Gretschs are so good everybody is making them!

[blue]

The Epiphone Swingster! I may end up with one when they start showing up used...

[BoneDigger]

Originally Posted by blue

The Epiphone Swingster! I may end up with one when they start showing up used...

I tried one of these. It's certainly voiced differently from a Gretsch. Plus, there are many different guitars of a similar variety. I own a Guild X175b, which is a great guitar. Other makers, like Ibanez, have similar offerings. I thought the Epi was a fun guitar and sounded good.

[FrankHudson]

I always got the impression there was this loose association between Gretsch, Epiphone, and Guild back in the day in electric guitar design. With Guild and Epiphone the human connection is easy to make if I recall right (wasn't Guild started when the Epiphone factory closed down by ex- Epi folks?) Steve DeRosa will not doubt chime in with how Gretsch connected to the other two.

Now of course the current Epiphone and Guild brand owners are somewhat removed from that history, but our current century seems to have revived interest in "Non-Fender/Non-Gibson" electric guitar designs.

I own a several DeArmond electrics from the turn of the century, an idea by Fender to make a whole line of Korean-made sorta Guild/Gretsch style instruments after Fender bought Guild, but before they signed the distribution agreement with Gretsch. The line famously bombed in the marketplace--buyers didn't know what to make of them--but they weren't bad guitars, and the ones I bought when they were blown-out at very low prices have stuck with me since then.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by FrankHudson

I always got the impression there was this loose association between Gretsch, Epiphone, and Guild back in the day in electric guitar design. With Guild and Epiphone the human connection is easy to make if I recall right (wasn't Guild started when the Epiphone factory closed down by ex-Epi folks?) Steve DeRosa will no doubt chime in with how Gretsch connected to the other two...

You're on the right track, Frank - Guild was started by Alfred Dronge in lower Manhattan in 1952, and got a real jumpstart when many of the Italian craftsmen who left Epiphone (when Orphie Stathopoulo resisted unionization, in fact moving production to Philadelphia in 1953) went over to the upstart company; others would make the move to Gretsch, just a short subway/el ride away in Brooklyn, with more to follow when Guild shifted production to Hoboken in 1956. The Epiphone DNA can be seen in both companies' production for a number of years to come: Guild would adopt body/headstock shapes and neck construction outright (the current MIK Newark St. X-350, X-175, A-150, and T-50 still reflect their early-1950's Epiphone ancestry in their body contours), while formerly second-tier Gretsch would benefit from the ex-Epiphone employees' expertise (TMK several of them became foremen - my grandfather lived in the neighborhood, visited the factory on a couple occasions, and spoke with them) as they entered what most consider their late-50's - mid-60's Golden Age...

As far as "That Great Gretsch Sound" is concerned, in the absolute nothing else sounds like a Gretsch but a Gretsch - a consequence of both the largely-proprietary electronics and unusually lightweight woods used in their construction, which lends them an airy resonance and upper-midrange chime few other makes can approach, much less duplicate; that said, there have been several very close approximations over the years: the early-60's Guild Duane Eddy thinlines and X-350/375 hollowbodies with DeArmond Dynasonic pickups (Gibson/Epiphone jazzbox punch with Gretsch chime and clarity), the ultra-lightweight Godin CW II (an interesting mix of Gretsch airiness and P-90 drive - my clean blues, rockabilly, and jazz-comping box), and the current Guild X-175 Manhattan Soecial/Starfire II ST-Dynasonic. Having played a couple, IME the Epi Swingster is most definitely not one of them - nor, come to think of it, is the Streamliner series...

[rmp]

I had a White Royale, was a nice axe, however,, had big fat neck and very tall frets. I never bonded with it.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by rmp

I had a White Royale; was a nice axe, however had big fat neck and very tall frets. I never bonded with it.

That would kill it for me in a heartbeat...

BTW, if you're looking for White Falcon visual vibe - and Filter'Tron tone - without the $3500 price of admission, check out one of these:



https://www.musiciansfriend.com/guit...lectric-guitar

[rmp]

^--- I got a Walnut one (looks like Wine Red to my eyes, but there ya go..)

I love the darned thing..

[PTony]

Having owned my share of both Gretsch and Epiphone I’d personally select Gretsch EVERY time. IMHO the Korean models are superior to most Epiphone jazz/hollow-body style guitars that I've played/owned.

I would add that Ibanez does a really fantastic job with some of their jazz/hollow-body options also.

Additionally, While I agree that Gretsch guitars are “so good everyone is making them”...I’ll still take the Gretsch over the “Gretsch Like” all day, every day.

I’d offer for your consideration that there is no “Gretsch like”. It’s either a Gretsch...or, it isn’t. They have a very unique sound/feel/playability all their own.

Play one long enough and the differences will be apparent.

[phcorrigan]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

That would kill it for me in a heartbeat...

BTW, if you're looking for White Falcon visual vibe - and Filter'Tron tone - without the $3500 price of admission, check out one of these:



https://www.musiciansfriend.com/guit...lectric-guitar

People keep calling my G5420TG Electromatic a White Falcon. I've stopped correcting them.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by phcorrigan

People keep calling my G5420TG Electromatic a White Falcon. I've stopped correcting them.

Why not really play the game - you need one of these:




https://quickguards.com/products/gre...lcon-pickguard


- and one of these:



https://quickguards.com/products/gre...ss-rod-cover-1


- and it wouldn't be complete without a set of these:



https://www.angela.com/gretschusagol...knobsfour.aspx

[phcorrigan]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Why not really play the game - you need one of these:




https://quickguards.com/products/gre...lcon-pickguard


- and one of these:



https://quickguards.com/products/gre...ss-rod-cover-1


- and it wouldn't be complete without a set of these:



https://www.angela.com/gretschusagol...knobsfour.aspx

Perhaps when the budget allows.

[rwmct]

Originally Posted by phcorrigan

Perhaps when the budget allows.

It looks far better without that stuff, IMO. Beautiful guitar.

[jay7347]

There was a time when I thought I would never leave my Gibson ES195 hollow body. P-94's, a Bigsby, and I loved the tone. Then, I played a Gretsch Black Falcon and it was all over. I had to sell another guitar to afford it but I couldn't get that sound out of my head. The ES195 just got put on the market last week. It was an awesome guitar that served me well for five years but that Falcon is just the most fun I've ever had on an electric.

-jay

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by jay7347

There was a time when I thought I would never leave my Gibson ES195 hollow body. P-94's, a Bigsby, and I loved the tone...The ES195 just got put on the market last week. It was an awesome guitar that served me well for five years but that Falcon is just the most fun I've ever had on an electric...

Don't ya just love 'em - here's mine:

[phcorrigan]

Originally Posted by rwmct

It looks far better without that stuff, IMO. Beautiful guitar.

Thanks. I'm pretty happy with it.