Replacing Electromatic pickups...

[Rickenjangle]

Fellow TFF'ers,

I'm thinking about/toying with the idea of replacing pickups in both my Gretsch Electromatic Hollowbodies. I have one of the earlier single-cut ones with the DeArmond 2K/Dynasonic pickups, and one of the newer ones with the 2 Gretschbuckers - essentially filter'tron lite pickups.

Both sets of pickups are a bit weak when compared with the higher-end Gretsches. I've done some searches to find replacements, and (of course) seen them on the TV Jones website. And they're hella expensive, especially the Dynasonics.

Now I see that Duncan has replacements. The catch? They're just as expensive (in the case of the Dynasonic repros, even more - $225 EACH!) That would be a $450 parts charge plus installation costs on a $700 guitar...not gonna do that.

So I'm looking for options - I know that GFS makes replacements but I'm not sure they'll be that much better, and since I'd be replacing pickups on 2 hollowbodies, with all the pain and labor costs that involves, I'd rather do this once.

I don't know if the actual Gretsch-branded pickups are cheaper or more expensive than the TV Jones. There's got to be some middle ground between the $35 GFS and the $200 boutiques...

[NeoFauve]

You're looking for F'tron and Dynasonic sound?

Those are tough to match.

Those Gretschbuckers are sized like a Gibson style humbucker, aren't they? There are certainly lots of options in HB size p'ups.
Still, the authentic sounds comes at an authspensive price.

You could probably find used Gretsch F'trons on Ebay at a decent price. To me the later, "High Sensitive" ones sound better than the ceramic ones. Neither are bad.
I don't what would pass as a Dynasonic substitute.

To fit some used F'trons in the HB hole would probably require so adaptation though. I don't know about the DeArmond routs.
You'd either be making and adapter plate or enlarging the rout.

Tricky situation. But if you like how the guitars play, maybe worth exploring. At least on one.
There no fun like fishing the guts in and out of a hollowbody!

[Rickenjangle]

Neo, I am probably going to keep the 2K's in the one hollowbody - just going to experiment with raising them a bit closer to the strings and adjusting the polepieces up. The inner mechanics of a 2K/Dynasonic pickup are probably part of what makes repro's so expensive.

As for replacing the Gretschbuckers, I think the mounts will work as a direct drop-in with 'trons. I might actually spring for the TV Jones because the guitar is so dang cool - it's one of the orange ones with the pinstripes by Jimmy C.

[ziess]

Dig what I did to mine -



One HS Filter (bought second hand) and one P90. Both cover the existing routes and it sounds real good now. Mid 1950s Bigsby I got for cheap.
Could do with a new nut though...

[Don]

I'd look into used pickups. Used TV Jones come up for sale fairly often at about 1/2 price.

[curtisstetka]

Sweet guitar, ziess!

[Rickenjangle]

Zeiss, that looks sweet! Did you have the single coil one to start with or the one with humbuckers?

[dirtdog]

Dig what I did to mine -



One HS Filter (bought second hand) and one P90. Both cover the existing routes and it sounds real good now. Mid 1950s Bigsby I got for cheap.
Could do with a new nut though...

That is exactly what I was thinking of doing to mine if I had decided to keep it....go all Eddie Cochrane on it!

[mgade]

You probably saw this?

http://gretschpages.com/forum/modern...20/4534/page1/

[ziess]

Nah, it was a stock limited edition 5120 with the B70 and everything. The P90 sounds awesome. I had to flip the magnets to get it in phase with the filter.
Sold the Gretschbuckers for more than the replacements on ebay!

Tommy.

[Rickenjangle]

Yep mgade, I did. Thanks though it jogged my memory. Did a search on the Gretsch Guitar Discussion Forum and got a nice diagram of suggested adjustment of polepieces for the Dynasonic/Dearmond 2K's...

[NeoFauve]

Neo, I am probably going to keep the 2K's in the one hollowbody - just going to experiment with raising them a bit closer to the strings and adjusting the polepieces up. The inner mechanics of a 2K/Dynasonic pickup are probably part of what makes repro's so expensive.

Those pickups are electromechanical.
The poles are so fat that when they're up high you might find yourself clunking into them with your pick. I did.

If you want to raise the whole p'up, a black mouse pad is great material to use as a spacer, especially since you're dealing with an archtop.
I used one on my Casino.
I converted P90 dogear covers into p'up rings for mini-HBs. The bridge p'up sat way too low. Other materials, even an actual P90 spacer, resulted in the ring buzzing against the body.
The mousepad solved that AND jacked the p'up up plenty.

[Rickenjangle]

I was able to get a bit of "raise" with the pickup height adjusting screws without shimming, and raised all the polepieces a bit. The guitar has come alive, and now all I need to do is restring it and re-lubricate the nut and reset the intonation...so at least the one Gretsch will be as it should be...WooT!