Question for guitar players. How do you feel about Gretsch guitars?

#1
Brave Volunteer

Brave Volunteer

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#1
I haven't bought a new guitar in over 10 years and lately, I've really been wanting to add a hollow body to my collection. I like the idea of having something with that big, wide, Beatle-esque sound that I can just pick up and either strum on acoustically or plug in and play through my Amp. Gretsch seems to have a pretty good reputation with these kinds of guitars and I was wondering if anyone here owns/has owned or played Gretsch before that can give me their feedback (no pun intended) on their experience with them.
 
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#3
#3
#4
#4
You need to go strum on one. In my experience, they don’t sound very good unplugged.

Looks wise, I agree they are cool. That Gretsch in your link is pretty. For another $500, you could probably get a used Gibson ES 335 with some honest wear and you wouldn’t lose much of anything if you decide to sell, might even go up in value if there is a hollow body renaissance.

If you’re in Nashville, go check out Corner Music. They carry the full lines of Epiphone and Gibson. Epiphone always has some blinged out hollow body stuff.
 
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#5
#5
Brave Volunteer said:
Seriously? Is it the ornate design that you don't like about them? I kinda like that about them actually. It makes them stand out from the rest of the pack. Especially one like this model...

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Gretsc...yUwRg1NJDGXA37tAsmnbnl75pHwIcBugaApz3EALw_wcB
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Not a fan. Mostly the odd shape. I like Strats and Explorers. Or a Tele or 335 if it has to be hollowed out a bit. Or a Reverend or Rickenbacker.

I’m not a big fan of Nudie suits either. But Gretsch is what Chet played though, so I’ll allow it.
 
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#7
#7
Thunder Good-Oil said:
I do kind of like the Malcom Young Gretsch however.
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Hmm maybe it's the fact that this particular kind of guitar is so out of "fashion" these days amongst players is the very reason I like it so much. I dont know why but I feel this guitar "calling" to me for some reason.

I will say, if I do end up getting it, the very first thing I'm doing is shedding that Bigsby and putting on a trapeze stoptail! I cannot stand Bigsby's and for whatever reason, Gretsch only offers a stoptail on the lefthanded version of this particular model.
 
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#8
#8
Brave Volunteer said:
Hmm maybe it's the fact that this particular kind of guitar is so out of "fashion" these days amongst players is the very reason I like it so much. I dont know why but I feel this guitar "calling" to me for some reason.

I will say, if I do end up getting it, the very first thing I'm doing is shedding that Bigsby and putting on a trapeze stoptail! I cannot stand Bigsby's and for whatever reason, Gretsch only offers a stoptail version on the lefthanded model.
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I think a lot of people are drawn to the look. If you look at used prices, you’ll see that a lot of the hollow bodies drop as much as 50% in price once used. You can probably find a great deal if willing to go that route.
 
#10
#10
Thunder Good-Oil said:
Not a fan. Mostly the odd shape. I like Strats and Explorers. Or a Tele or 335 if it has to be hollowed out a bit. Or a Reverend or Rickenbacker.

I’m not a big fan of Nudie suits either. But Gretsch is what Chet played though, so I’ll allow it.
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See, the way you feel about Gretsch is exactly how I feel about Rickenbacker lol. I find them to be ugly and their tone to be nothing special at all.
 
#13
#13
Yeah plenty of artists have used Gretsch besides Chet. John Lennon, George Harrison, Dave Grohl, Mike Campbell, Bono, Pete Townsend, Bo Diddly, Duane Eddy, Mark Knopfler, Malcom Young, Brian Setzer, Billy Duffy, etc.
 
#14
#14
VolunteerHillbilly said:
You need to go strum on one. In my experience, they don’t sound very good unplugged
Click to expand...

Yeah don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for or expecting this to take the place of an actual acoustic guitar. I already have a good acoustic. What I meant was, even with my solid body electrics, I probably spend at least 50% of the time playing unplugged simply because I like walking around the house, sitting on the couch, etc while playing and the noise doesn't annoy my wife and kids. So I thought a hollowbody would be a nice happy medium in that it would give me at least SOME resonance to play unplugged (not as much as an actual acoustic but certainly better than a solid body) while still allowing me to play higher on the neck.

For another $500, you could probably get a used Gibson ES 335 with some honest wear and you wouldn’t lose much of anything if you decide to sell, might even go up in value if there is a hollow body renaissance.

If you’re in Nashville, go check out Corner Music. They carry the full lines of Epiphone and Gibson. Epiphone always has some blinged out hollow body stuff.
Click to expand...

I've done the Gibson thing, many times. Paul's, SG's, JR's, etc. Don't get me wrong, they're all great guitars but I want to go in a different direction this time.
 
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#16
#16
Brave Volunteer said:
Yeah don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for or expecting this to take the place of an actual acoustic guitar. I already have a good acoustic. What I meant was, even with my solid body electrics, I probably spend at least 50% of the time playing unplugged simply because I like walking around the house, sitting on the couch, etc while playing and the noise doesn't annoy my wife and kids. So I thought a hollowbody would be a nice happy medium in that it would give me at least SOME resonance to play unplugged (not as much as an actual acoustic but certainly better than a solid body) while still allowing me to play higher on the neck.



I've done the Gibson thing, many times. Paul's, SG's, JR's, etc. Don't get me wrong, they're all great guitars but I want to go in a different direction this time.
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Sounds like you know more about this than me. Post up a pic if you pull the trigger on something.
 
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#17
#17
Brave Volunteer said:
Yeah don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for or expecting this to take the place of an actual acoustic guitar. I already have a good acoustic. What I meant was, even with my solid body electrics, I probably spend at least 50% of the time playing unplugged simply because I like walking around the house, sitting on the couch, etc while playing and the noise doesn't annoy my wife and kids. So I thought a hollowbody would be a nice happy medium in that it would give me at least SOME resonance to play unplugged (not as much as an actual acoustic but certainly better than a solid body) while still allowing me to play higher on the neck.



I've done the Gibson thing, many times. Paul's, SG's, JR's, etc. Don't get me wrong, they're all great guitars but I want to go in a different direction this time.
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Ibanez makes really good hollow bodies. Lots of jazz guitarists use them. They don’t have the prestige that the Gretsch name implies, but they are worth checking out.
 
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#18
#18
davethevol said:
Ibanez makes really good hollow bodies. Lots of jazz guitarists use them. They don’t have the prestige that the Gretsch name implies, but they are worth checking out.
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Thanks! Yeah I kind of forgot about Ibanez. They're so known for "shred" I didn't even think about them. I'll look at their stuff too.
 
#21
#21
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#23
#23
EricStratton said:
Look for a Japanese made model.
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Sorry but i cant afford to spend 2,000.00+. LOL!

I think I have settled on this model... It's the G2420 Streamliner in walnut finish. The pickups are called Broadtron BT-2S which sonically to me it sort of sounds like if a Filtertron and a humbucker had a baby. Not as chimey or twangy as a pure Filtertron and not quite as muddy or mid-heavy as a pure humbucker. Its a nice balanced tone. Plus its a stoptail which I definitely prefer over a Bigsby. Of course I will almost immediately be replacing the tortoise shell and pickup rings with cream colored ones and those cheap plastic volume/tone knobs will be upgraded to nickel "G w/arrow" knobs..


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#25
#25
EricStratton said:
I meant a used one.

The newer ones are complete garbage and you shouldn’t waste your money on them.
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LOL have you SEEN what used Japanese Gretsch guitars are selling for these days? Go to Reverb or Ebay. You won't find anything for less than 1,500.00. I'm not paying that for a guitar anymore, sorry. I've been playing since 1988 and I've done the high-end stuff before. However, the reality is in 2021, manufacturing quality in other parts of the world has caught up. It's gotten so good it's getting really hard to justify the $$ for high end USA models anymore unless you just HAVE to have the peace of mind of owning a USA or Japanese made guitar. Personally, I would put the newer Epiphones up against anything Gibson USA made right now. For a fraction of the cost you can get a very high-quality instrument. Same with Fender. Their import models are great! They're certainly miles better than what was considered "budget" guitars back when I started playing and the great thing is the budget guitars leave plenty of room for customizing/upgrading and you still wouldn't come close to paying what you would pay for a USA or Japanese model.

Regarding Gretsch Electromatics/Streamliners being "garbage", sorry but that is pompous cork-sniiffery nonsense. Believe me I've done my research. I have test drove new Gretsch models in-store. I've read countless reviews and watched review videos by both consumers and professional reviewers. I've talked to other players who use them. To say they're "garbage" is just ridiculous.

 
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