Official Luthiers Forum!

I am planning a hollow body elctric, modelled after Brian Setzer's '59 Gretch 6120. I wonder if anyone has info on these guitars; specifily the "trestle" bracing. Pictures or a drawing would be good! And does anyone know of sources for laminated plates for these?

_________________
Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Arnt,

A while back, I was looking into the same thing, and I found a couple of pics of trestle bracing...can't remember where I found them, but here you go :





You can check with Ken McKay about the pressed plates.

Hope this helps!

Arnt, if you are going to be playing this plugged in exclusively, it's not a bad idea. But acoustically, it KILLS the top. I talked to the guys at Gretsch when I made my first archtop (designed after a Silver Falcon) and they are now using an X brace with trestles at all four ends. Sounds like overkill to me.
When I was on my way to Montreal with this one, I stopped at Lance's and we fiddled around with it a bit. He was sitting on the floor about 24 inches from the amp which was pointed straight back at the guitar and we could not get the thing to feed back. No trestle, just a standard jazz X.

Paul,
       I've not seen your Archtop before. That's MAGIC !

A very beautiful guitar.

Regards Craig

_________________
CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
_____________________________________________

Thanks guys!

Russ, that picture is a big help. I've only been able to peek through the f-holes at them in the guitar shops, this makes it a bit clearer.

Ken McKay, if you are reading this; do you make laminated plates for these as well?

Paul, your guitar is stunning (as I've said before), and I'm sure it also sounds wonderful. I'm making an electric only guitar, I realize that the trestle bracing will make this a lousy acoustic sounding instrument (but so will the pick up cut-outs in the top, not to mention the laminated plates). As you probably know, the story is that this chunky bracing was an attempt by the Gretch people to satisfy Chet Atkins desire for a more "electric sound" in his signature guitar. It is also Brian Setzer's and a whole lot of other Gretch fans favorite design, so I really want to try it. Feedback resistance is one, but not the only thing I want to accomplish by it.

_________________
Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Arnt,

I do make them "single cutaway" which is good for a Gretsch type like
Paul's "black beauty".

And believe it or not there is a difference in laminated plates, or so I am
told by some experts. A major supplier of them makes them 3 ply with
some softish wood in the center that tends to go thud. Mine are 5 ply and
layered with high quality beech, poplar or maple veneer.

I sent some to your neck of the woods a few months ago to Finland.

Arnt,

I sent you an email with some radiographs (ct scans) of the 6120. They
aren't my property, Bill Raymond sent them to me, so I can't post them here.
There are dimensions included for the braces.

Thanks Ken, that is very generous! I'm at work now, I'll check the scans when I get home to my home computer.

About the plates: These are for a Gibson shape, right? I don't know how that compares to the Gretch 6120 body outline (which I have a tracing of and the one I'm planning to use as a reference). Do you know if they are close enough so I can use these plates, or will the distance from the edge to the start of the archings be too different? I don't have the Gretch measurements handy right now, I can check my plans later though. Perhaps we should take this discussion to PM / e-mail...?

_________________
Rian Gitar og Mandolin

The shape of my single cutaway plates are "generic" and many different outlines will work with them. I think my plates will be fine with the Gretsch outline. what is their dimensions at the lower bout, upper and c? The cutaway section on the cutaway flat and that allows you to have many shaped rib outlines.

The double cutaway plates are also generic. For example if you look at a genuine gibson you will see some arching inside the Mickey Mouse ears. Mine are flat there.
p.s. if anyone is interested in the Gretsch radiographs I can send them by email, I didn't mean to exclude anyone, I just don't own the photo so I can't post in a public forum.

Pau, is that a Gretsch outline?