The sacrilege I want to commit…

[Farkas]

Hey Farkas,

There is no such a thing as sacrilege when it comes to a guitar...

A guitar is only a stick and a plank.

What is important is that you are 100% satisfied with your plank and stick, and if it takes a little tinkering to make your heart beat faster, then so be it!

Tha attached, is my brand new 2020, G5222, summer lockdown project. All tolled I think I have something like $3500. invested.

It makes my heart beat faster, no sacrilege involved. Nothing left from the G5222 other than some of the wood, and the nut.

I didn't play it in its original configuration. It was completely taken apart within an hour of bringing it home. I spent a month, part time, sunny afternoons, on my picnic table.

What's left of the G5222 is on the left.

Mod to your heart's content.

Best,

BIB.

View attachment 208760 View attachment 208761

Thanks for the encouragement Back In Black!

 

[Stefan87]

I have powertrons in my 6118 and to me they are still very much filtertrons, bit thicker, punchier and a bit more of an attitude with their sound if that makes sense, actually the easiest way to explain them is that they sound just like the sound samples on the TVJ website.

Another option as funny as it might sound would be to try and find a set of the BT65 broadtrons or even the blacktop broadtrons, people highly rate those, that's if you want to go the pick up change route.

hopefully you get some luck out of the EQ pedal you are thinking of going.

Like others have said, its your guitar so just do what you want to it, there's no law saying a gretsch has to have filtertrons in it.

 

[mbkri]

Powertrons in a jet sound as close to a les paul as i think a Gretsch can get. I had a 6128 powerjet for a while but ended up letting it go because it was less Gretsch and more beefy sounding than i wanted. And i got a 6128 with filters instead.
I say try a set of powertrons.

 

[oneforsorrow]

My first thought was to consider a pedal solution. I’m not familiar with your amp and my Gretsch is a big Country Club, but I finally resolved my quest by way of some creative gain staging — namely adding a Beetronics Overhive. It’s super versatile with multiple voicing options that helped me get the Gretschy sound where I wanted it to go. May not be the thing that works for you but there’s so many great options out there. Lately I’ve also taken notice of the very profound differences that rather subtle changes can have on my tone. Maybe a little boost on the front end with the right EQ curve can get you there?

Nothing is sacred to me when it comes to modding a guitar but yours is a beauty and perhaps preserving it is the way to go. Pedals are easy to give a try and move them on if they don’t work. No routing necessary.

 

[Pops]

It’s your guitar, do whatever you want. But if it was me, I’d make sure the changes are reversible.

 

[loudnlousy]

If your Filmore is half as versatile as my little .50 Caliber, you should find a tone that works perfectly with your Gretsch.
Just take your time and twist some knobs. It`s in there.

 

[drmilktruck]

How about putting up an add for a trade?

Yes, or a sale. What were you asking for it? I'm partial to blue guitars.

 

[drmilktruck]

The lead guitarist for Vintage Trouble plays a Custom Shop Duo Jet with Monty's PAF pickups in FilterTron covers. It's described as a Les Paul in Duo Jet clothing. You might check with them. Otherwise I think the PowerTron Plus would work. Billy Gibbons seems to like it.

 

[mschafft]

Yes, or a sale. What were you asking for it? I'm partial to blue guitars.

No reason. Shame I sold my Ocean Turquoise AO Jazzmaster the other day...
Good luck with the sale/trade!

 

[Chet Harrison]

I really think you’ve hit a fundamental problem with the chambered body vs solid. Maybe drill a hole in it and fill it with sand.

 

[Berington]

Wow! I really appreciate all the responses. I’ll address a few of them now…

Changing out the bridge sounds very interesting. I’ll be digging very deeply into that over the next few days.

Here’s the really ridiculous thing, I already have a Les Paul that I love. I have eight electrics. I’ve modded some and left some as is, depending on tone and sustain. When I say I want more of an LP quality in my Gretsch, I’m mostly looking for that singing quality, sustain, notes blooming and evolving, sometimes surprising me with squawks, growls and honks, like most of my other guitars.

There’s just something magical about this guitar. It’s a work of art, the neck is perfect, and the refret has made it a joy to play. It’s hard to explain, I want to get the same feeling I get from hearing my other guitars. It’s hard to put into words, but I think most of you get what I’m talking about. I’m getting closer, but I’m not quite there.

I used the Gretsch at a gig last night. On stage I wasn’t thrilled with the overdriven tone, but as it turns out, after listening to some playback today, that in the band mix the guitar sounds fine, I’m just looking for more. I guess my other guitars have spoiled me.

I’ve always preferred tube overdrive to pedals, although I’ve gotten some great overdriven sounds from various pedals, but they don compare with a cranked tube amp, at least not from my perspective.

After last night’s gig I spoke with a guitar player who suggested an eq pedal. I’ve always dug the sliders on some Mesas I’ve played, so I’m definitely considering one. The Fillmore comes really close, and I need to work with it a LOT more. The problem may already be solved.

It's a well-known fact, (there are many examples), that Eric Clapton, & others, can take ANY guitar with ANY amp, & with a few knob tweaks, make 'em "sound like Eric Clapton," with no fuss, no muss. And no pedals. I once played with a guy who was a good player, but came to me asking, "How do I set the controls on my Tele?" About the simplest guitar he could have, & he didn't understand how it worked! I'd suspect a LOT of guitarists fall into that category to some degree, 'cause they just never played with 'em.

My serious suggestion to you, as others have wisely made as well, is "mess around" with that gorgeous guitar. You can likely get any tone you want from it... just as is, by playing with it & all its controls at various levels, and ALL your amp settings. It'll cost you some time, give you some GREAT fun and benefit, but cost you NO money! AND you'd get to keep your beautiful guitar! And your wife, too! (-; Cheers!

 

[eric.chambers]

Well...it's your guitar and you can do with it as you please, but if it were me, I'd keep the jet as it is and buy something like a used Yamaha Revstar for around 500 bucks.
They're super nice guitars and you can choose humbuckers or P90s.

 

[gretsch-to-go]

The simple solution is to keep the Gretsch and buy another guitar.

Tend to agree with this suggestion. I think I would've left the Gretsch as it was, playing it for what it does & if that meant less often, that probably would've saved a refret for the neck. There are no shortages of decent LP style Chinese brands out there that are LP-like for more than the body shape and whatever else. There's always IBG (Inspired by Gibson) Epiphone's that while more expensive than the Chinese LP-alikes would be quite suitable for the MB Fillmore. I get that the likes of Firefly or whatever else isn't a Gibson, that even as IBG as an Epiphone is, still not a Gibson. Is a LP gotta be the $ 3K variety ? That a +/- $ 3K Gretsch would have to pay for it's Gibson replacement ? That's why I suggested a Chinese LP-alike it's going to come in around what a higher quote for a neck refret would.

I had a similar dilemna for Telecaster(s), went with Monoprice and they were on sale and well uncer the MSRP of $ 99.99 in 2021. So I bought 2 for what a Squier Bullet would be on sale. Don't regret either the Buttercream blonde blackguard or the 3TSB whiteguard which were so close as 1st choice. The Buttercream blonde blackguard came 1st. Months later same sale price & coupon code, the 3TSB wasn't a hesitation to buy. The Monoprice Teles were a good experience, considering their LP as a 2nd with HH to the Epiphone LP Special I P90 that I already have. Has the Florentine Cut that's more pointed/sharper than the Venetian Cut.

 

[TV Nocturne Brain]

I sold my top dollar Tokai LP goldtop because I got close enough w the solid maple topped Nick13 Tiger Jet. Cost me a small fortune to put a real bigsby on it, w actual tuners not made from prehistoric robot nipples and the crown jewel of tvjones pickups..but was still half the cost
of the Tokai.. Its very much gretschy, but squarely in the les paul camp with feeling like a les paul. ps. more sustain from a duojet requires more than pickups

 

[LeSainte]

I'm pretty sure you could drop whatever you want in there with minimal modification and an adapter ring. Mini humbuckers will fit for sure with no modification. Full sized humbuckers will probably fit too without modification. They also make tons of Filtertron sized pickups that are more like PAF humbuckers, and even some crazy high-gain metal options.

All this said. I don't think new pickups are going go make enough of a difference to give you what you're looking for.

Do what makes you happy. At the end of the day you can get a great set of minibuckers for under $200 / pair. Same for PAFs.

 

[Greenman Wood]

I have an absolutely exquisite Pro G6128 T TV in ocean turquoise that really fit the bill for my now long defunct rockabilly band, but is less than ideal for my current jam band. I put it up for sale a few months ago, figuring I could have a nice pile of cash to find myself a guitar that would work better in my current situation. My wife was horrified at the idea, mainly because the Gretsch is such a beautiful instrument. It was available on eBay, Reverb, and numerous other websites, but it quickly became clear I’d have to be very patient at that price level. I’m not a particularly patient guy, so after three weeks or so, I came up with another plan and took the listing down.

The frets still had some life in them, but I was never a fan of the small frets it came with, and I was also in the process of acquiring a new amp, so I decided on a refret (stainless steel jumbos), and, maybe, with a really versitile amp, I’d be able to get the sounds I was looking for out of the guitar. While the guitar was in the shop, I snagged a Mesa Boogie Fillmore. The amp is amazing, and the guitar plays like a dream now. I can’t put it down, but try as I might, even with the Fillmore, I can’t get the sound I’m looking for, which is more like a Les Paul.

At first I thought if I replaced the TV Jones Classics with higher output TV Jones pickups, my problem would be solved, but everything I’ve read, and all the sound clips I’ve listened to lead me to the conclusion that the difference would be too subtle to justify the cost. As I was heading out to a gig this evening, it occurred to me, that mini humbuckers might work. I really don’t want to do any routing, and I want any mods I do to be easily reversible. I texted my guitar tech, and he says mini humbuckers will fit the bill.

I realize I‘m attempting guitar alchemy here, and this is probably madness, but I also love LP Deluxes and Firebirds. I also realize my Pro Jet, due to differences in construction, will never be a Les Paul, but I’m thinking with the right set of mini humbuckers it’ll be pretty close, hopefully substantially closer than with Filtertrons. Has anyone out there tried this? All I’m looking for is a little more oomph, and a lot more sustain.

Why do you see it as sacrilege? It's your guitar, do what you want. Especially since you are keeping to reversible mods, your Pro is in no real danger.

 

[stevo]

Powertron - specifically created to cross into PAF territory. Ironically, I have a 6128 TVP that was originally equipped with Powertrons. I changed them out for some other TV Jones pickups because it sounded...a bit too much like a Les Paul. Is this a good move? Hard to say. It really depends on that tone you have in your head. If I were looking for a classic humbucker guitar, my current interest lies in either an SG or a Firebird.

 

[delbomber]

I am all about modding guitars to make them suit my needs. That said, I TRY to mod the ones I intend to keep (as you can spend a lot of money that you won't get back). My main Gretsch is a RHH that I added P90s to and never looked back. I love the way the guitar plays, but have just never bonded with Filtertrons. Now the guitar is perfect (for me). NOTE: The bridge only looks like a Dyna (it's a P90 voiced Fralin). I did that as a nod to EC

 

[BuddyHollywood]

I already have a Les Paul that I love.

It sounds like you may want more Gretsch vibe from your Les Paul and not more Les Paul from your Gretsch. Maybe put humbucker sized TV Jones Power'Tron Plus bridge pickup in your Les Paul.

 

[Chris Lamping]

On the mini-humbuckers, just remember that the ones in a Firebird are different from the Epiphone then Gibson version. Neil Young used/uses a Firebird mini-humbucker, Pete Townshend on stage used the Epiphone-then-Gibson version in his Les Pauls. To confuse matters more, Townshend's studio sound (Who's Next onward) was a 6120 with Filtertrons through a 3X10 Bandmaster, Edwards volume pedal and Whirlwind cable that was supposedly the exact setup Neil Young had been using before he switched to the Les Paul with the Firebird pickup.

I also haven't seen Seymour Duncan 'Psyclones' mentioned-- I have the standard ones, which are a little bit (just a little) more output than the TV Jones, about 4.4 vs. high 3's if I remember. They make a 'Hot' version that's well, hotter, something like 12 and 9 for bridge and neck respectively.