NGD: GRETSCH G5422TG Hollow Body DC Walnut Stain
May 15, 2017 18:58:01 GMT
Martin and Riverman like this
Post by grayn on May 15, 2017 18:58:01 GMT
Yesterday, I went to the North West Guitar Show, at Haydock Park.
It's my first time and it was a lovely event.
Room after room of guitars, amps, pedals and everything else, guitar related.
Cool live music and tasty refreshments, too.
I was hoping to find a nice semi.
There were too many there to mention them all.
But 3, really got my attention.
A Peavey Rockingham, that was one of the first batch made, apparently.
Designed by the brilliant rockabilly guitarist, Darrell Higham, it's kind of part Gretsch, part Guild.
There was a Gretsch Country Gentleman, made in Japan.
Great quality but it's overall look/feel is not enough rock and a little too much billy, for me.
That massive paddle of a headstock is just odd.
And a Lever, a beautiful semi, hand made , in England.
With a Rickenbacker inspired body, Gretsch style pickups, a Jaguar tremolo, loads of beautiful woods and top
quality hardware, it was something to behold and play.
One of my favourite features, was instead of a 3-way pickup selector, it had a centred pan pot.
Why don't more guitars use this, it gives so much more control over tone.
Bass guitars use it all the time.
I came within a hair's breadth of parting with all my dosh, for this beauty but didn't.
Today I popped over to Reidys, in Blackburn, to check out some Gretsch's and Epiphones.
They had a brand new, Japanese Country Gent and this one had 2 clunky levers, that operate a mute system.
And that stupid, studded on, circular pad, on the back.
There may be authenticity in these things but IMO, they're pointless and ugly.
I initially picked up a white Gretsch G5422TG.
My wife would have loved this one, as it's not a million miles from a White Falcon, her favourite guitar.
I'm not a fan of white guitars though.
I then briefly played a couple of Les Pauls.
An Epiphone Les Paul PlusTop PRO - Heritage Sunburst, which had coil tapped Humbuckers.
And a Gibson Les Paul Classic T 2017, in a stunning Green Ocean Burst.
Both very fine guitars but they confirmed I'm not really a Les Paul guy.
Finally I A/B'd a Gretsch G5422TG in Walnut Stain and an Epiphone Emperor Swingster in Trans. Orange.
A friend of mine has the Epi and really rates it.
And yes, It's a great, nicely made, old style guitar, perfect for vintage Rock'n'Roll and Rockabilly.
But in pretty much every way, the Gretsch was nicer.
And fortunately for me it was set up a lot better than the white version, I'd previously played.
Low action but still strong and not buzzy and the Bigsby trem was far more sensitive than I've come across before.
What a gem and those Filter'Tron pickups are very sweet.
With both on, that characteristic, plinky, watery sound is beautiful.
Especially with a little slap-back echo.
individually, the bridge pickup gives you some nice cut and the neck pickup is warm, round and a little jazzy.
It's a classy looking guitar, with great finishing and build quality.
I particularly like the binding, which has the look of aged ivory.
I'm not a massive fan of gold hardware and on the white version, it looked a little gaudy.
But with the brown/wine red walnut finish, it looks really nice.
I'm loving knocking out some Chuck Berry and Brian Setzer riffs, on this beauty.
Spec:
Build- Hollow Body
Cutaway- Double Cutaway
Body- 5-Ply Maple
Bracing- Sound Post
Neck Material- Maple
Neck Finish- Gloss
Scale Length 24.6" (625 mm)
Fingerboard- Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius- 12" (305 mm)
Number of Frets- 22
Fret Size- Medium Jumbo
Nut Graph- Tech® TUSQ XL
Position Inlays- Pearloid Hump-Block
Headstock- Late '50s Gretsch
Bridge Pickup Blacktop Filter'Tron
Neck Pickup Blacktop Filter'Tron
Controls Volume 1. (Neck Pickup), Volume 2. (Bridge Pickup), Master Volume, Master Tone
Pickup Switching 3-Position Toggle: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups, Position 3. Neck Pickup
Bridge Adjusto-Matic with a Secured Rosewood Base, with Bigsby B60 vibrato tailpiece.
Pickguard Gold Plexi with Black Gretsch Logo
Control Knobs G-Arrow
It's my first time and it was a lovely event.
Room after room of guitars, amps, pedals and everything else, guitar related.
Cool live music and tasty refreshments, too.
I was hoping to find a nice semi.
There were too many there to mention them all.
But 3, really got my attention.
A Peavey Rockingham, that was one of the first batch made, apparently.
Designed by the brilliant rockabilly guitarist, Darrell Higham, it's kind of part Gretsch, part Guild.
There was a Gretsch Country Gentleman, made in Japan.
Great quality but it's overall look/feel is not enough rock and a little too much billy, for me.
That massive paddle of a headstock is just odd.
And a Lever, a beautiful semi, hand made , in England.
With a Rickenbacker inspired body, Gretsch style pickups, a Jaguar tremolo, loads of beautiful woods and top
quality hardware, it was something to behold and play.
One of my favourite features, was instead of a 3-way pickup selector, it had a centred pan pot.
Why don't more guitars use this, it gives so much more control over tone.
Bass guitars use it all the time.
I came within a hair's breadth of parting with all my dosh, for this beauty but didn't.
Today I popped over to Reidys, in Blackburn, to check out some Gretsch's and Epiphones.
They had a brand new, Japanese Country Gent and this one had 2 clunky levers, that operate a mute system.
And that stupid, studded on, circular pad, on the back.
There may be authenticity in these things but IMO, they're pointless and ugly.
I initially picked up a white Gretsch G5422TG.
My wife would have loved this one, as it's not a million miles from a White Falcon, her favourite guitar.
I'm not a fan of white guitars though.
I then briefly played a couple of Les Pauls.
An Epiphone Les Paul PlusTop PRO - Heritage Sunburst, which had coil tapped Humbuckers.
And a Gibson Les Paul Classic T 2017, in a stunning Green Ocean Burst.
Both very fine guitars but they confirmed I'm not really a Les Paul guy.
Finally I A/B'd a Gretsch G5422TG in Walnut Stain and an Epiphone Emperor Swingster in Trans. Orange.
A friend of mine has the Epi and really rates it.
And yes, It's a great, nicely made, old style guitar, perfect for vintage Rock'n'Roll and Rockabilly.
But in pretty much every way, the Gretsch was nicer.
And fortunately for me it was set up a lot better than the white version, I'd previously played.
Low action but still strong and not buzzy and the Bigsby trem was far more sensitive than I've come across before.
What a gem and those Filter'Tron pickups are very sweet.
With both on, that characteristic, plinky, watery sound is beautiful.
Especially with a little slap-back echo.
individually, the bridge pickup gives you some nice cut and the neck pickup is warm, round and a little jazzy.
It's a classy looking guitar, with great finishing and build quality.
I particularly like the binding, which has the look of aged ivory.
I'm not a massive fan of gold hardware and on the white version, it looked a little gaudy.
But with the brown/wine red walnut finish, it looks really nice.
I'm loving knocking out some Chuck Berry and Brian Setzer riffs, on this beauty.
Spec:
Build- Hollow Body
Cutaway- Double Cutaway
Body- 5-Ply Maple
Bracing- Sound Post
Neck Material- Maple
Neck Finish- Gloss
Scale Length 24.6" (625 mm)
Fingerboard- Rosewood
Fingerboard Radius- 12" (305 mm)
Number of Frets- 22
Fret Size- Medium Jumbo
Nut Graph- Tech® TUSQ XL
Position Inlays- Pearloid Hump-Block
Headstock- Late '50s Gretsch
Bridge Pickup Blacktop Filter'Tron
Neck Pickup Blacktop Filter'Tron
Controls Volume 1. (Neck Pickup), Volume 2. (Bridge Pickup), Master Volume, Master Tone
Pickup Switching 3-Position Toggle: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups, Position 3. Neck Pickup
Bridge Adjusto-Matic with a Secured Rosewood Base, with Bigsby B60 vibrato tailpiece.
Pickguard Gold Plexi with Black Gretsch Logo
Control Knobs G-Arrow
Jo whoever he is.
