ChristianRocker from Lacey, WA
Subject:
Give me the right amp and pedals and I can play anything,,,,
Quality:
Quality is top notch, absolutely nothing loose or unattractive. It is a jewel among diamonds. Is was packed with considersation for anything that could happen during transport and to the unknowing it is a floating bridge which means when you get it loosen the strings and tak out that foam under the bridge. Replace the bridge and tune it then set the intonation. Look it up on youtube if you don;t know how. Basically the distance from the nut to the 12 fret will be the same from the 12th fret to the bridge. Basically.
Sound:
Sound I.E. tone, is almost right there. he only reason I gave it a 4 is because of my taste. I am going to replace the bridge for sa compensated solid bridge to get rid of the occasional rattle of the adjustable bridge and beacasue I can order the metal type I can select the tone I want. And it almost mandatory for the picky to change the pickups althouth the Gretsch Pups will get you by for years if you want, they are nice. I am going to put in some Porter Bleders with alinco2 neck and alinco 5 bridge again to get the tone I want. But you know you could do this to a 3,000 dollar guitar or a 200 dollar guitar, it;s the tone you want to hear for the music style you want to play. The base model Gretsch will make you happy. and the playability is instinctive.
Reliability:
It has been a short time but it is more solid feeling than my solid bodies. If there is a problem I will revisit this podt.
Overall:
I was considering the Ibanez Artcore at the time but I decided to go for the tried and true Gretsch. I'm no too much of a twanger but I love my Tamamine 12-string and have fun with my Schecter shredder. I play where I needed something in-between these and this hollowbody was where I needed to go. The Gretsch just seemed more solid feeling and more rich in tone for me than the Ibanes AF75TDG I was considering. Plain and simple I made the right choice.
Playability and Feel:
The only adjustments I had to make was where I placed it on my body. I have been playing a dreadnaught size accoustic-electric 12 string with a wide nbeck so it was a change for the narrower body and it is the first angled pick guard guitar I have played so it was also an adjustment. The neck is really solid feeling and it has to be for the tremolo to be consistant throughout its range. Which I might add that it would be nice to change the spring on it for a little more playabilty. Something in the near future for me.
Tone:
I am in the process of changing the bridge and pickups to suit the tone I want but you will love the stock tone and some will never change them. I really notice a change when I flick the switch and change pikups, which is not always the case with the guitars I have owned. Of course the amp you run throu gh makes a lot of difference to the sound your getting. I have a Blackstar HT Club 40 which delivers in its all tube richness and tone.
Finish:
Finish is wow. I proudly put it on a stand in the front room. You have to wipe down the dust more but it looks that sharp and mirror like. Trust me, I'm among the first to complain about regrets but I have none because I knew what changes I was going to make before I bought it and I bugdeted those in.
Action:
Action is a little high but hey, look at the bridge a little closer, yep, you can raise and lower it to suit you. Retune and re-intonate it and boing, your rockin with action you like.
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
I own it and will always own one from now on.
Jared Burdick from Houston, TX
Subject:
Great Instrument, great sound, good price
Quality:
Zero issues so far. The jack has no reinforcement and I'll be putting a jack plate on right away. Other than that, it looks to be great
Sound:
It's a hollow body and it's a Gretsch. It has some twang and is...Gretsch-y. That was exactly what I was looking for.
Reliability:
Too new to tell.
Overall:
This Made in Korea guitar costs about what you would pay for an American made base mode Tele or Strat, high end MIM Fender or the higher end Epi's or Ibanez hollow and semi hollow bodies. For the money, it is a bit pricey.
That said, it is an amazing looking and sounding guitar. It's amazing for blues, classic rock, country, punk, alt rock and all of the little niches in between.
People are afraid of feedback. Unless you are playing high gain, drop tuned sudge or trying shred through speed metal, the 5120 is perfect. I play with a fair amount of gain or OD and have had no issues.
Playability and Feel:
The guitar feels great. Very playable. It's not a shredder, but for blues, rock, punk, chord work - it's perfect. I played several at various shops and was worried about the ordering online, but my fears were quickly put to rest.
Tone:
The guitar was a little subdued, but a pick up replacement was part of the purchase plan. There is some twang and the neck pick up was surprisingly warm and full.
Finish:
Terrific. It's a hot looking guitar, no getting around it. The wood grain was more visible that I was expecting and it came with the silver pickguard, not the clear one (which was fine by me).
Action:
A little high for my taste. Not sure if it has a set up at the factory. The strings were okay, but I changed them to the strings I prefer and lowered the action. I probably won't do a set up until my TV Jones pups arrive and I have them installed.
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
Yes
Date submitted:
12/24/2011
ecruizer from Kentucky, U.S.A.
Subject:
Beautiful, Easy to Play
Quality:
This guitar seems like it is made well. Mine is made in Korea. I'm glad it wasn't made in China. That would be a turn off for me. I like the Korean Guitars I have played. I bought an Epiphone Masterbilt (made in China) and almost cut my fingers on the frets up high on the neck.
The frets on the Gretsch are finished well with no rough or sharp edges. The pickups and the Bigsby are installed well and work with ease.
Sound:
The tone is really good through my Hughes & Kettner Tube Amp. I tried it on my Fender Princeton solid state and there was a huge difference. In my opinion you need a tube amp with this guitar to get a beautiful tone.
Reliability:
I've only owned it for a month now but it looks just like it did when I opened the box. I have played it just about every day.
Overall:
I feel the guitar is well made. Setup was good out of the box. I play fingerstyle and the Gretsch is very comfortable. It fits my style better than an Epiphone Sheraton I sold. The neck on the Gretsch seems shorter & easier to manuever for me.
Playability and Feel:
The guitar feels balanced. I have had some that felt awkward or heavy but I can hold this one easily. It is more comfortable than my Epiphone Dot or Sheraton.
Check out the Gretsch site and download the pdf to show you which knobs are what. The controls are easy to get to.
Tone:
The tone is what you will find on youtube. I like it. I may upgrade with some TV Jones pickups later.
Finish:
The paint is perfect on mine. The sunburst is very eye catching. It is a beautiful guitar.
Action:
Action was good out of the box. I like my strings close and these were almost perfect. I haven't adjusted anything. I will get a luthier to look at it in the future to give it a once over.
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
I own this product
Date submitted:
May 02, 2011
Eugene (Gene) Hite from Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S.
eugene_hite@yahoo.com
Subject:
Gretsch G5120 electric guitar (Orange)
Quality:
Again, to look at it and play it, you'd never guess it was assembled in Korea. Very good Quality
Sound:
Tone quality is a typical gretsch sound. It doesn't seem loud or harsch. Sounds a little more like a jazz guitar. That I like. For a Korean-made guitar, it doesn't look like an inexpensive model and it surely doesn't play like one
Reliability:
after owning other Gretsch guitars I know it will be very reliable for quite a while.
Overall:
This is a fine looking guitar. It's comfortasble to hold, sounds great either plugged or unplugged. This is my third Gretsch. My favorite was a 1967 Gretsch Nashville.
Playability and Feel:
Feels great, plays great. What can I say it's a Gretsch
Tone:
Tone quality is to my satisfaction. Clear tones both high and low.
Finish:
The finish is stunning, a very nice looking guitar
Action:
The neck is very nice feeling, comfortable to play.
Do you own this product?:
Yes, Ordered it Christmas Eve 2010.
Bruce J from Poulsbo, WA, USA
Quality:
Great quality guitar that I'm sure will last a long time.
Sound:
The tone on this guitar is very woody, open, warm, smooth, yet it has a great bite as well.
Overall:
Love this guitar. First hollow body to add to my collection. Great quality and Sound. This guitar is very versatile. I play a variety of styles including rock, jazz, worship (Hillsong United Style). Have played for 35 years.
Playability and Feel:
The feel of the guitar is great. Pretty light for size. this is a pretty large guitar but feels great on. The neck profile is superb in both feel and quality. Control pots seem average quality but work well.
Tone:
Tone is definitely mid range punchy with very smooth response. High ornamentals are beautiful, bellish and warm. Good low to mid range growl when you puch it.
Finish:
I got the black and it is simply an amazing finish. Not a flaw and the finish is like glass. I posted a close picture on FB and the comment from someone was "Looks like a piece of art".
Action:
The action out of the box was pretty good but (as with any new guitar) needed a good set-up. Gretsch has a good video on their site for the "how to". Intonation of individual strings needs to be set up for the player. Not a negative, just normal. Sounds fantastic after setup.
Do you own this product?:
Yes
Date submitted:
11-18-2010
Bill from Wahpeton ND
Quality:
Incredible finish and looks very well built
Reliability:
Tell you in a year or two or three --->
Overall:
Great sound and best playing guitar I ever had.
Playability and Feel:
The best that I ever played
Tone:
The tone is what I would expect from a high priced guitar. It is the best for the kind of music I like. I was not happy with the tone control as it seems to lower the volume instead of changing the tone. I will have this looked by an authorized repair service as I like it to much to send it back.
Finish:
The best I have ever seen, I got the sunburst.
Action:
Tuned it and played it right out of the box. No other adjustments were needed.
Do you own this product?:
Yes
Caseylords from Hemlock, MI, USA
casey@dennos-furniture.com
Subject:
Poor mans Brian Setzer Hot Rod
Quality:
Incredible fit and finish.
Reliability:
Only needs the occasional neck adjustments (winter's been long here in Michigan)
Overall:
Excellent sound - especially if you upgrade to a set of TV Jones Classics. Fits like a glove, easily the nicest playing guitar I've owned (and I've had lots).
Playability and Feel:
The neck is a perfect size/shape for medium - large hands playing fairly intricate jazz chords. One raised fret - easy fix and fairly common on new guitars. Once you lower the action and check the neck for straightness you're ready to rock
Tone:
The neck has a huge, fat tone even with the stock pick ups. The bridge is a little thin and bighty, even for rockabily with the stock p'ups but a quick change to some TV's and you won't be let down - they're that good
Finish:
The stain is a beautiful orange and completly even. I wish they had made the headstock the same finish but the black's cool too.
Action:
Action out of the box totally stinks, but 5 minutes twiddling the adjustments and you're there.
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
Yup (might need a second)