Then I watched a video of a Gretsch with HS Filtertrons being played through a Vox amp. That was the missing link. I sold my Gretsch 6120N with HS Filtertrons and none of my other guitars could replicate that sound. But I had a problem. None of the Gretsch Pro Line necks were big enough and I was quite happy with the pickups I had in my remaining 4 guitars so I wasn't about to replace those. So I started looking for a reasonably priced full hollow body guitar that I could install a set of HS Filtertrons and would work with a Bigsby B6/B60 and have at least a 1-11/16" nut width and a thickness at the first fret of at least .86" It turns out that is a pretty tall order. Oh and it had to have block or capital inlays...no thumbnail or dot markers. At this stage of my life I am not really willing to compromise on these silly features but I am also too frugal to just pony up and buy a custom shop fat necked guitar. The buyers remorse would prematurely send me to my grave. So after a lot of research on the World Wide Webz the closest thing I could find was kind of surprising. It was an entry level Gretsch Streamliner made in Indonesia. So I called up Sweetwater and they gave me the deal I needed to make this work and it now resides on a guitar stand to my left. Here are some of the highlights for me regarding this guitar.
- Full Hollow Body - light and comfortable
- Cosmetically and Functionally flawless (Did I just get Lucky?)
- Capital Block Inlays - I have always liked these. Similar to what was on my 6120N
- Master Volume Control - Love this feature. Can turn down for rhythm and back up for lead with just one knob
- B60 Bigsby - Smooth as can be
- Broad'Tron humbuckers - A surprise more below.
- Comfortable Neck - 1-11/16" at the nut and thickness at 1st fret: 0.872", 12th fret: 1.071"
Broad'Tron Humbuckers - I have seen a lot of disdain for these on the Gretsch sites and repeated on other forums. Everyone deserves to have an opinion but I have to tell you when I plug this Streamliner in to my Vox amp it sounds like a Gretsch. I am not saying it captures a TV Jones Classic or HS Filtertron vibe but it does reproduce the vibe. It was designed to be acceptable to younger players that might prefer overdriven humbucker type sounds yet still produce that twang and sparkle that Gretsch is known for. Right now I am happy enough to just explore the sounds that are coming out of these stock pups. I do reserve the right to install that set of HS Filtertrons down the road should the itch become overwhelming. Heck I already have the adapters and plates so I would just need to order a set of Filtertrons.
Overall it is one of the better gear purchases I have made. I have owned 2 Electromatics and 2 Pro Line Gretsch's but none of them had as comfortable a neck as this Streamliner. The only mods I am planning is to stick on a Vibramate String Saver and a set of locking tuners. I like locking tuners because they make string changes easier and quicker. If you are on the fence about a Gretsch and you need a little beefier (this is no baseball bat) neck...prices are good so go for it. As always here are few pics from Sweetwater of my actual guitar.
