Re: Gretsc 6163 amp, sounds like . . .
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gretsch-Guitars-Playboy-15-Watt-Tube-Amp?sku=480940
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gretsch-Guitars-6163-Executive-20W-Tube-Guitar-Amp?sku=480941
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gretsch-Guitars-G6164-Variety-40W-Tube-Guitar-Amp?sku=480942
I think that $3600 on the site was a list price, cuz not even the variety model costs that much.
Gretsch has three of them out, came out fairly recently. I played one of them about a week after the came out at Music Zoo. I played into it when I picked up my Epiphone after it was loaded with the PG/CC combo in it, a fresh set of D'Addarios and a nice set up. The amp was in the back, being that it was a new arrival so I got to crank it up. I gave the playboy model a spin (hell, I WISH! - hey, that almost sounded dirty, fella..). This one has the EL84s, 15 watts and has tremolo only, no 'verb. To difine its tone, it's very much like the Victoria Victoriette model. Clean sounds, combination of all the Fender eras, mostly like a brownface, easy to dial in that tweed edge but can also get very jazzy warm clean sound too. The eminence legned inside gave it a very nice low end, not farty like some Blackfaces tend to be, especially when overdrivven. The EL84s let the amp bark a little more at lower volumes, good for pushed bluesy sounds. Tremolo is very old school, psychadelic type tone. Can get very extreme unlike your usual blackface trem. Sounded best with the volume at about half with a warm, light crunch sound.
Amp is more crunchy than smooth overdrive (probably again from the EL84s and of course the fact that the Victoria amps are based off of Tweed circuits). Volume at about 1 - 2 oclock gave AC/DC style crunch . Raising the volume more added more and more sustain and a little more high end. The maxed overdrive is that simple, badass boutique tone. Not as "super british" as your Vox-inspired Bad Cats and Top Hats, which I am not too big of a fan of anyway, but is a big blend of american tone and british tone. Very tweed like, yet more tamed with a blackface lower end and a vox type midrange. Less gain than your typical Tweed, a lot of because the Eminence Legend speaker doesnt break up like those vintage alnicos.
The most surprising, or most "interesting" quality of this amp has to be the cab construction. Ive tried almost all of the amps in the Victoria line and have had some great experience with the quality of those cabs, the tweed was awesome looking and everything seemed secure and not as rattly as typical tweeds. Handles were very heavy duty, tons of leather around it and looks like its not going anywhere. Same thing with these gretsch amps, but definitely not nearly as rattly. Look great with the white piping, and the brown cloth and dark brown covering. Handle is very strong and the cabinet seems very sturdy. A+ on that part.
Many people who dislike the whole Vox-inspired EL84 Super British Matchless type thing will consider this amp to be like that. This amp, from my experience, definitely has more of an American tone with that added british midrange qualities. Sort of like putting a Celestion in a Blackface, it does not turn the amp into a british machine, but rather a blackface with some added british qualities. Amp is very versitile, clean has a lot of very different textures within that volume knob whether it will be a thinner, twangier sound, a big shimmering sound or a pushed edgy tone. Tons of sustain and saturation available. Definitely a great amp, especially the playboy from my experience, being a big fan of american amps with EL84 tubes (like my Gibson, Fender Blues and Pro Juniors and various Dr. Z amps).
Im wondering the same thing about the new Gibson amps too. They are PTP also, reverb and trem, similar features to the Gretsch amps but are less than half the price - about a grand for the 15 watt version.
