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About 10 days ago I wrote about having lost my resolve to get out of buying guitars. I had bought a supposedly pristine 2011 Gretsch Power Jet 6128 TVP. It arrived last Friday, a week ahead of schedule.
It really is pristine ... to the point of appearing to be largely unplayed. The case looks like it's sat in a closet for 11 years. The build quality is everything I would expect from a Japanese Gretsch: absurdly tight and clean. There are simply no blemishes. The only down side is that at 8.2 lbs, it is heavier than I prefer (but now that I'm only playing seated with the Dynarette cushion and no strap, that's a much smaller issue than it once was.
On the other hand, my first attempts to make music with it were a complete disaster. It was strung with round wound 10's and it's equipped with the incredibly strange Gretsch "Tone Switch Circuit". That means there are no tone pots, instead it has a three way tone switch. The up position is too dark to be of any use and the down position is only marginally better. That leaves only the middle position which does nothing. In addition to the Tone Switch, there's a typical three way pickup selector switch and a volume knob for each of the TV Jones Power'tron pickups. And finally, there is a master volume control. I had absolutely no idea how to adjust the tone. I was so frustrated that I had the guitar photographed and listed for sale locally in about an hour after unboxing it.
It turns out that I needn't have worried. The master volume has a powerful treble-bleed circuit and as a result it does almost nothing to change the tone. The individual volume controls are the exact opposite. As you increase the volume, they get brighter. Decrease the volume and they get darker. So essentially you use the individual volume controls to set the brightness level and the master volume to set the output level. And contrary to the schematic on the Gretsch website, the middle position on the pickup selector is not a mute, it is just a normal typical middle position with both pickups active (or at least the caps for both pickups active).
Learning how to work the controls got me half way there. Switching to my usual D'adarrio Chrome 10's and tuning it down a semi-tone got me the rest of the way. Suddenly is was a joy to play. Oddly enough (at least for me) my favorite setting is the middle position with both the neck and bridge pickups together with just a hint or bridge pickup adding some sparkle to the high end. I played it all day today and the For Sale listings were all deleted this afternoon.
Here's a quick recording and some less than stellar photos.
EDIT: (Can I borrow your ears for two minutes?)
I've tried to create a fair A vs B with the Gretsch and my Gosling. I tried to make this as much apples vs apples as I could, including bringing the tuning on the Gretsch down another semi-tone so they're both in D-Standard. ItÈs the same piece of music, played as close as I could. Exact same recording chain. Same strings. Same tuning (D-standard). Just very different guitars. Preferences? I'd really appreciate the help.
Stream GretschTest6VsGosling - Master by Jim Soloway | Listen online for free on SoundCloudLast edited by Jim Soloway; 09-20-2022 at 01:36 PM.
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09-19-2022 08:50 PM
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Nice guitar! Good looking, great sounding. Congratulations, and play it in good health!
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I agree, it took me a while to work out the controls on my 2016 G6128T It seems to work more like a Tele than a Gibson or a Guild. I had a space Control bridge on mine and then switched out to a Melita but still could not get it to play like I wanted so I switch out the bridge to a Compton stainless steel with a tone chamber and now it's perfect. My Jet came with the Gretsch HS Filtertrons. I planned to change them out to Dynasonics but now I think it will stay as is. This is my first Filtertron Gretsch and a real eye opener. Enjoy your new guitar. I have never tried the Powertrons.
Thanks John
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Glad it's working out for you, Jim. I saw the local listing and it had me wondering. I've never owned a Gretsch but I've always been curious about their no-tone circuit with a master volume. As someone who often makes subtle tone adjustments with their volume control, I could see it being very useful, once you get your bearings. I'm bit surprised by the weight though, where's it chambered. I'll be curious to hear how you find the neck and the TV Jones.
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Originally Posted by LifeOnJazz
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I was always confused by the Gretsch layout.
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I've added an A vs B of the Gretsch and my Gosling to the bottom of the OP but it won't show the Soundcloud widget so hopefully it will show up here. If you've got two minutes I'd really appreciate opinions on which version you prefer. They're as close to an Apples vs Apples comparison as I could create.
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Originally Posted by Woody Sound
Haven't you seen the staff at a large guitar store laugh and point at some poor shlub picking up a Gretsch Country Gentleman for the first time who's trying to figure out all the knobs and switches?
We've all been there. Well at least I have.
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Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
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Originally Posted by citizenk74
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Hope all is well in NS Jim.
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Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
Also, I'd like to second the hope that things are going well and that the storm did not badly affect you.
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Originally Posted by Bach5G
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WOW, that Jet sounds amazing. I much prefer it to the Gosling. LOVE that tone! Sounds very much like the tone Julian Lage is currently sporting with his Collings. You can really "hear the hollow".
I have a Gretsch Hot Rod, with Filtertrons, and a tone switch, and I've never gotten it to sound like that...
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Congrats on the new Gretsch, it's a beauty.
I also had to figure out those controls with my 6120 as a first time Gretsch owner. My first Jazzmaster was even harder when you factor in the learning curve on the tremolo system.
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Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
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I’ve owned a couple of Gretsch jet guitars, one with Dynasonic and one with Filtertron pickups. These were the Japanese-made versions and they were wonderful. I loved the necks, the tones, and they looked great.
But, as you mentioned, there is a very noticeable treble loss when turning down the volume controls. Looking at the wiring, I couldn’t see a cause so maybe it has to do with the way the pickups interact with the pots.
I found the guitars to be great for recording or solo work, but unusable in a band context. With the notable exception of Brian Setzer, you don’t see a lot of guys playing Gretschs in bands.
Anyway, your guitar sounds really nice! Glad it’s working out for you.
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Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
I've been using the time to some quiet practice.Last edited by Jim Soloway; 09-25-2022 at 04:06 PM.
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