hey. so i was wondering what the "best" year is for Tennessean's, in terms of not having binding rot and not needing a neck reset, etc. thanks!
What's the "Best" Year for a Tennessean?
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Sep 27, 2008 12:25 p.m. dual_tone:
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Sep 27, 2008 3:12 p.m. audiodrome:
I don't know. I imagine that there are other factors involved besides the year of manufacture. I have a '66 with very little binding rot. I just recently had a half inch piece high up on the neck replaced and now it's as good as new!
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Sep 27, 2008 9:22 p.m. DCBirdMan:
Well, assuming you don't mean the 1958-1961 single Filtertron red Tenny, and you are talking the about the 2 Hi Lo Tenny, it's generally felt the binding rot got worse when Baldwin took control in 1967. That doesn't mean earlier ones did not get it. My '64 is almost perfect in that regard. There are some excellent 70s Baldwin Tennies.
My neck set theory is different -- even if the neck angle is ok, it still needs to be reset if you want ZERO tuning problems. I did all the usual stuff to my Tenny to fixing tuning probs new Sta tites nut gone over use 11s bar bridge worked on.
which fixed a lot, but not all tuning probs. had neck reset and now it is killer -- can't dynamite it out of tune. BirdMan Theory states -- an unreset 60s Gretsch neck, even w/ good angle, still moves around enough to affect tuning.
Dudes say they have no tuning probs. but still they won't gig with it since ...well, there could be trouble BUT I'll take my old Tenny out to any scene, bend strings like it were a Telecaster, work out on the Bigsby, and it still stays perfectly in tune
Lots of Tennies out there -- shop around for one you like. I still can't figure out how with all the 60s Tennies for sale, some DOGMEAT DEALERZ think they are worth 6K.
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Sep 27, 2008 10:05 p.m. DrGretsch:
I like 67 Tennesseans!
Also, some of the 62's I've played have been really nice!
They all vary though!
Case in point ,,, I was at a vintage guitar show a few years ago and there were 5 Tennesseans I tried out at this one booth and by far the 62 and the 67 had the magic and real gretsch sound and Mojo and felt good too.
The others were so so but the 67 and 62 shined in all ways!
I have a 67 Tennessean too, it's a lighter color brown but it really has that Gretsch sort of magic to it.
I think they may use different woods from year to year too just as the color varies?
Some are better then others I noticed!
Some have that really woody Beatles kind of knocky woody sound!
That's been my observation for many years!
Also the new ones now by Gretsch are fantastic!
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Sep 28, 2008 9:09 a.m. Rocketman:
I have an original 67. No issues, no rot. I am a big fan of it myself. I took it to the european round up and while there were seven of us there (I believe) there were 2 or 3 other guys saying they liked it a lot and are now considering getting a Hilo Tennessean.
Hilotrons are unpopular pickups and I can see why; the tone is quite thin on several amps that Gretsch owners tend to use. However, if I crank up my AC15 I get the best tone I ever heard. Not thin at all. I think Hilos love Voxes for some unknown reason.
At the roundup I tried 2 or 3 other amps I think, and didn’t like the tone at all. But these other guys I mentioned above still liked it I guess. Or they said they did to not make me unhappy. One guy didn’t like it at all and made no secret of it
I love the ’67 Tennessean, the Hilotrons and the Vox and I am not gonna change a thing. Okay maybe get a bigger Vox.
The alternative would be the 6120/Bassman route. Which would be a bit more expensive, but do-able. The only problem I have with that is that it has been done a million times before. And people are doing that all the time still today. I like being a little different and having a little different sound.
And…… If it was good enough for George in the Shea Stadium concert; it’s definitely good enough for me.
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Sep 28, 2008 9:23 a.m. Danman:
Rocketman said: One guy didn’t like it at all and made no secret of it
Hi, here is one guy!
I think you misunderstood me dear mr.rocketman.
I have played on hilo's for years and never was happy with it. They really are not for me and I never really got the tone I wanted, always too thin. I do however clearly remember saying that I thought you got a very good tone and power out of them even on the amps you didn't like.
But to tell you the truth: I still believe it is not just the hilo's: it is in your fingers. IMO if you would play filters or dyna's you would get the same power. -
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Sep 28, 2008 9:38 a.m. Bear:
I have owned two Annies with HiLos and two Tennys with HiLos and the only one I ever really liked was the first Annie which ended up getting stolen. The HiLo tone just is too thin and weak for me. I play very clean and I prefer Fender blackface amps and the HiLos just never suited me or my style of playing. Perhaps, like rocketman says, through a VOX I may have had a different opinion of them. The only VOX amp I ever owned was a Royal Guardsman that wasn't very reliable and at the time didn't own anything with HiLos.
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Sep 28, 2008 9:45 a.m. Rocketman:
So if it's in the fingers why not like Hilo's Danman?
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Sep 28, 2008 9:56 a.m. Danman:
Rocketman: said: So if it's in the fingers why not like Hilo's Danman?
Because they are not in my fingers, they are in yours.
And you hereby are permitted to like things that I don't like, so enjoy!
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Sep 28, 2008 12:45 p.m. dual_tone:
it does seem to be a bit random, with the 67-68 often having the worst binding rot, but i have also seen earlier ones with the rot.
birdman, you make an interesting point about Gretsch's and neck resets. i think my 6117 Cat's Eye needs one, and i'm thinking of putting larger frets on it too, not Jumbo, but some sort of taller, slightly wider, fretwire (6105?).
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Sep 28, 2008 1:09 p.m. Danman:
My 64 Annie has binding rot. And yes I too have heard people saying that a few years after this are the bad ones but I have seen it on guitars of all years. And I don't think there are years where there was a lesser chance of needing a neck reset.
