Category Archives: Top Five

Five Great Gretsch Songs of the 90s

Posted: February 27, 2013

Ask most people about music in the 1990s, and they’ll probably point to grunge’s dominance during the early part of the decade and bubblegum pop towards the end as main mile markers.

Gretsch artists and their trusty guitars certainly had several standout moments in those areas. But whether it was the straightforward punk from Tim Armstrong and Rancid or the infectious rockabilly of Brian Setzer, Gretsch played a big part in many other genres, as well. (more…)

Tags: 1990s, AC/DC. Thunderstruck, Billy Duffy, Brian Setzer, Everlast, Golden Gate Fields, Jump Jive an' Wail, Rancid, Star, The Cult, Tim Armstrong, Top 5, What It's Like
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Five Great Gretsch Holiday Songs

Posted: December 18, 2012

By this time of year, we’ve all been inundated with holiday music for weeks. The standards are inescapable, as it seems that every radio station is blaring some version of “Silent Night” or “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”

We tend to look in different places for our Christmas tunes. Sure, there might be a time and a place for some Manheim Steamroller, but there are so many more gems out there that can serve as a much-needed changeup.

So as we get ready to unwrap presents and sip on some nutmeg-infused eggnog, here are five great Gretsch holiday tunes that should be on your playlist right now: (more…)

Tags: AC/DC, Brian Setzer, Chet Atkins, Christmas, George Harrison, Holiday Songs, Tegan and Sara, Top Five
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Six Great (Extinct) Gretsch Basses

Posted: November 5, 2012

Today, Gretsch makes several highly acclaimed bass guitar models prized by players worldwide for their elegant style and seismic sound. When you see a Gretsch bass, it’s usually in the hands of a bassist who truly prizes a fine instrument and who truly appreciates the Gretsch name and tradition.

Well before its fine modern-era basses, however, Gretsch made some very, shall we say, interesting forays into the bass guitar world. From its first, shall we say, unusual model in the early 1960s to another, shall we say, distinctive model at the dawn of the 1980s, Gretsch indeed truly went its own, shall we say, unconventional way when it came to anchoring the low end.

Submitted for your approval here are six remarkable—and quite extinct—examples of Gretsch bass guitar history, starting at the very beginning. (more…)

Tags: Bikini bass, Grestch Broadkaster bass (1975), Gretsch 6070 bass, Gretsch 6071 bass, Gretsch 6072 bass, Gretsch 6073 bass, Gretsch 7615 bass, Gretsch Committee bass, Gretsch TK300 bass
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Five Great Gretsch Rock Albums of the 1980s

Posted: September 20, 2012

Gretsch electric guitars loomed large in the 1950s with original-era rock ‘n’ roll and rockabilly; even larger in the 1960s with the British Invasion. They were certainly still around during the musically tumultuous 1970s, although you did have to look a little harder. And then the 1980s arrived.

The 1980s. That was the decade when Gretsch guitars came roaring back in ways both traditional and unexpected, as post-punk, new wave, the rockabilly revival and other fast-proliferating subgenres blasted their way to the forefront of popular music on both sides of the Atlantic. Below, in chronological order, are five fine albums you can thank for that happy development. And we’re not just talking about a Gretsch guitar appearing on a song or two—we’re talking about entire albums that are scorching, swinging, soaring and singing examples of Gretsch guitar artistry all the way through from first track to last …
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Tags: AC/DC, Back in Black, Billy Duffy, Bow Wow Wow, Brian Setzer, Built for Speed, I Want Candy, John Squire, Matthew Ashman, Stone Roses, Stray Cats, The Cult
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