[@dougsthang]

100% agree with this, have had all the usual suspect guitars for years and recently came into possession of a 68 LTD Duo Jet with Supertrons. The first thing I noticed was the definition in the chords, so clear and present. Has quickly become a go to guitar when tracking

[@TheStiefmeister7]

Next up: "What is the jazzmaster sound?"

[@se7inhand]

Billy Duffy. Very underrated and I'm glad to hear him mentioned as well as the video opening with his music.

[@RonTamares]

This guy is the Binging with Babish of the guitar community

[@liligman]

Haha nailed it!

[@therealtech833]

The filtertron is a heck of a pickup, I especially like the take Reverend guitar is using in the Jetstream model with the their take called the retroblast. That combined with their base roll off knob, allows the traditional filtertron sound and and not lose the ability to get more of a full humbucker sound for bigger power cords. For church worship, and I'm on several teams, we do a variety of sounds from ambient, to downright gritty, and these things are spectacular, cut through the mix as you said. The added bonus is Reverend guitar using Wilkinson trem systems along with their top notch electronics.