About Us
Our Story
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Thomas Vincent Jones ("TV" in TV Jones) discovered the electric guitar at age 14. What began as a fascination quickly grew into a lifelong pursuit of tone, craftsmanship, and innovation. A self-taught musician and luthier, Tom spent the early 1990s refining his skills professionally at The World of Strings in Long Beach, California, where he earned a reputation as a trusted guitar technician for players both locally and abroad.
Founded in November 1993, TV Jones, Inc. began as a custom guitar and repair shop. Through his work with legendary guitarist Brian Setzer, Tom developed a deep appreciation for the classic Filter'Tron pickup and its unique voice. His passion for improving and refining that design led to the creation of the Gretsch Hot Rod pickup.
In 1998, Brian Setzer selected Tom's Hot Rod pickup in a blind listening test for the new Gretsch Hot Rod guitar line. That pivotal moment launched a long-standing relationship with Gretsch and Fender, eventually leading Tom to serve as an independent consultant for Fred Gretsch, contributing to the design of pickups, guitars, and other products.
Inspired by the pioneering work of Ray Butts, inventor of the original Filter'Tron pickup and Echosonic amplifier, Tom has dedicated much of his career to preserving, refining, and advancing the Filter'Tron design for modern players.
Driven by an obsession with tone and a belief that every guitar should have its own unique voice, Tom continued to innovate while building TV Jones into one of the most respected names in the pickup industry. Today, TV Jones pickups are trusted by musicians around the world who demand exceptional tone, craftsmanship, and performance.
More than three decades after its founding, TV Jones remains committed to its original mission:
To provide every customer with the finest guitar pickups and guitars possible.
About Our Components
Every TV Jones pickup is proudly manufactured in the USA using exclusively USA-made components selected to deliver the tone, feel, and character players expect. From magnets and pole pieces to bobbin design, every detail plays a role in shaping the voice of the pickup.
Magnets
We have carefully analyzed original late-1950s AlNiCo Filter'Tron magnets and reproduced them specifically for use in TV Jones pickups. To ensure authenticity, we work directly with the same magnet manufacturer that supplied magnets for the original vintage Filter'Tron pickups. In fact, the same supplier that produced magnets for the original late-1950s Filter'Tron pickups continues to manufacture magnets for TV Jones today, helping us preserve an important part of the original Filter'Tron formula.
Pole Pieces
Our pole screws are custom manufactured to our specifications. Different alloys and pole-piece designs—including screws, blades, and cylinder magnets—are selected to create specific tonal characteristics and performance profiles for each pickup model.
Bobbin Design
Unlike many factory-produced pickups that use the same pole spacing for both neck and bridge positions, TV Jones designs each pickup for its intended location. Our bridge pickup bobbins feature a slightly wider pole-to-pole spacing to better align the pole screws beneath the strings at the bridge position. Neck pickup bobbins utilize a narrower spacing, ensuring optimal string alignment and consistent performance across the instrument.
These subtle design details contribute to improved
balance, response, and overall tone.