r/gretsch

Hello, fellow Gretsch players!

After having loved my 5622T electric for about 5 years, there was an issue with the input jack literally just weeks ago and I was able to get someone to fix it! Now, just days before a f*cking gig (of course), the bridge pickup has incredibly low volume.

No distortion, no audible sound issues other than brutally low volume. After doing some research, it seems like it's a very low chance that the pick-up itself is the issue - it's most likely the pickup switch. I've done the recommended solution of putting some DeoxIT in the switch and toggling it back and forth, and after a few times trying that out and putting varrying levels of liquid...still zero change with the issue.

What is my next step here? How can I fix this before my gig on Saturday? Incredibly frustrating how this guitar has had zero issues for years until two separate issues pop up in the same month. Wtf.

Greetings ladies and gentlemen!

I'm from a small town far away from any music store but the online stores can ship to my location.
Unfortunately I can't do a soundcheck in-person. Would you be so kind to advice me a semi-hollow alternatives from other brands?

Or maybe even a Gretsch alternative?
My budget is under $1k.

This video is a great example of a sound and music type I'd love to play (especially from 1:25).

I posted the other day about having a line on a 5420 with TV Jones Hilotrons installed, got some good responses. I'm still interested in that, the price is right, but I'm now wondering about going in a different direction and getting a Gretsch with humbuckers because I currently don't have any humbucker guitars in my arsenal, they're all single coils, and I'm thinking that might be a better plan.

I played a 5420 at a local dealer and liked it, I think I can get along with the neck unlike another one I tried out and the body depth didn't bother me. It's Anniversary Green, however, which I'm not a huge fan of so I don't know if I'll go for that particular example.

The FT-5E pickups were OK but if I got a 5420 I can see myself doing a pickup change at some point. I've actually been looking at the various offerings and listening to various audio clips of the different pickups on TV Jones' website and it's about to drive me crazy, because what I've listened to have all sounded so good, I don't know if I could choose just one with a gun to my head.

The Classics, Classic Plus, Ray Butts, Setzers and Yandell Duotrons all sound good to me and like they'd meet my needs. I’m the rhythm player in our group, I will do some chordal leads and some riffs and fills, but I learned a long time ago that’s my niche and I am good with hanging out there and contributing my bit to the whole of the sound. He’s not a Gretsch player that I know of, but Peter Buck of REM is my guitar hero/spirit animal as far as my playing style, I like jangly generally clean or on the edge of breakup and I don’t use a lot of dirt, my No. 1 right now is an Epi Casino and all I do with those P-90s is pick harder if I want to get dirty. I don’t know if that would influence where I would need to go in the TV Jones world. Any thoughts?

I have also looked at Synchromatics, which wouldn't be a whole lot more than a 5420 and a pickup upgrade and I probably wouldn't need to swap out the pickups on one of those, but at that point I’m wondering if you'd do just as well holding out for a used Pro Line.

Just some random thoughts from someone who has a serious Gretsch itch that he's trying to scratch.

First off, I know one is thicker than the other and one has real F holes and the other one has fakes and one has a 1-inch wider body than the other. Let’s take those off the table. I’m also talking about the Pro Line models.

What are the relative advantages and disadvantages, strengths and weaknesses, quirks both positive and negative of each model? And would one model be more conducive than the other for someone who’s primarily a rhythm player and doesn’t get any dirtier than the often mentioned “edge of breakup?”