NGD’s and kudos to GC shipping

  • Thread starter Thread starter skoora
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skoora

skoora

Well-known member
We dog on GC shipping (and often deserved) but want to give a job well done to two locations who sent me these guitars with no cases or gigbags (they didn’t come with them on the deal). Really well packed with bubble wrap and packing paper, with decent quality boxes. Both arrived with no internal movement or slop. I hope it’s a sign of them upping their game because I’m well pleased.
The Gretsch is just an Electromatic but it’s in grest shape and the neck plays well, frets seem good. Haven’t plugged it in yet. The explorer, funny enough was more questionable. Came with a bad pickup selector (currently back with them for repair). With a decent action, but not rock bottom, its bridge was pretty much as low as it gets. It did sound pretty good though. They’re investigating the neck etc as they do the switch repair. So apart from a plugged in test for the Gretsch, the Chinese guitar is more ready to go that the U.S.A. Gibson they want 2500 plus tax for new…..lol

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Very nice Explorer, been thinking about one of those a lot lately, but that Gibson QC.
 
HNGD! That the new-ish 80s Explorer? My local dealer had one on day one for $1,800 because it had excess glue on the neck/fingerboard and were otherwise going to send it back to Gibson, but they refused to let me play it (which was a first), so I passed on it. Would love to hear those pickups!
 
SomedudeinTX said:
Very nice Explorer, been thinking about one of those a lot lately, but that Gibson QC.
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How light it is, takes you by surprise. It’s a shame they didn’t do a proper 80’s reissue with wood choices and exact body shape but the bridge pickup, which I guess is new for this model, not a Dirty Fingers etc. sounds pretty good. It‘s definitely high output but a little leaner in the bottom. My V with hot PAF style pickups actually sounds bigger but the lean aspect of the Explorer works in other applications where a little bass cut brings the tightness and the jshooonk! Great into my Tremoverb, also helps tighten up a fuzz. Could probably recoup low end in a more straight Marshall type amp with a little bump from an EQ in the loop. It‘s a good plug and play saturated rock tone. Might even sound good in a Brown/tweed Fender circuit by being really driven but less tubby.

I will say, hands down this guitar is not worth the asking price. I got it for considerably less used and partly because it came without its case. Considering it’s not an exact copy of the OG, simple slab body, no binding, no MOP etc. for logo or inlays, simple solid color. it Does feel pretty good on the neck but still for me needs bigger frets. It feels more like a nice ”studio” version of a regular Explorer. If I decide to keep it, it’ll get jumbo frets and black hardware to make it as sexy as possible….lol
 
Congrats!

Love the 800rb in the background. So good.
 
I was firing up the Gretsch for the first time and when I kicked on the CE2 I recently got, it had such a Geordie vibe, I threw this little ditty together. It’s all super quick and I’m clammin’ up a storm, not being used to this guitar but F it. Will definitely be getting My KJ jams on with this combo.

 
I need a Gretsch.. been looking at them for over a year. Looking at the Korean-mades.
 
napalmdeath said:
I need a Gretsch.. been looking at them for over a year. Looking at the Korean-mades.
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Not sure if they make them in Korea anymore. The Electromatics (this is one) are all made in China now. You might find one used. From the little I’ve played it so far there is nothing that screams out in a negative way. Some minor things, like the Bigsby spring is too big. A shorter spring and a roller bridge and this guitar will be sweet. Tuners work fine on it. Frets are nice, no dead spots or high frets that I’ve found. I did get this used though, so can’t attest to what may or may not have been done. The nut slot on the low E is a little too deep. I’ve played and owned Japanese Gretsch‘s and can’t say this guitar, at a 1/3 to a quarter of the price is a much lesser guitar. These blacktop Filtertrons eat up high gain. Honeymoon phase but pretty happy.
 
NowYou'rePlayingWithPower said:
HNGD! That the new-ish 80s Explorer? My local dealer had one on day one for $1,800 because it had excess glue on the neck/fingerboard and were otherwise going to send it back to Gibson, but they refused to let me play it (which was a first), so I passed on it. Would love to hear those pickups!
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You were interested in a guitar they were selling but they wouldn't let you play it? Really?
 
skoora said:
Not sure if they make them in Korea anymore. The Electromatics (this is one) are all made in China now. You might find one used. From the little I’ve played it so far there is nothing that screams out in a negative way. Some minor things, like the Bigsby spring is too big. A shorter spring and a roller bridge and this guitar will be sweet. Tuners work fine on it. Frets are nice, no dead spots or high frets that I’ve found. I did get this used though, so can’t attest to what may or may not have been done. The nut slot on the low E is a little too deep. I’ve played and owned Japanese Gretsch‘s and can’t say this guitar, at a 1/3 to a quarter of the price is a much lesser guitar. These blacktop Filtertrons eat up high gain. Honeymoon phase but pretty happy.
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Yeah, only Koreans are used. All theirs are China for the last few years.

Wish they'd do a 5420 or 5410 with a stop bar. I could do with the Bigsby.
 
Ignoramus said:
You were interested in a guitar they were selling but they wouldn't let you play it? Really?
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Yes, really. I've been going there off and on since the 90s and am on a first name basis with most everyone there and have jammed with most of them at some point. It was a bit weird, but I think it may be because I offended the newer guy I was talking to a few weeks prior about his motorcycle when I said something along the lines of it being a good motorcycle for it's day. I still thought about buying it thinking I could just unload it if I didn't like it, but passed. It could have also just been the owner telling them not to let people play it because they were going to send it back to Gibson, I dunno.
 
I returned the Explorer. It was a guitar that just raised more questions than answers…lol. It was on the GC site for 1499, no case, so if anybody is hot for a good deal on one it may already be listed on their again. it does have a decent amount of ware and marks on the body that don’t really show up in the pic. Some of the paint was even worn off along the edge of the back plate. It had a short, hard life from whoever bought it new, but it’s also 1K less than new. ??

I returned it because I didn’t have faith the guitar would set up the way I like and I would have had to spend a bit to gamble on it (Refret to Jumbo, new nut etc. My gut said it wasn’t worth it. I got it impulsively and a white one is more my speed so back it went.
 
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