Gretsch Falcon Guitar article
Common Gretsch Falcon Guitar Mistakes to Avoid
A little forethought saves a lot of heartache. Here's what I see people get wrong most often after falling for that finish.
I've watched more than one person fall completely in love with a Gretsch Falcon guitar across a shop floor, buy it on the spot, and only work out afterwards that it wasn't quite what they needed. None of that means you shouldn't fall for one too — just that a little forethought saves a lot of heartache. Here's what I see people get wrong most often.
Buying on Looks Alone
It's an easy trap, because honestly, that's half the point of the guitar — it's meant to turn heads. But that white finish and gold hardware won't tell you whether you're getting TV Jones T-Armond pickups or Filter'Tron-style ones, whether the bracing suits the volume you actually play at, or whether the tailpiece is one you'll enjoy restringing. Let the finish be the reason you fall in love, but let the spec sheet be the reason you buy.
Not Checking Which Pickups You're Getting
Related to the point above, but worth its own space: assuming "a Falcon is a Falcon" tonally is a genuine mistake. The sharper, more single-coil-like T-Armond pickups and the broader, more humbucker-like Filter'Tron pickups are built for noticeably different sounds, and buying one expecting the other's character is how people end up disappointed with a guitar that's actually excellent — just not what they thought they were getting.
Cranking the Gain and Wondering Why It Howls
That big hollow body gives you gorgeous clean tone, and it also gives you feedback far sooner than a solid-body guitar once gain and volume climb together. Turning up expecting a Les Paul's manners is how a lovely evening turns into a fight with your own amplifier. Ease into overdrive, watch your amp positioning, and respect the guitar's actual character instead of forcing it to be something it isn't.
Restringing a Bigsby Without Understanding It First
A Bigsby has its own little ritual, and rushing it the first time is how strings end up seated wrongly, tuning goes unstable, or you nick a finger on a spring you didn't see coming. Take it slowly the first few times, and if yours has a string-through Bigsby rather than the traditional pin-mounted kind, it genuinely is a little more forgiving to learn on.
Storing It Somewhere the Finish Suffers
A lacquer finish, especially on vintage-styled models, is more sensitive than the tough modern finishes most guitars wear today. Leaving it somewhere with big swings in temperature or humidity, or letting a cheap strap or stand rub against it for months, is how binding lifts and finish checks appear well before their time. A proper case and a bit of care go a long way here.
Assuming Every Gretsch Falcon Guitar Sounds the Same
Bracing, body depth, pickups and tailpiece all differ across the range, and generalising about "the Falcon sound" from one specific model is a mistake worth avoiding, whether you're buying or just talking about the guitar with a friend. A '55-spec instrument and a Players Edition are genuinely different tools built for different priorities.
Quick Checklist
- Confirm the pickup type before you buy, not after.
- Respect the feedback threshold rather than fighting it with more gain.
- Learn the Bigsby's restringing routine patiently, especially the first few times.
- Protect the finish from heat, humidity and careless storage.
- Remember that different models genuinely sound different from one another.
Bottom Line
None of these Gretsch Falcon guitar mistakes are expensive to avoid — they just take a moment of thought before the excitement takes over. If you want the full picture before you go guitar shopping, our overview guide and complete buyer's guide are the better places to start.
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