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Gretsch Appreciation Thread

RocknRollShakeUp

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Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
Sorry fellas if this has been done before, but let's see some Gretsch guitars please.

Here's mine, a 2015 Black Falcon Player's Edition:


surC2zk.jpg
 

Ace139

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Joined
May 29, 2003
Messages
1,759
Wish I had one - so I could post. Nice BF!

Kids, college tuition and cars - are stealing my gear money :spabout
 

sonar

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Jan 10, 2003
Messages
3,589
I've owned 4 modern Gretsch guitars (2 Prolines and 2 Electromatics) all but one of the Electro's were great guitars. These are my current 2:




2016 Vintage Select 6120-55. Rivals my LP for attention around the house. Gretsch Japan make excellent guitars equaling PRS USA in terms of quality control. It's one of the few exceptions that modern is better built than Vintage... imo.

There's actually some nice subtle flame the above pic doesn't pick up.





2009 Electromatic 5120-JimmyC. Gretsch hired Kustom artist JimmyC to hand paint 750, 5120's in late 2008 to early 2009. 6 different color schemes on either black or orange guitars. Mine has been modified with TV Jones Classic pickups, plus the rest of the electronics, bridge (twice)... and a few other things. Definitely a player guitar that has served me well as a main band guitar that always gets looks. Great shallow C shape neck profile. A really comfortable guitar to play.

 

RocknRollShakeUp

Active member
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
Wish I had one - so I could post. Nice BF!

Kids, college tuition and cars - are stealing my gear money :spabout

Thank you and I understand!

maybe one of these days you can snag one for a good price if you are into them though!
 

RocknRollShakeUp

Active member
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
I've owned 4 modern Gretsch guitars (2 Prolines and 2 Electromatics) all but one of the Electro's were great guitars. These are my current 2:




2016 Vintage Select 6120-55. Rivals my LP for attention around the house. Gretsch Japan make excellent guitars equaling PRS USA in terms of quality control. It's one of the few exceptions that modern is better built than Vintage... imo.

There's actually some nice subtle flame the above pic doesn't pick up.





2009 Electromatic 5120-JimmyC. Gretsch hired Kustom artist JimmyC to hand paint 750, 5120's in late 2008 to early 2009. 6 different color schemes on either black or orange guitars. Mine has been modified with TV Jones Classic pickups, plus the rest of the electronics, bridge (twice)... and a few other things. Definitely a player guitar that has served me well as a main band guitar that always gets looks. Great shallow C shape neck profile. A really comfortable guitar to play.


Nice guitars! I especially love your 6120! I would love to have a 6120.. and I'd get a Vintage select...I'd also love to have a Vintage Select 53 Duo Jet with the script logo. My Falcon is Japanese made as well. I would love a US made Custom Shop Gretsch, but I totally agree with you that the Japanese made ones are extremely high quality. My Falcon is essentially flawless and an absolute magnificent beast of a guitar, I play it more than my Les Pauls these days.

I don't have experience with the Electromatics but they seem to be generally well made esp. considering the price.

I think my next dream Gretsch is a US made Master Built Custom Shop Duo Jet, like in a black sparkle or some such...one of these days! :peace2
 

RocknRollShakeUp

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6118T SGR Players Edition - A killer feedback machine:)

DHeQJo6.jpg


My Limited Edition FSR Flametop DuoJet - Rings like a bell (titanium TruArc bridge not pictured)

9RQsBnG.jpg


A recording of my old Country Gent....

https://soundcloud.com/daniel-weldon-1/ive-got-this-feeling

Killer! Is that a player's edition Annie? I would love to get one of those smoke green Annies, and some sort of duo jet!

do you haver the HS filtertrons, or TV Jones in those beauties?
 

RocknRollShakeUp

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Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
https://imgur.com/a/7lkAJ

i so don’t understand how to post images on this site.

Here you go:

2DJNfWY.jpg


Super Bitchin' Gretsches!

So am I looking at:
- a smoke green Annie! is that a vintage select? I gotta get a smoke green Annie!
- a purple Setzer Hot Rod
- a Setzer Black Pheonix
- a 6120?

can you please clarify?

And diggin' the Nocturne Brain Seltzer pedal :peace2

So, on Imgur click on the picture, and then on the right side you'll find BBcode, click on copy, and then paste inside the thread reply box
 

montesada

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Joined
Mar 21, 2008
Messages
713
This is my Swiss Army Knife. It does everything beautifully.
2006 Power Tenny. 1 0f 100. The earliest number in the registry.
5y68up.jpg
 

sonar

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Jan 10, 2003
Messages
3,589
Nice guitars! I especially love your 6120! I would love to have a 6120.. and I'd get a Vintage select...I'd also love to have a Vintage Select 53 Duo Jet with the script logo. My Falcon is Japanese made as well. I would love a US made Custom Shop Gretsch, but I totally agree with you that the Japanese made ones are extremely high quality. My Falcon is essentially flawless and an absolute magnificent beast of a guitar, I play it more than my Les Pauls these days.

I don't have experience with the Electromatics but they seem to be generally well made esp. considering the price.

I think my next dream Gretsch is a US made Master Built Custom Shop Duo Jet, like in a black sparkle or some such...one of these days! :peace2

My Electromatic has been a great guitar with lots of use and abuse, but admittedly I did more than a few mods mostly addressing the low grade electronics. The 5120's had really awful full sized humbuckers and the wiring harness was also low grade, eventually replaced after parts of the harness started to fail.

I owned another Electromatic that had really cool pickups (Dearmond 2000's) but the guitar itself was a bit of a dog player. From what I can tell the Korean Electromatics are generally good value guitars, and the one I kept is one of my favorite guitars at any price range, so I look at the Electromatic I got rid of as the rare dog.

My Proline is pretty much a dream out of the box. Fit and finish is flawless with excellent electronics. I did add a few shims to prop up the pickups to TV Jones specs, but that cost all of $4 and 15 minutes with a screwdriver.

If I were to get another Gretsch I'd probably go for an Anniversary with filtertrons.
 

Root66

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Nov 30, 2015
Messages
5
Until recently, never paid attention to Gretschs other than George Harrison's and Brian Setzer's, actually, hadn't even played one.

Picked up a new 6128T Duo Jet a couple of months ago - wanted to add another color to the tone palette.

Not only does it get the rockabilly thing happening but the Filter'Trons really deliver some great rock tones.

Replaced the bridge with a Schaller roller one and pinned it down. Also, added a treble bleed to the master volume.

Not crazy about the strap locks - going to swap those out.

Playability, fit and finish are excellent - for those inclined, highly recommend...

40477320455_4179b9e471_b.jpg
 
Last edited:

RocknRollShakeUp

Active member
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
My Electromatic has been a great guitar with lots of use and abuse, but admittedly I did more than a few mods mostly addressing the low grade electronics. The 5120's had really awful full sized humbuckers and the wiring harness was also low grade, eventually replaced after parts of the harness started to fail.

I owned another Electromatic that had really cool pickups (Dearmond 2000's) but the guitar itself was a bit of a dog player. From what I can tell the Korean Electromatics are generally good value guitars, and the one I kept is one of my favorite guitars at any price range, so I look at the Electromatic I got rid of as the rare dog.

My Proline is pretty much a dream out of the box. Fit and finish is flawless with excellent electronics. I did add a few shims to prop up the pickups to TV Jones specs, but that cost all of $4 and 15 minutes with a screwdriver.

If I were to get another Gretsch I'd probably go for an Anniversary with filtertrons.

Yeah although I've read really good things about the Electromatics, the Prolines seem to be pretty flawless, except like you say some have the pickups set up too low!
 

RocknRollShakeUp

Active member
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
Until recently, never paid attention to Gretschs other than George Harrison's and Brian Setzer's, actually, hadn't even played one.

Picked up a new 6128T Duo Jet a couple of months ago - wanted to add another color to the tone palette.

Not only does it get the rockabilly thing happening but the Filter'Trons really deliver some great rock tones.

Replaced the bridge with a Schaller roller one and pinned it down. Also, added a treble bleed to the master volume.

Not crazy about the strap locks - going to swap those out.

Playability, fit and finish are excellent - for those inclined, highly recommend...

40477320455_4179b9e471_b.jpg

Very nice! do those come with HS Filtertrons or TV Jones pickups? For me it is pretty hard to beat fltertrons as a general pickup.
 

rockabilly69

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Jul 29, 2001
Messages
2,872
Killer! Is that a player's edition Annie? I would love to get one of those smoke green Annies, and some sort of duo jet!

do you haver the HS filtertrons, or TV Jones in those beauties?
Player's Edition, and both guitars have HS Filtertrons!
 

slimdave

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Joined
Oct 6, 2012
Messages
893
This is my old 1956 Duo Jet. I play with her in my Mediterranean indie band. She sounds bright, fat and clear. And cuts like a knife.

Gretsch%2056_10_zpsdiw8pm3k.jpg
 

0 2339

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Feb 8, 2017
Messages
166
would love to have a 6120 but the only one i could ever try had quite a small neck compared to my gibsons. anybody knows if they offer some bigger necks like 50s gibsons too?? and anybody ever tried the eddie cochran model? wonder how that p90 sounds in that guitar....

cheers:salude
 

sonar

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Joined
Jan 10, 2003
Messages
3,589
would love to have a 6120 but the only one i could ever try had quite a small neck compared to my gibsons. anybody knows if they offer some bigger necks like 50s gibsons too?? and anybody ever tried the eddie cochran model? wonder how that p90 sounds in that guitar....

cheers:salude

Gretsch spec their Vintage Select necks to a "U" shape. A fuller profile for sure.

In my old age I've grown to like the slimmer necks Gretsch used to have, pre-VS series. For the artist models the Duane Eddy model is still pretty thin. Not sure about the Cochran?
 

RocknRollShakeUp

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Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
This is my Swiss Army Knife. It does everything beautifully.
2006 Power Tenny. 1 0f 100. The earliest number in the registry.
5y68up.jpg

Somehow I missed this post! What a cool Gretsch! I know nothing of this model..a Power Tennessean? Can you please tell us more about it? Body size and depth, pickups, bracing, center block?
 
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