A conundrum, of sorts (semi-lengthy post)

[Gdjjr]

Originally Posted by acoustigoat

I'll chime in on the Bugera amp and my experience with it over the past two years. My one electric is a Tele with a humbucker in the neck and I've not found the sound to be particularly dark, perhaps more just on the low end. I did replace the original tubes with Tung Sols, which improved the tone. Given there are only two tubes it was not a big expense.

I find the reverb not so remarkable. It is pretty subtle and doesn't add that much to the sound, but I also have reverb pedals so that hasn't been a problem for me. The attenuator is a big selling point, although at the .1 setting you lose a lot of character. It is nice for playing quietly and the headphone jack is a plus.

Even though I built a Champ clone last year, I still use it a fair amount and play my homebrew micro amp through the speaker.

For the price, hard to beat!

One of the things that makes me leary about Tube amps is, well, tubes-

I know absolutely 0 about them and changing out or replacing them gives me the jitters-

But, I do appreciate the in put guys- all of it.

[Song]

Bugera amps have tube life extenders and light(s) activate when a tube change is required.
But that Willowbrook store has no Bugeras and it looks like GC is very short of them https://www.guitarcenter.com/Bugera/...#narrowSideBar

GC tip? Go when they just opened on a weekday while the zombies are at work.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Gdjjr

Oh, I wasn't doubting you - you come across as quite knowledgeable...

No offense taken - comments were made simply for elaboration/clarification, which leads me to:

Originally Posted by Gdjjr

One of the things that makes me leery about tube amps is, well, tubes...

I know absolutely 0 about them and changing out or replacing them gives me the jitters...

Pretty much what I suspected, which was another reason I suggested the Bugera V5 as a good introduction to tube amp tone. As you can tell from the second set of reviews it's solidly built both internally and externally (they use anchored machine screws to fasten everything - I've encountered four-figure handbuilt boutique amps that don't do that...), there's an indicator on the back panel that tells you when it's time to retube, and when you do it's simply a case of buying the appropriate tubes (12AX7 and EL84), unscrewing the back cover and protective cage, unplugging the old tubes/plugging in the new ones (once you line up the pins it's no harder than changing a light bulb), and reassembling everything; unlike typical tube amps there's no need to lay down $100 at your friendly local tech for a bias job (think of it as the electronic equivalent of a carburetor adjustment - in simple terms, optimizing/matching the tubes to the amp's circuitry, and vital to both tone and proper operation/longevity) and, since you probably won't be working the tubes too hard in the interest of neighborly relations, you've effectively got a best-of-both-worlds situation of authentic tube tone and near solid-state reliability...

[acoustigoat]

Originally Posted by Gdjjr

One of the things that makes me leary about Tube amps is, well, tubes-

I know absolutely 0 about them and changing out or replacing them gives me the jitters-

But, I do appreciate the in put guys- all of it.

I get being leery of tubes, but if you can change out one of those light bulbs with little prongs instead of a socket, you can change a tube.

Also, I went from being a gal who knew nothing who knew nothing about amps and tubes to building a Champ kit and then a scratch-build micro Tweed Deluxe in less than 2 years. You can do it!

[fwphoto]

I was new at electric about a year or so ago & wanted a decent go-to setup (guitar & amp) from the start. Basically looking for a bang-for-buck solution, not necessarily the best-of-the-best that I might dream of. I went with an Epiphone ES339 with humbuckers & the Bugera V5. What a great combo!

The ES339 didn't take much of anything beyond a checkup with my guitar tech to be a very nice player. The Bugera was fine out-of-the-box but I decided to do a few mods after doing quite a bit of research on the little tube amp. An Eminence Patriot speaker swap & premium tubes has elevated this amp to near boutique level & several of my super talented electric-playing friends have commented very positively about its sound quality. The new amp & mods together cost me aprox $300. I couldn't be happier!

Frank

[Gdjjr]

Talked with my buddy at the GC- he's going to see what he can do to get me what I want- I opted for the "Rat Rod" in white and the suggested amp-

[Steve DeRosa]

Looking forward to a full NGD review...

[Gdjjr]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Looking forward to a full NGD review...

Count on it-

I doubt it'll be any time soon though- he was off yesterday and today and the amp and guitar have to be shipped to his store IF we can make a deal-

[nightchef]

As a recent buyer of a used Electromatic 5420TG, I would say you’re in for a treat. The 5410 (the model number for the “Rat Rods” as well as the newer Tri-Fives) is a little less deep in the body than the 5420, which should make it a little bit easier to play standing up, and perhaps a tad more feedback resistant (though I’m not finding this an issue at all with my 5420 — feedback at anything but silly gain levels is gradual and manageable and adds to the guitar’s tonal vibrancy more than it gets in the way).

The neck on my Electromatic is delightfully playable, and the Blacktop Filtertrons yield a “fat bright” sound that makes lead lines just jump off your pick effortlessly, especially on the upper strings. The thing I keep telling people about these pickups is that, more than with other pickup types I’ve played, there’s a basic continuity of tone from bridge to neck — the bottom-end fullness and top-end definition are shared across all three positions, and the difference is mostly in what area of the midrange is emphasized. What this means in practical terms is that I find all three positions 100% usable without changing my amp settings.

They’re fun guitars.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by nightchef

...the Blacktop Filter'Trons yield a “fat bright” sound that makes lead lines just jump off your pick effortlessly, especially on the upper strings. The thing I keep telling people about these pickups is that, more than with other pickup types I’ve played, there’s a basic continuity of tone from bridge to neck — the bottom-end fullness and top-end definition are shared across all three positions, and the difference is mostly in what area of the midrange is emphasized. What this means in practical terms is that I find all three positions 100% usable without changing my amp settings.

They’re fun guitars.

If you think that's fun you should try a (discontinued) cats' eye 5622 with three Super Hi-lo'Trons (a modified blacktop Filter'Tron in a Hi-lo cover, with a single row of adjustment screws - FYI my favorite of the new generation of Gretsch pickups):



Everything you say and then some, along with some tones you'll never get from any other guitar (including any other Gretsch) - small wonder it's been my go-to gigmeister for the last five years...

[Gdjjr]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

If you think that's fun you should try a (discontinued) cats' eye 5622 with three Super Hi-lo'Trons (a modified blacktop Filter'Tron in a Hi-lo cover, with a single row of adjustment screws - FYI my favorite of the new generation of Gretsch pickups):



Everything you say and then some, along with some tones you'll never get from any other guitar (including any other Gretsch) - small wonder it's been my go-to gigmeister for the last five years...

I have wondered about the 3 pick up deal- this forum is called AGF- why do I find my curiosity leaning to EGF

I'm getting impatient waiting on my buddy from GC- I want a Rat Rod- the sooner the better. I find myself putting off new videos in anticipation- then who knows what else- funny, back when I started going to the GC my buddy said I should look into electrics- my response was; way too much to learn

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Gdjjr

I have wondered about the 3-pickup deal...

...back when I started going to GC my buddy said I should look into electrics - my response was, way too much to learn ...

- and to think you're just getting started...

Moving on to today's lesson, the Korean-built Gretsch Electromatic G5622T-CB was only produced in 2015-16, as a 1-3/4" double-cutaway semi-hollow (there's a solid block of wood down the center of the body much like a Gibson ES-335/345/355, a concept that hearkens back to Les Paul's "Log" guitar of 1941) with three Super Hi-lo'Tron pickups (a humbucking design based on a modified Baldwin-era blacktop Filter'Tron - FYI the original 1960's Hi-lo'Tron was a single-coil - and used only on the 2015-2019 5600-Series Electromatics) and a pair of cats' eye soundholes first seen on the late-1930's Synchromatic archtops and revived by Gretsch in the mid-1960's on their short-lived 6117 "cats' eye" hollowbody...

No sooner was production halted in favor of a two-pickup, conventional f-hole design (which would itself be discontinued in 2019 when the 5600-Series moved to Chinese production) that savvy players began seeking out unsold new-old-stock cats'-eye 5622's, and prices on used examples began to increase (while there's been a lot of fluctuation, FYI I've seen them as high as $1400 for a mint-condition cats'-eye with HSC); unfortunately Gretsch's response was to offer the vaguely similar G2627T Streamliner as a downscale GC/MF exclusive - here's some pics of the two side-by-side:



I own one of the former (pictured in the prior post), I've played a couple examples of the latter, and even in the photos the difference is obvious: whereas the Korean version is something that could easily have come out of the Brooklyn factory in 1965 - a classy, fully professional-quality instrument in looks and tone that just happened to sell for a step-up/intermediate-player price - the 2627 looks/feels cheap, sounds generic at best, and IMO if you're buying a double-cutaway semi in this price range Ibanez does it a whole lot better. It's a shame they decided to go this route since the three-pickup/semi-hollow platform has tremendous unexplored tonal potential and, other than the new Vox Bobcat S66 and a few Gretsch Custom Shop one-offs, nobody's presently producing a pro-level axe of this type - the 2018 limited-edition Gibson ES-355 "Black Beauty" and Hofner Verythin Custom (along with its CT counterpart) are both discontinued, and the Indonesian-made entry-level Guild Starfire I Jet 90 is clearly intended as a less-expensive roots/rockabilly competitor to the MIK Gretsch 5410 Rat Rod you're eagerly awaiting as we speak...

If you've ever owned a Strat/Nashville Tele - or been lucky enough to have worked out on a vintage Gibson ES-5, Epiphone Emperor Zephyr Regent, or Guild Stratford X-350/X-375 jazzbox - you have some idea of the capabilities of the three-pickup configuration; the Gretsch E-Matic is a best-of-both-worlds combination of hollow-body warmth/resonance and solid-body sustain/immediacy, to which has been added the iconic twang and chime known as "That Great Gretsch Sound" among long-time players. IME it's a very engaging (and highly addictive) tonality and, while the 5622's middle pickup can't be soloed (the sole drawback of the design - BTW one which was corrected in the 2627, and which can be easily remedied by a competent tech), by experimenting with pickup/polepiece height and individual pickup volume controls a broad variety of unique - and all uniquely Gretsch in nature - tone colors can be obtained; one AGF'er commented in another post that unlike other manufacturers' designs, Gretsch pickups transition smoothly between combinations, differing only in midrange frequency emphasis - I'd have to agree, and the three-pickup configuration serves to further accentuate this quality. Summing it all up, unlike their historic competitors Gretsch guitars aren't plug-&-play instruments - and were never meant to be - but if you're a "think-outside-the-box" player and/or looking for a very personalized sonic signature, I can hardly think of a better vehicle than the three-pickup 5622...

[Gdjjr]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

- and to think you're just getting started...

I know, right?

As for the others- the cats eye doesn't appeal to me aesthetically like the f hole does- and the Rat Rod has open tuners I like as well- because I just like the looks- and the lower bout look huge- I'm just 5' 6 1/2"- my Washburn HG75 is too big as are Dreadnoughts-

Speaking of the Rat Rod and my waiting- I cancelled my deal with GC- I hadn't heard back from them until I sent corporate an email which was forwarded to the store-

Anyway, I ordered one from Sweetwater (and they are back ordered until August)

I did however order the Begura v5 amp and they threw in the cover for free- it should be here by Monday- so. I will, at some point have questions about it

I hate waiting- at 73 time is of the essence-

Look at my signature line- I ain't kiddin-

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Gdjjr

...As for the others- the cats eye doesn't appeal to me aesthetically like the f hole does...

If you're not aware, one very interesting tidbit of apocryphal Gretsch lore was that the rare "cats'-eye" 6117 single-cut hollowbody, produced between mid-1964 and early 1967, was a response to the Beatles' prominent use of Rickenbacker instruments (which sported similar soundholes) in the 1963-65 "Beatlemania" period. Built on the ultra-thin 1-3/4" Clipper platform rather than the 2-1/2" Anniversary (the 6117 designation actually refers to a sunburst Double Annie - I've owned one since May 1964), it featured dual single-coil Hi-lo'Trons and a four-knob/single-switch wiring scheme - which, along with the cats'-eye soundholes borrowed from the '40s Synchromatic archtops and Duo Jet-style opaque red and black finishes (not available on any other Gretsch hollowbody at the time), made it nearly indistinguishable from the almost-nonexistent Rickenbacker 360F full-size hollowbody (FYI the 2015-2016 single-cutaway Electromatic 5620T-CB is a virtual dead-ringer); rumor was that, much like the 360-12 and white-guard 325 Rick delivered to the Beatles during their first US tour (Paul would not take delivery of his 4001 bass until mid-'65, where it would appear for the first time on Rubber Soul), Gretsch was going to present one of each color to the boys (red for George, black for John) in the hopes of scoring an endorsement - problem being that their music was advancing so rapidly that they were essentially obsolete for their intended use by the time the next opportunity presented itself (George and John would both adopt Epiphone Casinos as their main stage instruments by late '65, and while John did use a '63 double-cut 6120 Nashville for the "Paperback Writer" sessions the Gretsch brand would no longer grace the Beatles' live performances). Could have been interesting had they scored the deal: I'm thinking a proto-version of the 3-PU double-cut 5622 (also available in black, BTW) would have found its way into the hands of one or both Beatle guitarists, and George Harrison in particular could have made excellent use of some of its more unique timbres as the band moved into increasingly-experimental territory...

Just for reference, here's a pic of a Brooklyn original cats'-eye 6117 from mid/late-1964, and its latter-day 5620 counterpart: