- Home
- About SoloDallas
- Tutorials & How Tos
- Gear Reviews
- Performance Videos
- SoloDallas Blog
- Latest updates
- Re-release of the older videos: How to Play The Jack by AC/DC
- Re-release of the older videos: How to Play Jailbreak by AC/DC
- Re-release of the older videos: How to play Hell’s Bells by AC/DC
- How it all started: The history of the SVDS
- Re-release of the older videos: How to Play C.O.D. by AC/DC – Guitar lession
- Re-release of the older videos: AC/DC’s Highway to Hell – Guitar lession
- Re-release of the older videos: AC/DC’s High Voltage – Guitar lession
- Re-release of the older videos: Gone shootin’ – Guitar lession
- Re-release of the older videos: You shook me all night long
- Re-release of the older videos: Riff Raff
- Re-release of the older videos: If you want blood (you’ve got it)
- Re-release of the older videos: Back in Black full live version
- Science Proof That Adults Can Too Learn At Any Age To Play Guitar (and many more things)…?
- Update on the SVDS Replica: Production started!
- Happy Birthday, Fil!
The Metro Session: 1963 Gretsch Firebird
Hi my rockin' friend.
Sorry, you have to register to see me do this one!
If you have already registered, please login.
Cheers, SD
| Print article | This entry was posted by SoloDallas on September 29, 2010 at 11:05 am, and is filed under Amplifier Reviews, Gear Reviews, Guitar Reviews, Premium, reviews. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. |
about 11 months ago
1:59 Fil looks like he’s in another world or something!
about 1 year ago
Is this the guitar Malcolm plays with? Is it best to buy the Malcolm Young Signature Gretsch or to buy a Jet Firebird?
P.S. I love the Gretsch-tone a lot!! Amazing tone!! You nailed it!!
about 1 year ago
The exact one. I wouldn’t bother with an original Firebird, they’re basically museum pieces now.
I’ve only seen two on ebay this year.
I wouldn’t go for the signature or any signature for that matter, either. It wouldn’t feel ‘right’ playing someone else’s guitar.
about 1 year ago
I know what you mean, I dont feel like signature guitars are worth much.
I’d buy just a double cutaway from their website and personalize it to your own specs. I just bought a 5248t that Im going to put TV Jones Classics in.
about 1 year ago
Yep, good plan. I’m contemplating doing that to my Duo-Jet.
Not sure if I should leave it as is, the sound is good already.
Trying to find a Cadillac tailpiece to put on it too. Like on Mal’s White falcon.
about 1 year ago
Yeah, if anything worries me about the guitar, its the tailpiece. I’d rather just put a stopbar in their rather than have a trem, but the whole thing seems to stay in tune decently.
about 1 year ago
I looked around for a vintage one and decided just to make my own. Took a used blonde MYII ($700), moved the switches and knobs around to where they felt/looked right to me, added a standby switch, and swapped all the hardware/tuners to gold + bigsby+ TV jones and some roundwound 12′s. Oh yeah, then had it painted Red/Black. Still came in way less than a vintage one (about 2K- a lot of that was the paint). I had a lot of the parts from other builds and now I can play it hard dont have to worry about breaking/losing a 48 year old guitar. I can always make another one.
I dont know if I can post a pic, but Ill try.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23004561@N00/5444282768/
about 1 year ago
You sir, are a gentleman, scholar, and genius. That looks absolutely gorgeous. Lord, I wish I could do something that looks so professional.
You have my eternal respect.
about 1 year ago
Thanks, It was a lot of work, but since I did most of it myself (except the paint), it was a labor of love. I played a few new jets and the switches really get in the way and you cant reach the knobs. I have no idea why Gretsch moved them there. IMO the bigsby is much more useable than the Burns, which goes out of tune and you need to route a big hole in the body. Mine looks really close to a 67 (sans patina) which I used as as model. I also changed out the signature truss rod cover. I feel weird playing a “signature model”. Having a son named Malcolm is bad enough
I had a lot of problems with tuning until I put graphite on the nut and changed to a brass compensated bridge. Now tuning is not a problem. I think the TV jones classics blow away the stock FTs in output and twang.
Steve
about 1 year ago
Yeah, I absolutely love my TVJ classic plus. I need to move it a tad bit closer to the strings, but the sound is just wonderful. I’d love to see more pictures if you have them–
jyergert@gmail.com
about 1 year ago
Here is a Hi-Res shot of the front. Back and neck is jet black- not much to see.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23004561@N00/5446845006/
BTW- Great playing SoloDallas!!! As usual. I’d love to hear what your amp settings were on your original “Its a long way to the top…” video. You nailed it. The heavy strings (12′s) are a must, but are a killer on your fingers when you play lead- especially the wound G!
about 1 year ago
That’s a killer guitar. I have a single pup malcolm young. Would love to have mine like yours ! Did you just took out the studs from the badass, and put a floating bridge on it? Doesn’t it move when you strike ‘m hard?
And how does it affected the tone?
cheers !
about 1 year ago
Im gonna try this one last time- sorry if youre getting multiple replies. Yes I took out the studs and dowelled them/patched the holes. With 12s, the bridge is not going anywhere. Thats a lot of tension holding it in place. With 9′s, it should be pegged in place. The brass compensated bridge really affects the tone (in a good way). Its really chimey and the ebony bridge base transfers the energy to the top very efficiently. The space control bridge (original) is not a very good bridge design, but it is nice in that you can align the strings over the PU pole positions. Also with the floating bridge base and compensated bridge, you can really dial in the intonation. The badass bridge sounded like ass to me.
Oh yeah, for good measure, I added a little violin rosin on the bottom of the ebony bridge mount. It stays put.
about 1 year ago
About that new bridge… Any problems with radius missmatch the fretboard? -Did you re:connect ground wire from the old bridge? Thanks man!
about 1 year ago
The difference between the compton compensated bridge and the fretboard is pretty negligable. The d and g strings mightbbe a hair higher, but i doubt you would be able to notice it. He could probably make one for you dead flat if you asked him.
Steve
about 1 year ago
To answer your question more completely, I compared the fretboard vs the bridge and they appear to be spot on. My friend has a jet with a space control bridge which is totally flat. I would think that would be considered a miss-match. I think they get around it by using different sized saddles, but thats not as precise as a machined bridge. Probably doesnt make that much difference. No, I didnt ground the bridge since I filled the holes. I grounded the Bigsby by drilling one of the mounting screws all the way through with a tiny bit, ran the ground wire through it from within and the screw makes the connection with the tailpiece. No issues so far (about 6 months). I actually forgot to do this when I first mounted the Bigsby (when doing the mock up and dry fitting everything prior to paint). It was noisy as sin. If I ever decide to pin the bridge, I may ground it by drilling through the top, through the bridge base and around the height adjuster screws. But thats probably overkill.
Steve
about 1 year ago
Hey Fil, great vid.
I was wondering if you could play some lead licks on the Gretch (after all, its not just a guitar for rhythm guitarists) for those of us considering it as THE instrument.
Cheers,
Jimmi.
about 1 year ago
I will Jimmi. The fact is that this guitar is strung with 12s, and they are though! Still, I love to play it, and more videos will come with this one showing its tone. Its tone, however, is pretty much this one, very distinctive and different.
about 1 year ago
Hey Fil,
I have a friend who has offered to sell his modified Malcolm Signature 2 pickup model guitar. He has Filtertron Pat#2892371 Vintage pickups installed instead of the original pickups. The output is lower than my other guitar but cranked up it sounds very good. He plays live alot and used this as his backup. He only wants $750 for it. Feels good and sounds good. Good Deal?
about 1 year ago
Chuck: GO now! Fil
about 1 year ago
Got it. Thanks for the reinforcement. He is a good friend and gave me a great deal on it. He plays for Broken Spurs, an unsigned local band. They actually opened for AC\DC when they were in Kentucky last year. Hope they get signed soon, they really rock the old school way. Thanks again,
Chuck
about 1 year ago
Posted the Gretsch on a utube video. Just jammin over a riff I came up with. Played Riff with the gretsch and a Yahmaha SBG200 for lead. Take it easy Fil.
Chuck
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqzmzDpdnMo
about 1 year ago
Fil, I find it interesting how hard it is – near impossible – to master the opening riff to If you want blood. I’ve seen very few nail it. Malcolm just hits it like no one else.
Jailbreak’s similar too.
Be interesting to hear this guitar on your new JMP’s.
about 1 year ago
This is magic! (AC/DC statement?
)
about 1 year ago
godd i love that guitar! sounds amazingg, pure vintage rock
about 1 year ago
Just a great sound, and the camera audio gives a good impression how it sounds there.
The Gretsch sound is very impressive. Did you do another one with the Marshall?
about 1 year ago
YAAAAAY i’ve been hoping to hear you pick the firebird back up n jam, i love jets especialy the vintage ones, i know this would be hard to believe….but that sounds like my les paul jr right now all i use is a fender frontman 15G without reverb its got some kind of humbucker on it that gives out half output like a filtertron i hightened the top three pole piece screws and hightened the last three pole piece slugs now it sounds like a gretsch its currently my number one (SG special would be my number one but im customizing it)
about 1 year ago
Great hair -But needs tighter, bouncier twang! Seems like no one these days are even close to that “Blood” intro -Except from Mal of course… with his magic axe!
about 1 year ago
Sorry man, might be that bad camera vs the invironment!
about 1 year ago
True that. What I really wanted off of all of these videos was to let you hear how these things really sound. To get that tone that you heard on record, you need first off to set up the amp settings better (and I haven’t here, too short on time), then you need a way better guitar signal path (more processed) plus a great post processing and mastering. Not easy to make those GREAT AC/DC tones they got on those albums back then, is it?
about 1 year ago
Oh man, very true. Sorry for being a little picky, haha. I am of course, truly happy about you sharing tones from the very original instruments -with a skill. Let’s keep tweakin’ !
about 1 year ago
Do NOT be sorry, you are right! This is just a “test”. You have no idea how many of these I am going to do, documenting all the recording process and trying to find the correct equalization and compression settings to make it sound like the record. Which is essentially, the core purpose of this site: live experimentation and documentation in front of you all. It’s fun and – hopefully – useful!
about 1 year ago
YES! I couldnt wait to see this one!
about 1 year ago
This Gretsch would be cool with a third PU
about 1 year ago
A lot of people have been waiting for this one, myself included. What a sound !!!!!!!
What gauge strings are on it, 10′s? or are they the ‘ships cables’ that Malcolm uses?
about 1 year ago
Im glad you like it Rob despite the lower quality audio.
12s Rob! Like Malcolm’s.
about 1 year ago
It’s pretty groovin, and the audio’s not half bad either!