Cheap Filtertrons

lapua65 · May 2023

I fancy a change on one of my semi hollows and want to test out some filtertrons. I can see plenty of the TV Jones Mojos etc but is there anything that on the budget end of the market that are reasonable. They can be either filtertron sized or humbucker size as I have both adapters

Funkfingers · May 2023

Short answer: No.

A slotted metal cover is not enough.

Unless the budget pickup innards are arranged like a 'Tron, it can not behave like one. Coil spacing and magnet dimensions are critical.

TV Jones pickups are expensive but with good reason.

EDIT
Some owners speak highly of Fender Fideli'Trons. Others swap them out. Hence, they may be available pre-owned at reasonable cost.

Winny_Pooh · May 2023

The stock pickups in the FMIC Pro line Gretches are great.

Otherwise https://www.fletcherpickups.co.uk/product-page/fletch-o-trons

I had a bridge model wound to 6.2 from him that was fab.

Dave_Mc · May 2023

What's your definition of cheap? If it's Irongear territory, then nothing I'm aware of (not that I've been looking that closely!), but if you're willing to go up to Fletcher prices as @Winny_Pooh posted then Catswhisker are quite a bit less than that (£72 per pickup on their site currently) and still handmade/handwound in the UK. I haven't tried their Filtertrons, but based on their other pickups I have tried, they're likely to be at least very, very good (to be clear, so is the Fletcher PAF humbucker I've tried- again not a Filtertron obviously).

chrisj1602 · May 2023

Roswell pickups sold on DV247 do a few filtertron types for around £35. I’ve not used them myself but they look decent.

Dave_Mc · May 2023

chrisj1602 said:

Roswell pickups sold on DV247 do a few filtertron types for around £35. I’ve not used them myself but they look decent.

I was nearly going to mention them as a possible cheaper option (I haven't tried them either). The only thing is... two of those at £35 are £70. You can get a Harley Benton (I haven't tried it either) Cabronita Tele type thing for about £150-£160 (less if you're ok with B-stock) with those pickups stock... I don't know whether that makes the pickups expensive on DV247 (I think so) or the rest of the guitar cheap (maybe), and I'm really not sure if buying another guitar when you only want pickups is a good idea (probably not)... but yeah.

I'm probably a bit biased because I'm usually disappointed with "value" pickup brands- Tonerider, Irongear and the like. Actually Entwistle was about the only one I wasn't disappointed with, and now I think of it I think they do do a Filtertron-style pickup. Might be worth a look (again, same caveat as before- I haven't tried their Filtertrons). That being said, assuming they're a similar price to the Roswells (I haven't found any for sale on Ebay to find a price), you're halfway to the price of the Catswhiskers... or you could even get one to see what they're like.

Cirrus · May 2023

I've dropped you a pm, OP.

CasperCaster · May 2023

The shape/ size of the bobbin, relatively low wind and massive magnet makes the Filtertron design rather unique, hence few options relative to other humbuckers.

Fender Fidelitrons are surprisingly good.

Gretsch FilterTron HS are more readily available - A little over £50 each from Thomann. You'll need adaptors to mount them in a regular humbucker space.

guitargeek62 · May 2023

Gretsch FilterTron HS are the “cheap” option to get, they’re really very good indeed and arguably a smidge better than TVJ Classics if you like using any level of grit.

Cirrus · May 2023

Notwithstanding my PM being a question about interest in a bridge HS filter Tron in my parts drawer, I really like putting a neck HS in the bridge. It's almost as loud, I was worried output level would be an issue but it's not. I've got a second matching neck pickup on the way.

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