M75 Aristocrat versus Gretsch Pro Jet?

[BoneDigger]

I realize this is a Guild forum and as such people lean that way. I am not looking for a this is better than that discussion. I simply would like to know how these two guitars vary in terms of tone and playability. I already own an older Pro Jet gold top. It's the one with Mahogany back and sides and Bigsby. I upgraded the pickups on it to some from Guitar Fetish and I must say that the old girl sounds quite good.

But, I am generally a Guild guy. I own quite a few Guild acoustics and electrics, including a X175-B and a Star Fire IV and a few American made dreads. My local shop has a M75 Aristocrat, which I gather is a close clone to the Bluesbird of old. My dilemma is I can buy the M75 for a good price, but I'm not sure it will really be an upgrade over what I already have. The Guild seems a little more "airy" in general and has better acoustic qualities when played unplugged. It's also lighter. Aside from that, I'm not sure I would really be wise in investing $800 in a new guitar.

So, have any of your compared side by side the Pro Jet and the M75 Aristocrat? If so, what were your impressions? I am also going to ask this at the Gretsch forum and see what they have to say as well.

Todd

 

[Quantum Strummer]

Well, the Pro Jet is a semi-hollow guitar while the Aristocrat (a repro of the original, pre-Bluesbird M-75) is fully hollow. I wouldn't consider either one to be an upgrade over the other. They're quite different animals, even more so given that your Pro Jet is fitted with a Bigsby. You don't mention which GFS pickups you've installed…they'll have a big impact on how close (or far) your guitar is tonally to the Aristocrat when plugged in. Do you play at high enough volumes for feedback to become an issue? If so a hollowbody guitar might not be the better choice.

-Dave-

 

[BoneDigger]

The pickups I bought were the Guitar Fetish H82 and H83 Alnico III surface mount. Here is a link:

http://www.guitarfetish.com/GFS-NYIII-Alnico-Surface-Mount-Humbucker-Neck-Position_p_327.html

Todd

 

[Walter Broes]

Even if I put my Guild bias aside for a minute, the M75 is a much nicer guitar. Very different guitar too : a Gretsch projet is pretty much a solid body, very Les Paul-like (it IS chambered, but really only for weight relief, and usually still on the heavy side despite the chambering), an M75 really is a mini-archtop. In sound too, sustain wise it's more on the archtop side. The pickups are much hotter than on any original M75 I ever played, but I think for most people that would be a good thing. Otherwise, in feel as well as looks, I think it's probably the Newark Street guitar that is closest to a Hoboken-made original, very impressive for the money.

 

[dbirchett]

Here is a demo of the M75 by Billy D Light, demoing against his original from the 50s.

 

[BoneDigger]

Thanks everyone. I'm still considering my options.

 

[Guildadelphia]

From a very broad/generic perspective, IMO the Guild NS Street guitars are a step above the Gretsch Electromatic Series in overall quality (the Electromatics are still very well made quality bang for the buck guitars). The Guild NS Series guitars land somewhere in between the MIK Gretsch Electromatics and the MIJ Gretsch Pro Series guitars.

 

[BoneDigger]

Well, I ended up test driving both my Pro Jet and the M75. The M75 was awesome, but I felt it was to close to my other Guilds and actually liked my Pro Jet more in this instance due to it sounding "different" from my Guilds. It had a little more sustain, which I wanted. I also thought the M75 was a little too bright. But, let there be no doubt, the M75 is a great guitar!

Todd

 

[powerwagonjohn]

I had a professional series Gretsch Duo Jet but with the Dynasonics made in japan and it was a very nice guitar with great sound and played great but after playing a 1960 duo Jet there was no comparison. After playing an older Guild Aristocrat and the new Korean built ones I would have to agree the Guild is closer to the original in sound. Between the two I would pick the reproduction Dynas over the repro. Franzes, I think more versatility. Then again I didn't get a chance to live with the Aristocrat. There is a used aristocrat on the local Craig's list for $650.00 so I should try one to be sure. The Duo Jet went back to the store, to me there was no magic.
Thanks John

 

[Guildadelphia]

Besides what happens to wood over the years and the amount of chambering which effects tone, the biggest difference between vintage Gretsch Jets w/ Dynas and the new one's are the Dyna's. The vintage Dyna's are generally wound much hotter than the modern MIJ versions. The current MIJ Dyna's are wound at around 7K vs most vintage examples which can be anywhere from 8K to 14K with most coming in around 10K to 12K. Modern Gretsch Dyna Jets can get much closer to vintage tone when upgraded with Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Dyna's or TV Jones T'Armonds. FMIC/Cordoba/Guild has done a nice job with the Newark St line with the pu's (except the mini-bucker bridge pu). It could have been cheaper and easier to just slapped vintage style covers on generic Asian made pu's but they went the extra mile and made the effort to try and really reproduce the vintage pu's.

 

[powerwagonjohn]

I would clarify my comments by stating I always evaluate a guitar by playing it with out plugging it in first. If it sounds good unplugged it will most likely sound good plugged in. If not, that can be fixed with pick up or electrical changes. And I will have a Gretsch some day.
Thanks John