Reverend better value than Electromatic these days?

Caffeine_Vampire

Just browsing the Gretsch Electromatics and my head keeps getting turned by the likes of the Rev PA-1/Club King etc. Any rockabilly types out there have any opions/experiences? 

TheMarlin

The Reverend PA-1 is an awesome guitar. I’m a huge Gretsch fan, but the Electromatics are far too expensive given the quality and appalling factory setup.  They need to up their game on hardware quality, nuts are particularly crap quality, made of the grippiest hollow plastic on earth. 
I’d take an Ibanez AFS75T over a Gretsch G5420, way better guitar. I’d take the cheaper G2420 over a G5420!!! Better guitar for half the money!!  Even with upgrades to TV Jones, still cheaper than a 5420.

Reverend, great guitars, great hardware, great pickups. You just need to play a few to find the one that feels just right. They vary a lot in feel, but not quality 

Caffeine_Vampire

@TheMarlin Appreciate your excellent response. I’m usually a ‘brand’ name guy, partly  because of the better resale value but, even though I’m just window shopping, Reverend are a very convincing alternative to Electromatic Gretsch at a similar price point. The Rick Vito Classic, Club King RT and Pete Anderson models in particular are all very appealing. 

TheMarlin

I’ve owned many Gretsches, still have a few. Ive owned a Reverend PA-1. The Pro Lines Gretsches are excellent guitars, worth every penny.  
The PA-1 is up there with the Pro Line Gretsches, and one of the few guitars I genuinely regret selling. It’s in a different league to the G5420. 

I’ve just bought back another i regretted selling, my old Gibson ES195. A glorious guitar. Happy days. 

I used to own a Fairlane Blue G5420. It took a buttload of work to get it playable. Changed out the nut, crappy rattling bridge, cruddy tuners, has to get it professionally set up (twice). Then the switches failed. It took a while to dial in the pickups, but after all that work, I manged to turn that fetid turd into an awesome guitar that sounded incredible and played beautifully 
Unfortunately, all that work and considerable cost REALLY pissed me off, and I got rid of it. The person who bought it got an astonishingly good guitar. 

That’s why I can’t recommend a G5420. It’s juat not good enough. The pickups are excellent, in fact, I personally rate them higher than TV Jones Classics. But if the rest of the hardware is cheap sh1t, then it kind of ruins the guitar. 

Buy the Reverend, you will not regret it.....or save up for a Pro Line Gretsch

dazzajl

I’m a huge Gretsch fan and would take the PA 1 over the 5420 too, for all the reasons Marlin has gone through. 

Caffeine_Vampire

Buy the Reverend, you will not regret it.....or save up for a Pro Line Gretsch

I’d love one but that ain’t happening anytime soon. 

Caffeine_Vampire

dazzajl said:

I’m a huge Gretsch fan and would take the PA 1 over the 5420 too, for all the reasons Marlin has gone through. 

Appreciate that. Gonna take a serious look at it. 

pintspiller

Have you played the Reverend? They always look great. Sound great too. Don't always sound the way they expected based on looks

Caffeine_Vampire

pintspiller said:

Have you played the Reverend? They always look great. Sound great too. Don't always sound the way they expected based on looks

Nope, I’m a window shopper at this stage. I fancy a hollow/semi-hollow body for some rockabillity and immediately headed for Gretsch when I remembered Reverend. 

dindude

For balance my experience is a bit different. The cheaper Gretches I’ve picked have looked like astonishing value, but I’ve never lived with one.

I have had two Reverends though - the first was fine but had a rattling bridge and was just a little generic in everything it did.

The second I sent back to the shop - it had finish flaws, no sustain, very square fretboard edges, so so fret job, again sounded generic and average - it was a £350 guitar at best masquerading as a £700 one.

Caffeine_Vampire

I’m beginning to see a very a very expensive Gretsch in my future...

Gerz6558

Caffeine_Vampire said:

I’m beginning to see a very a very expensive Gretsch in my future...

I think that would be the wise choice. I recently got a g6129 jet in gold sparkle. The best all around guitar I've ever had without question.

Caffeine_Vampire

Gerz6558 said:

Caffeine_Vampire said:

I’m beginning to see a very a very expensive Gretsch in my future...

I think that would be the wise choice. I recently got a g6129 jet in gold sparkle. The best all around guitar I've ever had without question.

It’s kinda weird, considering my love for 50’s rock’n’roll that I’ve never owned a Gretsch. Every MIJ model I’ve played has felt like wrapping my arms around a million dollars. 

dazzajl

A Japanese Gretsch is really where you want to go with this. Although I appreciate that’s easy to say and a lot of cash to make appear. 

My experience with Reverends is also that they are not all made equal, so yes, you really do need to hold and play one before you part with the money. But unlike Electromatics, there are some absolutely amazing examples out there. 

I dont really know why but every Electromatic I’ve ever played has felt completely lifeless. Even when they sound great and play easily. Conversely, every 6 series has been a living being, even when it’s not played all that well. 

I’ve not had the chance to play one yet but everything I’ve heard suggests I’d be much happier with something from the Streamliner series than an Electro. 

Greatape

I have one if the US phenolic Reverend guitars. The neck might be the best Fender style I've played.

JayGee

I think the problem with this sort of comparison is that a lot of Gretsch guitars are unique, idiosyncratic, and iconic enough that there really is no alternative - if you really want something like (say) a 5420 in Cadillac Green (and who wouldn’t?) and can’t spring for the equivalent from the Professional range (let alone the Custom Shop stuff) then it’s hard to see anything else really lighting your fire no matter what the compromises involved... 

See also “Brand R”, where it’s even more of a problem because there are no (legitimate) affordable alternatives at any quality level... :-(

steer

I see that the Electromatics are getting a bit of a kicking on this thread, but my 5420 is fabulous, as is my friends old 5120.

Maybe there are some duds out there - but I cannot fault mine after living with it for 5 years.