DeArmond T-400

Made in korea.Two Dearmond pickups singlecoils.
Neck is thin just perfect 19.5mm first fret.
Short scale 24,75.And locking tuners don,t know brand but they are ok.

I use it with Roland cube 30x and play mostly blues and Zappa.
Blues and rockabilly sounds are best.
It suits those styles perfectly.

I bought it used.It was setup by Ruokangas guitars here in Finland to medium string height and same time changed bone upper saddle(sound improved enormously).I polished it reguraly and it is like new.

This is my number one guitar and never sell it.
Only change that i considered mayby jumbo frets for easier bendings.

Thirty years of playing and with this guitar never get tired of playing.

I won't bore you with all the features on the T-400, just list the best:
Incredible DeArmond 2K pickups, great flamed maple back and sides, very high-quality hard shell case, first-rate body and neck binding.

I play the T-400 mainly through a 1969 Fender Vibro Champ or a 1964 Fender Super Reverb. I use very few effects, but occasionally a Dano Cool Cat Chorus and Reel Echo. I prefer mostly clean, jazzy tones. This guitar does those superbly. I've played several traditional jazzboxes over the years and was amazed at the neck pickup's warmness, complexity, and responsiveness to picking dynamics. I may never go back to humbuckers. Both pickups together cop a very authentic late '50's Rockabilly sound.

Mine is natural finish, which is absolutely flawlessly executed. Seems the naturals are kind of rare as everyone seems to have the Tennessee Orange ones.

The tuners were a disappointment. I replaced them with some Imperial type Grovers and never looked back. The nut has performed well although it appears quite cheap.

Now to the biggest problem with the guitar, the Bigsby knockoff tremolo system:

First, it is mounted to the body with a flat plate against a rounded body edge. This meant it sat at a slighly cocked angle and kept pulling the entire bridge assembly toward the bass side with tremolo use. A couple of pieces of maple veneer used as shims in there has solved that problem as well as stabilized the tremolo mounting.

Next, the mount for the tremolo arm kept hitting the high E string when pressing down the arm, causing a noticeable sound. Removal of a bit of metal in the area with a Dremel solved that problem and is hard to notice unless you're looking for it.

Finally, I noticed that the stock roller bridge is kind of a waste, as I noted that use of the tremolo causes the entire bridge assembly to pivot back and forth while the small rollers do not move at all. I would be interested in knowing if any of the rest of you have noted this or if maybe it is the result of the relatively heavy strings I use (11's or 12's, Jazz/Rock sets). Anyway, I have a Gotoh ABR-1 tune-o-matic bridge on order and I expect that it will improve the sound slightly.

I am exclusively a home player but I see no reason why a guitar with this overall high build quality wouldn't hold up well to heavy gigging.

Despite the above mentioned design flaws (limited to the tremolo system), this was probably the best guitar purchase I ever made.

I bought this T400 from the used rack in a music shop in Inverness Scotland whilst killing some time before a gig.I paid #330(UKP).An 'as new' blonde with perfect flame maple sides and back and a maple wallnut(?) maple neck with an m.o.p. block inlaid rosewood fretboard(dark and tight grain,a bit of lemon oil and plays smoooth!)medium size frets, a good handfull of wood,a real vintage feel.I knew nothing about DeArmonds(the Guitars ,not the p.ups.)so I had no pre-conceptions. This one is an early Korean made model,they use the term 'crafted'and I'd say with a fair amount of justification,so much of the guitar is high quality the minor let downs could be viewed as petty, but have a WHY? factor considering the rest of the package.
2 X USA 2K DeArmond P.Ups,Quality binding on body and neck,no flaws in laquer or joints and a 'Bigsby' licenced trem.
P.S. Since buying this guitar I have bought two Starfire single cutaways, one fitted with Filtertrons(see my Starfire review)because I am so impressed with these guitars.

Rock'n' roll,rythm and blues,rockabilly,this box is killerdiller.
I use either a '67 bassman on a 4x12 bassman cab or a push pull silver face 'Twin topped off with a Roland 'Space echo'(201).
It's single coil! you get a tad of a hum so what?This is Rock'N'Roll!
However you can loose the hum by using the middle position on the p.up selector and winding back the un required p.up far enough to keep both coils open but not enough to have a significant signal so the dominant signal prevails.
Sounds are GREAT.Clean it nails it,like a 'Telly on sterroids. The p.ups, when you balance them up and find the optimum distance from the strings (too close and you loose sustain) Bright'chime' realy does sum it up, Full mid without mud and enough Bass to rattle those bottles,These p.ups cut through the mix a treat.
Loud, a good output And without that 'honk' or abrasiveness,most pleasing to me especialy when you get it just on the point of 'break up' on the neck P.up.
From Bright Pickin' to Rockabilly clickin' Blues, Jazz, Jump Jive it's in the box. On the negative yes it's hollow and yes it feeds back!It'll howl like Lon Chaney on a full moon!!(but I don't mind a bit of feedback it can be fun and it is controllable). Accoustically it's nice too,my fave midnight noodling guitar.I can't say a bad thing about the sound,I would be a Nigel Tuffnell and rate it at 11 if I could!

The set up was OK. but needed a bit of a tweak to perfect,so I did do some mods.
The two P.ups were the same height(both the taller type housings)which put the bridge P.up far too close to strings for a good action/sound,so I replaced it with a 'Dynasonic' I had lying in my bits box (about 1/4 " lower)and For what it's worth I can't hear any difference worth mentioning between the two.( Put a gun to my head and I would choose the the 2K.) I use 13 to 56 with a bound 'G' and tune down to 'D'(so I am a bit odd!)but the exta string mass makes for tons of tone/output.
The finish is flawless, I have a Gibson Chet Atkins re issue(C99?)and it's crap by comparison and it cost me #1500 the neck and fretboard have a distict groove developing between them, the square neck markers are standing proud of the fretboard, the binding is cracking top to bottom and the nitro is peeling off(same as a Blues Hawk I have,similar age!?)The bound neck on the T400 is smooth with no proud fret ends (also an issue with the Gibsons) but as someone else said the poly finish could be 'sticky' but I sweat so much it slides O.K. for me.Some people have issues with the machine heads,I don't ,a bit 'chocolaty' mabe, but I got some little fibre washers (old electronic parts) and replaced the dodgy little plastic rings under the button and hey presto more bite.The tuning is as stable as anything I have had with a wang bar.I have a couple of old Gretches and those fine old open backed tuners ain't so hot belive me.
ELECTRICS- my real concern,nowhere near the quality of the rest of it,although it all worked fine enough but the pots are cheap s*!?e and the soldering'approximate' it worked OK. but for how long?I replaced it.Oh and the output socket needed a spot of locktite.and I did change the bridge,not because of tone but for one with deeper saddle grooves to stop the low E hopping out when I get Hooligan!It also needed securing to stop it moving about(ala Gretch) but the intonation is now perfect.
I would like to give three sets of marks (1)appearance 10+
(2)playability 9
(3)wiring 3

I have been playing gigs since '74 and have owned/ used/still have quite a few guitars from Antorias to Zematis,most of them bought when they were un-fashionable and cheap (ie. #60 Gretch Anniversary or #80 '63 Jaguar).My No.1 workhorse for 27 of those years a '62 clay dot, slab board Tele with a Bigsby(self fitted when I got it).
I have gigged this T400 for 18 months solid and have just retired the Tele!I may have become the 50 year old twat I used to take the piss out of when I was 18 but I still give it LARGE,'duck walking' on the bar,on tables,pulling shapes,sweating buckets AND I STILL GET HIT ON BY 22year old Babes(well why did YOU learn to play in a Rock'n'Roll band?) Iv'e seen the photos and I look good,that big box looks the buisiness, This guitar will last me out.The poly laquer is tough there's hardly a mark on it,despite zips and buckles (and unlike the Nitro on my Gibsons).I did fit strap locks but I do to all my guitars as a matter of course.
This is a wholly reliable box and I have never even broken a string on it!Tuning is stable(providing you don't go psyco on the wang bar)
Iv'e seen a bit of moaning about the 'knock off' Bigsby,but I think it's bollocks,I have a few Bigsbys ancient and modern and they all vary,I'm happy with the DeArmond 'knock off',but then mabe I got a good one?
You could use it without a back up, and it is versatile enough,but I'm superstitious,I carry 2 spare amps! When Iv'e left 'em behind is when Iv'e had breakdowns.

Mine is second hand so no warranty and I have had no problems with the guitar so I don't know.

,I bought this guitar on impulse (no not a credit card!)and for a change I got it right!
With the price of vintage guitars going daft and the chance of getting them stolen increased,so a cheaper alternative for bar gigs seemed like a good idea, the worst of it is I have become very attatched to it and worry someone is going to step back on stage and put a foot through it!So I bought two DeArmond Starfires so I could leave it at home if I think it might get broken,but it always gets picked up as I go out of the door.
Would I get another one if mine was stolen? I'd Buy another one in a heartbeat if I could,I might buy another one anyway,if I can find one and mabe fit TVJ 'Trons? I think this guitar is easily as good as the Jap Gretches I have tried and better than my 'vintage''60s Gretches.(how many 6120s need a neck set?)
I have the opinion that some guitars are best hung on the wall and some are better for playing,this is OK for both. "A" list guitar quality for budget bucks.Cheers.

Others have described the fantastic features of this guitar and I can only confirm. Beautiful light orange finish with marvellous grain. Big f-holes and rounded cutaway. Master volume and volume and tone control for each pickup. US-made DeArmond single coils. Original DeArmond bigsby. This is more than you got on most Gretsches!

I bought this guitar to replace a DeArmond Starfire Special. The Special was a fantastic blues guitar and I was really sad when I sold it (for a lot of money though). The T-400 is much harder to find, so if you can't find one get a Starfire Special as a start.
The Starfire Special has more drive, and at first I was a bit disappointed with the sound of my T-400, especially since it came with flattened strings. With these strings the sound was muddy and weak, but with new strings the guitar has now a fantastic tone (although for some blues tunes, like early Fleetwood Mac, I'm sometimes missing the Starfire Special's sustain block). With both pickups on you get an excellent twang, perfect for the Duane Eddy and Link Wray thing. The neck pickup is good for jazz and similar, while the bridge pickup gives an excellent blues tone.
So this guitar sounds swell great, but with one simple modification you can really launch it into the stratosphere, that is when you add serial and out-of-phase pickup combinations. I did this with a single switch placed in the lower f-hole, so nobody will ever notice. Here is what I did: I used a lever switch soldered to the neck volume pot (this was really tricky and you should consider well where to place your switch, since there are several alternatives like glueing it below the top, a push-pull switch or a mini switch through the top).
Rewiring however is quite easy and quickly done. To get the full benefits you first have to flip the in and out connections on both volume pots. Then you cut the outgoing connection (to ground) on the bridge pickup and solder a new shielded wire that you connect to the center of your switch. One side of the switch must be connected to the ground and the other to the neck volume pot's center lug. That's all.
This modification preserves your standard configuration (with the only difference that with your pickup selector in the middle position putting one volume pot to zero won't shut down the guitar anymore). By switching you get a whole range of new sound possibilities. With both volumes to ten and the pickup selector in position 2 or 3 you'll get the neck pickup alone and in position 1 you'll have both pickups in series for a full humbucker sound. Chet Atkins complained that DeArmonds didn't have bass? Here you got it all.
But the good thing is that you can also use your controls for further effects. So put the selector in position 3 (neck alone) and turn the bridge volume to zero and you'll be surprised how your sound turns thin and sharp (allowing to emulate even some Shadows tones). In fact this position creates a reverse current in the bridge pickup and puts both pickups in parallel out of phase. You can also use both volume (and tone controls) to mix the signal. Put the neck volume to 8 or the bridge volume to 2 and you'll see how your sound turns fatter as the other pickup starts to prevail. This trick can be used to maximum benefit even on the humbucker configuration. Maybe you'll find that your humbucker could sound a bit more brilliant? Just put your neck tone control to 0 and you'll find how the sound turns brighter. In this configuration you'll have a humbucker only at the lower end while the higher signal leaves the guitar before passing through the neck pickup. so at the higher end you'll have the bridge pickup alone. While the full humbucker still conserves some twang, this last trick takes the twang completely out and gives an incredibly broad, full, rich and bright sound, even better than a 6120N. Today I played to some Peter Green record and my guitar burned better than his!

My guitar arrived with a good no-name hardshell case. The neck is straight and the action can be set incredibly low. I raised it a bit
since I prefer it that way. I bought my guitar on Ebay and it looks as if the previous owner didn't ever use it. I actually think that it even conserved the original flattened strings which were really awful. I changed strings to Dean Markley LTHB 10-52 and with that the guitar really came to life. After reading complaints on this forum about the stock roller bridge, I replaced it with a good one from my gearbox, but I can't tell if this improved the sound since I also changed strings on the occasion. While changing string the nut came off. I haven't yet reglued it, since I'm now considering to replace it, too. I actually think that the original nut and bridge do their job, but improvement is possible. Maybe those cheaper parts and the flattened strings were just a trick of the Koreans for not outdoing too blatantly their masters at Guild's?

Looks really rock solid.

I got no clue.

I play since 1980 through a Fender Champ 12, no effects, straight into the amp and all controls on 10 (except the master volume), but
usually without the mid boost. I hardly ever control it and today I asked myself why my Les Paul didn't sound right. Well I had it pulled and this is actually what this DeArmond needs to sound as good as she can. All my other guitars are played without, so from now on I'll have to check it sometimes. I currently possess a Gretsch Duo Jet, a Johnson 6120 copy, an Epiphone Les Paul (modded to Jimmy Page with SD-JB and DM-PAF), an Epiphone Flamekat, a Fender Mexico Strat, an Ibanez 345, an Ibanez AF-75, an Ibanez Talman, a Burns Brian May and a Washburn BT-10 Jennifer Batten. Previously I have owned a Gretsch 6120N, two Guild Starfires III + V, a DeArmond Starfire Special. an Aria FA80, a Fender Telecaster and others. I have found that both my DeArmonds were by far better than the Guilds. The T-400 is even better than the Special, especially after the modifications. The Johnson is a good guitar for its price, but can't reach up to the DeArmonds. So the only guitars that my T-400 should be compared to are the two Gretsches. The Duo Jet is a quite different thing, but the 6120N, although with a sustain block, comes quite close. The 6120N is a fantastic guitar with a very rich and warm sound, though a bit weak and sweet for my gusto. The T-400 is rougher and with more twang, which makes it perfect for those 60s space and surf rides (even better with the out-of-phase modification). When turned to humbucker mode the sound becomes as rich and full as the 6120N's, but with more bite; and with the trick that takes out the higher end of the neck pickup the sound gets even broader and brighter and the T-400 really takes off into the stratoshere, leaving the 6120N far behind. Thus this guitar is absolutely perfect for atmospheric blues and western sounds from Duane Eddy to Peter Green, but even for many other feats from Stray Cats to Van Morrison and so on.
I payed a higher price than most of the other reviewers, but this guitar is worth each penny. With the original electronics this guitar sounds better than most Guilds and as good as most Gretsches, but with the modifications it sounds like a 5000$ guitar.

My T-400 is in fabulous Tennessee Orange. I bought it used, Mint condition for just $600 including it's DeArmond hsc. The Korean builders can be extremely proud of what they've accomplished with this guitar at asuch an unbelivably low price!

I started playing in high school back in 1963. This guitar NAILS the classic rockabilly tones from the 50/60's and yet will kill on songs like "Taking Care of Business", "All Right Now", etc.

As far as effects, I usually use a little reverb/delay out of my BOSS RV-3 pedal. For Rockabilly I use this same pedal set for straight slapback echo and it just sounds fantastic!

For overdrive I use a stock TS-9 reissue. For Chorus I use a BOSS CH-1 Super Chorus, and for Tremolo I use a BOSS TR-1 pedal.

Vintage tone does not get any better than this REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU PAY!

The action was a little too low (remember, I bought this guitar used) and so I had a pro setup done on it by Super Tech Gary Brawer in San Francisco. Not a buzz in it now and yet the action is very low and the guitar is extremely playable.

The quality of build was absolutely excellent. GREAT tigr striping on the back! I noticed no flaws and all switches & pickups performed flawlessly.

I played about two dozen gigs with this guitar now and it just KILLS! Others have mentioned weakness in the tuners and nut, but I've experienced no such problems. No need to carry a backup guitar when you have this axe.

Have had no problems with this guitar so I've never had reason to call customer support.

This is the most phenomenal value in an electric guitar I have ever seen. And I've been playing since 1963.

I have owned many Pre CBS Strats and Teles over the years as well as some nice Gretschs and Gibson 335's. My current stash includes the new Eric Johnson Strat and several Fender Custom Shop instruments. all are very nice instruments, but the T-400 is the one I gig with 9 out of 10 times because it SOUNDS SO GOOD!

Correction on the pickups: the DeArmond 2ks on this guitar are NOT copies of the early Gretsch/Guild/Harmony Rowe DeArmond 200s (known today as Gretsch DynaSonics). Rather, they are a fatter-sounding design not exactly like a P90, but in that direction (they have bar magnets under the steel polepieces, unlike the original DeArmonds/DynaSonics).

If you want it to sound like Duane's guitar(s), you need to substitute either DeArmond 2000s (not the same as 2ks) or DynaSonics. Both of those pickups have individual AlNiCo magnets for polepieces.

(Bill Turner, the designer of both of the modern Fender DeArmond pickups, was under the impression that the T-400 came equipped with 2000s, not 2ks, as well he might).

Early 2000's model. Made by DeArmond, a division of Guild. Tennessee orange! Sweetest color for a thin hollowbody. Color gives it VIBE! This was made before Guild was bought by Fender, who then discontinued because (rumor) these nice guitars cut into the sales of higher end Guilds. Two sweet single coils -- this ain't no Epiphone thing, but a very nice, well done guitar. Maple flamed. Big honkin' hollowbody! Thin enough to play though. The best kind of hollowbody - thinner. Not like playing a school bus -- it has a great fit and feel. Double volumes, double tone knobs, PLUS(!) an overall volume knob (ala some of the vintage Gretsch guitars). These DeArmond single coils are what Eddie Cochran and so many others in the 50's used, old blues, old country, etc.

Sweetest guitar in my arsenal. I have a Japanese Fender Telecaster, a USA one, a USA Fat Strat, and a Danelectro Mod 6. Sorry Fender, this DeArmond sounds so much nicer than your flagship guitars. Sweet tone -- clean yet full and rich. Nails rockabilly, blues, toned down jazz. Rocks, too.

Fantastic finish and fit. No problems. Better than a Gretsch Tennessean I had a couple of years ago. This was, I think, the best built of the DeArmonds (along with the X155). Better made than some of the USA Gibsons hollowbodies that I have seen. Amazing for a guitar under $1000.

Solid as a rock. Not at all feable like some of the Epiphones and Gibsons I have seen. Built much like a Gretsch -- but doesn't come with the Gretsch price tag!

Fender does a nice job -- at the dealer level. I never needed to call them for any help. Just found a good dealer who they work with. Never a problem.

Run, don't walk to your nearest store if you see this one in stock. There aren't any left and this is the DeArmond (along with the X155) to get. Far exceeds the quality and finish of any Epiphone I have seen and much more guitar for the money than a Gibson or Gretsch. I think this guitar will continue to grow in legacy as a fantastic guitar that was under $1000. Just amazing. Sounds so very sweet, and ultimately, that is the true reason for any of this!

I have no idea when this was made, nor where.
Style: Hollow Body Electric
Body: Figured Maple
Neck: Maple/Walnut
Frets: 20
Scale: 24 3/4"
Pickups: Two 2K Alnico S/S setup
Controls: Two Volume, Two Tone, Master Volume
Finish: Natural (transparent)
Bridge: Roll-A-Matic (Bigsby knockoff)
Bound Body
Came with a case

I think that for what this guitar is, the features match well.

I'm not going to assign a number here (yet). I may when I update my review in a few months. This is just an inital impression.

To give some background, I play mostly extreme metal (death/thrash), but sometimes a guy wants a different sound. Especially since taking lessons from a Jazz guy, I've been wanting a hollowbody, but nothing seemed to fit. I The guitars were either not resonant, too bright/dark sounding, or outrageously priced (Hi Gretsch!).

I made a monthly stop at a store, and saw this hanging up. I gave it a try unplugged. I was impressed. It had a really open sound to it, and it wasn't accoustically dead (Hi Gibson 335!). That's probably due the wide body, even though it's narrow. It played well, and seemed to have good construction. I couldn't find any faults with it.

I decided that rather than buy on the impulse, I'd wait a week and see if it was still there. If it was, I'd plug it in and see if I liked it still.

The next week I went to the store again, and plugged into a Fender tube amp (Deluxe maybe?). I liked the sound even more plugged in. I could get everything from Jazz to folksy sounding chickin' pickin' to rootsy rock. There wasn't a bad sound on the guitar. The pickups weren't too bright or too dark (a common problem with neck pickups). The master volume was good for increasing/decreasing the sound without affecting the overall balance between the pickups.

The pickups are a bit noisy, but since they are true single coils, it's to be expected. I eliminated most of the noise by using both coils. You can turn the volume down on one pickup and still get sound from the other, so that you get noise cancellation while having a sound that's predominantly from one pickup.

After months of looking, I'd finally found something that I really liked. So I bought it.

This guitar is fine for clean playing, maybe mild distortion. It isn't really suited for heavier styles.

It will feedback at increased volumes, like all hollowbodies. C'est la vie.

Along with the sound, I also looked very closely at Action/Fit/Finish. The action is very very low (much like my Carvin). The neck seemed to be straight, the finish was even and well applied, this is when I noticed how beautiful it really was.

I found 2 major flaws:

-One of the wires had solder burns on it (I was an electronics tech in the Military, and know what this looks like).

-One of the fret block inlays was damaged like someone had punctured it.

I suspect the wiring was at the time of manufacture, but I don't know about the inlay. I would think it was the previous owner(s) that probably did the damage there.

There was also a bit of scuffing on the pickguard, but that's normal if a guitar has been used.

The cord jack nut keeps coming loose, which means I may have to use a wrench on it. Not a show stopper.

I don't use the whammy much, so I don't have anything to say about it, except that it didn't knock me out of tune very much if at all.

I'm a tall guy, and I want to give props for the large, narrow body on this thing. Finally a guitar for the rest of us.

I don't know at this point. Everything seems to be solid for the most part. Everything else is fine.

Don't know.

I've been playing for 15 years now, and have a few other guitars. This one fills a particular mission and gives me a sound that I don't have with my other guitars. It's also nice for practicing/jamming without plugging in.

This guitar is good for less abrasive styles of music. You should be able to do just about anything else on this guitar.

My guitar teacher really liked this too. He's been playing for well over 40 years now, and he had fun playing oldies and jazz on it. It also worked for clean intro work like Opeth's "Face of Melinda" and Metallica's "Welcome home/Sanitarium". My roommates (the ones that play guitar) all like it too.

I would recommend a T-400 to anyone who was looking for a good hollowbody at a reasonable price. If you can find one. Forget Epiphone/Turser/Ibanez junk and find one of these. You won't be disappointed.

DeArmond T-400 in Tennessee Orange with no case. New old stock Korean guitar with black DeArmond 2K's. For you Guild guys out there - this is almost an exact copy of the original late 50's Guild DE-500 Duane Eddy Model - complete with Bigsby and DeArmond 2K's. It has a thinline hollow laminate maple body and a poly finish. I agree that the nut and tuners leave a lot to be disired, but the Bigsby feels good and exactly like my other Bigsbys (Bigsby's do tend to be inconsistent, I agree). The T-400 has the Duane Eddy style master volume on the lower cutout. Better guitar for the money than a $3000 Japanese Gretsch. I guess pretty much all new production guitars have the thick poly finish (durable, but muffles the sound and feels sticky).

The 2K's nail the Duane Eddy rockabilly tone perfectly. I have TV Jones TVTrons my other Guilds, and I like these just as well - especially on the low end which sounds P-90ish. I play traditional rockabilly and honky tonk music (Johnny Horton, Gene Vincent, etc.) Why buy a new Gretsch unless you want it to say "Gretsch" on the headstock and have too much money to spend? This guitar is amazingly well-made. I suppose the Koreans have had enough time to get the production process down.

Great action, nice frets, nice finish, nut is cheap. Haven't had problems with the bridge except that I hate the non-fixed type (very hard to keep in tune). I'll probably have the bridge pinned down and will replace the nut with a Graphtech. Might replace the bridge and tuners but will leave them for now.

Very well-made. Should make Gibson ashamed (I owned a horrible Memphis-made ES-135 that wasn't half as well-made).

Fender dropped the DeArmond line, but will still help out with questions. Many of the old DeArmonds are now the same guitar under the Fender Squire Series 24 label (also well-made). Very hard to find a case for if you don't have one. I'm having one made by Datt Cases.

I've been playing for 30 years. I play this guitar through a ho-made tweed Bassman and a Reverend Drivetrain II Overdrive with a little slapback from an old Ibanez unit. This is truly a working man's Gretsch. Wish it had a better nut and tuners, but that can be easily fixed (what do you want for this price?). Great guitar for the money.

20-fret, archtop, 2xvolume/2xtone knobs with a master volume knob, 3-way tone selector, 1994 vintage, 2x passive DeArmond white 2ks, flamed maple, single cutaway, non-locking tuners, fat-frets (maybe 9.5cm) and nice case.

"Roots-rock." Pre-CBS Fender Bassman (piggyback) w/NOS TongSol and Sylvania tubes, Cardas (speaker), George L (misc. effect boxes), Two-Rock Crystal Clear (instument)cabling; vintage Jensen AlNiCo 50w speakers w/bell cones. At a minimum you must replace the bridge (mine is melita), probably the nut (rec. fossilized Mastodon tusk) next time you see a luthier. Pick-ups remain the big question: the DeArmond 2Ks will "twang" for days but provide low output, therefore do not break-up until higher volume settings - above room level - I'm replacing the bridge pick-up to a TV Jones Classic filtertron as my mainstain is rocka/psycobilly and leaving the D2K neck pick-up in place for now. Very warm, clear and broad sound but with minimal sustain. Analog effects work well; try to stay away from digital effects or you will suffer considerable tone drop and wash (mainly due to amp configuration). Country, rockabilly, swing-jazz and blues players should feel very comfortable with sonic-performance; non-roots players need to shop in another market.

Low action, well-set, fast and comfortable player (I generally prefer wide necks, i.e. 9.5 as opposed to 7.5cm scale). Finish is a little sticky and it's more challenging when hopping around the 12th-20th frets. The tone knobs look o.k. but create effort in adjusting; however, not a must for mod to, i.e., old Gretsch arrow or tele-style knobs unless you are a pseudo-B3 organ player in the likes of Danny Gatton. Finish is georgeous Tenessee orange with wonderfully flamed maple on back - you will look cool even next to the other band's axe-slinger with Gretsch White Falcon. Very reminiscent of a Gretsch 6120 with slimmer body width - Bottom line: big, cool guitar.

Very reliable, well-made guitar that should last a lifetime if properly cared for. Do nothing to mark up finish (i.e. belt buckle) or you will diminish worth and nostalgia of this guitar -- keep her looking mint. Strap buttons are worthy (still I've replaced with strap-locks as I like to jump around) and jacks are fine and durable. This is definately a stage player but without a Buzz-Feiten tuning system (as with most any guitar) you want another axe sitting next to your amp stack.

Not made anymore - see a professional luthier for any mods (not much needed) or repairs.

I've been playing 20 years and I've removed myself from the arena-rock nostalgia for my roots - and it is cool - splendid axe for surf, post-punk, rocka-psychobilly, swing jazz and blues with some chick'n-pick'n. She'll be on stage with me as a sidecar to the the Gretsch '56 silver-jet. New players can not find a better overall guitar for this price - sure would be sad if I lost her.