Gretsch-like Hollowbody to put TV-Jones pickups in?

Corbic

Corbic

New member
I've been getting a ton of Gretsch and Filtertron pickup GAS lately, partly due to the Who's Bargain, the video of Dave Gilmour that Evan posted, and some ZZ Top clips with Gibbons playing his Billy-Bo Jupiter guitar.

Since there is next to no way I'd be able to afford a Gretsch anytime soon, I was looking for a guitar somewhat like a White Falcon or similar Gretsch hollowbody that I could put those humbucker-sized TV Jones pickups in. The guitars I was looking at were the Ibanez Artcores, which look like nice guitars, and I guess with the Filtertrons they would give sounds more akin to Bargain, the Dave Gilmour video, and the ZZ Top live clips with it. I was looking for suggestions for anything that would work, so I'd appreciate any. Thanks!

These were the Ibanez's I was looking at.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-Artcore-AFS75T-Electric-Guitar?sku=519452

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-Artcore-AF75-Electric-Guitar?sku=519453

-Corbic
 
Re: Gretsch-like Hollowbody to put TV-Jones pickups in?

I would say you might get in the ballpark with guild or DeArmond. they put out chambered lespaul style guitars. I played a billy-bo, which is a shambered guitar. GREAT sound.

http://cgi.ebay.com/De-Armond-Dearm...9QQihZ016QQcategoryZ41436QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/DeArmond-JET-ST...0QQihZ016QQcategoryZ41436QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/DeArmond-De-Arm...ryZ41436QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Dearmond-M-...0QQihZ016QQcategoryZ22670QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

the actual guild i would check out is the bluesbird with hummers. I didn't find one on ebay

here is a low dollar chambered tele that might get you there

http://cgi.ebay.com/Squier-Chambere...ryZ38083QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

i think those may be a starting point.
 
Re: Gretsch-like Hollowbody to put TV-Jones pickups in?

why a falcon? the 6120 is more the standard rock hollowbody

about what you're doing though, all high dollar gretsch hollowbodies have ebony fretboards & bone nuts, which do affect the sound a lot & you won't find em on a cheaper guitar

but one with a rosewood board will still sound good

aaand i should also add that the difference between gretsch filtertrons & tv jones filtertrons is the tv's are wax potted to reduce feedback.

all that said, have you seen these (mainly the first one)?

http://www.music123.com/Gretsch-G5120-Electromatic-i404667.music
404669.jpg





http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gretsch-Guitars-Electromatic-Pro-Jet-with-Bigsby?sku=511587

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/prod...romatic-Hollowbody-Electric-Guitar?sku=517730

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/GretschGuitarsElectromaticDoubleJetElectricGuitar?sku=511589

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/GretschGuitarsElectromaticSpecialJet?sku=511585



keep in mind that a set of tv trons will run you upwards of $200
 
Re: Gretsch-like Hollowbody to put TV-Jones pickups in?

Someone correct me if I'm wrong...but isn't the BillyBo a solidbody? Either way...its not gonna be NEARLY the same animal as a full hollowbody!

The bigger & deeper the body is the more it's going to want to "take-off" and feedback at gig volumes with even moderate gain behind it. A full hollowbody will want to go into instant feedback while a 335 style is MUCH easier to control in a "rock" setting. Whole different kind of animal though.

The other thing to think about is if you want a trem or not. I dig a Bigsby as much as the next cat but the ones on those Artcore's and other "cheap" guitars suck like a Hoover. It's hard enough to make a "real" one stay in-tune even with a graphite nut & Sperzels...but the cheap ones "rub" and catch and with the plastic nut & non-locking tuners it's impossible to stay in-tune for more then a minute unless you just never use the thing and really, what fun is that?!?
 
Re: Gretsch-like Hollowbody to put TV-Jones pickups in?

J Moose said:
Someone correct me if I'm wrong...but isn't the BillyBo a solidbody? Either way...its not gonna be NEARLY the same animal as a full hollowbody!

The bigger & deeper the body is the more it's going to want to "take-off" and feedback at gig volumes with even moderate gain behind it. A full hollowbody will want to go into instant feedback while a 335 style is MUCH easier to control in a "rock" setting. Whole different kind of animal though.

The other thing to think about is if you want a trem or not. I dig a Bigsby as much as the next cat but the ones on those Artcore's and other "cheap" guitars suck like a Hoover. It's hard enough to make a "real" one stay in-tune even with a graphite nut & Sperzels...but the cheap ones "rub" and catch and with the plastic nut & non-locking tuners it's impossible to stay in-tune for more then a minute unless you just never use the thing and really, what fun is that?!?
Click to expand...

the "billybo" is chambered. It looks solid, but the body is routed out, with a top glued on. To look at it, it appears solid, but it is a chambered guitar. I am a big fam of it, and most chambered guitars.
 
Re: Gretsch-like Hollowbody to put TV-Jones pickups in?

Forgive me for mention of this.:eek13: But if your talk'in cheap Gretsch-like Hollowbodies? Rondo had some Gretsch wannabe's on their site last time I visited.:13:
 
Re: Gretsch-like Hollowbody to put TV-Jones pickups in?

no way man, gretsch necks are longer than fender necks

helps with that twang
 
Re: Gretsch-like Hollowbody to put TV-Jones pickups in?

drew_half_empty said:
why a falcon? the 6120 is more the standard rock hollowbody

about what you're doing though, all high dollar gretsch hollowbodies have ebony fretboards & bone nuts, which do affect the sound a lot & you won't find em on a cheaper guitar

but one with a rosewood board will still sound good

aaand i should also add that the difference between gretsch filtertrons & tv jones filtertrons is the tv's are wax potted to reduce feedback.

all that said, have you seen these (mainly the first one)?

http://www.music123.com/Gretsch-G5120-Electromatic-i404667.music
404669.jpg





http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gretsch-Guitars-Electromatic-Pro-Jet-with-Bigsby?sku=511587

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/prod...romatic-Hollowbody-Electric-Guitar?sku=517730

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/GretschGuitarsElectromaticDoubleJetElectricGuitar?sku=511589

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/GretschGuitarsElectromaticSpecialJet?sku=511585



keep in mind that a set of tv trons will run you upwards of $200
Click to expand...

I saw that first one after posting this, and I am very interested in it. It could be my solution. I'm also interested in the third one there, though it is a little more expensive and has those DeArmond Single coil pickups instead. Would either of these two want to instantly go into feedback, as J Moose said, with a bit of gain like in the song Bargain? I don't use tons of gain, I play mainly overdriven classic rock and smoky, just-breaking up blues.
 
Re: Gretsch-like Hollowbody to put TV-Jones pickups in?

neither of them will be too bad. Just don't crank the **** outta your amp & sit directly infront of it

if you pick up that g5120 i'd invest in some TV's when you get the chance

and for the other one, i'd put in some real dynasonics. I dunno if you've ever played a dynasonic 6120 but that thing is ****in awesome

shoot me a PM and i can show you where to get that 2nd one for a lot cheaper. It'll be even cheaper if you go with a b-stock one, which usually only have like a tiny blemish in the finnish or some other tiny crap like that. But gretsch is owned by fender, and fender QC kicks ass, so they do that kinda thing where they won't sell something that has a tiny problem at full price
 
Re: Gretsch-like Hollowbody to put TV-Jones pickups in?

gripweed said:
Have you considered one of these? Looks cool to me. IIRC, one of the keys to the Gretsch sound is the unusual neck scale -- smaller than a Gibson.
Click to expand...

Gretsch scale is 24.6 inches, gibsons are 24.75, a bit smaller, but it sure as hell makes a difference in tone!

drew_half_empty said:
no way man, gretsch necks are longer than fender necks

helps with that twang
Click to expand...

Sorry, fenders are 25.5 inches, and that's longer than both gretsch and gibson's scales. A gretsch neck meets the body at the 15th fret, Gibsons meet at around the 16th fret, and most strats meet at the 17th fret.:smack: I'm not trying to be a jackass, i just dont like to see false information flying around.
 
Re: Gretsch-like Hollowbody to put TV-Jones pickups in?

Quencho092 said:
Gretsch scale is 24.6 inches, gibsons are 24.75, a bit smaller, but it sure as hell makes a difference in tone!



Sorry, fenders are 25.5 inches, and that's longer than both gretsch and gibson's scales. A gretsch neck meets the body at the 15th fret, Gibsons meet at around the 16th fret, and most strats meet at the 17th fret.:smack: I'm not trying to be a jackass, i just dont like to see false information flying around.
Click to expand...


my bad, they feel a lot longer
 
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