The Gretsch Pages: Discussions: On the 'tube: The Shadows and Gretsch

The Shadows and Gretsch

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- Rated: 6 ↑
Feb 21, 2008 3:55 p.m. Jukka:

You are welcome, there is huge collection of Shadows clips on that site. Just type in shadows to the "naar" field above the video. Like this Search Shadows Clips
- Rated: 29 ↑
Feb 22, 2008 3:26 a.m. Shuie:

Some great clips and input, fellows. Strangest thing about all this is how much EASIER it used to be, when we all just believed that Hank played a Strat with an echo box and that was it. Stranger still, if you just believe that anyway, you can play his music with that rig and it always sounds right. It's only when you start fooling with other guitars that the troubles begin.

Food for thought?
- Rated: 14 ↑
Feb 22, 2008 3:33 a.m. Drew Morrison:

I believe, there is a picture of Bruce Welch playing his 6120 in Jay Scott's book.

Yours

Drew
- Rated: 14 ↑
Feb 22, 2008 3:36 a.m. Drew Morrison:

Schule said: Strangest thing about all this is how much EASIER it used to be, when we all just believed that Hank played a Strat with an echo box and that was it.

The truth is sometimes more stranger than fiction.

Yours

Drew
- Rated: 25 ↑
Feb 22, 2008 5:34 a.m. Dawg:

Drew - 2.30 into Apache where Hank plays the low run on his bass strings - that can only be a Stratocaster. I've not heard another guitar get that same springy twang.

To my ears anyhow...
- Rated: 14 ↑
Feb 22, 2008 7:49 a.m. Drew Morrison:

Dawg,

So you noticed that as well. Yes that is the only part in the entire song that questions for me the Gretsch theory. That hollow sound.

However, when I listen to the rest of Apache all I hear is Gretsch filtertron. The sound, to my ears, is far more fractured and wild than Hanks more controlled Stratocaster sound that can be heard on say 'Theme for Young Lovers'.

I guess it's all in the ear and the feeling.

Yours

Drew

PS Have you ordered those SD's yet?
- Rated: 25 ↑
Feb 22, 2008 8:40 a.m. Dawg:

Hi Drew - yes! I've paid for and ordered them through a shop in the U.S. It'll probably be March before they arrive. Can't wait! I gave up with Aria UK and the Seymour Alnicos - they had forgotten about my order. From now on, i'll only order from the U.S. I know it's a pain with guarantees etc...but the service i've had on other items in the past has always been dealt with so quickly and courteously.

Re; Hank

On the '60 - '64 material, you are hearing two different Stratocasters though - 'theme for young lovers' was recorded with the post '61 Rosewood board fiesta red Stratocaster; I've noticed with that particular guitar, the sound is softer and even more 'springier' than on the earlier recordings - especially 'peace pipe' - The '59 -'61 material was with the 'harder' sounding + more famous '59 'pink' Stratocaster. I don't know when in '61 he got the second Stratocaster - but it's quite early. Certainly by the time of 'F.B.I'......

I suppose anything is feasible though really - Bruce Welch had a Telecaster, Jazzmaster, 6120 and a Stratocaster in a very short time frame - who's to say that these weren't experimented with on odd recordings. To my ears though the majority of the classic era of Hanks recordings are Stratocaster sounding.

Gretsch or Fender, they are beautiful sounds all the same
- Rated: 14 ↑
Feb 22, 2008 8:55 a.m. Drew Morrison:

Dawg said: Gretsch or Fender, they are beautiful sounds all the same

I believe we can all agree on that.

Yours

Drew
- Rated: 25 ↑
Feb 22, 2008 9:02 a.m. Dawg:

Got 'em playing right now! 'Mustang' at the moment......

Now Hanks echo unit - is there any definitive source that says what he used on which recordings....?

(edit) Got to say, but I think Tony Meehan was a great drummer on those early records...
- Rated: 6 ↑
Feb 22, 2008 9:50 a.m. Jukka:

I am not aware of any definitive source for the used echo units on different recordings. I believe Meazzi Echomatic drum echo is the suspected one used on early recordings. If I remember correctly, somebody had again a theory that they might have used some high end echo units available at Abbey Road.

But do the early recordings (claimed by Roberto played with Gretsch) have better guitar sound than the ones recorded later?
- Rated: 25 ↑
Feb 22, 2008 10:36 a.m. Dawg:

I like the sounds Hank got between '59 and '63 which bridges over the period of using 2 different Stratocasters. I've been having a good listen to a lot of those early records since I last posted - they're definitely done on Stratocasters - i'm not keen at all on the Burns era stuff though.

I even dug my Fender CS '56 Stratocaster out and got fairly close. He seemed to use the middle pickup quite a bit.

Best tracks IMO are 'Man of Mystery' - which i'm convinced is the 'pink' '59 Stratocaster on the bridge PUP - and 'Kon Tiki' also on the maple neck Stratocaster. Truly great recordings.

(edit - '36-24-36' sounds like a 2 pickup guitar, set to both pups....hmmm.....)
- Rated: 29 ↑
Feb 22, 2008 1:32 p.m. Shuie:

Dawg, Drew, Jukka, Rab C (oops, I mean JC),

Guess we're the Shadudies. One more reason for Hank's mellow tone- he holds the vibrato arm the whole time so he's never picking near the bridge. That mucks about with the sound almost as much as flatwounds and an amp with a blocked nose. Surely to goodness, Apache has got to be a Strat.
- Rated: 0 ↑
Oct 22, 2008 2:15 p.m. telebass:

Well, that's a really interesting thread. I've heard this guy play his shadows stuff on his 6120 (played bass with him doing it once, even), and it sounded fine to me, so, apart from the fact he's asking me as a business to do this, my answer also would be "why bother"? I'll talk some more to him...
- Rated: 16 ↑
Oct 22, 2008 3:50 p.m. treblebooster:

Jukka said: Bruce welch playing 6120 Gretsch(...)
...and Hank playing a Strat on the right(Buddy Holly influence), also a Vox AC-15 is in front of Welch(besides Cliff Richard). Even if Shadows music sounds great played on Gretsch guitars, I think that's a Strat(or a Burns)that was used.