Ever wonder whose hands it has been in? Ever wonder how badly he or she hated to give it up or how much he or she wished they could get it back?
I haven’t ever bought a guitar (or cymbals for my drums) from a pawn shop, but I have always wondered about the “stories” there are inside of them.
I wonder if there are some of us in this thread who could lend some insight into this?
I’m thinking an indented fret board, scratched up body, cigarrete/beer smell… what?
Thanks
Q
I guess what I am most curious about is what other folks think of the guitar. Things like how they think they play. Are there inherent problems I might need to look for in a low end Gretsch to look for. Is it really worth the money, Etc.
I got the same feelings myself that your wife was expressing. Can I ,at my playing level, justify spending that kind of money? It won’t break me but will put a dent in the savings account. You understand what I am saying I am sure.
I know the feeling you are talking about when you go into a pawn shop. Stories screaming to be told all over the place. Every where in a pawn shop. Why or how things got to be there and every piece has a story. Goes right along with the stories of life beginning anew when the items are purchased.
Hmmm might make a good country song.
Ah heard dat!
Ready to be the new Lennon/McCartney, Craneop2?
I have folders full of stuff I’ve started, but just could never finish, but I’ve kept all of it, because back in my DJ days, in the middle of the night, I used to listen to those demo 45’s which were sent to the stations I worked at. They all got a note from me, and that was when I realized someone actually sat down and gave a little of themselves to whomever would listen.
It all matters, which is why I wrote that all those guitars hanging in that pawn shop have a story to tell.
I’m primarily a drummer, and couldn’t hold a candle to E or any of my friends in this thread on guitar, but I sure can lyricize!
Thanks
Q
PS: I am also curious to know whether you followd up on my suggestion to sit in with your friend’s band, unlpugged?
I’ve played a few Gretsches in guitar shops – high end and low end ones – and come away not that impressed with them. It’s difficult to put a finger on, because there’s nothing actually wrong with them, as such. At the end of the day, I like the look, the feel, the sound (and the price) of Ibanez Artcore guitars much better.
I went to the shop to look at a White Falcon and came away with an Ibanez AF75 instead. It won me over.
Yeah I wondered about that too Kim. Maybe what has me so fired up is the name as much as anything.
This is one of the reasons I asked the question I did.
Thank you for your input! All information will be considered before I make the leap.
A buddy of mine with a Gretsch jones got a 5120 and has been very impressed. for ~$650 he got a great hollowbody guitar. Made in Korea, I believe - he likes the fit and finish.
I’ve played a few in the stores and thought they were solid offerings - can’t say I played a magic one, but they seemed more than capable of doing their jobs.
$350 used for a $650 guitar is okay. Why not walk in with $275 cash and offer to walk out with the guitar?
Really look it over - you have little recourse on this deal, so make sure it shows no signs of damage or work having been done on it. Check the neck relief / curve, neck joint, try all the electronics - put it through its paces.
There ya’ go!
Way back in the 60’s (the last century, remember?), the lead guitarist of our band “The Lighthouse Tavern” saved up ALL his money for a Gretsch Country Gentleman.
That fucking thing was the the ugliest color (puke: think "Exorcist’) green you’d ever wanna see, but she sure sounded sweet.
I’d say put your trust in these guys, craneop2. I follow this thread religiously and they have never let me down.
Oh yeah! As WordMan wrote: Offer less after you put her through her paces, point out some of the things he says to look out for, dazzle 'em with your knowledge and let us know how you do!
(I bet he walks out for less than 300.00. Whatcha’ll think?)
Go for it, Dude!
Q
I think it was mostly the filtertron pickups I didn’t like. On the high-end Gretsch models you get two extra switches to play with, but the only position I found actually useful was that same bright Gretsch tone that everyone uses. Some of the other positions sounded kind muffled and lifeless to me.
Out of all the Gretsches I played, the one I liked the best was a cheap electromatic model with mini-humbuckers. Or maybe I’m just cheap. 
**Kim **- I think that’s fair; Gretsches sound like Grestches. That can be a great thing, but if you want/need a different tonal palette, you may need other guitars (not that there is anything wrong with that ;)).
Probably the most “automatic” upgrade I hear about on these ~$600 Gretsches - single cutaway, double, or the chambered-body Jets - is that the pickups get upgraded to TV Jones models. I think he is an independent business who has become the Seymour Duncan of Grestch pickups - G uses his stuff on their higher-end models. I think they do a better job not just at the Gretsch tones, but also just being a better pickup all around so the guitars are more versatile. Again, I haven’t lived with them, but the general tone on the websites treat this as conventional wisdom…
So **Craneop **- if you love the feel of the guitar and want to see what it can do, a mod that might be worth doing (esp if you get a good deal) would be to upgrade the p’ups…
I have an Ibanez AS73 and it is the least favorite of my guitars. Even my cheap Danelectro holds its tune better. I looked for another hollow or semi-hollow and considered the Gretsch G5122 but wound up getting a good deal on an Epiphone Casino. But I have always how the Gretsch compares to it.
Pawn shops have lost their charm as a guitar source since the internet has given shop owners the ability to research market prices. Makes it much harder to find those rough diamonds at the pawn shop.
I picked up an Alvarez Fusion guitar which had a finish and a serial number that I’ve since been unable to match or even get a clue as to the year. Apparently neither could the shopkeeper. After getting it home and changing the strings I realized then that I had a steal.
I also bought aFernandes Nomad from a pawn shop but had to pay within 20% of it’s then going market price so I really can’t brag on it.
My only guitar with a story is my Ibanez Ragtime Special I found it in a guitar store. It was the only used acoustic guitar in the store and the shop had a $700 price tag on it. I had a $400 budget at that time so I went ahead and threw out the offer. The shopkeeper said he’d have to get back to me as it was a consignment and my offer was below the seller’s threshold. He said he didn’t know how long it would take as the seller was homeless and was difficult to reach. 
Now why did he have to give me that bit of info?
I thought that the shopkeeper might have been jiving me so I said thanks and left and didn’t return for 3 months. At that point I made the same offer to a different sales guy who told me the same story and took my number. I felt bad about low balling a homeless guy for what would basically be another toy for me but the bid was in and I’m too much of an old trader to show any weakness.
As it turned out the guitar owner counter-offered $425 and the shop keeper called me two days later. I paid cash for the guitar and told the keeper to give my phone number to the guy and tell him that I would gladly sell him back the guitar for $375 after he gets back on his feet and consider the $50 difference as payment for renting the guitar from him.
That was three years ago and I assume that the guitar is now mine for good.
Wow - I love that Ragtime Ibanez. I assume it has a slim, fast neck as to most Ibanez guitars? If it had a big handful of a neck I could see jonesin’ for that one…
I never bought from a pawn shop - by the time I was really interested in scrounging for guitars, it was far easier for me to do it via eBay.
But all of my guitars have stories…kinda goes with the territory, i.e., picking a tool that helps you express yourself.
Here’s my stupid question of the day: Can Kim’s complaints about the Gretsches he/she (sorry Kim) has played be overcome by pedals?
Matter of fact, can any crappy guitar be made to sound fantastic with the right amp/pedals?
Sorry, guys. I’m sure this may have been asked before, but it’s a pretty long thread.
Q
You’re right about the neck,** Wordman**.
My big fat paws have to scrunch up to play it but the sound is sweet. The original owner swapped out the nut and saddle with brass and it’s tone is damn near perfect. My only complaint is I need to get it set up as the high E needs to be a little higher and further north. I sometimes get a buzz from it or if I’m too sloppy I can accidentally pull the high E off the fretboard and hang it on the fifth fret which has a very slight overhang.
In other words, its way overdue for a proper setup so I play it carefully since I’m too lazy to take it in.
Here’s the rules:
A great player can take a crap guitar, amp and effects and make them sound great.
A lousy player can take a great guitar, amp and effects and make them sound lousy.
if you are looking to fulfill the need for a certain sound for a specific need - e.g., you need a sound for a song in the middle of a gig, or need to fake a Strat tone during a recording session when no Strats are available - then sure, the right stompbox, digital modeling amp, etc. can help you get close enough to get the job done.
if you are looking to be truly, deeply inspired by specific tone, then relying on a “close enough” setup probably won’t do it. I don’t gig with my Tone Geek, expensive vintage guitars because I don’t want to risk them and the audience can’t tell the difference anyway. But when I am home alone and trying to listen hard to what I am attempting, those subtle improvements that come with having great gear help me get that much more in the moment…
Love the Ragtime (Which is worth “what anyone will pay for it”! ROTFLMAO!)
The other two just don’t fit my personality, I don’t think.
Speaking of set-ups; I may have mentioned previously trying to play a KAY model guitar, and at the time I tried to make an E chord, saying “Shit! You have to be freakin’ TARZAN (this was in the 60’s okay?) to mash those strings down!”
Yeah. So getting the “action” fixed is pretty important, right?
Another thing: fat, stubby fingers blocking the strings? Apparently, from all I’ve read it’s “wah-wah-wah!!!, deal with it dude!” You just gotta make ‘em fit and practice, practice, practice (right Mr. Bill "can’t make that fargin’ B7" Craig???)
So ummmm… are we all sitting on pins and needles to see what our newest picker (craneop2) is gonna come home with, and for how much?
Also, how many of you use that “forbidden” Atkins “thumb” to chord with? HA!
Q
I have big, sausage-y, blunt-ended fingers. I wrap my thumb over the top all the time. And I use one fingertip to block more than one string as needed while I am moving around the neck - heck, I barely even think about it anymore…
The Nomad, sometimes called aZO-3, guitar is one of the goofiest guitars I’ve ever seen and if you were to carry one on to a stage you would most likely catch heckling from the crowd.
It is definitely a gimmick guitar. It has an on board amp and and speaker. Most models also have some elaborate sound processing. They are more popular in Japan where some performers actually using them on stage.
But they also make a great travel guitar and are quite sturdy with their full length and sized necks. The big surprise is that every nomad seems to have high quality humbucking pickup that when plugged into a decent amp is capable of going from warm blues to hot crunch. I’ve actually considered robbing the pickup off of one of my nomads (I have 2) and trying it out on my SG.
So I can see why you don’t like the Nomad but if you ever get a chance to noodle around with one (when no one is looking) - do it.
Guess we won’t be looking for any tutorial videos from you any time soon, will we, WordMan???:):):)
That was a joke and written with great respect, okay?
Your pal
Quasi
Oh, no worries Quasi - I am NOT a role model 