Grosh Guitars Electratone

This is a very straightforward guitar with nothing added that does not conribute to the sound which in my opinion, demonstrates real genius on Don's part. The other descriptions have covered the features of this guitar soI won't go into great detail about that. I'm not sure what the vintage of the guitar is- the number on the neck plate is GE016 which looks like that makes it an early version since I have read that there were only 150 made.
This one is a purple laminate top with a thick cream-colored spatter finish on the back and sides. The pickups are P-90's which with their cream-colored covers, set off the cream back. Very attractive in a funky, distinctive sort of way.
The neck is a bolt-on with a very smooth satin finish that is very comfortable to play and the fret job is one of the best I have seen.
I give this a 10 for features because I have come to appreciate economy in a guitar's design and I can't think of anything you could add to make it appreciably better.

I picked this up on a whim from Sam Ash where it was sitting in a corner all dusty and neglected. It looked so funky that I picked it up to strum with no intention of purchasing. Within a few runs up and down the neck, I was thinking "wait a minute". I could not believe how nice the neck felt and how balanced and resonant the guitar was unamplified. I plugged it into a small Fender Princton that happened to be nearby and within 5 minutes knew I had to take it home. I have only had this for 2 days and cannot put it down! I have played tons of guitars and have quite a collection of my own and I have to say this is one impressive guitar. The thing is dead quiet, all the controls work smoothly and solidly. Did I say the neck is a dream?
The sound is perfectly balanced with a nice single-coil spank that is very appealing. I have a long-term love affair with P-90's going back to the 60's when I had a friend that had an Epiphone Casino that I coveted. I have always loved the sound of this style pickup when set up correctly. They have just enough weight to be taken seriously when pushed into a nicely distorted amp and when played clean, have a crystalline clarity that with the combination of the semi-hollow body and the single-coils just is devastating.
If you lust after this kind of sound I can not imagine that you would be disapointed with this guitar.

I have no idea how or when this guitar was last set up and whether or not it came this way from the factory. All I can say is it is rare where I buy a guitar and not find the need to tweak something to my liking. Other than a good scrubbing to get the dust and accumulated dirt off the neck and body, this guitar was perfectly set up. Allowing for the modest materials that the guitar is made from, the workmanship and finsh are first-rate. Everything about the guitar speaks care and craftsmanship. This is definately a case where the whole is much greater than the sum of the parts.
Did I say the neck was fantastic? I have larger hands and to me, this neck feels just right. The neck has a large radius and is medium thin in profile. There are medium-large frets that are dressed to perfection. A good visual check of a neck dress is to sight the sides down the length of the neck from the body to the headstock and then the fretboard in the same way. I am telling you, there are many very expensive guitars that do not have straighter necks or the absolute lack of high spots across the frets. This is a supurb neck and fret job! That is the first thing that grabbed me and keeps me coming back for more. This is so comfortable to play, the intonation is spot-on and the feel is so smooth that this guitar just begs to be played. Really nice!

This thing is a tank! It's made like a kitchen counter for crissakes! You could probably use it for a cutting board in a pinch and not hurt the playability of the guitar. Not that anyone would, of course. But you get the feeling that this is a solid workhorse instrument that would not let you down. This is due, in part, to the simplicity of the design. There is little to break or fail since there is nothing on this guitar that could be considered a frill. As I said before, there is nothing on the guitar but the necessities and the materials quality is such that you can gig with confidence. This is a study in "form following function".

Don't know. Never called but I would assume that since Don is a smaller builder they pick up the phone and talk to their customers.

I have been playing for about 40 years and have played nearly every kind of guitar made. I personally own over 40 guitars and am getting pretty selective as I get older. I have examples of nearly all the guitars I have lusted after since I was a kid as well as others because they interested me for one reason or another. Having said that, I can say with absolute certainty that this guitar is going to have no trouble holding it's own against some very stellar company. The best word I can come up with to describe this guitar is "balance". It just seems to be that rare combination of character, economy of execution and cool factor that really appeals to me at this stage in my playing career.
Having stumbled into an acquaintance with Grosh guitars through this instrument, I am really thinking about another more upscale instrument from Grosh. Perhaps one of his set-neck guitars.
If this were lost or stolen I am certain I would attempt to find another. Given the limited availability of this model that could be a challenge indeed. Do yourself a favor and seek out one of these guitars and prepare to be enchanted.

1999 NAMM Show guitar. Produced in So. Calofornia. This is Don's spin on the Danelectro, but the quality is obviously far superior. This is a Tele-style body with two Kent Armstrong Lipstick pickups. No Pickguard and the body is completely finished in cool Black Sparkle. Controls are very straight forward (vol., tone, and three position switch. Maple Neck (1 5/8th nut, 6105's, medium roundback), rosewood fingerboard, Kluson tunners, and a hard tail/through-body bridge.This guitar isn't supposed to be a "Super Guitar" with tons of bells and whistles. So my rating for this category is based on quality of the features it has.

Well....it's really twangy. The hollow aspect, and tone with respect to that feature give this guitar a really great voice for rhythm playing. I play regularly with a Zydeco band and this has become my chosen instrument for that gig. I run it through a small Fender tube combo. It sounds a lot like a Tele, and somewhat like a jazz-box (okay..let's say if the two were to marry, their kids might sound....)

I purchased this guitar as "New Old Stock". It had been on the wall for a while. My other two Grosh Guitars came set up from the factory and they were great. This one needed a little tweaking just because it had been around a while. I have to say this isn't too buig of a concern for me. I play heavy strings and have to set-up my guitars in most cases anyway. So I got it home and set it up. Super!!!

Gigged with it. No Problems. Don only makes good product. This is an easy one. Nobody does it better.......

I'm going to be kind of tough here. I sent Don a couple e-mails and never heard back from him. I prefer to do the e-mail thing as it allows him the ability to respond when he has time and doesn't take him out of the shop. So that wasn't the greatest considering it was a pretty simple request. Anyhoo, I like Don and his staff and feel that if I had a really major issue, I could count on them.

Love It!!!! Fantastic!!!! Don makes the Best Electric Guitars on the planet.

This is as the previous reviewer described it Don Grosh's lower end model. I don't think he's making it anymore, or so I was told, but I really don't know why. Mine is a telebody shape in purple(hence the name "Purple Monster" with a beige laminate back and beige P-90's. The electronics are simple-a three way toggle and one volume and tone knob. Knobs are very responsive. Tone is really tone. Tuners are locking(never really knew how important that was 'til I got them. The neck is mahogany and it is sublime in its feel. The sliding and bending capability are incredible. For the bluesy player you can easily go up a step with the push of a finger and it responds with the questionmark ending. The neck is slim so for someone with relatively small hands like myself it fits perfectly. The body is carved out so it does have a chamber underneath the mica.

The sound is great. Knobs are very responsive in tone and volume. I'm currently using a 20yr old Yamaha, but I'm looking into a new tube amp. There is nothing about this instrument that I can say I dislike. I've been playing on and off for almost thirty years. I took a 15 year hiatus and only really got back into it about a year ago. I had a chance to finally play with some other guitarists recently and I was shocked at how good the guitar made me sound. It let me go to places I had never been before.

The action as stated before is unbelievable. My action is set kinda low so I buzz a little from time to time, but I think that sounds sexy. I recently tried a RetroClassic while I was trying out an amp and the neck was identical in feel. There is no breaking in required. It's like an old baseball glove that fits just right. Before buying my Grosh I had tried G&L's, Gibsons, Gretsch's, Fenders, and even some names I hadn't heard of. They all played and sounded well. But when I got my Grosh in the mail I knew I had hit upon something special. After I got it and I went back to the others, I was amazed at how poorly they felt to my taste. I'm glad I didn't rush into buying. The guitar needed some intonation set up when I got it, but a set up and a change of new strings is always in order. It also came with a harshell case, very nice indeed.

I think this is it. I don't see a need for anything else. Everything looks and feels great. Everything looks very solid and first class. It'll probably be easy to maintain since it has a mica and laminate exterior. Don says I just need to use Pledge to clean it.

Customer support was outstanding. I got it from Fat Sound and everyone was a great help before I purchased it, after I purchased it, and months later when I had some questions. I got extremely lucky in my choice. I bought it through the web, which is very chancy for something so important sight/sound unseen. I have no regrets and only compliments. If you're looking for something they have, give them a call. They were first rate. Because it was being discontinued it was a "blow-out" purchase. Boy did I get lucky.

Previous to this guitar Id owned a Gibson 175 and a Yamaha SA2000. Both of which I sold during my cold turkey hiatus. I even had an Epiphone Regency (ES125) for a short while. But this is the guitar for me. If it got stolen I'd definitely but it again if I could find it. If I could afford it, I'd probably upgrade to his Custom SemiHollow or Hollow body. They're both beauties. If you're looking for a guitar neck to die for call Don Grosh at his website. It's a must. I've been taking this guitar around as I'm searching for a complimentary amp and everyone who has tried it has marveled at its look and its feel. Boy do I love my "Purple Monster"

The Electratone is the low end of Don Grosh's line of hand made guitars. That is the only thing low about this instrument. Since I have gotten it, I have sold my Gibsons and Fenders. There is no comparison. It stays in tune, sounds great, is light and resonant and it consistently brings out the best in my playing. It is definitely worth the base price of $1195 (subject to dealer discount-shop around).
I first got a P-90 equipped Electatone. In case you are not familiar with this instrument, it has a Tele body shape, is hollow and has the laminate features of a Danelectro. The finish is Goldtop. The tuners are locking, but look just like those vintage tuners that don't stay in tune. It is a hard tail with a three way switch for the P-90s model and a five way switch for the SSS pickup configuration (the other Grosh I recently acquired). The SSS are Dimarzio Virtual Vintage. There is plenty of quack and tone but no noise. Now when I gig, it doesn't sound like a beehive. The neck is a Fender style with the comfort of a "vintage" guitar. It has a minimal finish on it. The fret work is outstanding and that is an understatement. The SSS model blends in the neck or bridge pickup, depending on the selector switch setting, with the second tone control. This is very effective for getting variations in tone.

These guitars sound excellent!!! Any amp, from a 53'Deluxe to an Ampeg Jet RI, Deluxe Reverb, etc. sound great. I use a Boss OD-3, a Vox Valvetone, or a tube screamer only if necessary to get sustain at low volume. The variety of sounds from both instruments provides an extensive sound palette. Whenever I perform with either instrument, I am always asked, "What is that guitar? It really sounds good!" I like everything about these instruments.

Both guitars were set up perfectly for pickup balance and fretboard action. The finishes (Goldtop and Fiesta Red, respectively) were superb. All hardware is of the highest quality.

These guitars are all I play live anymore. The finish and hardware are of the highest quality. I would hate to ever be without my Grosh.

Don and his associate Mike are extremely helpful concerning any aspect of their instruments. They were both totally approachable and friendly. I don't anticipate any problems with my Groshes, but I know Don stands behind his work if I should have any.

I have been playing for 35 years. I play blues now, but played rock and blues rock in the past. I can only recommend this instrument to anyone who likes Fender type instruments, but wants a consistent player guitar that feels and sounds great. I