The humbucker-versus-single-coil debate has a blind spot. Technically, a P-90 is a single coil and a Filter'Tron is a humbucker, so both get filed away with the usual suspects. Plug one in and you'll hear why that shortcut doesn't hold up.
In the final episode of Pickups Demystified, Tom Butwin digs into the specialty pickups that share a family tree with the two big categories but took their own path. The P-90 uses a wider coil and bar magnets for a grittier midrange than any Strat-style single coil. The Filter'Tron cancels hum like a PAF, but its narrow bobbins and thicker magnet give it a brighter, tighter voice. Tom walks through the history behind each design and highlights modern takes, including a few that drop straight into a humbucker route.
Then come the outliers. The Charlie Christian blade pickup dates back to the 1930s and helped turn the electric guitar into a lead instrument. The wide-range humbucker was Fender's oversized answer to Gibson in the early seventies, designed by Seth Lover, the same engineer behind the PAF. If your tone lives somewhere the usual two can't reach, start here.
BH-90
The Brickhouse BH-90 delivers hum-free authentic single-coil clarity, power, and grit in a humbucker-sized package that drops right into your guitar. You'll get the aggressive bite and articulation of a classic P-90, with the clarity and top-end sparkle that cuts through any mix—all while staying perfectly quiet.
Hot Phat Cat Silencer P90 Set
The P90 sound was pivotal in rock, metal, and punk, but its noisy reputation has deterred many players, and swapping your humbuckers for P90s often meant major guitar surgery!
Enter the Hot Phat Cat Silencer! We’ve merged our humbucker-sized Phat Cat with our exclusive Hot P90 Silencer, offering an easy, noiseless solution for ripping P90 tone without compromise.
Nuevo 90 Bridge
Classic vintage P90 tone with all the fat lower mids, raw attack, and greasy goodness you’d expect, but with the tonal balance and enhanced response of the Railhammer design. Each pickup is optimized for either the bridge or neck position. Perfect for blues, classic rock, old-school punk, or any player looking for that vintage P90 vibe, but better.
Antiquity™ P90 Set
The Antiquity P90 soapbar uses two specially calibrated Alnico 2 bar magnets and a custom coil wind to deliver the gritty, vintage-correct growl of an early ’50s Les Paul bridge pickup. Chords have a warm but sparkly midrange grit, and single notes jump out nicely without sounding harsh.
TV Classic / TV Classic Plus
The pickup that started it all - the TV Classic captures that vintage twang and growl characteristic of the late 1950's Filter'Tron. Originally designed from an analyzed 1959 "Pat. Applied For" Filter'Tron, the TV Classic is our most popular and most versatile pickup. Popularized and played by many different artists ranging from John Mayer to Brian Setzer.
Psyclone™ Humbucker Filter’Tron Set
Whether for rockabilly, blues, country, or full-on rock and roll, the Filter’Tron pickup has long been the coolest tool for some of the coolest players. Now you can drop that twangy magic into any humbucker guitar with the Psyclone™ Humbucker Filter’Tron. Powered by double-thickness alnico V bar magnets, the Psyclone delivers vintage output for period-correct tones, with just a little extra muscle from the bridge position. Four-conductor lead wire provides plenty of wiring options and the choice of nickel or gold covers means Psyclone humbuckers will look perfect in any guitar.
Charlie Christian for Solidbody and B.S. Tele Bridge
Guitarist Charlie Christian was instrumental in advancing the use of electric guitars in the Swing and Bebop jazz eras, bringing guitar solos to the forefront of jazz music. The Gibson® ES-150 guitar used by Christian was equipped with what is now referred to as a “Charlie Christian pickup.” Our versions of these pickups pay homage to this pioneer of music, while faithfully recreating his distinctive tone. Our Charlie Christian pickups are a great choice for jazz guitarists, but these pickups are plenty versatile. And, they’re also great for pairing with other types of pickups for even more tonal variety.
Regal
Regal™ captures the original tone and wide frequency range of the ’72 Tele® Deluxe pickups—but with some noted improvements to the volume and tonal balance between the neck and bridge pickups. It has the same footprint as the original wide range pickups*. We offer a Low Wind version of our Regal™ neck pickup with a tight, percussive low end that pairs well with single coil bridge pickups. Rout dimensions: 3.125" x 1.75".
