The final result was one of the best guitars I've ever owned. The Filter'Trons were mounted to wood pieces that were then mounted to Gretsch English style bezels. I didn't install a tone switch, but instead replaced the tone knob with a 4-way rotary switch; with setting 1 having no tone cap, setting 2 having the lighter newer style Gretsch tone cap, 3 having the heavier newer style Gretsch tone cap, and setting for having the much muddier lighter vintage Gretsch tone cap. The caps came from TV Jones. The volume pots were unchanged after all.
The end result was a Gretsch 5120 that sounded very much like a 6120. Going from the stock Gretsch-buckers to Filter'trons added so much more clarity to the sound, I equated it to taking 3 sleeping bags off the amp. I definitely was achieving that "Gretsch sound".
The final mod I was going to make to this guitar was pinning the bridge. I had all the materials to do it, but due to an unexpected divorce, ended up selling most of my guitar/bass gear, including this 5120.
Gretsch now offers the 5420 (5120's are discontinued). This guitar offers blackout Filter'Trons stock, binding on the F-holes, and hump-style inlays. The crappy stock tuners are still there for replacing; thinking the Grover locking tuners might be a better, less invasive option. These also have a tone knob like the 5120.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
AND WE'RE OFF!!
Ok, I've got the Sperzel Locking Tuners on my 5120, as for some reason the Guitar Center in my area had them priced for about $20 less than the websites (including their own), and they are regular chrome, and not the matte-chrome that everyone else seems to have. These are every bit as great as I had hoped on this guitar, especially with the Bigsby trem on there. The Dunlop Straplocks are working great on there too. They don't look too big on the larger body like they do on "Super-Strat" style guitars. Note of caution when installing these: be careful when installing them, as the holes for the shafts are narrow, and the wood on the back of the headstock likes to chip!
Now on to the next phase. I've been doing all kinds of research on mods, and have become very familiar with the GDP (Gretsch Discussion Pages). On the GDP, I was looking for thoughts on the GFS pickups I was interested in, when I kept reading a lot of talk about HS Filtertrons. Come to find out these are the stock pickups in most higher-end Gretsch guitars, or at least the ones that don't have TV Jones in them. Some Falcons actually have these in fact. From what I was reading however, the mod for these seemed like a royal pain, as they don't use English-mount like most humbuckers, and 5120's don't have the bracing to mount them. The mods I was seeing involved gluing wood, or even Popsicle sticks into the pickup cavity. This seemed like a nightmare! I had pretty much figured I'd just go with GFS.
In looking at GFS, I was going to try the Surf 90's, as these are Dynasonic style single coils that have alnico magnets, where as the GFS Nashvilles were a Filtertron style pickup that had ceramic magnets, and from what I read, this was not a good aspect for a Filtertron style pickup. Dynasonic style pickups were on Gretsches in the 50's, and are still available on some Gretsch models today. What my theory was followed along the lines of "I'll put Dynas on this, and later I can get a 6120 with Filtertrons".
I had a chance to stop into Cream City Music, over in Brookfield, WI, which has one of the best Gretsch selections in this part of the country. In trying different Gretsch models, I figured out Dynasonics are great, but not what I'm looking for. The guy working had mentioned putting in Gretsch Filtertrons, and I started thinking again. The price on these is spectacular compared to the TV Jones Classics, and upon trying a 6120 with HS Filtertrons, then a Setzer model with TV Classics, I couldn't hear a major difference when played through the same amp with the same settings. I was sold, and was thinking "how the hell am I gonna get those in my 5120". I was figuring I'd have to glue wood into my guitar, until I came across this poat: http://gretschpages.com/forum/electromatics/diy-english-mounts/11144/page1/
Now THAT'S more like it. Also, upon trying some Gretsches with mud switches (the 3-way tone switch next to the pickup switch on most Filtertron equipped Gretsch, but not Dyna equipped ones), I found these are the only passive tone modifiers I like! So I may end up putting one in my 5120.
So here's what I'm thinking will be the next phase. It only makes sense to do all the electronic work in one shot, as all that has to be pulled through the pickup hole anyway. I'll replace all the volume pots (pickup 1, pickup 2, and master volume) with CTS audio pots, replace the tone pot with a Fender No-Load knob (I use these on my P-Basses as it bypasses the tone pot all together when in the 10 spot), replace the jack with a Switchcraft, add a mud switch (Gretsch switch with the current caps Gretsch uses on 6120's), and replace the Gretschbuckers with Gretsch HS Filtertrons. The reasoning behind this, is to make sure all the electronics are top-notch, as there have been issues reported with pots in Korean made guitars, and it makes more sense to replace them while it's apart. The biggest plus is these mods should cost less than a single TV Jones pickup!
Damn, this is gonna be a great 6120 in 5120's clothing when I'm done!
Now on to the next phase. I've been doing all kinds of research on mods, and have become very familiar with the GDP (Gretsch Discussion Pages). On the GDP, I was looking for thoughts on the GFS pickups I was interested in, when I kept reading a lot of talk about HS Filtertrons. Come to find out these are the stock pickups in most higher-end Gretsch guitars, or at least the ones that don't have TV Jones in them. Some Falcons actually have these in fact. From what I was reading however, the mod for these seemed like a royal pain, as they don't use English-mount like most humbuckers, and 5120's don't have the bracing to mount them. The mods I was seeing involved gluing wood, or even Popsicle sticks into the pickup cavity. This seemed like a nightmare! I had pretty much figured I'd just go with GFS.
In looking at GFS, I was going to try the Surf 90's, as these are Dynasonic style single coils that have alnico magnets, where as the GFS Nashvilles were a Filtertron style pickup that had ceramic magnets, and from what I read, this was not a good aspect for a Filtertron style pickup. Dynasonic style pickups were on Gretsches in the 50's, and are still available on some Gretsch models today. What my theory was followed along the lines of "I'll put Dynas on this, and later I can get a 6120 with Filtertrons".
I had a chance to stop into Cream City Music, over in Brookfield, WI, which has one of the best Gretsch selections in this part of the country. In trying different Gretsch models, I figured out Dynasonics are great, but not what I'm looking for. The guy working had mentioned putting in Gretsch Filtertrons, and I started thinking again. The price on these is spectacular compared to the TV Jones Classics, and upon trying a 6120 with HS Filtertrons, then a Setzer model with TV Classics, I couldn't hear a major difference when played through the same amp with the same settings. I was sold, and was thinking "how the hell am I gonna get those in my 5120". I was figuring I'd have to glue wood into my guitar, until I came across this poat: http://gretschpages.com/forum/electromatics/diy-english-mounts/11144/page1/
Now THAT'S more like it. Also, upon trying some Gretsches with mud switches (the 3-way tone switch next to the pickup switch on most Filtertron equipped Gretsch, but not Dyna equipped ones), I found these are the only passive tone modifiers I like! So I may end up putting one in my 5120.
So here's what I'm thinking will be the next phase. It only makes sense to do all the electronic work in one shot, as all that has to be pulled through the pickup hole anyway. I'll replace all the volume pots (pickup 1, pickup 2, and master volume) with CTS audio pots, replace the tone pot with a Fender No-Load knob (I use these on my P-Basses as it bypasses the tone pot all together when in the 10 spot), replace the jack with a Switchcraft, add a mud switch (Gretsch switch with the current caps Gretsch uses on 6120's), and replace the Gretschbuckers with Gretsch HS Filtertrons. The reasoning behind this, is to make sure all the electronics are top-notch, as there have been issues reported with pots in Korean made guitars, and it makes more sense to replace them while it's apart. The biggest plus is these mods should cost less than a single TV Jones pickup!
Damn, this is gonna be a great 6120 in 5120's clothing when I'm done!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The Theory
So I've owned my G5120 for over 2 years now, and have just started thinking about ways to make it sound more better. The guitar as-is, has been the best guitar I've ever owned, ands I love the whole Gretsch sound as far as the rockabilly thing, as well as for it's ability to sound great as a high-gain guitar as well, but after a couple years of playing it religeously, I've decided to stop being a pansy, and make it sound more like the 6120's I've always loved (easy to desire, as mine is in the orange finish).
Technically, I already started altering it, as my wife had decided to take the strap off my Gretsch before putting it in the case, and in the process, pulled the screws out of the body, rather than just the removable thumb-screw part, so I decided to put straplocks on, Dunlop Dual-Design to be exact. I know this may seem ridiculous, but I actually have had Dunlops on almost every bass I've had, and they work great on this guitar.
So first off, those crappy stock tuners. I hate myself for having not changed them already. I've been tossing around ideas of what to put on there, and for the longest time I was looking for Grovers that would fit in the existing holes. This would be fairly cheap, but the best tuners I ever had on a guitar were Sperzel locking tuners. I'm actually a bass player who occassionally plays guitar, and my guitarist has put locking tuners on almost every guitar he's owned and has me sold on them, plus the Les Paul Studio I had before this Gretsch had Sperzels on it when I bought the it (used). Another factor is the Brian Setzer 6120's, and The Reverand Horton Heat model have them, and those are some of my favorite high-end Gretsch models. So I will be going with Sperzels on my Gretsch.
The other big decission is the pickups. Now the big reason I've put off modifying this guitar, was because the pickups I was going to put on here were TV Jones Classic filter'trons. These are great pickups, and I love them on the higher end Gretsch models, but at $120 a pickup, I start negating the budget aspect of this guitar. This left me to wondering about some cheaper alternantives. A friend of mine told me about GFS pickups when we were talking about baritone guitars, and when I went to check them out, I found filtertron style pickups for around $35. From the local guitar gurus, I've heard nothing but good things about these pickups (and some of them sell TV Jones), so I will either be going with GFS Surf 90's, or Nashvilles.
The other aspect is the tone switch that's on the 6120's. Now I don't want to drill a hole in the body to add a switch, so I'm thinking of replacing the master tone knob, with a 3 position rotary switch that would function in a similar fashion.
Technically, I already started altering it, as my wife had decided to take the strap off my Gretsch before putting it in the case, and in the process, pulled the screws out of the body, rather than just the removable thumb-screw part, so I decided to put straplocks on, Dunlop Dual-Design to be exact. I know this may seem ridiculous, but I actually have had Dunlops on almost every bass I've had, and they work great on this guitar.
So first off, those crappy stock tuners. I hate myself for having not changed them already. I've been tossing around ideas of what to put on there, and for the longest time I was looking for Grovers that would fit in the existing holes. This would be fairly cheap, but the best tuners I ever had on a guitar were Sperzel locking tuners. I'm actually a bass player who occassionally plays guitar, and my guitarist has put locking tuners on almost every guitar he's owned and has me sold on them, plus the Les Paul Studio I had before this Gretsch had Sperzels on it when I bought the it (used). Another factor is the Brian Setzer 6120's, and The Reverand Horton Heat model have them, and those are some of my favorite high-end Gretsch models. So I will be going with Sperzels on my Gretsch.
The other big decission is the pickups. Now the big reason I've put off modifying this guitar, was because the pickups I was going to put on here were TV Jones Classic filter'trons. These are great pickups, and I love them on the higher end Gretsch models, but at $120 a pickup, I start negating the budget aspect of this guitar. This left me to wondering about some cheaper alternantives. A friend of mine told me about GFS pickups when we were talking about baritone guitars, and when I went to check them out, I found filtertron style pickups for around $35. From the local guitar gurus, I've heard nothing but good things about these pickups (and some of them sell TV Jones), so I will either be going with GFS Surf 90's, or Nashvilles.
The other aspect is the tone switch that's on the 6120's. Now I don't want to drill a hole in the body to add a switch, so I'm thinking of replacing the master tone knob, with a 3 position rotary switch that would function in a similar fashion.
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