Picked up the G100CE to play her last night and heard this rattling. What's rattling around inside? The wiring harness is flopping around inside like a rag doll! It appears as if it was originally glued to the inside of the top, and the glue melted. The harness looks as if it was glued with one of those 3M "stick-on" clips where you peel off the backing strip. Of course, it's a job for a competent luthier.

Also, I've got one of the earliest G100's - a 2007 model. The pickguard bracket has always seemed flimsy and weak, like that of the old Fender Squier X-155. I've got a spare brackt for the G510xx series, and this is much thicker, stringer and has two screws on the side. Alas, it's also too long. Are the current G100CE pickguard mount brackets better/stronger? I believe replacement pickguards come complete with the volume and tone controls/pots along with the mounting brackets and I'm thinking of replacing the whole thing with a new one.

Looks as if I will buy a new one. This picture is a stock photo from the Gretsch website, and shows the new bracket for the pickguard. Note the two mounting screws at the waist, and as a comparison there's a picture of the rather flimsy single screw pickguard mount:

I would try to make my own bracket using a sturdy piece of metal from a hardware store. It is a beautiful guitar. Do you like the sound and playability of the jazz box? Good luck with the bracket replacement! Terry B.

The one I had, the wire cliped to the f hole I believe. Muggsy can tell you for sure.

This all begain when I wanted the thin plastic covering removed from the pickguard that was blistering. One of the guys at the storeI bought it from was being helpful and thought he could save me money by doing it himself. He lost the spacer for the front pickguard screw, and stuffed it up bending the bracket in the process.

Anyway, I sent it to a luthier get sorted out. The "shoebox" apartment I live in doesn't have the room to do any work on a guitar. Of course, it's no the same and the replacement pickguard, brackets and tonepots are only USD$30.
part number 006-9870-000 and I might as well order the G6244 case for it as well.

She plays and sounds beautiful, so most definitely I'm keeping the G100CE. I so wanted a Gretsch jazzbox with a fully floating pickup for so long, and I finally have one. (Unless of course there's an Eldorado or Sal Salvador or Convertible re-issue released at NAMM) This is more of an upgrade as I never liked the original pickguard bracket. I could feel the pickguard move once any pressure was placed on it.