epi wildkat vs gretsch 5120

[tartanbeastie]

so, i know there may be some bias because this is the epi forum but is there a huge difference in playing and sound between the two?? i love the sound of the gretsch but the wildkat looks as though better built.

Has anyone played both and have an opinion??

[winterland]

so' date=' i know there may be some bias because this is the epi forum but is there a huge difference in playing and sound between the two?? i love the sound of the gretsch but the wildkat looks as though better built.

Has anyone played both and have an opinion??[/quote']

 

I have not played a Wildcat; however, I did have a Gretsch 5120 and as cool it looks (very handsome guitar) and the Bigbsy vibrato is a nice addition, but I never really loved the sound from it. I think because it's a hollow body it lacks some of the twang I was expecting from it ... I ended up getting a DOT which is semi-hollow and really like the sound quite a bit more. I would think the Wildcat would be the best of both worlds - you get the semi-hollow sound with the P90s and the Bigbsy vibrato.

[Ricochet]

I've not played a Gretsch but one of the first things I noticed about my Wildkat is how the tone and sustain is much more reminiscent of a solid body than a semi.

The construction of the Kat is IMO more like a hollow solid. As opposed to the more classic semi-hollow/hollow approach of a Gretsch.

 

[BKitten]

Things to know:

 

* The Wildkat isn't a true hollowbody in the sense that it's blocked in the middle, therefore it doesn't have as much of an acoustic sound as the Gretsch.

* The Gretsch is bigger in every respect - thicker, wider, etc. Both guitars weigh about the same, with slight variations.

* The Gretsch has humbuckers, the Wildkat has single coils. Neither guitar has an overly bright sound, don't expect Tele-style twang, but you'll get more brightness out of the Gretsch, the Wildkat sounds darker.

* Build quality varies from guitar to guitar but generally should be good, the Wildkat feels more 'solid' in this area.

* The Gretsch has name-brand bragging rights, but the Wildkat has far sexier colour options such as flame tops.

[Elias Graves]

There are similarities, however they are different animals. The full hollow laminate construction vs the carved solid semihollow of the Epi.

Humbuckers vs P90s

Different scale length

Overall size

 

The Epi plays a lot more like a solidbody than it does a semi. It's beefy, a little heavier and has more sustain than the Gretsch.

The Gretsch might have a slight edge in terms of overall quality but not by a wide margin.

You really have to ask yourself what you value, the hollow feel and sound or the hybrid kind of design on the Epi.

I own an Alleykat and have spent a fair amount of time with both the Gretsch and the Wildkat. Cost was one of the big factors in my decision. I picked up my Kat new last year for $369 where the Gretsch will set you back a lot more than that.

Ultimately I will snag a full hollow, but given the price of the Gretsch, I'll probably either get like an ES-175 reissue or save up and just get myself an ES-125TDC.

 

You really can't go wrong with either, but just ask yourself what you're after. For live work, the Kat is awesome. The heavier body construction makes it pretty resistant to feedback, it's not too big to carry around, it looks killer and plays like a Les Paul.

If you are going for more of an old school hollowbody experience, the gretsch fits the bill.

 

EG

[Parabar]

I own both, and they are hardly alike in any respect. As other posters have mentioned, the 'kat has a chambered body and is quite dense --- it behaves more like a solidbody than a hollow. Tonally it reminds me of a warmer. richer Telecaster sort of sound, while the 5120 is a true hollowbody. Its body is similarly sized to the Epi Joe Pass, but the construction is quite different (wood is thinner on the Gretsch, different bracing, etc.). The Gretschbucker pickups are brighter and crisper than Gibson/Epi humbuckers, but the 5120 can still get a quite decent warm jazz tone from the neck pickup. The scale length is only slightly different --- 24.75" for the 'kat, 24.6" for the Gretsch, which my fingers don't notice at all.

 

If you're playing with a loud band where feedback is an issue, the Wildkat might be better suited. The Wildkat also has more sustain. I'd sum up the differences more or less by saying the 'kat is somewhere between a Tele and a 335, while the 5120 is a bright-sounding jazzbox --- somewhere between an ES-175 or Joe Pass and an ES-295, with a different type of throatiness to the tone as well. It's the warmest sounding Gretsch I've played (which is some of what I like about it).

[tartanbeastie]

thanks, its good to here your opinions, i havent played either yet and so gauging opinion before i do. i have to admit i love the whole rockabilly sound and wondered if the wildkat compared at all with the gretsch. i know that with the bigsby i will be in and out of tune more than normal but is the bridge fixed on the kat or does it move like the gretsch?

[Ricochet]

is the bridge fixed on the kat or does it move like the gretsch?

 

It's fixed by 2 studs, much like a LP-bridge.

[Red 333]

I'd sum up the differences more or less by saying the 'kat is somewhere between a Tele and a 335...

 

I have a Tele, Wildkat, and ES335, and I'd say that's a good description.

 

Red 333

[AlanH]

Great reviews guys! Spot on with the 'kat.

[Doc Helliday]

I think its gonna come down to:

 

-the neck (profile, radius0

-body size (thickness, and width)

-single coils vs hums (this can be taken care of later though)

 

 

Don't be afraid of Gretsch's floating bridge. Just tape it down during string changes, and your good. As long as the guitar's nut is cut right, and you put a little liquid graphite in the nut the bigsby wont be a problem.

 

you just gotta play them, sitting down and standing up. Whichever one feels more comfortable IE going from chords to lead playing without it feeling like you running an obstacle course is prolly the one.

 

Have fun & happy hunting