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Old 12-16-2017, 11:12 PM
Steve DeRosa Steve DeRosa is offline
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Location: Staten Island, NY - for now
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Lifetime Gretsch guy here - owned my 6117 Double Annie since buying new in 1964, grandparents lived three blocks from the old 60 Broadway (Brooklyn) plant (and just down the street from the warehouse), and probably played a few hundred originals over the last 55 years - so I'll give you my tuppence worth...

Jeff's absolutely right (as usual...) - Gretsch electrics are very much sui generis, immediately recognizable to any experienced player and in no way comparable to or interchangeable with any other guitar. Since you're seeking info on this subforum rather than Electric Guitars, I'm going to assume (rightly or not) that you're more into jazz, or at least the cleaner side of electric guitar tone; while Gretsch hollowbodies can do jazz - Sal Salvador, Jimmie Webster, Mary Osborne, and George Van Eps all used Gretsch instruments at various points in their careers (as did Count Basie rhythm man Freddie Green with his 18" Eldorado acoustic) - IMO their strong suit is the upper-midrange "chime" and clarity that allows them to cut through an arrangement, without the steely edge or raw grittiness of Fender single-coils or P-90's respectively, nor the need for excessive volume. Theirs is the tone that will forever be associated with Chet Atkins, Cliff Gallup, early Duane Eddy, George Harrison, the first Buffalo Springfield album, Woodstock-era CSNY, and Brian Setzer, among others - if you're into country, rockabilly, '50s/60s guitar instrumentals, first-wave British Invasion, or the lighter side of classic rock, you're sure to find your voice; IME they really like blackface Fender/blue-check Ampeg "big clean" American-style tube amps - match one of these with a Gretsch and it'll take you from Eddie Cochran to Neil Young, or plug into a Vox AC30 and channel your inner Beatle...

If you're thinking in terms of the ES-335 Studio I'm also going to assume that you're on a relatively modest budget; that said, I've played the Studio side-by-side with some of the Korean-made Gretsch 5400/5600-Series electrics, and dollar-for-dollar you're not going to find better quality control, fit/finish, tone, and playability for anywhere near the price of the current MIK E-matics. As I stated above I've been a Gretsch guy since the early-60s - well before the Beatles made them a worldwide name - and they rival not only the Japanese-made Professional Series (at 3-4 times the price) but often surpass the vintage Brooklyn stuff (which could be iffy even in its day); while it won't give you the fat jazz tones or high-gain wail associated with humbucker-equipped Gibsons (or their derivatives), when paired with the right amp (and a slightly heavier set of strings - wound-G 11's at a minimum, 12's if you can handle 'em) a Gretsch can cover a surprising amount of territory - and if you're not a headbanger or playing in a Santana-tribute band, could easily become your go-to guitar...

Finally, if you aren't a fan of the Vintage Orange finish (I am - reminds me of the '63 6120 double-cut my parents couldn't afford in early '64 ) they also produce a version in Country-Gent walnut brown:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/G5622TWS

I've seen/heard these used by a few local-level Beatles-tribute bands, and you're giving away little (other than the mutes - which almost nobody uses anyway - and the bigger 17" body) to the MIJ '62 Gent RI at $3K; FYI MF's having a 17% off holiday sale (you'll need to deal by phone for this one) so you can come away with a new 5622 and HSC for well under $1K - and if you can find a better-sounding/playing rig for that kind of money, PM me and I'll buy it...

You might also want to look at some of the reviews of both guitars over on the Electric subforum - should help make the decision easier...

Good luck...
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