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Originally Posted by RomanS
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05-02-2020 03:58 AM
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I have installed a "Tone Switch" * on my Gretsch Hot Rod, and it helps a lot with getting jazzier (read: less piercing treble lol) tones... and I'm using Filtertrons, not the best jazz pickups lol... a Dynasonic or P90 would be better suited. But I must say, it's been quite nice on the Gretsch lately, since installing the tone switch.
* tone switch capacitor values changed when Fender bought the company. The old/vintage cap values were so dark the switch was called the "mud" switch, and never used. Modern cap values give very usable tones indeed... to my ears, roughly equivalent to rolling a tone control off about 1/3 of the way, then maybe another 1/3. The modern tone switch never gets as dark as a tone control rolled completely off...
If I were to put a set of TI 12's on it, it would even more jazz-appropriate (currently GHS round wound 11s). I might do that someday, I have some TIs laying around from when I had my Epi Broadway...
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So I've always loved the look of Gretsches. This summer I decided to finally get one. Had to be orange and relatively affordable, so I went with a G5420T:
I tried several flavors of Filtertrons in it. I didn't really bond with any of them, so I went with my favorite style of pickups - P90s. I went with T90s from TV Jones, which fit the Filtertron size routes. I also upgraded the Bigsby handle and the bridge, and went with gold rings/pickguard:
Definitely happy with the sound. The neck position gives a lovely, vocal jazz tone. The middle position is great for rockabilly and Chet Atkins style stuff, and the bridge is great for more aggressive playing. It does everything I want from it sound-wise. The neck is fast and comfortable, no flaws in the fretwork. I've always loved orange Gretsch guitars. I would have preferred a lighter orange, but those seem to be found in the pro line models.
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Modified in the way they should/could have been built.
These are a very good value and fun to play.
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You using the twang bar?
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Originally Posted by princeplanet
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can't go wrong with pickups from tv jones...especially for gretsch related pups...tom's the man
congrats & enjoy
cheers
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Originally Posted by neatomic
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Looks great!
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I always wanted a Gretsch but I wanted the one painted Cadillac Green. I think it was the 6196.
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Just picked up Guitar Center's Pick of the Day last Friday: Gretsch streamliner Jr. in Ocean Aqua w/Bigsby. Couldn't be much different from my usual Godin Multiac Nylon 7-string, but I wanted to step out into more tonal variety as well as expression through Broad'tron pups and bendy strings. Johnny A's instrumental rock, Julien's latest Americana stuff, my own arrangements of 40s-70s favorites are excellent choices for the senior market as well as for a more mature bar/restaurant/ community outdoor concert crowd, and the rather eye-popping finish and throwback sounds available, as well as a nice, bright, Lennie Breau-like jazz tone are just what the Dr. ordered for the emergence back into the world that was off-limits for the past 14 months. I work with a strong, versatile singer who does Italian classics, Sinatra/Bennett stuff, Elvis era tunes and a Tom Jones show that's the best I've heard since I worked with Tom many years ago. This Gretsch and my Godin will cover all the bases, I'm sure. Oh, I dropped all of $400 on the Streamliner, and it's at my luthier's right now for a setup and a softer spring in the Bigsby. Looking forward to freaking out the jazz police! Never owned anything like this, looking forward to the exploration.
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Well, that little Streamliner didn't last long. Fine guitar for the money, but the "Broad'tron" pickups were a little too Gibsony for me, so I continued my search and found a Gretsch 5420t in black and gold, with Bigsby, and case, for $650, traded my Streamliner, and ending up with a slightly less flashy but still very attractive 16" archtop that will fill all the requirements I need from a steel-string electric. It's quite comfortable and sings nicely. I am a convert now.
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I have a Gretsch Electromatic G5655TG on order... it's. small body (14.5") thinline (1-3/4") arch top, with the Broad'trons... your report of them sounding "Gibsony" suits me just fine, as I have a 6120 with Filtertrons already... I was hoping this small-body Gretsch (it is a centerblock model) would get me into 335 territory, even if I had to swap pickups... but it sounds like I might not have to.
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Gretsches are fine - I was a Gretsch nut for a long time (Country Clubs were my thing). It's just that as time went on, I found the necks too thin for my playing preference (and I can't afford the vintage ones that have chunkier necks). Hence, the reason why after 10 years of playing them, they went bye-bye.
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I am a little behind on my new guitar days, but here is one I scored for about $3000 last April 2021. These are kind of rare guitars and are the predecessors to the Constellation series in the 1950’s. It is in very good condition with checking throughout the finish and only a couple of spots of finish wear under the strings. There is a slight warp of the headstock - something that can happen when you try to marry wood, plastic and metal parts together. When it came I was only anticipating putting a vintage correct pickguard on it, but there turned out to be more to do. The internet seller said the action was “down-right scary good with frets in excellent shape.” Well, he got the frets part right. The frets are the nibbed originals with almost no wear. The action was just a touch higher than I am used to and that is when I noticed the saddle was bottomed out on the bridge. That was a good lesson. Always look for some real estate on the bridge posts in photos. Then I started to look for the truss rod adjustment. Since there is no truss rod cover, I figured there would be an adjustment nut under the tongue of the fretboard. Well, I couldn’t find it and peering into that dark space I could barely make out some squarish nut that didn’t look like it was for adjustment. So I took it to my repair guy. He strummed it. That was the first time I was out in front of this acoustic guitar and it was so loud my hair and clothes blew back like in that old commercial on TV.
Well, he pretty much immediately said it would need a neck reset. And he doesn’t do them. He said it is a dying art resetting necks on vintage archtop guitars and that he knew only 2 in the city who might take it on. I took it to his first choice and I met a very interesting luthier who was very excited about the project. He only takes on the big jobs and doesn’t do set-ups etc. We agreed on $650 for the neck reset. Within hours he sent me pictures of the neck removed, showing that someone had attempted a neck reset in the past that had failed. He said he would prefer to refret it at this time to make sure the neck and frets were totally true. I thought of those vintage nibbed near-virgin frets and felt a momentary hesitation. But then I come to my senses and agreed to the job for another $70. I couldn’t be happier with the results. It went back together very cleanly. The guitar plays like it should everywhere on the neck and you might even call it “down-right scary good” for real this time. The sound is tremendous with great projection and a magical reverb. I tried recording an arrangement I am working on by using my iPhone7 and it sounded like I was playing through an amp with the reverb kicked up. These are great guitars and it stands right up to my 1951 Gibson L-4C, and with its slightly bigger box, seems to be louder.
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These are surprising loud for laminated guitars. Here's one I just brokered for a friend - replaced tailpiece, entirely re-bound, and the rest all original:
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Gretsch archtops are so sexy.
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Originally Posted by David B
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Got myself a 2420 for some project. I repaced the factory humbuckers with Gretsch Filtertrons (did some cosmetic changes as well). Put some Thomastiks .012 flatwounds. Although I don’t usually take this guitar to my jazz gigs and it’s a low budget guitar I would be happy to play jazz on it. Feels good, plays very well and sounds great! (Just the wrong look, haha)
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Originally Posted by EllenGtrGrl
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Originally Posted by Little Jay
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Weaving the VII into my lines.
Today, 01:08 PM in Theory