The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Bill's Shop: Projects, Mods & Repairs => Topic started by: Pilgrim on May 16, 2010, 09:07:26 PM
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Been eyeing these Gretsch Filtertrons as possible replacements for the pickups in my Univox Hollowbody...
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Gretsch-BASS-Filtertron-Pickup-CHROME-/300423049818?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item45f29bf25a
Comments are welcomed!
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I've got a Gretsch 6072 reissue with those pickups in it and they are pretty good in this particular bass. Years ago, people complained about them being too thin and not having enough bottom, but my 6072 has no problems with its lower end.
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There's a fair amount of online discussion about the guitar versions - evidently when Fender took over, the magnets were ceramic, but they changed them back to Alnico magnets. No word on whether the bass pickups went through a similar change. But I do have faith in Gretsch pickups in general.
If they're good in your Gretsch hollowbody, I suspect they'd be good in the Univox. You and I both share a preference for a classic 60's bass sound and well-aged flat strings, don't we? They'd certainly look great in that Univox.
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Yeah, we do have similar tastes. I think it would sound fine and look great.
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This is sounding better and better. I can't find external dimension info anywhere so I've emailed the seller asking for that info. If they're not a great deal larger than the Univox pickups, I think I'll do it.
Damn, I have GOT to get in gear with bass projects!!!!!! That will make 3 instruments waiting for a pickup graft.
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Since TV Jones apups re the same dimensions, you could check his site.
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Since TV Jones apups re the same dimensions, you could check his site.
I didn't know that - but it follows. Lots of good info there - it appears that all the TV Jones pickups, bass and guitar, are the same dimensions, 1 3/8 x 2 13/16. The mounting bezels/rings may also come in handy.
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I guess TV Joneses are much more expensive, but that are great pick ups. I was blown away by them (almost literally) when I tried a White Falcon Bass.
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I didn't know that - but it follows. Lots of good info there - it appears that all the TV Jones pickups, bass and guitar, are the same dimensions, 1 3/8 x 2 13/16. The mounting bezels/rings may also come in handy.
Since the TV Jones pups are direct drop in replacements for Gretsch pups, things should be consistent. For sure on the rings, there's only a few places you can get them. I do believe Stew-Mac has them too.
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I guess TV Joneses are much more expensive, but that are great pick ups. I was blown away by them (almost literally) when I tried a White Falcon Bass.
Yep, but they are really nice sounding pups. I have them in my Gretsch Thunderjet and they are sweet bass pups!
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Well, the Filtertrons are ordered. I think I'll replace the pots and the pickup selector switch while I'm at it. The hood news is that the Filtertrons appear to be extremely close to the same size as the original Univox pickups. With luck I won't have to cut any wood to mount them.
I'll order pickup rings once I get a look at how these mount.
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I have a dumb question. Are the Trons humbuckers or single coil?
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I have a dumb question. Are the Trons humbuckers or single coil?
The info on the Gretsch web page (showing a guitar pickup, but whaddayagonnado?) sez:
Filter'Tron pickups feature dual-coils and are designed to Filter out the elecTronic hum normally associated with single-coil pickups, while adding a warmer tone, and a significant increase in output and sustain.
I am making the assumption that the bass pickups are similar in construction. I'm still trying to figure out what kind of mount they will use....coz I gotta get them into a hollowbody.
(http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j306/apowell1/Electric%20Basses/Filtertron-bass.jpg)
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I think they are using those two screw holes you see in the picture, adding some foam between them and the bass body.
You can use mousepad material, its a good alternative.
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That'll make it interesting, because these pickups can't be surface mounted on the bass - they have to be mounted inside the hollow body. Most hollows use pickups with a tab on each side and a screw that goes through the trim ring to position the pickup.
I'm pretty confident that I can manufacture a jig that will allow me to achieve that mount. Challenges, challenges.
Here's a pic - taken when the Univox bass was my computer desktop photo:
(http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j306/apowell1/Electric%20Basses/Desktop3-07.gif)
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I'm 90% sure they are surface mount, some time ago a friend put some of those in his guitar and he told me the mousepad trick.
If you don't mind to make 2 holes to surface mount them, then you could make a couple of pickup rings just for covering the surroundings of the pickups like the pickup rings on thunderbirds but without the screw height holes.
I hope this makes some sense!
edit: look what I've got for you! You own me a beer (or two):
http://hem.passagen.se/goba666/
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The Filtertrons are here!
And they are nearly an EXACT match for the dimensions of the original Univox staple pickups. The main body of the pickup is about 1/16" less wide, but the base plate is perhaps 1/8" wider.
Now I'll get to work on mounts. I might be able to sketch up some square-cornered U-shaped bent metal tabs that will allow me to use the original trim rings....maybe.
(http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j306/apowell1/Electric%20Basses/IMAG0140.jpg)
They sure used a lot of screws to assemble these....and only one wire. I assume that the body of the pickup is used for the ground connection...?
(http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j306/apowell1/Electric%20Basses/IMAG0141.jpg)
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They sure used a lot of screws to assemble these....and only one wire. I assume that the body of the pickup is used for the ground connection...?
You can check that with a multimeter. What kind of wire is it? If its a braided one, the braid is the ground. If its a single wire, then probably the body is the ground.
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up - single wire, no braid, and I pulled one of the original pickups, and they are the same. Body = ground.
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Hey Al, I bought a pair for my Billybo. Should be here soon. Got the rings too.
Did you figure out how to mount those pickups yet?
I just realized that I have a hollowbody Gretsch 6072 with the same pups, same screw setup. Want me to look inside for you to see how they mounted them?
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That would be very helpful! I just confirmed with TV Jones that the Filtertron PUs fit their trim rings, and the dimensions are shown at: http://www.tvjones.com/tech_specs/techspecs.html.
Their tech pages are very helpful and contain a ton of info - more than I realized.
My idea is to make brackets something like this:
Top
__X__
|
|
|
|
|__X__
Bottom
With each x indicating the location of a threaded screw hole. If the top end lines up under the mounting hole in the pickup surround/trim ring, the bottom hole should line up with where the mounting screw comes through the pickup.
My first concern is to make sure the TV Jones mounting rings will cover the original mounting holes - these pickups are alightly smaller end-to-end. If they don't cover, I guess that I'll have to have custom mounting rings made. Now that I have the dimensions I can measure the setup tonight.
I just looked up some 6072 pix online, and the pickups do look like Filtertrons - but there's no mounting hole in the ends of the rings. I am really curious as to how they did mount those pickups - I'll bet I'm missing some really simple idea!
Edit: hey, Bill...check their videos linked to the Tech Specs page. Down at the bottom is one called "pop those shims", which shows a wood brace under each side of the pickup hole and a wood shim between brace and pickup. I wouldn't be surprised if that's how your 6072 PUs are mounted.
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i have a few univox basses needing new pups. this is very interesting . please keep us in the loop as progress goes.
6 screws on pickup. isn't that a guitar pup??
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these pickups look sweet. I am a little worried about spacing of strings. do you guys know if they are pole or blade design. If they are using the same bottom plate as the guitar pup with 6 screws versus 4 it is probably a blade inside. Jim
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I'm pretty sure they are blades, and I'm fully prepared to not worry about string alignment since there are no pole pieces visible.
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Thanks Al, there is lots of good info at his site. I ordered rings too, so we'll see how they fit the Gretsch pups. All should be the same. My installation should be a little easier.
If I were you, I'd just glue some bracing on each side of the pup hole and mount the pups just like the Gretsch example on TV's site. I'd also recess them a bit where the ears rest on them and use the rubber trick to get more movement out of the screws.
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I might very well do that. If you have the chance to peek into your install, it would be nice.
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I might very well do that. If you have the chance to peek into your install, it would be nice.
Will do that tonight...............
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After measuring, it looks like I'm in for custom pickup rings regardless. The TV Jones units are more than 1/2" narrower side-to-side, and about 1/4" smaller top to bottom.
I'll probably send the original rings to a custom PG maker so they can match the original Univox screw hole locations.
I'll consider going with the wood brace approach...I'm a bit unsure about how deep to set them. I might have to go rather deep, and use springs between the pickup and the brace to provide a range of adjustment. The neoprene rubber they used in the TV Jones video probably wouldn't give me more than a 1/8" range of adjustment. That might be OK if you're building everything and know the measurements, but on a retrofit I'd like more adjustment.
If I go with wood braces, I'm thinking to use super glue to attach them on the underside of the front face.
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Hey Al, I didn;t have time to look at the Gretsch bass last night. Will do tonight and post pictures.
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Here it is. The wife's not home yet, so I got it done! There are tabs on the sides and a small lip around the top and bottom edges. Actually, it's one complete shim, routed out in the middle and glued on from underneath. Pretty simple really. Pup height is not adjustable.
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/drbassman/Misc%20Stuff/100_3090.jpg)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/drbassman/Misc%20Stuff/100_3091.jpg)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/drbassman/Misc%20Stuff/100_3092.jpg)
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Thank you, Bill - GREAT pix!! I see the brace was installed before it was painted, too...there's paint visible on the sides of the brace.
Interesting that it's not adjustable. if I go that route, I need to get it right the first time. It looks from the photos like in your Gretsch the brace is level with the underside of the body. I can measure my pickups and see how that looks - I have the full floating bridge with the adjustable thumbwheels on the Univox, so maybe everything will just work out.
I'll take a good look this weekend.
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If I were doing these on a hollowbody, I'd rout out the braces before installing them under the top, i.e., countersink the ears on the pups so I could put some foam in and have some height adjustment available to me. I'd also use the Gretsch rings instead as long as they'd cover the holes on the top (most of them anyway). I just got mine and they are nice.
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My thoughts agree with yours on the countersink...go deeper and leave some room for adjustment. I just found an old mouse pad with the right neoprene, too!
Unfortunately the TV Jones rings won't cover the old holes. Maybe I need to buy some PG material and a PG router bit and learn how to do this. Might be cheaper than custom rings.