A double cut Jet with hump block inlays and a decent set pickups? I didn't need to read this thread.

BTW, the same style of cover was used on the pickups that outfitted the New Jets.

If the BT Filters' are Baldwin era in design, this should mean ceramic magnets right? What are the tops? Plastic? So, no nickel covers. Two checks in the bright and punch category. Then, maybe overwound on the bobbin to create some meat and warmth? Keep them from getting ice-picky?

Can't wait to hear them for myself. I got to check out one TA that rolled through the shop, (looked great) but I didn't get to plug it in.

I plugged in a TA for the first time last weekend at a local shop in CB, Iowa. I used it to "test drive" a few amps. I thought it was superb. Cleans were warm, but definitely had "sparkle" to them. Sounded very good with a bit of gain too. Besides that - it's a cool looking guitar. I left there wanting to buy the TA and the amp....the TA is a "hit" in my book. The time I spent playing it moved it WAY up on my "GAS" list.

I loved this guitar, a '79 Club. We always just called these type Filters "Baldwin Filters", Filters with HiLo covers, etc. Basically hotter ceramic Filters with HiLoTron covers and the wide chrome metal surround with a long bar of aluminum underneath a la Gibson mount/suspended humbucker ring setup. At least on the vintage examples the chrome cover is metal like usual and the "black top" face plate is thin solid black plastic. It may be slightly thicker material like the HiLotron face plate. The standard Filter "black top" face plate was thinner material.

How would a tv jones classic compare to the blacktops?

Maff Ashman played Baldwin Filters in his Falcon with Bow Wow Wow. Sounded gorgeously GreTscHy with a tad more edge than vintage. One of the reasons I first fell for GreTscH.

If these new ones are true to Baldwin spec re ceramic magnets, Gretsch could have a very interesting product to bring to market with just these pickups themselves... though dont know if that would impact the TV/Gretsch working relationship.

Well...ceramic-mag Filtertrons are not new to the modern Gretsch line. It was one of the chief beefs of GDPers in the 90s up through the FMIC era: ceramic mags aren't historically accurate to the guitars of the 50s and 60s!

When they were spec'ed on 90s Gretschs, they could actually claim a direct connection to the Baldwin years, since Duke Kramer was advising Mr Gretsch on pickups during that time, and presumably recommended those pickups.

IF these black-toppers have ceramic mags (and if I knew for sure, I've forgotten), it's interesting that they have more market acceptance now when they're paired with guitars that show more Baldwin-era inspiration...

Those at the KC Round Up got to hear some of these "blacktop" Filters in action.

Hopefully others will chime in, but they sounded killer to me. Great sounding either clean or with gain.

The soon to be released G5422's have them, and they have two screws on the metal trim ring for adjustment.

I've only got to "fiddle" with them for a short period, and the two screws allow for pup adjustment to keep the pup parallel to the strings. Nice touch. The screw in the Filter housing allows for setting the pup height to the strings.

Darn good sounding pups, on a great new series of guitars, that have "killer" playability.

I wonder how close to 'spec' they are to the Mega'trons that are in the 2006 and newer Corvettes other than the open covers? I know I love the 'trons in my 'vette!

I'll get a reading with my Multitester...........when I can find the darn thing

I lent it out, I know, I know, and I was told that it was returned??

Still can't find the thing and I need it for this weekend.

a different take on the thread title: how close do these come to the original Baldwin blacktops?

Way up above, Joe said a baldwin-era blacktop was the DNA for the new blacktops.

I'm not one to quibble with Joe, but I think the pre-Fender ceramic Filters are closer to the Baldwin-era, and the new Blacktops are a bit sweeter and a bit more jangly. Your mileage may vary.

I just posted a sound clip of the 12-string with them. Of course, it's a 12-string, and it's a short clip, so it doesn't really show all they can do at all.

A couple of folks have asked how they compare to MegaTrons. To my ear, they're very different. Megas, to me, are hotter and more midrangey. I like both, but they're different.

some Baldwin era blacktop filter clips culled from around the interwebs:

'78 super Chet (great tone here I think)

73' Gretsch Super Chet

Kim Mitchell rockin it on his Baldwin Era Country Gent

BowWowWow

And let's not forget Anton Goudsmit on his '76 Country Club!

http://www.youtube.com/watc... (solo starts at 3:30)

That '78 super chet clip has a fantastic tone MSD! Judging by his accent, the guy playing/recording that is Dutch btw.

Maff (Matt Ashman of Bow Wow Wow) is the reason Frusciante plays a Falcon. Amazing guitarist for a brilliant band.

And let's not forget Anton Goudsmit on his '76 Country Club!

http://www.youtube.com/watc... (solo starts at 3:30)

That '78 super chet clip has a fantastic tone MSD! Judging by his accent, the guy playing/recording that is Dutch btw.

that tone on the Anton clip is fabulous! -- thanks for sharing that. great player, too, not familiar with him....

and yes , the fellow in the 78 super Chet clip is Dutch...(even looks like a houseboat on the inside). I love that tone, thats what made me decide to pursue one!

I don't think it's a houseboat; more like a home studio in the attic. I looked the guy up (Toon van Mil); he's living in Amersfoort currently. Not a city well known for having house boats (but how cool would it be to have a studio on one! ).

Interestingly, there's what looks like a (reissue) Gent on the guy's main page. I wonder if he still has that lovely Superchet?

On Anton Goudsmit: he plays in two relatively well known groups in NL: New Cool Collective and The Ploctones.

A little off-topic, but check out the New Cool Collective's take on 'Marche Funèbre' - it's hilariously good.

well i humbly stand corrected ! it just looked very much like a houseboat interior or two i was in while in Amsterdam.

Not sure if he still has it -- i know per the You Tube comments he was looking to sell it , but he was asking a good amount for it (like 2500 euros) and dont know if it ever sold...

Thanks fo r the info on Anton -- i know some of the players there (more in the free/experimental scene) but its been a while . I'll have to go check those links!

Ah, no prob MSD. When were you in A'dam?

The comments on that Superchet say €2750 even; that's $3400... Yikes :-O Not the kind of money I have floating around at the moment.

Another young, up-and-coming jazz guitar player is Reinier Baas with his group 'The More Socially Relevant Jazz Ensamble'. He moves around in the same scene as Anton does I think (Amsterdam Conservatory). We'll need to convert him to the Gretsch-camp though.:-)

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

oh, its been mid 90s since i was there...gigged in Eindhoven some. I know Ad Van Meurs, Burton Greene,Alex Coke, some others... and a rising star there now, sax player John Dikeman, Im proud to say is a former student of mine!