Members hecticone Posted February 3, 2010 Members Share Posted February 3, 2010 Any feedback greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MattLivingInVan Posted February 3, 2010 Members Share Posted February 3, 2010 i have one as a throw around gretsch.the quality is great for the money.pick up swap and your golden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rob Dobbs Posted February 3, 2010 Members Share Posted February 3, 2010 The G512x series Gretsch's are the best low dollar hollow/semi hollow guitars out there. Their build and finish is great, they sound good and are gigable. Many are still under the train of thought that the Gretschbucker pups are supposed to have a Filtertron sound which they dont. They have their own sound which is very versatile. Id suggest swapping the plastic nut for one in bone, orange drop caps and a roller bridge right out the box. I had a complete custom harness made with V/T V/T, master volume, selector and on/off switches with orange drop caps. Ive also swapped the pups out for gold colored Gretschbuckers out of an Elliot Easton model. It can be very piano like at times when playing clean. Im not sure what the output is on the EE pups though but it does sound alot better after the mods. Mine has also been moded with a roller bridge, bone nut, locking tuners and metal pup rings. Its set up low and plays like an Ibanez. As soon as the extra funds are in hand, its getting a gold Bigsby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MattLivingInVan Posted February 3, 2010 Members Share Posted February 3, 2010 still need to cut that pickguard to fit around the bigger buckers haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Elias Graves Posted February 3, 2010 Members Share Posted February 3, 2010 Lovely guitars. I'd take one if there's a spare lying about. EG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DARKMETL/ Posted February 3, 2010 Members Share Posted February 3, 2010 Yeah I dig mine, put some Grover tuners on it and a GFS Nashville Retrotron pickup in it. Rocking the 5120: Also there is a live webcast recording in link with the 5120 if you are interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hecticone Posted February 3, 2010 Author Members Share Posted February 3, 2010 Thanks Guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cephus Posted February 3, 2010 Members Share Posted February 3, 2010 The G512x series Gretsch's are the best low dollar hollow/semi hollow guitars out there. I respectfully disagree. I played a few of them at samash one day and I thought their house brand ES-175 copies (carlo roberi or something, they were some signature model. can't remember now) were actually better fit and finish for less money. Those were very close to my Epi ES-295. Must be made in the same asian sweatshop. they had the pointy cutaway and some goofy looking pickguard. But the box itself was very similar to the epi. The frets weren't that great, though. I have never seen another epi hollow 175-ish guitar. I admit it. I have played far more gretsches than other Epis. The gretsch was not as nice as my epi. I didn't like the neck, the frets or the pickups. I thought the finish also was sub-par. My epi was a couple hundred more, though. SO it might not be a fair comparison. Look, I love gretsches and I am a huge brian setzer fan, but I was really disappointed in the electromatic ~$500 ones. I actually went in intending to buy one and walked out after beating on a few. I much prefer P90s for rockabilly than the fake filtertrons. I think they are super cool and look great and I may even buy one someday. But I disagree about the bang for the buck. You are paying at least $100 for the name and what it looks like from 15 feet away. Up close, they're not super nice. I do like the soundpost, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rob Dobbs Posted February 4, 2010 Members Share Posted February 4, 2010 Im an Epi fan too, have been since the mid 80's. If you want to get down and dirty, ive got a cheap 335 clone by S101 that knocks the socks off of anything I own. Its crazy, could be the diamond in the coal mine, but its an amazing guitar that keeps the Gretsch in the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Roy Posted February 4, 2010 Members Share Posted February 4, 2010 Im an Epi fan too, have been since the mid 80's. If you want to get down and dirty, ive got a cheap 335 clone by S101 that knocks the socks off of anything I own. Its crazy, could be the diamond in the coal mine, but its an amazing guitar that keeps the Gretsch in the case. i played a S101 in a store once. loved everything about it. (sorry for straying OT) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Surrealistic Posted February 4, 2010 Members Share Posted February 4, 2010 ... You are paying at least $100 for the name and what it looks like from 15 feet away. Up close, they're not super nice.Maybe I was just lucky with mine (White 5124 with DeArmond 2000 pups) but the finish on mine is amazing. The paintwork, fretwork and (particularly) binding alone look like they should have cost the price of the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted February 4, 2010 Moderators Share Posted February 4, 2010 Maybe I was just lucky with mine (White 5124 with DeArmond 2000 pups) but the finish on mine is amazing. The paintwork, fretwork and (particularly) binding alone look like they should have cost the price of the guitar. The guitars with the De Armonds on are the tits. Although they are probably all made by Peerless, I've never found any fault in any of the 51xx series Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DARKMETL/ Posted February 4, 2010 Members Share Posted February 4, 2010 Certainly no fret or finish issues with mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lechip Posted February 4, 2010 Members Share Posted February 4, 2010 I had a 5120 and I sold it so I could buy a Gibson SG. I love the SG but I miss the Gretsch. I raised the pole pieces on the Gretsch Buckers and that made a vast improvement in the clarity and punch of the pickups. The fit and finish was great on the 5120. it was a beautiful guitar and with the pickup adjustment it really sounded great. IMHO.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rob Dobbs Posted February 4, 2010 Members Share Posted February 4, 2010 Im probly wrong here but didnt the factory change that was making the 512x series at some point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chill Mike D Posted February 4, 2010 Members Share Posted February 4, 2010 My brother has a 5125 with the DeArmond pickups in it (he got it new for $400 through a stroke of luck) and it sounds and plays awesome. It's my favorite guitar of his. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted February 4, 2010 Members Share Posted February 4, 2010 The 5120 is great but I find the slightly shallower 5122 much more comfortable. My next project will be getting of these and loading it with some TV jones. They look cool too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chill Mike D Posted February 4, 2010 Members Share Posted February 4, 2010 Yes those do indeed look very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlackCat Posted February 4, 2010 Members Share Posted February 4, 2010 I've been very happy with mine. The bridge swap is a must. The Gretschbuckers get no love but I have to agree with Rob Dobbs. I think most of the dissatisfaction comes from the fact that they're not Filtertrons. I also agree with him about the bone nut and cap replacements but I haven't gotten around to doing that on mine yet. You can do all kind of stuff to it that you might (rightly) be hesitant to do to a proline Gretsch. It's a stylin' guitar for short money compared to it's big sister the 6120. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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