Another NGD...

[T Bone]

Okay, after seeing Sellen''s post, time I post up my own Gretsch. Although unlike his (Pro line, very cool), mine is of the Electromatic line (budget line, made in Korea, and surprisingly good).

 

I'd admired the 5120 in stores for years, and always debated picking one up. They played well, looked good, but seems so many were upgrading the p'ups, I figured I'd be better off picking up a used 6120 Pro line for not much more.

 

Then one day about a month ago, I stumbled onto a video from ProGuitar.com. Andy was demoing a new model made to address exactly that point, the 5420. P'ups are dubbed "Black Top Filtertrons" and allegedly were made to mimic a set of early 70's Baldwin era Filtertrons they'd run across. Not sure how accurate that was, but the video sounded good, the guitar looked great (added binding to the F holes, and had this sick new "Aspen Green" (also looks phenominal in Black, and Hello Music had or has some of those at a fantastic price). Had to have one.

 

Checking a coupon code at MF, they said "no problem", then AMS said they'd match it plus split it into 3 payments (I LIKE that!). Had to grab it.

 

Again, haven't been playing as much as I should, but I'd been working so many hours... and as it turns out, I kept buying guitars Lol. Have a few more new ones to show you. In time. Not adding them to the signature, it's already too big as it is. I want to work on modifying it to where it's just a bunch of small pics, or maybe a rotating slide show. I'll see what I can do.. for now, I need to play more. LOTS more. But here is the YouTube of Pro Guitar Shop and below are a couple pics of my new Rockabilly sweetheart!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry for the crummy cell phone pics, I really need to dig out a "real" camera, this thing deserves it, looks so much better in person. Great feel to it too!

[Izzy]

Grats on the new git-fiddle. I like that color. Hope you have time to take it to be set-up, unless you're one of the talented people who can do that yourself.

[Riffster]

That's a beautiful guitar, my Gretsch double jet benefited greatly from installing one of those self-lubricating nuts. Sound and tuning wise.

[bonzoboy]

I love the single-cut Gretsches-especially the hollow or semi hollow bodies.I have a '66 Tennessean that has the same body shape as yours but that's where the similarity ends.Is the toggle on the upper bass bout a 3-way tone such as the Tennessean and Country Gent had?What's the function of the lone control on the treble lower bout,is it a master volume and what's the function of the 3 controls that are near the F hole?I'm not trying to be nosey but I'm a bigtime Gretsch fanatic and know the functions of most of their guitar's controls but this one I haven't seen before.Anyway congrats on the lovely Gretsch,if it's your first one,it certainly a great start.If you have a tube driven Vox amp or one of their modeling amps that can be set on AC-15 or 30,you'll really get some sparkling tones from them.It seems that Gretsch guitars sound best through a Vox amp and that's not because of the George Harrison connection but because they really do soung fabulous through a Vox tube amp or even some of their SS amps such as the Pathfinder 15R which performs and sounds very tube amp like.I'm sure that you'll really bond with this guitar because Gretsches are very habit-forming and the necks are some of the most comfortable available.

[lazarusvt84]

Grats on the new git-fiddle. I like that color. Hope you have time to take it to be set-up, unless you're one of the talented people who can do that yourself.

Been a regular here for a few years...hadn't heard 'git-fiddle' since my older brother used that term 30 yrs ago growing up.

[T Bone]

Grats on the new git-fiddle. I like that color. Hope you have time to take it to be set-up, unless you're one of the talented people who can do that yourself.

 

Thanks! Actually, the factory set up was great, they assign it to a specific person who signs off on it, card comes with. The bridge is a floater of course, but with the help of this video on You Tube, I was able to take it off, remove the foam and replace it in no time. And I guess I got lucky, WRT re-setting it in the proper place for intonation, it was nearly spot on the first time I reinstalled it (checking the intonation while on a rest in the case, it was perfect- of course there was slight pressure on the neck from the rest, so after slinging the guitar the way it would normally be when playing, I only had to tweak the bridge forward ever so slightly on the bass side, and presto- great intonation on all strings.

 

This is actually my 3rd (2nd, but bought another after) Korean made guitar, and I have to say they are showing some skill at it!

 

 

That's a beautiful guitar, my Gretsch double jet benefited greatly from installing one of those self-lubricating nuts. Sound and tuning wise.

 

Thanks, the Electromatic models do cut some corners, and one of the popular mods for this one is the bridge. Normally I don't mod guitars much (if ever), but a bridge would be easly changed (it is not attached). And I've heard of the graphite nut being used with great success on a Bigsby equipped guitar, I may have to look into that.

 

I love the single-cut Gretsches-especially the hollow or semi hollow bodies.I have a '66 Tennessean that has the same body shape as yours but that's where the similarity ends.Is the toggle on the upper bass bout a 3-way tone such as the Tennessean and Country Gent had?What's the function of the lone control on the treble lower bout,is it a master volume and what's the function of the 3 controls that are near the F hole?I'm not trying to be nosey but I'm a bigtime Gretsch fanatic and know the functions of most of their guitar's controls but this one I haven't seen before.Anyway congrats on the lovely Gretsch,if it's your first one,it certainly a great start.If you have a tube driven Vox amp or one of their modeling amps that can be set on AC-15 or 30,you'll really get some sparkling tones from them.It seems that Gretsch guitars sound best through a Vox amp and that's not because of the George Harrison connection but because they really do soung fabulous through a Vox tube amp or even some of their SS amps such as the Pathfinder 15R which performs and sounds very tube amp like.I'm sure that you'll really bond with this guitar because Gretsches are very habit-forming and the necks are some of the most comfortable available.

Thanks, controls are as with the Pro line Gretsch ssingle cutaways that only have one toggle- the toggle is a standard pickup selector with neck (up) both (middle) and bridge (down) positions. The knobs are a master volume (forward knob on lower bout) and individual pickup volumes and one tone control below the bridge and Bigsby.

 

I do have Vox, but only the AC4 TV (all three sizes, 10 inch, 8 inch and 6.5 inch Mini) and will definitely try them out. Yesterday I was playing it through a Fender Champion 600, and liked it a lot, though it got a bit muddy if I didn't keep the volume knob down to around break up (then again, I was playing with delay and reverb pedals too, naturally- something about this guitar just screams Rockabilly to me!).

 

Been a regular here for a few years...hadn't heard 'git-fiddle' since my older brother used that term 30 yrs ago growing up.

I used to hear it ALL the time from one friend I've not seen in years. Guessing since before Izzy was born. It was a cool reminder from the past, going to have to look that old friend up!

[Izzy]

Been a regular here for a few years...hadn't heard 'git-fiddle' since my older brother used that term 30 yrs ago growing up.

 

My good friend uses the term. Only one I've ever heard say it. We're the same age but he's from Kentucky. Southern thing?

[milod]

Izzy...

 

Dunno if it's a regional thing. I've heard and used the term for some 50 years and that's from flyover country back to Boston when I was a teen. Of course, nowadays one might consider me to be somewhat aged, and not necessarily well-aged. <grin>

 

m

[sellen]

Congratz T Bone, Gretsch is cool

[btoth76]

Hello!

 

Very nice guitar! Congratulations! I love the sound of the neck pickup!

 

Cheers... Bence

[BigKahune]

.

Too much work, not enough play time.

 

Tasty looking Electromatic.

 

Congrats. . B)

 

 

.

[Twang Gang]

Pardon my ignorance - have never owned a Gretsch. I don't really understand the need for the master volume control that many of them have. Granted I have played Gibson for many years so two volume two tone is what I am most used to. Played a few Strats, and so 5 way selector, two tone, one volume was not too hard to adjust to.

 

But in this case the guitar has a tone for each pickup (fine) and one volume control for both. So how does the master volume come into play? If it had two volumes (one for each pickup) I could see setting in the middle position and maybe you want the bridge pup a little louder than the neck and you're playing a song at a given volume, then it's time for the lead break and you want to turn up and leave the pickups adjusted the same way you crank the master. But with only one volume to begin with (both pups equal in volume) what does the master do for you? Just curious?

 

Is there like a second circuit or something so if you are at 10 on the regular volume and 5 on the master you can get louder by turning up the master? It just seems redundant, like you would set it at a given volume and never touch it again.

 

Not trying to be negative at all - I have heard some cool tones from Gretsch guitars over the years, just never understood the layouts.

[BigKahune]

.... I don't really understand the need for the master volume control ....

 

Amps must really seem crazy to you. There are other manufacturers that provide a master volume control on some guitar models. If this is confusing you, a 5 knob Ric will really get you. . B)