Filter'Tron

The Filter'Tron (often written as Filtertron) is an early model of the humbucker guitar pickup invented by Ray Butts. Butts built the prototype Filter'Tron in 1954 for guitarist Chet Atkins, and it was manufactured by Gretsch and installed in almost all of the brand's guitars beginning in 1957. Gretsch guitars and the "growl" and "twang" of their Filter'Trons were a major part of the sound of early rock and roll, with adopters like Bo Diddley, Duane Eddy, George Harrison, and Neil Young. After a sharp decline in popularity in the 1970s and early 1980s, the Gretsch brand and Filter'Tron sound experienced a revival when Gretsch aficionado Brian Setzer renewed public interest in the rockabilly genre. Gretsch guitars have since been adopted by new generations of guitarists, especially in rock music, and many manufacturers now offer Filter'Tron-style pickups.