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Balladeer · September 6th, 2007, 10:58 AM

Would some of you please explain (or demonstrate if you have sound clips) the difference between a Filtertron pickup and a PAF type of humbucker pickup?

bo · September 6th, 2007, 03:05 PM

Sorry, no clips. Filtertrons are brighter, thinner and lower in output than a PAF. Both are great pickups IMHO, but have different applications (other than being guitar pickups...)

davidge1 · September 6th, 2007, 03:29 PM

Brian Setzer = Filtertron sound
Slash (or most any hard rock guitarist you care to name) = PAF sound

In other words, they're nothing alike. Filtertrons are very toney...PAFs are fat.

goldenbuff96 · September 6th, 2007, 04:47 PM

I have a TV Jones 'Trons and real+modern Pafs.

Tron - brighter, thinner, more focused. When strumming a chord, you will have an amazingly tight and chimey/keranggy/jangly sound that will cut through the mix with ease (perfect example would be AC/DC rhythm). IMHO, a guitar with a filtertron in the bridge is the greatest rhythm guitar in rock.

Pafs - thicker, darker, more "flutey/fluidity/violin-ish" and sustain which make them better for playing lead (Slash, Moore). When strumming chords & playing rhythm, the notes are not as tight and can "smear" together and take you to mud city (Slash)

For me, the best combo would be a thick/flutey neck with a sharp bridge. That's why I'm a member of this forum. I just love humbucker in the neck and single-coil tele pup in the bridge. I also have a Paul with paf neck and TV Jones bridge, and one with paf neck and a firebird mini humbucker bridge. The Filtertron bridge and the firebird bridge both have some of the tightness characteristics of a tele bridge.

davidge1 · September 6th, 2007, 05:27 PM

Brian Setzer isn't my favorite guitarist, but the tone is Filtertron heaven:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7Qri...elated&search=

11 Gauge · September 6th, 2007, 08:17 PM

Without Filtertrons, AC/DC would have sounded completely different.

Angus may have been handling the lower grunt, but Mal definitely had the cut - and really put definition to those chords.

I try to explain to nonfans of AC/DC that the whole dual personality thing of Angus/Mal and their differing preferences are what make those simple songs with no effects work so great.

Wayne Alexander · September 6th, 2007, 11:27 PM

To clarify/expand on what 11 Gauge said, within AC/DC, Angus is playing an SG with PAF type pickups, Malcom is playing a Gretsch Jet with Filtertrons.

telechaser · September 7th, 2007, 01:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidge1

Brian Setzer isn't my favorite guitarist, but the tone is Filtertron heaven:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7Qri...elated&search=

I'm not a fan of his either but that tone .... and I really like his right hand picking technique.

I've got a set of Vintage Vibe Filtertrons (he calls Vibetron) coming for my '72 Thinline maybe sometime next week. I wanted something that can do those shimery but not overly bright tones when playing chords.

I'll try to do some clips but I don't have good recording gear though. Most of my guitars that's got humbuckers have been replaced by either single coils, P90s and now Filtertrons.

I just realised recently that I like single coil type tones rather than humbuckers.

benbo · September 8th, 2007, 02:45 PM

Of course, He plays in the middle position most of the time but I still love all positions on a gretsch

JohnnyCrash · September 8th, 2007, 03:02 PM

Thanks guys...

Now I need to get a Filtertron and find a guitar to put it in...

GAS.

tele12 · September 8th, 2007, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldenbuff96

I have a TV Jones 'Trons and real+modern Pafs.

Tron - brighter, thinner, more focused. When strumming a chord, you will have an amazingly tight and chimey/keranggy/jangly sound that will cut through the mix with ease (perfect example would be AC/DC rhythm). IMHO, a guitar with a filtertron in the bridge is the greatest rhythm guitar in rock.

Pafs - thicker, darker, more "flutey/fluidity/violin-ish" and sustain which make them better for playing lead (Slash, Moore). When strumming chords & playing rhythm, the notes are not as tight and can "smear" together and take you to mud city (Slash)

For me, the best combo would be a thick/flutey neck with a sharp bridge. That's why I'm a member of this forum. I just love humbucker in the neck and single-coil tele pup in the bridge. I also have a Paul with paf neck and TV Jones bridge, and one with paf neck and a firebird mini humbucker bridge. The Filtertron bridge and the firebird bridge both have some of the tightness characteristics of a tele bridge.

TVJones has introduced a Tele bridge that mounts a filtertron.

http://tvjones.com/

Check out the video, he is playing thru a Pro Jr. , sounds GREAT!

fenderslash · September 9th, 2007, 12:19 AM

That Tele filtertron setup looks interesting. On the TV Jones site is says that routing will have to be done, but I'm wondering whether it would slot right in on a Tele that is already factory-routed for a bridge humbucker.

telechaser · September 13th, 2007, 08:35 AM

a few days ago. Details on this thread http://www.tdpri.com/forum/just-pick...-thinline.html. I'll try to make a youtube clip for some comparison.

September 6th, 2007, 10:58 AM	#1 (permalink)
Balladeer TDPRI Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: houston Age: 60 Posts: 60	Filtertron compared to PAF Would some of you please explain (or demonstrate if you have sound clips) the difference between a Filtertron pickup and a PAF type of humbucker pickup?

September 6th, 2007, 03:05 PM	#2 (permalink)
bo Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 2,276	Sorry, no clips. Filtertrons are brighter, thinner and lower in output than a PAF. Both are great pickups IMHO, but have different applications (other than being guitar pickups...) __________________ www.bourbondynasty.com

September 6th, 2007, 08:17 PM	#6 (permalink)
11 Gauge Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: 6.2 miles northwest of BWI Posts: 3,921 16 Photos	Without Filtertrons, AC/DC would have sounded completely different. Angus may have been handling the lower grunt, but Mal definitely had the cut - and really put definition to those chords. I try to explain to nonfans of AC/DC that the whole dual personality thing of Angus/Mal and their differing preferences are what make those simple songs with no effects work so great. __________________

September 8th, 2007, 02:45 PM	#9 (permalink)
benbo Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Hampton, Va Age: 45 Posts: 981	Of course, He plays in the middle position most of the time but I still love all positions on a gretsch __________________ Benny Trevillian. So Many Guitars-So little Money DOH!!!!!

September 8th, 2007, 03:02 PM	#10 (permalink)
JohnnyCrash Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Fullerton, CA Posts: 8,746	Thanks guys... Now I need to get a Filtertron and find a guitar to put it in... GAS. __________________ -- I constantly have to remind myself I'm a grownup and it's just the internet.

September 6th, 2007, 03:29 PM	#3 (permalink)
davidge1 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: USA Posts: 1,243	Brian Setzer = Filtertron sound Slash (or most any hard rock guitarist you care to name) = PAF sound In other words, they're nothing alike. Filtertrons are very toney...PAFs are fat.

September 6th, 2007, 04:47 PM	#4 (permalink)
goldenbuff96 Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NYC Posts: 207	I have a TV Jones 'Trons and real+modern Pafs. Tron - brighter, thinner, more focused. When strumming a chord, you will have an amazingly tight and chimey/keranggy/jangly sound that will cut through the mix with ease (perfect example would be AC/DC rhythm). IMHO, a guitar with a filtertron in the bridge is the greatest rhythm guitar in rock. Pafs - thicker, darker, more "flutey/fluidity/violin-ish" and sustain which make them better for playing lead (Slash, Moore). When strumming chords & playing rhythm, the notes are not as tight and can "smear" together and take you to mud city (Slash) For me, the best combo would be a thick/flutey neck with a sharp bridge. That's why I'm a member of this forum. I just love humbucker in the neck and single-coil tele pup in the bridge. I also have a Paul with paf neck and TV Jones bridge, and one with paf neck and a firebird mini humbucker bridge. The Filtertron bridge and the firebird bridge both have some of the tightness characteristics of a tele bridge.

September 6th, 2007, 05:27 PM	#5 (permalink)
davidge1 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: USA Posts: 1,243	Brian Setzer isn't my favorite guitarist, but the tone is Filtertron heaven: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7Qri...elated&search=

September 6th, 2007, 11:27 PM	#7 (permalink)
Wayne Alexander Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA Posts: 1,351	To clarify/expand on what 11 Gauge said, within AC/DC, Angus is playing an SG with PAF type pickups, Malcom is playing a Gretsch Jet with Filtertrons.

September 9th, 2007, 12:19 AM	#12 (permalink)
fenderslash TDPRI Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Townsville, Australia Age: 41 Posts: 82 9 Photos	That Tele filtertron setup looks interesting. On the TV Jones site is says that routing will have to be done, but I'm wondering whether it would slot right in on a Tele that is already factory-routed for a bridge humbucker. __________________ The show must go off

September 13th, 2007, 08:35 AM	#13 (permalink)
telechaser Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 1,383 10 Photos	Vibetrons (Filtertrons) arrived and fitted a few days ago. Details on this thread http://www.tdpri.com/forum/just-pick...-thinline.html. I'll try to make a youtube clip for some comparison. __________________ Slowing down . . . to get faster

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