Tag Archives: White Falcon
Stephen Stills Talks Woodstock in Latest Gretsch Interview
Posted: March 11, 2013
The legendary Stephen Stills has had a blockbuster career, earning two inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills and Nash.
And through much of his career, Stills could be seen with a trusty Gretsch White Falcon, a guitar he was first introduced to by Neil Young.
Stills was kind enough to talk about his relationship with Gretsch in a recent interview, which includes the amazing story of how Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young nearly missed their chance to play at the original Woodstock.
Watch the interview below and visit Crosby, Stills and Nash’s official website for current tour dates.
Tags: Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, gretsch, Stephen Stills, White Falcon
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Billy Duffy Dissects His New Signature White Falcon
Posted: January 19, 2013
The Cult’s Billy Duffy recently sat down to break down his signature Gretsch White Falcon, noting several of the features of this majestic guitar.
Watch the interview below and visit the Cult’s official website for more information.
Tags: Billy Duffy, Choice of Weapon, Interview, The Cult, video, White Falcon
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GretschTech: “G Arrow” Control Knobs
Posted: November 27, 2012
One of the most distinctively stylish features of Gretsch guitars past and present is the “G arrow” control knob. If you already own a Gretsch, you know what we’re referring to—the volume and tone knobs on your instrument, which are in most cases adorned with an engraved later “G” pierced by an arrow. This was an early but not original development.
Gretsch’s earliest electric guitars of the late 1940s and early 1950s—mostly Hawaiian lap steel and arch-top Electromatic models—had plain control knobs. When the original golden age of Gretsch electric guitars began in earnest in 1954, a much more distinctive control knob style was adopted, quite unlike that of contemporaries such as Fender and Gibson. 1954 saw the introduction of gold- and chrome-plated brass knobs with plain unadorned tops and a crosshatched pattern around the circumference. (more…)
Tags: Control Knobs, GretschTech, White Falcon, White Penguin
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Billy Duffy Interviewed In Latest Premier Guitar
Posted: June 1, 2012
The Cult’s Billy Duffy is featured in the June issue of Premier Guitar, where he gave an extensive interview about his band, his sound and his gear.
Midway through the QxA, the longtime White Falcon player talked about where he got his original Gretsch G7593.
“It’s a mid-’70s White Falcon. I ordered it in 1982 in England — I had to go and score it from a guitar shop on Denmark Street in London. In those days, you’d put down the deposit, and then they’d go and find it. Then it was weeks of ‘Where’s my White Falcon?’ ‘It’s coming, it’s coming!’” Duffy said.
“Now, I already had a doublecutaway Gretsch, a stereo model, also from the ’70s. It had the same neck, same [Bigsby] whammy bar setup, the square inlays on the neck — and I like those all right — but the body isn’t very thick. Those guitars are more like a [Gibson] 335. So I really still wanted a single-cutaway, which were hard to find in England. Basically, the one that became my trademark guitar is actually my second White Falcon. I just liked the single-cutaway better — it was fatter.
“My understanding at that time was that all the single-cutaway Falcons were custom-ordered, and it was the double-cutaway that was the production model. Now, because you had to order them, they were all slightly different. Mine has a sort of patch on the back to protect the guitar from your belt buckle — from your country pants [laughs]. But the other one from the same era doesn’t.”
The Cult released Choice of Weapon earlier this month, their first new studio album in five years.
For more information and a list of tour dates, check out The Cult’s official website. To read the full interview, click here.
Tags: Billy Duffy, Choice of Weapon, Premier Guitar, The Cult, White Falcon
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Billy Duffy Hints At Signature Model
Posted: March 7, 2012
Billy Duffy from iconic British rocker band The Cult recently sat down for an extensive interview with MusicRadar to talk about his band’s upcoming album – Choice of Weapon – his relationship with singer Ian Astbury and, of course, his love of the Gretsch White Falcon.
But Duffy also caused a stir when he hinted that he and Gretsch are developing a signature model of his favorite guitar.
“You know, I’m not a hoarder of guitars. I’ve got a few Gretsches, and they’re all good, working guitars,” Duffy said. ”I don’t use them all the time, but I use them when I can. It’s a pretty big thing, you know, the Gretsch – it’s heavy.
“And we’re working on a signature model, too, so that’ll be something nice to look forward to.”
Duffy admitted that he had eyed Gretsch products for a long time, and once he had the capital to purchase one, there was no questioning what direction he was going.
“The Gretsch thing was just a search for a different sound, something unique. And what brought it into focus was when I went to see Bow Wow Wow. I kind of knew those guys a little bit, but seeing Matthew Ashman with that Gretsch… I was transfixed. I said, ‘If I get any money, I’m buying a Gretsch.’
“Soon after, I got in the band Theatre Of Hate, and ironically, the singer played a Gretsch. He had an odd-green model, with the pickup by the neck – it was great.
“He asked me one day what kind of guitar I was going to play, and I said, ‘Well, I’ve got a job now, don’t I? I’m buying a Gretsch!’ Took all my money and got the double cutaway.”
Read the full interview with Duffy here.
The Cult is performing at the SXSW Music Festival on March 17, and Choice of Weapon is due out May 22. For a download of lead single “Lucifer,” check out the band’s official website.
Tags: Billy Duffy, Choice of Weapon, Lucifer, The Cult, White Falcon
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