Löydät testin TÄÄLTÄ.
Hagström HJ-800 & Green Fat Bob Rockway-testissä
”Breezin'” – Hagström HJ-800 & Green Fat Bob
A cover version of George Benson’s recording of the Bobby Womack composition ”Breezin’”.
Equipment used
• Bass: Rickenbacker 4003 (direct injected)
• Lead guitars: Hagström HJ-800 & Green Fat Bob
• Rhythm guitars: Hagström HJ-800 (left channel) & Green Fat Bob (right channel)
• Guitar amp: Juketone True Blood (Tweed Champ clone)
• Microphone: Röde M5
• Apple Garageband
GREEN GUITARS FAT BOB (from 528 €)
HAGSTRÖM GUITARS HJ-800 (759 €)
Review: Gretsch Streamliner G2420T Hollow Body
Gretsch Guitars’ brand new Streamliner series offers access to the legendary brand name at a very affordable price point.
At the moment, the new range includes three different guitar models:
The G2622 Streamliner Center Block (also available left handed) is a centre block-equipped version of a Sixties double cutaway Country Gentleman, while the G2655 Streamliner Center Block offers you similar looks in a more compact package. The G2420 Streamliner Hollow Body, for its part, is a full-blown, big-bodied archtop guitar in a similar vein to Gretsch’s legendary 6120.
All three guitars are also available as T-versions with a Bigsby Lightning Series vibrato. The Streamliner Series is handmade in Indonesia.
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The Gretsch Streamliner G2420T Hollow Body (street price in Finland approx. 560 €) is a very foxy looking guitar, despite its quite affordable pedigree.
The G2420T can be had in see-though red or gold metallic, while the standard model (equipped with a lyre-style tailpiece) comes in brown sunburst only.
The G2420T’s full-depth body is made from steam-pressed laminated maple. The top is stiffened by Gretsch’s traditional parallel bracing.
The nato (an Asian wood species somewhat similar to mahogany) neck is glued into the body.
There’s plenty of binding on the Streamliner Hollow Body – in addition to the multiple binding on the body the guitar also sports a bound fretboard and even a bound headstock.
This Gretsch comes equipped with a very decent set of sealed tuning machines.
The vintage-sized frets have been neatly seated. The G2420T features large rectangular position markers made from pearloid.
Bigsby’s mid-priced Lightning Series vibratos are produced in the Far East to exacting standards. The Bigsby B60 has been specifically designed for use with large-bodied archtops, such as the Gretsch G2420T.
This Streamliner’s Adjusto-matic bridge may seem to be held in place simply by string pressure, but there’s more to the bridge than meets the eye. The rosewood base is ”secured”, which means reverse pinned. The bridge posts continue all the way through the rosewood base and into two holes in the guitar’s top, which keeps the whole bridge in the correct place.
The biggest difference between the Streamliner G2420T and similar models in Gretsch’s Electromatic- and Pro-ranges can be found in the new guitar’s pickups:
Depending on the ”era”, or an artists wishes, a Pro Series Model G6120 will either come with a pair of DeArmond single coils, Gretsch’s own Filter’Tron humbuckers or similar TV Jones pickups. Recent Electromatic G5420’s are now equipped with Gretsch’s new Black Top Filter’Trons, which are licensed Far Eastern copies of the original pickups.
All new Streamliners sport a pair of Broad’Tron pickups. Broad’Trons are full-sized humbuckers designed to offer a tone somewhere in-between the twang and bite of Filter’Trons and the lush warmth of PAF-style ’buckers.
The controls on the G2420T are pure Gretsch:
Below the f-hole you will find separate volume knobs for each pickup, as well as a joint master tone control. An additional master volume control is placed next to the cutaway.
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Let me start this section by stressing how well-made this budget-Gretsch really is! The review sample wasn’t a ”review instrument”, breathed on by distributors Fender Scandinavia, instead I took the guitar straight off the wall at a local music shop (DLX Music).
The Gretsch G2420T Streamliner Hollow Body is a very cleanly put together archtop electric, and I genuinely couldn’t find anything to criticise (especially when considering the instruments pocket-friendly price). The very nice fretwork on the Streamliner is a definite plus when it comes to this guitar’s comfortable playability.
Officially Gretsch call this neck profile a ”Thin U”, but I would describe it as a very comfy D shape with a slightly flattened back.
The Bigsby B60 is buttery and doesn’t throw the Hollow Body out of tune too much, if used sensibly (a word of advice: if you’re very sensitive when it comes tuning stability, a Bigsby probably isn’t right for you). Because a Bigsby B6/B60 makes do without the additional roller of other Bigsby models, this vibrato is more sensitive and immediate in use (which is a good thing in my view). You get the all the Bigsby shine and shimmer with less ”work”.
Played acoustically, the Streamliner Hollow Body sounds just like the laminated-body archtop it is – open and dry with a strong focus on mid-range frequencies.
I feel that Gretsch’s plan of taking its new Streamliners closer towards the mainstream really seems to hit the mark. The Broad’Trons may not give you the traditional clucky, chicken picking, bright and sparkly sound of a set of Filter’Trons, but there’s still enough presence and treble left in the new pickups’ tone for a gretsch-y sound.
Thanks to the new pickups’ broader tone the Gretsch G2420T also works well for Jazz, apart from the usual Country and Rock (-abilly) genres. This clip starts with the neck pickup:
The Streamliner Hollow Body also sounds great with a light amount of crunch. There’s a nice balance between the low end and the treble in the G2420T’s sound, coupled with the dry delivery so typical of big box archtops.
You should be aware, though, that high gain settings and/or very high volume levels will result in howling feedback sooner or later. This isn’t really a fault, but rather a normal feature of this type of instrument, and the Streamliner Hollow Body isn’t any more ”problematic” than other guitars of this type.
This sound clip, too, has been recorded with Blackstar HT-1R valve combo:
Here’s the demo track off the Youtube video, whose guitar tracks were recorded using Apple Garageband’s own amp plug-ins. The lead guitar uses the bridge pickup, while the rhythm parts have been recorded using both pickups (left channel) and the neck pickup (right channel), respectively:
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In my opinion the Gretsch Streamliner G2420T Hollow Body is one of the best full-size archtops in this price range – possibly even the best! This is a surprisingly well-made instrument that punches far above its ”weight”.
If you’re looking for the ”genuine Gretsch Sound”, warts-and-all, I would point you to the (much pricier) Electromatic Series and its Filter’Tron pickups.
One of the Streamliner Series’ main objectives, though, is to broaden and widen the appeal of these guitars, and take the Gretsch name closer to the mainstream. I feel Gretsch have succeeded very well in this endeavour!
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Gretsch Streamliner G2420T Hollow Body
street price 560 €
Contact: Gretsch Guitars
A very warm ”thank you” to the guys at DLX Music Helsinki for supplying the review guitar!
Pros:
+ value for money
+ workmanship
+ fretwork
+ secured bridge
+ Bigsby works great
+ sound
Testipenkissä: Gretsch Streamliner G2420T Hollow Body
Gretsch Guitarsin Streamliner-uutuussarja tuo legendaarisen valmistajan kitaroita uuteen, edullisempaan hintaluokkaan.
Tällä hetkellä uuteen sarjaan kuuluvat kolme mallia:
G2622 Streamliner Center Block (saatavilla myös vasenkätisenä) on keskipalkilla varustettu versio 1960-luvun Country Gentleman -kitarasta, ja G2655 Streamliner Center Block on nykyaikainen malli pienemmällä puoliakustisella rungolla. G2420 Streamliner Hollow Body taas on legendaarisen Gretsch 6120:n edullinen painos, ja juuri sellaisen Kitarablogi sai testiin.
Kaikki kolme mallia on saatavilla myös T-versiona Lightning-sarjan Bigsby-vibratolla varustettuina. Streamliner-sarja rakennetaan käsityönä Indonesiassa.
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Gretsch Streamliner G2420T Hollow Body -malli (katuhinta noin 560 €) on edullisesta hinnastaan huolimatta todella komea ilmestys.
G2420:n T-versiota saa punaisena tai kultaisena, kun taas lyyra-muotoisella kieltenpitimellä varustettua perusmallia tarjotaan ruskealla liukuvärityksellä.
G2420T:n täysikokoinen runko valmistetaan kokonaan muotoon prässätystä vaahteravanerista. Kannen alta löytyy – Gretschin tapaan – kaksi pitkittäissuunnassa kulkevaa rimaa.
Nato-puusta veistetty kaula on liitetty runkoon liimaamalla.
Rungon ja otelaudan lisäksi myös Streamliner Hollow Bodyn tyylikäs viritinlapa on reunalistoitettu.
Uutuus-Gretschin virittimet ovat sulavasti toimivaa nykyaikaista sorttia.
G2420T:n vintage-tyyliset nauhat on asennettu hyvin siististi soittimen palisanteriotelautaan. Isot suorakulmiot helmiäismuovista toimivat otemerkkeinä.
Bigsbyn laadukkaat Lightning-sarjan vibratot valmistetaan kauko-idässä. Bigsby B60 on tarkoitettu nimenomaan tällaiseen isokoppaiseen orkesterikitaraan kuin Gretsch G2420T:hen.
Streamlinerin Adjusto-matic-talla näyttää vapaasti seisovalta, mutta se on ylhäältä päin varmistettu luistamista vastaan. Tallan kahdet kierretangot jatkavat tallan ruusupuujalan läpi, ja nämä ”tapit” sitten istuvat niille tarkoitetuissa pienissä rei’issä kannessa.
Suurin ero Streamliner G2420T:n ja muiden vastaavien mallien Gretschin Electromatic- ja Pro-sarjojen välillä löytyy mikrofonivarustuksesta:
Pro-sarjan G6120-kitaroissa käytetään – aikakauden tai artistin toiveiden mukaisesti – joko DeArmond-yksikelaisia, Gretschin omia Filter’Tron-humbuckereita tai TV Jonesin vastaavia mikkejä. Electromatic G5420 -malleihin asennetaan nykyään Gretschin uudet Black Top Filter’Tronit, jotka ovat kauko-idässä tehtyjä lisenssikopioita firman alkuperäisistä mikrofoneista.
Kaikissa Streamliner-soittimissa taas käytetään Broad’Tron-nimisiä, täysikokoisia humbuckereita. Broad’Troneille luvataan sellaista soundia, joka on perinteisen Filter’Tron-purevuuden ja -twangin ja PAF-tyylisten humbuckerien täyteläisyyden välimaastossa.
G2420T:n kytkentä on ehtaa Gretschiä:
F-aukon läheltä löytyy kummallekin mikrofonille oma volyymisäädin, sekä yhteinen master tone, kun taas soololoven vierestä löytyy vielä erillinen master volume.
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Heti aluksi minun täytyy korostaa kuinka korkealla tasolla tämän testikitaran työnjälki on, eikä tässä ole kyse Fender Scandinavian lähettämästä ”tuunatusta testikitarasta”, vaan soitin on poimittu suoraan DLX Musiikin seinältä mukaan testiin!
Gretsch G2420T Streamliner Hollow Body on erittäin siististi rakennettu orkesterikitara, enkä ole löytänyt mitään mikä olisi pistänyt ikävästi silmään. Testikitaran laadukas nauhatyö saa tältä testaajalta vielä erityisen kiitoksen – kitaran soitettavuus on erinomainen, eikä mikään rämise.
Tämän Gretschin kaulaprofiili on mukava D-muoto aavistuksen verran laakealla selkäpuolella.
Bigsby B60 toimii mukavan jouhevasti ja vire säilyy ns. ”järkevässä” käytössä yllättävän hyvin (huom: Bigsby ei oikein sovi kultakorville). Koska B6/B60-vibratolla (samoin kuin lyhyemmällä B3/B30-mallilla) ei ole muiden Bigsby-mallien lisärulla, toimii tämä vibrato (hyvällä tavalla) herkemmin ja suoremmin. Bigsbyn hohtoa saa näin esiin vähemmällä ”työllä”.
Streamliner Hollow Body -mallin akustinen soundi on hyvä tyyppiesimerkki vanerikoppaisesta orkesterikitarasta – avoin, kuiva ja hieman keskialuevoittoinen.
Gretschin suunnitelma viedä Streamliner-mallit niiden Broad’Tron-mikrofonien avulla hieman lähemmäksi valtavirtaa on – ainakin minun omasta mielestäni – onnistunut varsin hyvin. On totta, ettei uusista mikeistä lähde läheskään niin kirkas, pureva ja naksahteleva soundi kuin perinteisistä Filter’Troneista, mutta Broad’Tron-humbuckereissa on kuitenkin onnistuttu säilyttämään riittävästi ylipäätä Gretsch-vivahteiseen soundiin.
Leveämmän perussoundinsa ansiosta Gretschin G2420T sopii Countryn ja varhaisen Rockin ohella myös todella hyvin Jazziin. Esimerkkipätkä alkaa kaulamikrofonista:
Myös kevyellä säröllä Streamliner Hollow Body kuulostaa mielestäni oikein mainiolta. G2420T:n soundissa bassot ja diskantit ovat hyvässä tasapainossa, ja kitara soi orkesterikitaran tavoin mukavan kuivalla äänellä.
Isoimmilla volyymeillä tällaisen kitaran kanssa alkaa tulla vastaan väistämättä feedback-ongelmia, etenkin särösoundeilla. Mutta tämä ei ole vika, vaan täysakustisen orkesterikitaran ominaisuus, eikä Streamliner Hollow Body ole siinä mielessä ”hankalampi” kuin muut.
Myös tämä pätkä on äänitetty Blackstar HT-1R putkikombolla:
Tässä vielä videon ääniraita, jossa kitararaidat on äänitetty Apple Garagebandin vahvistinplugareilla. Soolokitara käyttää tallamikrofonia, kun taas komppiraidat on soitettu sekä molemmilla mikrofoneilla (vasen kanava) että kaulamikrofonilla (oikea kanava):
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Minun mielestäni Gretsch Streamliner G2420T Hollow Body on yksi parhaimmista orkesterikitaroista tässä hintaluokassa – ehkä jopa se paras. Tämä on yllättävän laadukas soitin, eikä mikään halpakitara.
Jos se ”aito Gretsch-soundi” on hakusessa, Electromatic-sarjan (huomattavasti kalliimpi) G5420T-malli on Filter’Tron-mikrofoniensa ansiosta varmasti se parempi valinta.
Streamliner-sarjan yksi tarkoitus on kuitenkin tarjota sellaisia Gretschejä, joilla on perinteistä laajempi vetovoima ja modernimpi soundi. Ja tässä aikeessa Gretsch on onnistunut erittäin hyvin!
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Gretsch Streamliner G2420T Hollow Body
katuhinta noin 560 €
Lisätiedot: Gretsch Guitars
Iso kiitos DLX Musiikki Helsingille testikitaran lainaamisesta!
Plussat:
+ hinta-laatu-suhde
+ viimeistely
+ nauhatyö
+ varmistettu talla
+ Bigsbyn toiminta
+ soundi
The Fender Telecaster – tone at the expense of intonation?
Why do we need intonation adjustment?
On string instruments, the fret spacing along the fretboard is calculated according to a mathematical formula. This formula is theoretical, though, and doesn’t take into account variables, such as string tension (tuning), string thickness (gauge) and string height (action). These variables make the actual pitch of a string, which is pressed down against a fret, deviate from the theoretically correct pitch. To compensate for this pitch offset, you need some sort of intonation adjustment that sets the correct intonation (or octave compensation) for each string.
On acoustic guitars correct intonation is achieved by an angled bridge saddle, often carefully shaped to fine-tune the compensation further.
Early electric guitars were basically modified archtop acoustics, which carried on using traditional rosewood (or ebony) archtop bridges with carved ”steps” presetting the intonation. Overall intonation adjustment was carried out by moving the whole bridge carefully closer to (or further away from) the neck.
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The advent of the – much clearer-sounding – solidbody electric guitar necessitated a more precise approach to the problem of intonation adjustment.
Leo Fender’s novel Esquire/Broadcaster/Telecaster-bridge featured a mounting plate for the bridge pickup, as well as individual action adjustment for each string, and octave compensation in string pairs.
Fender’s Telecaster bridge assembly plays a huge part in this model’s distinctive, twangy tone, laying the foundation for the model’s classic status.
Over the course of the 1950s and 60s, Fender experimented with different saddles – smooth brass, smooth steel, threaded steel, and steel saddles with a single notch per string – but the basic, three-saddle formula stayed firmly in place. You got fantastic tone, but not perfectly spot-on intonation.
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Twenty years after the original launch of Fender’s first solidbody electric, things had evolved.
In 1952 the original three-saddle bridge was less of a compromise, because the regular string sets of that time (012s or 013s) had a wound g-string. With a wound g-string the biggest step in intonation adjustment was between the b- and the g-string, and, as they were catered for by different saddles, a good, working compromise could be found.
By the late Sixties, ”slinky” string sets with plain g-strings had become the norm. This shifted the intonation step between the highest wound string and the lowest plain string onto a single, rigid bridge saddle (for the D- and g-string).
Fender retained the traditional three-saddle bridge on its standard Telecaster, but introduced six-saddle bridges on many of its new models in the Seventies. Pictured above is the six-saddle bridge from a (second version) Custom Telecaster (introduced in 1972).
Although this bridge finally offered perfect intonation, some players criticised this type of bridge for ”sounding” thinner (or brighter) than the original version. This might also have been due to changes in the precise specifications of the bridge pickup at that time, though.
More recent six-saddle designs by makers like Hipshot, Gotoh or Fender are based on a thicker bridge plate. These are perfectly serviceable, modern designs, which offer precise intonation. Many Tele-anoraks still steer clear of these bridge types, however, because the more rigid bridge plate tends to tame the bridge pickup’s twang noticeably.
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Another approach to better intonation on a Telecaster is to keep the twang-enhancing three-saddle ashtray bridge in place, but modify the saddles.
Pickup specialist Joe Barden came up with angled brass saddles in his design for the late Tele-master Danny Gatton.
Wilkinson’s and Graph Tech’s designs have two different, preset jump-off points per saddle – one for each string.
These three approaches (Barden, Wilkinson, and Graph Tech) work very well in providing good intonation, while keeping the Telecaster-tone intact, as long as you use string sets with a plain g-string.
If you want to retain your three-saddle twang, but want to have more freedom in choosing your string gauges, the best way to go are saddles with an angle adjustment. Good examples are Wilkinson’s replacement brass saddles (above), or this stainless steel Tele-bridge by Mastery.
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How come that the vintage-type Fender Telecaster, with all its intonation flaws, is still in production and still very successful? The answer is that people have always been creative in working out solutions to design shortcomings.
In the Telecaster’s case this means finding a way to ”sweeten” the guitar’s slightly flawed intonation.
Here are three (of a myriad of) possible approaches:
1.) The fifty percent approach
After you’ve put on a set of new strings, use your digital tuner to set the (12th fret) intonation correctly for both E-strings, as well as the g-string (I call them the most critical strings). Then tune your guitar by tuning the open E-strings and the g-string to pitch. The remaining three strings (A, D, and b) are then tuned, so that the pitch at the seventh fret is correct (giving you E, a, and f#).
The A-, D-, and b-strings will be a little off in their intonation going up (or down) from the seventh fret, but overall the pitch will be much sweeter, than if you had tuned these strings to their correct open string pitches. You can then fine-adjust your sweetening by ear, using first position chords as a reference.
2.) Tuner sweetening
After you’ve put on a set of new strings, use your digital tuner to set the (12th fret) intonation, so that each string pair is slightly off in an approximately even way. With the E- and A-pair this would mean that the E-string’s intonation comes out slightly sharp, while the A-string’s intonation is a tiny bit flat. The next pair would see the D-string a bit flat, while the (plain) g-string is a tad sharp. The last pair would have the b-string a bit sharpish, with the e-string a little flat. Then tune the guitar by tuning all strings, so the pitch is correct at the seventh fret.
Now all strings will be a little off in their intonation going up (or down) from the seventh fret, but overall the pitch will be much sweeter, than if you had tuned them to their correct open string pitches. You can then fine-adjust your sweetening by ear, using first position chords as a reference.
3.) Sweetening to the A
After you’ve put on a set of new strings, use your digital tuner to set the (12th fret) intonation, so that each string pair is slightly off in an approximately even way. With the E- and A-pair this would mean that the E-string’s intonation comes out slightly sharp, while the A-string’s intonation is a tiny bit flat. The next pair would see the D-string a bit flat, while the (plain) g-string is a tad sharp. The last pair would have the b-string a bit sharpish, with the e-string a little flat. Then tune your guitar by first tuning the open A-string to pitch. Next, tune all the other strings by ear, using the A-string as your reference:
• E-string at the fifth fret against open A
• D-string at the seventh fret against open A (or A-string 12th fret harmonic)
• g-string at the second fret against open A (or A-string 12th fret harmonic)
• b-string at the tenth fret against open A (or A-string 12th fret harmonic)
• e-string at the fifth fret against open A (or A-string 12th fret harmonic)
You can then fine-adjust your sweetening by ear, using first position chords as a reference.
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Remember, none of the above tuning tips is set in granite. Tuning and intonating a three-saddle Telecaster is a dark art, and most players have developed their own way of sweetening their guitar’s intonation. Let your ears be your guide!
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