Overall Rating: I have been playing for 21 years, and I tend to accumulate guitars - my other main electrics are a US fender Strat, a home-made tele with duncans, and an Ibanez RG570 with dimarzios. I play them all through a johnson j-station and a M...
Overall Rating: I have been playing for 21 years, and I tend to accumulate guitars - my other main electrics are a US fender Strat, a home-made tele with duncans, and an Ibanez RG570 with dimarzios. I play them all through a johnson j-station and a Mesa Subway Blues, via a Boss OD3, Boss Metal Zone, ProCo Rat, Vox wah and Arion chorus. This guitar was a bargain (because the store had lost their dealership status for Gretsch and because it was the last and ugliest colour one left), and if it were stolen I would definitely buy again if I could get it for the same price, or a bit more. I love that it has a bunch of tones my other guitars don't, and that it stands out visually! It would be a great starter guitar, or a great backup/alternate guitar. I wouldn't want to be without other choices as far as sounds go though.
Features: My Sparklejet is Korean made, 2 humbuckers, 22 frets, single cutaway. Hardware is functional, but the chroming on the knobs/switch is fading fast, and the switch is somewhat intermittent, as others have mentioned. All the ones that I have seen including mine are made of laminated hardboard (I think it's also referred to as Masonite). Mine has an F-hole, and is yellow sparkle. It's ugly as sin, but in a good, lounge act/punk band kind of way.
Sound Quality: I play all sorts of music. This guitar is not a one-trick pony, but you need to work to its strengths. ACDC tones - oh yeah. George Harrison - Oh yeah. Punky rhythms - definitely. Thin, interesting parts in a layered song that don't take up a heap of sonic room, definitely. But smooth jazz, metal, country - not so much. Mine was so cheap, it's a worth addition to my arsenal.
Reliability/Durability: I've played this guitar live a few times - initially tuning was a problem, but with 11's on it and the bridge rattle fixed it seems to be much less of a problem. The strap buttons on mine are holding up well, and actually it's the only one of my guitars that doesn't have straplocks on it. Apart from the switch issues and the fading knobs, it seems pretty reliable. But I never gig without a backup. 1 broken string from digging in too hard, and you're lost, for at least a song.
Customer Support: Never tried contacting them
Price: $300150.00 USD
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