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Look at it another way as pro tailpiece, anti screws on top, metal roller bridge, extra weight, wanting to unconditionally stay in tune sentiment. Then add that SOME do not need or EVER want the trem effect. Does that sound believable? Well if not its certainly MY reasons for never having one. FYI I unscrew the arm from and install all 5 springs on strats too.
Originally Posted by Zigracer
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03-25-2016 01:25 AM
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Take a look!
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I tried a g100ce few years ago.
It was the best archtop, in this budget, available in my city.
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Dutch guitarist Anton Goudsmit plays Gretsches. He usually plays with a more modern and overdriven tone, but his Gretsches can sound pretty jazzy as well:
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He sounded amazing on his Gretsch Electromatic
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Some jazz on a Gretch
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George Van Eps played a Gretsch exclusively from the late 60's onward.
Last edited by va3ux; 03-25-2016 at 09:17 AM.
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Rune Gustafsson played a Gretsch too.
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If you are interested in a Gretsch the G6122-1959 is worth a look, it is based on Chet Atkins personal Gretsch that he recorded with for decades. 17" lower bout, 25.5" scale and 1.75" nut width make it great for finger style.
In 1959 Gretsch built a few guitars with these specs for Chet but this design was not put into production at the time, even the neck pickup was a one-off. After his death Chet's guitar was measured by Paul Yandell and the neck pickup re-created by TV Jones. This is a really special model, very comfortable and beautiful tone.
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Although I understand your point, a Gretsch with a B6 Bigsby has no screws into the top. None of my Bigsby equipped Gretsch guitars have roller bridges. Also, a properly cut nut will keep your guitar in tune when you use the Bigsby. That said, I have three Gretsch guitars with Bigsbys and one beautiful solid spruce top Country Club with a standard tailpiece. I love the Club, but sometimes miss the Bigsby when I play Sleepwalk or get that trem effect when singing a song like Chris Isaak's Wicked Game. I know that those selections, especially Wicked Game are not jazz, but I like to fit them into a set, because I like the tunes. Just saying that the Bigsby gives me that flexibility. I will mostly leave the Club the way it is, because I like it. Sorry. Don't know how the pic got rotated. Originally Posted by GNAPPI
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if i had to guess:
-non (jazz) traditional aesthetics
-anti bigsby sentiment
-brighter pickups than usual
-little to no (jazz) hero worship
-general boring-old-man-ness
of course, they are quite versatile, and, especially given the current aftermarket parts, can certainly be jazzed out if you like. warmer tv jones pups, wood or different alloy bridge material, cap/pot swap... even stock, judicious use of the tone switches and knobs can get you to a gretsch flavored variation of traditional sounds.
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Bit of confusion Originally Posted by docdosco
All the 5 series Electromatic Gretschs are made in Korea [corrected]. What factory? Who cares. Pretty decent guitars. Pickups are so so. But Gretsch Filtertrons are reasonably priced and a quick fix.
The 6 and 7 series have been made in Japan since the FMIC deal. First Terada and now doesn't Fender have their own factory? Regardless, the Japanese Gretschs are better than the old vintage USA guitars by most accounts. They better be - they are not cheap guitars.
I had a G5120 that I swapped out the stock "Gretschbuckers" for real Filtertrons. Sounded and played great but a bit to bright and "twangy" for the jazz tones I was seeking.Last edited by DRS; 03-25-2016 at 03:55 PM.
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If I could find a 50s Gretsch Streamliner, I'd for sure try it for jazz.
MD
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Originally Posted by vinlander
He sounded amazing on his Gretsch Electromatic
I think most of his recording was done on an Epiphone Zephyr Deluxe Regent
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I think there are many great guitars that get overlooked because the name on the headstock isn't what is considered traditional or sexy.
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Originally Posted by va3ux
George Van Eps played a Gretsch exclusively from the late 60's onward.
Pizzarelli and Van Eps likely used a Gretsch because it was the only production 7 string electric available @ the time
Bucky dumped his when Benedetto made him a 7 string, Van Eps was probably too old to switch @ the end.
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The 5xxx series are made in Korea. Serial number starts with K for Korea. The 6xxx series start with J for Japan, followed by a T for Terada. Although all of the pro-line Gretsch guitars, save the custom shop are made at the Terada factory, they have during the FMIC era had the pro-lines made by two other factories in Japan, one of them being the Fuji Gen Gakki plant.
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Like many said before, it's mostly the cosmetics, the look... Most Gretsches are just too flashy, there's too much going on. I used to play in rockabilly bands a lot, and that's where it belongs perfectly. Also, Brian Setzer is just too good for Gretsch's sake, the minute people see you pull out a Gretsch, they start talking about Brian and rockabilly. Funny, but true!
I used to hang out at Gretsch forum, and people just talk about country, rockabilly, and Chet Atkins all day, which is to say not a jazz crowd.
I still love Gretsches with Filtetrons though, jazz or not, it's incredible tone! Miss that Duo Jet I used to have... But on the other hand, Guild guitars is where it's at for me right now. Perfect for anything, and look just right!
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Doug Raney used one for a while too
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Cosmetics??? Too flashy? Originally Posted by Hep To The Jive
I've thought about a Roundup to hang on the wall as art - pure 50's "Country Kitsch".
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Reserved and polite jazz players are afraid to pickup a Gretsch because they might have a .... Psychobilly Freakout!!!
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George Van Eps seemed to get along fine with a Gretsch, and didn't let that extra string get in his way.
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Forgive a contrarian perspective here but...
Had a Gretsch Country Gentleman back in the mid-70s. Second guitar I ever owned, and certainly the heaviest. Black leather pad on the back and all. Twang all day and all night. That's what I bought it for. But when I went back to school to study jazz, well, it just didn't make me look serious enough
Plus it just twanged. Sold it to buy an ES-125...as the decades went by one guitar led to another and since going with 7-strings as my main guitar(s), I've had the opportunity to play two of the Gretsch Van Eps model (including one with the bizarre tuning-fork apparatus under the tailpiec). Just MHO, really, but I thought they were both dreadful. Poorly made and no tone. Not even a decent twang. Why GVE didn't stay with his Epi...same issue as Joe Pass playing his Ibanez sig model I suppose.
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