The generosity of Mr. Gretsch and Joe is just unbelievable. I have never heard of anyone giving away merchandise the way they do. My congratulations to all of the winners, especially Curt. That Executive Amp looks to die for.
Great narrative and coverage to my friend, Proteus. What a difference it makes to have his skills to make it seem almost like we are there with you.
Pro, I think there's a picture of Brian and the guitar in my set.
Saturday night is just all right for jamming.
After the giftation, which must've been over no later than, oh, 12:30 or so, the jams went on till nearly 3...
We made a concerted effort to get guys up who had been unaccountably shy about participating previously – among them fieldhdj and Suprdave.
Suprdave knocked everyone's socks off by truly leading the band. Right on the mic, he explained the chord progressions for a couple of jams, then demonstrated them – and we were off, with a clear idea of what we were doing. Made a huge difference.
He also directed the songs clearly, resulting in well-defined solos and endings. AND he drove his mostly-rhythm guitar (the freshly branded Beast!) steady and hard, with energy and professionalism. I took some lessons from his take-charge do-it-right approach!
After the two jams, he did Zeppelin's "Rock & Roll" by request for Kim (who had already retired to her beautyrest by the time, more's the pity).
.
The party's over (and it was CO-OLD in there, upper 30s...)
Curt, thanks - I'll look for it and polish this up as time goes on. I'm hurrying now to get the overall coverage up.
Thanks for the pictures and wonderful commentary! I just love these things!
I've been biting my tongue not talking about the Executive! What a beautiful amp that compliments the others. I remember playing through the Exec. last year and couldn't believe the beautiful sounds that it produced. When my pick fell out of the guitar and my name was called I went into shock and still am. What a class act this group is.
And I agree, nice cogent approach to the thread that tells the story but you still need to be there for full effect.
Thanks Curt for remembering me. Looking at the pictures and seeing what another awesome time you guys have had without me is making me sick though. Last year I couldn't go because of the NCO Academy and now my work prevented me from attending again this time because I didn't get notified of the roundup from Doug in time.
Anyway, I'm glad you all had a great time and serieously, you don't know how much I love the Gretsch brand, guitars, culture that to see this it makes me sad that I couldn't have been there. So many faces that I recognized in the photos and it feels like I missed a family reunion. I'm not joking here.
I will make every attempt at attending next year and I'll be the official photographer for the event since I don't own a Gretsch electric anymore. I wouldn't want to impose with a lesser guitar and would be happy listening and photographing the event. I'll be happy if that's the only way I can contribute just to be there with all of my friends.
Thanks for sharing... Chris
I'm always amazed at the generosity of Fred, and Joe, and the great lengths they and Kim go to for you guys. I'ts gotta be hard, all the road trips.. away from home and family and friends, yet they give and are so greatfully happy to do so.... In case they see this.. Thanks you Fred, Joe and of course Kim for all you do, Pro.. as usual... remarkable job, And for everyone involved... even though I wasnt there.. making it possible to see hear and read about the weekend is so very special. Thank you..!
Congrats to all you guys who attended! You already won by just being there. I might have been able to do this back in June but that's neither here or there. That is so cool that Paul's getting the first lefty 5122 off the line. Curt you're running out of room for all those amps so I'm ready for that Deluxe. The Executive is an ultimate amp and it's going to fit you well! You deserve that! 57 chet were you able to fit that 5122 into Paul's Honda? And Brian! You've been blessed son! You just experienced something that should put a smile on your face the rest of your life and I'm not just talking the BZ. It's the people you were partying with this past weekend. I know last year was a highlight in my life something I'll always cherish.
And Fred and Joe and of course the Gretsch outfit! Words can not convey what we people think of you guys. It's mostly that you are there with us and that means more then anything else. Thank You!
One question! Was Rob holding the Billy Zoom during the drawing?
I'd love to get to an eastern event one of these days, a west coast one too, for that matter.
Chris, If you don't have a Gretsch to play by next year, I'm pretty sure we can dig one up for you. As for this year, I tried to email you several times - sorry about that.
The best advice I can give is that GDP'ers wanting to go check the GDP, the other Gretsch pages and the Gear Page (Gig Section). Keeping email addresses updated is pretty near impossible, so I depend pretty much on these sites to get the word out.
We're shooting for a September date next year, I think. We'll give everyone as much notice as we can.
I talked to my wife and I'm buying a plane ticket next year so I can go and still get back home if need be in a timely manner.
White Falcon acoustic....teehee hee. It doesn't really stand out in a crowd. Kinda understated and, you know...I thought I saw a tear in Proteus's eye when Joe yelled out, "IT'S NOBODY!!" I knew he'd had his eye on that thing.
Hey maybe I'll do a proper write-up on that thing in the proper place at the proper time, but let me say that it plays and sounds pretty fantastic...ally.
Oh, and don't let the Proteus yank yer chain. He's EXCELLENT on the keys. Good chops, but most importantly, good ears. Knows what to play and what NOT to play.
(I just wish I could've found that blasted Harmonica sound in time for the western finale.)
Chris said: now my work prevented me from attending again this time because I didn't get notified of the roundup from Doug in time.Chris, you were going to drive the magic bus to Nashville, you knew the date. In fact I recall you stating that you were going to be the official photographer.
Speaking of photography here is a link to my images. I think I was able to get a picture of everyone branding so please feel free to download what you like. The slideshow feature works well and downloads are full quality files.
Good job in all the facets of documentation gents. I'm greatful to see ya'll getting it on and having a comradely time and thanks to the pics and sound be able to hear it. Much appreciated!
fieldhdj said: We're shooting for a September date next year, I think.If you select a September date, Doug, you are going to conflict with the Northern California Roundup!
Let's not get these things conflicting. They are hard enough to plan as it is.
How cold is it usually in mid to late March?
You'll be quite comfortable just then, trust me.
I really like that picture of your friend, Proteus. If that isn't bliss on "film" I don't know what is. I think it's a musically inspirational picture.
Just curious. :-)
Ric12string said: If you select a September date, Doug, you are doing to conflict with the Northern California Roundup! Let's not get these things conflicting. They are hard enough to plan as it is.
No worries Ric, I'm sure we can get a consensus.
I'm thinking that Spring would be great for you guys, if summer is too hot and October too cold. At least there would be a gap of some months between our two Roundups so that people could actually try to attend both. I know that Nashville is definitely on my radar screen, but if they are quite close, that can create problems at work and at home. (If you know what I mean!)
Pappy said: How cold is it usually in mid to late March?
About the same as what we experienced this weekend. Late April / early May would be the best time temperature-wise.
Sorry for the poor quality of the video. My 10 year old camera is about to die I think.
2009 Gretsch Round-Up Site 01
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tm4SDeTQrPU (Video of my bed room and dinning room)
2009 Gretsch Round-Up Site 02
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Clj2fgWRiaQ (Video of the walk up to the tobacco barn and some guitarist playing inside)
TV Jones Magnatron Demo by Tartan Phantom (Rob)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33ITzkdpUn0 ( Rob ... aka "Tartan Phantom" demonstrates the use of the TV Jones Magnatrons that he just spent a couple hours installing on my G5120.)
Proteus and Steve Playing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn6WgF8-3EI
Curt (Nobody) Finger Picking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y7WJsadnNM
Chet 57 Finger Picking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJUEg7Jr-8M
I Will Follow By And By
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lU0uXMRL8mA (One of my original tunes that folks were gracious enough to listen to.)
In My Life (Beatles Cover)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB45cxpfsvg (Let's not try that again!)
I'm Looking Through You (Beatles Cover)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ya6ohNl1pko (let's not try that again either!)
Gretsch Loves A Lefty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uU4pJSRq2eA (Congratulations Paul!)
Gretsch G6129BZ Billy Zoom Custom Guitar Give-Away
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10fXHuD84FQ (Congratulations Brian! Wait ... that's me. I still don't believe I won this guitar. I keep thinking I'll wake from the dream any momment.)
Well maybe I said that at one point, but I lost track with my hectic life lately. Sorry Curt...
A few sidebars, because no one pair of eyes and ears can see and hear everything:
Who is Warren Wolf?
Yeah, the guy doing the fingerstyle playing and a bit of rocking here and there. Warren is a long-time friend. I met him 13 years ago. He was playing some unlikely venue or another (a pickle brine factory or something like that). I had read a nice feature article on him the Mobile (AL) Press Register, and figured he'd be an ace to see, and he was. He rekindled my affection for Gretsches, we became friends, played in a few bands together, had a number of wacky adventures, and spent way too many nights sitting up playing and talking music way too late into the night.
One Sunday he and I were sitting at his house with a bassist who wasn't even in our band, and just for the fun of it we spent hours working on three numbers that we would never perform publicly together: Bach's Minuet in G Major, Boyce and Hart's I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight, and a 19th century folk song about murdering a girlfriend (murder was a popular folk song subject back then) that Warren found sheet music for in the library.
I have never seen anyone work longer or harder at playing guitar than Warren. What he creates as a guitarist is a testimony to relentless practice, not to a supernatural lightning-bolt gift from the gods.
Warren's one of those guys who never left town, but who had the talent to make it somewhere bigger. Actually, Warren did leave Mobile once -- tried his hand in Nashville briefly, but the best offer he got was from a guy named Eddie to join his surf instrumental band. Didn't seem like the thing to do...
He has a '65 Super Reverb that pairs with his Gretsches to create out-of-this-world tone. I brought my '66 Super Reverb to the Roundup for him to play through, but we barely got around to taking the cover off.
Warren once was a contributor to the GDP and even provided a song for one of the GDP compilation CDs -- Hillbilly Chicks on Speed, which, for some reason, we never played together. He didn't leave the GDP mad or bored; he just doesn't have a computer.
I told him about the Roundup last year, but he wasn't able to attend and didn't seem terribly interested in the idea, so I wasn't sure it would be productive to call him about this year's event. But on the next-to-last-day to register, I did give him a shout and he was enthusiastic and ready to make the trip. Given his computerless status, we had to jump through a few hoops to get him registered and paid up before the deadline, but those were just details.
As the other attendees at the Roundup can attest, Warren loves to play, talk, and learn about music. Within an hour of arriving at Hachland, he was set up and playing.
Needless to say (but I will anyway), it was great to have my long-time friend meet everyone. I'd hoped to play a lot with Warren over the weekend, but he got all tied up playing old-man fingerstyle music with a bunch of old-man wannabes, so we only got in a few songs together on Friday night. That was OK, though.
About that left-handed Electromatic
Many slightly crazy moving parts here. I won the G Love Corvette last year -- it was the first guitar given away. And then I saw Joe step on my pick this year for the 5122 -- the first guitar given away this year. Come on, what are the odds of this happening?
I tried to demur this year, because, after all, it was a right-handed guitar again and I'd be faced with owning something I really couldn't use and would eventually have to pass along to Dylan again; but Mr. Carducci made me an offer I couldn't refuse.
The left-handed Electromatic to come is no garden-variety Electro. No, it's not. It's this:
The Tim Armstrong Signature Model
Based on Rancid's singer/guitarist's '70s Country Club, here's what everyone (lefties and righties alike) can expect:
17" wide, 3" deep body
Those little Baldwin-era winky f-holes
24.6" scale
Grovers
Original pickups bisected, dissected, analyzed, and replicated (no Gretschbuckers, thank you)
Flat black finish sorta per Armstrong's original*
Gold hardware, including gold pickup rings
"No Bigsby" says Joe (I assume it will be a trapeze tailpiece as on Armstrong's)
Knobs that turn in correct direction for lefties (a first for Gretsch!)
Street price: a decent slice under $1,000
*Armstrong painted his with a rattle can from a hardware store, didn't even take off the strings beforehand; expect a more professional approach for the Sig model
Mr. Armstrong's original is a converted right-handed model, and Joe tells me Tim's pretty stoked about the prospect of getting a proper lefty with a cutaway that, you know, allows access to the upper frets.
Last year at the Roundup, I pointed out to Joe that there were no left-handed Electromatics, and he promised to rectify that deficiency. It's taken a while, but I think this model will do nicely.
Prototypes are making their way through the system, and Mr. Armstrong gets first dibs. Joe tells me I'll get the first one after Tim's made his choice(s).
And I won't have to wait until after NAMM! Maybe in a month... Pics and an assessment will appear on the GDP as soon as practicable.
And yes, Gary, it was a heck of a note that 57Chet won the 5122 right afterward and it left Nashville in my car anyway. What a setup, huh? We could've fit more stuff in the Element, too, but jeez...
Note to fellow lefties: I'm also still twisting Joe's arm about Pro Series lefty Dyna Country Clubs, and before too long I think we'll see them, in Bamboo Yellow (!)(Joe asked me which of the two-tone color combos the southpaws wanted, and I recalled that everyone liked the BY/Copper -- I could have lied and told him Smoke Green, my favorite). Rev up your credit cards!
Paul/FF909
PS: I believe that, with the artist sig Electromatics, Gretsch is positioning itself well for the future: this will be a uniquely detailed iteration of a major model, with an artist association for a younger demographic, and designed for contemporary rocking. It will be interesting to see how versatile it turns out to be. I know that the G Love Corvette is a first-rate guitar (and those who saw Dylan's at the Roundup for the first time said what everyone says: that Philly Green looks so much better in real life than in pictures!), and I look forward to the TA Sig CC achieving comparable standards.
(Now get to work on that KT Tunstall sig Champagne Sparkle Double Jet! Something for the ladies, you know -- it worked well for Rickenbacker with Susannah Hoffs.)
