So THAT'S why Sting has been thumbing it for the last several years...he's been channeling Davy Jones!
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So THAT'S why Sting has been thumbing it for the last several years...he's been channeling Davy Jones!
Peter was a gentlie sould, he will be missed. Interestingly enough although we know that the instrument is indeed the Monkeeys bass. Gretch apparently didn't think it was important to put the Monkeey's logo on
it like they did with the guitars. Gretch basses had excellent electronics, that were unlike instruments from Gibson and Fender. Tonaly, they had a different sound as did the guitars.
And Gretsch made custom-order twelve-strings for Mike Nesmith without making those Monkees models, either.
I've only owned one Gretsch and it was an MIJ guitar not a bass, but I've encountered several vintage Gretsch instruments suffering from "binding rot" (for lack of a better term). Don't know if this occurred due to incompatibility of adhesives/binding material used in production at some point that caused chemical interaction/deterioration over time or what, but if was in the market, I would give the binding of any prospective, vintage, Gretsch purchase a thorough examination for signs of this (presumably progressive) deterioration.
Not meant as a slam on Gretsch: I've seen this same problem on a few other, vintage, non-Gretsch instruments as well. If anyone else here (with luthier experience or extensive knowledge of Gretsch history, maybe) knows more about this issue than I do, perhaps they'll chime in with additional, pertinent information.
A severe case
Not meant as a slam on Gretsch: I've seen this same problem on a few other, vintage, non-Gretsch instruments as well. If anyone else here (with luthier experience or extensive knowledge of Gretsch history, maybe) knows more about this issue than I do, perhaps they'll chime in with additional, pertinent information.
A severe case
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gretsch "binding rot" - Google Search
Bad as it appears, the image you posted is not the worst. That image suggests the restroom at CBGBs: grotty but all there. The worst rot has so much binding missing that what is left looks like a broken tooth and can shred your arm. Quite often a neck reset and binding replacement forces us more vintage TBers to decide if it is worth the expense to have a professional luthier address these things, attempt our own repairs, or just live with the defects.
If I opt for a new binding job I seriously am going to consider removing the old binding myself and then take the instrument to a leather worker. I have seen images of a Gretsch guitar with leather binding, and I thought that it looked really fine, even better IMO than new factory binding would have.
Always wondered if some ultralight tuners would help, but probably not enough.
At least the bass covers up most of me and “it “ for one, looks cool.
Mike
Ha!
Actually it looks like some of it has been repaired/stabilized. But, 90% is in great shape. It came from England after the John Giblin gear during his big sell-off.
I did a fret level and finessed a little fall away at the top end and she plays clean and low all the way. I have used it on plenty of recordings and with a tube di- it really sat well in the mix.
It is one of the most fun basses to play I have. Very high output. And, neck is humongous, but comfortable. A lot like a double bass.
Actually it looks like some of it has been repaired/stabilized. But, 90% is in great shape. It came from England after the John Giblin gear during his big sell-off.
I did a fret level and finessed a little fall away at the top end and she plays clean and low all the way. I have used it on plenty of recordings and with a tube di- it really sat well in the mix.
It is one of the most fun basses to play I have. Very high output. And, neck is humongous, but comfortable. A lot like a double bass.
Clarify a couple of things for me if you will. The "little fall away at the top end": does that mean that in the course of your fret dressing you simply took the last four or frets down more than the others in order to achieve string clearance for low action, or did you instead clamp a little bit of a downslope into the fingerboard extension? And does your bass have any fingerboard overstand? I.e., when sighted from the side, can you see daylight between the underside of the fingerboard extension and the body?
My old Gretsches have such a history of use, abuse, and factory fails that I have resorted to all sorts of unorthodox tweaks to both the pickups and bridge in order to achieve an action that makes the bass playable. But I have no fixed target; I have found nothing on the internet that gives definitive answers or factory spec on things like height between the strings and the pickup, neck pitch/angle/overstand, whether the neck is attached to the body by a concealed screw or not. The information is either not found or is contradictory.
Yours appears to be the "cleanest" old Gretsch I have seen to date and therefore, I am hoping, closest to factory spec.
And I agree about the neck. It looks huge, but it does not play huge. That neck is a distraction until you become accustomed to it, but it is no more an impediment to play than is the neck on a Fender.
Yes, just the last 7 frets. Took a few more passes when leveling.
There isn't much overstand to speak of. It couldve had a neck reset in the past? If it did, it was a long time ago. There appears to be binding repair near the joint, but it is hard to tell.
I have the action set at 5/64 on all strings at the 17th fret. The bridge is down as far as it can go, as is the pickup. The strings are close to the top of the rails of the pickup, but it doesn't make contact when playing as it is so close to the bridge.
Im happy to make any measurements you'd like, but I am sure this one is not factory.
One of my favorite basses of all time. I'll own one someday. Be sure to look up Skuli Sverrison. He plays one a great deal. UNREAL aounding bass.
I think that thing sounds great for the jazz stuff near the end of the video even though the high E seems nonexistent when she plays it.
Skuli is a huge influence of mine, as a bass player and musically. For me, there has never been anyone better on the instrument.
Nah. What you've sent already is a big help, and you went to a lot of trouble to get it together and send. I wouldn't ask any more of you. The overstand pic is consistent with the overstand on the G6072 and 5440LSB basses, so I will take it on faith that that is factory spec. My dilemma is that a couple of mine have the overstand glued down hard to the top and a couple don't, and I've been looking for a definitive standard as to which is the correct way. Your bass appears to to provide that standard.
Re the pickup: are you saying yours is adjustable -- up and down? That most definitely is not factory spec. Those Supertrons ride on the rail bracing and the only way I know of to lower them is to shave down the rails (or else be willing to live with awkwardly high action). Instead of shaving the rails I first chose to try to correct the problem by flipping the blade polepieces on the pickup, which lowers them flush to the top of the pickup. Still not the best fix, but better than the alternative.
Check out the linked 6073 in post # 1 - see how off centre the strings/ tailpiece are.
