Gibson Country Gentleman Help

**Pothcra** · 03-29-2011, 09:28 AM

Hi everyone,

I've been looking for a 335-style guitar for a while now. I would like a guitar that's very versatile, allowing me to play fingerpicking, rock AND jazz. The jazz part, obviously, is very important.

I have a good deal on a 1988 Gibson Country Gentleman custom shop, but it's far from my house, so I would really like to get feedbacks on these guitars before driving all the way there. Can you get a good jazz sound from them? The pick-ups are humbuckers, but I'm not sure which ones.

So, if you have some info that could help me, please share!

Thanx

**mr. beaumont** · 03-29-2011, 09:34 AM

Those are fully hollow, and pretty deep, right? I would think that'd be a fairly versatile guitar, as long as the rock wasn't too "high gain."

A true 335 style is about as versatile as it gets, though.

**Flyin' Brian** · 03-29-2011, 09:48 AM

The CG would work fine for jazz and this guy did pretty well playing rock with it, although it wasn't the Gibson version.

**Pothcra** · 03-29-2011, 09:51 AM

Right, but its a GIBSON country gentleman, and not a Gretsch! I'm wondering about how the pick-ups sound...

And, to answer Mr.Beaumont, its a thinline, single cutaway, two humbuckers and a center block (maple I believe, maybe wrong). What I like about it is the wide neck, classical-like.

**pingu** · 03-29-2011, 09:54 AM

Hollow and fairly shallow ........
try it and see if its got enough bottom end wollop for your taste
I expect it'll play nicely high end Gibson HB Pickups

I prefer a thicker guitar myself (like 175 thickness)

**fws6** · 03-29-2011, 09:54 AM

I have only played it once a long time ago, but am sure it would make for a fine jazz guitar. Overall, it would be very similar to a 335, including the centre block.

Main differences would be the cosmetics, single cut body shape, the wider/flatter fingerboars (1-3/4 at nut), and whether or not you'd like the bigsby.

pickups are 492R Alnico in the neck, and 490T in the bridge. The 492 is a very modern and a bit hotter style pickup - But what is easier than replacing a pickup ?

**pingu** · 03-29-2011, 09:56 AM

Sorry mates I thought it was hollow

**mr. beaumont** · 03-29-2011, 10:15 AM

With this information, I think it'd be a great guitar for those styles.

**docbop** · 03-29-2011, 10:26 AM

Cal Collins played Gretch's a lot during his career.

**monk** · 03-29-2011, 11:34 AM

I've played several Gibson Country Gents including one of Chet's. They are fairly versatile. They're heavier than a Gretsch CG.

**spiral** · 03-29-2011, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by docbop

Cal Collins played Gretch's a lot during his career.

Looks like a SuperTron at the neck. More body / warmer than MagnaTrons but gives you a good woody (sound).

**lpdeluxe** · 03-29-2011, 12:36 PM

I owned a '63 Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman for 25 years and now own a Gibson ES-335. The Gretsch was structurally and electronically inferior to the Gibson, which is now my sole electric guitar. It has a sturdier neck joint, better quality trim, and sounds better than the Gretsch.

The Gibson Country Gent is closer to the 335 than its namesake. Rather than the hollow body of its predecessor, it has a "chromyte" (balsa) center block which reduces feedback without adding as much weight as the 335's maple. It also has the "thumbnail" fingerboard markers and the Bigsby, the two best features of the Gretsch. One will lose a certain amount of upper fret access compared to the 335 due to the single cutaway. The Gretsch doesn't have the same access as the 335, owing to the peculiar neck heel design, even though it's a double cutaway.

I'd say, go for it! The Gibson Country Gent looks pretty good from my perspective, and I'd be tempted if I didn't already have the 335.

Archie · 03-29-2011, 01:29 PM

I reckon the Gibson Country Gentleman is what you hear Chet playing on the Neck and Neck album:

If I'm right, it's a beautiful sound (not the Strat sound).

**Pothcra** · 03-29-2011, 03:12 PM

Thank you everybody for your valuable inputs. I will give it a try and let you know if I bought it (I have a feeling I will).

**bananafist** · 03-30-2011, 10:54 AM

I have always understood that Chets part was played on his nylon string gibbo, thats what it sounds like to me. On the vid of him playing it with Mark Knopfler thats what he uses.
I have a Gibson CG and a Gretsch 1959 Nashville Classic, now called the Gretsch Country Gent. Both are v well made. The Gretsch gets closest to the Chet Gretsch sound, and for me plays easier. The Gibson CG plays well, sounds nice, and looks good too. The 492 neck pickup was built to meet Chets requirements and is less woofy than most Gibson neck humbuckers, which I like about it. If anyone has one of these pickups and doesn't like it, I'll buy it off you! They aren't available aftermarket.
If you like Chets guitar sound, the Gibson CG or the Gretsch will work fine. If you want the woofier conventional jazz tone they may not.
Just my two cents.

**Pothcra** · 03-31-2011, 09:48 PM

OK
So I went to try it. My first reaction was: "Man, this guitar is heavy!!!" It is pretty heavy, but I didn't really care about this. I played it a lot, it was a nice guitar. However, there were a few things that weren't right. Action was way to high, which I adjusted with the bridge screws. Pick-up switch was noisy, Bigsby was loose. I know all these things can be fixed rather easily, but I kind of wanted to buy a guitar I didn't have to bring to a shop right away. Anyways, despite all this, the guitar just didn't speak to me. I thought the sound was not well balanced. I couldn't succeed in having a satisfactory sound (to my taste) from top to bottom. There was always something too lound (highs) or too weak (basses). Perhaps a good set-up could have fixed all this, but I felt it wasn't meant for me.

Now I found a 1979 ES-347 I'll go try tomorrow. There are also a few 21st century ES-335 I could try, but everything I hear about recent 335's scare me. Is the quality so variable? I'm afraid my inexperience with these guitars could make me miss some major flaws... (I come from gypsy jazz and full archtop world)

**bananafist** · 04-01-2011, 05:13 AM

Pothcra - as you surmise, all the 'faults' you mention about the CG you tried could/should be corrected by a good setup tech, I'm surprised more stores don't automatically do this before offering the guitars for sale, its not rocket science, just common sense IMO. 70s were not a good time for Gibsons, I've played some duff ones from that period, but I've played one or two good ones as well, so you may get lucky.
I had the opportunity to play a 1951 L5 with P90s yesterday - oh, what a guitar! Apart from playing and sounding wonderful, it was made with beautiful birdseye maple back and sides, a gloriously mellowed sunburst and had that indefinable well played and cared for feel. Just wonderful. Everyone who plays it wants it, now trying to figure out how to afford it! Sell the wife and kids? Best L5 I've ever played, and I've played about a dozen made over the last 60 years.

**Pothcra** · 04-01-2011, 07:57 AM

bananafist - Ha ha! I've been so often through this questioning! -"What could I sell to buy this guitar?". Maybe if you make 4 or 5 clinical trials you'll get the money you need! Maybe you could all live in a smaller house? Do you really need a car?

Any hints on what I should look at with the 1979 ES347? What's bad about the 70s Gibsons? I kind of feel I will only buy a guitar if I fall in love with it... maybe its not the best way to go? (or at least i can be a very long road...)

**bananafist** · 04-01-2011, 11:38 AM

Well, IMO, the volute I mentioned is something I don't like, along with the pickups, finish quality is very variable........BUT, I think if you go by your gut feeling of 'do I love this guitar?' thats as good a criteria as any I can suggest. What bothers me may not bother you, so go for it. If it plays ok, looks ok, feels ok and sounds ok to your ears, thats all that matters really, in the end.
A guitar has to speak to me or it doesn't get into the running.
Good luck!

**bananafist** · 04-01-2011, 11:49 AM

This is the L5 I tried
1951 GIBSON L 5 CES 1 of 31 FIRST YEAR PRODUCTION on eBay (end time 16-Apr-11 13:54:24 BST)

**barrymclark** · 04-01-2011, 11:57 AM

I have a mid to late 60's Gretsch 6120 (Nashville) That is, basically, a 16" version of the 17" Gretsch Country Gent.

I really wish I could lend my experiences here but my guitar is in a state where only the wood and inlay is original.

I can tell you this much though, when you rework an old Gretsch, it is great guitar. Of course, I realize that applies to a lot of guitars. haha.

I when I got it, it had been stripped of its finish and hardware.

When getting the parts together of it, I played some Country Gents and Nashvilles and decideded something, the mute is gone. haha.

The holes for the mute and its control were filled in and painted over in high gloss black.

Now it resembles more of a hillbilly Lucille than a Nashville. haha. So, I call her Lulu after Lulu Hogg of The Dukes of Hazzard. haha.

**Pothcra** · 04-02-2011, 05:52 PM

Well, my quest took a completely unexpected turn!!

I finally fell for a... Guild Starfire 3 1966. Very nice guitar, in pretty good shape for its age, and the sound is the closest I have heard to the one I was looking for, so I'm very happy!

Now I can rest for a while...

**lpdeluxe** · 04-02-2011, 08:21 PM

Very cool. The guitar you lust for is not always the one you bond with. The latter quality is by far the more important.

Archie · 04-03-2011, 04:10 AM

Originally Posted by lpdeluxe

Very cool. The guitar you lust for is not always the one you bond with. The latter quality is by far the more important.

Very True! After many years I finally got the 335 I had been longing for, only to find I preferred my humble 135.

Congratulations, Pothcra! May we see some pictures?