NGD two Gretsch guitars

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by BoneDigger

Excuse my ignorance! Who are these folks?

Rolling Stones, early 1964 - Brian Jones on the Gretsch 6118...

[LyleGorch]

I wanted one of those jets when I was 11, the ol’ man bought me a Martin F-50 instead. I was gutted, still have it, 60 years old now. Still HATE it, sits in corner.

[Jim Tozier]

Congrats! I'm a big fan of the look and sound of Gretsch guitars!

[BoneDigger]

Thanks everyone! The Jet is arriving today. I'm pretty excited to get it in my hands!

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by LyleGorch

I wanted one of those jets when I was 11, the ol’ man bought me a Martin F-50 instead. I was gutted, still have it, 60 years old now. Still HATE it, sits in corner.

You might want to reconsider that old F-50 - that's a pair of DeArmond Dynasonics in there and, cosmetics aside, it's essentially a pre-'58 6120 or early-60's Duane Eddy under the hood; clean up the pots, borrow a nice mid-powered tube amp (if you don't have one already), fire it up, and you might just find out Dad was right all those years ago...

[BoneDigger]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

You might want to reconsider that old F-50 - that's a pair of DeArmond Dynasonics in there and, cosmetics aside, it's essentially a pre-'58 6120 or early-60's Duane Eddy under the hood; clean up the pots, borrow a nice mid-powered tube amp (if you don't have one already), fire it up, and you might just find out Dad was right all those years ago...

Isn't an F50 an acoustic guitar? I had an F50 rosewood and it was basically a super jumbo sized acoustic guitar.

[BoneDigger]

Well, UPS now says delivery tomorrow and not today. Not real impressed with UPS these days!

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by BoneDigger

Isn't an F50 an acoustic guitar? I had an F50 rosewood and it was basically a super jumbo sized acoustic guitar.

You're thinking of the Guild F-50 - college bud had one like yours in BRW that could make chop meat out of any acoustic guitar then or now, regardless of age (makes you wonder why anyone would want a J-200); in contrast, the Martin F-50 was a single-cut hollowbody with either one or two DeArmond Dynasonic pickups encased in a proprietary housing (2-PU versions - originally known as the F-55 - usually date from mid-1964 or later TMK), Gibson-style wiring (2V/2T/3-way switch), a plexiglas "lightning-bolt" compensated bridge, and a stylized "M" cutout tailpiece (I've seen at least one Bigsby-equipped example, but that may have been an aftermarket addition), all finished in what would later be known as an "Ambertone" sunburst. I played a couple back in the '70s and, truth be told, they weren't bad guitars tonally or structurally - unquestionably somewhat quirky-looking but with all the tone you'd expect from a Dynasonic-equipped guitar, and if your tastes run to a thicker neck carve these can be real hidden gems...

IMO the fact that they've gotten an undeserved bad rap has kept the prices artificially low over the years (I could have had one in excellent/near-mint condition for $125-150 back then), and when you consider that a similar-vintage/similar-condition Guild DE-400 will cost you about five times the $1700 asking price of the 1965 example below - ten (or more) times the price for a primo Dynasonic 6120 - one of these could be a real bargain for a player who favors tone over style, and isn't afraid to think outside the box to get it...

[BoneDigger]

Ah, I see! Was wondering why you guys were going on about an acoustic guitar!

[BoneDigger]

The new Gretsch is now in my hands! So, here's my take on it. The fit and finish is very nice! Hardware is also top notch. The color is absolutely beautiful. It's really quite a nice guitar!

Setup straight out of the box is pretty dang close! I may tweak it just a bit, but it's nothing major. The action is perfect. Intonation is very close. The guitar is a bit brighter than I anticipated, so I plan to lower the pickups just a bit.

This is a very articulate guitar with good note separation. It's a little thicker sounding than a typical single coil but it still has plenty of twang if needed. The guitar is very resonant. Strums seem to ring almost as long as an LP. Play an E chord and you can really feel the bass ring out.

The case is a nice Gretsch hardshell case. The guitar fits perfectly, as suspected.

So, overall I am really happy with this purchase. The neck feels great and the guitar just really is easy to play and it's easy to get great tones out of it. It's a beautiful guitar as well. I am debating if I want to put on a Les trem or just leave it as a hardtail. Any thoughts on that are welcomed.20200624_144518.jpg

[Steve DeRosa]

I'd leave it alone - the only trem that really looks right on a Gretsch (any Gretsch) is a Bigsby...

Use it well, often, and LOUD...

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

I'd leave it alone - the only trem that really looks right on a Gretsch (any Gretsch) is a Bigsby...

Use it well, often, and LOUD...

He could always use a Vibramate with a Bigsby like this Steve. No drilling into the guitar!


http://www.vibramate.com/vibramate-v5-install.php

[BoneDigger]

Originally Posted by rockabilly69

He could always use a Vibramate with a Bigsby like this Steve. No drilling into the guitar!


http://www.vibramate.com/vibramate-v5-install.php

Unless I'm mistaken, the vibramates don't work with Gretsch guitars? I have a B7 laying around and a Vibramate for an LP guitar. But when checking, they don't appear to have them for Gretsch?

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by BoneDigger

Unless I'm mistaken, the vibramates don't work with Gretsch guitars? I have a B7 laying around and a Vibramate for an LP guitar. But when checking, they don't appear to have them for Gretsch?

I would check it out, but I think the Vibramate works with anything that has standard stop-tail tailpiece spacing. You may have to use a B5, but I would see if your B7 fits. They don't have Gretsch listed on the website so I don't think they've checked compatability.

[stevecuss]

Gretsch makes such beautiful instruments, and these are right up there. I'm keen to hear your thoughts on the two and how they contrast. Congrats!