Reviewed by:
brian cooper, on february 14, 2006
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Purchased from: Well Guitar Clinic
Features: Made to order and received after 4 months wait September 2005. Huge body and enough knobs to launch a space shuttle. The gold hardware and bigsby look awesome with the Cadillac green body and ebony fingerboard. Passive Filtertronic pickups give an amazing tonal range throuh my Vox 120 Valvetronix amp. There is an on/off Switch for when you put it down! Individual volume knobs, a 3-way pickup selector Switch, a three way preset tone Switch and an overall volume control knob. // 10
Sound: The sounds produced are totally unique to a Gretsch of this calibre. Bass is far more rounded and responsive to a bit of tremolo than anything I have played before. Set up with 10's strings the sharp end needs the amp to be well tweaked or it looses impact, same as most hollows I think. Overall I have never heard anything that comes close. // 10
Action, Fit & Finish: Can't comment on factory set up cos Dave at Well Guitar Clinic did it for me. He says he had very little to do apart from dropping the action a bit. I have gigged for 6 months without any problems. // 10
Reliability & Durability: Built for live work, this guitar oozes class. Only problem may be that the gold plating will wear off with sweat. Strange feeling when playing with the band, due its construction the hollow body vibrates if you get close to the Bassman, quite sexy in its own way, but abit of a shock if you are not expecting it. // 10
Impression: This guitar cost nearly 3 times my first house but I'm 60 this year and still playing live rock and roll. It is all I wanted and some. I would have another tomorrow if I lost this. To tell the truth my wife has suggested I look for another Gretsch despite the cost! If anyone gets chance to play one (apart from Bono who seems to have one without a bigsby), give it a go. I had to buy this one from a photo, so I don't know if any shop carries it in stock, mine was ordered and then made. Can I rate it overall 11? // 10
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