Which Gretsch?

[nightchef]

Steve (and all), thanks again for the great information. I came into this with a mild bias toward a 5420 or 5422, and you've confirmed it. Now I just have to decide which one.

BTW, am I right in surmising that the differences between the 5410T (Rat Rod) and the 5420T are purely cosmetic -- i.e., same neck, body dimensions/materials, hardware and electronics? I doubt I'll go there -- not really my vibe, at first glance -- but it would be useful to know if it's essentially the same guitar.

[29er]

Originally Posted by nightchef

BTW, am I right in surmising that the differences between the 5410T (Rat Rod) and the 5420T are purely cosmetic -- i.e., same neck, body dimensions/materials, hardware and electronics? I doubt I'll go there -- not really my vibe, at first glance -- but it would be useful to know if it's essentially the same guitar.

According to the Gretsch web site the 5410T Rat Rod has a 2.5" body depth while the 5420T has a depth of 2.75"

I'm curious if Gretsch offers any other fully hollow bodies with the 2.5" depth? I like the thinner body but not sure if I dig the Rat Rod look.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by 29er

...I'm curious if Gretsch offers any other fully hollow bodies with the 2.5" depth? I like the thinner body but not sure if I dig the Rat Rod look.

The 5422 double-cuts have a body depth of 2.25" - should be right up your alley; FYI they're also releasing a limited-edition Rat Rod with somewhat more mainstream (for Gretsch) finishes:







https://gretschguitars.com/gear/coll...sby/2506831505

[nightchef]

Right, those are the Tri-Fives, correct? Interesting palette. They definitely nailed that late-50s automotive/Formica vibe. More to my taste than the Rat Rod look, though it might be a tick too stylized to suit me for a gigging instrument.

I don't think I realized the 5422s were a full half-inch shallower than the 5420s. Does that translate to a difference in tone and/or feedback resistance?

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by nightchef

Right, those are the Tri-Fives, correct? Interesting palette. They definitely nailed that late-50s automotive/Formica vibe. More to my taste than the Rat Rod look, though it might be a tick too stylized to suit me for a gigging instrument.

I don't think I realized the 5422s were a full half-inch shallower than the 5420s. Does that translate to a difference in tone and/or feedback resistance?

In order:

• I don't know - the white one has a kinda vintage White Falcon vibe to it (if you've never seen/handled a late-50's/early-60's example they develop a similar yellow-white patina), and I like the look of the white-top Filter'trons on all of them...
• I've never done a direct comparison, but I'd follow the general rune of thumb that a deeper body is more feedback-prone; FWIW the E-Matics are also made with thicker woods than the vintage stuff which, speaking as the owner of a Brooklyn-original '64 Double Annie and a similarly-lightweight Godin CW II, require extra caution when you start goosing the gain (good news is that you can make some cool things happen at relatively low volumes with some practice). If this is a major source of concern I'd start looking for one of the last NOS Korean 5622 semis at MF/GC (identifiable by their Georgia Green finish and cream pickguard/PU rings) or a nice used one on Reverb/gBase/eBay et al.; should you go the latter route find yourself a good cats'-eye 5620/5622 - the first being a dead-ringer for the rare 1964-66 cats'-eye 6117, the second the first production 3-PU Gretsch and IME the most versatile guitar they ever made, and both of which are beginning to attract some collector interest...

[nightchef]

I have to say, after another week of research I’m giving serious consideration to biting the bullet and getting a Pro Line Gretsch, probably a Players Edition. This is based on:

1) What I’m reading—and this is borne out by the web samples I can find—tells me that the pickups on the Pro Line models (whether TV Jones Classics on the Vintage Selects, or HS Filtertrons on the PEs) are more articulate and detailed and will give me more nuance and depth of tone. And that’s what I’m buying this guitar for, after all. Of course I could always throw a $300 pair of TV Jones into an Electromatic and make up most of the difference (say $450 with labor). But see #3.

2) I’m also gathering that the Pro Line models have thinner necks, which definitely matters to me.

3) I’m attracted to the idea of a guitar that I am less likely to want to upgrade down the line. Pay now, play later, instead of vice versa.

Balanced against all that is the fact that they cost more than twice as much (and up). There’s a lot of things I can do with the $1200 difference between a G5420T and a Tennessee Rose PE, which is the bottom of the Pro Line range ($1400 technically, but I’m including the cost of a case for the cheaper guitar).

Still figuring out what to do.

[Steve DeRosa]

In order:

1. FYI there are many flavors of "That Great Gretsch Sound": Dynasonic, no less than four different varieties of Filter'tron (PAF/patent#/Baldwin-blacktop/Kustom-blacktop), Super'tron I/II, Hi-lo'Tron, Super Hi-lo'Tron (a short-lived, modified Baldwin blacktop exclusive to the MIK 5600-Series E-Matics) - with running in-production variations of each - as well as the aftermarket offerings (TV Jones, Lollar, Duncan, et al.). IME all are equally valid regardless of price (or lack thereof) and, as with everything else guitar, it all boils down to the sound you're looking to achieve with the amplifier/equipment you have at your disposal. Without exaggeration I've probably played several hundred Gretsch hollows/semis (of every vintage) over the last 58 years, each distinctive in its own right but instantly recognizable as "Gretsch" in lineage; similarly, I presently own three - a Brooklyn 6117 Double Annie I bought new in 1964 (original Hi-lo'Trons, swapped for Baldwin blacktops in 1980; second set of polepieces were inverted and pickups re-installed in original Hi-lo covers - neck PU sounds like a Brooklyn Hi-lo, bridge like a 5600 Super Hi-lo), 2013 6136DC White Falcon (High-Sensitive Filter'Trons), and 2016 G5622T-CB (cats'-eye double-cut semi with three Super Hi-lo'Trons ) - each special in its own right and, with my minimalist guitar-cable-amp setup (the last depending on venue), they not only all sound like "Gretsch" but most importantly they all sound like me. Bottom line is that if you like the prestige PU's I say go for it, but IME you're likely to be as well-served by the factory originals in most cases; by the same token, although the Professional Series instruments are as a whole infinitely better than the Brooklyn originals (whose out-of-the-box QC could be spotty - notoriously so at the height of their post-Beatles popularity), the MIK 5400's/5600's are a match for "big-name" guitars at three and four times the price. Are the Pro Series "better" guitars: yes, in terms of hardware and detail (and if you just gotta have that '55 White Falcon or "King George" '62 Country Gent they're the only real ticket in town), but in the absolute you're giving up very little with the MIK E-Matics - and I'd sink the $1200-1400 difference into a nice mid-powered tube amp that'll let you take advantage of the characteristic Gretsch "chime" and dynamic range...
2. If you're after a thinner neck you'll want to be very selective when it comes to the Pro Series, as many of them were/are fitted with " '59 LP" style necks - which, in the case of the '60s reissue models is a total anachronism (my '64 is the slimmest of all three) - and in spite of the inherent quality I wouldn't purchase one sight unseen/unplayed. Conversely (and perhaps paradoxically), the MIK E-matics have a very similar feel to my Double Annie, and they're consistent across the board from model to model; while my White Falcon took some getting used to, the 5622 felt instantly familiar - slightly more girth than my Double Annie, but within what might have been expected as natural production variation in the early-60's...
3. As many happy owners here on the AGF Electric subforum will attest, the MIK E-matics are the proof positive that inexpensive need not equate with "cheap" - and that, with some careful research and forethought, a fully professional-quality instrument can be produced at a price accessible to the average Working Joe/Jane (or their very talented offspring); frankly, I've never had the desire to upgrade mine other than cosmetically (I'm thinking of installing an aftermarket "Monkees" pickguard/trussrod cover just to play with a few guitar-snobs' heads at gigs ) - and it's never failed to garner compliments (and in one case jealousy) wherever I've played it...

While the ultimate decision is yours alone, unless you have your heart set on a vintage reissue (my double-cut White Falcon was the realization of a 55-year dream for me, ever since I saw my first one as a kid in the '63 Gretsch catalog) or require a unique set of cosmetic/electronic features not otherwise available in the product line, IMO you'd be remiss if you didn't at least take a MIK E-matic or two for a test drive - even if it means ordering sight unseen and returning it if it doesn't check all your boxes (precisely what I did with my 5622 - which wound up exceeding all of my expectations for both tone and QC)...

Good luck...

[nightchef]

I was in GC today to buy a mic stand and got a quick glimpse of a couple of the Tri-Five G5410T’s. I didn’t have time to give them a test drive, but they’re really pretty. The finish colors are a little more subtle and less cartoon-y than they look online, particularly the turquoise. The body depth looked like it would be just thin enough to feel like an electric guitar, but deep enough for that hollowbody character to come through. I’m psyched to go back and play one when I have more time.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by nightchef

I was in GC today to buy a mic stand and got a quick glimpse of a couple of the Tri-Five G5410T’s. I didn’t have time to give them a test drive, but they’re really pretty. The finish colors are a little more subtle and less cartoon-y than they look online, particularly the turquoise. The body depth looked like it would be just thin enough to feel like an electric guitar, but deep enough for that hollowbody character to come through. I’m psyched to go back and play one when I have more time.

1. They are...
2. Only Gretsch can successfully pull off these colors on what amounts to a thin-body jazzbox (can you imagine a Byrdland in one of those colors??? )...
3. As the original owner of a '64 Double Annie, it is and it does...
4. Do it - and be sure to post the NGD review when you finally pull the trigger...

[Pickcity]

I can't add too much to what has already been said, but I snagged up a 2018 5420t (Korean) a couple years back and I cannot believe how good it is for the money spent. The quality is top shelf...At least mine is...

It is a little finicky about feedback, but easily manageable once I got the hang of it. I don't have any serious tuning issues. I use the Bigsby sparingly, and gently. I'm not a dive bomber at all. The Bigsby isn't made for dive bombs, anyway.

I have always been a fan of the Bigsby. I even named one of my dogs Bigsby. LOL

It is a very different thing than owning the LPs, Strats, etc, and as Steve already stated, that is part of the allure. I'm never looking back. I will be adding more Gretsch axes in the future. They are too cool.

If you are GASing, just do it. I believe you will enjoy it. The Electromatics are what I consider to be a remarkable value. I'm proud to own one. Its killer, man.

[Pickcity]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

The 5422 double-cuts have a body depth of 2.25" - should be right up your alley; FYI they're also releasing a limited-edition Rat Rod with somewhat more mainstream (for Gretsch) finishes:







https://gretschguitars.com/gear/coll...sby/2506831505

I saw these online for the first time last week. I am definitely intrigued. They look fantastic.