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NVGD, 60s Gretsch Tennessean thanks to reverb.com

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  • impmannimpmann Frets: 12641
    Blimey chap, nice one (on both counts).

    You know you can always leave the guitar at my place for safekeeping when she starts crawling - its only a 10 minute walk.... it'd be quite safe! ;-)
    Never Ever Bloody Anything Ever.

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  • Yeah it was definitely one of those moments that felt so far fetched there was no way I could have made it up. Although Mrs Teyeplayer took some convincing, she was sure I’d taken out a credit card on the quiet! :)
    I bought a 1964 335 to celebrate the birth of my son - you’ve definitely done it the ‘right’ way....
    The finest guitar I’ve ever played was a 64 335, if I could have stretched to one for her, the temptation would have definitely have been there! Maybe I can get her a reissue for her first birthday...
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  • impmann said:
    Blimey chap, nice one (on both counts).

    You know you can always leave the guitar at my place for safekeeping when she starts crawling - its only a 10 minute walk.... it'd be quite safe! ;-)
    And very safe keeping it would be too, you are more than welcome to have a blast on it. Might have to start the equivalent of guitar library and try that rather fine build Andy has been doing for you.
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  • impmannimpmann Frets: 12641
    impmann said:
    Blimey chap, nice one (on both counts).

    You know you can always leave the guitar at my place for safekeeping when she starts crawling - its only a 10 minute walk.... it'd be quite safe! ;-)
    And very safe keeping it would be too, you are more than welcome to have a blast on it. Might have to start the equivalent of guitar library and try that rather fine build Andy has been doing for you.
    Sounds like a plan... :-) Always welcome, chap.
    Never Ever Bloody Anything Ever.

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  • Thats great! Try some 11 roundwounds on there.
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  • Thats great! Try some 11 roundwounds on there.
    I’m going to, try and brighten it up a little.
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  • LodiousLodious Frets: 1942
    What a lovely thing to happen! Congratulations x2!!!!
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  • TheMarlinTheMarlin Frets: 7744
    Wow. Just wow.  Why can’t I ever find these bargains ;)

    With regard to the bridge pickup, how close is the bridge pickup to the strings?  Can it get closer?

    I have hilotrons in my Corvette. They are a very low output pickup, similar in some respects to a goldfoil.

    I had mine rewound by Bareknuckle, to 4(neck) and 4.2(bridge) which made a big difference to the output.  Some friends had theirs rewound to 5, reporting excellent results

    If you like the neck pickup, leave well enough alone. But maybe get the bridge pickup goosed a bit.  Doesn’t cost much, and makes a hell of a difference. 

    Best of luck

    Marlin
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  • TheMarlin said:
    Wow. Just wow.  Why can’t I ever find these bargains ;)

    With regard to the bridge pickup, how close is the bridge pickup to the strings?  Can it get closer?

    I have hilotrons in my Corvette. They are a very low output pickup, similar in some respects to a goldfoil.

    I had mine rewound by Bareknuckle, to 4(neck) and 4.2(bridge) which made a big difference to the output.  Some friends had theirs rewound to 5, reporting excellent results

    If you like the neck pickup, leave well enough alone. But maybe get the bridge pickup goosed a bit.  Doesn’t cost much, and makes a hell of a difference. 

    Best of luck

    Marlin
    Cheers for the advice I knew you’d be the man to ask on all things Gretsch! :)

    I’m certainly thinking a bridge rewind is the answer moving forward. I’ve also noticed with both pickups that the pole pieces are massively raised -to an extent that I’ve not seen before, so I may shim the pickups a bit and then adjust pole pieces back to a normal level which may also help. I’ll see if I can get a photo with measurements tomorrow. 

    Another question for you... Compton or tru-arc, what’s your preference/experiences?
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  • MossMoss Frets: 2409
    I'm so ridiculously jealous!

    Glad it went to a great person though  :)
    Stop crying, start buying
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  • Moss said:
    I'm so ridiculously jealous!

    Glad it went to a great person though  :)
    Bloody hell, I don’t think I’d describe myself as great! :) Though I will gratefully accept it and might start reminding folks that this is the case occasionally. ;) 

    Cheers Moss, I must be honest, I’ve felt so much jealousy for competition winners over the years that this feels uncomfortably like inverse karma. I am wondering what it is I have to do to put the universe’s equilibream back...

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  • TheMarlinTheMarlin Frets: 7744
    edited November 2017
    TheMarlin said:
    Wow. Just wow.  Why can’t I ever find these bargains

    With regard to the bridge pickup, how close is the bridge pickup to the strings?  Can it get closer?

    I have hilotrons in my Corvette. They are a very low output pickup, similar in some respects to a goldfoil.

    I had mine rewound by Bareknuckle, to 4(neck) and 4.2(bridge) which made a big difference to the output.  Some friends had theirs rewound to 5, reporting excellent results

    If you like the neck pickup, leave well enough alone. But maybe get the bridge pickup goosed a bit.  Doesn’t cost much, and makes a hell of a difference. 

    Best of luck

    Marlin
    Cheers for the advice I knew you’d be the man to ask on all things Gretsch!

    I’m certainly thinking a bridge rewind is the answer moving forward. I’ve also noticed with both pickups that the pole pieces are massively raised -to an extent that I’ve not seen before, so I may shim the pickups a bit and then adjust pole pieces back to a normal level which may also help. I’ll see if I can get a photo with measurements tomorrow. 

    Another question for you... Compton or tru-arc, what’s your preference/experiences?
    The pole pieces should be mostly bottomed out, with a half of quarter turn here or there for balance. 
    Thd top surface of the bridge pickup (not the pole pieces, but the pickup itself) should be 5/32nds of an inch from the strings.  Unlike many Pickups, Gretsch Pickups have to be right up under the strings for best tone. 

    On Compton Vs Tru Arc, I’m more of a Compton guy.  I find the Tru Arc to be a taller bridge, and it can be hard to set correct string action without sanding the bridge base. The exception to this is the Tru Arc Lowrider Serpentune - which is about as perfect a bridge as I’ve ever had, but more tuned to Electromatics with pinned bridges - intonation for Pro Line and Vintage Gretsches, the Compton is my preferred way to go.  Titanium is really worth the extra expense, but aluminium and steel are also excellent.  I’ve not tried copper or brass. I’m not really a gold hardware guy. 

    I’ll dig out something about the pole pieces and get back to you
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  • TheMarlin said:
    Wow. Just wow.  Why can’t I ever find these bargains

    With regard to the bridge pickup, how close is the bridge pickup to the strings?  Can it get closer?

    I have hilotrons in my Corvette. They are a very low output pickup, similar in some respects to a goldfoil.

    I had mine rewound by Bareknuckle, to 4(neck) and 4.2(bridge) which made a big difference to the output.  Some friends had theirs rewound to 5, reporting excellent results

    If you like the neck pickup, leave well enough alone. But maybe get the bridge pickup goosed a bit.  Doesn’t cost much, and makes a hell of a difference. 

    Best of luck

    Marlin
    Cheers for the advice I knew you’d be the man to ask on all things Gretsch!

    I’m certainly thinking a bridge rewind is the answer moving forward. I’ve also noticed with both pickups that the pole pieces are massively raised -to an extent that I’ve not seen before, so I may shim the pickups a bit and then adjust pole pieces back to a normal level which may also help. I’ll see if I can get a photo with measurements tomorrow. 

    Another question for you... Compton or tru-arc, what’s your preference/experiences?
    There's a guy on Gretschtalk from Scotland that's custom making high quality solid bar bridge to your own spec.
    Dbridge 
    Db guitar parts should find him on Google.


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  • Might be worth checking out either gretschtalk or the gretsch pages. There' a lot of clued up guys on both forums that will help with any questions regarding your vintage Tennesseean. 
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  • TheMarlinTheMarlin Frets: 7744
    edited November 2017
    So, pickup guide. 
    https://imgur.com/a/xeIuL

    Start with the pole pieces all the way down. Non of the pole pieces should be raised more than a full turn of the screw.  You’ll see the B is all the way down, the low E is raises a half a turn, and the D a full turn. 
    This is just string balance.  If you need more output, raise the pickup as close to the string as possible. This is a guide, a starting point, trust your ears to make those final tweaks.  I find it takes me a weekend of playing to setup and tweak Gretsch Pickups to get them ‘just so’. 

    If you think it still needs more help, get the pickup rewound hotter. It only costs about £50, and is well worth it. It gives a bit more welly, but you still retain that great tone.  I love hilotrons. A very underrated pickup. 


    Chart my say TV Jones, but this works across all Gretsch Pickups, be they single coil or Filtertrons. 

    I’d be careful about putting a Fiktertron in the bridge, it’ll be a lot more powerful than they neck pickup. 

    If if you want something different, Mojo now do various Pickups in Filtertron mount, including a cool Charlie Christian, a bladed Filtertron, a P90, and their spectacular Filterfoil (goldfoil). 
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  • Thanks both for the wealth of information, this has been fantastically useful.

    @musicman100 I’ll Take a look at those bridges and get myself over to gretsch talk. 

    @TheMarlin that’s fantastic regarding pickup setting. I’m liking these hilotrons enough having had another 20 mins playing today to want to stick with them. I’ll set the hight and then consider a rewind rather than swapping for filtertrons.
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  • TheMarlinTheMarlin Frets: 7744
    edited November 2017
    I’m in High Wycombe if you want to come try the hotterer Hilotrons in my Corvette. Jaffacakes always on standby
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  • TheMarlin said:
    I’m in High Wycombe if you want to come try the hotterer Hilotrons in my Corvette. Jaffacakes always on standby
    Only an hour away, I may well have to take you up on that offer. 

    Have you tried the M&S lemon and lime jaffas? Fantastic with a cuppa! :)
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  • Brilliant! always wondered if anyone actually wins these competitions! 
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  • Brilliant! always wondered if anyone actually wins these competitions! 
    Absolutely, I always presumed it was a made up name with nothing to really give away. Clearly I was wrong.
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