Hi,

My friend is teasing me with a Gold Sparkle Electromatic 5128 that's he's selling. I'm tempted, it's sounds amazing, but I had a 5129 before, and found the bodywork a bit weak. It only lasted two years before the neck started to bend, and I kept it in a strong Hiscox case. I'm a little wild onstage, little like Angus Young AC/DC. I just wondered if the more expensive Gretsch's had stronger bodywork, or is there not much in it?

Thanks in advance, Ralph

Hi and welcome.

What exactly do you mean by the neck starting to bend?

Did it become twisted or did the heel come loose?

If it's bent inward a little, the truss rod only needs a bit of tightening.

It was twisted beyond truss rod adjustment. It got stolen afterwards!

I've had mine about four years now... it hasn't seen much stage time, but I keep it out on a stand, summer/winter, whatever. I play it all the time. I've never even had to adjust the trussrod! She still plays as well as she ever did.

Unless you get a multi-piece neck it's not going to be any more stable. You may have just gotten a bad one, I'm sorry to say. But it's the first time I've heard of it happening (doesn't mean it doesn't happen, it's just not a common complaint on the Interweb).

Go ahead, grab the gold sparkly... you know you want it...

I would say if you want a stronger hollowbody, the Tim Armstrong is the way to go. That one felt much more solid than other hollowbodies.

I've had my 5129 for about 5 years, no neck bending for me and it was my primary guitar for about 2 of those years, I aslo beat the shit out of it. Maybe you got a Lemon. Get ittttttt.

Thanks guys! I got it!