Gretsch filtertron winding theory

[walters]

What magnets did the Gretsch filtertron's use?

humbuckers have one coil with screws and one with slugs.
What are these Slugs do?

The screws are closer to the strings, making that coil the dominent.
What does the screws do to the strings?


Put a cover on it the slugs are covered while the screws are not, further diminishing the effect of the coil with the slugs?

The filtertrons have two coils with exposed screws, making them more-or-less equal?

 

[St_Genesius]

Re: Gretsch filtertron winding theory

What happen? Some one set us up the bomb! We get signal. What! Main screen turn on. It's you!! How are you gentlemen!! You have no chance to survive make your time. Ha ha ha ha...Captain!! Take off every zig!! You know what you are doing. Move zig. For great justice.

 

[saladin]

Re: Gretsch filtertron winding theory

Shut up and play yer guitar!!!!!!!!!!

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Gretsch filtertron winding theory

Filtertrons are parallel coils rather than series. But as for which magnets number of turns, etc I don't know. They have their own unique charm. No matter how much distortion you throw at them they still jangle. GFS makes some good sounding cheap filtertrons.

Snowdog

 

[walters]

Re: Gretsch filtertron winding theory

Ya i like that jangle i wonder what caues that jangle

 

[Alvin Lee Fan]

Re: Gretsch filtertron winding theory

Filtertrons are parallel coils rather than series. But as for which magnets number of turns, etc I don't know. They have their own unique charm. No matter how much distortion you throw at them they still jangle. GFS makes some good sounding cheap filtertrons.

Snowdog

Interesting, I didn't know they were parallel wired. Hmm...

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Gretsch filtertron winding theory

I had an old Guitar Player magazine and I don't remember who it was who designed the pickup? He said that at the time he was working with scotty moore (elvis) and scotty was complaining about noise and the pickups getting mushy at higher volumes. From what I remember about the article this guy built an amp for scotty that used a tape loop and tank reverb for the slapback echo he was famous for. Anyways the read head on the tape deck had an (H) pattern like today because there were two elements that were in parallel to cancel hum. He took that idea and ran with it.

Snowdog

 

[walters]

Re: Gretsch filtertron winding theory

Oh thats Ray Butts

 

[St_Genesius]

Re: Gretsch filtertron winding theory

The standard wiring shceme for those GFS Retrotrons is series wiring. I've got mine wired for Series-parallel-split and the series mode is defintely the one that sounds the most like a Filtertron. I've never seen any definitive wiring scheme for a real 'tron, so I can't say how they're wired, but I just thoust this tidbit might be of some interest.

Oh, and I do recall reading that FIltertron pickups have used both Alnico V and Ceramic magnets at different points int heir history. The ALnico 5 models are the ones made by DeArmond and the ones most people seem to prefer and the ceramic models were made by Gretsch after they got control of the Filtertron name and started making the pups themselves...iirc. It's been a few months since I read that, so apologies if I've got some details wrong. It was an online resource, though, so I'm sure a Google search would turn up some info.

Filtertrons are parallel coils rather than series. But as for which magnets number of turns, etc I don't know. They have their own unique charm. No matter how much distortion you throw at them they still jangle. GFS makes some good sounding cheap filtertrons.

Snowdog

 

[walters]

Re: Gretsch filtertron winding theory

So is the Filtertron in series or parallel?

Whats the filtertone scatter wound?

How many windings is the filtertron?

How does the filtertron get its jangle?

How would i get a filtertron to fit in a strat pickup?

 

[Rev Donzo]

Re: Gretsch filtertron winding theory

Filtertrons are parallel coils rather than series

nope there 4k-to-5k in series.. awg wire 42

The magnet is 1/4" tall... thats a whole 1/4" taller then the humbucker..

The big magnet and the low DC's is where the Twang and growl is coming from.

and the cover of the Strat will not allow room for this design,

 

[walters]

Re: Gretsch filtertron winding theory

Thanks Rev

big magnet means more magnetic field and more flux but why more twang?

low DC's resistance= less winding?

How do u wind a humbucker pickup in "series"?

how do u wind a humbucker pickup in "parallel"?

 

[walters]

Re: Gretsch filtertron winding theory

Rev sorry to ask so many questions

But how can i take a strat pickup and convert to a filtertron?

The face of the filtertrons have different polepieces or slugs doesn't this
change the magnet field of the pickup? because the filtertron pickups pole pieces look way different

 

[walters]

Re: Gretsch filtertron winding theory

Here is a pickup of the filtertron

http://www.curtisnovak.com/pickups/Filtertron/index.shtml

Look at the pickup face the screws and cover how is this different than a strat pickup?

How they have a different magnet field or flux because its not pole pieces?

How can i turn this pickup into a strat fitting or in the same size as a strat pickup but instead of the pickup have polepieces it would have the screws and slugs or cover like this picture has

 

[walters]

Re: Gretsch filtertron winding theory

A strat uses polepieces what does the rickenbacker use?
a strat uses polepieces what does the filtertron use?

If i take out the polepieces out of my strat pickup but keep the winding and the magnet how can i use the rickenbackers "Slugs"?

How do i use the filtertron Slugs? insteand of polepieces?

 

[walters]

Re: Gretsch filtertron winding theory

Does the Slugs have a different pickup frequency response than pole pieces?

Are Slugs a Bar magnet?

LIke the Blade pickups they have a permant magnet on the bottom but a Bar magnet on the top

Strat pickups use a permant magnet on the bottom with pole pieces not a Bar magnet

So the Filtertron is a permant magnet witha Bar magnet on top like a Blade/hot rails pickups?

The rickenbacker is a permant magnet with a Bar magnet on top like a blade/hot rails pickups?

 

[Rev Donzo]

Re: Gretsch filtertron winding theory

too much and too many of your questions were already answered here in the past weeks--

if you ca do this?
Plaese get a folder and print out these answers you have so kindly recived from all of us and orginize them ..

If you cannot get a grip on retaining these answers then you'll need to find a new hobby -- because this one demands some keen retention skills-- or the ability to keep records..


sure asking questions are interesting for all -- but the same questions over and over and supurpolus questions simply cross that fine line of compassion for others..

you may need to check out of the pickup area = and just go pl;ay your guitar and forget about making or rewinding pickups-- I'm afraid its just going to lead to further disapointments for you..

Rev.

 

[walters]

Re: Gretsch filtertron winding theory

Yes i know its alot of questions sorry please help me out i need these questions answered or my brain is going crazy of not knowing how the filtertron and rickbacker toasters work

 

[walters]

Re: Gretsch filtertron winding theory

Magnetic field density is controlled by the strength of the magnet(s) and influenced by the number of coil windings round the magnet. It will also be influenced by any other metallic object in the vicinity, like a pickup cover, etc.

The Filtertron uses slugs or pole pieces just like the strat, they just have a different visual appearance. I may be wrong but i think the Ricky toaster uses a flat blade or bar magnet instead of 6 individual pole pieces.

You can't convert a strat pup to a toaster or a filtertron, they are physically too different in construction for your crazy project to suceed. In fact I suspect you are quite mad.

Does the Slugs have a different pickup frequency response than pole pieces?[/quote] No, they are the same thing. Consider a pole to be a slug.

Are Slugs a Bar magnet?[/quote] Yes, they are just cylindrical instead of rectangular.

LIke the Blade pickups they have a permant magnet on the bottom but a Bar magnet on the top
Nope, the blade is a bar magnet, just a thin cross-section rectangular one.
Look, every magnet has a North and a South. Don't get hung up on the different shapes, they are all the same thing. Think of it as a positive end and a negative end.

Strat pickups use a permant magnet on the bottom with pole pieces not a Bar magnet [/quote] Nope, a pole piece is a cylindrical bar magnet.

So the Filtertron is a permant magnet witha Bar magnet on top like a Blade/hot rails pickups? [/quote] Nope.

The rickenbacker is a permant magnet with a Bar magnet on top like a blade/hot rails pickups?[/quote] It is simply a permanent bar magnet.

 

[gripweed]

Re: Gretsch filtertron winding theory

With the exception of Rev Donzo and Zhangliqun (there may be others I don't know about -- still not many), most of us are players who really dig Duncan pickups. We don't have the technical knowledge that Rev and Zhang have. This is not really the place to be for those technical sorts of questions. You might want to find another forum that would meet your needs better.