So, School Me On Gretsch Guitars...

Wazmeister

Right, just got in and got the evening meal sorted for Mrs Meister...

Just getting my thoughts together, and Id appreciate some 'spec' help between the two models i tried....

Got into Guitar Guitar Bham, and was helped by ever helpful Dave C. I was only in about 45 mins so these are VERY early, initial thoughts...

Hanging up, I thought they all looked a bit plasticky, and some were very blingy ! Im a relic man myself, and my main guitar is a gorgeous Masterbuilt Strat.

Anyway, nice new premises at GG, and I popped into the booth with the Annuversary G6118T in smoke green.

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/electric_guitars_detail.asp?stock=160106292009008

Wazmeister

Initial thoughts - wider than Id imagined - and Im a 49 year old stocky chap (carrying a bit of 'timber', as we say locally) - but the width was no biggy. Liked the thumnail markers...

Plugged it into a stock Princeton. Liked the neck, like the fretboard, which was a bit sticky/slow for my usual tastes; reminder me of the gloss neck on my Rickenbacker...

Anyway, the Annie felt solid. Not flimbsy like Id imagined. A few early chord and I
loved the feel and kin loved the sound ! 

Chimey, yet jazzy if needed. A suprprising HUGE range of sounds from the MV and the two pick up volumes (I think ? Have I got that right ?). Dig in and it growls.. LIIIIIKKKKKE it... a lot.

I then proceeded to get lost in playing; amd started to write, create and play 'new' stuff. Im not one for wanting to learn any ones elses riffs; ive always sought my own voice, and this kinda sound suits it. Hmmm, could this my 'prime' guitar I was thinking...

Wazmeister

So, I wanted to try another model... and Dave bought me the Falcon. Now this one is a G6136T Players Edition White Falcon - no idea what that means. Priced at £3090 and i know what THAT means (more than a quick evening meal with Mrs Waz Ill tell you...)

Plugged in. A bit heavier, but not too mch wider to my feel. Stunning. Kin stunning. Bloody shit kin ace cack wank stunning.

Are these pick ups a touch livier ? Certainly felt that way.... a bit 'more' of everything, although maybe there is a charm in those Annie pick ups. A bit more subtle on the Annie perhaps ?

Anyway. Loved the sound, loved the tuners, but preferred the whammy on the Annie for some reason. The Annie is very very nice and good value, and might yang easier around the neck ? I dunno...

Left to miss the traffic and aim to have a revisit on Thurs. 

musicman100

They are like marmite.

meltedbuzzbox

Check out the Chet Atkins models. For me they were the best players. 
Curious to see what you leave with.

And top tip, ask richtone what they're best price is for the model you want. They usually come in quite aggressive on the discount and guitarguitar will match it. I got £700 off my Gibson

mburekenge

Go Waz!

capo4th

Sweet dreams Warren !! Good luck I am sure you will find the right one.

The video below of John Squire in 1989 and his 1964 Gretsch Country Gentleman was fundamental in my learning the guitar and yet I still don't own a Gretsch.

Love the close up of John at 2.22 onwards hitting the tubescreamer for that amazing riff. 

Pure pop perfection.

Wazmeister

Bloody great clip of the Roses !

musicman100

capo4th said:

Sweet dreams Warren !! Good luck I am sure you will find the right one.

The video below of John Squire in 1989 and his 1964 Gretsch Country Gentleman was fundamental in my learning the guitar and yet I still don't own a Gretsch.

Love the close up of John at 2.22 onwards hitting the tubescreamer for that amazing riff. 

Pure pop perfection.

Sorry for been anal but it's not a 64 country gentleman.

Wazmeister

So, it appears that the PUPs in those two were the same ? Any thoughts on the TV Jones filtertrons ?

the_jaffa

musicman100 said:

capo4th said:

Sweet dreams Warren !! Good luck I am sure you will find the right one.

The video below of John Squire in 1989 and his 1964 Gretsch Country Gentleman was fundamental in my learning the guitar and yet I still don't own a Gretsch.

Love the close up of John at 2.22 onwards hitting the tubescreamer for that amazing riff. 

Pure pop perfection.

Sorry for been anal but it's not a 64 country gentleman.

What is it then?

musicman100

Wazmeister said:

So, it appears that the PUPs in those two were the same ? Any thoughts on the TV Jones filtertrons ?

That one has a supertron in the neck n a Filtertron in the bridge.

capo4th

musicman100 said:

capo4th said:

Sweet dreams Warren !! Good luck I am sure you will find the right one.

The video below of John Squire in 1989 and his 1964 Gretsch Country Gentleman was fundamental in my learning the guitar and yet I still don't own a Gretsch.

Love the close up of John at 2.22 onwards hitting the tubescreamer for that amazing riff. 

Pure pop perfection.

Sorry for been anal but it's not a 64 country gentleman.

Really @musicman100 ; what is it? 

musicman100

Well I would say it's a 1966.
It's the same as mine picture effect here?
<a href="http://s1078.photobucket.com/user/davidmountan123/media/DSC_0082_zpstvjc5xok.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1078.photobucket.com/albums/w494/davidmountan123/DSC_0082_zpstvjc5xok.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC_0082_zpstvjc5xok.jpg"/></a>

Wazmeister

http://www.pdmcauley.co.uk/guitaristpages/guitar/GUITARS.html

capo4th

It's quite well documented that it's a 64 with a supertron installed.

Its no biggie yours also has a different pickguard and bigsby 

musicman100

capo4th said:

It's quite well documented that it's a 64 with a supertron installed.

Its no biggie yours also has a different pickguard and bigsby 

The one in the video looks to have black felts around the two mute levers, which were not on 64s, and aims to a later model 
Wazmeisters link shows a 64 with red felts around the mute levers. 

musicman100

capo4th said:

It's quite well documented that it's a 64 with a supertron installed.

Its no biggie yours also has a different pickguard and bigsby 

capo4th said:

It's quite well documented that it's a 64 with a supertron installed.

Its no biggie yours also has a different pickguard and bigsby 

capo4th said:

It's quite well documented that it's a 64 with a supertron installed.

Its no biggie yours also has a different pickguard and bigsby 

64s came with a supertron pick up 

capo4th

musicman100 said:

capo4th said:

It's quite well documented that it's a 64 with a supertron installed.

Its no biggie yours also has a different pickguard and bigsby 

The one in the video looks to have black felts around the two mute levers, which were not on 64s, and aims to a later model 
Wazmeisters link shows a 64 with red felts around the mute levers. 

64 here in the link with black felts correct scratch plate and bigsby looks the same as Squires guitar to me Your pictured 66 has a different scratch plate and different trem arm?

http://gretschpages.com/forum/vintage-gretsch-guitars/1964-gretsch-country-gentleman/54365/page1/

Dont want to argue about it you may be an expert and I am certainly not but have always believed it to be a 64.

The chap on the Squire files is an expert on Johns gear probably down to his patch leads...
the guitar is his personal guitar from his tribute band and is not a 64 just a reissue made to look like Johns with a supertron in it...

musicman100

I'm certainly not arguing with anyone and i never claim to be an expert.
I was just saying. 
The problem is that not everything you read on forums is correct.
one of the links also states that it could also be a 65!!!
And that only 64/65 had the supertron which is tolltally wrong.