Question for the Gretsch owners/players.

[Artie]

I've noticed that many of the Gretsch's have three volume controls. Neck/bridge and Master. I would think that this would really load the pups down and compromise some high-end and brightness. So, does it? How do Gretsch's sound in terms of clarity and high-end definition?

Thanks all;
Artie

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Question for the Gretsch owners/players.

The pickups are bright and the couple '50s hollowbodies I have played were all maple so I would say a little rounding off of highs is probably a good thing. No icepick.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Question for the Gretsch owners/players.

On mine, which are reissues, yes it loads them up and makes them mud when you turn down even a bit. I keep all the volumes dimed and only use the master volume, but only rarely touch that.

 

[Artie]

Re: Question for the Gretsch owners/players.

Thanks guys. I wonder if they're using 500k's. I perused their wiring diagrams and they don't list component values. (Except for the caps.)

But I'm still GAS'ing for one.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Question for the Gretsch owners/players.

Thanks guys. I wonder if they're using 500k's. I perused their wiring diagrams and they don't list component values. (Except for the caps.)

But I'm still GAS'ing for one.

I can only state that on the Electromatic I had (5120) that the Alphas for the individual volumes were indeed 500k.

I've got a Dusty Rose Falcon and I have probably logged more playing hours on it in the last 3 years than anything else...and I NEVER expected that! I mainly use the master on mine, and when I had the electromatic I mainly used the master on it too. I never found the loading to be bad. The guitars sound great at all volumes to me. IIRC...true trons have a higher inductance than Gibson style buckers so the reaction to loading seems to different too I'd say. Also some people use a 1M for the master to combat signal loss. Never tried it, only heard of it.

Luke

 

[Artie]

Re: Question for the Gretsch owners/players.

Thanks Luke. That makes sense. If I were to get one, that would probably be my first mod.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Question for the Gretsch owners/players.

First, Gretsch D'Armond pickups are breathy and sharper and brighter than typical pickups -so it's not exactly apple to apples comparing to other guitars like Fender and Gibson. -but that said, I don't ever use the tone or volume pots on my Gretschs (I have 5), -I push the full bandwidth signal to a pedal buffer and then tone sculp with a GE-7 equalizer usually and volume pedal POST buffer. Sounds livelier and better that way IMO

 

[Artie]

Re: Question for the Gretsch owners/players.

Cool. I have an MXR 6-band EQ that I rarely use. If I snag a Gretsch, I've got that covered.

 

[Dave Locher]

Re: Question for the Gretsch owners/players.

In all my years I have never owned a Gretsch because I so rarely saw one for sale and always at a steep price, but they are the coolest guitars in the world and I don't think I have ever heard anyone playing one that sounded bad. They just sound great.

 

[Artie]

Re: Question for the Gretsch owners/players.

Ok, well clearly they aren't lacking in brightness or clarity. Or twang, for that matter.

 

[Artie]

Re: Question for the Gretsch owners/players.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Question for the Gretsch owners/players.

Fender amps help with the brightness and twang.

Exceptions are Fenders with 10” speakers like Super Reverb, Vibro King, etc. For example, almost all of The Who recordings from Who’s Next through around Who Are You were done on a 1959 Gretsch 6120 through a 1959 Fender Bandmaster 3x10” - basically all the most growling power chord heavy stuff they did - not exactly bright. So amp will matter.

 

[Artie]

Re: Question for the Gretsch owners/players.

I got to try a few out at my friends music store last week. As much as I like the idea of the F-hole and set-neck solid body, the little Jet Club was the one that really "clicked" with me. The neck fit my hands perfectly. I just may snag it.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: Question for the Gretsch owners/players.

I got to try a few out at my friends music store last week. As much as I like the idea of the F-hole and set-neck solid body, the little Jet Club was the one that really "clicked" with me. The neck fit my hands perfectly. I just may snag it.

Jets are VERY cool guitars. I hope you do and then play the heck out of it!

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Question for the Gretsch owners/players.

I don’t own any Gretsch guitars any longer but I did have a couple & I regret selling the two I had. I had both mine loaded with TV Jones Tron’s which are incredibly punchy & pretty bright in a good way so I actually felt the the 3 volume setup was nice. Especially when I was playing them at higher volumes because they help to tame some of the feedback that’s just inherent to those big old rockabilly bodies...

When I sold the guitars I kept the TV Jones & used them in some of my other guitars. I built a Cabronita Junior that’s got a single TV Classic Plus in the bridge, I used the SuperTron neck in the neck of my Strat paired up with a Custom/Custom bridge, & I took the other calibrated set of SuperTron’s I had left over & installed then into my Limited Edition H/H Gibson Special turning it into what’s IMHO the worlds best guitar ever!!!

LOL, definitely in the top ten anyway!!!

My point is that the Grestch sound that’s provided by the FilterTron style pickups they are credited with using first is by far one of my favorite guitar tones ever!!!! Great clarity because of the lower impedance but punchy as heck & as loud or louder than many full sized PAF style humbuckers! It’s also a really great but often overlooked tone for people that are trying to bridge the gap between single coils & humbuckers....

 

[Artie]

Re: Question for the Gretsch owners/players.

Hmm. I'm thinking now, that I don't need a Gretsch guitar, (even though I fell in love with one), but just the Psyclone pups. I'm sure I have something that they'd work nicely in. Decisions, decisions.

 

[NegativeEase]

Re: Question for the Gretsch owners/players.

I loaned a Gretsch hollow body electric to a friend for a gig last weekend, he'd never really played one being from South America (I guess Gretschs aren't common in Venezuela) -he experience was basically Fender and Gibson solid bodies only -and mainly Strats..

He texted me a video of his gig playing it this weekend, and said he was in love.

 

[Artie]

Re: Question for the Gretsch owners/players.

Fueling my GAS.