Author Topic: Following on from my Gibson Melody Maker thread (Read 4849 times)

Brow · « **on:** January 29, 2007, 06:31:42 PM »

Hey guys.

In my Gibson Melody Maker thread I mentioned that I tried a few guitars while on down-time from recording, well I came home with a new 1 :roll:

It's a Gretsch Electromatic Pro Jet (mine doesn't have the bigsby but is the same colour):

I was also looking at Mexi Strats and the Fender Lite Ash Tele but I played this and it really surprised me how well it played and sounded, especially for a £259 guitar :)

Just thought I'd make a thread incase anyone cares :lol:
:twisted: :roll:

sambo · « **Reply #1 on:** January 29, 2007, 06:34:22 PM »

lol i knew no one else would like the melody makers!

ah well, i tend to like guitars that everyone else hates to play anyway lol... thats just me being odd.

but anyway- niiiiice one! i remember trying one like that (without the bigsby) a while ago... really nice guitars playability wise, but cant remember what the hell they sound like.

how dirty/heavy can it go?

congrats.

Brow · « **Reply #2 on:** January 29, 2007, 06:39:38 PM »

Quote from: sambo

lol i knew no one else would like the melody makers!

If it's any consolation, the bassist in my band really liked the Melody Maker :roll:

I'm not saying it was a bad guitar, just not what I was looking for :)

With the Mini Humbuckers/Filtertons (I may be wrong with what pickups they actually are, as I have no nowledge of Gretsch) it sounds to me to be a cross between a Les Paul and a Strat: Thicker than a 'standard' strat, but with lots of cut and slightly less power than a humbucker.

sambo · « **Reply #3 on:** January 29, 2007, 06:44:11 PM »

lol ah good, im not the only with strange taste in guitars then...

and yer each to his own.

sounds interesting, might actually start looking at them again. (the Gretschs' i mean)

dave_mc · « **Reply #4 on:** January 29, 2007, 06:52:28 PM »

nice!

I refuse to try any gretsches. It's for the best, really. Any time I try a style of guitar I haven't tried before, I want one. I can't see that there'd be any difference with the gretsches, unfortunately.

:lol:

Brow · « **Reply #5 on:** January 29, 2007, 06:54:32 PM »

Quote from: dave_mc

nice!

I refuse to try any gretsches. It's for the best, really. Any time I try a style of guitar I haven't tried before, I want one. I can't see that there'd be any difference with the gretsches, unfortunately.

:lol:

TBH, Saturday was the 1st time I'd ever played ANY Gretsch guitar (those hugh bodies always put me off), but I really like the smaller bodied Pro Jet, and by Sunday I owned 1 :twisted:

dave_mc · « **Reply #6 on:** January 29, 2007, 06:55:37 PM »

^ heh, yeah, that's the reason I don't want to try one. I'm going to have to go off guitar shops for lent or something. :lol:

38thBeatle · « **Reply #7 on:** January 29, 2007, 07:31:13 PM »

Nice one there Brow. What is the neck like? Sounds like a great bargain.

sgmypod · « **Reply #8 on:** January 29, 2007, 09:51:47 PM »

have a gold one exactly the same, with a good setup(although was good of the rack) are a very good guitar...only downside weigh a ton...but great sound even with stock...tried semi gretcsh but didn't like feel of neck but liked sound

sgmypod · « **Reply #9 on:** January 29, 2007, 09:58:49 PM »

sorry to hijack thread..but did they do a melody maker with a chicken head knob(think had more than five settings) almost looked like the old redifusion cable system...friend had one years ago looked like a flat LP

Kilby · « **Reply #10 on:** January 29, 2007, 10:08:01 PM »

Quote from: sgmypod

sorry to hijack thread..but did they do a melody maker with a chicken head knob(think had more than five settings) almost looked like the old redifusion cable system...friend had one years ago looked like a flat LP

Theres a huge variation in melody maker models, I was looking at single coil versions and sg shaped ones today. I think there was also a double cut version.

Infact the only thing they never seem to have are humbuckers (and I'm sure I will be proved wrong within 5 minutes)

blue · « **Reply #11 on:** January 29, 2007, 10:42:03 PM »

Quote from: Brow

With the Mini Humbuckers/Filtertons (I may be wrong with what pickups they actually are, as I have no nowledge of Gretsch) it sounds to me to be a cross between a Les Paul and a Strat: Thicker than a 'standard' strat, but with lots of cut and slightly less power than a humbucker.

slightly sacreligious on here, but with the dollar the way it is now you can get TV Jones filtertron pickups for a decent price. apparently they're the ultimate Gretch pickups, and of course Bareknuckle don't actually do an equivalent. there's a review of a couple of his models in one of the guitar magazines at the minute.

Brow · « **Reply #12 on:** January 29, 2007, 11:09:00 PM »

Thanks for the comments guys :)

Quote from: dave_mc

^ heh, yeah, that's the reason I don't want to try one. I'm going to have to go off guitar shops for lent or something. :lol:

Where's the fun in that though

Quote from: 38thBeatle

Nice one there Brow. What is the neck like? Sounds like a great bargain.

The neck feels like my Gordon Smith Graduate 60 neck, only maybe a little thicker. Definitely LP in feel :)

I wouldn't say that the weight is an issue to me neither. It does feel quite heavy, but it's still only about 2/3 of the weight of my Gibby LP, so I can manage :)

Quote from: blue

slightly sacreligious on here, but with the dollar the way it is now you can get TV Jones filtertron pickups for a decent price. apparently they're the ultimate Gretch pickups, and of course Bareknuckle don't actually do an equivalent. there's a review of a couple of his models in one of the guitar magazines at the minute.

I had considered these as a future upgrade, but I'm currently happy enough with the guitar 'as is'. Even stock, it still provides a sound that I can't get from any of my other guitars, but will have to try it at band practise and a few gigs before I really start to consider new pickups etc :)

blue · « **Reply #13 on:** January 29, 2007, 11:13:56 PM »

Quote from: Brow

I had considered these as a future upgrade, but I'm currently happy enough with the guitar 'as is'. Even stock, it still provides a sound that I can't get from any of my other guitars, but will have to try it at band practise and a few gigs before I really start to consider new pickups etc :)

i know what you mean, any time i've gotten a "less expensive" guitar, my head starts up about what pickups to put in it, without really giving the originals a chance. i have a hollow body Epiphone Les Paul which i'm yearning to put a set of Stormy Mondays into, but the originals actually sound pretty good! too many of us have more money than sense :roll:

Brow · « **Reply #14 on:** January 29, 2007, 11:31:28 PM »

Quote from: blue

i know what you mean, any time i've gotten a "less expensive" guitar, my head starts up about what pickups to put in it, without really giving the originals a chance. i have a hollow body Epiphone Les Paul which i'm yearning to put a set of Stormy Mondays into, but the originals actually sound pretty good! too many of us have more money than sense :roll:

I'm usually the same myself! :roll:

My girlfriend always says I have more money than sense, and now I'm starting to believe her :lol: :twisted: