Why are Gretsch guitars so associated with Rockabilly?

LastMantra

It's kinda weird that how a guitar looks so often dictates what music can be played on it.
People often say they don't care what a guitar looks like but I think that's rarely true.

ICBM

Rocker said:

Now Ibanez are, as you say, the holy grail of rock/metal guitar tone.  In the 1970s, any Ibanez guitars I ever saw were poor quality copies of the usual American suspects.  Slightly better than most of the mail order rubbish guitars that were available back then.  Nowhere near the quality of the lower end Squier guitars of today.

Indeed, and those same 70s guitars are now referred to as 'lawsuit' - surprisingly, legitimately in the case of the Gibson copies because Ibanez *were* one of the very few companies which Gibson threatened to sue over the use of the 'open book' headstock shape - and held up as desirable...

Cirrus

I think we're such visual creatures, and also being social ones we obviously take on board the cultural baggage of certain guitar shapes. What we see influences how we hear (for literal example, look up Mcgurk effect), which is why for example plugin makers tend to use pictures of expensive rack gear on the interface for their effects.

So... it makes sense if strapping on a particular guitar might prime your mind with particular ideas, aesthetics, musical styles etc.

I've got a funny relationship going on with my Gibson Explorer these days - I'm mostly playing clean and lightly overdriven stuff in a band that's quite indie/arty, a far cry from the heavy alt-rock band I was in when the Explorer was my number one. The funny thing is, with two firebird style pickups it actually works sonically for what I'm doing, but so far I can't imagine gigging with it, or if I did I'd be doing so knowing that I was deliberately subverting expectations by playing a pointy guitar mostly clean.

Bringing it back to the thread, I've got a sparkly green Gretsch duo jet, and I find it so much fun to play partly for the looks. I'm happy doing pretty much anything with it.

ICBM

Cirrus said:

I've got a funny relationship going on with my Gibson Explorer these days - I'm mostly playing clean and lightly overdriven stuff in a band that's quite indie/arty, a far cry from the heavy alt-rock band I was in when the Explorer was my number one. The funny thing is, with two firebird style pickups it actually works sonically for what I'm doing, but so far I can't imagine gigging with it, or if I did I'd be doing so knowing that I was deliberately subverting expectations by playing a pointy guitar mostly clean.

Two words...

The Edge

Seziertisch

“A Gibson or a Fender is like driving automatic, while a Gretsch is like stick shift …”

I’ve no idea what the above means but it’s a sentiment I’ve seen on many of the US-based Gretsch forums. 

Philly_Q

Seziertisch said:

“A Gibson or a Fender is like driving automatic, while a Gretsch is like stick shift …”

I’ve no idea what the above means but it’s a sentiment I’ve seen on many of the US-based Gretsch forums. 

Is a Rickenbacker like a Citroen 2CV?

guitars4you

Seziertisch said:

“A Gibson or a Fender is like driving automatic, while a Gretsch is like stick shift …”

I’ve no idea what the above means but it’s a sentiment I’ve seen on many of the US-based Gretsch forums. 

I am a big fan of Setzer and that 50's era swing, jazz, jump jive pre/early Elvis kind of era - I love the cool vibe of how a Gretsch looks but I just can't play them in any way shape or form - They just don't fit/suit me - Some of the more later Jap  'player/modern/upgrade' models are more 'user friendly' - But I find a Tele and/or a PRS Hollowbody far more comfortable to handle for me for such styles - So yes I can see what they mean regarding that quote

In a kind of car wreck cut 'n' shunt type of way, I'd like to have something like a PRS SE neck on a Harmony F hole style guitar and/or Stratotone - But it would have to be at the right price as it is just a silly dream/project that probably would never work anyway - I love the old school mojo of some of these old Sears catalogue style boxes, but it needs to play like a PRS

mburekenge

They're just awesome. So ridiculously versatile. 

Sassafras

I find most guitars versatile.

Reverend

Bruce's  but also van halen