Dun Dood Da Doity Deed

Geezerjohn

Fractal Fanatic
I broke down and bought a Gretsch 58 White Penguin reissue. I own a lot of guitars but not one Gretsch. Should be a great addition to my stable of fillies. Perfect for modern P&W. She arrives on Friday. The Gretsch line of Vintage Select Editions are a great way to own a recreation of the classic Gretsch from their heydays of the 50’s and early 60’s. Can’t wait to take her for a spin through the AX8.
 
Congrats on the guitar, John! I have a Gretsch Country Gentleman JR that I bought around 2000. It's a sweet guitar that plays and sounds great and growly with a little gain. By far my prettiest guitar. Hurts my right forearm though if I play more than a set with it.
 
Congrats on the new axe, John. One of these days I'd like to add a Gretch to my assortment, too.

[cool story bro]

Back in the late '60s (when I was in 5th or 6th grade), my parents decided to buy me a better guitar than the unplayable no-name one that was my first electric. They had already decided I needed a hollowbody, in the event I wanted to play it unamplified. On the duly appointed Saturday, we went into town (Santa Fe) and the store we went to only had a couple of guitars that would fit the bill. One was a red Harmony Rocket, and the other was a brown Gretch Country Gentleman (with the padded back and everything). Money was tight for Mom and Dad, and the Gretch was just a little beyond their means, so I went home that day with the Harmony. I did a lot of learning on that guitar over the years, but as I grew older and learned more about guitars, I sure wished they'd have been able to afford the Gretch. Not long after that, they decided I needed a better amp than the little Fender Bronco they'd bought when they picked up the unplayable no-name guitar, so they found a slightly used Silverface Deluxe Reverb. 50+ years later, I still have that Deluxe. (The Harmony took a few flights across my bedroom being thrown in frustration, but it was still playable when I gave it to the kid next door once I got better guitars to play.)

[/cool story bro]
 
Congrats on the new axe, John. One of these days I'd like to add a Gretch to my assortment, too.

[cool story bro]

Back in the late '60s (when I was in 5th or 6th grade), my parents decided to buy me a better guitar than the unplayable no-name one that was my first electric. They had already decided I needed a hollowbody, in the event I wanted to play it unamplified. On the duly appointed Saturday, we went into town (Santa Fe) and the store we went to only had a couple of guitars that would fit the bill. One was a red Harmony Rocket, and the other was a brown Gretch Country Gentleman (with the padded back and everything). Money was tight for Mom and Dad, and the Gretch was just a little beyond their means, so I went home that day with the Harmony. I did a lot of learning on that guitar over the years, but as I grew older and learned more about guitars, I sure wished they'd have been able to afford the Gretch. Not long after that, they decided I needed a better amp than the little Fender Bronco they'd bought when they picked up the unplayable no-name guitar, so they found a slightly used Silverface Deluxe Reverb. 50+ years later, I still have that Deluxe. (The Harmony took a few flights across my bedroom being thrown in frustration, but it was still playable when I gave it to the kid next door once I got better guitars to play.)

[/cool story bro]
WOW, you just jogged my addled memory , I had a red Rocket for a short while as well as a young teen...don’t recall exactly where it ended up......
Congrats on your March to the Penguin, Geeze, bet she’s a beaut.
 
Congratulations on a wonderful guitar!! :) pics or it didn't happen!!!;)

I have well over 50-something guitars, and have repaired and set up hundreds more, and NONE of them beat back my Gretsch!! :D the PRS and Kiesels/Carvins come close, but the Gretsch has it's own special sound and vibe, and plays BEAUTIFULLY!! Sustains forever, PERFECT intonation right out the box, and so classy too ;)
 
So I have had her for a few days now. Thought I'd do a quick review.

Looks are absolutely killer. Great paint job and finish. Frets are flawless. Trim is a sight to behold. Action was set where I want it. Detail and finish are top notch, right down to the rhinestone gems on the volume pots. Wiring is a bit different than most of my guitars. There are 2 volume pots at the lower 40, one dedicated to the bridge pickup and one dedicated to the neck pickup. Then there is a master volume at the lower cutaway. Sweet. I can set each pickup how I want and then raise or lower the overall volume with the master volume. The Filter Tron pickups sound very cool. Very different voice than my other guitars, but that is why I bought it. On the top cutaway there are two selector switches (each a 3-way). The switches are a pickup selector, and a tone selector. Pickup switch does what you would expect (neck, bridge, both). The tone switch is pretty cool. It emphasizes bright, mellow, and very mellow. There are many combinations available between the pickup selector and the tone selector. Very versatile.

Now for the not so great. Love the way the Bigsby trem arm looks. That said, changing strings is a MAJOR pain. There are little screws under the Bigsby. You have to put the string ball over the little screw. Then keep the string tight while you thread the other end through the machine head. If you let the string go loose, it falls off the little screw. Essentially, you have to hold the string tight, and then with one hand thread the string through the machine head and tighten it. Grrrrrrrrr!! I think I found a work around by using a capo to keep tension on the string so I can use 2 hands to thread the machine head. Any way you serve it up, changing strings is a beast. Overall, I am very happy with how it plays and super happy with how it sounds and looks, but I am a player, not a collector. Changing strings is a common activity. Changing strings is no fun.
 
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