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Has Gretsch been lying to us for over a decade?

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#601
skycruiser said:
It would be possible to hide the coil interconnects inside the coil so that a stacked dual humbucker would look like a single coil from the outside. You really need to uncoil the thing to be sure this isn't the case. Seems like that possibility should have been checked before making accusations of lying and fraud. Until you unwind one or use something like the x-ray analysis to confirm there are no internal connections, you can't be 100% sure.

Also others have stated that the plates in the middle may not be magnets but may just be magnetized steel that carry the field up from the bar magnets at the bottom. I would try to avoid any erroneous statements in the videos, otherwise you lose a little bit of credibility. But personally I tend to hedge in situations like this, saying "I believe xyz" or "As far as I can tell blah blah blah." Just a bit of unrequested and maybe unwanted advice.
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No, I do not speak without total assuring. Another review confirmed that there is no dummy coil to cancel noise. They are single coil pickups, designed to look like humbckers and advertised as humbuckers. Bet the farm; this is 100% true and factual. I do not speak off the cuff.
 
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#602
Magnetic viewing film arrived in the mail today. And yep it confirms my G2220 purchased new in November 2021 has single coil pickups.
Fortunately it doesn't hum. FWIW I'm in New Zealand, where we do have different electrical standards to the USA.
20220413_131530.jpg
 
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#603
Well that's interesting... I've long suspected that something was wrong with mine because it picks up a lof of noise to the extent I would expect from single coils (mine was purchased new in 2020). I also get a tiny amount of "static" crackling if my fingers slam into the pickup covers. The funny thing is, I still think it SOUNDS kinda like a humbucker (dark and kinda hollow) and I generally prefer the tone of single/split coils so for me this is kinda the worst of both worlds, a humbucker(ish) tone with single coil noise...

I don't understand how the magnetic viewing paper can completely rule out the possibility of stacked coils though but I haven't read the entire thread. Have someone actually dissected/unwound one of these pickups completely?

It's a cheap bass, it feels like a cheap bass and regardless of the noise I've never really bonded with it so the noise isn't really on the top of my list of complaints. I don't like the tone, I don't like the "feel" of the neck, I don't like the fingerboard that looks/feels dry no matter how much I oil it, I don't like the overly glossy/glassy finish (often typical of the cheapest Asian instruments). In fact, I should probably sell it.
 
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#605
Deleted member 271037 said:
Well that's interesting... I've long suspected that something was wrong with mine because it picks up a lof of noise to the extent I would expect from single coils (mine was purchased new in 2020). I also get a tiny amount of "static" crackling if my fingers slam into the pickup covers. The funny thing is, I still think it SOUNDS kinda like a humbucker (dark and kinda hollow) and I generally prefer the tone of single/split coils so for me this is kinda the worst of both worlds, a humbucker(ish) tone with single coil noise...

I don't understand how the magnetic viewing paper can completely rule out the possibility of stacked coils though but I haven't read the entire thread. Have someone actually dissected/unwound one of these pickups completely?

It's a cheap bass, it feels like a cheap bass and regardless of the noise I've never really bonded with it so the noise isn't really on the top of my list of complaints. I don't like the tone, I don't like the "feel" of the neck, I don't like the fingerboard that looks/feels dry no matter how much I oil it, I don't like the overly glossy/glassy finish (often typical of the cheapest Asian instruments). In fact, I should probably sell it.
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Has Gretsch been lying to us for over a decade? post #455
 
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#606
TheEmptyCell said:
Even if it's unintentional, it shows a huge disregard for quality control on the part of Gretsch. Regardless of intent, it's now on them to own up to it and make things right.
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I don't disagree with you on the shoddy quality control. I am curious, however, as to what your definition of "make it right" would be.

Should they....
1) Send everyone humbuckers and pay local techs to swap them out?
2) Send everyone who bought one of these basses a small check for the difference in price of humbuckers vs single coils?
3) Take the basses back for a full refund regardless of condition?

None of these seem realistic to me. An announcement with an apology is about what could possibly happen.

Any of those three options would cost a "zillion" dollars (in both actual cost and logistics). None of them would completely satisfy everyone involved to begin with. And the number of people who will "never buy another Fender product after this travesty" is relatively small. Heck, most people probably don't even know they are owned by FMIC to begin with.
 
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#607
Rod Barchetta said:
No, I do not speak without total assuring. Another review confirmed that there is no dummy coil to cancel noise. They are single coil pickups, designed to look like humbckers and advertised as humbuckers. Bet the farm; this is 100% true and factual. I do not speak off the cuff.
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Could please provide a link to the review that shows it is single coil?
 
#610
Deleted member 271037 said:
It's a cheap bass, it feels like a cheap bass and regardless of the noise I've never really bonded with it so the noise isn't really on the top of my list of complaints. I don't like the tone, I don't like the "feel" of the neck, I don't like the fingerboard that looks/feels dry no matter how much I oil it, I don't like the overly glossy/glassy finish (often typical of the cheapest Asian instruments). In fact, I should probably sell it.
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Thanks.
I really don't think anything else needs to ve said.
Hats off to anyone who actually likes these things...yes, I've played them, completely underwhelmed by everything about them...but wih so many other basses available, I wonder what the attraction is.
Of course, back in the day plenty of people bought these, so...
th-jpeg-92.jpg
 
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#612
jd56hawk said:
Thanks.
I really don't think anything else needs to ve said.
Hats off to anyone who actually likes these things...yes, I've played them, completely underwhelmed by everything about them...but wih so many other basses available, I wonder what the attraction is.
Of course, back in the day plenty of people bought these, so...
th-jpeg-92.jpg
Click to expand...

My uncle had a Pacer. It was kind of a cool car.
 
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#615
B-Mac said:
Previous iterations:
Junior Jet Bass
G1212 Junior Jet Bass, Short Scale, Black Burst
G1222 Junior Jet Bass
G1232 Jet Bass, Long Scale, Black Burst
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Any idea how the 2224 differs from the 2220? I have come across the 2224 online and it looks the same as the 2220 and is from the same time period (2010's, I think). I thought maybe it was mis-labeled but have not found a definitive answer.
 
#620
sleddogn said:
I'm still blown away at the vitriol at lobster on gretsch site, i mean, absolutely destroying him and character. Those are some mean and stupid people...yes stupid, i hate stupid
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They really are! One is especially toxic and they have a "Staff Member" label. Total disregard of the blatant facts presented...dismissive. Scathing personal attacks is all they have left. Very unprofessional behavior, something I wouldn't want my company to be associated with if I was Gretsch/FMIC. Ridiculous and churlish.
 
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