Worship Musician June 2018 | Page 68

GEAR REVIEW
GRETSCH G6620TFM PLAYERS EDITION NASHVILLE GUITAR | Bruce Adolph
KEY FEATURES
Filter ' Tron™ Pickups String-Thru Bigsby Lower Set Neck Tiger Flamed Maple Striped
In 1883 when Friedrich Gretsch opened up his instrument shop in Brooklyn , NY making banjos , drums and tambourines , he certainly could not see what would happen in the modern worship movement happening today . There are so many well-known worship guitarists utilizing the wide range of unique Gretsch electric guitar tones . However , I do believe Friedrich would have liked the quality of this instrument in my hands today !
Opening up the hardshell guitar case and seeing the beautiful orange “ tiger flamed maple ” striping ( thus the TFM in the model number ) may cause any guitarist to exhale a “ wow !”. This Gretsch has not only a striking appearance , but it is also chocked full of their favorite features .
Double-cut thin body semi-hollow guitars are loved for their tone and light weight playability . Without a center block of wood inside the body however they can be feedback factories . Gretsch uses a block of spruce wood , the full length of the guitar body , down the middle of the chambers to make sure that the wrong kind of feedback doesn ’ t stop you from turning this guitar up loud on stage .
The classic sound on this model emanates from the two High-Sensitive Filter ’ Tron™ pickups that delivers authentic Gretsch power and articulation . Adding to the mojo is the String- Thru Bigsby ( a favorite of mine ). For you couch dwellers like me who sometimes play an electric guitar sitting down and not even plugging in to an amp – the Nashville is comfortable to hold ( it has a lower set neck then some previous Gretsch models ) and has a natural enough volume level from the semi-hollow chambers alone to practice with .
Guitarists who avoid a buffered-bypass pedal ( or cables longer than 15 feet ) will like the new no-load tone pots feature . The design allows them to be completely bypassed from the G6620TFM ' s circuit when you play wide open . You ' ll notice more high-end clarity and a stronger signal !
68 June 2018 WorshipMusician . com