Are there any good Gretsch Country Gentlemen Copies?

Josh · Post by **Josh** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:18 pm

Still looking around for a new player to go along with the jaguar.
Not really a fan of the silvertone as i've tried one out, but have seen pics of country gentlemens, seen a couple demos and find them very interesting.
but the price however puts me off of them.
is there a copy of one that might be out there for me to find?

jcyphe · Post by **jcyphe** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:30 pm

They sell on the used market for under $2,000. You're not going to find a good accurate copy for very cheap. The best copy of Gretsch guitars ever made were by Greco but those are around $1,000-1400. So really what's the point unless you're just into Japanese copy brands?

Have you tried the budget Gretsch they put out?

http://www.gretschguitars.com/gear/inde ... 2=&q=&st=1

Will · Post by **Will** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:16 pm

A few years ago I was really after a Gretsch. I live near one of the biggest Gretsch dealers in the world, so I spent about 6 hours over 2 days trying out everything from the $500 electromatics to a black '66 Nashville Skyline that's one of only 6 made (bargain priced at $6500).

Gretschs, more than any other guitar I've found, are not something that can be done cheaply. A cheap tele twangs, a cheap LP sings, but a cheap Gretsch just doesn't get it right. The may be fine guitars empirically, but they don't have the complex sparkle you'd expect. The G5120 will sound like a hollowbody with HBs and a bigsby, but you won't get any magic.

I know this is waaayyyy snobby, but what put me off of getting a Gretsch all together was realizing that I couldn't get the sound I was after for less than $2500 - just too much. Plus, the inexpensive ones feel unmistakably inexpensive.

My advice is that if this is something you really want, start saving and sacrificing and get the one that really works for you.

Or just get an Epiphone Casino with a bigsby - they get very close on sound and don't feel or look cheap like the $600 Gretschs.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:36 pm

i want an english gent!

izodiak · Post by **izodiak** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 9:49 pm

yep, the Epiphone Casino is good. (my seals of approvals)
(I like the Gretsch anniversary Cadillac green, and english gent is goood)

Gavin · Post by **Gavin** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:17 pm

That English Gent looks really nice, I've never heard of that before.

mickie08 · Post by **mickie08** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:19 pm

you can buy one of the lower priced gretsch models and get a nice set of TV ones pups or the like, but those are expensive and getting them installed is expensive as well. I have heard that the electronics in these guitars need upgraded throughout. Still, you should be able to find a used one for around 400 or so and spend a few hundred on new pups and wiring.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:41 pm

thats kinda what me and james thought about the one we played at hog, it was a nice guitar, and it was definitly a badass in its own right, but i think it had a price tag of about 2600, or 3600, both of us thought that was a bit too much.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:44 am

Gavin wrote:That English Gent looks really nice, I've never heard of that before.

dude, i played one at a store in vegas. it was so fucking nice. $10500 they wanted for it. i played it for about 2 min, unplugged, and the kind bastard behind the counter said "oky doky, you interested?"

nah man, i don't have $11k falling out of my ass.

"ok then, back in the case she goes," firmly removing it from my hands.

you're a douche, old guy.

"please leave."

Justin J · Post by **Justin J** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:50 am

speaking of greco copies, never knew they made a byrdland copy:

IroniaSudby · Post by **IroniaSudby** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:56 am

Wish they still had the Super tron. Do the new ones have that Black Leather on the back?

tomin8r · Post by **tomin8r** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:03 am

IroniaSudby wrote:

Damn! That is what a guitar is supposed to look like, purely class. I love the sound of the Gretsch pickups, to get that sweet jangle of old British Invasion stuff. Does anyone know what those 'button' things are beside the bigsby assembly?

Mo Law-ka · Post by **Mo Law-ka** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:06 am

the knobs activate mutes. you flip the thing (knob) up or down to move the mute up or down. its based on some internal system or summat.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:36 am

i'm pretty sure the lower one is for the bottom strings, and the top one is for the top 3.

see the pieces of foam behind the bridge?

one thing that bugs me about the gents is the prohibition of lower fret access. epiphone had no problem joining the neck on my dot studio real low, and it was $150.

the isaac eaton · Post by **the isaac eaton** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:54 am

The Eastwood one has always interested me. And they are pretty cheap too. never played one though, but eastwood makes pretty good stuff.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 4:29 am

nice isaac.

i found this place has them for $428.95 in white/gold or 'gretsch orange.'

i also found this ebay auction that has good pics of through the rear access hole and the mute setup. sold for really low.

dezb1 · Post by **dezb1** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:48 pm

The Peerless tonemaster custom (Â£799) looks the business, Iâ€™ve played their casino copy and it was a far nicer guitar than any of the modern epiphones Iâ€™ve played.

Will · Post by **Will** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:46 pm

God I wish we could get Peerless in the US...

Dogma Hollow · Post by **Dogma Hollow** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 8:27 pm

I'll speak in defense of the Gretsch Electromatic series as an owner of a Pro Jet. They're fucking fantastic. I paid $400, and it's by far the best guitar under $500 I've ever owned. The electronics aren't the best around, that's true, but they're plenty useable as-is. I haven't played any of the Electromatic hollow-body models, but I'd expect no less. Definitely worth checking out, IMO.

the isaac eaton · Post by **the isaac eaton** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 8:33 pm

electromatics are amazing, I am always thinking about getting the g5122 the double cut one.