Gretsch Monkees Rock N' Roll Model

[shamustwin]

The Monkees can be credited with getting Don Kirschner fired from Monkees Inc., and putting out rather decent stuff they actually played, mostly, after their mutiny.

IMO, Ferry Cross The Mersey is a lovely melody, and I happen to like the sentiment of the song, ya know, "Home". Not rock and roll, but a good song. It's a bit of an anthem to the Liddypool sports team fans, is it not?

[winston]

Their anthem if you wish is "You'll Never Walk Alone" Which was another great Gerry and The Pacemakers hit.

[jingle_jangle]

Ref: The "Cracker" episode "To Be A Somebody", in which a mad Liverpool fan (Robert Carlyle) becomes a serial killer in revenge for the deaths of Liverpool FC fans at Hllsborough in April, 1989. At one point he sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to himself, and a couple of times he recites the team cheer to himself through gritted teeth. Chilling.

[1a12]

Tom Verlaine from Television had a Monkees RnR model. I think he sold it. I never owned one, but they were Tenneseans on steroids with those Supertrons, I wouldn't mind having one.
I am a big Monkees fan, and appreciate the music in general.

I don't know why but with The Monkees, I don't care who wrote/played what, when or how. (Brills etc) I just like them songs, and their sound, Kirschner and post----

How could you not be the coolest thing on the planet with "Love is only sleeping" cranked up in your car??

[kennyhowes]

What Adam said, on all counts.

[drumbob]

Hmmm..the only thing larger than that Monkees, body-wise, would be a 6122-59 (18")...

Gretsches? I love (almost) all of them...

img_0764.jpg

...including my Billy-Bo White Penguin.

Paul...Why is that a picture of Billy D. Light and not you? Just curious.

[fabandgear]

I'm an unabashed Monkees fan! My '67 6123 Monkees R&R model came from a local luthier, the late Bill Minick, back in 1985. Some kid had left it with him for repair years earlier and then disappeared. Bill tried unsuccessfully several times to contact him, so he finally stored it away. Forward to January '85, Bill was cleaning out the storage closet and saw the Monkees. I was such a well-known Gretsch fiend back then that a lot of the local musicians and dealers called me "Mr. Gretsch". Bill called me up and offered the guitar for the amount of the repair. It's not a bad guitar-not in pristine condition, but a really good player. I love the high-gain Super'Tron pickups, my '66 6075 12 String has them as well (of course a Monkees fanatic would have to have a Gretsch 12 String!) I even have a Mike-style green wool hat (doesn't fit any more ) and of course every album they put out, including an original "Head" in mint condition! Now if I just hadn't sold my Peter Tork bass....

[lennon211]

How does the sound on the Monkees model with those pickups compare with the sound of, say, a Country Gent (or like-equipped Filtertron model) or a Hi-Lo Tron guitar?

[fabandgear]

How does the sound on the Monkees model with those pickups compare with the sound of, say, a Country Gent (or like-equipped Filtertron model) or a Hi-Lo Tron guitar?

Compared with Filter'Trons, the Super'Trons are LOUD!!! They have a similiar character of tone (i.e., "That Great Gretsch Sound") but really cut through better. Gretsch pickups tend to be less murky/midrangy than Gibson's but those of us who like "TGGS" prefer them.

[admin]

Forest: Monkees aside, that Gretsch is a handsome looking instrument and the Supertrons must provide a tone that is somewhat different from the Filtertrons. The red finish is stunning. "I wanna be free ..."

[fabandgear]

I've been playing Gretsches for so many years that the sound of the different pickups take on a family-like familiarity. Just like being able to see family resemblance in your relatives, Gretsch Guitars all seem to have "That Sound". Maybe it's just me, but the Filter, Super and Hi-Lo'Trons all have a character of tone that says Gretsch. A lot of collectors hold the Filter'Trons in high regard, ignore the Super'Tron and hold the "Much Dreaded" Hi-Lo'Tron in contempt (fie on those guys, the Hi-Los are GREAT single coils in my opinion .) As for the rest of the guitar, the shade of "Monkees Red" is very pleasing, especially with the antique white Lucite furniture. I love the double Neo-Classic thumbnails on the fingerboard and the pickup and tone selector switches on the lower bout are quite handy. One of my friends who plays a lovely mid-'60s Gibson ES335 commented on how light weight and fast my Monkees was. Even if you couldn't care less about the Monkees, this guitar is a real stand-out in the Gretsch line. I wish they'd re-issue it!

[stringman]

Or try listening to out of our heads the rolling stones great material even now.Mercy mercy cool chords.Effective even now for those that never heard it. Just a total agrement with paul w.If you want the sound of gretsch supertrons you can make your own monkyes model by buying a gretsch 6120 Dc and installing TV Jones supertron pickups.These pickups have 2 bars in them and no drop out at any volume when bending notes for blues. Gretsch took the charlie christion idea and added 2 bars for 2 bobins insted of 1 not only eleminating the hum but still keeping the gretsch sound.

[billydlight]

Bob said

Paul...Why is that a picture of Billy D. Light and not you? Just curious.

I was wondering that meself

[Zurdo]

Bob said

Paul...Why is that a picture of Billy D. Light and not you? Just curious.

I was wondering that meself

yes folks, being new here I wonder too, pictures of Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Groucho, you name it, although nobody uses a picture of Lindsey Lohan,

just kiddin', I don't use a picture at all, don't know if I'm worth it.

Talking about Groucho, I'd love to get my hands on Groucho's 1930's F-hole guitar. I think it was a (I forget the maker).

Zurdo

[admin]

I believe the maker of the Groucho Marx guitar you describe was Stromberg.