BillAqua
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 1054
Chicago IL.
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Posted on Nov 17 2012 10:38 AM
Any Gretsch players here? I've sold all my Fenders(but one old American Std. Strat). Not that there's anything wrong with Fender but on my non-surf guitar time I work on fingerstyle stuff and the Fenders just aren't as compatible as the Gretsches. So I'm trying to make them work in the surf situation. Anyone else? Or anyone know of bands where they are used? I'd love to check em' out.
— "as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there"
https://www.facebook.com/reluctantaquanauts/
https://www.facebook.com/TheDragstripVipers/
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mad_dog
Joined: Sep 23, 2008
Posts: 349
Montclair, NJ
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Posted on Nov 17 2012 10:43 AM
There's a guy over on gretschpages selling a pre-fender Gretsch 6120 with lollar p90s installed. That's the one I'd go for.
MD
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josheboy
Joined: Mar 13, 2009
Posts: 2367
Twin Cities, MN
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Posted on Nov 17 2012 10:47 AM
Hey Bill. I use a 2008 Gretch electromatic Pro-Jet g5235t for my main axe (until i finally get the scratch together for an avri jm) and I love it. I have modified it with a compton compensated bridge, Chet Atkins Bigsby handle, and TV Jones T-armand pickups. It can surf pretty darned well if I do say so myself.
Starcrunch used a hollowbody Gretsch back in the day, and that thing could surf and rock just fine. Not sure about other surf bands though.
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CrispyGoodness
Joined: Apr 06, 2009
Posts: 565
North Cackalacky
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Posted on Nov 17 2012 11:05 AM
Brian Connelly of Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet played a Gretsch White Falcon on Stage and in the Studio for their surf stuff. He still plays hollowbodies in the Atomic 7, both of the Gretsch and Gibson Varieties.
IMHO, just about anything can surf if you've got a good clean amp with some reverb on it, and the guitar has some sort of whammy bar. I'm tempted to start an all-Les Paul or all Paul Reed Smith surf band to prove it.
--Crispy
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BillAqua
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 1054
Chicago IL.
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Posted on Nov 17 2012 11:13 AM
CrispyGoodness wrote:
Brian Connelly of Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet played a Gretsch White Falcon on Stage and in the Studio for their surf stuff. He still plays hollowbodies in the Atomic 7, both of the Gretsch and Gibson Varieties.
IMHO, just about anything can surf if you've got a good clean amp with some reverb on it, and the guitar has some sort of whammy bar. I'm tempted to start an all-Les Paul or all Paul Reed Smith surf band to prove it.
--Crispy
Yeah I tend to agree. As long as the amp is clean and you got a vibrato arm you're good to go. The Gretsch I've been using most is a 6122 Country Gentleman. It's got Filtertrons and I never thought I'd grab a humbucker guitar for surf but it mixes well with the other guitarist who uses a Strat mostly.
— "as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there"
https://www.facebook.com/reluctantaquanauts/
https://www.facebook.com/TheDragstripVipers/
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arny
Joined: Aug 22, 2010
Posts: 614
Netherlands, Europe
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Posted on Nov 17 2012 11:39 AM
Brent Cooper of Huevos Rancheros and Ramblin' Ambassadors is one of the best surf / rocknroll guitarplayers I know and he plays Gretsch.
I love playing a Gretsch next to my Fenders. Nothing can beat the twangy Duane Eddy sound with a touch of tremelo!
— www.alohasluts.com
Aloha Sluts on BandCamp
www.arnyzona.com (my photography)
Aloha Fest on facebook
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wafflejack
Joined: Jan 08, 2012
Posts: 42
Minneapolis
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Posted on Nov 17 2012 12:03 PM
I played a 5120 with tv jones filters, and I loved it for rockabilly and Chet Atkins finger style, but I had difficulty adapting it to surf music. I can see it working as a rhythm guitar, but I prefer single coils for for definition with individual notes. I think if you were to go gretsch, that a dynasonic equipped model would do quite well. The bigsby is a lovely tremolo system for surf type swells as well.
Cheers
— Dark City
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CrazyAces
Joined: Jul 31, 2012
Posts: 4054
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted on Nov 17 2012 04:10 PM
The 25.5 scale Gretsch guitars, such as the Falcons and Country Gents, work great for surf, although a great player with the right combination of elements, gear wise, can probably surf on anything.
I use a Falcon for live and recording with Crazy Aces and it's fantastic, get a lot of compliments on it.
I've used my Duojet in rehearsals and the band seems to like it just fine.
DeArmond equipped Gretsch do twang more though, especially on the lower strings, more so than filtertrons
— http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock
http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic
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BillAqua
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 1054
Chicago IL.
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Posted on Nov 18 2012 10:03 AM
Yeah I dunno if the scale length matters for surf. I used to use a Jaguar exclusively in the Reluctant Aquanauts so the 24.6 scale length of the standard Gretsch seems kind of big.
I was using a Duo Jet for awhile. It was a 6128-DSV. The Cliff Gallup model. The pickups were REALLY noisy in a bar situation.
— "as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there"
https://www.facebook.com/reluctantaquanauts/
https://www.facebook.com/TheDragstripVipers/
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FallenSaint
Joined: Aug 16, 2010
Posts: 5
Atlanta, Georgia
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Posted on Nov 18 2012 10:28 AM
Gretschie here - I have the 6120 Chet Atkins model. I think it plays surf stuff really well - although I prefer a solid body for those kinda sounds... Hard to reach the upper frets on a big hollowbody, as well. Getting past the twelth is a bit "challenging" to say the least... But the twang you get from filtertrons is just so, well, "Gretsch" - and it kicks arse on tunes like "Sleepwalk"... I love mine, and it is the one guitar in my arsenal, I will never part with.
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FallenSaint
Joined: Aug 16, 2010
Posts: 5
Atlanta, Georgia
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Posted on Nov 18 2012 11:11 AM
CrazyAces wrote:
I use a Falcon for live and recording with Crazy Aces and it's fantastic, get a lot of compliments on it.
Indeed - nothing invokes "ooh's and aah's" more than my Gretsch. From a purely aesthetic standpoint - they are beautiful instruments.
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so1om
Joined: May 10, 2012
Posts: 492
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Posted on Nov 18 2012 11:39 AM
scale length doesn't make a difference to me.
what i notice, after playing 35 years.. it's like a moment of clarity.. I find the profile to be significant as well as how wide/flat the fretboard is. I tend to fight my 67 Gretsch Rally -i love it for some stuff, some styles.. but lately the 09ish Epi SG and the VM Jag tend to almost play themselves.
Bob Bain did it all on a Tele.. so i wouldn't worry about it too much.
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Las_Barracudas
Joined: Apr 24, 2011
Posts: 1087
Surf City, NC
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Posted on Nov 18 2012 03:19 PM
I recently purchased a Gretsch 5420 and I'm really digging it. I could see using it for Surf for certain stuff, but I'll keep using my DiPinto Galaxie as my main Surf ax for now.
For other genres though the Gretsch is boss.
— METEOR IV on reverbnation
Last edited: Nov 18, 2012 15:20:25
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BillAqua
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 1054
Chicago IL.
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Posted on Nov 18 2012 06:14 PM
The Gretsch model that I think will make a standout surf guitar is the Gretsch 6119-1962HT.
If I can just get around the low output hilotrons and compete with the other guitarist in my band I think this could make one of the better surf guitars.
— "as he stepped into the stealthy night air... little did he know the fire escape was not there"
https://www.facebook.com/reluctantaquanauts/
https://www.facebook.com/TheDragstripVipers/
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CrazyAces
Joined: Jul 31, 2012
Posts: 4054
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted on Nov 18 2012 06:25 PM
HiLotrons could kick ass for surf!
BillAqua, if you're worried about output just use a boost or EQ pedal to bring the output up to your other guitars or guitars in your band.
I do this with a lot of low output guitars and it works great.
— http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock
http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic
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morphball
Joined: Dec 23, 2008
Posts: 3324
Pittsboro, NC
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Posted on Nov 18 2012 06:54 PM
I have to admit I've lusted for a G6129T Sparkle Jet for quite a while, and have always wondered what it would sound like for surfier applications, especially if you were to split the coils.
— Mike
http://www.youtube.com/morphballio
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CrazyAces
Joined: Jul 31, 2012
Posts: 4054
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted on Nov 18 2012 07:10 PM
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FritzCat
Joined: Sep 11, 2007
Posts: 685
Sonoma, CA
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Posted on Nov 18 2012 07:11 PM
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morphball
Joined: Dec 23, 2008
Posts: 3324
Pittsboro, NC
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Posted on Nov 18 2012 08:16 PM
That video really isn't helping my GAS for a sparkle jet, haha... CrazyAces- do any of the TV Jones equipped Gretsches come with a coil-tapping switch, or is it just a mod you did?
— Mike
http://www.youtube.com/morphballio
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JakeDobner
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
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Posted on Nov 18 2012 08:16 PM
Eric used a Duo Jet for the the last several years of the 'Verb. He never tried getting a "twangy" or "surfy" sound out of it though. Just a nice tone that was really trying to be anything.
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