New Hall of Fame Guitar

[PhilHunt]

I gotta agree with Gayle...I always liked the Butter Bean Tuners. The Imperials look fancy but the bean shaped ones are really smooth. My old '64 Gretsch had the bean tuners and they were really smooth.

[RandeDager]

Thanks, Gayle. That's the only one I care about owning and this one appeals to me because of the color. I own a '67 CG and most of the 6122-1959's are the same color. The fact that you said this one is set up "perfectly right out of the box" and the way you described it makes it that much more appealing! I've also always preferred the somewhat larger dimensions ever since I played a 6122-1959 at Sweetwater Sound in Ft. Wayne, IN. a couple of years ago.

[gmoseley]

Rande, when I bought my NC in 2004, Paul called me and told me that Rock Block Guitars (in Nashville) had 3 brand new ones in stock,,,,he and I have been best buddies for about 34 years. Of course, he went down there with me and he played all three and picked the one that played the best and that's the one I bought. NOW,,,my point is, I hope after all the bragging I've done about the set-up of the HOF CG is true for each one of these new guitars and I just didn't "get lucky" and happen to get a real fine one - - you know what the old saying,,,"even a blind hog can stumble up on an acorn every once in a while" ! Of course, over the years I am used to Paul setting up my guitars just like he sets up his own. (yeah, I'm spoiled fer sure,,,,lol) When I picked this guitar up out of the case, I knew it was special; honestly, ,,I even told Paul it felt like HE had set it up and I told Joe Carducci the same thing.

All the new Gretsch instruments are so well made these days,,,,I've never seen a bad one (like the late 70's etc,,,,whew some were rough in those days) It just happened that this particular guitar was the best "out of the box" instrument I have ever owned,,,,,and that includes the Gibson Johnny Smith, Epiphone Sheraton, L-5, Les Paul, and many Gretsches, etc etc..,,Rande I think you will be most happy with one of these HOF guitars, AND I surely hope that everybody who buys one has the same experience as I have had.
Gayle

[Joe Hudson]

Will have to chime in here as well. Mine is the best playing guitar that I own. Was fantastic out of the box, and I love it more every time that i pick it up. Fit / finish are fabulous, tone is what it should be, just a great guitar. As the old saying goes "it is way better than I will ever be"

[Len R]

I bought one at CAAS 2011 from Broadway Sound. I have to agree with Gayle and Joe, this guitar is one of, if not the best, set up guitars "out of the box". Don't know if it is extra care given by Gretsch to these Hall of Fame editions, or the outstanding set up by Broadway Sound, or both, but the guitar nearly plays itself. Low action, not a buzz or a rattle, and punchy, clear, ringing sustain from the pickups and bridge, intonation is great. The translucent orange dye and topcoat brings out the tiger stripe of the maple top and back much more so than the dark maroon finish ususally found on the NC/Chet Atkins 6122-1959. This is without a doubt one of the best electric guitars I've played, and the best Gretsch guitar I've played. This is in the category of "Does it get any better than this?" Ami at Broadway Sound in Nashville helped me nab this guitar at CAAS, she is great to work with. To the extent the run is not sold out, the price is way less than the list mentioned in an earlier post.

[RandeDager]

I've seen several references in this thread to "low action" being a good thing. I thought that "high action" was the goal if one wants to be as much like Chet as possible? I personally prefer low action but it seems that it has been discouraged here, with reasons having to do with sustain, etc.

[gmoseley]

Oh man Rande,,,,are you trying to start WWIII here on the Chetboard??? (I'm kiddin' with you of course)...lol I'm just like you, I suppose a person does get more sustain, etc with a high action but as Paul Yandell used to tell me all the time, it differs from individual to individual AND you MUST have the action set to where you, personally, can play the darn thing! (I'm not going to make any comments as to my personal opinion of Chet's "action" because I don' t want any hate mail) . . haha I, personally, cannot play a very high action set-up; I try to play quite a few of Jerry's tunes and something like Jerry's Breakdown are just impossible to get thru (for me) with a high action. As we all know, Chet could play screen-wire stretched across a cardboard box and it would sound great, because HE WAS CHET,,,,I ain't and never will be! About once a year, I'll get a wild hair and deside to raise my action way up there and I tell myself that I'll get a better tone and more sustain . . . . then, when I can't play the thing and muff half the notes, I'll decide to lower it back down to where its comfortable and I can play it - - - that's MY experience with setting the "action" on a guitar!
AND, all that said, it appears that these new HOF CGs do come with a very playable low action,,,,I guess if a person doesn't like it, they can screw that bridge up until they do . . . from what you have said Rande, I'll bet you WILL like it should you decide to get one.
Gayle

[RandeDager]

I know, Gayle. SHAME on me!!! I was just having fun because of all of the controversy over this and how Ray Cummins expressed himself recently, directly opposing many of the posts I've seen on this topic. Personally, I don't care if Chet's strings were an entire INCH above the fretboard! If I play better with low action and wearing blue socks instead of red, that's all I care about. I've had enough experience to know that I could match every last detail exactly with Chet's and the difference would still be due to factors outside of those details. I greatly respect Chet and he will always be my idol but if something doesn't work for me, then I will gravitate toward things that will. I won't continue trying to pursue a dead end path.

[BillB]

Blue or red socks?
Why was I thinking green?

Bill B.

[RandeDager]

Bill, besides the color there is still the issue of the pattern, which nobody talks about.....lol.