Gretsch

[mainestratman]

So the woman and I are in the "big city" of Bangor for a mini vacation and have visited the 4 local music shops here, peeking around and poking at things... I'm actually really wanting a Peavey Classic 30, so if I can get it locally, that would be good (if not, I'll get it through AMS)... but I found myself looking at guitars.

Since this blues thing is starting to get really serious really quickly, I've already decided that I need a dedicated Open-E guitar for some of those slide songs. I also really want a resonator. Problem solved, if I can find a resonator with pups (if they exist... lol).

So after I finished fondling a beautiful Fender resonator, I turned to the modest wall of guitars... and started looking at the Gretsch ones.

My entire life has been Strats and (more recently), LP. Never in my life have I ever even contemplated a Gretsch... probably because local stores never carried them, and when they did, they would have a $3k price tag on them.

The least expensive I saw was about $500, up to $800 for what appears to be a beautifully-crafted hollowbody. I will be going back to the store and trying them through a small tube amp today... but what are some other opinions on these "Under a Grand" Gretsch guitars?

\m/ Thanks!

[wingsdad]

I've sampled many of the 'Under A Grand' Electromatic series models at my local dealer, like the G5120(orange hollow single-cut), G5122 (double-cut) and a couple of the Jet models. Since most of the ones I played were Korean, I consider them comparable to my 2 MIK Epiphones in quality, or similar Ibanez 'under a grand' models.

Excellent bang-for-the-buck; if I had the bucks I'd bang for one.

As for a reso with a pickup, if it's bottleneck blues you're jonesing for, here's a single-cut biscuit bridge one from Washburn that my dealer has carried and sold often that I've fiddled with & that can usually be had for $350-400 new:

Oscar Schmidt OR6CE (http://www.oscarschmidt.com/products/acoustics/or6ce.asp)

Johnson markets practically the same guitar as their 'Swamp Stomper' resonator; their website is a funky 'frames' format, so if you go to this link, look for that model. The site says it's got a spider bridge, and can be had as a round or squareneck, but the only one I've played in person, at my dealer, was exactly the same as the OS OR6CE --biscuit not spider, roundneck.

http://www.johnsongtr.com/guitars.html#

I've got a black Johnson .... Squareneck (dobro), that is.

[hubberjub]

A friend of mine plays a Gretsch 5120 and loves it. I've only played one once and it seemed like a nice guitar. I think I need a Bigsby equipped guitar to add to my lineup.

[hubberjub]

On a side note, did you see MichaelE's Epiphone ES-175 listed in the for sale section? It's a little different flavor but a great hollow body for the price. ($300).

[Tig]

Many of us obviously love Gretsch over $1000 guitars, and their under $1K's are still pretty dang nice.

I'd have a tough time passing up one of the Ibanez AF125's (just under $1K)
http://resources.ibanez.com/resourceservicehost/images/Ibanez/web/hollow/products/test/AF125AMB.gif


Or the $500 AFS75T
http://resources.ibanez.com/resourceservicehost/images/Ibanez/web/hollow/products/test/AFS75TTRD.gif


Or the smaller $550 AG95
http://resources.ibanez.com/resourceservicehost/images/Ibanez/web/hollow/products/test/AG95DBS.gif

This could go on and on....
:drool

[mainestratman]

Excellent input guys, thanks!

[Brian Krashpad]

I have a well-under $1k Electromatic ($235 + shipping, used on ebay) Gretsch, but it's a solidbody 5255 Special Jet:

http://static.flickr.com/27/94152145_373b9f3161.jpg

Not what most people think of when talking Gretsch, but the US-made DeArmonds get you into the Dyna-Sonic ballpark on the cheap. Iirc it's MIC, but compares favorably to my MIK guitars.

[t_ross33]

... but what are some other opinions on these "Under a Grand" Gretsch guitars?

I have an Orange 5120 and i love it! :happy

Lots of people are replacing the "Gretsch-bucker" p'ups with TV Jones or GFS "Retro-trons" to get closer to that classic "Great Gretsch Sound". Might try a set of GFS someday, but I'm happy with it stock for now.

Great value, especially if you can pick one up in the $500 range.

[Katastrophe]

I've played the 5120 and the Jet Electromatic models, and they sound great.

I quite enjoyed the stock 'buckers, but they don't have that traditional Gretsch sound. They play well, and fit and finish was in line for what you would expect in their respective price ranges. The examples I tried were really fun to play.

One of my dream guitars would be a Cadillac Green Jet. I will own one if I win the lottery.

[mainestratman]

Yayy! Input from Gretsch owners! :-)

I got the OS hollowbody, and I gotta tell you, I LOVE how it feels when I'm playing it... my LP will tingle with notes, but the hollowbody resonates them.. I can feel what I'm playing even more.. I adore it.

I'm going to start trying out Gretsch guitars... I'll find my next addition there, methinks. :-)

[Tarin]

I owned a Gretsch Pro Jet, it's a semi-hollow body guitar LP style.... great quality and sound, got it on ebay for around 350-400 bucks.
Sold it to an insisting buddy and hunted the bay for a Gretch Corvette wich normally sell for 450-500. Turns out i got one for 355 in superb condition... i tell ya, it's a whole diffrent guitar from the Electromatic series.
Lots of Forums discuss that the Corvette should be a Pro-line by itself since there are no non-electromatic Corvettes.
Check them out.

[markb]

...
Lots of Forums discuss that the Corvette should be a Pro-line by itself since there are no non-electromatic Corvettes.
Check them out.

Not even the ones produced between 1961 and 1970?

http://gretschpages.com/guitars/6135-corvette/

The 5xxx and Electromatic guitars are nice but do not sound like traditional Gretsch guitars. And why, oh why did they put the wrong Bigsby on the Pro Jet??!!
I'm not sniping here just saying they should be appreciated for what they are, a cosmetic nod to the old Gretsch guitars and not any sort of reissue.

[Tarin]

oops... slipped on that one, forgot all about the classic Corvettes out there wich, i've never had the oportunity to play one (didn't even know they existed untill i got my eyes on the eletro version) but yeah, i've read that the sound of the new ones is completly different... but still "gretschy".

[Tig]

... and their under $1K's are still pretty dang nice.


I played an orange Gretsch G5121 yesterday using a Bugera V22, and was ready to buy it in no time! I love the smooth Bigsby and the relatively cheap pickups sounded great, even over driven. All I needed was some slap-back and I'd be in serious trouble. (I couldn't survive buying a guitar the day before my wife's birthday!)

http://images.guitarcenter.com/products/optionlarge/GretschGuitars/594758.jpg

[mainestratman]

That's a pretty box.

[sunvalleylaw]

Yeah, I liked those too. Plus there was a white double cutaway in the Boise store with a Bigsby I also really liked.