Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

well its not in my hands yet but its on its way should be here early next week

A twin to my first Gretsch hollowbody, purchased in December, 2004, and flipped 3 months later. And, I'm sorry I did. This is one sweet Gretsch, and perhaps the best value in their lineup, especially at today's prices. Korean-built, very good quality, and 90% of the sound of a Pro line Terada guitar. The single coils are sweet pickups, and the tone is to die for.

Congratulations, Jerry!

thanks paul this will be my first gretsch. how does flatwound strings sound on a gretsch? on my ric's i use TI flats and D'addrio cromes

The TIs would sound great. I've tried D'Addario Chrome Flats with those pickups, and the TI's sound smoother to my ears.

hjarnett wrote: D'addrio cromes

oops me not pell to gooder

Nice Jerry! Congrats

Yeah, those are absolutely brilliant guitars.


They always make me wonder....if I was a beginning guitarist, picking something out at Guitar Center---the Gretsch would seem like an absolute bargain in quality and price over anything else in that price range (Mex. Fenders, Epiphones etc. ). I think they play and sound just great.

Nice Gretsch,

Now you can add some twang to your jangle!

Congrats, Jerry!

Danotron wrote:Nice Gretsch,

Now you can add some twang to your jangle!

I like my Gretsch for some of the jazzier tones I can coax from it.

I agree that the Korean Gretsch Hollows are amazing values. To my ear, the single coil pups are a large part of that equation.

A couple of years ago, Gretsch brought out a sunburst guitar in the 5XXX (Korean hollowbody) range--the 5120SB. I was completely awed, until I got over my drooling and looked closer... it had the so-called "dumbucker" chrome humbucking pickups, which are not to my taste in sound or looks. The 5125, -6. -7, -8, and -9 (like Jerry's 5125; numbers are color variations) have the DeArmond 2000 "flat-back" single coil pickups, which look and sound much better than the "DB"s. and, that year, they had switched them from the 2000s to the "DB"s. I couldn't believe they would make such a strange decision.

Apparently others felt the same way, because the next year ('08), the part of the line with the 2000s returned. But the sunburst model (which for me would be the "poor man's Country Club", if it had the 2000s) continues on with the "DB"s. I suppose Gretsch thinks that, at less than 1/3 the price of a sunburst CC, the 5120 SB with 2000s would steal a lot of the CC's thunder--and customers.

Holy smoke and a pancake!!! Is that a R E D Gretsch Hollowbody with real F holes and Dyanasonics?!!!! I like it!

nice!!!!!!!!!! congrats jerry.

Did someone say Pancake!!!

I've got 3 Gretsch guitars, and although this one was by far the cheapest, it's my favourite.

The finish is a bit rough round the edges, but it plays like a dream and sounds great.

Hey Jerry, we've got twins!

This whole series of guitars is making a big splash, Here's my 512x series guitar, the one with the mudbuckers (I quite like them actually, they sound big!)