Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa
Don't know where you're located, but if you grew up in Brooklyn back in the '50s-60's Gretsch was not only your hometown brand (Epiphone sold out to Gibson in '57, Guild moved to Hoboken, Favilla was the domain of the folkies who couldn't afford a Martin - and none of us could afford a D'Angelico) but inevitably your first "good" guitar. That said, although there's plenty still out there in the NYC Tri-State area, unfortunately many of them have issues - binding rot (my own '64 Double Annie is a victim), neck problems (FYI Gretsch was one of the first to make the move to kiln-dried woods, in the postwar era - a move that cost them the endorsements of both Johnny Smith and Harry Volpe), bad pickups/wiring (mine was redone under warranty in 1966) - and with the remaining good ones increasing in price, the current Korean-made 5400-Series (and pre-2019 5600-Series) Electromatics and MIJ Professional Series are not only a viable option, but among the finest instruments ever to wear the marque...
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Thank you so much for some of the history Steve. My family is actually from the old Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. My parents used to own a four story walk up there. Sold it many years ago and we were all transplanted to somewhere in Jersey. I’ve been trying to learn more and more I have some of the history of these companies and find it fascinating. I’m actually looking at a used Korean Gretsch 5420 in Fairlane blue. It might be a little bit of a GAS situation as I probably really don’t need it but yet I want it
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