Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Zurdo wrote:
But everybody wants to be a clone of Jimi Hendrix, so be my guest...

...or Eric Clapton.
JimK

...or SRV.

...or Al Jardine for that matter, or Jeff Beck, or or or or...... so many clones, so little time...

Tom: Have you recorded with the Gretsch 5120 as yet? What are your observations about this instrument so far?

admin wrote:Tom: Have you recorded with the Gretsch 5120 as yet? What are your observations about this instrument so far?

Hi Peter,
Actually, I have done a few covers using the 5120. It's used on the pedal steel (4 tracks of single strings recorded individually) and the rhythm accent track on the Byrds "Goin' Back" cover, which got a lot of positive comments. It was also used on a couple more songs. I'm very surprised with the tuners. They seemed pretty cheap looking, but the guitar holds tune very well. I'm not using the vibrato at all, so that may be the reason. I think that the pickup upgrade would probably be worthwhile. The guitar doesn't seem to have that Gretsch twang that I'm looking for. I like the playability of the 5120.
Now I'm going to confess to something very dumb. The guitar came with a strip of that thin foam (think ipods or digital camera sleeves) underneath the bridge. I was hot to play the guitar, so I left it there. It's still there. To remove it, I'd need to loosen all strings, remove the foam, and then try and find the position for the bridge again. Since I've heard about bridge movement on these guitars, I figure that leaving the foam might add friction that would reduce movement. Crazy? Probably. Does it negatively affect the tone? Probably. What can I say, I'm lazy.
I also just bought (stole!) a Taylor solid body custom that I'm really psyched about. I haven't recorded anything with that one yet. IMO, Taylor is every bit the company that RIC is, in terms of building high quality works of art. Different niches, but similar philosophies.
Thanks for remembering this thread, Peter.
Tom

Tom: Time to remove the packing material from under the bridge and hear the tone of your 5120 if you haven't already.

Zurdo wrote:...or Al Jardine for that matter, or Jeff Beck, or or or or...... so many clones, so little time...

Al Jardine? Al is a clone...of Ray Walston. Or maybe Dobbie.

beatbyrd wrote: IMO, Taylor is every bit the company that RIC is, in terms of building high quality works of art. Different niches, but similar philosophies.

Erm, I find that the only thing that Taylor and RIC have in common is that they make guitars. Don't confuse high quality with personality. Taylors are well-built but soul-less.

jingle_jangle wrote:

beatbyrd wrote: IMO, Taylor is every bit the company that RIC is, in terms of building high quality works of art. Different niches, but similar philosophies.

Erm, I find that the only thing that Taylor and RIC have in common is that they make guitars. Don't confuse high quality with personality. Taylors are well-built but soul-less.

+1. Don't get me started on their groundbreaking electrics.

I remember seeing those electrics at Winter NAMM, two years ago. I wasn't impressed by anything but the interesting details. Everybody shows their best stuff at NAMM; even handbuilt prototypes gleam. It was apparent that Taylor was committed to the electrics, as they had lots of them on display, but they seemed contrived.

The same NAMM, there were the PRS amps, covered in odd swirly copper-printed Tolex, like bad fabric store remnants...

This thread has taken some interesting twists and turns. I probably should not have made any comments about Taylor in this forum. I was still jazzed from receiving mine a day or so earlier. The original thread assumed that I'd only buy one guitar for the rest of the year. I chose to get the Gretsch and really liked it. But a great deal came up on the Taylor and I jumped. So now, the discussion is moot. I have a new Grestch and a new Taylor solid body, which I think will suit my purposes better than a Strat. Thanks for all the help. Tom

Didn't mean to burst your bubble...as always, play what you like, and the combination of the two should give you many additional sonic palettes! Use both with happiness and good luck.

beatbyrd wrote:This thread has taken some interesting twists and turns. I probably should not have made any comments about Taylor in this forum. I was still jazzed from receiving mine a day or so earlier. The original thread assumed that I'd only buy one guitar for the rest of the year. I chose to get the Gretsch and really liked it. But a great deal came up on the Taylor and I jumped. So now, the discussion is moot. I have a new Grestch and a new Taylor solid body, which I think will suit my purposes better than a Strat. Thanks for all the help. Tom

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Hi Tom, sorry if the reply came off as mean spirited. RIC's are such cool guitars, and such a unique company, that a lot of other guitars come up short in my mind when compared directly. I was basing my opinion on what I read about the Taylor electrics when they first came out, and I'll admit it wasn't my cup of tea. But that one you got looks very nice, and has a killer top! I'm sure it sounds good as well.

there is simply no way to compare a Strat to a Gretsch, other than they both have 6 strings. two different instruments, for different purposes.

if you want to see a bunch of Gretsches in one place, just look at a 1960's video of "Buffalo Springfield" performing "Stop, Listen, Watch that Sound". Those were the days.

my first electric guitar was a red Fender Mustang in 1964, with a Danelectro amplifier. I still remember the new smell inside the case, but I got rid of that guitar in less than a year, it sounded 'cheesy", like George Harrison's Tele in "Let it Be", but definitely worse. Then I bought a Magnatone Zephyr in 1965 and I was a happy boy until 1968.

If you're going to get a Gretsch, hold out for a Japanese one instead of the cheaper Korean ones. With your budget, I'd say get the Fender.