Anyone here play a Gretsch?

Jethro Rocker said:
I get it. I am just saying not every Ibanez for example is made the same and is crap. Custom shop Japan or not, they still are not made in US. Does not mean inferior. Personal taste, sure. But not necessrily inferior.
Steve Vai, Satch... examples... not made in US regardless of the quality.
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All the artist models are set neck and the Japan builds are very good quality, as they should be at that price point.

I can't comfortably play a lot of the guitars people rave about, especially narrow, thin necks, upon which I cannot fret open chords.
 
I too wear XXL gloves -- 6'3 and 205 your skinny -- Im 6' and 195 !!! (maybe Im fat....hhmm) anyway yes we all are big dicks --er or have big sticks or what ever--

All I know is ...........
I musta got lucky this one is fine -- id say build quality on par with the new Epiphone Classic LP I bought last year binding frets fretboard paint finish etc all perfectly normal for the (600.00 --new--) buy in range -- fretboard material on this 2017 (roesewood??) is better than the laurel
nothing on it screams cheap--
it is LIGHT compared to a lester
the neck is narrow-- especially if I play my zero fret 2015 les paul Jr first then switch (the Zero nut neck range for gibbo are stupid wide)
-- but as I am not a pro I am not required to hit every note perfectly to feed my family
and I am not recording or making $ then the variable is actually FUN and refreshing!!

It FEELS different to play the Gretsch and it SOUNDS different (are they the best pups ever-- NO---are they better than a 300.00 set of TV jones -- NO) but I only paid SLIGHTLY more for the whole damn guitar than a set of TV jones cost.......

so for me its different..... its like nothing else I play/own and -- FOR ME -- that is what I look for when Im opium den spelunking.......a NEW FIX man ....


Oh and hey KEEP YOUR STICK ON THE ICE!
 
eSGEe said:
I too wear XXL gloves -- 6'3 and 205 your skinny -- Im 6' and 195 !!! (maybe Im fat....hhmm) anyway yes we all are big dicks --er or have big sticks or what ever--

All I know is ...........
I musta got lucky this one is fine -- id say build quality on par with the new Epiphone Classic LP I bought last year binding frets fretboard paint finish etc all perfectly normal for the (600.00 --new--) buy in range -- fretboard material on this 2017 (roesewood??) is better than the laurel
nothing on it screams cheap--
it is LIGHT compared to a lester
the neck is narrow-- especially if I play my zero fret 2015 les paul Jr first then switch (the Zero nut neck range for gibbo are stupid wide)
-- but as I am not a pro I am not required to hit every note perfectly to feed my family
and I am not recording or making $ then the variable is actually FUN and refreshing!!

It FEELS different to play the Gretsch and it SOUNDS different (are they the best pups ever-- NO---are they better than a 300.00 set of TV jones -- NO) but I only paid SLIGHTLY more for the whole damn guitar than a set of TV jones cost.......

so for me its different..... its like nothing else I play/own and -- FOR ME -- that is what I look for when Im opium den spelunking.......a NEW FIX man ....


Oh and hey KEEP YOUR STICK ON THE ICE!
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That's awesome news, Man!!!!

I want to try and cover each section of your post in order.

You are right in that they certainly feel different. It's a feel I cannot warm up too. I dread playing them when i am working on the QC/Setup line, but that's just me.

TBTH, you probably could earn a living with one of these guitars. I played a MIK Squire for 28 years. However, I've just become more of a fan of high quality American made/UK made stuff recently and that's what I am supporting.

My "problem" with these guitars is that I see how far off they are from the factory and you would never believe how much work sometimes has to be done to get these models ready for the retail environment. Scrathes are filled and polished out, frets re-seated, basically, there are repairs performed on them on every level to correct the errors that come from a high speed, modern production line.

It's like I said, the build is done by that factory, but ALL setups are done right here. Now, here's the kicker....

On the MIJ Gretsch models, those start at around $2,800.00, every single guitar is inspected. On the lower end models, Indonesian and Chinese, only a small percentage of a "lot" is inspected. If the techs don't find "significant" errors, then the rest of the lot goes to retail.

It is simply impossible for every guitar to be inspected. The volume is just too high.

It sounds you you got one that made it onto an inspection table and the tech did his or her job and performed a setup to specification.
 
possibly -- or it is 5 years old....perhaps the previous owner had it professionally set up/tweaked/repaired etc... (?) who knows but typically (regardless of brand name) I usually PREFER used as they typically have the "kinks" worked out of them ....... unless (as is occasionally the case) they are just dead wood no matter is done to them
 
Robert Herndon said:
On the MIJ Gretsch models, those start at around $2,800.00, every single guitar is inspected. On the lower end models, Indonesian and Chinese, only a small percentage of a "lot" is inspected. If the techs don't find "significant" errors, then the rest of the lot goes to retail.
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What about the Korean models? Are they treated the same as the Indonesian or Chinese units?
 
Robert Herndon said:
Some session sheets will actually mandate "Gibson Les Paul on this recording"
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Why is that?

Certainly a studio doesn't actually believe there will be any meaningful audible difference, especially in a mix, between a Les Paul and any other similar humbucker-based guitar. I don't say that to be sarcastic or facetious. I'm genuinely curious about this. Honestly, I find it just a little surprising. Who is mandating this sort of a requirement? Is it the studio, the composer...?

Do they mandate this because they really think there is something special about a Les Paul, or perhaps, because they more or less know what to expect from that guitar? If the latter, I could understand that line of reasoning. Is there perhaps some contractual agreement the composer or publisher has with Gibson? Have you seen similar mandates for any Fender guitars?

As you can tell, I'm grasping at ideas to see behind the curtain!
 
smitty_p said:
Why is that?

Certainly a studio doesn't actually believe there will be any meaningful audible difference, especially in a mix, between a Les Paul and any other similar humbucker-based guitar. I don't say that to be sarcastic or facetious. I'm genuinely curious about this. Honestly, I find it just a little surprising. Who is mandating this sort of a requirement? Is it the studio, the composer...?

Do they mandate this because they really think there is something special about a Les Paul, or perhaps, because they more or less know what to expect from that guitar? If the latter, I could understand that line of reasoning. Is there perhaps some contractual agreement the composer or publisher has with Gibson? Have you seen similar mandates for any Fender guitars?

As you can tell, I'm grasping at ideas to see behind the curtain!
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Yes,

A Les Paul has a certain tonal character and if a producer wants that, he or she will specify that guitar by name.

I have also seen sheets where the producer specifies a Broadcaster or Telecaster for a certain project.
 
maybe its their taking on "vintage checking" custom shop stuff? I kinda like it myself bet it FEELS like an old Gretsch and if you play it through oneo of them FEELING type tube amps you will get a warm fuzzy 50s throwback FEEEEEEEELING in your wallet..............
67plexi said:
Is Gretsch trying to give USA a bad name look at the poor finish on this one a guitar I have searched for over 40 years
never have seen one in real life an original one that is.

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Hey Plexi buy one and send here...... I will give you a FOOLS REVIEW and ...... let you know how it holds up over time......Ill return it in a decade or so ;)
 
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67plexi said:
Is Gretsch trying to give USA a bad name look at the poor finish on this one a guitar I have searched for over 40 years
never have seen one in real life an original one that is.

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Anything can be poor.
Remember the White SG with only half the screws for machine heads?
Nice QC there on all levels.
My whole point the last day has been that US made guitars are not necessarily any " better" than anything else. Once a guitar has flawless finish, neck etc etc there is no room for improving so there is no night and day difference at all in "quality". Only personal taste.
General blanket statements to the contrary are not useful IMO.
 
For me the particular gretsch scratched an itch and filled a niche --- as in I DIDNT HAVE ONE -- I could have spent the same on on ANOTHER Epiphone.....or ANOTHER ....(insert brand here) -- Or I could have spent even More on some other (clone/copy/knock off of a fender or a gibson frankly) but the Gretsch (much like the Godin) has SIMILARITIES ... but goes its own way .....it sounds different for some thats bad -- for me its good
it FEELS a little different (again for some bad -- for me GOOD)

other brands were in my sites..... several actually but the Margarita Momma just called to me and its here....Im happy ... I assume its happy .... and in todays world a FEW minutes or hours of HAPPY are worth a friggin fortune!

so go play and smile -- if its a 10,0000.00 Gibson through a 15,000.00 Dumble or a 100.00 epiphone through a 150.00 peavey .......... if your happy ??
"F" the rest !!!
 
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