# What's Up With All The Different Gretsch Hollowbody Models?



## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

There are a number of models and huge price variations,

Could someone explain the differences between the models and what the numbers signify?


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Marketing?
They like variety?
I wonder what Fred would say.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

zontar said:


> Marketing?
> They like variety?
> I wonder what Fred would say.


I am asking the differences between the models.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

player99 said:


> I am asking the differences between the models.


Okay--ALl I can say is heck their website & check reviews.

And ask here too of course.
But I don't have a lot of experience with Gretsch--so I can't really answer that.


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## Hammerhands (Dec 19, 2016)

If you are looking for a Gretsch, start with the pickups, then the scale length, if you want a single or double cutaway, zero-fret.

The three main pickups are Dynasonics which are like D'Armonds, full of twang, Filtertrons and the jazzier Supertrons which are narrow humbuckers, HiLotrons which are single coils based on the Filtertron.

Dynasonics were in George Harrison's Duo-Jet, are favoured by Rock-a-billy and punk rockers. A Supertron in the neck and a Filtertron in the bridge was on one of George's Country Gentlemen, Malcolm Young's Gretsch had a bridge Filtertron. HiLotrons were in George's Tennesean.

There are lots of different versions of the Filtertron pickups, TV Jones makes the Ray Butts which are probably as close as you can get to the ones from the 1960s. I wish they would make a Supertron version.

The White Falcon, Country Club and a few Country Gentlemen are 25.5” scale length, most of the others are 24.6”.

The numbers started as catalogue numbers. Everything had a number, and Gretsch sold all sorts of different things from ocarinas to amplifiers.

There wasn't a great deal of signifigance to them, but a few guitars became mostly known by their number, like the 6120.

Of the golden era guitars from the 1950s and 1960s, what became the Country Club was the 6193 and also 6196 if it was blonde or green, 6120 is the Chet Atkins Hollow Body, 6121 Chet Atkins Solid Body, 6119 Chet Atkins Tennesean, 6122 Chet Atkins Country Gentleman, 6128 Duo Jet, 6129 Sparkle Jet, 6131 Jet Firebird, 6117 Anniversary, 6118 Double Anniversary, 6136 White Falcon.

The stereo versions got their own.

There are a few that got reused, 6114 I think.

The company was sold to Baldwin and they eventually renumbered some of the guitars in the 7000s, 7670 Country Gentleman, 7560 Double Anniversary, 7576 Country Club.

So if you see a new guitar in the 6000s, that's based on a golden era guitar, a 7000 will have Baldwin appointments.

The 5000 series guitars are less expensive models and will have numbers similar to their 6000 counterparts, like 5120, the 5420 is a newer version of the 5120.

The 2000 series guitars are mostly semi-hollow bodies, they are a little like some Baldwin guitars but are more of their own thing, or a bit more like a Gibson 335.

They were also some historic series guitars inspired by Gretsch guitars from the 1930s and 1940s, maybe 9000 series?

In the current catalog the Players Edition guitars are all pretty similar, or more similar than they used to be, Guitars with a suffix like 1955 or 1962 are based on the specification from that year.

They are not selling my preferred guitars at the moment. The 6121-1959 is out of the catalogue, which is a 6121 based on the 1959 specs, and the Country Club is based on a 1958 or 1959 and doesn't have a zero-fret.

If you are getting a solid-body (which are really like thin hollow bodies) you only get one scale-length. 6128, 6129, 6131 are all pretty similar except the color.

If you are willing to buy used, there are just about as many options as you can imagine, they have made a huge variety of models over the years.

Let me know what you want and I'll see if I can remember something similar.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Hammerhands said:


> If you are looking for a Gretsch, start with the pickups, then the scale length, if you want a single or double cutaway, zero-fret.
> 
> The three main pickups are Dynasonics which are like D'Armonds, full of twang, Filtertrons and the jazzier Supertrons which are narrow humbuckers, HiLotrons which are single coils based on the Filtertron.
> 
> ...


I tried to buy an Electromatic G5422T but missed it.

Is that a good one? (It was selling for $700)


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## Hammerhands (Dec 19, 2016)

It's not a high-end guitar. L&M has a price of $1100. People are sometimes happy with them, often they upgrade the pickups.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Hammerhands said:


> It's not a high-end guitar. L&M has a price of $1100. People are sometimes happy with them, often they upgrade the pickups.


Thanks.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Hammerhands said:


> It's not a high-end guitar. L&M has a price of $1100. People are sometimes happy with them, often they upgrade the pickups.


Is there a less expensive model that's decent?


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## Jim Soloway (Sep 27, 2013)

I'm certainly not a Gretsch expert so if any of what I'm about to day is wrong, someone please feel free to correct me. I believe the difference between the 5000 series guitars and 6000 series is the country (and by extension, factory) of origin. The 6000 series are made in Japan (at the Tarada factory?) while the 5000 series is built in Indonesia and/or China at whatever factory makes economic sense at the time. The Japanese made Gretsch guitar have a reputation for superb quality and craftsmanship and Tarada made guitars of any brand always sell for prices comparable to US built guitars and sometimes higher.

One alternative is to upgrade a 5000 series guitar with TV Jones pickups. His pickups are really first rate and he often has "scratch and dent" specials. The defects in the sale pickups are very minor blemishes and it does bring the price down.


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## MS41R8 (Sep 26, 2016)

Hammerhands said:


> If you are looking for a Gretsch, start with the pickups, then the scale length, if you want a single or double cutaway, zero-fret.
> 
> The three main pickups are Dynasonics which are like D'Armonds, full of twang, Filtertrons and the jazzier Supertrons which are narrow humbuckers, HiLotrons which are single coils based on the Filtertron.
> 
> ...


Very well explained ! Nailed it bang on


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## zdogma (Mar 21, 2006)

I’ve owned a couple over the years. I quite like the 5000 series guitars-they look great, the build quality is good and I find the blacktop filtertrons quite good for rock and blues playing. They do have some tuning issues and the hardware is basic however. If you play loud the hollow bodies also feed back more easily than the tresle braced guitars. 

The 6000 series Gretsch guitars are consistently excellent-both in sound and build quality. They do have some quirky features-the pickup switching and control layout is odd, and why the mud switch on the vintage guitars? if I could I would glue it it place. The bridges are strange as well, some work well others don’t. The space control bridge on mine was like a cheese grater on your hand. The old Bigsbys are a PITA to string as well, but you get better at it with practice. The hollow bodies are big guitars as well, especially the Falcons, they feel like you’re playing a large acoustic.

My main Gretsch is a Silver Falcon from 2008, if I bought one now I would get the players edition with the single pickup switch and a string through Bigsby.

Oh, and probably good to save for a Truarc bridge, once you’ve tried one there’s no going back.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Doesn’t fender on them now; maybe following the fender business model of having 50 variations of everything.


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## DaddyDog (Apr 21, 2017)

Wardo said:


> Doesn’t fender on them now; maybe following the fender business model of having 50 variations of everything.


No, Fender has never owned them. Gretsch and Fender have a distribution deal. Gretsch still makes all of the decisions on models and such. This is why big stores like L&M will have both Fender and Gretsch.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

Seems that the agreement allows Fender to develop, produce, market and distribute. So Fenders marketing model might be applied to Gretsch is well.


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## DaddyDog (Apr 21, 2017)

@player99 there's lots of good info in the posts above. Ideally, go and try one in person. There are two very popular chat forums called Gretsch Talk, and Gretsch Discussion Pages. Lots of knowledge in both... and personal preferences. Plus everyone has their budget limitations. The Korean made 5000 series are excellent value. The Japanese made 6000 series are fantastic quality but a lot more expensive. Gretsch Custom Shop is in the USA, and if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it ;-)

What kind of music do you play? Do you ever play with a band? What size venue? These answers will help a lot in steering you to a suitable model.

Also beware the Gretsch web site has many errors. Double check any spec that is critical for you.


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## Okay Player (May 24, 2020)

DaddyDog said:


> @player99 there's lots of good info in the posts above. Ideally, go and try one in person. There are two very popular chat forums called Gretsch Talk, and Gretsch Discussion Pages. Lots of knowledge in both... and personal preferences. Plus everyone has their budget limitations. The Korean made 5000 series are excellent value. The Japanese made 6000 series are fantastic quality but a lot more expensive. Gretsch Custom Shop is in the USA, and if you have to ask the price, you can't afford it ;-)
> 
> What kind of music do you play? Do you ever play with a band? What size venue? These answers will help a lot in steering you to a suitable model.
> 
> Also beware the Gretsch web site has many errors. Double check any spec that is critical for you.


How does the Chinese made stuff stack up with the Korean or Japanese in your opinion?


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Great post, @Hammerhands . You appear to be the resident Gretsch expert.

It seems to me that Gretsch model numbers are only slightly less confusing than Rickenbacker's. Or Porsche 911s.




Jim Soloway said:


> I'm certainly not a Gretsch expert so if any of what I'm about to day is wrong, someone please feel free to correct me. I believe the difference between the 5000 series guitars and 6000 series is the country (and by extension, factory) of origin. The 6000 series are made in Japan (at the Tarada factory?) while the 5000 series is built in Indonesia and/or China at whatever factory makes economic sense at the time. The Japanese made Gretsch guitar have a reputation for superb quality and craftsmanship and Tarada made guitars of any brand always sell for prices comparable to US built guitars and sometimes higher.
> 
> One alternative is to upgrade a 5000 series guitar with TV Jones pickups. His pickups are really first rate and he often has "scratch and dent" specials. The defects in the sale pickups are very minor blemishes and it does bring the price down.


Since I last paid attention, the 5000 series was made in Korea. The 5120 replacement, the 5420, had much better pups and people were more likely to keep them, considering the 'challenges' in changing pups in a Gretsch.

The Tarada guitars are great, probably rivaling the 60s Gretschs which were considered a bit 'hit and miss' at the time.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are still a few US made (by Stephen Stern) Custom Shop models, but I've never played one. Unobtanium, unless you're Paul Pigat or someone like that.


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## Wootang (Oct 6, 2020)

player99 said:


> There are a number of models and huge price variations,
> 
> Could someone explain the differences between the models and what the numbers signify?


I hear you. Took me so long to find out recently that one was a g5655t-cb. Lol... so many different models that look very similar between $500-1500... similar to Yamaha. It’s annoying


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## colchar (May 22, 2010)

'I WAS BLOWN AWAY': Guitar made in 1950s worth more than B.C. family imagined


KAMLOOPS, B.C. — When Renee Latheur decided to take an old guitar into a music store in Kamloops, B.C., she didn’t expect the instrument that had sat in a…




torontosun.com


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## colchar (May 22, 2010)

DaddyDog said:


> The Korean made 5000 series are excellent value.


I recently bought a 5420TG. I had been curious about Gretsch guitars for a while but had never found one with a neck I liked (actually I had stumbled upon one in L&M a couple of years back but had just bought something else so couldn't swing the cash for it). One day a few weeks ago while wasting time in L&M, as you do, I checked them out again because I was bored and a former roommate had put the idea in my head. I tried a few and didn't like them. When I tried the 5420TG I had a 'wait a minute' moment. I tried it some more, and then tried some more expensive models. I liked the 5420TG better. I ended up trading in my Gibson Flying V towards the Gretsch. It has quickly become my favourite guitar. In fact, the only other guitar I have even picked up since getting it is my Tele and that was just the once. I had often wondered what it was like to find the 'the one', and now I know. Something about it just suits me perfectly.

This is the one I bought:









Gretsch Guitars - G5420TG Limited Edition Electromatic '50s Hollow Body Single-Cut with Bigsby and Gold Hardware


Gretsch Guitars - G5420TG Limited Edition Electromatic '50s Hollow Body Single-Cut with Bigsby and Gold Hardware




www.long-mcquade.com


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## Hammerhands (Dec 19, 2016)

High/Deaf said:


> Great post, @Hammerhands . You appear to be the resident Gretsch expert.


If you want an expert, you go to GretschPages.com and find kc_eddie_b, that guy has pictures of guitars from every batch, wrote a few books on the subject, actually decided what a 1954 or 1955 model guitar is.

And there's a guy named Wayne Gretschzky on Gretsch-talk.com.

I've just been reading their posts for a few years.


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## DaddyDog (Apr 21, 2017)

Hammerhands said:


> If you want an expert, you go to GretschPages.com and find kc_eddie_b, that guy has pictures of guitars from every batch, wrote a few books on the subject, actually decided what a 1954 or 1955 model guitar is.
> 
> And there's a guy named Wayne Gretschzky on Gretsch-talk.com.
> 
> I've just been reading their posts for a few years.


Um, they're the same guy. Edward Ball. Gretsch Guy


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## DaddyDog (Apr 21, 2017)

Okay Player said:


> How does the Chinese made stuff stack up with the Korean or Japanese in your opinion?


I don't keep super close track, but... made in China? I'm not aware of any. I've seen Korea or Indonesia.

Perhaps we shouldn't bombard the poor opening post with Gretsch trivia! Lol. Sorry about that.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

DaddyDog said:


> I don't keep super close track, but... made in China? I'm not aware of any. I've seen Korea or Indonesia.
> 
> Perhaps we shouldn't bombard the poor opening post with Gretsch trivia! Lol. Sorry about that.


Yes there is Made In China Gretsch.


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## DaddyDog (Apr 21, 2017)

player99 said:


> Yes there is Made In China Gretsch.


Then I stand corrected. I also just found an article saying "solid body Electromatics models". Wow that's pretty narrow.


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## Okay Player (May 24, 2020)

DaddyDog said:


> Then I stand corrected. I also just found an article saying "solid body Electromatics models". Wow that's pretty narrow.


I've seen a bunch of hollow bodies also marked as MIC.


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## GuitarT (Nov 23, 2010)

Wardo said:


> Doesn’t fender on them now; maybe following the fender business model of having 50 variations of everything.


Gretsch is still owned by the Gretsch family and, while they still have some say in business decisions, the marketing, production and distribution is all run by Fender. The Gretsch Custom Shop is even in the same building as the Fender Custom Shop.


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## Markus 1 (Feb 1, 2019)

Hammerhands said:


> If you are looking for a Gretsch, start with the pickups, then the scale length, if you want a single or double cutaway, zero-fret.
> 
> The three main pickups are Dynasonics which are like D'Armonds, full of twang, Filtertrons and the jazzier Supertrons which are narrow humbuckers, HiLotrons which are single coils based on the Filtertron.
> 
> ...



That was a generous amount of input. Should get special commendation


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## Gretsch6120 (Sep 20, 2006)

Gretsch gives you options, so you can find the combo that you want for one of their guitars. Yes it can be a task to find the model you want and to decipher the nomenclature of their models but its worth it. Put this way, the ones made in China are the lower price point guitars and the made in Japan ones are a bit more pricey. I will say the quality of the new guitars are a lot better than the vintage ones that can be hit and miss. Enjoy the hunt


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