The Gretsch Pages

Welcome to the Gretsch Pages

• Log in
• Register

DeArmond X155 ????

• 

  • Rated: 9 ↑

  Nov 12, 2008 9:12 p.m. GoDogGo:

  I just bought one of these for $325, with the case included. Not sure I know much about this model, but it seemed like a screamin' good deal. Anyone have a DeArmond X155? Any thoughts on this guitar? http://www.dearmondguitars.com/x155.html
• 

  • Rated: 8 ↑

  Nov 12, 2008 9:29 p.m. Ripley1046:

  Good deal man, I'd give it a shot for that price too. Hope it works out for you.
• 

  • Rated: 9 ↑

  Nov 12, 2008 9:42 p.m. GoDogGo:

  Thanks... I thought that for the price of a Danelectro reissue I probably would be okay buying it! I still would like to learn more about this guitar - specifically does it do more than jazz? :)
• 

  • Rated: 38 ↑

  Nov 12, 2008 10:04 p.m. bobbyrivera:

  I think you got a good deal. The only negative I've heard is that the quality on the Dearmond hollows was a bit spotty at times. I've played a couple, and though they were pretty nice. EDIT: don't forget to post some pics when you get it!
• 

  • Rated: 22 ↑

  Nov 12, 2008 10:23 p.m. MrAstroJet:

  It's a pretty decent Korean-built guitar. It's not a Guild, but it's good guitar and most of the people who have one seeem to like the humbuckers alot.

  Yeah, I'd say you got a good deal.
• 

  • Rated: 15 ↑

  Nov 13, 2008 12:24 a.m. AndyJ:

  I've always found the DeArmonds to be quality guitars. My impressions of the X155 were that it was built like a tank and the neck played well. Unfortunately, I never plugged one in.

  $325 w/case seems like a good deal to me. And it certainly would make a good platform for upgrades and/or mods.

  Congrats on the score!
• 

  • Rated: 53 ↑

  Nov 13, 2008 4:02 a.m. Ratrod:

  A buddy of mine had one. Nice guitar, well made. Good jazz guitar but too dark and wooly sounding for rockabilly IMO.
• 

  • Rated: 93 ↑

  Nov 13, 2008 5:10 a.m. Pappy:

  I generally stay away from them. The pickups are super hot for a hollowbody and as a result feedback is a bear. That can be fixed though.
• 

  • Rated: 22 ↑

  Nov 13, 2008 6:27 a.m. MrAstroJet:

  I'd rather have too hot than too wimpy.

  But I'm not a fan of filtertrons so, YMMV.
• 

  • Rated: 93 ↑

  Nov 13, 2008 7:15 a.m. Pappy:

  I don't mind hot pickups, but it was unusable when I tried it out. At any volume whatsoever the thing could not be controlled. There are ways to fix it from amp placement to guitar placement, to putting dowel rods in it to make the top and bottom vibrate the same, to stuffing it with fiber fill like a certain twang master, so I guess anything is fixable, but overall I wasn't impressed.
• 

  • Rated: 45 ↑

  Nov 13, 2008 7:19 a.m. Tsar Nicholas :

  Put some big cream P90s on it!
• 

  • Rated: 61 ↑

  Nov 13, 2008 7:22 a.m. Bear:

  I've not really spent much time with the X155 but I did own a Starfire Special with the DeArmond 2Ks that except for its excessive weight was a fine instrument. The quality of finish and overall construction were top notch.
• 

  • Rated: 40 ↑

  Nov 13, 2008 8:24 a.m. Pseudo Man:

  I hear that Tsar!
• 

  • Rated: 20 ↑

  Nov 13, 2008 8:31 a.m. truthtellerspook:

  I had one.

  They were 299 new during the Great DeArmond Blowout after Fender decided to discontinue the line.

  They were previously more expensive.

  Made in Korea, mine by Cort.

  Goldtone humbuckers, which were pretty good for what they were, a step from Gibson PAF toward filtertron territory, but not, "there," in terms of Gretsch sound. Still, they had their own charm.

  None of the DeArmonds really made it into gretschland. The dynasonic look-alike (from the top) 2k pickup was designed as more of a p90 in dynasonic clothing.

  The M77T and the precursory M75T were not there; too heavy, with the 2ks. My M77T was also made by Cort, and was $249 new thanks to the blowout. It needed fret leveling/re-crowning to make it into anything decent.

  The T400 perhaps came the closest, though it still had the 2ks. It was as low as $279 new during the blow-out. Examples on ebay go for quite a bit more these days.

  At the end of the blowout the local Guitar Center had the Starfire Special in sunburst for 99 bucks on one of those one day only sales where you get there early and grab a list. Both Samick and Cort had a run at that one.

  My X155 was a good sounding and good playing guitar. The frets, including the ends, were done well on that one. The nut was decently cut. Feedback was not a problem on the unit I had.

  Some people gretschified the X155 on an incarnations-ago version of GretschPages. That one was so far back that Google does not pull up anything on that variant of the site. Somebody or two put p90s in as well.

  I also had a Jetstar Special, bolt-on version of the Jetstar. Put a B-5 on it. That thing sounded like a piano. It was great. Naw, it was beyond great. It sounded fantastic. It had been an unwanted stepchild at local GC. 90 bucks out the door. Recorded some ditties with that corker. It was the cheapest of the DeArmonds I had, and by far, in terms of how it sounded, delivering the goods, the best.

  So, the price you paid is, as some say, "relative." Relative to today's ebay pricing on used DeArmonds, you may have come away well. You'll know when you open the box, open the case.
• 

  • Rated: 9 ↑

  Nov 13, 2008 8:52 a.m. GoDogGo:

  Thanks for all the feedback on this guitar. I actually was looking for a little banger to take up to a cottage... something to leave there and play when I got there, on weekends, etc. I thought: Maybe a Danelectro or cheap Fender or something. But then I found this! THANKS fellas for the feedback and ideas on this. I feel good about the price I paid... Getting the guitar next week... so I will let you know how it looks when it arrives!
• 

  • Rated: 10 ↑

  Nov 13, 2008 9:15 a.m. hellbilly:

  I had an X155: put GFS Dream 90's and a B6 Bigsby on it. Soundwise, it was absolutely great for rockabilly, but the fretwork and feel was only okay. Still cool for the money, and maybe your's will have nicer frets - the best built ones are the latter ones.
• 

  • Rated: 41 ↑

  Nov 13, 2008 9:44 a.m. dubkitty:

  for $325, how good does it need to be?

  seriously, though, a halfway-decent archtop for that price is a no-brainer.
• 

  • Rated: 42 ↑

  Nov 13, 2008 1:39 p.m. JC:

  P-90's are the way to go
• 

  • Rated: 20 ↑

  Nov 13, 2008 1:40 p.m. truthtellerspook:

  Someone had linked to this somewhere:

  Here is someone putting a DeArmond X155 through paces.

  The pickups have been changed.
• 

  • Rated: 19 ↑

  Nov 13, 2008 1:57 p.m. Gretschadelphia:

  I had a Dearmond Starfire Special that I purchased at Sam Ash for 299.00 during the blowout. Excellent guitar and my gateway drug to a Pro Series Gretsch. Wish I still had it. I tried an X155 during the sale and liked it very much also, but I was in love with the sound of the 2K's and having a Bigsby. The X155 looks to be a great platform for low budget modding. A pair of GFS dog ear P-90's, tunamatic (or Bigsby bridge) and a Bigsby B-6 would be exceptional. Locking Grover tuners may even be a nice drop in mod.
• 

  • Rated: 28 ↑

  Nov 13, 2008 3:33 p.m. troy6120:

  truthtellerspook said: Here is someone putting a DeArmond X155 through paces.

  Aaaah, jeez. Thanks for posting this, truthtellerspook. I'd say he put it through it's paces, and a little more. That dude is fantastic. That clip is humbling, to say the least.
• 

  • Rated: 30 ↑

  Nov 13, 2008 11:15 p.m. Wishinfora(nother)Falcon:

  That guy makes me just want to give up. He acts like he's had about 15 whiskeys too!!
• 

  • Rated: 20 ↑

  Nov 13, 2008 11:48 p.m. truthtellerspook:

  troy6120, you're welcome.

  Yes, humbling.

  Must be great to be the whole band. I can only imagine how John Phil Wayne has entertained himself as well as others over the years.

  The list of people he has played with includes Count Basie.
• 

  • Rated: 4 ↑

  Nov 14, 2008 8:43 a.m. mad dog:

  I haven't tried the X155, but did own the DA Starfire Special, still own an M75T. Those 2K pickups are worth the trip. More P90 than Gretsch like, but still have their own sound. I much preferred the tone in the solid body M75T over the semi-hollow. When it has tone like this, price is not all that important.
• 

  • Rated: 11 ↑

  Nov 14, 2008 9:01 a.m. Charlie Vegas:

  I have an X155 that I added two Antiquity P-90's, a B6 Bigsby, and a tuneamatic bridge.
  

  Axel's (blooze58) X155 was the inspiration for my conversion. I think he really likes his. Axel's X155

  Walter did an X135 conversion and is less then thrilled with the results. See the Korean guitars are crap thread.

  I'm still on a fence about mine. I want to better align the P-90's and put them on wood (instead of plastic) spacers. It also needs some nut and bridge saddle work.

• Articles
• Contact
• Site Map
• Store
• Radio

© Tim Baxter/APT Group 2006. Gretschpages.com is not affiliated with the Gretsch Guitar company. Powered by Django.