2006 - Present
2006 Gretsch Rancher Jr.
This is a cute little flat-top, a VERY cute little flat-top. It has a triangular sound-hole, a smallish 000 size and the upper bouts are small giving it a narrow-shouldered appearance. The tone is sweet and not particularly jangly, almost like an acoustic archtop. Amplified it takes on a sound that is middle-of-the-road for amplified flat-tops but a sweetness of tone remains. In forty years of playing guitar this is my first ever flat-top. I’ve never liked the sound of most dreadnaughts and 000 Martins cost more than I’m willing to spend. This is a fine compromise and the price wasn’t bad either.
2006 Gretsch 6120
By now Gretsch fever was raging through my every cell causing madness and a compulsion to buy orange guitars. I found a used G 6120 that looked like new and had been carefully set up by a luthier. The price wasn't bad so I sprung for it and was rewarded with a very sweet looking and sweet playing guitar. It had a more traditionally Gretsch character than the 6120N but the Gretsch twang was never far away. Truly the 6120 is a major element in the Gretsch world and such a nicely set up example never disappointed me.
2006 Gretsch Country Club
This is one of those guitars that comes with a story. A story that has taken nearly two years to uncover. Here's the deal; Gretsch makes several Country Club models but as a rule only the Cadillac Green models have a solid spruce top while the sunburst and natural finished Clubs have laminated maple tops. Somehow or another, there was a factory error and some natural-finished Clubs were produced with solid spruce tops. Even more amazingly, I ended up buying one for a very reasonable price.
The result is a Gretsch that comports itself well as a Jazz guitar while still having some snap and twang if the situation calls for it. I used it to record a simple little Jazz Blues that you can listen to here.
2007 Gretsch 6120 AM
I really liked my G 6120 but ever since I had cracked open the pages of a contemporary Gretsch catalog I had been quite taken with the appearance of the 6120 AM, a natural finished model with flamed maple and just a hint of amber tint in the finish. When I stumbled upon the opportunity to buy one at a good price I didn't have to think twice, I just went for it. My other 6120 was listed on eBay and even though I took a nasty loss on that one the joy of seeing that beautiful flamed maple made it all worth while.
2008 Gretsch Duo Jet 6128 TCG
Another purchase that came as a bit of a surprise. I had visited this guitar on more than one occasion while vacationing in Minnesota. For some reason, this little guitar just didn't sell. Finally, I got an offer I just couldn't refuse and the guitar came to be mine.
The Dynasonic pickups seem to split the difference between a Telecaster and a Les Paul with P-90s. It's great for Country, Blues and Rock 'n' Roll. It's the perfect counterpoint to my other Filtertron-equipped Gretsch guitars. The Cadillac Green finish had not been used on production Duo Jets since circa 1957 but Gretsch has recently brought it back in all its striking beauty.
