Quote:
Originally Posted by RobKay
...I was going to buy one of the Gretsch Chet Atkins top of the range guitars but I won't be bothering now...
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Lifelong Gretsch guy here - growing up in Brooklyn (my grandparents lived three blocks from the old 60 Broadway factory) Gretsch was our hometown brand and inevitably your first "good" guitar, got my first one in May 1964 (still own it), and use a '15 Electromatic G5622T-CB 3-pickup semi as my main gigging axe...
That said, I've played several examples of the G100CE and I'll be the first to tell you that even the Korean-made Electromatic 5400/5600-Series hollows/semis are in a whole different league; I wouldn't think twice about buying one of those as a wallet-friendly (under US$1000) pro-level instrument - quality/playability equals and often exceeds that of the Brooklyn originals, tone is straight out the classic Gretsch playbook (check out the reviews on the Electric Guitar subforum) - and as I said I use one as my go-to. The Professional Series is, as expected, the abode of the iconic "Golden Era" guitars: White Falcon (got one of those in my stable), Country Gent, 6120, Tennesseean, Duo-Jet, Double Anniversary
et al.: hardware quality/fit-&-finish are slightly better then the E-Matics, and if you absolutely
must have a '58 White Penguin, '59 Country Club, or '62 Jet Firebird this is the only way to get it for anything resembling a reasonable price - whether or not the price difference is worth it is up to you, but I wouldn't be put off from Gretsch instruments as a whole by your unfortunate experience...