Griffis
Well-known member
This is a culmination of the thread here:
http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?120400-Shopping-for-concert
After pretty much deciding on a Gretsch for my cheapish concert uke, I was gonna order online, but checked for local dealers and there was one nearby. Called 'em and they had a few Gretsch (and other) ukes. So I headed up there. I always prefer to play an instrument first rather than buy online when it's possible.
Most of what they had was stuff I'm not at all interested in...ukes that look like little Les Pauls, ukes with goofy graphics all over them...nothing wrong with any of that, but not my thing.
They had several Gretsches including--and I found this hard to pass up--a Gretsch closed-back banjo uke that was really, really sweet. Oh man, the neck on that thing was amazing...if I ever decide I can't live without a banjo uke, that'll probably be the one. But it was around $250.
They had two of the same model I was planning to buy (just a plain concert--model G9110) as well as a tenor, a soprano, an acoustic/electric concert, a concert that was same as the one I was looking at, but with a solid mahogany top (instead of laminate.) That one was $400 and it didn't sound nearly as good to me as the two laminates I tried out. My wife concurred, and she is a far better musician than I, so I respect her input.
So I picked out the one I liked best of the two concerts, but there was one other one that seriously was calling my name, and that was a soprano, but with a longer neck. The neck length was near exactly the same as the concert, but with a soprano body. I really went back and forth there. Again. my wife gave great feedback regarding volume, tone, brightness, brashness, mellowness, etc.
I really did dig that long neck soprano but in the end I went with the regular concert. To me it just sounded and felt the best out of all the ones I played (including the $400 non-laminate top Gretsch.)
Comes with a little canvas gig bag (worthless for protection, but they didn't have any hardshells...I'll fix that later.) Sorta cool, the bag itself is just like the ones Gretsch used to use for their ukes and camp ukes back in the 40s and 50s.
I am really, really happy with it. Haven't got to spend much time with it but was playing it again this morning and it is sure sweet.
Also, thought the pics of these Gretsch ukes I've seen online all have friction tuners, the one I got (and all the other ones they had in the store) all had cheap-ish open geared tuners. They seem to work fine. I was beginning to dig the idea of friction pegs, but these seem okay. As long as they do the job, no need to replace them. In fact, everything about this thing is in good shape...decent action, nut cut well...I need to file some fret ends down, but that's quick and easy and seems like I have to do it with every string instrument I get these days. The action on this is great, no buzzing.
Plus, I got it for $20 less than I could find it online anywhere. And it was cheaper than the long neck soprano, which was another (albeit minor) factor in the decision.
I do plan to swap out the strings for a low G set, or maybe just get a low G string and swap it out. It came with what I am sure are Aquilas. I'd recognize the sound and feel of those anywhere.
In a haze of a stupor of morning pre-coffee fogginess I snapped a couple of pics (attached) but they are terrible. If it's a nice day I'll shoot a few more outside later and post them.
http://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?120400-Shopping-for-concert
After pretty much deciding on a Gretsch for my cheapish concert uke, I was gonna order online, but checked for local dealers and there was one nearby. Called 'em and they had a few Gretsch (and other) ukes. So I headed up there. I always prefer to play an instrument first rather than buy online when it's possible.
Most of what they had was stuff I'm not at all interested in...ukes that look like little Les Pauls, ukes with goofy graphics all over them...nothing wrong with any of that, but not my thing.
They had several Gretsches including--and I found this hard to pass up--a Gretsch closed-back banjo uke that was really, really sweet. Oh man, the neck on that thing was amazing...if I ever decide I can't live without a banjo uke, that'll probably be the one. But it was around $250.
They had two of the same model I was planning to buy (just a plain concert--model G9110) as well as a tenor, a soprano, an acoustic/electric concert, a concert that was same as the one I was looking at, but with a solid mahogany top (instead of laminate.) That one was $400 and it didn't sound nearly as good to me as the two laminates I tried out. My wife concurred, and she is a far better musician than I, so I respect her input.
So I picked out the one I liked best of the two concerts, but there was one other one that seriously was calling my name, and that was a soprano, but with a longer neck. The neck length was near exactly the same as the concert, but with a soprano body. I really went back and forth there. Again. my wife gave great feedback regarding volume, tone, brightness, brashness, mellowness, etc.
I really did dig that long neck soprano but in the end I went with the regular concert. To me it just sounded and felt the best out of all the ones I played (including the $400 non-laminate top Gretsch.)
Comes with a little canvas gig bag (worthless for protection, but they didn't have any hardshells...I'll fix that later.) Sorta cool, the bag itself is just like the ones Gretsch used to use for their ukes and camp ukes back in the 40s and 50s.
I am really, really happy with it. Haven't got to spend much time with it but was playing it again this morning and it is sure sweet.
Also, thought the pics of these Gretsch ukes I've seen online all have friction tuners, the one I got (and all the other ones they had in the store) all had cheap-ish open geared tuners. They seem to work fine. I was beginning to dig the idea of friction pegs, but these seem okay. As long as they do the job, no need to replace them. In fact, everything about this thing is in good shape...decent action, nut cut well...I need to file some fret ends down, but that's quick and easy and seems like I have to do it with every string instrument I get these days. The action on this is great, no buzzing.
Plus, I got it for $20 less than I could find it online anywhere. And it was cheaper than the long neck soprano, which was another (albeit minor) factor in the decision.
I do plan to swap out the strings for a low G set, or maybe just get a low G string and swap it out. It came with what I am sure are Aquilas. I'd recognize the sound and feel of those anywhere.
In a haze of a stupor of morning pre-coffee fogginess I snapped a couple of pics (attached) but they are terrible. If it's a nice day I'll shoot a few more outside later and post them.