Gretsch Electromatic G5122DC - the cheap one - anyone have any experience?

[big jilm]

I can get one of these for under 400 bucks, and I actually like the feel of it. It's a cheapie, but it has a Bigsby (the cheap one) and I really want to mess with one. What do y'all think? Is it a decent guitar? Is it well built at all? Pickups and tuners can be replaced as time goes on, but the neck and body of course can't... help me out here!

[pauly-ray]

I have a 5120. Right out of the box it was a great guitar. The stock gretschbucker pickups are not really "vintage gretsch" sounding. I put a set of TVJones filtertrons in it and I love it. I say go for it. $400 sounds like a pretty good deal.

[big jilm]

Thanks for the reply! Does your bigsby work ok? I see on these cheapies the ball end of the string sits on a post... does it seem solid to you?

[Geosh]

Originally Posted by big jilm

I see on these cheapies the ball end of the string sits on a post... does it seem solid to you?

Isn't that how all bigsbys work?

[big jilm]

Is it? I thought the string passed through a hole on the better ones, but I will have to check -

[RomanS]

Originally Posted by big jilm

Is it? I thought the string passed through a hole on the better ones, but I will have to check -

Nope, the ball end sits on a little stick on ALL Bigsbys - the Duesenberg Bigsby-clones are the only ones I know that have holes for the strings!

[big jilm]

Yep! I see that now. Thanks, y'all! So, for 400 bucks this gretsch isn't too bad, then, eh?