GR-1SF build

[jmax]

Yes - good eye!

[jmax]

A video demo of the guitar in action: https://youtu.be/uNbQWUf2rkk

[Simon Barden]

Nice demo, John. A nice guitar and a nice video too.

[chrissyinbkk]

Sounds good, nice video, you got to be pleased with the outcome of the build

[jmax]

Thanks so much! I'm really pleased. And thanks again with the help on the wiring.

[jmax]

Thanks. Yes, very pleased. Just some living with it now - let it settle in and see what tweaks may be needed.

[WeirdBits]

Great demo, I particularly like the sound of the neck pickup. Very nice build and excellent result.

[jmax]

I posted this as a separate thread, but posting it here too just to get coverage.

I'm now getting down to tweaking the setup on my GR-1SF, and I was wondering if anyone has a solution for the "tune-o-matic buzz" problem.

I've had this problem with my Epiphone Les Pauls, and pretty much live with it but the bridge supplied with this kit has significantly more buzz - it's really starting to annoy me.

I've found lots of references on the web, some simple, some extreme, but I haven't had too much luck solving it so far.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[jmax]

I've now lived with it for a week and a half and let it settle in. I've done a bit of upgrading and I've also started to fix some of my build mistakes.

I've replaced the stock nut with a bone nut, and I'm pleased with that. I've installed a roller bridge and the infamous tune-o-matic buzzing is gone. It was a bit nerve wracking, because the post holes were a bit close together, and even the stock bridge barely fit. I managed to set them a bit deeper, which spaced them further apart because of the archtop. Nothing like banging on a hollowbody with a hammer to raise your anxiety level. I now understand why Gretsch use floating bridges on their hollowbodies - they may cause intonation problems, but they're easier to deal with.

I've fixed a few of the other problems with my original installation - the tremolo tailpiece ended up askew - I used the long string method, but I guess I was a bit sloppy. With six strings on, it was easy to get it in the right position.

The pickup holes were routed a bit off centre. It looks a bit off, but I don't notice any problems with the way they sound. I looked at the possibility of shaving a bit of space on one side to get the poles directly under each string, but that would have left an ugly gap next to the mounting plate. As the sound is fine, I figured I'd leave well enough alone.

I have to say, I'm really surprised at how good the pickups sound. I may change them at some point, but TV Jones are expensive, and there doesn't appear to be any mid-range Gretch style pickups on the market. I'm open to suggestions.

[Simon Barden]

Nice that you are getting it set up even better. One problem with replacement pickups is that the real Gretsch pickups are slightly narrower that standard humbuckers, so you'd probably have to go for humbucker-sized replacements or get some pickup adapter rings for fitting a smaller pickup in a humbucker rout, otherwise you may end up with gaps showing.

I don't know of any low-budget Gretsch style pickups, though you may find some used ones taken from Gretsch Electromatics on eBay. A cheaper alternative to TV Jones pickups would be Mojo pickups, a UK brand. They do a range of Gretsch style pickups, including a humbucker-sized one that looks like a Gretsch. https://www.mojopickups.co.uk/produc...kups/mojotron/. It's still £160 for a set but that's cheaper than TV Jones' are in the UK (at least £120 each). Mojo pickups always get a good review in the guitar magazines. Unfortunately it's basically a one-man operation and he's so busy that he's not taking orders at the moment in order to catch up, but worth considering if you do plan an upgrade.