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Ben Harmless · April 13th, 2005, 07:29 PM

As you can imagine, this guitar is very hard to photograph well, and I don't really have enough space in my college-ghetto apartment to set up properly, but you get the idea.

It's a Gretsch Historic series of some sort. probably called a "Synchromatic" or and "Electromatic" or something similar. Whatever it is, I haven't seen another, and what with it being the most gaudy thing in the universe, I knew I had to have it. It's got a solid block through the middle, so it's not truly hollow, but I love it anyway. The cats-eye f-holes weren't really my thing at first, but they're really growing on me, being unique and all.

The neck radius is pretty flat, and took some getting used to, but I strung her up with .012s, and she's really singing now. The frets aren't perfect, but workable, and I've got an old neck I can practice fretwork on until I'm ready to tackle this beauty.

The original pickups were standard humbucker-sized filtertron lookalikes. They sounded like poop, so I got a set of Duncan Phat Cats, and I'm loving them. They really work with my Marshall well, pushing the upper mids into a good crunch, and not getting too muddy on the low end.

I actually bought and then returned a Bigsby B6 when I realized I just wasn't going to use it. It looked cool, but it would have meant headaches that I don't really need. I guess I'm just a hardtail kind of guy.

agent2x4 · April 13th, 2005, 07:51 PM

Setzer would be proud...esp of that finish!

genelovesjez · April 13th, 2005, 08:15 PM

Looks great! I love sparkly guitars. With that tailpiece, it doesn't need the Bigsby either, IMO.

1612112 · April 13th, 2005, 08:22 PM

Don't like seeing the inside wood through the holes... spray it black please. Give it here I'll do it for you...

NICE AXE

telebelgium · April 14th, 2005, 08:28 AM

I got this one last year. notice even my picture is bad too.

With the peavey in the picture it doesn't sound too good, but when I plug it into my peavey bandit with some distortion, it's instant neil young... :-)

Maybe in the future i'll put in some new pickups. Was it easy to replace them?

Ben Harmless · April 14th, 2005, 10:31 AM

Thanks guys!

That's groovy telebelgium. I think yours is similar to the guitar that gave me Gretsch fever. It was white, and had a Bigsby, but had those same DeArmond pickups, which I didn't really care too much for either. The thing is, my pickup routs were standard humbucker sized, so it was easy to find something to fit them. Unless you find some new DeArmonds that you like, and will drop right in, you'll have to either do some routing to the guitar, or find someone to rewind those pickups to your liking - which would probably be my first inclination. The wiring wasn't too hard though, because the volume pots are right next to the f-hole, and while I would normally tie some fishing line around the post before I dropped them into the body (so I could get them back into place easily) my fairly long, bony fingers managed to do the job without having to worry about that.

BLACKCAT69 · April 14th, 2005, 10:43 AM

Those are realistically priced too from what I understand.
Like a regular working class guy that doesn't play for a living can afford one. The Duncan Phat Cats are 'bucker shaped P-90's right? Welcome to tone country!

telebelgium · April 14th, 2005, 11:13 AM

thanks for the info, ben. Good to know.

I'm more of a short, stubby finger guy, so it might not be all that easy...

cheers,

peejay

Al Nico · April 14th, 2005, 04:23 PM

Telebelgium,

For less than $30 a pop, you can get these GFS pups from ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...55399&tc=photo

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=7313755991

They are surface mount like the Dearmonds, and I think the hole locations are the same or very close. Otherwise, you'll have to drill new holes. People who've compared them (me included) think the GFS pups are more balanced and chimey.

lenny · April 14th, 2005, 06:58 PM

nothing like a nice loud sparkle finish!
very cool
:)

April 13th, 2005, 07:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
Ben Harmless Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Albany, NY US of A Posts: 4,348 13 Photos	(bad) Pic of my new addition! As you can imagine, this guitar is very hard to photograph well, and I don't really have enough space in my college-ghetto apartment to set up properly, but you get the idea. It's a Gretsch Historic series of some sort. probably called a "Synchromatic" or and "Electromatic" or something similar. Whatever it is, I haven't seen another, and what with it being the most gaudy thing in the universe, I knew I had to have it. It's got a solid block through the middle, so it's not truly hollow, but I love it anyway. The cats-eye f-holes weren't really my thing at first, but they're really growing on me, being unique and all. The neck radius is pretty flat, and took some getting used to, but I strung her up with .012s, and she's really singing now. The frets aren't perfect, but workable, and I've got an old neck I can practice fretwork on until I'm ready to tackle this beauty. The original pickups were standard humbucker-sized filtertron lookalikes. They sounded like poop, so I got a set of Duncan Phat Cats, and I'm loving them. They really work with my Marshall well, pushing the upper mids into a good crunch, and not getting too muddy on the low end. I actually bought and then returned a Bigsby B6 when I realized I just wasn't going to use it. It looked cool, but it would have meant headaches that I don't really need. I guess I'm just a hardtail kind of guy. __________________ "I think I'll go for the life of sin, followed by the last-minute, presto-change-o, deathbed repentance." - B. Simpson "...Because we all expect the truth, we must be the best of fools." - Stiff Little Fingers

April 13th, 2005, 08:22 PM	#4 (permalink)
1612112 Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 229	insides... Don't like seeing the inside wood through the holes... spray it black please. Give it here I'll do it for you... NICE AXE

April 14th, 2005, 08:28 AM	#5 (permalink)
telebelgium Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Brussels, Belgium Posts: 109 7 Photos	hello little sis... I got this one last year. notice even my picture is bad too. With the peavey in the picture it doesn't sound too good, but when I plug it into my peavey bandit with some distortion, it's instant neil young... :-) Maybe in the future i'll put in some new pickups. Was it easy to replace them?

April 14th, 2005, 10:31 AM	#6 (permalink)
Ben Harmless Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Albany, NY US of A Posts: 4,348 13 Photos	Thanks guys! That's groovy telebelgium. I think yours is similar to the guitar that gave me Gretsch fever. It was white, and had a Bigsby, but had those same DeArmond pickups, which I didn't really care too much for either. The thing is, my pickup routs were standard humbucker sized, so it was easy to find something to fit them. Unless you find some new DeArmonds that you like, and will drop right in, you'll have to either do some routing to the guitar, or find someone to rewind those pickups to your liking - which would probably be my first inclination. The wiring wasn't too hard though, because the volume pots are right next to the f-hole, and while I would normally tie some fishing line around the post before I dropped them into the body (so I could get them back into place easily) my fairly long, bony fingers managed to do the job without having to worry about that. __________________ "I think I'll go for the life of sin, followed by the last-minute, presto-change-o, deathbed repentance." - B. Simpson "...Because we all expect the truth, we must be the best of fools." - Stiff Little Fingers

April 14th, 2005, 10:43 AM	#7 (permalink)
BLACKCAT69 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Canada-Windsor-Ont. Age: 38 Posts: 2,634 5 Photos	Cool guitar Ben. Those are realistically priced too from what I understand. Like a regular working class guy that doesn't play for a living can afford one. The Duncan Phat Cats are 'bucker shaped P-90's right? Welcome to tone country! __________________ http://www.lukefisher.com/blame.wav

April 13th, 2005, 07:51 PM	#2 (permalink)
agent2x4 Tele-Holic Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: WI Posts: 661	Setzer would be proud...esp of that finish!

April 13th, 2005, 08:15 PM	#3 (permalink)
genelovesjez Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Age: 42 Posts: 3,736	Looks great! I love sparkly guitars. With that tailpiece, it doesn't need the Bigsby either, IMO.

April 14th, 2005, 11:13 AM	#8 (permalink)
telebelgium Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Brussels, Belgium Posts: 109 7 Photos	don't you go calling my cat-eye an f-hole... ;-) thanks for the info, ben. Good to know. I'm more of a short, stubby finger guy, so it might not be all that easy... cheers, peejay

April 14th, 2005, 04:23 PM	#9 (permalink)
Al Nico Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 298 5 Photos	Telebelgium, For less than $30 a pop, you can get these GFS pups from ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...55399&tc=photo http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=7313755991 They are surface mount like the Dearmonds, and I think the hole locations are the same or very close. Otherwise, you'll have to drill new holes. People who've compared them (me included) think the GFS pups are more balanced and chimey.

April 14th, 2005, 06:58 PM	#10 (permalink)
lenny Banned Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: New Haven, CT. USA Posts: 3,219	nothing like a nice loud sparkle finish! very cool :)

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