The Last Bass Outpost
Gear Discussion Forums => Other Bass Brands => Topic started by: daan on April 14, 2018, 01:58:07 PM
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So I was at the Guitar Center >:( before work Friday. They had a Gretsch Jr Jet bass, the 2-pickup model.
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/bass/gretsch-guitars-g2220-electromatic-junior-jet-ii-electric-bass-guitar
I had one of these when they first got reissued in the late 90’s. I really liked it, it sounded and played great. Unfortunately the body was Plywood, and before it was a year old, the finish “sunk” and you could totally see the layers or plies. Also, the neck warped so bad that even with maxing out the truss rod, I had to pull the bottom dozen frets just to keep the strings off them... I took it back to GC several times for adjustments (before I just yanked the frets, obviously) I tried returning it or making a warranty claim, but the manager refused and told me it warped because I must have stored it wrong... l >:(
I ended up using the pickups and tuning machines on my Hofner, and giving the rest of the “husk” to my luthier friend (who did the fret pulling).
So I saw the Jr Jet at GC, it played and sounded good. Plus it was a burst finish instead of all black like all my other basses... I have 2 black P copies and I want something different, and I can afford this one. I just don’t wanna get burned again...
Have any of you-all gotten a Gretsch lately? Are they better made than the one I had? I remember the other one I had, said “Made in Korea” and this new one says made in China. Oh, and I remember paying about the same in 97/98 as these are listed for.
I just tried for way too long to attach a picture of this, but Photo Bucket is being stupid again. You’ll just have to click the link to see them.
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Gretsch's website says the body is basswood.
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I've had a 2202 (single pickup, fantastic bass) and I currently have a two close relatives of the 2220, including a 1222.
Every one has been a solid build, has had a great, playable neck, and the pickups have sounded very good. I think that the Gretsch olid body Electromatic series is one of the best buys around today.
I agree with Dave that the website shows basswood as the body. I frankly don't care whether a body is laminate or solid, as I've had basses with either construction that sounded good, but that should work just fine.
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I have done some work for a pro player with lots of gretsch guitars, both new and old. He likes the korean ones best, I think - and claims that any recent gretsch is better than what they did in the past. The electronics aside, though. I just wind some vintage style gretsch pup's and the nes ones are killer. I'm not sure myself, though. I love my 6070 bass, no matter if a carpenter did the woodwork.
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I had one of the later Junior Jets. Great little bass. A budget bass, but well made. Squier-ish, I guess. Just okay. I sold it cos I never used it.
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I should note that I have seen some of the Electromatics with (EDIT!!) warped necks, although not serious warpage. Always good to check. But if you'er buying new, you can check it out.
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I should note that I have seen some of the Electromatics with carped necks, ....
Did they sound fishy?
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Did they sound fishy?
Well, foo. Corrected........ :o :-\
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I work next door to Guitar Center and occasionally drop in. I played a new 2220 yesterday and LOVED it. I'm not a fan of short scale, but I had NO issues playing it. The pickups give it great bite without being thin or tinny sounding and the weird phasey tones I could get by varying the volume knobs were too cool. No fret buzz either until I really laid into it. Bonus: soloing the bridge sounds VERY much like a Stingray.
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I don't know if they still use the same pickups that are in the old series 2202/1222 basses, but I hope they do. That was a TV Jones designed pickup that Gretsch built. One of my favorite pickups ever. I have one of those in my Squier Bronco and it's a beast. PBG's comments encourage me to think they may be the same.
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I thought of you and your love for the pickups. They probably are the same and they're awesome. I'd love to put one in place of a Gibby mini-bucker in an Epi EB and see what it could do.
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Thank you gentlemen! Of course when I went back there today, it was gone... but I see them online for the same $, so I will try ordering one.
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I thought of you and your love for the pickups. They probably are the same and they're awesome. I'd love to put one in place of a Gibby mini-bucker in an Epi EB and see what it could do.
Nice to get a vote of confidence on that. I don't always trust my ears for comparisons on stuff like that.
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Thank you gentlemen! Of course when I went back there today, it was gone... but I see them online for the same $, so I will try ordering one.
That's the way it usually goes. You decide to buy something like that, then it's gone.
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I see no-polepiece mini humbucker pups on eBay all the time. I wonder how different these Gretsch pups are, to the sometimes ridiculously cheap ones online... not that I want to dissect a “good” one just to see what’s in it.
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I see no-polepiece mini humbucker pups on eBay all the time. I wonder how different these Gretsch pups are, to the sometimes ridiculously cheap ones online... not that I want to dissect a “good” one just to see what’s in it.
I have bought a couple of EY minihumbuckers and dissected them. The ones I bought had alnico 5 magnets and hotter coil windings than the average china-mini-buckers/allparts types. I think the EY's sounded better, and the price is good too.
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I see no-polepiece mini humbucker pups on eBay all the time. I wonder how different these Gretsch pups are, to the sometimes ridiculously cheap ones online... not that I want to dissect a “good” one just to see what’s in it.
Pretty hard to tell from a chrome soapbar cover. The original Gretsch 2202/1222 series had a pickup designed by TV Jones but built by Gretsch, probably on contract somewhere overseas. It's a good pickup and they show up on Ebay sometimes. I think I have a spare as well. Gretsch used to note that in some of their product descriptions, but now they are simply described as "...Gretsch mini dual-coil bass humbucking pickups."
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Pretty hard to tell from a chrome soapbar cover. The original Gretsch 2202/1222 series had a pickup designed by TV Jones but built by Gretsch, probably on contract somewhere overseas. It's a good pickup and they show up on Ebay sometimes. I think I have a spare as well. Gretsch used to note that in some of their product des
criptions, but now they are simply described as "...Gretsch mini dual-coil bass humbucking pickups."
Could be that TV Jones no longer wants his name associated with an inexpensive import that's nothing like his regular line. Or it could have been redesigned. There could be many variations under the covers of all these minibuckers.