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“IN MANY WAYS, IT DOESN’T MATTER
WHO WAS FIRST. WHAT’S SO INTRIGUING
IS THAT TWO BRILLIANT ELECTRIC GUITAR
PIONEERS INDIVIDUALLY DEVISED UNIQUE they both worked completely independently of one
INVENTIONS TO IMPROVE THE TONE AND another, and they both deserve equal praise and
acknowledgement.
POSSIBILITIES OF THE INSTRUMENT” and Lover created two different schools of pickup-
While they both set out to fix the same issue, Butts
making. The Filter’Tron inhabits a space apart from
the PAF and more ‘standard’ humbuckers, both tonally
Definitive proof remains elusive. The timelines and visually. This is why it’s travelled its own path
are full of overlaps, coincidences and simultaneity – over the years, and that’s why, when players discover
even down to the patent applications for Butts’ and that they like it, they tend to stick with it. Filter’Trons
Lover’s new pickup designs. Lover applied first and have a sound of their own, with a delicious blend of
Butts second, and Ray received his first on 30 June warmth and clarity. Meanwhile, PAF replication has
1959, with Lover’s arriving on 28 July. become an industry in itself, with many blues and
From these relatively humble beginnings, these rock players regarding Lover’s design as the Holy
remarkable inventions went on to become beloved Grail of guitar tone.
innovations that changed the world of the electric It’s well documented that Lover had a hard
guitar and popular music. PAFs started appearing time when he applied for his patent, and Ray’s
in many Gibson models – including the Les Paul papers reveal that he came up against precisely the
Goldtop and Custom – in early 1957. Chet Atkins same difficulties. The lawyers assisting both were
had told his friends at Gretsch about his new troubled by three pre-existing patents under the
wonder-pickups and insisted on having them in his names Knoblaugh (1935), Russel (1939) and Keller
guitars from that point on. Gretsch contacted Ray (1952). These all related to a double-coil design for
in December 1955 asking for more information and use with stringed instruments, making the debate
stating the company’s interest in his work. Filter’Tron about who came first all the trickier. However, the
pickups began appearing in Gretsch models in 1957, inventions of Seth Lover and Ray Butts were rightly
and replaced almost all other pickups in their line-up deemed original in their designs and in their specific
over the following years. applications to the electric guitar.
The importance of these documents and the stories In many ways, it doesn’t matter who was first.
they’re wrapped up in go beyond the simple matter What’s so intriguing is that two brilliant electric guitar
of who came first. It’s about shedding new light on pioneers individually devised unique inventions to
a principal period of our instrument’s history. Two improve the tone and possibilities of the instrument,
ingenious inventors, working at roughly the same time, and their innovations continue to impact and inspire
arrived at the same basic solution: an additional coil musicians to this day. Popular music wouldn’t sound
that could eliminate the hum of guitar pickups. They the same without them.
had similar inspiration (Lover’s came from the use of
coils in Gibson amps, Butts’ from Ampex tape heads), NEXT MONTH How Ray’s inventions impacted the music of the time
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