[Synchro]

Road Test - Duane Eddy Model

The new Duane Eddy model Gretsch is a hybrid of sorts, a mid '50s 6120 with Dynasonic pickups but trestle-braced like a '59 model. Duane Eddy being the founder of twangy guitar this arrangement would seem to be the ultimate solution, bright, twangy pickups and the feedback resistance and focus of trestle bracing. In the case of the guitar I tested this simply did not hold true.

My "standard" test rig is to play any guitar I road test through a Deluxe Reverb with the treble at 6, the bass at 4, the reverb slightly above 2 and the volume slightly below 3. This is pretty much the starting point for achieving my sound and the way I setup my amp for gigs. I may tweak settings a bit but in most rooms this is pretty close to the perfect settings for my purposes.

Starting with these settings the Duane Eddy model sounded quite thin. It just had no punch whatsoever at these settings so I bumped the bass to 7 and set the treble down to 4 which helped matters. I played a variety of passages that I felt were fitting for a Duane Eddy model including Rebel Rouser and some Surf music. Truthfully, even with the altered tone settings I just wasn't getting the punch needed for a good Duane Eddy sound. It sounded considerably thinner than the HiloTron Tennessee Rose I tested last fall.

A Different Amp

Next to the Deluxe Reverb was a new Excelsior, Fender's monument to cheap, no-name amps of the past. Plugging into that amp made the Duane Eddy model sound much, much better. The Excelsior is designed to give a sound more inline with the tweed era instead of the Blackface sound I usually use. The greater mid-range of the Excelsior made the Duane Eddy model much more viable in my book.

But I have to say that I find this puzzling because one of my main guitars is a Duo Jet with Dynas and it loves my Blackface amps. I would have thought that the Duane Eddy model would follow suit but my current opinion is that this guitar just doesn't work well with Blackface amps. That's not an indictment of the guitar, just an observation.

Back to the Guitar Itself

So what we basically have is a mid '50s 6120 design which means hump-block inlays, a very bright orange "Desert Sunrise" stain covered with lacquer and a generic B-6 Bigsby with the unique Duane Eddy handle. It's hard to deny the visual appeal of the guitar. The headstock face is also stained orange, albeit a bit less bright than the body itself. The bridge is a Tru-Arc rocking bar and the tuners are the simple but effective Sta Tites. The body is listed as being slightly deeper than average at 2 7/8".

So What Does It Do Best?

Country, plain and simple. If you want a hollow body that is very treble sounding look no further. However, I would suggest trying before you buy, especially if you use a Blackface amp. Perhaps the one I tested was an unusually bright, thin-sounding example of this model. If I have a chance to play another example I'll do it. The other possibility is that the '59 style trestle bracing just does not work all that well with Dynasonics.

I went into this Road Test expecting to love the D.E. Signature model but the best I could do was give it a lukewarm thumbs up if used with an amp that had a strong mid-range. I have a great deal of respect for Duane Eddy as well as Gretsch and I am willing to give them every benefit of the doubt but as far as the example I played is concerned I just wasn't able to generate much enthusiasm. It is my sincere hope that in the future I will have a chance to play different D.E. model and will come to a more positive conclusion.

[LittleRedRooster]

I concur. I really wanted to like this guitar but the example I played was just kind of blah. I played it with several tweed circuit amps including a Deluxe and a Bassman clone and to my ears it was just never very involving. I just couldn't get excited about the sound in the way that I did with the Dynasonic equipped Country Clubs.

[Synchro]

Originally Posted by LittleRedRooster

I concur. I really wanted to like this guitar but the example I played was just kind of blah. I played it with several tweed circuit amps including a Deluxe and a Bassman clone and to my ears it was just never very involving. I just couldn't get excited about the sound in the way that I did with the Dynasonic equipped Country Clubs.

That's really unfortunate because it's a great idea. I'll put it like this, if I was in the market for a single-coil 6120 I'd be more likely to by the Eddie Cochran model. I could get better twang out of it. My opinion is that trestle bracing and Dynas just don't work well together.

[senojnad]

Wow -- Thanks for the candid and honest observations on the DE signature model. Comments I've read elsewhere make it sound like...... Oh well, you know where I'm going.

My personal opinion is that the Gretsch stock Dynas are not that great. I ended up installing S.D. Custom Shop Dynas on my Duo Jet and (again -- my opinion) it made a HUGE improvement.

With all the hype -- and it was/is well deserved -- with the introduction of the DE model, I was really disappointed that Gretsch went with their standard Dynas when there were clearly better options out there -- the S.D.'s, the TV Jones........

Given how Gretsch has nailed some of the truly great guitars -- like Chet's '59 Gent, some Setzer models -- it seems sad to me that they didn't nail the Duane Eddy model. Maybe The Man himself spec'd stock Dynas...??? If so, he knows a ton more than I know.

[MelWaldorf]

Interesting. I'd suspect the setup more than the instrument itself. If the pickups are too far from the strings it gets thin and lifeless pretty quickly for any guitar. Strings might also be a factor, though I don't know what they come with from the factory.

Last year at the NorCal Gretschtogether, someone (burch, I think?) brought a DE and it sounded monsterous. So I'd get the sound is in there, but you might have to lure it out.

[MitchC]

Could not disagree with you guys more. My DE is absolutely to die for ! Playing mine through the Executive, it's twangy bright when I need it, but will also do Chet fingerstyle with style and tone galore. In fact, I was kinda expecting it to be MORE twangy and bright.

Love it so much I paid to have it refretted with slightly larger frets. Mine is not goin' anywhere, anytime soon. The stock Dynas in my guitar are killer.

I had a DSV that was out of whack somewhere...could never dial in a good tone. But the DE must be set up just perfect I 'spose ? LOVE IT !

You Tube

You Tube

Chet's DSW (basically like the DE):

You Tube

[Synchro]

Originally Posted by MitchC

Could not disagree with you guys more. My DE is absolutely to die for ! Playing mine through the Executive, it's twangy bright when I need it, but will also do Chet fingerstyle with style and tone galore. In fact, I was kinda expecting it to be MORE twangy and bright.

Love it so much I paid to have it refretted with slightly larger frets. Mine is not goin' anywhere, anytime soon. The stock Dynas in my guitar are killer.

I had a DSV that was out of whack somewhere...could never dial in a good tone. But the DE must be set up just perfect I 'spose ? LOVE IT !

I'm quite willing to believe that the example I played was somehow not up to snuff. On paper the guitar should be great but the example I played just didn't have much going for it. I looked over the setup and it seemed basically sound but I could have overlooked something.

I hope to play another example and hopefully it will have a bit more oomph.

[jepa]

Informative and candid review. I've been wanting one of these since I sold my RHH 6120 and then realizing I had made a mistake. All the more reason to actually go to the store and play one---I've become accustomed and too comfortable with buying sight unseen amd unplayed via eBay et.al.,

[G5422T]

My experience with Dynas is that they sound totally differenent in a DuoJet vs a hollowbody. Stock Dynas sound a lot "thinner" in a Jet.

As we all know, tone is very subjective, and the Excelsior is a "bright" amp compared to all the tweeds that I've owned.

Had to be fun though taking a DE for a "spin".

[Synchro]

Originally Posted by G5422T

My experience with Dynas is that they sound totally differenent in a DuoJet vs a hollowbody. Stock Dynas sound a lot "thinner" in a Jet.

As we all know, tone is very subjective, and the Excelsior is a "bright" amp compared to all the tweeds that I've owned.

Had to be fun though taking a DE for a "spin".

I went back and had another test play on it.

Believe me folks, I don't "have it in" for this guitar. For whatever reasons, this guitar sounds much thinner than my DynaSonic Duo Jet. With most Gretsch guitars I can get a Duane Eddy sound pretty much without great effort but, strangely, I am having a heckuva time finding it in this guitar.

On my second test play I started acoustically just to hear if the guitar itself sounded full. IMO it was quite impressive acoustically. The volume was decent and the timbre full.

Next, I returned to my reference amp, a Deluxe Reverb using the standard settings that I use when testing any guitar. The D.E. still came across thin and weak with this amp. The same exact settings I would use when playing Rebel Rouser with any other Gretsch sounded too thin with this guitar. When I say that the guitar sounds thin let me add something for perspective; this is the same store and the very same Deluxe Reverb that I used to test a HiloTron Tennessee Rose and it sounded thicker than this particular example of the D.E. model. I gave the guitar a quick once over, checked to make certain that the bridge pickup wasn't extremely far from the strings, no problem, it was noticeably closer to the strings than the neck pickup. The overall setup of the guitar was pretty decent. The strings were a bit higher than I would have preferred but not excessively high. Were this my guitar I probably would have changed very little about it as far as the setup is concerned.

The Excelsior that I used as a second test amp last time had apparently been sold but there were three of the Eric Clapton hand-wired amps nearby so I plugged into the Tremolux, basically a hot-rodded 5E3 Deluxe. Through this amp the D.E. model sounded pretty decent. The greater mid-range made a world of difference. I setup the amp to be as clean as possible and I set it up to be driven hard and in both cases the D.E. sounded pretty decent but . . . it didn't sound much like Duane Eddy. The effect was more like a Strat or Tele driving hard and producing an Electric Blues sound; a GOOD electric Blues sound but nothing I'd relate to a Duane Eddy sound. Even in this mid-range rich environment the bridge pickup alone sounded, well . . . alone. It just didn't have much oomph on its own but had more going for it in parallel with the neck pickup. The neck pickup alone sounded pretty good and not at all muddy; think "The Wind Cries Mary".

So, I'm right back to where I was last week. To my ear, the guitar sounds too thin through a Blackface, at least this example does. Through an amp with a lot of mid-range the situation improves dramatically but it still seems to lack the low end punch I would associate with Duane Eddy's sound.

I think that it may be due to an interaction between the Dynasonics and the trestle bracing and I have a reason for thinking this. A while back I played an Eddie Cochran model through the very same Deluxe Reverb and it had an awesome sound on the bridge pickup alone. I could get a Duane Eddy sound or a Surf guitar sound effortlessly. The Cochran model has 2.75" body thickness as opposed to 2.7/8" for the D.E. but the E.C. has parallel bracing with no sound post.

I do have one or two more tricks up my sleeve that I'll try if the opportunity presents itself. I'd like to try it through one more amp and if I ever have a chance to try another example of this model I'll be glad to compare it. Maybe this particular guitar just sounds thin but another example will sound more like Duane Eddy's signature sound.

In early 2010 I was privileged to hear Duane Eddy play live. It was the day that he agreed to renew his endorsement agreement with Gretsch. That evening he played a Gretsch and his signature sound was there for all to hear. The guitar he played was either a Gretsch G6120-DSV or an older-spec D.E. model but in either case I'm certain that it was not a trestle braced guitar. I love trestle bracing and thank Brian Setzer for being instrumental in bringing this feature back to the Gretsch lineup but I can't help but wonder if the Dynasonic pickup and trestle bracing are just not a good combination.

[MitchC]

Bosh and double bosh I say !! ;-)

Did your specimen sound anything like this ?

https://www.box.com/s/6b35a371b230a8e2efd6

[Synchro]

Originally Posted by MitchC

Bosh and double bosh I say !! ;-)

Did your specimen sound anything like this ?

https://www.box.com/s/6b35a371b230a8e2efd6

Not at all. That's a great sound! What amp are you using?

The example I played must be asthmatic or something.

Sent using G-T Forum app

[MitchC]

That is Richard Hudson's clip. Most likely played through his Standel. Mine sounds like the clip when played through my Executive. It's full, rich, twangy, punchy... it's really ALL there. Gretsch outdid themselves on this model IMHO.

Another (by Richard Hudson)... "Forty Miles Of Bad Road" a DE hit from way back... This one is more twangy and bright... on purpose I'd suppose.

https://www.box.com/shared/y8qyjd7qps977ytjjftg

umm... umm... GOOD !

[Synchro]

Originally Posted by MitchC

That is Richard Hudson's clip. Most likely played through his Standel. Mine sounds like the clip when played through my Executive. It's full, rich, twangy, punchy... it's really ALL there. Gretsch outdid themselves on this model IMHO.

I'm all for it. That's the sound I was expecting, quite close to the sound I get out of my Dyna Jet.

Here's what puzzles me; with most Gretsch guitars I've played finding that sound is pretty simple but the example I played just didn't seem to have the Duane Eddy sound in it. When I did my first test and couldn't get a twangy, punchy sound the first thing I did was try another guitar through that amp. I grabbed a Falcon with Filtertrons and found a great sound immediately using the same amp.

All I can surmise is that the D.E. model I played must be a bad example of the breed. That actually makes me quite happy. I have high hopes for this model and want it to be a (Rebel) Rousing success.

[TV the Wired Turtle]

Synchro its the lousy scooped mids blackface amp(as it occurs to said guitar).. Go back to the store and plug into something more rich in the mids?? how bout a an EC series tweed? or mesa lonestar? btw.. even if it makes the strings rattle can you lower that tru-arc bridge down so the strings are closer to the body? Even Dynasonics need to
be put on riser pads so the body of the pickup is closer to the strings. Freakn gretsch never set up the pkup heights correct on any guitar.

[Synchro]

Originally Posted by TV the Wired Turtle

Synchro its the lousy scooped mids blackface amp(as it occurs to said guitar).. Go back to the store and plug into something more rich in the mids?? how bout a an EC series tweed? or mesa lonestar? btw.. even if it makes the strings rattle can you lower that tru-arc bridge down so the strings are closer to the body? Even Dynasonics need to
be put on riser pads so the body of the pickup is closer to the strings. Freakn gretsch never set up the pkup heights correct on any guitar.

I think I covered all of these issues in my review.

[MelWaldorf]

Synchro, if you're talking about the 2010 Guitar Geek Festival, I'm pretty sure Duane was playing one of the prototypes of the new model. At least that's what I recall from conversations with Deed. He was running through two brownface Showman amps, and sounded amazing.

Something seems out of sorts on the DE you've been testing. If it sounds thinner than a hilotron Tennie, there's got to be something awry in the electronics. Dynas eat Hilotrons for breakfast and complain about still being hungry come 10 o'clock.

[Synchro]

Originally Posted by MelWaldorf

Synchro, if you're talking about the 2010 Guitar Geek Festival, I'm pretty sure Duane was playing one of the prototypes of the new model. At least that's what I recall from conversations with Deed. He was running through two brownface Showman amps, and sounded amazing.

Something seems out of sorts on the DE you've been testing. If it sounds thinner than a hilotron Tennie, there's got to be something awry in the electronics. Dynas eat Hilotrons for breakfast and complain about still being hungry come 10 o'clock.

That would make sense. I know that he got a great sound that night.

I tend to think that there might indeed be a problem with the D.E. model I tested. Maybe the bridge pickup is not up to spec.

You remember my black 6120 with the lack of definition on the lowest two strings. I replaced the bridge pickup and it's like a different guitar. I sent the OEM pickup back to TV Jones today to have him take a look at it. I suspect a magnet problem. The DC resistance through the coils was within spec but something was definitely wrong with that (sonic) picture.

Had I the time, I'd be inclined to ask if I could tinker with that D.E. model a bit and try to improve things. The pickup seemed within a reasonable distance of the strings but I wouldn't be adverse to shimming it higher . . . in the name of science. The neck was at the lower limit of relief but not completely flat. I do wonder about the strings however; they seemed a bit light to me and the wound third string came as a surprise.

It is strange that it sounds less powerful than Hilotrons and, also, that every other Dynasonic guitar I've played through the same Deluxe Reverb sounded so much better. If I get the chance I'd like to go back and try an A/B test with that Hilo Tenny, play the D.E. through the EC Series Twin and try it in a Winfield amp. There are some decent sounds in this guitar but it seems allergic to Blackface amps which puzzles me because every other Dynasonic guitar I've played through a Deluxe sounds great.

So, how are things on the Bay?

[NickGretsch]

Most interesting.

In a perverse kind of way I find this situation rather comforting as it goes to show, as back in days gone by, that even guitars coming out today are of slightly differing quality and not sterile conveyor belt jobbies that are all identicle.

Seems like this DE is a bit of lemon. Hopefully the next on you play Synchro will blow your socks off.

[Synchro]

Originally Posted by NickGretsch

Most interesting.

In a perverse kind of way I find this situation rather comforting as it goes to show, as back in days gone by, that even guitars coming out today are of slightly differing quality and not sterile conveyor belt jobbies that are all identicle.

Seems like this DE is a bit of lemon. Hopefully the next on you play Synchro will blow your socks off.

I expect that will be the case. I may be that this example just needs some TLC.