Filtertron versus Dynasonic

admin · Post by **admin** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 7:09 am

Has anyone replaced their Dynasonics with Filtertrons. If so, I would like to hear your comments on the change in tonality.

stringman · Post by **stringman** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 3:33 pm

Peter Dynasonics are a nice sounding pickup but to much 60 cycle hum. If your going to replace any gretsch pickup I recomend TV Jones replacements called Supertrons. I just replaced these babys in gold in my 6120 black gretsch and they opened up the tone. I first got the idea from looking at an early chet atkins video where he uses a 1959 country gent with 2 of them in it.If it is good enough for him I felt I would give them a try. Tv jones custum made me a set of prototypes. These pickups have bars and no dropout between pole pieces when bending notes.And most of all they are hum bucking. Ron Seebol

admin · Post by **admin** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 4:30 am

Ron: Thanks for your post. I am interested in hearing about the difference in tonality between the dynasonic and filtertron. I suspect the dynasonic is a thinner and more trebly sound with a tigher bottom end.

doctorno · Post by **doctorno** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:09 am

Hi, I just found this old thread and I am curious to learn more about the sound of Gretsch pickups currently available as a replacement, because I am thinking about having a guitar custom built for me by the luthier who just refinished and refretted my 325V59 and I am thinking about equipping this new guitar with Gretsch pickups. But which Gretsch pickups? I know that I love the Gretsch sound - George Harrison, Chris Isaaks, Brian Setzer - but I do not know much about the difference between the TV Jones pickups, the Dynasonics and the Filtertrons.

And is there a difference between "normal" Filtertrons and "high sensitive filtertrons"?

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:52 am

All FTs are theoretically the same sensitivity these days, EXCEPT for the TVJones ones, which are hot, hot, hot.

Dynasonics (there are several types old and new) have a more "vintage rockabilly" sound, anthough Mr. contempo-rockabilly-and-beyond, B. Setzer, plays TVJ FTs.

Dynas are single cil, although nice and juicy for singles.

FTs are humbuckers, but sound nothing like Gibson HBs. Again, "juicier" is how I'd describe them. It's a nice, liquid midrange that makes either of these pickup types so uniquely Gretsch and very appealing (to me, YMMV).

doctorno · Post by **doctorno** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 9:50 am

Thank you very much, Paul. This is really helpful.

Could you or anybody else tell me how these pickups sound compared to the Rickenbacker pickups I am much more familiar with - RIC humbuckers, 7.4k toasters, 12k toasters, hi-gains? Which one of the RIC single coils comes closest to the Dynasonics? And can you compare RIC humbuckers and Gretsch humbuckers at all?

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 9:51 am

I just got one of the orange Gretsch Electomatics which has full size humbuckers in it. They sound ok, but they aren't eally a "Gretsch" sound, so I'm thinking of putting some of TVJ's pickups in it....problem is I'm not sure which ones. I like the sound of old Dynasonics a lot, and have a pair, but they won't fit in this one. TVJ makes a lot of his pickups to fit in a standard humbucker rout so I could get filtertrons, hotter filtertrons, hi-lo trons, etc., but I'm sure what they all sound like. His site only has AC30 sound samples. Anyone care to enumerate the differences between the vintage Gretsch style pickups as far as the sounds of them in comparison to each other?

paologregorio · Post by **paologregorio** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 9:56 am

TV Jones also makes a single coil Hilotron. The Hilotron is the lower gain, sweet sounding single coil pickup that originally, and still, comes in the Tennessean and some Anniversary models.

I've played both old and new Filtertrons, and Dynasonics. I prefer the Dynsasonics myself. I thought that the Filtertrons sounded a bit flat or lifeless(Paul W and I are of a different mind on this point), but the Filtertrons are pretty popular, and as Doctorno has noted, Mr. Setzer has used them on all of his Gretsches quite effectively.

Regarding Filtertrons, I agree with Paul W's take that they're "nice and juicy for singles". I've only seen Paul W's White Falcon style finished Thunderbird model at the So. Cal confluence, which has Filtertrons. Paul, if I remember correctly, you have Gretsches with both models, yes?

I always thought it might be cool to have a Rick with Dynasonics or TV Jones Filtertrons just for fun, if I could get them to fit without drilling any new holes. I think TV Jones would make a pair to fit, but it would cost some $$, I'm sure, but I digress from the question. To make a short stroy long, I prefer the Dynasonics, hum and all. I don't really notice it, but then I'm a single coil lover.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:36 am

Paul, I find that my preference in Gretsch pickups runs toward Dynas, too. My next Pro Gretsch will be a Dyna Country Club, in fact.

I do have Gretsches with all the current models of pickups, and my 6122-59 has two pickups that are not available on any other Gretsch model, although I think Tom Jones sells them individually. I think...because I was able to pick up a set of the special Chet '59 pickups for the deVille Jet I built for Aitch. Aitch will tell you that these are some hotties.

My '01 6114 (Super Jet--a Gretsch version of a LP) has a set of factory attempts at very-high-gain FTs that are simply amazing in their hotness.The bridge pickup in the Chet '59 is one of these, except TVJ has worked his magic on it to place it squarely in the vintage FT camp, and it does not disappoint.

The Billy-Bo Jupiter Penguin is factory-equipped with TVJ FTs, and will stay that way. Awesome pickups. The Dynas are sparkly, the FTs are spanky. FTs are not singles, Paul; Dynas are.

The Gretsch Electromatic line has what Gretsch guys disparagingly call "Dumbuckers" (or worse...). I have never been fond of the sound of this line of pickups in the least, and neither do any other Gretsch fans...a few of us have replaced these in our Electromatics or Pro Jets with gennie FTs, and the transformation is worth the trouble. Those that hope to recoup some of the conversion cost by putting the unused Dumbuckers on Ebay, are typically disappointed; nobody wants them and sales bear this out.

Greg, the pre'05 Electromatic hollows (512X series) used to have a lower-cost version of the Dyna single coil as standard; these were tons better than the Dumbuckers. These guitars are now commonly available on Ebay in the $400-500 range and are worth searching out.

paologregorio · Post by **paologregorio** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:50 am

Interesting. Thanks for the 411

"Regarding Filtertrons, I agree with Paul W's take that they're "nice and juicy for singles"."

Oops sorry, I meant to say that

Regarding DYNASONICS, I agree with Paul W's take that they're "nice and juicy for singles".

Didn't mean to confuse anyone, though I obviously confused myself in the last post. I actually did know that FTs are dual coil pickups.

If I were to buy FTs , I would order the TV Jones version.

My next Gretsch will also be equipped with Dynasonics, though it's a ways off; I want a 55 era White Falcon, which comes with Dynasonics, and being a whammy bar nut, I will of course order one with a Bigsby ;o)

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 11:42 am

Tasty!!! I prefer the CCs; one small notch below the Falcons in the Gretsch lineup, and beautifully-appointed and turned-out.

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 6:32 pm

Thanks for the primer guys. What do the HiLo-trons sound like in comparison to the Filtertrons and Dynas? I'm familier with the other two but have no idea on those. Are there any Beatles recordings that you can point to that George used a guitar with the HiLo-trons on it?

I thought I had seen some older Electromatics with Dynas on them....I'll have to look around a bit. The dumbuckers sound ok but some TVJ's will be much better of course! I wish I had the money for a Billy Bo.

I've got some old vintage Dearmond "Dynasonics" that were for some other guitar as the top covers are different than what Gretsch used. I plan to put those in something but I may have to get a different Gretsch that will fit them as the full size humbucker rout in the Electromatic sure won't. I may just build myself something.

paologregorio · Post by **paologregorio** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 10:08 am

"I just got one of the orange Gretsch Electromatics which has full size humbuckers in it. They sound ok, but they aren't really a "Gretsch" sound, so I'm thinking of putting some of TVJ's pickups in it....problem is I'm not sure which ones. I like the sound of old Dynasonics a lot, and have a pair, but they won't fit in this one."

Greg, TV Jones might have an adaptor that will allow you to use a Dynasonic in the existing rout. Barring that, you could get a cool TV Jones type p/u that would definitely fit.

I don't know which songs GH used the Tennessean on when recording, but he did use the guitar quite a bit, after he had "retired" his Duo Jet and before he acquired his double cutaway Country Gentleman.

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 2:06 pm

I thought that George's Tenny had Dynasonics on it rather than HiLo-trons?

Unless TVJ has something he doesn't show on his site, then there is nothing to adapt vintage Dynas to a humbucker rout, but I know TVJ so I'll ask him when I get a chance. I may just go with Filtertrons as I do like them a lot and don't have any guitars with them. I can always get another Electromatic and stick something else in it later.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 2:13 pm

They didn't make a Tenny with Dynas--it had Hi-Lo Trons in it. Wish I had that picture here...