Tour Gretschās Corona, California, custom guitar building operation with company master builder Chad Henrichsen and PGās own John Bohlinger.
āWe get a lot done in a small amount of space, but this is where it all happens,ā Henrichsen says. It starts with the woodāmahogany, maple, and spruce body blanks; mahogany and maple neck blanks; rosewood for fretboardsāand so does our tour. It also begins, of course, with specific orders from dealers, artists, and individual players, commissioning instruments."
Henrichsen describes Gretsch's process of making hollow- and semi-hollowbody guitars first, which uses pressure and heat to form tops and sides from wood laminate. The plant also uses old-school craftsmanshipāa copy carver, for exampleāto cut wood tops and more to shape.
One of Henrichsenās fortes is necks, so he explains the process of creating necks for Falcons, Duo Jets, 6120s, etc., in detail, and we see the neck shaper machine in operation. The evolution from wooden block to smooth, finished neck is fascinating! And some of the machinery, jigs, and other tools are older than your Uncle Billy. After inlays comes bindingāgold sparkle for a Penguin, white for a Duo Jet, for example. And, by the way, all work in the Custom Shop is done by hand.
Master builder Gonzalo Madrigal makes a cameo to explain the step-by-step process of fitting a guitarās neck to its body. The example here is one of the super-colorful, intergalactically shaped Billy-Bo modelsāhalf Diddley and half Gibbons. Madrigal also displays the process of setting a tortoise shell binding in placeāa method that takes about 45 minutes overall, and then must sit to set.
In the final assembly department, we see a 12-string Country Gentleman turning to lifeātuners, bridge, electronics, tailpieces and everything else comes home to roost. The grand finale? Dig a killer 3-pickup Penguin in a black paisley finish with SuperāTrons, cats-eye f-holes, and a Bigsby. Itās gorgeous! And, in a sense, the culmination of Gretschās 140-year history of craftsmanship.
The 6-string sharpshooter recounts the riffs that propelled him to a life of rock glory with Whitesnake, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and more.
The 6-string sharpshooter recounts the riffs that propelled him to a life of rock glory with Whitesnake, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and more.
Be sure to watch Joel Hoekstra's Rig Rundown, too.
How Angus and Malcolm's patient, syncopated rhythms jump-started Chris Young's passion for the 6-string.
Be sure to check out the Psychedelic Porn Crumpets' new album, SHYGA! The Sunlight Mound.