Country Clubs: Current model differences clarified

The purpose of this article is to describe current (and very recent) Country Club models for the convenience of shoppers, dreamers, and spec-fanatics. It focuses on the 2005-07 line.

Clubs in the current Fender Musical Instrument Corp (FMIC) model lineup come in two essential versions:

• 1957-ish, with Dynasonic single-coils, tone knob circuit, trapeze tailpiece and humpblock fret markers.
• 1958-ish, with Filtertron double-coils, tone switch circuit, Bigsby and thumbnail fret markers. (Except actual '58s had trestle bracing. This model is also similar to late-60s post-Electrotone Clubs, except they had an additional standby switch.)

Note that all 50s Clubs were 3 ½'" in depth – deeper than anything Gretsch now makes. Current Clubs are 2 ¾"

The Country Club line as of February, 2007 consists of a single sunburst-finished 6192 variation, two versions of the blonde/"Amber Natural" 6193, and two versions of the Cadillac Green 6196.

All versions share these common features: 17" x 2.75" body with parallel bracing 25.5" scale maple bodies 21 frets 12" radius necks Grover Imperial tuners goldhardware urethane finish

Model details.

6192:

Laminated maple top, 2 Dynasonics & tone-knob circuit, Adjusto-Matic bridge, G- Cutout tailpiece, rosewood fingerboard with humpblock markers (see note 1)

6193:

Laminated maple OR spruce top (see note 2), 2 Dynasonics & tone-knob circuit, Adjusto-Matic OR Synchro-Sonic (Melita) bridge (see note 3), G-Cutout tailpiece, rosewood fingerboard with humpblock markers, no soundpost.

6193T:

Laminated maple OR spruce top, 2 Filtertrons & tone-SWITCH circuit, Space Control roller bridge, Gretsch-V B6G Bigsby, ebony fingerboard with Neoclassic thumbnail markers and soundpost.

6196:

Arched solid spruce top, 2 Dynasonics & tone-knob circuit, Adjusto-Matic OR Synchro-Sonic (Melita) bridge, G-trapeze tailpiece, rosewood fingerboard with humpblock markers, no soundpost.

6196T:

Arched solid spruce top, 2 Filtertrons & tone-switch circuit, Space Control roller bridge, Gretsch-V B6G Bigsby, ebony fingerboard with Neoclassic thumbnail markers and soundpost.

I believe it's accurate that Dynasonic models (6192, 6193, 6196) do NOT have tone posts, and that Filtertron/Bigsby models (6193T, 6196T) DO have tone posts. Verify by checking the one you're looking at.

NOTES:

1. Early FMIC-era Dynasonic Clubs are known to have block fret markers; humpblocks arrived by sometime in 2004 at latest. While some models are described on Gretsch's site as having aged humblocks and binding, most have white.
2. Prior to Fall 2006, the only contemporary Country Clubs with spruce tops were the Cadillac Green 6196 and 6196T. Since Fall 2006, quite a few 6193s (and perhaps 6192s) have appeared with spruce tops (instead of maple) as well.
3. In addition, 6192s, 6193s, and 6196s have been appearing with Synchro-Sonic bridges.

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