Looking to canvas opinion on the sort of new Gretsch G5232t Double Jet which came out last year - has anyone played one or something similar with the blacktop filtertrons? It seems pretty much ideal for me and ticks a lot of boxes for a guitar that shines more with distortion and fuzz.
I'm sort of confused by the following;
- It's only £50 more than the Streamliners (with bigsby)
- The difference between Blacktop Filtertrons, Blacktop Broadtrons and normal Broadtrons
I'd been set on a G2622t Streamliner for ages but I'm thinking whether the extra few quid initially will pay off in terms of not having to swap out pickups or electronics at some point down the road. I also have a (probably irrational) fear that the Double Jets are quite small and it'll feel a bit like a toy.
Comments
My trading feedback: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/210335/yorkie
They're slightly less treble heavy than a typical Filtertron but they've definitely still got that Gretschy sound to them and I think they sound better with distortion than the regular type.
There are pages and pages on the Gretsch forum discussing the differences between different Filltertron varieties, but I think ultimately the differences are small, especially compared to something like the Broadtrons, which are very close to PAF-style pickups with a good treble response.
My trading feedback: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/210335/yorkie
a lot of guitar for the money. The pickup switch fell apart a few weeks after I bought it, but apart from that no issues.
When using with a driven sound it has a lovely gruff sound to it, not like anything else I’ve owned.
I think Black tops ..... or in the case of my own guitar 'Pearl Tops' are the acceptable and easily digestible pickup option on a Gretsch. If you are going to play more 'modern music', they are a great compromise. They do a very acceptable Malcolm Young, and can do some very White Stripes/Black Keys Lo Fi fuzz shenanigans far better in my opinion than PAF style pickups as they have better clarity going in.
If you want a classic rock and roll/rockabilly tone - they will do it okay, but rockabilly - and a great deal of rock and roll - pre dated the humbucker by several years and was made with single coils - with either P90s, Dynasonics or on Telecasters.
If you want a general purpose, play anything pickup on a Gretsch, you can't do much better than a Blacktop.
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
The Electromatic Jets are not ‘real’ Gretches in my book. I put a pair side by side and wrote some pish to say why I thought the Electros are very excellent but not strictly Gretsch.
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
My trading feedback: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/210335/yorkie
My trading feedback: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/210335/yorkie
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
My trading feedback: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/210335/yorkie
My trading feedback: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/210335/yorkie
Originally Gretsch hollow body guitars were fitted with DeArmond D2000 pickups, known as Dynasonics. These pickups had been around since the late 1940s and were hot and really quite snarly. Being 44awg wound to around 12.5k
Pretty much all modern Dynasonics have had their output decreased, though they a
When Chet Atkins became a Gretsch endorsee he wanted pickups both more HiFi than the Dynasonic, and without hum.
Hence the arrival of the classic Filtertron in 1958 that was about 4.5k and had a huge 1/4 inch thick alnico 5 magnet.
Just like Gibson had it's Norlin years, and Fender had its CBS years, Gretsch was bought by Baldwin ... and the quality went to hell in a handbasket.
One thing that was done was that the Filtertron was 'modernised' with smaller magnets and it's that pickup that Gretsch says their Black Top Filtertron is based on.
Fast forward to Gretsch being made in the Far East and the first Electromatics were fitted with basically a generic Far Eastern PSF style pickup, but 'Gretchified' with an H gate cover and twin rows of screw poles. These became known to Gretch aficionados as 'Dumbbuckers' and were also fitted to other far eastern hollow bodies like the Peavey Rockingham.
These were the precursors of the so called Broadtrons fitted to Gretsch Streamliners ... in fact I have had both on the bench and can't find much difference.
Not had a new Black Top apart ... but to my ear they lack the growl of the larger magnet size.
To play ... first of all the standard bridge rattles like a s--t house door in a force eight gale, and strings zing and ping behind it with all sorts of ghost harmonics ... hence the reason mine has a leather thong woven through the strings just in front of the Bigsby ... stops the ping.
So ... usual form is to replace the bridge with a Tru-Arc or similar, some do a zero fret conversion that helps the Bigsby stay in tune better ... and that's before we get into swapping pickups ...
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
I’m my opinion, the pick of the Electromatic range is the Korean built Rat Rod G5410T. Fantastic guitar, very similar to a Gretsch Anniversary in feel, and they play exceptionally well.
Tuners are good, electrics are good - and the action goes down to as low as my Gibson Les Paul.
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message