CHEAP & UNIQUE
Most of our mods or even ‘partscaster’ self-builds are all based on a pretty small number of very familiar classics. But this time, Dave Burrluck decides enough is enough…
Unique is not a word many of us can use when describing the instruments we mod and create. Yes, you might have come up with some wonderful steampunk mash-up, but chances are it’ll have a Tele, Strat or Les Paul-like outline. If you’re lucky to have anything remotely resembling a workshop to create your own outline then it’s a different matter, but I suspect for most of us our chances of creating a uniquely shaped guitar are slight.
Gretsch’s G2215 P90 Streamliner Junior Jet Club [1], however, is certainly pretty unique, isn’t it? A bound slab-bodied Jet with a wrapover bridge, a humbucker/P-90 pickup complement, plus a lowly full retail of £370, which is even lower in-store. There are three colours, too: Sahara Metallic, Mint Metallic and our Single Barrel Stain. We looked at a sample back in issue 473 that was originally intended just for this feature but was so good for the money we ran a full review. If someone told you Gretsch had made this back in the day – a ‘student’ guitar – you might not be surprised: it has buckets of retro-Gretsch appeal.
We’d purposely asked Fender to ship it without going through the usual setup, and it’s a testament to the quality that, in reality,
“All too soon we’re pondering makeover ideas: ‘Vintage Gretsch’, ‘Garage Rocker’, ‘Metal Machine’…”
it was pretty much ready to go. There was a rather too rigid foam pad under the neck P-90 that meant we couldn’t lower it to match with the bridge, output-wise; that was easily sorted with some thinner foam.
Then there was an unusual value treble bleed capacitor on the volume control, and adding to its uniqueness, that volume is placed on the treble-side horn, the tone by the bridge and there’s a shoulder toggle pickup selector switch – a layout that, even for Gretsch, is pretty bonkers.
Each of the three controls is rearmounted, too, and sits in its own small circular cavity, meaning there’s little space for any expansive electronic mods… and rewiring the guitar, as I found, is a little more involved than usual.
But if we class our Jet Junior as unique in style, anyone can buy one, right – so it’s really not that unique at all, is it? How can we personalise this good-for-the-money start-up guitar? One obvious route would be to fit a Bigsby and, while we’re at it, maximise its style with a couple of TV Jones pickups. Pretty simple mods, in theory, but ones that will easily double our outlay. Down the road that might be something to consider, but with gigs back on the horizon I’m tempted to see if a more functional makeover can lift its style and sound without breaking the bank.
What’s The Plan?
We’re big fans of lists here in The Mod Squad, but all too soon we’ve filled a few pages of A4 and we’re still pondering our makeover ideas: ‘Vintage Gretsch’, ‘Garage Rocker’, ‘More Tele?’, ‘Metal Machine’… and more. Eventually, I decide to mix and merge a couple of themes, spurred on by Gretsch’s G6131MY-CS Custom Shop Malcolm Young ‘Salute’ Jet [2]: ‘Vintage Gretsch’ meets ‘Garage Rocker’. What if…?
But style without substance isn’t necessarily going to create a guitar that you want in your hands during a gig. Writing recently about Gibson’s Murphy
Lab Les Paul Junior and then the Vintage V120 (which resides at the other end of the market) in this issue (page 82), gets me thinking. Let’s face it, the Junior is all about simplicity. It’s the same with Malcom Young’s guitar: the anecdote to the ‘perfect’ modern guitar. It might look completely knackered, but it was an instrument that helped power one of the biggest rock bands ever. But unless there’s something going on in the first place, you’re not going to play it.
So, how would you not only give it some vibe – in both looks and sound – but make it perfectly gig-ready? Stable tuning is a must, the guitar needs to ring, and while we’re not after numerous different sounds, the primary voice really needs to be good.
A Junior’s one-piece wrapover bridge [3] is about as simple as it gets and, to me, it’s the heart of the Junior. A lightweight aluminium wrapover won’t cost much, and if you’re going to seriously gig a guitar, treat yourself to some good tuners [4&5]. Add in a bone nut and we should have this Junior working at its best. As ever, we can’t change the basic chassis.
Sound Thinking
Strung up, our Junior’s new hardware and aged persona give it quite a different vibe that ticks our concepts wishlist nicely. The guitar plays well, and those tuners are super smooth and very stable. Without any pickups or controls, it certainly nods towards Malcom Young’s Jet, and that inspires me to revoice the guitar, initially at least, with a single bridge pickup and simple circuit – the essence of a Junior and perfect for our garage-rock aim. I choose a couple of new CTS pots – I go for a 500k volume and 250k tone, wired vintage style, with a .022 microfarads cap, just like my own real ’57 Junior. With these, I’m hopefully going to be able to replicate at least some of that guitar’s versatility. I just need a pickup.
Malcom’s guitar has a TV Jones Filter’Tron Classic at bridge, which will cost around £130, so that’s off the cards for the time being. So I reinstall the Broad’Tron BT-2S and, while it’s good, I’m