NGD - Oh no, not again...

downbytheriver

After a great gig at our local blues venue on Friday for which I used my two remaining 5420s, a gentleman approached me and asked me about the guitars - they are both stock apart from a Compton bridge on one. He seemed puzzled that (his opinion) that they sounded better than his 6120. I can offer no opinion on why that might be but I have to say that they both sounded MASSIVE! 

Armed with the confidence that such an encounter brings, off I went to my local pusher on Saturday morning to try out a newly stocked guitar.



Surprise - another Gretsch. The 5410T Rat Rod. It’s very like a 5420 but the body has slightly less depth. Finished in a lovely papery white with black/white/black binding, white headstock, chrome hardware and standard black top Filtertrons with red inserts (yes I know but that’s what they are!) I understood that Electromatic production is moving  to China but this proudly proclaims itself Made in Korea. 

It’s a killer! I’ll be putting a Compton on it but otherwise, ready to go. I love the pickups - just the right amount of power and tone. I’ve found the 5420s to be really useable on gigs - not particularly feedback prone and easy to control - I’m anticipating this to possess the same characteristics. 

I guess that that means another 5420 will be on the market! 

Now - what about getting this pinstriped...? 

musicman100

I saw these new Rat Rods in a shop in Shrewsbury the day the had arrived? 

The white one looks cool. 

I didn’t bother trying them. 

Teyeplayer

That looks wicked. Happy new guitar day.

TINMAN82

They look killer except for the red pickup covers

steer

I really like that.

(Shame about the red on the pickups though!)

brucegill

Love the look of these! Never had a Gretsch either. I quiet like the grey ones too. 

Yup, get it pin striped!! Should look the part for sure. 

Good to hear some praise on these. 

Keefy

Can you still get Compton bridges? There were some posts on Gretsch Talk a while back which made me think that Pops had stopped making them and/or was no longer with us.

downbytheriver

Keefy said:

Can you still get Compton bridges? There were some posts on Gretsch Talk a while back which made me think that Pops had stopped making them and/or was no longer with us.

I think he was moving house or premises of something - anyway, he’s up and running again, and I’m always in the market for a secondhand Compton or Tru Arc! 

Winny_Pooh

That is a great spec, I really love the thinner body and lack of tension bar on the bigsby.

AlexO

That looks great! Would look even better pinstriped 

JezWynd

‘Scuse my ignorance but what’s ‘pinstriping’? Very cool looking guitar.
ps. Did you really shoot your baby?

downbytheriver

JezWynd said:

‘Scuse my ignorance but what’s ‘pinstriping’? Very cool looking guitar.
ps. Did you really shoot your baby?

Pinstriping... many styles and variants

skullfunkerry

That looks great! And personally I love the red pickups. Get some red in the pinstriping and they'll set it off nicely

downbytheriver

skullfunkerry said:

That looks great! And personally I love the red pickups. Get some red in the pinstriping and they'll set it off nicely

Precisely my thinking! 

brucegill

@downbytheriver ;Seeing as I’ve never had a Gretsch - What’s the deal with Compton Bridges? Also, are the Korea made versions any better than the China ones? Genuinely interested in one of these rat rod ones. Always wanted a fully hollow guitar too

notanon

downbytheriver said:

I understood that Electromatic production is moving  to China but this proudly proclaims itself Made in Korea. 

Are they all made in in Korea?

Happy NGD!

JezWynd

downbytheriver said:

JezWynd said:

‘Scuse my ignorance but what’s ‘pinstriping’? Very cool looking guitar.
ps. Did you really shoot your baby?

Pinstriping... many styles and variants

Interesting, thanks.

downbytheriver

brucegill said:

@downbytheriver ;Seeing as I’ve never had a Gretsch - What’s the deal with Compton Bridges? Also, are the Korea made versions any better than the China ones? Genuinely interested in one of these rat rod ones. Always wanted a fully hollow guitar too

This is a Compton bridge


Solid, not good for you if you are particularly intonation fussy but generally an improvement in tone and reduction in rattle over the standard tunomatic style bridge. Similarly, the Truarc bridge. 

Korean vs Chinese... hard to say. It used to be simple - USA Custom Shop - beautiful, brilliantly made, staggeringly expensive. Japan - Proline - very high build standard, great feel, great tone, absolutely proper Gretsches.  Korea - Electromatic - good build standard, proper Gretsch pickups (mostly the Blacktop Filtertrons but some others including Dynasonics). China - Streamliners - good build, slightly less attractive (to my eye but others will differ), generally Broadtron pickups (Filtertrons but Gibson humbucker sized) still a decent pickup but a bit less Gretschy. 

I have recently seen some Electromatic that were built in China, played fine, sounded fine. Time will tell whether standards are maintained. 

brucegill

downbytheriver said:

brucegill said:

@downbytheriver ;Seeing as I’ve never had a Gretsch - What’s the deal with Compton Bridges? Also, are the Korea made versions any better than the China ones? Genuinely interested in one of these rat rod ones. Always wanted a fully hollow guitar too

This is a Compton bridge


Solid, not good for you if you are particularly intonation fussy but generally an improvement in tone and reduction in rattle over the standard tunomatic style bridge. Similarly, the Truarc bridge. 

Korean vs Chinese... hard to say. It used to be simple - USA Custom Shop - beautiful, brilliantly made, staggeringly expensive. Japan - Proline - very high build standard, great feel, great tone, absolutely proper Gretsches.  Korea - Electromatic - good build standard, proper Gretsch pickups (mostly the Blacktop Filtertrons but some others including Dynasonics). China - Streamliners - good build, slightly less attractive (to my eye but others will differ), generally Broadtron pickups (Filtertrons but Gibson humbucker sized) still a decent pickup but a bit less Gretschy. 

I have recently seen some Electromatic that were built in China, played fine, sounded fine. Time will tell whether standards are maintained. 

Many thanks! Good info on what pickups are used too. 

Aggggg. I’m off to peach later to try and find one of my kids his first guitar. My wife just ordered her first bass. I don’t think I can resist!! 

fields5069

I really love my 5420. Is there much difference, tonally?

downbytheriver

fields5069 said:

I really love my 5420. Is there much difference, tonally?

On first trying, not a vast amount but I’ll reserve judgement until after I’ve gigged it!