NGD -- Bird of Prey & some Family Photos...

[Maggieo]

I’m going to go with the if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it maxim, because the pickups in Bo sound fantastic.

[F15hface]

Thanks! The blueburst is my first pro series Gretsch. I've gigged with it a lot so I'm very attached to it. The white Gretsch G5210T Electromatic Rat Rod (Made in Korea) was modded with Lindy Fralin Hum-Cancelling Dog Eared P90s. Love it!

Coming back to this a bit late, I played some wonderful Japanese gretsches yesterday which are way outside my budget but the rat rods look great and seem very reasonably priced. How did you find the stock pickups and general construction quality and feel?

[Surfysonic]

Thanks! The blueburst is my first pro series Gretsch. I've gigged with it a lot so I'm very attached to it. The white Gretsch G5210T Electromatic Rat Rod (Made in Korea) was modded with Lindy Fralin Hum-Cancelling Dog Eared P90s. Love it!

Coming back to this a bit late, I played some wonderful Japanese gretsches yesterday which are way outside my budget but the rat rods look great and seem very reasonably priced. How did you find the stock pickups and general construction quality and feel?

The stock pickups in the Rat Rod (G5210T) are Blacktop Filter'Trons. They're not bad pickups but myself and other folks prefer to upgrade them with a set of TV Jones pickups (Classics (Filter'Trons), etc.) or even Gretsch Filter'Trons found in the Professional series. The Blacktop Filter'Trons have their fans, too. They are brighter, almost single-coil tone to them. I don't hate them, but I find Pro Series Gretsch Filter'Trons or the many variety of TV Jones pickups preferable from experience.

Aesthetically, the Rat Rods have red inserts on the Blacktop Filter'Trons and look cool. I wanted the Matte Black finished one but the Matte Vintage White and Matte Phantom Metallic finishes were the only ones available since the Matte Black ones sold out in the first run fairly quickly.

The Limited Edition Tri-Five series (also G5410T) sport white inserts which look cool, too. From time to time, I've been quite tempted to go for a used Tri-Five but it's reaaaally hard to justify since I have a Rat Rod (albeit, heavily modified with the Fralin Hum-Cancelling Dog-Ear P90s). Still, I love that Ocean Turquoise/Vintage White finish. The Gold/VIntage White and the Fiesta Red/VIntage White nice, too.

The G5410T also sports Rosewood necks (both Rat Rod and Ltd. Ed. Tri-Five offerings), which is pretty sweet as it seems like quite a number of the Gretsch Electromatic line of guitars now sport Laurel fingerboards. I don't mind Laurel (or even Pau Ferro now) but I'd take Rosewood over Laurel and Pau Ferro if given the choice.

I think both the early run of Rat Rods and Tri-Fives have thinner neck profiles over the Standard "U" in the Gretsch Pro line. My Rat Rod neck is distinctly thinner than my Standard "U" necks on my Gretsch Pro line of guitars. That said, current descriptions of the Rat Rods on https://www.gretschguitars.com/gear/col ... 2506811506 state that the neck shape is "Standard "U" " - maybe they've made a change or Japan-made Pro Standard "U" is not the same as a Korean-made Electromatic Standard U, which doesn't really make sense but there ya go.

Finally, the G5410T body is 2.5" which is thinner than the G5420T Electromatic and Pro-series Nashville (G6120) - both with 2.75" body depth. I prefer the thinner body, which is why I went for the Player Edition Falcon (also a 2.5" body) as compared to a standard Falcon with a 2.75" body.

Korean-made Gretsch Electromatics are wonderful, excellent quality guitars. As always, try one out before you buy one to see if it works for you. If it doesn't, then shop around for a used Pro series Gretsch. If you get into Gretsch guitars, you'll end up there eventually - ask me how I know.

[F15hface]

Answer

Thank you for the comprehensive response! Good to hear about the neck change and that the tri-fives are basically the same guitar, I doubt I would’ve known either without that. Bright pickups would definitely be more my speed as long as they’re aericulate, so sounds like it would generally work out for me. Getting to play one might be easier said than done but who knows.

Ultimately it would probably be a stop gap before a pro series lol. The G6122T-CG-FSR I played on the weekend is taking up a loooooot of headspace…

[Surfysonic]

Answer

Thank you for the comprehensive response! Good to hear about the neck change and that the tri-fives are basically the same guitar, I doubt I would’ve known either without that. Bright pickups would definitely be more my speed as long as they’re aericulate, so sounds like it would generally work out for me. Getting to play one might be easier said than done but who knows.

Ultimately it would probably be a stop gap before a pro series lol. The G6122T-CG-FSR I played on the weekend is taking up a loooooot of headspace…

Sure thing! Niiiiice re: the 6122T-CG-FSR - I've had a 6122 or two in the past - one of them an FSR in Cadillac Green - still kicking myself for moving that one on.

[npfrs]

I found my dream Flacon on Reverb a few years ago as well... and had the same experience of an offer that was accepted, haha! Mine came with a Powertron in the bridge but I recently replaced both pups with Supertrons and I'm much happier!

Enjoy your future flights!

[Embenny]

Wow, those Super'Trons are dang sharp in a Falcon.

[Surfysonic]

I found my dream Flacon on Reverb a few years ago as well... and had the same experience of an offer that was accepted, haha! Mine came with a Powertron in the bridge but I recently replaced both pups with Supertrons and I'm much happier!

Enjoy your future flights!

Nice! Love the Supertrons. I'll have to get a set to try for sure.

[F15hface]

Hot damn! Two switch gretsches are just one of those things, every single part of them is spot on.

[Surfysonic]

Welp, I had planned to finally get around to record some videos for the various TV Jones pickup comparisons as well as for my Magnatone Twilighter and my Harmony Jupiter. My Panasonic LUMIX G85 Mirrorless Digital Camera decided otherwise. Re-chargeable Battery and backup battery are both fully charged but the camera will not turn on.

I had a similar issue about a year ago when the moisture in the air due to my humidifier (for my guitar necks during winter months). I simply turned off the humidifier and waited a day or two - then the camera worked again. I've not been using any humidfier or air purifying filter (in summer months) just to be safe.

Camera is not that old and I guess I'll have to track down a local camera repair shop to see if it can be operational again. Bugger.

Anyone have experience with digital cameras and this issue? I'm open to the idea of buying a newer, more reliable camera. I thought (when it worked) that this was a pretty good camera.

[Surfysonic]

After a bit of Googling, I found some advice to remove the memory card, then try to turn on the camera and huzzah - camera turned on (then put memory card back in). Videos to be worked on over the weekend.

[Embenny]

Wicked, I'm glad the camera is OK and I can't wait to hear the gear!

[Surfysonic]

First of two videos - first one is the comparison between the TV Jones' T-Armonds (single-coil pickups) and Magna'Trons. Featuring my Gretsch G6120BS Chet Atkins Hollowbody and Gretsch G6196T-59 Vintage Select '59 Country Club.

https://youtu.be/O6hN4QU3T7Y

Second of two videos - NGD Gretsch G6136TG Players Edition Falcon...

https://youtu.be/NZ3cCjLDFqo

[Embenny]

First of two videos - first one is the comparison between the TV Jones' T-Armonds (single-coil pickups) and Magna'Trons. Featuring my Gretsch G6120BS Chet Atkins Hollowbody and Gretsch G6196T-59 Vintage Select '59 Country Club.

https://youtu.be/O6hN4QU3T7Y

I'll update the post with the 2nd video when it's ready - NGD Gretsch G6136TG Players Edition Falcon...

That's a good sounding amp. I appreciated the Shadowy Men, rust or not

Both sets of pickups sounded good. The T-Armonds were definitely higher output and thicker, which makes sense - I remember how surprisingly fat they were. The blueburst is also looking fine as ever.

I do think I'd enjoy the Magna'Trons in one of my guitars. The only curveball is that TVJ has quietly released something called the Zoo'Tron, which appears to be the "Duncan quarter pounder" version of the Magna'Tron - big, fat polepieces and something like 20% higher inductance, so they probably sound partway between the Magnas and T-Armonds.

[Surfysonic]

Thanks, Mike! Yeah, I saw the Zoo'Tron pickups the other day on the TV Jones website - never heard of them before. If you get a set, please do let us know how they sound.

Also, 2nd video relevant to this thread is up - link in the OP.

Warning!! I strongly recommend to lower your volume @ 18:10 - I was turning on the Nocturne Fuzz Ray pedal and didn't notice one of the controls was at full blast, resulting in a very loud, ear-splitting feedback. I left it in because my reaction is HILARIOUS. You have been warned...