Gretsch G9241 Alligator Mahogany Round Neck Acoustic Electric Resonator - 2-color Sunburst, Padauk Fingerboard Reviews

A great guitar..quality design and build..used only for slide..so far..
but set-up for for easy use w/o slide
with V neck..big,deep sound and hot
Fishman electronics..no on-board EQ..
I added the Gretsch resonator gig bag
which provides adequate protection..but I'd get the hardshell case if you're planning on hopping freights or banging it around in the back of a van..
very pleased with Sweetwater's service..

Gretsch Guitars are really great guitars! Every guitar player should at the least try one, whether an acoustic resonator or a solid body electric they are worth it!

The instrument was set up just the way it should be for this type of guitar. It plays great and the pickup is accurate. The price was right; it was shipped and delivered promptly. In fact, it was here sooner than I expected. What's not to like? Well, maybe too many cinnamon jawbreakers in the candy package..................................;)

Love playing slide on this Alligator! Sounds good plugged in and acoustically. I wanna get the Honey Dipper next...

Rating takes into consideration price / value.

I gravitate toward spiders and tricones (for their sustain and versatility), but there's nothing like the old-timey punch of a biscuit cone! I used to have a similar National M-2, which didn't get played enough to justify its cost--but I missed it after selling it. I thought the Gretsch might fill its tonal space (and cheapy!). Boy, does it!

Visually, it has a cool vintage/retro vibe.
The finish and binding work are imperfect, but passable (expected at this price range). But the guitar feels solid.
The laminate woods look nice, and the neck on mine shockingly appears to be 1-piece.

It plays very nicely...a bit less stiff and quicker than my National (the Gretsch isn't quite as wide up the neck / at the saddle). The fretjob is good overall, except when bending strings, you can "feel" a roughness on top of the frets. I'll give them a good polish with steel wool.

Gretsch didn't skimp where it really counts--hardware!
The tuners are solid Grover Sta-Tites (which actually tune much more smoothly than the stock tuners on my National).
The coverplate and tailpiece are clearly quality...they're finished in a metallic satin that's actually quite attractive (and lends to the vintage look/feel).
The tailpiece isn't your typical reso tailpiece, but it also seems more substantial than the standard stamped tailpiece--it's also designed with a lip that keeps the strings down low for increased break-angle at the saddle. It also doesn't rattle.
The cone is apparently hand-spun from quality aluminum, and I can't argue with the tone.

It actually has a slight tonal edge over my National biscuit reso, and the body feels more alive. I attribute that mostly to the slightly deeper body and tailpiece that increases break angle. It's also slightly lighter-weight, despite being deeper. (Of course, the National is handcrafted with a care that exceeds the finish quality of the Gretsch, and has a much higher price tag fitting a US luthier with such historical significance.) However, for a budget resonator Gretsch is doing something special--look no further!

Here are the negatives:
- The mahogany body is laminated.
- The double binding on the body appears to be painted on.

Here are the positives:
- Everything else.

To meet this price point, Gretsch had to cut somewhere. I think they chose wisely. Despite the laminating and painted body binding, the body is still beautiful. The neck ... ohhhh, the neck ... first of all, if you aren't familiar with padauk, it's a gorgeous rich wood that is found usually only in higher-end instruments. This fretboard is EXTRAORDINARY. The back of the neck is a tremendous satin finish ... rounded, but not overly thick ... MUCH faster than you'd expect to find on a resonator. Gretsch made sure that this neck would be perfect for both slide and strumming/picking. The fretwork on my guitar is flawless, and intonation is spot-on - this is a challenge on this kind of instrument.

The old-school open-back Grover tuners are beautiful, and highly functional.

The Fishman pickup is top notch. There's no onboard volume control, but I don't consider that an issue.

The MOP inlay on the headstock ... wow.

And the cone itself is soooooo cool.

All in all, while I can't give the guitar a full 5 stars, I'm so glad I got this. It's fun, it's beautiful, it makes me feel good to play it. Get one!

Had pretty high expectations for this guitar, but the bridge did rattle and buzz when strummed and the fretwire is anything but enjoyable in its roughness. I returned the resonator. The search continues