Short story: Traded my trusty "vintage" BMI pedal steel and accoutrements for a 1996 Gretsch 6120W.
Long story: Well, you've all probably read (and promptly forgot about) the time I traded a '64 Custom Shop Jazz relic for a pedal steel several years ago. So, I learned how to play the pedal steel pretty quickly and actually did some gigs on it over the course of time. Was jamming weekly with a group of guys playing "country-soul" music (think Little Feat, Delbert McClinton and the like) for the last few years. Leader of this band is a friend I've played with off and off since highschool in 1985. Let's call him Carl. Through Carl, and well over 20 years ago, I met another friend who I play in an original hard rock band to this day (on bass). Let's call him Lenny. At one point the three of us (me Carl and Lenny) were in a band in the early 2000s. I introduced Lenny to another musician friend of mine, lets call him James, and they hit it off. Lenny had (and still has) a pretty nice guitar collection including this particular Gretsch. But Lenny never gigged with this guitar and really didn't adapt to the short scale (12 frets to the body). About ten years ago, James ended up buying the Gretsch from Lenny. Being a bit Beatles/Harrison fan, James wrote a lot music and used the Bigsby on this guitar "for flavour" over the years but otherwise sat in a case. Over the summer, I suggested that James borrow my pedal steel seeing as my band with Carl was on permanent hiatus what with Covid.
So James mentions to me last night that he's totally into the pedal steel and that should I ever want to sell mine, he'd like to buy it. So, I told James - yep, I'd consider selling it, but would also consider a trade if he was into it. He said, yup - what are you interested in? This is dangerous territory as James has a whole load of really nice gear including a complete recording studio in his basement. I thought about some outboard stuff (like a Distressor or an Avalon preamp), I thought about his Rhodes. Then I asked him about the Gretsch. James said - that's funny, that's exactly what I thought you'd want! We certainly talked a lot about that guitar over the years. He also thought it was cool that it would be one step closer to Lenny again as well! So I grabbed it - and sweetened the deal by throwing in the Peavey Nashville 112 I have, the type of amp that a pedal steel just needs. So, I texted Lenny tonight to let him know I now own his old guitar. He was very pleased with that - as he and I talked a lot about this guitar when he owned it. I owned a couple of different Electromatic (Korean Gretsch) - they were fine guitars but just didn't have the "twang". The closest guitar shop to me (down the street) is the only Gretsch dealer for 60 miles and at one point I had played every Gretsch they had in the shop....multiple times. To say I like Gretsches is an understatement. But just couldn't justify pulling the trigger on a new multi-thousand dollar guitar.
So, got myself nicely broken-in 24 year old pre-Fender Japan-made Gretsch 6120W (W for "western"). First thing I did was plug it in, fired up the slapback echo and play Stray Cat Strut from start to finish - lead and rhythm parts - one of two tunes that I have actually sat down and learned the solo note-for-note out of 35 years of playing guitar! Then played Hot Rod Lincoln (sounds as good on Gretsch as it does a Tele), then Fulsom Prison Blues, then Wichita Lineman. You get the idea!
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Originally Posted by jrgtr42
