A late bloomer. . . to the archtop world

[Guitarplayer_PR]

Greetings. After having own 50+ guitars in my life, I got myself (just today) a Gretsch Synchromatic G100CE. What can you tell me about this model?

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Guitarplayer_PR

...What can you tell me about this model?

All-laminated (spruce/maple) entry-level jazzbox w/suspended humbucker, uses some historic '30s-40s Gretsch styling cues (headstock shape/lettering font, "harp" tailpiece, stairstep bridge base, elongated pickguard) but not really based on any vintage Gretsch offering, decently-built (their Korean stuff invariably is) but at $850 street somewhat overpriced for what it is IMO. I'm an old Gretsch guy since 1964, and if I were looking for a beginner 16" full-depth hollowbody I'd sooner score one of the lower-end Ibanez AF series (FYI they used to make one with a suspended pickup for around $400 street - comparable in construction/tone/QC IME), or for about $50 more than the Gretsch a Godin CW II which, although it has two built-in pickups (humbuckers or P-90's - your choice) and isn't really intended as an acoustic instrument, will give you some of the sweetest plugged-in comp tones you'll find - Tony Bennett's guitarist used one for a number of years, and I think both he and his boss know when it sounds "right"...

That said, there are a few things you can do to optimize your instrument: heavier strings (wound-G 12's to start - 13's if you can handle them - and since it's essentially a dedicated electric guitar anyway, flatwounds will allow you to drop the action much lower without buzzing or rattling), a good-quality bridge (I've had success with the StewMac items, which are also available in different configurations that will allow you to customize the tone to your needs), and a properly-fitted bridge base (extremely important and, next to neck geometry, one of the biggest contributors to both playability and tone); while it'll likely never be a true dual-purpose acoustic + electric like a suspended-pickup carved top (or some of the laminated postwar Gibson/Epiphone single-pickup jazzboxes) you'll have enough unplugged volume for at-home practice and/or recording work, and the heavier strings will drive the top sufficiently for you to get some "wood" into your amplified tone...

Use it well and often...