New Gretsch Electromatic Corvette Bass

[Naviiin]

Medium scale, comes with a real humbucker too!

 

[covermego]

Just bought one! I hope it is, indeed, a REAL humbucker, lol!! I've owned G2220's and even though they were single coil, they sounded nice to me ears!

 

[Wood and Wire]

Interesting...

 

[Swamp_Ronin]

Looks cool. Why do they put the pickups in dumb positions? This is something we figured out 50 years ago…

 

[brianrost]

Looks cool. Why do they put the pickups in dumb positions? This is something we figured out 50 years ago…

Well, it helps get that 60s era sound if that’s what you want. Gibsons, Hofner, Rics, Hagstrom, Danelectro and many other brands placed a pickup close to the neck. Jamming a humbucker up under the neck was a common mod on Fenders back then. If you look at the single pickup Ric 4000 alongside a 4001/3 you'll see that there is no neck pickup, it was probably added to the 4001 to provide more low end.

Nowadays bass pickups tend to be placed close to the classic J pickup locations and then EQ is added to beef up the lows .

BTW I don’t think Gretsch ever made a Corvette bass back in the day. They mainly made hollowbodies and guess where the pickups were. On the single pickup models, like Ric the pickup was near the bridge.

 

[Boneless]

I take more issue with the bridge pickup than with the neck pickup. The neck pickup is fine. I don't understand why they don't make basses with Rick or Cavern Club spacing.

 

[covermego]

I'm curious where you got the "Corvette" name? I see "CVT" on listings. Am I just overlooking something?

First time I saw "CVT" on this, I thought of "Continuously Variable Transmission", like is in the wife's Toyota Corolla. I call that car "The Rubber Band Slingshot"!

 

[Naviiin]

I'm curious where you got the "Corvette" name? I see "CVT" on listings. Am I just overlooking something?

First time I saw "CVT" on this, I thought of "Continuously Variable Transmission", like is in the wife's Toyota Corolla. I call that car "The Rubber Band Slingshot"!

I saw it on the gear4music website, but they seem to have edited it back to CVT too. Gretsch usually use the CVT abbreviation for their Corvette range though, like with this signature Jack Antonoff Corvette (which was actually based on a Princess model that was based on the Corvette, to make it more complicated haha) Jack Antonoff Signature “Princess Antonoff” Electromatic® CVT, Rosewood Fingerboard, Vintage White

 

[covermego]

I saw it on the gear4music website, but they seem to have edited it back to CVT too. Gretsch usually use the CVT abbreviation for their Corvette range though, like with this signature Jack Antonoff Corvette Jack Antonoff Signature “Princess Antonoff” Electromatic® CVT, Rosewood Fingerboard, Vintage White

Well, here I am, 67 years old and I never knew Gretsch had a Corvette Line! Thanks for clarifying.
I really hope this bass will be a keeper. I really love mid-scale basses!

 

[Pdaddy1978]

I think Rory Gallagher sometimes played a Corvette.... Guitar of course.
Didn't know they made a bass version. Looks great!

 

[Swamp_Ronin]

Well, it helps get that 60s era sound if that’s what you want. Gibsons, Hofner, Rics, Hagstrom, Danelectro and many other brands placed a pickup close to the neck. Jamming a humbucker up under the neck was a common mod on Fenders back then. If you look at the single pickup Ric 4000 alongside a 4001/3 you'll see that there is no neck pickup, it was probably added to the 4001 to provide more low end.

Nowadays bass pickups tend to be placed close to the classic J pickup locations and then EQ is added to beef up the lows .

BTW I don’t think Gretsch ever made a Corvette bass back in the day. They mainly made hollowbodies and guess where the pickups were. On the single pickup models, like Ric the pickup was near the bridge.

View attachment 7250333 View attachment 7250334

I understand the history. You get boomy mud with one, tinny clink with the other, and probably not a very good sound when blended. Of course this is subjective, but the real estate that is essentially between the fender p pickup and the bridge is where the magic is. Gretsch and gibson seemed to have missed this somehow. Probably because bass players are an afterthought to those companies

 

[jd56hawk]

I've never been to Bristol, but I hope the fog doesn't look like this!

Seriously, though, looks great!

 

[Green Knight]

My Micro-Frets has similar spacing, sounds great!

 

[shrinklizard]

Just bought one! I hope it is, indeed, a REAL humbucker, lol!! I've owned G2220's and even though they were single coil, they sounded nice to me ears!

Would you give the measurement of the complete instrument top of headstock to bottom strap pin? AI seems to think it is 50 inches. What? Quite certain that's a blunder. I'd certainly appreciate it.

 

[covermego]

Would you give the measurement of the complete instrument top of headstock to bottom strap pin? AI seems to think it is 50 inches. What? Quite certain that's a blunder. I'd certainly appreciate it.

Yes, yet another AI blunder, lol. I measure it at just a hair over 42"

 

[shrinklizard]

 

[60bass]

My Micro-Frets has similar spacing, sounds great!

Funny you should reference Micro-Frets. The first thing I thought when I saw the Gretsch CVT was "hey, that looks a lot like a Micro-Frets bass". Micro-Frets made great instruments but were just too far ahead of their time for the average mainstream musician to "get" what they were all about.

 

[B-Mac]

Is it me, or are these newer solid body Gretsch basses starting to look more and more like something Eastwood would make?

 

[Bonedoge]

It looks like it has to have 'Epiphone' on its head

 

[60bass]

Is it me, or are these newer solid body Gretsch basses starting to look more and more like something Eastwood would make?

Maybe the same factory who knows.