TV Jones TV'Tron

Standard HB sized Filtertron pickups. This is a pair of one classic (neck) and one plus (bridge), low to medium output for a humbucker, more than standard single coils

Put them in an USA Fender Telecaster, originally with two humbuckers. Not really into humbuckers though.
So I was still looking for some good pickups to pair this good guitar with.

Yes! This was what I had in mind for this guitar, wanted it to be tele like but with a twist. It became my 'Fender Gretchocaster'. The ringing high end is there, more body and output than a std tele.
The bridge has more mids than the neck but still with great clarity. They always have a chrystal clear high end, can be smooth or they can be really nasty - semi distorted power chords sound BIG!
They really match a solid body guitar like the tele, very balanced.
Excellent for country, rokcabilly, rock, hard rock, blues and some jazz (about the same applications as a standard tele).

Was going to sell the guitar, but now - no way! I'm using it all the time. Got this guitar as a trade, didn't really know what to do with it. I've had HB sized P90's in it, sounded great but not what I was after anyway.
I have two more Teles two strats and a 335. Used to have a Gretch - liked the sound, disliked some other things about it. Mostly running on a modded Line6 FlextoneII, sometimes a Fender tube amp. These pickups works surprisingly well on heavy distorted sounds also, and they are quiet.

Not cheap but exactly what I was looking for on this guitar.

Had a mail conversation with the guy about which pu's to choose, he giuided me through it and put up with my ignorant questions.

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs: Standard humbucking sized filtertron-style replacement.

Model of guitar or bass: Guild X-150D with B-6 Bigsby Tailpiece
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stock Guild Electronics
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, Jazz, Rockabilly, Classical, Fingerstyle
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickups were muddy and had too much output. Electronics were unreliable.

Perceived output level: Lower output than most, allowing to get close to the strings without issues.
Tone: Balanced, with more midrange than most pickups.
Sonic evaluation: Guild X-150D with Bigsby. Amp is a Peavey Classic 50/410 with JJ power tubes and Jensen Speakers (2-ceramic, 2-alnico).
The Pickups have essentially the same core tone as old filtertron pickups. Neck position (tv'tron) is very sparkly, thinner sounding, with more midrange than a PAF. Good note definition for jazz chording and fairly low output for an aftermarket pickup, letting you hear the guitar's tone, and not just the pickup. Bridge pickup (tv'tron +) has slightly more midrange and output, but balances well with the neck model. Definately has that classic rockabilly sound. These pickups also have a very low noise floor.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play pretty much any style of music other than the "new" country. These pickups work well for anything that does not require a ton of distortion.

Comments: Overall, i think these are the best filtertron-style pickups on the market. It's nice to see a company making these in a standard humbucking size, allowing folks like myself to drop them into our guitar of choice. I have been playing for 15 years, and am a guitar tech at a local music shop. I also own a Hamer Newport with Duncan Phat Cat pickups. I love that guitar as well, and these pickups are a nice contrast to that p-90 single coil sound.
If this guitar were lost or stolen, i would have to concoct something of similar sound and feel, probably using the TV Jones pickups yet again.

Pickup features: Filtertron-style mini himbucker in a full sized humbucker cover
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 1995 Heritage H-555
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Gibson 57 Classic humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: TV Tron Classic Plus
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Classic rock
Reason for pickup change: The Gibson Classic 57s were the muddiest, dullest, worst pickups I have ever played.

Perceived output level: Average, not too hot or cold.
Tone: Clear, articulate tone. Very smooth, sparkly, responsive, and open sounding. They are almost exactly between a humbucker and a single coil pickup in tone.
Sonic evaluation: Straight into a '65 Deluxe and a '68 Super Reverb. A clean humbucker is not a sound I like, and this pickup solves that problem. It has just enough sparkly single coil tone, but with a touch of humbuckerness to make it a totally different animal. I think this would make and outstanding jazz pickup. Very full, rich, clear, responsive, even.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Anything but heavy metal.

Comments: I think this is one of the finest neck pickups I've ever heard. I called TVs phone number he left on the webite, and I think I actually reached this guy's house! Sounded like the wife answered, and TV was very kind and helpful. I explained my guitar - the Heritage is all maple, ala and ES-335 semi-hollowbody, with a maple neck and an ebony fretboard. So very Gretsch-like in materials. He suggested a Classic for the neck and a Plus for the bridge. It has worked out fantastic. The pickup was expensive, but well worth it. I will deinfintely consider TV Jones pickups in the future.

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs: ?

Model of guitar or bass: Gretsch G3161 Historic Series Hollow-body
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Gretsch Stock
Other pickups on guitar: Gretsch Stock
Artists using this pickup: Brian Setzer, Me
You musical style(s): Jazz, Jazz, and More Jazz
Reason for pickup change: I was looking for a sound more similar to the Gibson 57 Classic but with more clarity and warmth.

Perceived output level: Output slightly lower than usual. Perfect for Jazz
Tone: Balanced and very warm and clear.
Sonic evaluation: I am using a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. The sound is similar to the Gibson 57 Classic. Very Warm and clear. The sound is slightly clearer and warmer than the 57 Classic pickups. Both chords and picking sound better with this pickup (Than the 57 Classic). For me this says a lot since I simply love the 57 Classic.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play Jazz

Comments: The pickup is very expensive. However, it is worth the money. TV Jones could probably get away with charging about $175-$200 for these pickups. The sound is perfect for jazz. You could buy a hollowbody with standard HB pickups for about $300-$400 and replace the neck pickup with a TV Jones and (no joke) it would sound like a $2000 jazz box. So the investment is worth the money. Also, these pickups are MUCH BETTER than the any Gretsch pickup I have listened to. I will admit that you need a good tube amp to really appreciate the sweet sound of these pickups. Here is how these pickups rank among the pickups I have heard.
1) TV Jones TV'Tron
2) Gibson 57 Classic
3) SD Jazz SH-2n
4) Gretsch Humbucker
5) Gibson 490T
6) Epiphone Pickups
7) Aria Pickups

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Les Paul Classic
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Gibson stock pickups from the classic. I think they are called 498R and 500T
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock
Reason for pickup change: I play mostly rhythm, and the stock pickps muddied up the amps I tried it with. Also, The reason I bought the Les Paul is that I had to return two different Duo Jets due to bad craftsmanship. These pickups gave me chance to have the Gretssch sound with a Gibson quality guitar.
I know, alot of people will think I am crazy to alter a les paul, but I have two, and it's nice to have completely different sounds.

Perceived output level: They are certainly quieter than the ceramic pickps I replaced, but I have to say, they are not quiet.
Tone: Trebly with some bass, very little mids.
Sonic evaluation: I've played these pickups through several different amps. At first I tried them through a Johnson JT50 that I use for practice, and they sounded pretty bland. However, I've played them through a Traynor, and various Fender amps since. Through a good tube amp these pickups simply fantastic. As I said before, I play rock (anything from Pearl Jam and Soundgarden to Bad Religion and Green Day). These pickups can do all of the above sounds and more.
Maybe just as important is the fact that the pick ups are very well sealed with wax. Even using very heavy distortion there is no feedback.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: These pickups are a great match for just about anything, except maybe death metal

Comments: I can't say this enough, the pickups are fantastic. What's more, the service I received from TV Jones was spectacular as well. When I first called I spoke directly with Mr. Jones, who stayed on the phone with me for about 20 minutes to make sure I was getting the right pickups for the sound I wanted. He even told me that if I am not satisfied for any reason, I can return them. I got the pickups 3 days after I placed the order, which is pretty amazing considering TV Jones and I are on opposite coasts.
Even with the $240 price tag I would buy them again if anything happened.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: ???

Model of guitar or bass: 1957 Gibson L5CES w/factory B6 Bigsby
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Original Ibanez ceramic humbuckers
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: I have no idea
You musical style(s): Fingerstyle and Country
Reason for pickup change: Wanted a Gretsch sound without having to buy a Gretsch guitar that I feel is a prety lousy instrument except for the pickups.

Perceived output level: These don't have a lot of output but they sound awesome for the type of music that I play.
Tone: The tone is very warm and chimey on the high end with clear bottom end. I have always felt that the Gretsch Filtertron captured the sound quality of a good single coil without the noise.
Sonic evaluation: I play these through a Fender blackface deluxe Reverb with a Visual sound H2O echo/chorus pedal and the Visual Sound Route 66 Compressor/overdrive pedal and an MXR Phase 90. I seldom use the overdrive but I use the echo and compressor nearly all of the time. These pickups absolutely nail the Chet Atkins sound perfectly, which is the reason I bouth them in the first place. They're a bit pricey but worth every dime.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play a lot of fingerstyle instrumentals and these pickups are just perfect for the sound I was looking for. In my opinion these pickups would be ideal for Country and Rockabilly along with old 50's rock & roll. However, I think the more modern high gain players would hate them for their low output and lack of distortion.

Comments: I've been playing a heck of a lot longer than I'm willing to admit and these pickups are without a doubt my favorites.
I also own an original D'Angelico New Yorker with a suspended DeArmond pickup which is an excellent jazz guitar.
TV Jones is the only company I know of that manufactures a Gretsch type of pickup. Fortunately, he does it right as there is nothing else I know of to compare them to.
These also fit right into a humbucker cavity with no modification necessary to the guitar. Installation was quick and easy and set up a breeze. It took me less than an hour.
If you want a true Gretsch sound and also want a guitar that will play in tune above the twelfth fret, order a set of these pickups for your humbucker equipped guitar and you won't be disappointed.
I also understand that Gretsch (Fender) is using some of the TV Jones pickups in certain upscale models of the new Gretsch guitars. I can truly understand why, THEY ARE SUPERB!

Pickup features: Gretsch Filtertron reissue in a standard humbucker size
Impedence or other specs: Who cares???

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez AFS-75
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Stoce ceramic humbucker
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Don't know, don't care
You musical style(s): Fingerstyle (Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, etc.) and old standards
Reason for pickup change: I wanted that unique vintage Gretsch sound.

Perceived output level: If you like vintage Gretsch, you'll love these
Tone: Sweet
Sonic evaluation: Fender Deluxe Reverb amp

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Fingerstyle (Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, etc.) and old standards. To me, this is the perfect match.

Comments: Here's the deal. TV Jones is the nicest guy on the planet. I've got less than 6 months to live due to congenital heart disease. A friend of mine is going to record a DVD of me playing my family's favorite tunes to have something to remind them of me. I wanted these pickups to get the sound I've always heard in my head but everybody is out of them. I called TV's shop and he actually answered the phone. I explained my situation to him and he offered to have me a set within a week. You just don't find people like that anymore. Thank you Mr. Jones, you are truly one of a kind.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 4-5K I think

Model of guitar or bass: Warmoth Tele
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Gibson P-94s
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, Rock, a little Country and Jazz
Reason for pickup change: P-94s lacked character and wanted something different...

Perceived output level: Low output
Tone: Clear with few mids
Sonic evaluation: I played the 'Trons through several of my vintage tube combo amps (mostly twin 6V6 models). The overall tone of these pickups struck me as a little hi-fi sounding. I liked the articulation and string definition, but thought they sounded a little cold to me. I was also having a heck of a time dialing in the neck pup - it was very 'wooly'-sounding on the bass strings when I set it up to the recommended specs. I finally had to drop the pickup body down a low as it would go and then raise the polepieces up until I got a balanced output level. The bass strings never sounded right to me - no snap, very muffled and dead. I met up with Tom Jones at a guitar show and showed him the problem and he concurred - see below for more details. On his recommendation, I swapped out the tone control cap from a .047 to a .022 - very little sonic difference. Even tried another neck pup that he loaned me - same result.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I'm mostly a blues/rock player - these pups are probably a little too low output for blues, but I could get a cool 'clean crunch' out of them for some tighter rock sounds.

Comments: I wanted to post this review mostly to praise Tom Jones as a businessman - he totally bent over backwards to help me diagnose the problems I was having with his pups. At the guitar show, he spent at least 30-45 minutes with me trying different set-ups, pick-ups, etc - taking time away from possible sale opportunities. He wound up giving me another 'Tron to try out (same result, BTW) without asking for a deposit or credit card. He really tried his best to make things right with me even though I actually bought the pups from Stew-Mac (who were great to deal with too). I wanted these pups to work for me so badly - they looked very cool in the guitar and I really wanted to patronize a guy who cares this much about his customers. We never did figure out why they weren't working properly, so I can't offer any help there. Perhaps it was just a bad combination of materials and body style? I play a solid Swamp Ash Tele - perhaps they are more suited for hollowbodies..? Anyway, I just wanted to thank Tom for all of his help, patience, and mostly his awesome customer service - even though I didn't wind up using his products.

Pickup features: humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: gibson hawk
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: 490
Other pickups on guitar: 490
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): blue roots
Reason for pickup change: more twang if possible

Perceived output level: weaker than 490r
Tone: decently balanced, pronounced treble, quackish when turned down
Sonic evaluation: 68 Super Reverb--stock! Weaker humbuckers often have more treble, and this one is no exception. It did not turn my Gibson into a Gretsch by any stretch of the imagination, just gave it a bit more treble and a bit more Fenderish definition with the bass strings. Less output than the Gibson 490r (which comes stock in both positions in the Hawk). Worth $125? Not in my opinion, but the underwhelming transformation of the sound has more to do with the solid mahogany construction of the guitar than the pickup, probably. If you were to put one in a jazzbox or a 335, you might come close to a Gretsch. Bear in mind that Mr. Jones told me to install a 500k pot in place of my stock 300k, so this also boosted the treble (of both pickups, of course, with the single vol and tone setup).

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play roots and blues rock, and this pickup is fine. I'm sure it would sound equally good in the bass position.

Comments: I would not buy another one, although I think it is a good unit. Just not a world of difference in my axe. I've been playing since about '69. I have a Bill Lawrence L490 that is a single coil in a humbucker case that is much more interesting than this Jones pickup, and I strongly urge you all to consider it if you seek a twangish alternative.

Pickup features: Humbucker-sized version of Filtertron
Impedence or other specs: Vintage output about 4.5 ohm (I think)

Model of guitar or bass: Steinberger GM
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Duncan JB
Other pickups on guitar: Duncan Lipstick Tube
Artists using this pickup: ??
You musical style(s): Alt-Rock, Surf
Reason for pickup change: The Duncan JB was too midrangey & dark for the surf stuff I was trying to do.

Perceived output level: Output level is lower than the JB, and similar to a vintage single-coil.
Tone: Bright, twangy, great for getting filtertron sound in a non-filtertron-routed guitar.
Sonic evaluation: What a difference in tone. This pickup really transformed this guitar into exactly what I was going for (which I really didn't think would be possible). I'm using it with a Roland VG-88 using the Fender Twin or Marshall sims, with the unit's reverb at about 80%. Also using a Roland KC-500 amp (15-inch speaker & a tweeter). I wish they would put in a more heavy-duty woofer in the KC-500, as it does sometimes distort at higher volume.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I bought this pickup to try to get a good surf sound out of a guitar that is not typically used for surf. I think it must be one of the best pickups I've heard for that kind of music.

Comments: I would drive over to the Jones place to get it, if necessary, to get another one....That's how much I like it!
One thing I really love about it is that it gives the lower strings some twang. On the Steinberger's, the lower register, and the "E" string in particular is often perceived as being "flat" sounding....kind of the opposite of a Strat-type low-end sound. It fixed that very well.
I am very happy with it and would recommend it for anyone trying to get a good "surf-type" sound from a humbucker-equipped guitar.