Guitar modding challenge - Adjusting pickups in Gretsch Electromatic Jet
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- Опубліковано 28 чер 2024
- Donate: paypal.me/kpnashguitar
0:00 Caravan by Duke Ellington
1:10 Intro
3:06 Demos. Before and after adjustment.
4:08 Tech talk
Did I say I was about to talk about guitar tech stuff on my channel? Here we go! And since it's a rockabilly guitar channel, this will be rockabilly-Gretsch-centric tech stuff. These affordable Gretsch Electromatic guitars (no affiliation, I've bought mine used off Ebay!) are indeed value for money, but can we push them further towards pro level instruments? And what does it take to do that...? Let's start with the simplest thing you can do, tweaking pickup/pole piece heights and see how far does it get us! And then we can do even more tinkering in the upcoming videos.
I did this with the Broad’Trons on my Streamliner Gretsch. I did a number of different experiments, first just lowering the overall pickups in the mounting ring, then raising all the pole pieces back up with the overall pickup still lowered, then lowering one row of pole pieces on each pickup back down while leaving the other row of pole pieces raised up and the overall pickup still lowered. In the end I chose to go with the overall pickup lowered down almost flush with the height of the mounting ring and all the pole pieces raised back up to about the distance from the strings where they were from the factory. One row of poles on each pickup is only very slightly higher than the other. This cut enough of the midrange and bass so that they have more articulation and clarity, but they still have a kind of Filter’Tron “quack”. When I tried them with one row of poles up and the other way down, I found they had more clarity like a single coil, but they lost all the unique Gretsch character.
I swapped out the stock pups on my 5120 bout 10 yrs ago for a pair filtertrons , new bone nut, and compton compensated bridge
I did a tv jones swap on my junior jet. Can’t say this enough the response has been nothing but amazing. The stock pickups are great to start but the mod made it way more versatile. I’ve been swapping tv jones pickups due to the fact Brian setzer and Jim the rev heath. Good video and keep it up
I've got a Gretsch Electomatic too. Nice Guitar overall. I've changed the Humbucker to Gretsch Filtertrons.
Next I've replaced the bridge to a Schaller Roller Bridge, also replaced the cheap tuner to Locking-Tuner. My problem, I don't know how close I am to the real Duo Jet.
Where did you get the locking tuners you put on? What brand/model are they?
g-gotoh.com/product/sd90-mgt/?lang=en
These ones. Got them used off eBay.
I did the same on my 5426. I have replaced gretschbucker with original filtertron. I put a treble bleed capacitor on volume pot and swapped bridge with a more stable one from Gotoh. Can you tell me what locking tuners have you used in yours?
ua-cam.com/video/B71oRk92gxA/v-deo.html
Gotoh SD-90-MGTN tuners
Great Caravan cover, that is on my to do list for sure! I recently bought my first Gretsch a G5237TG Electromatic Jet FT - Champagne White, it comes with Blacktop Filtertrons but I noticed the neck bridge was really low. I researched to see what the recommended pickup height adjustment would be but the factory recommendations sounded very low. Currently have my neck pickup 1/16 on both low and high E - At the bridge pickup 1/32 Low E 1/16 on the High E these are measured from the cover not the poles. Im trying to get clean tones but without a thins sound. They are great and sound Hot to be honest. With your video I will keep the raising of the pole pieces in mind after seeing your video, I noticed a bit more bass on your raising of the pickup pole pieces more full, thank you for your video.
Welcome! What is confusing about pickup height recommendations is that some folks give height values for open strings, others for fretted. That might be one possible reason why something seems 'too low'.