Joining the Gretsch family - pending NGD

[phcorrigan]

Yesterday I bought a used Electromatic G5420TG in white with gold. It's a 2018 so it's nearly new and my first electric guitar. I put light strings on it, but I may go to mediums on my next string change, since that's what I have on my HD-28V.

So far I love the guitar!

[KevWind]

Will you people please stop posting photos . I am getting so much GAS I may have to be hospitalized

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by phcorrigan

Yesterday I bought a used Electromatic G5420TG in white with gold. It's a 2018 so it's nearly new and my first electric guitar. I put light strings on it, but I may go to mediums on my next string change, since that's what I have on my HD-28V.

So far I love the guitar!

A couple thoughts:

• Medium-gauge strings (13-56) are great if you have a jazz background (as I do), but I think you'll find them a little hard to negotiate if you play a variety of styles; I also switch back and forth between acoustic and electric, and IME a 12-52 jazz-light set and a first-class pro setup will get you what you're after while still allowing you to utilize "electric" techniques...
• Pursuant to the above, flatwounds make an excellent pairing with Gretsch instruments - I've been a Gretsch player since 1964 and using them since day one; an old jazz/rockabilly players' hack is that flats allow you to set the action significantly lower than roundwounds/half-rounds; if you've ever wondered how those '50s guys pulled off those blazing solos in the days before ultra-thin strings - with that fat tone you'll never get from 9's or 10's - here's the 411...
• If you're so inclined those white E-Matics can be customized with aftermarket parts to White Falcon-style cosmetics - before I located my own NOS 6136DC I was prepared to buy a 5622 and do just that; here's a few of the necessary parts:
  
  https://quickguards.com/products/gre...russ-rod-cover
  https://quickguards.com/products/gre...lcon-pickguard
  https://www.angela.com/gretschbigsby...tailpiece.aspx
  https://www.angela.com/gretschusagol...setoffour.aspx
  https://www.philadelphialuthiertools...t-number-gold/
  
  For a couple hundred you can have all the vibe of the $3500 Professional Series version (or the $20K+ Brooklyn original) - guaranteed to drop some jaws at your next gig...

Find yourself a nice low-/mid-powered tube amp - and use it well, often, and LOUD...

[phcorrigan]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

If you're so inclined those white E-Matics can be customized with aftermarket parts to White Falcon-style cosmetics - before I located my own NOS 6136DC I was prepared to buy a 5622 and do just that; here's a few of the necessary parts:

https://quickguards.com/products/gre...russ-rod-cover
https://quickguards.com/products/gre...lcon-pickguard
https://www.angela.com/gretschbigsby...tailpiece.aspx
https://www.angela.com/gretschusagol...setoffour.aspx
https://www.philadelphialuthiertools...t-number-gold/

For a couple hundred you can have all the vibe of the $3500 Professional Series version (or the $20K+ Brooklyn original) - guaranteed to drop some jaws at your next gig... [/LIST]Find yourself a nice low-/mid-powered tube amp - and use it well, often, and LOUD...

Thanks for the tips. The upgrades are a nice idea, but together they cost almost what I paid for the guitar! BTW, the Filter'tron covers won't work. Those on my Gretsch have two screws on the top and one on the bottom, allowing you to adjust the angle. The replacements only have one screw hole on the top.

[beatcomber]

Originally Posted by phcorrigan

Yesterday I bought a used Electromatic G5420TG in white with gold. It's a 2018 so it's nearly new and my first electric guitar. I put light strings on it, but I may go to mediums on my next string change, since that's what I have on my HD-28V.

So far I love the guitar!

DO IT. Hollow electrics benefit from heavier strings.

[beatcomber]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Pursuant to the above, flatwounds make an excellent pairing with Gretsch instruments - I've been a Gretsch player since 1964 and using them since day one; an old jazz/rockabilly players' hack is that flats allow you to set the action significantly lower than roundwounds/half-rounds; if you've ever wondered how those '50s guys pulled off those blazing solos in the days before ultra-thin strings - with that fat tone you'll never get from 9's or 10's - here's the 411...

SPOT ON.

And if you really want that tone and feel, I highly recommend using Thomastik Infield Jazz Swing Series flats, which are made out of nickel and have round cores (just like the strings of yore), making them easier than hex-core strings to bend.

I have TI .011 flats on a few of my vintage guitars, and I can even blues bend the wound third.

The TI's may seem expensive until you consider that they will last 6-12 months.

[Sonics]

As much as I dislike thin straps, straps with metal parts and straps with buckles, my plain white 2.5" leather strap just didn't look right on my White Falcon.

So I found something more suitable...

[Steve DeRosa]

FYI Street Sounds in Brooklyn (the world's largest authorized Gretsch dealer - Fred Gretsch himself holds an all-day seminar there every June for brand-name aficionados - although you'd never know it of you saw the place) carries a less highly-ornamented - and significantly cheaper (around $25) - white skinny strap with the Gretsch logo, and TMK they're the only ones who stock it; I picked one up for my double-cut White Falcon last year, and it's a perfect period-correct match - you'll probably need to shave the butt end in order to keep it from inadvertently unscrewing the strap button, since the Bigsby doesn't allow for the full thickness (YMMV)...

[phcorrigan]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Medium-gauge strings (13-56) are great if you have a jazz background (as I do), but I think you'll find them a little hard to negotiate if you play a variety of styles; I also switch back and forth between acoustic and electric, and IME a 12-52 jazz-light set and a first-class pro setup will get you what you're after while still allowing you to utilize "electric" techniques...

Find yourself a nice low-/mid-powered tube amp - and use it well, often, and LOUD...

I put a set of D'Addario flat-wound Chrome 12-52s on it, set the neck relief properly, and lowered the action on the nut, and checked intonation, which was fine.

It plays great, sounds great and now holds its tune, which it didn't with the lighter strings. I'll probably lower the nut slots a bit more next time I change strings, because I was a little to conservative this time. I also may go for 11-50s next time.

As far as an amp goes, a good one is not in the budget yet, but I'll be getting one soon. As a temporary measure I picked up a used Line 6 Spider IV 30 for $50, which will have to serve me for a couple of months.

[Steel and wood]

Originally Posted by Sonics

As much as I dislike thin straps, straps with metal parts and straps with buckles, my plain white 2.5" leather strap just didn't look right on my White Falcon.

So I found something more suitable...

You can't not have a strap like yours when you own a Gretsch White Falcon!

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by phcorrigan

I put a set of D'Addario flat-wound Chrome 12-52s on it, set the neck relief properly, and lowered the action on the nut, and checked intonation, which was fine.

It plays great, sounds great and now holds its tune, which it didn't with the lighter strings. I'll probably lower the nut slots a bit more next time I change strings, because I was a little to conservative this time. I also may go for 11-50s next time.

As far as an amp goes, a good one is not in the budget yet, but I'll be getting one soon. As a temporary measure I picked up a used Line 6 Spider IV 30 for $50, which will have to serve me for a couple of months.

Suggestions:

• If you already lowered the nut slots, chances are you won't need to do so again if you change to an 11-50 set; in addition, IME Gretsch guitars are highly idiosyncratic and, like cats, will tell you in no uncertain terms exactly what they like: I've got Chrome 12's on my Brooklyn original '64 Double Annie, 11's on the 3-pickup G5622T-CB, and 10's on my 6136DC double-cut White Falcon - the latter in complete defiance of both conventional wisdom and my own 55+ years' experience with Gretsch instruments. Bottom line here: if you hit the tonal sweet spot first time out - as I did with the first two instruments above - and don't have any handling difficulties (you shouldn't with the 24-1/2" scale) don't mess with success...
• Great tone - great tube tone - doesn't need to cost an arm, a leg, and a couple other highly useful appendages . If you've been following the Electric forum for any length of time you'll know that the Bugera V-Series combos have become the go-to for old-school tone junkies on a budget and, depending on your anticipated needs, can be had for as little as $150 (on Coupon/Holiday Sale days at your friendly local big-box store) for the 5-watt V5 1x8" "practice" combo (far louder than you think, BTW - I use mine regularly for small-club gigs). My main playing-out amp is the dual-channel V22 1x12" - think Fender Supersonic 22 with a bit of a British accent, enough power clean or dirty for a 600-700 seat house, totally useable as a home practice amp, and more pure tone than anything under $400 has a right to have; FWIW with a couple easy DIY mods - better-quality tubes, an optional speaker upgrade (the current Turbosound speaker is actually quite good - think Celestion without the sometimes-abrasive upper-mids) - you'll perk up some ears (and furrow some brows) among owners of higher-priced boutique gear. If you anticipate playing bigger houses/outdoor gigs, need more headroom for cleaner styles, or prefer the tone of the 50-watt Fender/Ampeg workhorse amps of the early/mid-60's (or the current Hot Rod DeVille), the V55 1x12" may be all the amp you'll ever need for only $50 more than its 22-watt stablemate; any one of these is an excellent match for a Gretsch, BTW - their natural response curve seems to complement the characteristic chime and twang - and I'd strongly recommend checking out one or more of them before making a final (and likely far more expensive) decision...

[phcorrigan]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

[*]Great tone - great tube tone - doesn't need to cost an arm, a leg, and a couple other highly useful appendages . If you've been following the Electric forum for any length of time you'll know that the Bugera V-Series combos have become the go-to for old-school tone junkies on a budget and, depending on your anticipated needs, can be had for as little as $150 (on Coupon/Holiday Sale days at your friendly local big-box store) for the 5-watt V5 1x8" "practice" combo (far louder than you think, BTW - I use mine regularly for small-club gigs). My main playing-out amp is the dual-channel V22 1x12" - think Fender Supersonic 22 with a bit of a British accent, enough power clean or dirty for a 600-700 seat house, totally useable as a home practice amp, and more pure tone than anything under $400 has a right to have; FWIW with a couple easy DIY mods - better-quality tubes, an optional speaker upgrade (the current Turbosound speaker is actually quite good - think Celestion without the sometimes-abrasive upper-mids) - you'll perk up some ears (and furrow some brows) among owners of higher-priced boutique gear. If you anticipate playing bigger houses/outdoor gigs, need more headroom for cleaner styles, or prefer the tone of the 50-watt Fender/Ampeg workhorse amps of the early/mid-60's (or the current Hot Rod DeVille), the V55 1x12" may be all the amp you'll ever need for only $50 more than its 22-watt stablemate; any one of these is an excellent match for a Gretsch, BTW - their natural response curve seems to complement the characteristic chime and twang - and I'd strongly recommend checking out one or more of them before making a final (and likely far more expensive) decision...

My only concern about the Bugera amps is the relatively high failure rate reported in various user reviews. Having said that, I have a fair amount of Behringer equipment and have had no issues. I will keep them in mind.

Thanks.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by phcorrigan

My only concern about the Bugera amps is the relatively high failure rate reported in various user reviews...

I'm very familiar with the reviews you cite, and if you look back you'll find that virtually all of them were posted before 2010. FWIW the first run of "blue-light" first-edition V-Series amps indeed had QC issues - all addressed by the time I bought my V22 in early 2010 - which, in spite of my own positive experiences with the brand, is the main reason I recommend never buying a used Bugera; by the same token, the current Infinium series is not only relatively bulletproof but IMO in a class by itself in the value-per-dollar amp wars (these guys use anchored machine screws to secure their cabinetry - I've seen boutique amps at four times the price that don't even do that) - with the aforementioned tube/speaker upgrades and a mild rebias it's been trouble-free since day one, unlike my far-pricier '65 Super Reverb RI. FYI I have no vested interest in the Bugera brand name; I do, however, love gear that punches way above its weight - MIK Gretsch 5400/5600-Series Electromatics, the Godin 5th Avenue/Kingpin/CW II archtop line, Martin's 15-Series, the Gibson J-15, just to mention a few - and if I can share the news with my fellow musicians I believe we can all benefit...

[phcorrigan]

I just played my G5420TG "out" for the first time at an open mic tonight, paired with my $50 used Line 6 Spider IV 30 amp. I mic'd the amp with an SM57 rather than using the Headphone/Line out jack to connect to the PA. At least ten people came up to me to comment on the sound of the guitar (and my playing as well).

I have a gig on Friday and I was planning on only taking my HD-28V, but I'm now going to take the Gretsch as well and use it for a few numbers.

The more I play this guitar, the more I like it!

[Sonics]

Originally Posted by phcorrigan

I just played my G5420TG "out" for the first time at an open mic tonight, paired with my $50 used Line 6 Spider IV 30 amp. I mic'd the amp with an SM57 rather than using the Headphone/Line out jack to connect to the PA. At least ten people came up to me to comment on the sound of the guitar (and my playing as well).

It's the pickups. Raw, aggressive and clear with a beautiful chime. It sounds like a contradiction...but it's TRUE!