Joining the Gretsch family - pending NGD

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Sonics

...It's not really considered a Gretsch if it doesn't have a single cutaway, the tone switch and a Bigsby with the thin arm...

Oh, I don't know - this guy seemed to do OK with a double-cut/wide-arm Bigsby:

[FrankHudson]

I sure like my Electromatic Gretsch, purchased partially from Steve's recommendations here. Though I'm once more considering flat-wound electric guitar strings on something, in the past I never cared for the results in a rock context, even though it was historically part of the sound back in the day, and they can be easier on fingertip skin. On electric bass, half my basses have TI flats on them, but that's bass not guitar.

One compromise I have done to get partway there is coated Elixir electric guitar strings. I have them on my Jaguar and my Gretsch (as well on one of my MIDI pickup guitars). Partway there to flats in terms of being nice to the skin, lower in string noise, but just a little muffled on the wound strings overtones. I think they help a bit with reducing friction when using the whammy too.

Bad old hands, I use .010 sets on my Gretsch. Maybe someday I'll listen to Steve -- well, I did, only in other things -- and try flats and a .011 set at that. Hey Steve, what's your favorite set of flats for electric?

[Sonics]

If you want to make a STATEMENT (...and you have a 'cool' haircut and you look the part), then this is what you should roll with...





...now THAT'S a Gretsch!

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Sonics

If you want to make a STATEMENT (...and you have a 'cool' haircut and you look the part), then this is what you should roll with...





...now THAT'S a Gretsch!

FYI I'm an old Brooklyn boy whose grandparents lived three blocks from the old 60 Broadway plant (and just down the block from the South 5th Street drum warehouse), so I've had Gretsch in my blood since I was a kid and played every one I could get my hands on since 1963 (figure a few hundred total since it was our hometown brand); the Baldwin-era 7500-Series electrics have their own thing going on visually but, truth be told, the current Japanese/Korean production far exceeds the vast majority of vintage originals in terms of QC and playability (if you don't have neck or binding issues with your pre-1980 Gretsch, hang on - it's simply a matter of when and not if). If you like the post-1958 Filter'tron/tone switch circuitry in a single-cut the current '59 Falcon should be right up your alley, if you gotta have the block markers and you're OK with Dynasonics the '55 is your cuppa tea - and if your wallet/S.O. thinks either one too pricey, one of these gives you comparable tone (those are gennie Filter'trons in there) and visual vibe (the gold sparkle truss-rod cover, pickguard, and jeweled knobs are all available as aftermarket accessories) for about one-fourth the price of the Professional Series reissues - and less than 5% of the cost of a clean Brooklyn original:

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

[Orphan]

https://imgur.com/a/SATml37

I found this on my doorstep July 5.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Orphan

https://imgur.com/a/SATml37

I found this on my doorstep July 5.

If you haven't done so already:

• Install a set of flatwound 11's or 12's - the go-to setup among long-time players, they'll get some "wood" into the classic Gretsch chime
• Take your new baby over to the local GC/Sam Ash
• Plug into a Vox AC30 (preferably the 2x12" '60s style)
• Pull out every George Harrison lick you ever heard
• When you're through wiping the tears from your eyes, hand your credit card to the nice salesperson

Use it well, often, and LOUD...

[gfirob]

I have a '67 6120 Chet Atkins Nashville double cut, in orange, original Filtertrons and Bigsby. The pickups and neck geometry are perfect, the binding is completely shot with binding rot.

This was sold to me as a "players guitar" meaning it was funky to look at, but it is a wonderful guitar. I play it with 11's because I keep 11's on my Martin and I interchange them on gigs. The orange finish is a little faded but looks great. This old guitar gets a lot of attention when I am playing out and it sounds like only a Gretsch can sound. And I like the Bigsby, though it gets light use.

I understand the new Gretsch guitars really give the old ones a run for their money. I have never heard anything but good things about them, and the '60's Gretsches really had series binding issues. Even a little brown cracking now means it's all falling out sooner or later. Great guitars though.

[Orphan]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

If you haven't done so already:

• Install a set of flatwound 11's or 12's - the go-to setup among long-time players, they'll get some "wood" into the classic Gretsch chime
• Take your new baby over to the local GC/Sam Ash
• Plug into a Vox AC30 (preferably the 2x12" '60s style)
• Pull out every George Harrison lick you ever heard
• When you're through wiping the tears from your eyes, hand your credit card to the nice salesperson

Use it well, often, and LOUD...

Thanks very much, I just ordered a set of DR Legends 11's to start.

[RickRS]

Well, I'm having some fun with the G5420TG straight out of the box. Strings are roundwound type. While ya'll are pushing flatwounds as the ideal, and I will likely give it a try, I have to confess I'm still influenced by trying flatwound strings back in my early days (early 70's) and they just seem to be dead on arrival. I was using a Fender Coronado II at the time. Maybe it was the guitar?

[Jerry D]

Originally Posted by Sonics

If you want to make a STATEMENT (...and you have a 'cool' haircut and you look the part), then this is what you should roll with...





...now THAT'S a Gretsch!

Now THAT'S a gaudy guitar. I'll take an ash Tele, and a pearloid pick guard is all the bling I want.

[Sonics]

Originally Posted by Jerry D

Now THAT'S a gaudy guitar. I'll take an ash Tele, and a pearloid pick guard is all the bling I want.

Watch...this...space...

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Jerry D

Now THAT'S a gaudy guitar...

Um, think again:





FWIW a guitar can be blinged-out without being gaudy...

Bill Gretsch and Jimmie Webster made it work with the White Falcon in 1955...

Frank Henry Martin and Gene Autry made it work with the D-45 in 1933...

To paraphrase Hegel, those who fail to learn from history are doomed to make ugly guitars...

[Sonics]

The time for talking is OVER! It was a LONG time in coming but it's finally arrived. The delivery guy passed me the box and gave me a nod out of respect. I've just spent two hours just looking at this thing, and it's a lot of guitar. It's also up to spec. Single cutaway, gold h/ware, tone switch and the long Chet Atkins arm on the Bigsby (...so you don't have to search for it when you're playing over the neck pickup) and the Bigsby is also very 'sensitive'.



I will continue to look at it for the rest of the day and sometime tomorrow I'll plug it in. I don't expect any surprises because I KNOW what this guitar is supposed to sound like...and that is GOOD!

This truly is the Rolls Royce of guitars, and looks as hip now as it did in back in 1955.

Originally Posted by Jerry D

Now THAT'S a gaudy guitar. I'll take an ash Tele, and a pearloid pick guard is all the bling I want.

I like Teles too, but this is a WHOLE different league!




Oh yeah, Happy Birthday to me, August 3rd.

[beatcomber]

This is my 1962 6119 Chet Atkins Tennessean.

'62's have some distinctive details, such as solid black fake F-holes (with no fake binding) and a darker red finish.

Mine is in unusually pristine condition, with no finish checking or binding rot.

[Rogerblair]

I just bought a black Jet Electromatic. An incredible guitar in every respect, especially considering the price.

I need to get used to humbucker sound as I’ve always played single coils. Different temperament.

Rb