FEATURE
Q&A.
is similar to setting a rotary tone control on
about “ 5,” creating a warm, bass-y tone ideal
for your favorite jazz licks, fingerstyle pickin’, or
rhythm comping. —Joe Carducci
4I have a 1993 Gretsch White Penguin that was number 16 made that year. I was told when I bought
it that it was a gift to the man who wrote
a book about Gretsches. After looking at
a few vintage guitar guides, it seems that
there were no production White Penguins
for sale to the public that year. Is it possible that what I was told is true? The
guitar looks totally unplayed. —Michael
Allison, Mesa, AZ
You are correct. No White Penguin guitars
were available in 1993. In fact, it sounds like
you have a very early example of the modern
era of production of this very special Gretsch
guitar. —Fred Gretsch III
5How did the Masterbuilt series come about and how are these guitars dif- ferent from both regular production
models and the original models they replicate? —Greg Kishaba, Eau Claire, WI
How did it come about? Well, it’s sort of
like the amplifier that goes to “ 11.” It’s
one louder! With that in mind, instead of a
Custom Shop instrument built by a team of
luthiers—each responsible for specific duties
of guitar building—the Masterbuilt version is
meticulously created by one person. In the
world of Gretsch, the kingpin guru daddy
with that prestigious title is Stephen Stern.
How are they different from regular production models and the original models they
replicate? Every detail of the one-off guitar is
personally attended to by Stern. Extra attention to detail is painstakingly considered
by the man whose signature will appear on
the back of the headstock. It’s one thing to
own a Gretsch Custom Shop guitar. It’s “one
louder” when the guitar is personally built
by Stephen Stern. —Joe Carducci
6What are the chances of doing a spe- cial-edition Electromatic Duo Jet with a Bigsby B70 tremolo and TV Jones
pickups? I’m sure there are loads of us who
would buy one! —Mike Riddle, Kennington,
Oxford, England
If you’re confident there are loads of players
who would buy one, the chances are favorable. See your favorite Gretsch dealer and let
them know what you want. The dealer should
then contact their Gretsch sales representative
with the request. If we can get enough dealers to come onboard with the same specs,
the guitar could very well turn into a regional
special offering. —Joe Carducci
7My uncle has a Silver Duke Corvette that is amazing but he won’t let me touch it. What should I do? —Scott
Dudley, San Antonio, TX
You should order one from the Gretsch
Custom Shop built by Stephen Stern with a
set of TV Jones Super’Tron pickups, a Tru-Arc
bridge, custom graphics by JimmyC, and a
custom tweed case lined in Lilac crushed velvet plush. Then your guitar will be more amazing than your uncle’s. And be sure not to let
him touch it! —Joe Carducci
8I own #26 of a seemingly rare 7594B double-cutaway Black Falcon II. I have read that only 100 were made. I’d love
to hear your take on the history of this awesome guitar. —Robert Heyl, Santa Rosa, CA
Cool colors are part of the Gretsch DNA going
back to the 1930s. Collaborations with terrific artists and musicians are another key element of the
Gretsch psyche. It was the suggestion of a good
friend from Germany who got us to try out black
for the Falcon. Similarly, Bono energized us to do
green for his Irish Falcon. —Fred Gretsch III
9What’s the difference between similarly priced high-end Gretsch guitars (like the White Falcon) made
in the US and those made in Japan?—Larry
Dubin, Williston, VT
For starters, the Custom Shop G6136CST White
Falcon is $12,000, while the comparable G6136DS
White Falcon from Japan is $4425. What’s the
difference? The Custom Shop version is crafted
by Stephen Stern and his crew. These guys build
Gretsch guitars from scratch, by hand, one at a
time. With the exception of specific requested
components, they utilize the same OEM hardware found on the Professional Collection guitars produced at our Terada factory located in
Nagoya, Japan. Most of the hardwoods used
at the Custom Shop are sourced from Northern
America. The DynaSonic pickups are specially
designed and built by Seymour Duncan. Features
also include a spruce top, three-ply maple back
and sides, and nitrocellulose lacquer finish.
The Professional Collection G6136DS White
Falcon guitars are built at the Terada factory,
which is the original facility Fred Gretsch found
to produce his guitars after obtaining the
Gretsch company back from Baldwin. These
guitars are created by skilled luthiers who specialize in producing high-end hollowbody electric guitars in an old-school, batch-run style.
They source the majority of their woods from
Asia. They feature OEM DynaSonic pickups,
three-ply maple tops, backs, and sides, and
gloss urethane finishes. —Joe Carducci
10I understand that Gretsch has a family museum here in Savannah, Georgia. Is it open to the public
or available to be viewed by appointment?
—Jim Wadsworth, Savannah, GA
The Gretsch family has resided in Savannah
since 1978. Stay tuned for more news on
opportunities to view parts of the Gretsch family’s collection of instruments and artifacts covering three centuries of production of musical
instruments of all types. —Fred Gretsch III
Next month
For next month’s “Go Ahead and Ask,” click here
to;head;to;premierguitar.com/goaheadandask
and let us know what questions you’d like to
ask Andy McKee.
