Gretsch G3140 Historic Series
Hang on to your seats, because the Gretsch G3140 Historic Series guitar might knock you off your chair! This is one of the coolest looking and smoothest playing instruments I’ve picked up this year. If you see one of these used, and you’re in the market for a semi-hollow archtop guitar, go check it out.
The Overview
Gretsch began making the Historic Series guitars in an attempt to reintroduce the best of Gretsch’s old guitars. It was quite the undertaking as a lot of information on these guitars were lost in fires, so Gretsch had to do their homework when looking for specifications on the cat’s eye sound holes and different body styles.
Sadly, they were only manufactured from 1999 until 2003 when Gretsch was purchased by Fender. I emailed the folks at Gretsch and requested additional information on this guitar because I was impressed with the build quality. The email I received stated that this guitar pre-dates the Gretsch’s acquisition by Fender, and there is no documentation or literature available for the G3140. Bummer. Well, you and I will just have to rely on information from forums and other Owners of Gretsch’s G3140.
Features
The G3140 Historic Series guitar combines the early 1930’s archtop design with the 1950’s designs of Gretsch’s electric guitars. The body has a solid center block that helps to reduce distortion with modern amplifiers. In my research, I believe these guitars were priced somewhere between $1,000 and $1,200 new. I’ve seen a couple of them used ranging from $600 to $1,000, so they are holding their value well, and the internet is littered with raving reviews for these G3140’s.
The neck is set in the body, and the fingerboard rosewood finger board had half-moon inlays. The ivory binding is a bit yellow, and I think this yellowing is Gretsch’s attempt to give this guitar an aged look. The headstock is simple and emblazoned with the “Gretsch” name and a stylized “G”. The tuners on the headstock feel loose and easy to turn, and while this might lead you to think there’s a problem with loose tuners, the guitar holds it’s tune well.
The Body
I love how this guitar looks! The cats-eye sound holes are a sweet feature, and the craftsmanship is impeccable. The top, sides, and back are laminated maple ply, and the orange finish on the guitar we demoed looks unreal. You’re going to really appreciate the orange color because it makes this guitar look, well, like it’s name, Historic. The G3140 can also be found in black, which looks equally cool with the dark tortoise pickguard and chrome hardware.
The arch-top and round back make this guitar feel like a classic. The historic series name fits well, as you feel like you’re holding an old instrument when you pick it up. The guitar used for today’s demo came with the Gretsch G-Cutout Tailpiece, and you can also find G3140’s with Bigsby’s standard. The tune-o-matic bridge is pretty standard and does it’s job well.
The only thing to note on the Gretsch G3140 is that the body is very heavy. Like, Les Paul heavy. I picked this guitar up once by the neck and tried to flip it up onto my knee one handed like I’ll do with a telecaster or a Martin acoustic. The guitar did not flip up onto my knee. I supposed if I swung it back and forth a few times, building the momentum with each swing I could get this guitar on my lap one handed. That seems like a lot of work though. I recommend moving this guitar from a vertical position to the playing position using two hands. One hand for the neck, and one hand for the body. It’s kind of a beast, but that could be why it sounds so good!
G3140’s Controls
The controls for the Gretsch are extremely simple. It comes with a 3-way switch which will allow you to toggle between neck, middle, and bridge pickup positions. There are three control knobs. Each pickup has its own volume knob, so with the selector switch set in the middle you can control the mix of your pickups using each knob. The third knob is your tone control for both pickups.
I think this guitar would be perfect if Gretsch had given you a volume and tone knob for each pickup, similar to a Gibson’s control setup. The flexibility of a second tone control isn’t a deal breaker, and certainly doesn’t hurt the guitar’s overall performance. It would be nice to have that little extra bit of control, though.
How Does It Sound?
The Gretsch G3140 Historic Series guitars came standard with DeArmond 2000 pickups. I am really happy they put the DeArmond pickups in these guitars. They combine warm and bright sound so well, the Historic Series instantly sounds like an upgrade from your standard economy Gretsch models.
For the demo, I used a Fender Champ. I recorded audio clips using a clean setting with the amp turned up to 3 to start, and progressively turned the volume up. On the guitar itself, we’ll start with the switch in the neck position and progress through the neck, middle, and bridge positions. The volume knob and tone knobs on the guitar are turned to 10. I recorded this sound bite using Presonus Studio One Artist 4, Presonus’s AudioBox iTwo, and a Shure SM7B microphone.
Clean
The clean settings on the Gretsch G3140 were sparkling. They have a great jingle-jangle tone to them that remind you of tones on Tom Petty’s American Girl. Plus you can hear that classic Gretsch Chet Atkins tone that the company is famous for. These pickups are so warm and clear.
Amp Breaking Up
The bluesy tones with the amp starting to distort are really warm and chunky. You’re going to love the fat low end and the articulate highs!
Crunch
I love Gretsch crunch tones, and the G3140 seriously melted down my little Fender Champ. You’re going to enjoy how big and fat the crunch tones are. The center block design helps to cut down the feedback that true hollow body electrics have. But the semi-hollow design does great with the volume turned to 10. If you strike a chord and let it ring for 20 seconds or so, the amp does start to feedback a little. If you’re into big epic rock and roll solos, having this feedback might be welcome, but if you want a little more control, be warned of the feedback.
The Wrap Up
The Gretsch G3150 Historic Series guitar is one of the best Gretsch’s you’ll play. They have a great sound whether you play them acoustically or plugged in. The guitar’s setup is impeccable, and it is extremely easy to play. If you’re a fan of smooth playing Gretsch’s, the G3140 will not let you down.
Action & Intonation
The action on this guitar is awesome. The frets are dressed perfectly, and they feel buttery smooth. The intonation is fantastic, and the instrument is a joy to play.
Modifications
The guitar I demoed today has a couple signs of past modifications to it. When I received this guitar, it had a Gretsch G-Cutout Tailpiece that the strings passed through. However, when looking at the guitar’s body head-on, I could see a small screw hole above the tailpiece, on the right side of the guitar. This leads me to believe the guitar was originally equipped with a Bigsby, and if you research the G3140, you’ll find the Bigsby was an option back when they were being manufactured.
This made me wonder, why did the original Bigsby get removed? Well, on the back of the head stock, I got another clue. There is a silver “Tru-Arc Equipped” sticker, and this leads me to believe that someone installed a Tru-Arc bridge on this guitar at some point. Tru-Arc manufactures bridges made from bars that are bent to match the radius of a guitar’s fret board. The bars are then notched to match the saddle notches on the guitar, so the string has a place to rest.
People complain of intonation issues with the Tru-Arc bridge, which makes sense if it is truly a straight bar and not compensated. Folks on these forums seem to prefer Compton Compensated Bridges, but I’m digressing.
I believe someone installed a Tru-Arc bridge, maybe disliked the intonation problem this bridge created, and went back to the tune-o-matic bridge that comes standard with the guitar. Why the original Bigsby was not reinstalled as well is beyond me. Perhaps the Bigsby was lost or sold to someone else, and when the Owner went back to the tune-o-matic they simply bought the G-Cutout Tailpiece. Who knows.
Other Guitars to Consider in This Price Range
Check out our reviews on the Fender Robert Cray Stratocaster or the Fender Classic Player Baja 60’s Telecaster. They are both fantastic playing guitars and are similarly priced to the used Gretsch G3140 Historic Series guitars. The sounds completely different, so if you’re looking for a comparable Gretsch, look into the G2655T Streamliner series. They are a bit more budget friendly, though a step below the G3140.
Higher End or Better Sounding Guitars
If you’ve got a bit more cash in your budget, you can check out the Gibson SG ‘61 Reissue. It’s a great playing guitar, much lighter than the G3140, and looks great too. If budget’s no issue and you’re looking for the best of the best, check out the Gibson CS 336.
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