Story by Fender.Com November ‘03

Continuing its year-long celebration of 120 years of “That Great Gretsch Sound,” The Gretsch Company came out to Scottsdale, Arizona to throw a party near the headquarters of its newest business partner, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Held at the beautiful Millennium Resort on August 21st, the party was hosted by Fred and Dinah Gretsch, and was attended by three generations of Gretsch family members, Fender CEO Bill Schultz, Fender President Bill Mendello and more than 150 of Fender’s Arizona employees.

A warm, beautiful summer evening in the desert set the stage for a night of family and friends both old and new, as well a some great food and wonderful music! Following cocktails, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta led his quartet through some cool jazz numbers while Gretsch and Fender folk had the time to get to know each other a bit better. Since the relationship between Gretsch and Fender is still less than one year old, this provided a wonderful opportunity for the two groups to meet as family, and not just as business partners. (more…)

ATLANTA (April 2, 2003) – The Atlanta Chapter of the Recording Academy has selected James Brown, Leslie Fram, Fred & Dinah Gretsch and TLC as its 2003 Heroes Awards recipients. The Heroes Award is the highest honor bestowed by an Academy Chapter and is given to honor outstanding individuals and institutions in the Atlanta region that have improved the environment for the creative community. The gala event, which attracts recording artists, key entertainment executives and community leaders, will be held on Thursday, June 5, 2003, at the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel (210 Peachtree Street, downtown Atlanta). Proceeds will benefit the Academy’s professional arts education programs for the music community of the Atlanta region and a portion to benefit the MusiCares Foundation – the Recording Academy’s health and human services charity.

The premiere event will commence at 6:30 p.m. with a VIP Press Reception and a special Silent Auction and cocktail hour, offering one-of-a-kind music memorabilia, as well as travel and entertainment packages. The Heroes Awards Dinner and Show begins at 8:00 p.m. and will recognize the esteemed honorees with VIP presenters and performances. Sponsorship packages and table sales are available by calling the Atlanta Chapter office at 404.249.8881. (more…)

Gretsch Booth – 1003

Gretsch Yes, it was another hot time hanging on the corner in Nashville with Gretsch at booth 1003. Folks from all over stopped by to say “hi” and check out all the Gretsch Products including: Drums, Guitars and Gear.

Those interested in the finest drums on the planet were treated to Custom Series, Grand Prix Walnut, Jazz Blue Pearls and of course, the legendary 6 ply snares; second-to-none in the business. It was a real treat for those who appreciate hand workmanship using the best materials; continuing in the Gretsch tradition since 1883. We happened to hear a great player lay down some beats on a USA Maple kit with a satin blue oil finish. Hands down, it was the best sounding kit on the floor: the kick was round and warm….tight(in the pocket) snare…..the toms were full and perfectly balanced….The overall sound can best be described as “satisfying.” (more…)

Factory Tour

Gretsch Gretsch artist, Elliot Easton, recently made a stop at the Gretsch guitar factory while on tour with Creedence Clearwater Revisited. The band was scheduled to perform at the beautiful Harbour Town Resort on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Before the show, Elliot took time to visit the Ridgeland S.C. Plant to check out the recent developments from Gretsch guitars. Elliot was stunned when he saw the over whelming display of sweet looking lefties! Accompanied by President, Fred Gretsch, Elliot sampled a few choice axes fresh from the factory floor, including a few of his namesake, Signature Model Jets as well as an incredible Smoke Green Anniversary, a Synchromatic Historic, a “Get Square” Bo Diddley and a beautiful ‘59 Re-Issue White Falcon. (more…)

Kaman Music and Drum Magazine have gotten together to create this incredible Gretsch drum giveaway. You can get more information and complete an entry form by picking up a copy of the latest issue of Drum Magazine. You may enter as many times as you wish, but only one bound-in entry card per issue will be accepted per respondent. The drawing will take place September 9th 2002, so get your entries in early! (more…)

Story by UEC

GRETSCH BOOTH #3540

Gretsch at Namm Welcome to the Gretsch Booth at Winter NAMM 2002! It was another ground breaking show, bringing in the new year with lots of new gear. There was plenty to see as Gretsch unveiled several new products at the opening of the show including the re-release of the 75th Anniversary GRETSCH-AMERICAN Drum Series! The news went live online, right here on the Gretsch HEADLINE NEWS as the NAMM Show opened Thursday morning the 17th!

For the drum enthusiast, there certainly was plenty to check out! The hall was full of Gretsch Drum kits everywhere including the incredible 75th Anniversary GRETSCH-AMERICAN Drum Series, three unique designs, developed by the Gretsch Drum Factory team of Gene Haugh, Paul Cooper, Lena Thomas, and President, Fred Gretsch, with input from drum endorsers, Harvey Mason and Vinnie Colaiuta. The Gretsch Renown Maple Series, was nominated for Best New Acoustic Drum Set in the 2001 Music and Sound Retailer Awards! The booth maintained a continuous flow of drum artists “extraordinaire” including; Denny Seiwell, Harvey Mason, Vinnie Colaiuta, Bruce Gary, Alvino Bennett, Stan Frazier, Paul Goldberg, Steve Ferrone, and Bobby Tait to name a few. Gretsch drums were played and autographs handed out!

For guitar players, there were several new pieces on hand as well as fine examples of the current Gretsch line-up. New at this show, the 6119-62HT Tennessee Rose was being closely eyed by Gretsch fanatics for accuracy to detail. This guitar is a faithful re-creation of the early sixties Electrotone hollow-body guitar with a single cutaway body and vintage style HiLo’Tron pickups. And it looked like no one could put down the new 6120N Nashville that was played non-stop throughout the show. It was hard to miss this striking instrument staring you in the face as you entered the guitar room with it’s beautiful, arched top body finished in that piercing, classic “Gretsch” orange.

Story by UEC

Tom Jones – TVJones Gretsch Guitars is proud to present Tom Jones, of TV Jones Guitars, in several small, informative clinics in the Southern California area. The clinics will cover basic guitar setup, operation, customizing and how to get the most out of your Gretsch guitar!

Some of the topics that Tom will discuss include how the basic Gretsch components work, such as their unique switches and controls. Tom will discuss the wide variety of pickups available and how they differ. He will talk about how to adjust your pickups and fine tune them for optimum performance. He will also cover bridge adjustments, saddle alignment, intonation as well as what happens when you change string gauges and how to make truss rod adjustments to compensate. To demonstrate some of these tips and techniques, Tom will perform an actual setup on a stock Gretsch guitar. (more…)