Gretsch G100 Synchromatic Archtop

[T Rice]

Anyone have or played one? I'm feeling a very strong urge to buy one but I can't find any reviews.HELP ME PLEASE! Thanks,T Rice

[guitarcapo]

I played one in a music store here in Naples, Florida. (Gator Music)

 

It was really nice sounding. I'm not a fan of totally acoustic archtops because I'm mostly a flatop acoustic guy...but this one was LOUD and had a kind of Dobro tone that probably would be very useful for recording and getting an interesting tone.

 

Acoustic archtops really are an anachronism these days. They were built to be played in big bands punching out chords strung with very heavy strings and strummed hard. In these days of folk guitar and amplification, it's questionable how anyone can justify buying one because it's made for a type of music that's out of style and it doesn't seem to have advantages over other, more modern guitar designs.

 

But how about:

 

1. Using one for recording as a slide guitar?

2. Stringing it with flatwounds and adding a

pickguard mounted neck pickup?

3. Fingerpicking it and using it for recording with vocals?

4. Mounting an soundboard transducer like a K&K Western and using it for live open-mike type gigs?

5. Flatpicking in an acoustic band setting (Gypsy jazz,

bluegrass...etc)?

 

 

It wasn't dead sounding like a lot of plywood-topped Harmony guitars are.

The tone was brash and loud. Maybe like a Dobro, but less loud and with

a little more wooden and less-metalic tone. I have an old Kay archtop

acoustic that I picked up up cheap that sounds a lot like it or I'd have bought it. For what it is, I have to say they executed the design well.

[T Rice]

Thanks for the info guitarcapo.I was wondering about the volume.I have the Epi emporer for an archtop with a floating humbucker but acousticly it's not that loud.What do you think,pull the trigger? Worth $600.00?

[guitarcapo]

600 is a little steep in my opinion. You could buy an awesome acoustic amp for that kind of money. Or a killer archtop electric.For an all acoustic instrument, I'm personally more partial to an Epiphone Masterbuilt. All solid wood instead of just the solid spruce top...and I consider Flattops a more versatile sound.

 

You might want to wait a year or two. I have a feeling a lot of them are going to show up on Ebay with very little playing wear and a nice price adjustment for being used. Lot's of baby boomers will buy them and realize that it's a specialized tool for making a unique sound and not played enough.