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Gretsch Electromatic J Gourley BKSTR IRD BLK
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Discover the Gretsch Electromatic John Gourley Broadkaster in detail
About John Gourley
John Baldwin Gourley and his two siblings were born and raised in Alaska , moving from town to town wherever their father's construction business took the family. In his youth he played the guitar, sang and looked after his parents' sled dogs, which often took part in races. In 2002 he founded the punk band Anatomy of a Ghost with two of his friends . They toured the US and even released an album. However, the members of Anatomy of a Ghost wanted to pursue their own ideas, so the band disbanded two years later . John and his friend, bassist Zach Carothers , then founded Portugal. The Man . The band struggled as an independent act for a few years before achieving worldwide success with the song Feel It Still from the album Woodstock , which won numerous awards.
John's guitar collection
John Gourley has been a big fan of Fender instruments from the start; he owns, among other things, several Jazzmaster and Jaguar guitars as well as several Fender basses. John is also increasingly using various Gretsch models ; his favorites are the hollowbody White Falcon and the semi-hollow model Broadkaster . Because of his penchant for Gretsch guitars, the traditional American luthier decided to honor John with the Gretsch Electromatic John Gourley Braodkaster , his own signature model.
What makes a broadcaster
The Broadkaster is not just John Gourley's first choice when it comes to a good pop sound . Many musicians value the Broadkaster not only for their sound but also for their comparatively low weight . The shorter scale length of 24.6 inches (625 cm) makes the guitar easier to play and with the Bigsby vibrato system you can vary the sound of the guitar as you wish without the guitar going out of tune too much. The body and neck of the Gretsch John Gourley Broadkaster are made of maple wood , the neck has an Indian Laurel fretboard with a 12" radius.
The highlights of the John Gourley Broadkaster
In addition to the typical Gretsch features, such as the classic pickup combination with two in-house Full'Tron humbuckers, the John Gourley Broadkaster also has some very special features. The most striking thing is definitely the Iridescent Black finish , which seems to take on a different color / finish depending on the light. Gretsch G-Arrow knobs, medium jumbo frets, pearloid cloud inlays and a silver Plexi pickguard with Gretsch logo and custom artwork are the other eye-catchers of this unique signature guitar.
Features
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Neck profile: Thin "U"
Fast and precise playability, better for small hands. -
Scale length: 24" (610 - 634mm)
Shorter scale length for easier bends. -
Fretboard: Indian Laurel
Soft, warm sound with clear articulation. -
Neck construction: Screwed
A little less sustain, but very percussive. -
Pickup: HH (2x humbuckers)
Full, warm sound with strong mids and highs and pronounced sustain. -
Body material: Laminated maple
Brighter and clearer tones than mahogany. -
Fretboard radius: 12"
Better playability, especially when bending.
- Body material: Laminated maple
- Body shape: Double cut
- Bridge / tremolo: Gretsch Adjustomatic with Bigsby
- Bridge pickup: Gretsch Full 'Tron
- Color / finish: Iridescent Black
- Color / finish: Black
- Controls: 2x Volume, 2x Tone
- Country of origin: China
- Custom shop: No
- Fretboard: Indian Laurel
- Fretboard inlays: Pearloid Clouds
- Fretboard radius: 12"
- Frets: 22
- Hardware: Nickel
- Including: Allen key
- Neck: Maple
- Neck construction: Screwed
- Neck pickup: Gretsch Full 'Tron
- Neck profile: Thin "U"
- Pickup: HH (2x humbuckers)
- Pickup selector switch: 3-way toggle
- Pickup type: Passive
- Scale length: 24" (610 - 634mm)
- Scale length: 24.6" (625mm)
- Signature model: Yes
- Special features: Gretsch G-Arrow knobs, medium jumbo frets, silver Plexi pickguard with Gretsch logo and custom artwork
- Strings: 6-string
- Strings thickness ex factory: .010 - .046
- Technology: Semi hollow body
- Top: Laminated maple
Since its founding in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York, Gretsch has expertly delivered musical instruments of the highest quality that are both influenced and appreciated by some of the music industry's most respected artists. Including Chet Atkins, Eddie Cochran, Billy Duffy, Bono, Duane Eddy, George Harrison, Brian Setzer, Stephen Stills and Malcolm Young.
27-year-old Friedrich Gretsch, a German immigrant, initially began his company's career by manufacturing banjos, drums and tambourines. However, just 12 years later, Friedrich died and left the young company to his son Fred, who was only 15 years old at the time. This, by no means a typical teenager, built the company into one of the leading importers and manufacturers of musical instruments in America. Knowing that the key to growth lay in listening to what the public wanted - and they wanted guitars - Gretsch began manufacturing the coveted six-string.
First from 1926 in the form of acoustic archtops for jazz music, which was rapidly gaining popularity at the time, and a handful of flattops for the sounds of country and western, which were always popular in the USA. In 1935, Gretsch launched the legendary Broadkaster drum series, which was successful until the 1950s. Gretsch's contribution to the emergence of electrical amplification was the first Electromatic® in 1939, a hollow-body construction / acoustic that has remained in the repertoire to this day in a contemporary design.
In 1942, after 50 years of successful business, Fred Gretsch Senior left the company to his son Fred Gretsch Junior. Since production was interrupted during the turmoil of World War II, he left the business to his brother Bill in order to serve in the Navy himself. Unfortunately, like his grandfather, Bill died very young in 1948, so the naval officer Fred, who was no longer active, took over the helm of the family business again.
Since 1953, the company has also cultivated its expertise in solid-body guitars, which addressed increasingly loud concerts with their greatly reduced sensitivity to feedback. The semi-acoustic department has now expanded to include guitars with center block construction / acoustic , which combine the tonal properties of a hollow body guitar with the practical aspects of a solid body.
Since George Harrison's appearance with the Beatles and his Country Gentleman on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, Gretsch has finally become a permanent star in the firmament of iconic guitars, which is clearly reflected in 1965 in the form of the highest production volume in the company's history.
In 1967, at the height of success, so to speak, Fred Gretsch Jr. decided to take a well-deserved retirement and sold the company to the Baldwin Piano Company, which took over the business. Unfortunately with limited success. Fortunately, Dinah Gretsch joined the company in 1979 and was able to pave the way for a buyback, which her husband Fred W. Gretsch, the founder's grandchild, was able to complete 17 years after the sale. Together, the couple brought the company back to its former glory, where it still shines today.
You can trust us!
We have been there for you locally for over 40 years and look back on over 20 years of experience in the mail order business.
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