Anyone here play a Gretsch?

[Session 5]

Gretsch Guitars G5220 Electromatic Jet BT ... - Long & …​

Gretsch Guitars - G5220 Electromatic Jet BT Single-Cut with ''V'' Stoptail, Black Walnut Fingerboard - Casino Gold

Gretsch Guitars - G5220 Electromatic Jet BT Single-Cut with ''V'' Stoptail, Black Walnut Fingerboard - Casino Gold

www.long-mcquade.com

Picked this up in store after waiting for over a month for new product to arrive. Have to say Andrea was great to deal with, she was very helpful at all times, a great asset to L&M. Re. the guitar, I still can't believe it was only $599, fit and finish is excellent, but the sound of the chambered mahogany body is what really impresed me.

• 4.8/5
  (21)
• Availabilit

 

[Inspector #20]

Right. So I wondered when you simply said Made in China what that meant.

That's pretty much the top selling Gretsch models...Made in China.

Not many $10,000 units going out the door.

 

[Inspector #20]

While I have some US guitars, some Japan, some China some Korea... I get good ones and enjoy them. Doesn't make any difference to me.
A guitar made overseas is not necessarily inferior to anything else. I think in a blind taste test and no label it would often make no difference.

In the past, I've used a lot of budget gear, but I've changed my position on things after I started seeing the huge difference in quality.

Look at the difference I'm a British made Marshall and a Vietnamese build.

Compare the China made Celestion to my made in England Celestion Copperbacks.

I've pulled my 2021 Les Paul out of the case and laid it down next to several guitars for comparison. My Gibson is light years beyond a MIJ Gretsch, even though both are $2,900.00 retail guitars, in terms of detail in the build, finish and attention to detail.

You may very well enjoy a _______ made in ______ and that's great if you don't see all the mistakes....and most enthusiasts won't, which is great too, but there is a huge difference in build quality and I'm not willing to compromise any longer.

 

[Inspector #20]

Of course, I realize that I'm a minority and I'm good with that. Always have been. Always will be.

Music is my living. I'm still doing session work and it's still a significant part of my income.

For much the same reason I use Snap-On tools when I service a vehicle, I'm using a Gibson Les Paul when I'm recording.

Some session sheets will actually mandate "Gibson Les Paul on this recording"

 

[Jethro Rocker]

In the past, I've used a lot of budget gear, but I've changed my position on things after I started seeing the huge difference in quality.

Look at the difference I'm a British made Marshall and a Vietnamese build.

Compare the China made Celestion to my made in England Celestion Copperbacks.

I've pulled my 2021 Les Paul out of the case and laid it down next to several guitars for comparison. My Gibson is light years beyond a MIJ Gretsch, even though both are $2,900.00 retail guitars, in terms of detail in the build, finish and attention to detail.

You may very well enjoy a _______ made in ______ and that's great if you don't see all the mistakes....and most enthusiasts won't, which is great too, but there is a huge difference in build quality and I'm not willing to compromise any longer.

I can see build quality too. My Ibanez Prestiges will hold up to anything else. No sharp fret ends. Nice action. Solid. Stays in tune. Plays great. No warping.
Seems good enough for Joe Satriani who is not considered an enthusiast IMO.
I have several Gibbys including a Custom shop. I pay attention to detail but do not measure everything with calipers, I see no point at all. Set it up to play how you want.
The Gibbys are not nevessarily any better built than anything else I have.
Not knocking the Gibsons, I love them too.

BTW your UK made Valvestate did crap out on you. Anything can.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Of course, I realize that I'm a minority and I'm good with that. Always have been. Always will be.

Music is my living. I'm still doing session work and it's still a significant part of my income.

For much the same reason I use Snap-On tools when I service a vehicle, I'm using a Gibson Les Paul when I'm recording.

Some session sheets will actually mandate "Gibson Les Paul on this recording"

You have done music for a living for a long time. Always used US made Gibsons? You can do it with anything. While my first guitar the Goya L6-S copy may not be to the quality level of the Gibson in some ways, it has servwd me very well since 1978 when Japanese guitars were considered cheap amd inferior.

 

[Inspector #20]

While I have some US guitars, some Japan, some China some Korea... I get good ones and enjoy them. Doesn't make any difference to me.
A guitar made overseas is not necessarily inferior to anything else. I think in a blind taste test and no label it would often make no difference.

I'm down to just my Gibson Les Paul, my hand made DoubleNeck and the 1984 Fender FrankenCaster.

Quite honestly, I feel like that's almost too many guitars for a working musician.

I gave away a Schecter Hellraiser C1FR PurpleBurst and an Adrian Smith Jackson to young people just starting out.

The Celestion speakers really drove home the quality thing for me. The British made Copperbacks are just remarkable when compared to the offshore Celestion's. The appearance is even different. There is no comparison.

I just started applying that logic to all my equipment.

Syscokid is build a hand wired, 50 watt master volume Marshall that is 100% USA sourced.

Absolutely the best quality out there.

 

[Inspector #20]

I can see build quality too. My Ibanez Prestiges will hold up to anything else. No sharp fret ends. Nice action. Solid. Stays in tune. Plays great. No warping.
Seems good enough for Joe Satriani who is not considered an enthusiast IMO.
I have several Gibbys including a Custom shop. I pay attention to detail but do not measure everything with calipers, I see no point at all. Set it up to play how you want.
The Gibbys are not nevessarily any better built than anything else I have.
Not knocking the Gibsons, I love them too.

BTW your UK made Valvestate did crap out on you. Anything can.

Joe and Steve are not playing production line Ibanez guitars. Those are made by the Japan Custom Shop.

Night and day difference.

 

[Inspector #20]

I can see build quality too. My Ibanez Prestiges will hold up to anything else. No sharp fret ends. Nice action. Solid. Stays in tune. Plays great. No warping.
Seems good enough for Joe Satriani who is not considered an enthusiast IMO.
I have several Gibbys including a Custom shop. I pay attention to detail but do not measure everything with calipers, I see no point at all. Set it up to play how you want.
The Gibbys are not nevessarily any better built than anything else I have.
Not knocking the Gibsons, I love them too.

BTW your UK made Valvestate did crap out on you. Anything can.

I agree, play whatever you like.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Joe and Steve are not playing production line Ibanez guitars. Those are made by the Japan Custom Shop.

Night and day difference.

You can get the custom shop ones. Point is, they are not made in US guitars yet are stoll killer. So are the other Prestiges as an example.
I guess I just wonder as you made a living for many years and didn't always play stricly US guitars. Did they work for you? Did you gig the heck out of the DSL 40s?
Sure, I assume. Nothing wrong with going that route of coyrse and qualoty is excellent. But road worthy quality can be found in many a product made many places.
Made in Cjina does not mean inferior to me necessarily.

 

[Inspector #20]

BTW your UK made Valvestate did crap out on you. Anything can.

Yes!!!!

LOL!!!

A 28 year old amp failed after several hours of high volume use.

That's my fault for subjecting it to how I play.

I really cannot fault the amp, or the British.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Yes!!!!

LOL!!!

A 28 year old amp failed after several hours of high volume use.

That's my fault for subjecting it to how I play.

I really cannot fault the amp, or the British.

Right. Just saying everything can break down.

 

[Inspector #20]

You can get the custom shop ones. Point is, they are not made in US guitars yet are stoll killer. So are the other Prestiges as an example.
I guess I just wonder as you made a living for many years and didn't always play stricly US guitars. Did they work for you? Did you gig the heck out of the DSL 40s?
Sure, I assume. Nothing wrong with going that route of coyrse and qualoty is excellent. But road worthy quality can be found in many a product made many places.
Made in Cjina does not mean inferior to me necessarily.

I played a 1987 Korean made Squire for 28 years....I was broke and my bandmates bought it for me...it was $129.95 in 1988 brand new from White's Music in Tulare, California.

I couldn't really afford anything else and that's the biggest reason I used it. I put all DiMarzios and CTS in it, so I guess it was a kind of hybrid.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

I played a 1987 Korean made Squire for 28 years....I was broke and my bandmates bought it for me...it was $129.95 in 1988 brand new from White's Music in Tulare, California.

I couldn't really afford anything else and that's the biggest reason I used it. I put all DiMarzios and CTS in it, so I guess it was a kind of hybrid.

Hey it obviosuly worked well for you and you managed to succeed with it. That was my point all along. A supposedly inferior guitar can work well in the right hands.
I never look at where guitars are made I take them at whatever they are for me. That's why they make many different guitars - too many - at many price points and countries.
Money isn't the object for me amd I like the high fret access of the Axcess LP Custom. But I like whammy bars too amd do not like Strat necks or scale.
So I use other things. At whatever price they may be.

 

[Inspector #20]

Right. Just saying everything can break down.

We really can't compare notes.

I'm a QC inspector and I see things on a daily basis that you probably wouldn't believe even if you saw the gun camera footage.

Let's suffice to say that I've just got to a point where I've seen the differences in USA and UK products in comparison to others and I just cannot justify anything less.

Did I used to play import guitars???

Yes...when I could afford nothing else, I most certainly did, but I don't look back on those days of struggling to get by fondly.

 

[Inspector #20]

My Warmoth neck is a real marvel in terms of how well made it is.

Even guys who work everyday building necks are absolutely floored by the 1-3/4" x 1-1/8" Warmoth.

I used to scoff at Snap-On tool prices until I saw what a huge difference in quality they were compared to other makers, but it's all preference.

I'm just not "wowed" as easily as some and I've started looking at things with a much more critical eye.

 

[Inspector #20]

I've seen Ibanez Prestiges sawed apart that looked fine, but had a neck joint he'd in place with only a couple of dabs of glue...and these are considered great guitars.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

I've seen Ibanez Prestiges sawed apart that looked fine, but had a neck joint he'd in place with only a couple of dabs of glue...and these are considered great guitars.

Mine are 4 screw bolt ons. Can drop em down the stairs.
Mine are great guitars. Not EVERY guitar made outside US is crap. I get that you prefer US ones. Doesn't mean all the others suck just because you don't use them.
That would be a blanket statement that just simply isn't accurate.

 

[Inspector #20]

Mine are 4 screw bolt ons. Can drop em down the stairs.
Mine are great guitars. Not EVERY guitar made outside US is crap. I get that you prefer US ones. Doesn't mean all the others suck just because you don't use them.

I am happy for you.

I'm also happy I moved back to the USA line!!!

 

[Jethro Rocker]

I am happy for you.

I'm also happy I moved back to the USA line!!!

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.