Any current or former Gretsch guitar players here?

[angelspade]

I don't read much about them here...I have been looking at a few of the mid-priced semi-hollow streamliner series models with a bigsby...Anyone with any experience...Thoughts on build quality, finnish and reliability? Thanks guys.

 

[rob13v]

I played Gretsch guitars from 2001 on until maybe 5 years ago.

The uptick in build quality - it got SO MUCH better post FMIC taking over distro - was still not enough to offset the cost to upgrade the electronics (my opinion).

I had Professional series stuff, wanted to upgrade to TVJ or Seymour pickups, quality switches & wiring...took a $3k guitar up to nearly $4k. Similar with the Electromatic series. $7-800 turns into a $1500 guitar that you will never get if/when you decide to sell. The 2020s guitars I've played are overall MUCH better, but I haven't owned one so I can't comment.

I love 'em, but they're not for me, ultimately.

 

[Rackman]

I played a FMIC era MIJ take on a '55 White Falcon in a country band for a while. It had dynasonics, not humbuckers. No bigsby.

Fit and finish was fine. Reliability was fine. Playability was OK but I had 11s on it. It could have used slightly bigger frets IMO. Tone was decent but it just ended up being the wrong solution and I wanted to play a guitar with Certano benders so I stopped using it.

 

[TheBiggestJerk]

Hell yeah! Currently looking for a Jet like Malcolm’s. I traded this Streamliner back to by brother for a vintage Danelectro we shared as kids.