GRETSCH Malcolm Young AC/DC Freight Train Riff Club

Here is my 2009 Gretsch Malcolm Young Signature Jet, Flame Maple Top, with one H.S. Filtertron pickup, made in Terada, Japan factory. Next is my 1998 Gretsch Electromatic Double Jet, Black Solid Mahogany, with two Gretsch Toaster Humbucker pickups, made in Korea. It doesn't matter what color, Natural, Firebird, or Black, one or two pickups, made in Japan or not, as long as you have a double cut Gretsch Jet, you are in this club. I know alot of these Gretsch Malcolm Young Signatures have been sold recently, so let's see them!!! If you have a Gibson SG Angus Young Signature or Gibson '61 SG CS Reissue you can show them here too, I'm not prejudice.

Here's mine: http://i920.photobucket.com/albums/ad50/supr0man/Gretsch%206131MY/Gretsch6131MY-JT07030522.jpg

Just for grins, here is what Malcolm's 1963 Gretsch Jet Firebird looked like before he started removing pickups, removing switches, adding 3 chrome dome studs over the switches holes, sanding it down, taking off the Burns Vibrato, adding Badass adjustable wraparound bridge, refinishing with nitrocellulose clear lacquer, putting plastic over the pickup cavities, removing plastic and putting socks in pickup cavities, removing the socks from the 2 front pickup cavities leaving them open, then finally removing the Badass bridge and putting the original Burns Vibrato and Gretsch roller bridge back on.

Here's mine: http://i920.photobucket.com/albums/ad50/supr0man/Gretsch%206131MY/Gretsch6131MY-JT07030522.jpg

Did adding the Bigsby Tremelo and new compensated bridge, thus adding length to the strings change the tone any, or is it still about the same?

One thing I found out is that the Gretsch Malcolm Young Sigs come strung with D'addario 10's Nickle Plated wound on steel core (10-13-17-26-36-46) strings. I tried the DR Tite-Fit 10's Nickle Wound on steel round core Reg Top Heavy Bottom (10-13-17-30-44-52) strings, and they added alot more bottom end punch, plus playing through a Marshall JCM900 MkIII stack doesn't hurt either.

Did adding the Bigsby Tremelo and new compensated bridge, thus adding length to the strings change the tone any, or is it still about the same?

I don't think it changed the tone too much, although it did change the feel. It seems the strings feel a bit looser with the Bigsby. The above photo is not entirely accurate anymore, I have since replaced the bridge with a Gretsch Space Control bridge on a floating base.

I know about 25 Gretsch Malcolm Young Jets sold recently on eBay, let's see them.

Telecaster52SE, nice guits. Ive been looking for a MY with dual pickups to no avail... Gretsch doesn't even make the sig model anymore!

Question: How close do those two guitars sound? Is the electromatic also semi-hollow as the MY? Weight differences?

I had a Mal Young Sig that had an added Bigsby. The tone changed a ton, due to the solid archtop like bridge I had on there instead. More meaty. Thick.

Telecaster52SE, nice guits. Ive been looking for a MY with dual pickups to no avail... Gretsch doesn't even make the sig model anymore!

Question: How close do those two guitars sound? Is the electromatic also semi-hollow as the MY? Weight differences?

The 1996-2002 Gretsch Electromatic Jets made in Korea, judging from the weight, mine is 9.5 lbs., is a solid slab of mahogany, while the Gretsch Malcolm Sig is chambered and weighs about 8 lbs. Don't buy a Chinese Gretsch Double Jet, they are chambered, really light 7 lbs., and have crappy smaller pickups. Gretsch "Toaster" Humbucker Pickups are hotter, Bridge Pickup is 8.75 ohms compared to the H.S. Filtertron Bridge Pickup which is only 4.83 ohms. The Electromatic has a thicker tone, somewhere between my Gretsch Malcolm Sig. and my 1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom. For the heavier AC/DC material, Back in Black, Hells Bells, Thunderstruck, For Those About to Rock We Salute You etc...the Electromatic is actually better. For all the Bon Scott era material the Gretsch Malcolm is better, the Filtertron has more crunch, bite and clarity. It sounds perfect with a Visual Sound Route 808 with bass boost on pushing a JCM900 Marshall 1/2 stack.

I tried the DR 10's nickle round wound strings for a few sets but they kept breaking too easy. I now ONLY USE Ernie Ball Regular Slinky 10's, nickle flat wound on steel core strings. I will never use any other strings on my Gretsch Malcolm Young Signature or my Gretsch Electromatic Jet.

Gretsch Malcolm Young crunching AC/DC riffs with Hells Bells from Douglasville, Georgia.

Very well, I'll play. I have been looking for exactly this model for years now... Malcolm Young sig Gretsch in Natural finish, with dual filtertron setup.

Alas, found one on eBay and here it is. Can I just say, this guitar has BALLS to spare!!!!

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x103/guilleshop/Other/0cebd624.jpg

For those of you with a Malcolm Young signature, can you please weigh it and let me know? I thought these where heavily chambered guits,.... mine is slightly heavier than my SG, coming in at 7.1lbs (7.0lbs for the SG).

I read somewhere someone mentioned 4 lbs... WHAT?!?! Mine is made in Japan, 2003.

bump. no one?

My early MY sig weighed almost nothing. 5/6 lbs if i remember...

Mine weighs just a tad over 7 lbs. It doesnt feel heavily chambered or anything... my Gibson SG is a touch lighter actually. Looks like the chambering method varied from year to year, based on some numbers Ive seen thrown out there. I like how mine is balanced, and there is no neck dive.

Deserved a better picture...!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6598275401_9a585e9902_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/flickristian/6598275401/)
Gretsch Malcolm Young II (http://www.flickr.com/photos/flickristian/6598275401/) by flickristian (http://www.flickr.com/people/flickristian/), on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6598274817_6f34f9491e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/flickristian/6598274817/)
Gretsch Malcolm Young II (http://www.flickr.com/photos/flickristian/6598274817/) by flickristian (http://www.flickr.com/people/flickristian/), on Flickr