6122-1959 for Sale in Grand Rapids, MI.

[Richard Hudson]

You guys are a wealth of knowledge and we are all in love with the same guitar. I think there was a bracing change made sometime - not exactly sure when, but I think the earlier ones had waffle bracing, and the new ones have trestle bracing, which also makes them significantly lighter and probably makes a difference in sustain, although I haven't had the opportunity to sit down and make an A/B comparison. Mine is a 2004 with waffle bracing and I'll never part with it, barring circumstances over which I will have no control, but it is by far the best guitar I have ever owned. Plus the fact that Paul Yandell signed the back of my headstock right after I got it. If I were to get a new one for whatever reason, I could never get that done again. No one can know what an inspiration that is to me to occasionally look on the back of the headstock and see Paul's signature to remind me of what a true and loyal friend he was and how much help he was to me in my guitar playing. I remember when Paul was signing my guitar, someone came by and asked what he was doing. I spoke up and said, "he is increasing the value of my guitar." The real increase in value was to me, because it will never be for sale at any price. I really miss Paul.

[RandeDager]

Thanks, Gayle. I'll keep that in mind. Hey, at the CAAS convention this Summer I ran into Paul Mosely and forgot that your name was Gayle. I went up to him and started talking to him and making references to the conversations that you and I have had on this board, specifically referring to your description of your HOF guitar. He looked at me very confused and I was embarrassed to realize that I wasn't talking to YOU....lol. I guess that you and I still have to meet!

Richard, I think I was trying to post at the same time you were. Mine hesitated and then it appeared with yours being between mine and Gayle's and before I edited this, we were 2 minutes apart.

[gmoseley]

Ha,,,thats funny Rande,,,Paul Moseley and I are good friends, folks ask me all the time if we are brothers....easy to get confused. Paul and I figure we are probably kin if we went way back and traced it. Paul Moseley is a fine guy and a fine player!

My NC is just like Richard's,,,a 2004, this is also the first year they got the body shape correct,,,not a terribly big issue but the ones before 2004 were not shaped exactly right and the body did not join onto the neck at the same place
(sorta hard to explain without laying them down and comparing them side by side).

You need to go ahead and take the plunge on one of those HOF guitars. I know they are not cheap but I feel like you'd have something of real, lasting value PLUS a super playing guitar. I've never seen a better guitar "out of the box". I thinking of having Sonny Thomas work his magic and reglue the frets, if nothing else, just so the guitar will retain its current playability for years to come....those frets have a tendency to move around after you play them for several years.

Gayle

[RandeDager]

Hi Gayle,

I think if I build up my funds I might be able to buy the HOF. I'm surprised that a few people are already selling theirs. I couldn't believe that the '59 that I saw had been traded in for a Guild ! I play for a little country church every Sunday and am paid fairly well for it. The problem is that I'm only paid about 1/3 of regular pay in my teaching job as an adjunct instructor and with no benefits. So I put my church money "into the pot" to help with household expenses. Now my wife wants me to isolate the church money and use it only for my music. Once school starts that's what I'll do. It would only take a few months for a HOF guitar. I also want to be able to record so that I can post here on the board some of what I do and this requires (for me) getting a Mac of some sort. A copy of the software will be given to me once I do. Anyway, my head is spinning with the possibilities, at least until that church "fires" me........lol. I like your "out of the box" comment about the HOF.

[captainvideo]

Wish I could say when but the newer ones are certainly trestle braced.
I've had 2 2011 models and now I'm onto a 2012 model. They have all been trestle braced.
Awesome guitars. I kept having to sell mine to purchase other guitars. But I always find my way back to the 6122-1959.

[RandeDager]

The term "trestle braced" is new to me but when I Googled it I found that it has been a recent "buzzword" among Gretsch enthusiasts. Norm most
likely is familiar with it. It seems to be something that Chet asked for. Maybe I'm glad that I didn't get this 2009 model, unless it too had this type of bracing.

thanks

[guitarchuck]

Now I want to know: Was Chet's 59 Country Gentleman trestle or waffle braced?

[RandeDager]

That sounds like a question for Norm. Paul probably knew the answer. Maybe the Gretsch company itself knows this?

[guitarchuck]

Well it looks like there has been extensive discussion on this subject:
http://gretschpages.com/forum/modern-gretsch-guitars/do-6122-1959s-have-trestle-bracing/40521/page1/

Also it seems that the switch from waffle to trestle bracing was made sometime between December 2005 ~ March 2008.

No one seems to know for sure how Chet's 59 CG was braced.

[guitarchuck]

Well I checked out the trestle bracing inside my 2011 G6122-1959HOF Country Gentleman when I was changing the strings tonight.

I'm guessing that Chet's '59 CG had some form of trestle bracing. From what I understand the waffle bracing came about during the Baldwin era.

I also weighed my guitar on our electonic bathroom scales: 7.8 lbs.

One thing I noticed when I had my guitar apart: There is only one hole on each side of the bridge. It's pinned perfect. My Nashville Classics that I had before, had 3 pin holes under both sides of the bridge base to adjust it.