New availability Gretsch Junior Jet basses.

Chris P. · September 08, 2011, 11:08:09 AM

http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2011/09/05/gretsch-revamps-electromatic-junior-jet-basses/

Chris P. · September 08, 2011, 11:17:55 AM

I believe someone here has an old one with a TV Jones in it. Easy to replace?

jumbodbassman · September 08, 2011, 12:47:12 PM

Pilgrim has 2 i believe

Pilgrim · September 08, 2011, 02:39:20 PM

Interesting. The previous electromatic Jr. Jet basses have a TV Jones pickup, and these are described as "Gretsch's mini dual-coil pickups". Hard to tell whether those are the same pickup or not. That TV Jones pickup is a fantastic sounding, very hot pickup and one of the chief selling points of the bass. Frankly, they REALLY kick ass!!!!

I find the fit and finish of the Jr. Jet basses to be excellent, and better than what I've seen from Epi or Squier. As far as value, they're right at the very top of the list for basses in that price range. They ought to sell well - out of the previous models, the single pickup 2202 models are fairly easy to find, but it took me a year to get my hands on a double-pickup 1222 model.

My 1222 - natural back on the neck:

My 2202 - back of neck painted black:

My Bronco with TV Jones pickup from a gretsch 2202 - I have added black dice control knobs since this was taken:

Quote from: Chris P. on September 08, 2011, 11:17:55 AM
I believe someone here has an old one with a TV Jones in it. Easy to replace?

The pickups are fairly easy to work with - all the TV Jones pickups use the same size surround rings AFAIK.

Dave W · September 08, 2011, 03:15:56 PM

It's not a TV Jones pickup, it was said to be designed by TV Jones. I don't doubt that it sounds good, but a pickup designed by TV Jones doesn't mean it's an MIK (or MIC) clone of one of his originals. It's not.

The OEM cost of a genuine TV Jones pickup is probably higher than the landed cost of an entire Electromatic Junior Jet bass.

Pilgrim · September 08, 2011, 08:43:40 PM

Good distinction - and correction noted! "Designed by" does not equal "made by." OTOH, one could reasonably argue that the distinction is minor. I can attest that the pickups do indeed sound good.

Yeah, the "made by" TV Jones pickups are indeed pricey.

Dave W · September 08, 2011, 10:20:21 PM

No, it's a major distinction. These are no more like real TV Jones pickups than a Duncan-designed Korean pickup is like a Duncan Antiquity. Labor isn't the biggest reason the Korean and Chinese pickups are more affordable, it's the different construction: a lot less copper and a lot larger magnets (usually ceramic). Copper is a commodity on the world market; you could buy this whole pickup for less than the wholesale cost of the copper magnet wire in a TV Jones. Also, AFAIK these are not based on a Gretsch/TV Jones design.

This doesn't mean they don't sound good, and I'm not putting them down. They're just not TV Jones pickups.

Pilgrim · September 10, 2011, 07:23:44 PM

That's cool. Good info.

If the new series pickups are as good as the old ones - regardless of who makes them - they will be really good basses.

Chris P. · September 23, 2011, 04:37:25 AM

I have the one pickup version at home now. I'll post some pics later, but four things first:

- the new one has the nice Gretsch G Arrow control knobs, with little screw to fasten it. So no cheap version with plastic inside.

- pickup size seems exactly the size of the TV Jones I have around. Could be a normal Chinese Gretch guitar pickup in disguise?

- the pickup indeed is hot.

- striking difference: I will make pics to show, but the new one is a different design. The neck is longer and there's a lot more wood behind the bridge. So the overall length is longer and I guess you have a better acces to the upper registers. I think the pickup is in the same position, but because the bridge is more to the front of the body, the pickup is also more to the front. On the pics above it's at the end of the pickguard and on the new ones in the middle. But if you compare it to the older ones I guess it's on the same position string-wise.

Pilgrim · September 23, 2011, 08:00:11 AM

Hope you enjoy it!

I bought a couple of the chrome Gretsch knobs on Ebay just to add them. The plastic knobs are fine, but the chrome ones are a bit more showy on the black body.

Pilgrim · September 25, 2011, 04:14:56 PM

Looks like they're being shipped now - and they're more expensive than the originals, if an Ebay auction is any clue.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Gretsch-G2224-Electromatic-Jr-Jet-Bass-II-Tobacco-Sunburst-/310347161274?pt=Guitar&hash=item484221deba

Here's a Gretsch solidbody I haven't seen before - "Vintage 73 Gretsch 5988 Dorado Bass Made in Japan"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-73-Gretsch-5988-Dorado-Bass-Made-Japan-/220860256518?pt=Guitar&hash=item336c4c1106

And here's a "f-hole painted on" project Gretsch that looks to me like the sun has gotten to it:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1967-Gretsch-Tennessean-Bass-Vintage-Project-Guitar-/300601977649?pt=Guitar&hash=item45fd462b31

Dave W · September 25, 2011, 09:02:24 PM

Quote from: Pilgrim on September 25, 2011, 04:14:56 PM
Looks like they're being shipped now - and they're more expensive than the originals, if an Ebay auction is any clue.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Gretsch-G2224-Electromatic-Jr-Jet-Bass-II-Tobacco-Sunburst-/310347161274?pt=Guitar&hash=item484221deba

The old ones had a plywood body. These are said to be basswood which might account for some of the price increase, but the one in the auction doesn't look like basswood, it may be a veneer. OTOH if it's not plywood then what are those black edges hiding?

Quote from: Pilgrim on September 25, 2011, 04:14:56 PM

Here's a Gretsch solidbody I haven't seen before - "Vintage 73 Gretsch 5988 Dorado Bass Made in Japan"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-73-Gretsch-5988-Dorado-Bass-Made-Japan-/220860256518?pt=Guitar&hash=item336c4c1106

Dorado was a Japanese brand distributed by Gretsch at the time. It's not a Gretsch, despite what the listing claims.

Quote from: Pilgrim on September 25, 2011, 04:14:56 PM

And here's a "f-hole painted on" project Gretsch that looks to me like the sun has gotten to it:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1967-Gretsch-Tennessean-Bass-Vintage-Project-Guitar-/300601977649?pt=Guitar&hash=item45fd462b31

Very sad. That will need a lot of work. Wouldn't be worth it to me, those things have huge necks.

TBird1958 · September 25, 2011, 09:47:22 PM

Quote from: Pilgrim on September 08, 2011, 08:43:40 PM
Good distinction - and correction noted! "Designed by" does not equal "made by." OTOH, one could reasonably argue that the distinction is minor. I can attest that the pickups do indeed sound good.

Yeah, the "made by" TV Jones pickups are indeed pricey.

That' why Mike Lull's Thunderbird pickups cost what they do BTW

Nocturnal · September 25, 2011, 10:07:24 PM

I saw that Gretsch "project" a couple of weeks back. It was hanging behind the counter at Central Pawn. Even from where I was standing, you could tell the neck was massive. Did not look like it would be comfortable to play at all.

Central Pawn is almost more like a guitar shop than pawn shop. They carry more new gear than most local stores. And they have those $$$$ Hiwatt bass heads there. That is where Chromium bought his Orange head I believe.

Chris P. · September 26, 2011, 01:51:38 AM

Junior Jet. When I saw the first pics the body seemed to be mahogany, which is impossible for such a cheap bass. The first news items didn't say a thing about body woods, but when they appeared on the Gretsdh website it said basswood. I have the sunburst at home and the front of the body LOOKS mahogany. The sides and back are covered in black paint, so I guess it's just veneer. The bass doesn't sound like mahogany at all.

My Squier Telecaster HB bass has veneer layers on front and back, but the Fender specs state that to. Gretsch doesn't, but I'm sure it is.