I know I've already posted this, but I don't feel I've gotten a clear answer. I have the new chinese solid body projet with bigsby, and the blacktop filtertron pickups it came with. I'm wondering if I should replace them with the tv jones classic andclassic plus combo or possibly a powertron or supertron. Is it worth the money? What type of difference does it make? I play a lot of old style rock and blues.

It would be a big gamble and I don't think anyone will really be able to give you a clear answer. Personally I think you should work with what you have. Try playing with the pickup and pole height. If that doesn't work maybe try different tone caps of pot values.

Jay, forgive us but it's awfully hard to provide you with the clarity you are seeking. Depends on what you want, what your budget is with regard to this and other endeavors, how particular you are.

I think it might help to have a few more specifics. What amp are you using? What sound/s are you going for? What do you want more of (or less of) that you aren't getting from the blacktops?

I went almost a year debating a pup upgrade. Posted my own threads. Interjected my own deliberations into other threads. Played with adjustments, amps, amp settings, string gauge and materials, different pre-amp tubes.... I listened to all the clips I could find. Sent certain members more emails than is seemly. Then I took my amp and standard pedals to a member's house to play his guitars (luckily he had guitars with both the pups I was considering, both TVJs by the way) through my rig. In a matter of minutes, I knew which way to go and I am convinced that it's worth it. Worth it enough to sell some gear I love to help cover. But there is no way anyone's answers or clips would have been able to give me anything approaching the clarity on the issue I have now. It's rough. And though Tom's pickups are amazing, his samples on his website don't do the trick for me.

So start by trying to particularize what you want versus what you've got tone-wise and gear-wise. We really will do our best to help. Just can't promise that it will alleviate all ambivalence and frustration.

Partly it's a cost/benefit analysis. Spending $250 or more on a set of TVJ pickups for a guitar that cost less than twice that might not be seen by some as cost effective. However the sound may be worth it to you. Plus you can either sell the original PUPS or hold onto them to replace when you upgrade, so you keep carry the TVJs to your next guitar. And so on. I have used GFS pups for lore project like synchromatic sparkle jets, Junior Jets and they worked fine. On the other hand bringing GFS pickups won't work brought up to the PROLINE. Then you need Pro FT or TVJ.

I've got an AC40. I think the pickups are a little bit bright, and on distortion, chords are very hard to differentiate, by which I mean the sound isn't clear enough. I have about 800 bucks saved up, but I don't want to spend it all.

My brother is mad at me (I'm in high school) because he loves the sound, but his opinion doesn't matter to me that much because our opinions are completely different. He plays a lot of low distortion blues on the neck pickup, and I play higher distortion rock and blues. I got this guitar because I play a lot of old 60s and 70s rock, such as sounds from the Kinks, Led Zeppelin, and other bands from that era. I also play newer stuff, such as the black keys, and some hard rock, such as ACDC. I'm mainly looking for that vintage rock sound, and I'm thinking replacing the pickups might help get me there.

I don't think you'd have any trouble selling brand new TV Jones pickups if they don't live up to your expectations. There's not much risk there of losing a bunch of money on this, but I'd consider working with what you have first. Take your guitar to a local luthier or any other savvy person, have the setup looked at. Play it over different amps. Try other guitars from that series, try some pickup pole adjustments. Maybe there's an issue somewhere swapping the pickups won't resolve (though they might improve your tone, ). Good luck!

YES!!!!!!!!!

Caviar and oysters are expensive. It is good food but you must like the taste. Same goes for good pickups: good quality and expensive, but your expectations can be too high.

TV Jones pickups do stand out at Roundups, but mainly in better guitars.

All pickups need carefull tweaking for perfect sound.

YUP

You've gotten excellent advice all around so far. But it is also a bit of a loaded question.

There's no doubt TVJ walks on water for the majority (I think) of the members here.

It's akin to walking into a dairy, and asking their views on milk !

Hell yes!

TV Jones pickups just get you "closer" to the truth. It really depends on what you like. I've put TV's in guitars & pulled them because they sounded too nice. I've also put them in guitars & thought, "that's what I'm looking for!"

yes they are great pickups.

I have been a dealer for a year or so and have not had one complaint from anyone who buys them from me.

In fact I use them in a couple of my guitars

Yes they are!

Two threads one opinion.

I've read some TV Jones backlash recently also some Tru Arc. Fact is the decision is always up to the one paying the bills and how good those particular set of ears are but more importantly it's Gretsch. For the most part Gretsch players are unique and complex people. Most of them want to replicate the sound and look that made them interested in the guitar. In my opinion PAF Filtertrons are the best pickup ever made and when the deal went bad they were done. If not for TV Jones to take the time, expense, trial and error to recreate them we would have a couple options that look like Filters but sound like pickups. I'm unique, ask my wife but I'm loyal to a fault and when someone takes the time to do it right I save my money and buy it. Once the money is spent you can feel good about your purchase or wind up with buyers remorse that turns to frustration when you can't find that sound.

Same applies to the Tru Arc discussion, one took the time to recreate the original bar bridge but improved it so the radius matches the frets.

Fact is there will always be something cheaper (on the internet) but cheap is always a substitution for what you really want.

I look at it this way. I can spend $80 & get the cheap one, Decide I don't like it, then spend the money to get real thing. Why waste the money if it's not what I want. I know I'll want the "right" one anyway. Just do it right the first time.
But...I still feel it depends on what you want. RHH recorded a lot of material using preFMIC Filtertrons. I love the tone he got from those pickups. Something you can't replicate with TV's pickups.

I'm with Strummerson, in I debated a pickup swap for my jet for over a year. I played probably my final show with my dynas just last night. I have a set of TV classics on order, so I am very interested in the results. Is it an investment? Sure, and a bit of a leap of faith to be honest, as this is my first venture into filteron and TV pickups.

Oh yes, my style is similar in the blues/ classic rock...

"Old style blues rock and blues" Mmmmm. I'm giong to talk blues for a moment and use 2 old style blueman as the benchmarks......the woodsy ring of T-Bone Walker and fuller, maybe smoother" early years BB King. I get T-Bone from 2 gits.....I can pull it off with my Gibson Firebird and my Gretsch Black Phoenix. 2 different pups...mini-h'buckers and TVJs. The reason though is not just the pickups but all the variables. The hollow-body of the Gretsch and Mahogany/Walnut of the F'bird. My BB King sound from a Tokai LP copy w/PAF type pups AND my Tech 21 Amp. Do I get the results I want from another say a Vox AC15? Maybe or maybe not. The minis are a 2 trick pony and the TVJ are really verstatile. I love the TVJs and will to but BUT I say stick with the filters and use them as your benchmark. Experiment first and pay attention to amp settings and effects. If I play Luther "Guitar JR" Johnson, it's my SRV Strat all the way.

Only through playing and trying out everything can you discover and records your findings. I say keep the Filters and play around. Record your finding s through exploration and use that as your benchmark.

I just put tvjones in both my gretsches. If you like the guitar, and the pickups aren't the sound you want, and don't have your idea of the Gretsch sound, then do it. You will be happy with them. But if you still dig the sound, save your mony for the day when you aren't happy with the sound. It happens......good luck with your decision.....

get a classic+ neck and a supertron bridge.. I guarantee you will hear the sound of reverend horton heat...

live that is... in the studio I'm pretty much gonna stick to my guns that is is all CTS 10" speaker loaded Fender Super Reverb and his vintage Gibson ES-175 with P-90s.

I've heard him live for yrs and when he brings this gibson guitar out I hear the sound of every recorded album from the past.. He LOVES this guitar and the creamy breakup of the CTS alnico 10's in his super reverb.

here's a listen to that guitar live

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

I can hear distinctly the difference between his three main guitars on the earlier albums. Night in the box certainly had a lot of the ES-175. One of my favorite albums from RHH

I hear the horrible Blues driver used too much and could be mistaken for the ceramics we "think" he's using on

and YES I love Night in the Box too..!!

Space heater was a cool departure. Not my fav album, but I listen to it. Bluesdriver, I always wondered how he came up with that pedal. I just couldn't bond with it. I guess there weren't as many options back then.