The Gretsch Pages: Discussions: Elliot Easton's Tiki Lounge: Any New Lefties Coming From Gretsch ??

Any New Lefties Coming From Gretsch ??

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- Rated: 7 ↑
Aug 28, 2008 9:45 p.m. singlecutaway:

Anyone hear of anything new in the works for us
- Rated: 7 ↑
Aug 28, 2008 10:44 p.m. Rocky:

There was a recent rumor about the possibility of a lefty Electromatic 5100 series, but haven't heard much since.
- Rated: 51 ↑
Aug 28, 2008 11:01 p.m. FrequentFlyer909:

Hey, singlecutaway,

The Jaguar Tan 125th Anniversary is supposed to be offered to us lefties, but when I checked in with Joel at Shanghai a month ago, it wasn't yet available.

Billy-Bo's are not listed as available left-handed, but they are. StreetSounds in Brooklyn, NY has at least one (Rocky puts it up on eBay with an attractive buy-it-now price), as does Southpaw Guitars in Houston, TX. (Figure StreetSounds will have the better price!)

I made several lefty model recommendations to Joe Carducci at the Nashville GDP Roundup in June, and got a couple of "It shall be done!" replies from Joe. Two of my recommendations were for guitars that would fill major gaps on the lefty menu. One was a strictly personal desire.

But they may not have started on any of my recommendations yet, and me talking in a barn is hardly definitive market research. What would you like to see that isn't currently available to us?

Paul/FF909
- Rated: 6 ↑
Aug 29, 2008 1:10 p.m. catman:

Paul, I am too waiting for the 125th annie. My personal choice? A lefty CGP, round up, single pickup 1959 tenny and an 18" Eldorado.

It's nice to daydream.
- Rated: 30 ↑
Aug 29, 2008 11:28 p.m. greg:

I just saw a creamy white f-200 Hagstrom with a whammy and P-90's for 349 canadian with a Hag case.Freeeekin awesome!And the swede was damn fine too!
- Rated: 7 ↑
Aug 29, 2008 11:39 p.m. singlecutaway:

LTV Anni, Any single coil model 6120 with a rosewood fingerboard, Roundup with out the leather trim, Even a 59-60 6120 without that freaking zero fret. That new solid body reissue double cutaway can't think of what it's called. Well I have my picks, These are all so very simple but they would rather make Lefty Billy Bo's or whatever there called.
- Rated: 7 ↑
Aug 29, 2008 11:53 p.m. Rocky:

Lefties I'd like to see would include a Lefty Brian Setzer Hot Rod, a Lefty 5129, a Lefty 5122, a Lefty Horton Heat, and maybe a Lefty Chris Chaney.
- Rated: 2 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 9:18 a.m. cyrilcliment:

I'd like to see either a LTV or a 125 Annie, I already have one lefty 6118T and it's such a perfect guitar. Second choice I would gladly buy a lacquer aged white dynasonic falcon !! And a double cut jet would be great too....
- Rated: 2 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 9:20 a.m. cyrilcliment:

And any lefty Electromatic would be great for guitarist on a budget....
- Rated: 30 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 1:01 p.m. greg:

Hey Rocky{whatch me pull a rabbit outta my hat!}sorry!i couldnt resistI did have the missfortune of playing a lefty Brian Setzer model.....No i dream of it all the time.It was the first gretsch and only gretsch i have played{outside of my converted americana}as they are not to common and i dont have a Gretsch size wallet.It sure was awesome to play through a Laney tube amp.Are those Laney's awesome amps or what?
- Rated: 7 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 2:52 p.m. Rocky:

"That's not a rabbit!" ...Doh! (+1 for the Rocky & Bullwinkle reference)

Oh man, I'm glad I haven't had the chance to play one yet. I'd be selling a kidney about now! That's why a Hot Rod model would be nice. Yup them Laney's are nice. I sold my Laney to buy my Mesa rig though and have never looked back.
- Rated: 30 ↑
Aug 30, 2008 9:58 p.m. greg:

Bullwinkle:ooo...dont know my own strength! Rocky:And now for something you''ll really like!

Laney's look so polite and unasuming until you open one up!I'm in love!!!
- Rated: 51 ↑
Aug 31, 2008 6:01 p.m. FrequentFlyer909:

Well, well, it appears from these comments that my recommendations to Joe C. were on the right track, if not absolute bullseyes.

Singlecutaway, about this:

That new solid body reissue double cutaway can't think of what it's called.

I don't know what you're talking about there, either... have you thought of it yet?

Also, as to this:

... they would rather make Lefty Billy Bo's ...

They would rather make guitars that will sell well! But they don't quite have the resources to research the small and elusive left-handed market niche (we're just 5% of the market, folks!)... which is why I'm promoting discussion here. It's the best we can do, and it is pretty good!

Since it's not financially feasible to offer every model left-handed, in the absence of market input they tend to make lefty versions of the best-selling models. They also seem to want to provide some representation of each Professional Series model; although we don't have the endless variations on the themes that righties do, I think we get excellent breadth in that regard.

The Billy-Bo isn't on my list of gotta-buys, either. It apparently got out of the starting gate well, sales-wise. And the sales will tell the tale on whether that was a good idea. Fine with me if they sell a gazillion of 'em -- it would just spotlight the lefty market more and encourage FMIC to offer us more stuff!

cyrilcliment: the 125 Annie is supposed to be available left-handed; they merely haven't hit the market yet (may not have gotten around to building any lefties yet!). Be patient for that one. Looks like they could sell three of 'em just to people contributing to this discussion. That's half a production run right there!

Paul/FF909
- Rated: 7 ↑
Aug 31, 2008 11:24 p.m. Rocky:

Make that four. I'd probably bite in lieu of a Setzer Hot Rod.

Gretsch does offer some great lefties and it's nice to know folks like Paul/FF909 are out there helping us be heard. I'm anxious to see what they offer us next.
- Rated: 7 ↑
Sep 1, 2008 12:20 a.m. singlecutaway:

The Corvette, did I spell it correct, very cool guitar. Why cant they just put the regular sta-tites on them ? That 125 Anni, nice guitar also , but those sperzels just spoil that whole vintage look, After market tuners can always be put on after, but when they come with them from the factory you can't go back to the sta- tites which are great simple tuners that work well and contribute to that vintage theme. If I could say this, the only real true new Gretsch that is as close to real vintage is the simple two tone green Anni and its the cheapest in that series.
- Rated: 314 ↑
Sep 1, 2008 1:29 a.m. Proteus:

If I remember, I'll quiz Joe when we talk next time and see if there's any leftward movement in the line...
- Rated: 7 ↑
Sep 1, 2008 10:25 a.m. Rocky:

singlecutaway, I don't think the 125 Annie was intended to be a vintage guitar. With Sperzels, TV PowerTrons, pinned bridge, new "ML" bracing, etc, it's a very modern guitar with the kind of mods I'd put on a new guitar, but that's just me.

Prot, +1 for "Leftward".

Movies we'd like to see: "Leftward Ho", "How The Left Was Won", "All Quiet On The Leftern Front", "The Left Wing", "Wild Wild Left", and of course, my fave, "Left Side Story"
- Rated: 51 ↑
Sep 1, 2008 2:39 p.m. FrequentFlyer909:

Hey, Singlecutaway,

OK on the Corvette! I would think that that would be an easy one, considering that Eastwood Guitars gets guitars like that built all the time by Asian factories and offers a ton of them left-handed very affordably.

I can tell you with confidence that the Corvettes are darned nice, since I own one -- a right-handed G Love signature model that I won at the GDP Roundup in June. It's currently the guitar for right-handed houseguests here at Flyer Central, and has already led one visitor to purchase a Gretsch of his own.

Another question to be asked: to keep the number of model offerings manageable, what currently-offered lefties are of insufficient interest to you, or are guitars you wouldn't mind being taken off the catalog to make room for your preferences?

Here's one from me: if they end up building one of my recommendations, then I believe the Filtertron-equipped Country Club could be set aside. (The White Falcon covers the same essential specs: FT-equipped 17" hollowbody with a 25.5" scale.)

Do bear in mind: anything they stop making, they can always resume production of later!

Paul/FF909
- Rated: 7 ↑
Sep 1, 2008 3:42 p.m. Rocky:

Why discontinue anything? Budget issues? The lowly 5% market still has vary diverse tastes in guitars, colors, specs, etc.. Most companies only gear up once a year for lefty runs so most of us are use to not being able to buy off the shelf. I waited 6 months for my Strat, 8 months for my Jackson SL-1 and almost a year for my 1980 Les Paul, and those were all standard production, catalog models. After all, even if they have to clearance them, the lefties are gonna sell eventually.
- Rated: 12 ↑
Sep 14, 2008 2:15 a.m. fbama73:

My daughter wants to earn her way up to a Gretsch from her knockoff strat starter guitar. So any southpaw Electromatic would be nice, preferably a 5120 or a pro jet.
- Rated: 0 ↑
Oct 20, 2008 5:38 p.m. RockinBaz:

Any chance of a possible lefty Electromatic being made yet?
- Rated: 7 ↑
Oct 27, 2008 6:58 p.m. Rocky:

Reckon I'm gonna have to "flip" a 5122 to suppress my GAS! I love my flipped 5129 but it's a little awkward to play high on the neck. A flipped 5122 could fix that while we wait I suppose.
- Rated: 0 ↑
Nov 1, 2008 7:56 a.m. Sonnyray56:

Hi Guys,

New to the pages so please help me out if I stumble.

As a player for over 30 years and a pro player for 15 When Gretsch started to re issue the 6120 as a lefty you could have killed me then and I would have died happy. I'd wanted one ever since I watched Eddie Cochran in "The Girl Can't help it". Although I'm happy that they now make more models, the one thing I would say is that in order to get young players playing Gretsch and to therefore increase sales, offer an alternative in the budget range! Gretsch are missing a beat by not producing at least 3 or 4 of the fantastic Electo's. As a player that has to take my much loved and abused 6120 on planes etc. I would very much welcome an cheaper alternative. Most other manufactuers seem to manage it, why not Gretsch, and now with the might of the Fender Corp behind them, It's not like there going to loose a fortune is it? Even just limited numbers would sell. Have you tried to bid on something rare on Ebay, half the southpaw playing world is on it. But given all that, I think most lefties have become good at either customising or sourcing parts etc from other areas.

Anyway just a thought.
- Rated: 7 ↑
Nov 2, 2008 11:18 p.m. singlecutaway:

Still hoping for a lefty LTV Anni in green or natural that would be easy and quick no ? Well you never know, but still haven't heard anything yet from Gretsch news or the website, they don't even list the leftys anymore.
- Rated: 51 ↑
Nov 6, 2008 6:08 p.m. FrequentFlyer909:

The website shows the models that are available left-handed as "also available left-handed" in the model descriptions, which forces us lefties look all over for what we can get. I hate to tweak the moron (YEAH BRAD, YOU'RE A MORON) who does the web site; but I've been railing about this for three or four years now, so clearly either he doesn't read here or he doesn't give a flyingeff about what we have to say, so I feel empowered to be uncivilized about it now, since it's mildly fun, if generally unread and utterly futile.

I meant to whine to Joe Carducci about this web site negligence at the Roundup in Nashville, but just plain forgot.

But I did mention lack of lefty Electromatics and Dyna-equipped hollowbodies to Joe, though, and he did not realize that that models to those specs were not available. I recommended that the 5122 be made available left-handed since it would not involve special left-handed body forms (I'm trying to hold down the lefty-upcharge, fellows!), and he liked that idea. I further specifically petitioned for a Dyna Country Club (but a 6120DSWhatever or a Falcon with Dynas would be just as reasonable and possibly more likely).

As a personal preference, I also pleaded for a lefty 6120DC, since that could be built without a new body form, too (and I want one!). I rather doubt I'll see that anytime soon, but Joe was very receptive to the first two, as they are obvious and significant gaps in the model offerings (obvious to us lefties, anyway).

I followed up our conversation with a PM to Joe to remind him of my ideas, but I fear that the PM system may have not been functioning properly at that time, based on what other GDPers have been saying.

Anyway, Rocky, if I were you, I would hold off on flipping a righty 5122 until after the Winter NAMM, at least.

Oh, and welcome to the GDP, Sonnyray! We need all the southpaws we can get up in here!

Fred Gretsch III told me we're about 5% of the guitar-buying market, so I contend that it's incumbent on us portsiders to buy as many guitars as possible, so as to maintain demand and justify continued production.

Paul/FF909