Gretsch Guitars Your GRETSCH User Guide
Introduction
Thank you for choosing a Gretsch
®
guitar. We believe this new
instrument will give you many years of pleasure.
Please take a few moments to read through this booklet. In it you
will nd answers to many of your questions and other invaluable
information about care and maintenance for your guitar.
A Memo to Guitar Enthusiasts from Fred Gretsch Jr.
Information essential to every guitarist– students, professionals
and hobbyists–is gathered together here for you. Keep it in your
guitar case accessory pocket for quick reference about the care
of your guitar, how to use it to the full extent of its capabilities,
what to demand when purchasing a guitar, and for your personal
le of phone numbers and addresses.
Your musical instrument is a very personal extension of you,
the musician. It must be worthy of your ability and possibilities.
The musician who plays a GRETSCH guitar nds themselves
producing ner tone, developing increasing speed with
less fatigue, and taking new pride in the superb beauty and
craftsmanship of their instrument.
The guitar you play is a de nite factor in the quality of the music
you produce, and a GRETSCH guitar truly glori es the talents
of the artist who commands it.
Contents
Moisture Content and Humidity
2
Protection from Temperature and Humidity
2
Cracks in the Wood
3
Finish-Checking
3
General Maintenance
3
Tuning Machines
Tuning 6-String Guitars
4
Tuning 12-String Guitars
5
Changing Strings
5
Re-Stringing Your Guitar with a Fixed Tailpiece
7
The Bigsby
®
Vibrato Tailpiece
7
Re-Stringing the Bigsby
®
Vibrato
8
Truss Rod Adjustment
8
Adjustment of Action
9
Pickup Adjustment
9
Floating Bridge Adjustment
Resolving Tuning Issues
Traveling with Your Guitar
Basic Controls Guide
®
Warranty
Personal Address and Telephone Directory
For detailed speci cations of Gretsch instruments,
please visit our website at: www.gretschguitars.com
Wood is a porous, organic material, and
is affected dimensionally by changes in the
made from solid woods, are without a doubt,
more susceptible to the effects of changes
in humidity than laminated instruments, and
therefore require ongoing attention to their
The moisture content of wood is
determined by the relative humidity and
temperature of the surrounding atmosphere.
Relative humidity is expressed as a
percentage of air’s capability to hold
moisture. For example, 30% relative
humidity means that the air is holding 30% of
the moisture it could possibly hold at a given
temperature.
The moisture content for wood and the
relative humidity for air are measured quite
differently. In wood, a 6% moisture content
is present at 30% relative humidity and 72˚ F
temperature, (about 22.2˚ C).
and Humidity
The greatest threats to a ne wood guitar,
temperature and humidity.
High humidity
can cause softening of
the glues used in the construction of the
instrument. Also, as the woods absorb
moisture from the air, it can cause the top
guitars, to expand and rise - making string
your guitar to a drier climate, (either hot or
low
wood can cause shrinkage and cracking, no
matter how long the wood may have been
previously aged. It also can cause the top and
back to shrink, making the string action low.
The collective experience of all of the
major guitar manufacturers today, has
demonstrated that the ideal temperature to
preserve the integrity of solid wood acoustic
guitars is room temperature, which is about
40% to 50%.
In the winter, the forced air systems used
to heat most homes, can drive temperatures
up and humidity levels dangerously low for
guitars. A good measure of protection against
drying out your guitar is to use a room
humidi er.
When the instrument is not in use, we
recommend that you keep it in its case and
use one of the small guitar humidi ers such
dealers. Do not leave the guitar out for long
periods near a heating vent, radiator or in
direct sunlight near a window.
Do not leave your guitar in the trunk of
Please note:
Damage caused to the guitar as the result
®
warranty.
by changes in temperature and humidity.
While a crack may initially be alarming, if
it is taken care of promptly it shouldn’t be a
be repaired without compromising structural
If the crack is in the top, near the bridge,
loosen all the strings to reduce tension,
problem), and have the crack repaired as
Please note: Cracks in
the wood, which occur as the result of
®
warranty.
Finish checking, (very small splits in
the nish), usually occurs in winter and is
typically the result of suddenly exposing
temperatures.
All of the materials that make up a
guitar expand and contract with changes
in temperature and humidity, and they do
this at different rates. Wood expands as it
warms, and it does so faster than the nish
placed over it. When this expansion occurs,
the nish does stretch somewhat, but when
it cannot stretch anymore, it will split and
Although it does not affect the tone of the
instrument, this nish checking mars its
When an instrument has been brought
into a building after it has been out in the
Please note: Finish checks,
which occur as the result of exposure to
temperature or humidity changes will not
be covered under the Gretsch warranty.
Clean the instrument after each use, making
well as any of the plated parts, i.e. machine
heads, pickups, etc. with a soft dry cloth.
For gloss nishes, use a non-silicone based
guitar polish. For satin nishes, use only a
nishes, use a soft, slightly damp cloth and
When not playing the instrument, keep it
tuned to pitch and in its case. However, if you
plan to store the instrument for long periods
tension, but do not remove them.
The natural oils in Rosewood and Ebony
ngerboards may dry out over time. Rough,
your fretboard a drink of raw linseed oil
periodically to preserve its integrity and
natural beauty. Remove the strings rst; then
into the wood, let it soak in, and then wipe to
dry any excess oil.
Be careful when using vinyl, plastic or
tubing, as these materials may react with,
Please
the use of non-FMIC-approved polishes,
be covered under the Gretsch
®
warranty.
Tuning Machines
Gretsch
®
uses only the nest tuning
machines. Many of these machines are pre-
lubricated, die-cast, sealed tuners, which
do not require periodic oiling for smooth
A small tension adjustment screw is located
tension is too loose, the machine may slip
the button may become very dif cult to turn.
Make sure that the adjustment is rm, but not
too tight.
Next, depress the “B” string at the 5th fret,
to produce an “E” and tune the thinnest string
to a matching “E”.
Finally, go back and play the low “E” string
“A”, matches the “A” on the adjacent string.
If using an electronic tuner on your electric
guitar, turn the volume up and tune from low
Tuning 12-String Guitars
Due to the tremendous amount of tension
In standard 12-string tuning, the second
pitches, E, A, D, G, B, E, and using the
previous page.
For the E, A, D, and G strings, the rst
its partner. For the B and E strings, the rst
the same pitch), as its partner string.
Many players nd it dif cult to press the
tension caused by the extra strings.
A remedy that some players choose is to
tune the entire guitar to a lower relative pitch,
the rst or second fret, to bring it back up to
where it plays at standard pitch.
The guitar will certainly be easier to play,
the neck over time, but bear in mind that it
will also sacri ce a bit of the tone projection
All Gretsch
®
however, a 12-string tuned at standard
pitch, should be monitored regularly for
For instruments with open gear tuners, make
lightweight oil from time to time for smooth
The Chrome and Gold plating on Gretsch
tuning machines may become degraded from
the acids and oils in nger sweat. Wipe the
machines off with a soft dry cloth after each
use to preserve their appearance and function.
Strings that have not been secured
properly to the tuning machine post may
is commonly misdiagnosed as an issue with
the tuners. Check your string installation
Tuning 6-String Guitars
There are a couple of different methods
your guitar is acoustic, electric or an
tone, you may want to purchase one. It will
dramatically simplify tuning your acoustic or
Always tune from below pitch,
up
to the
pitch. This will help eliminate string slack
possibility of slippage and tuning changes
low
(thickest)
(thinnest): E, A, D, G, B, E.
If you have an acoustic guitar use the A-
440 reference tone on your tuner, a guitar
pitch pipe, an A-440 tuning fork or other
pitch reference, and tune the second string,
“A” to pitch.
Then, depress the second, or “A” string at
the 5th fret, to produce a “D”, and tune the
“D” string to that same pitch.
Next, depress the D string at the 5th fret, to
produce a “G”, and tune the “G” string until
the pitches match.
Next, depress the “G” string at the 4th fret,
to produce a “B”, and tune the “B” string
until the two pitches match.
Loading...