Common Gretsch Falcon Mistakes to Avoid

The mistakes I've watched genuinely enthusiastic buyers make, over and over, and the simple fix for each one.

By James Harrison 2 December 2025 5 min read

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I've sold Gretsch Falcon guitars for long enough to have watched the same handful of mistakes happen to genuinely enthusiastic buyers, over and over. None of them are complicated to avoid once you know they're coming. Here's the honest rundown.

Mistake 1: Assuming "Falcon" Means One Fixed Spec

The single biggest one. Buyers see the name and assume every version is basically the same guitar in a different finish. It isn't. Body depth, top material, bracing and pickups all vary meaningfully between the Professional, Players Edition, Vintage Select and signature ranges.

Fix it: always check the specific model's spec sheet, not just the family name on the headstock.

Mistake 2: Ignoring the Body Size Until It's Already Home

This is a genuinely large hollow-body guitar, and photographs consistently undersell how it feels in the hands and against the body compared with a typical solid-body electric.

Fix it: try one in person before buying if you possibly can, especially if this would be your first hollow body.

Mistake 3: Treating the Bigsby Like a Locking Vibrato

New owners occasionally go straight for aggressive dive bombs, expecting the kind of range they've seen on a Floyd Rose. This vibrato was built for gentle chord shimmer and subtle bends, not extreme pitch drops.

Fix it: use it gently, especially in the first few weeks, and save aggressive technique for a guitar actually designed around it.

Mistake 4: Restringing It Like a Fixed-Bridge Guitar

Bigsby restringing genuinely takes more care and patience than a standard tune-o-matic or hardtail setup, and rushing it is a reliable way to introduce tuning problems that have nothing to do with the guitar itself.

Fix it: go slowly, keep a consistent string path over the bridge and nut, avoid excessive wraps around the tuning posts, and stretch new strings properly before judging tuning stability.

Mistake 5: Blaming the Bigsby for Every Tuning Problem

The Bigsby gets blamed constantly for tuning issues that actually come from nut friction, poor string installation or bridge movement. A well-set-up example with a Bigsby can hold tuning perfectly well.

Fix it: diagnose the actual source before assuming the vibrato itself is faulty — check the nut slots and bridge position first.

Mistake 6: Playing It Loud Without Managing Feedback

Because it's genuinely hollow, cranking the volume without a plan is asking for trouble at exactly the wrong moment, usually mid-song at a gig.

Fix it: increase your distance from the amp, avoid pointing the top directly at the speaker, and use the guitar's own volume controls actively rather than relying purely on amp gain.

Mistake 7: Buying Secondhand Without Checking Hardware Wear

Gold-plated hardware wears visibly, and replacement parts for older or discontinued finishes aren't always easy to source. Buyers who skip this check sometimes end up needing a full hardware refinish they didn't budget for.

Fix it: inspect tailpiece and tuner plating closely, and factor in replacement costs before agreeing a secondhand price.

Mistake 8: Skipping a Proper Case

A generic hard case that's roughly the right shape isn't the same as a correctly sized 17-inch deluxe hollow-body case, and an ill-fitting case is a real risk to an instrument this size on the way to a gig.

Fix it: confirm exactly what case is included, or budget for the right one separately.

Mistake 9: Ignoring the Neck Profile and Scale Length

A Gretsch Falcon typically runs a 25.5-inch scale, firmer under the fingers than the shorter scale on many other electrics, and some buyers only notice the difference once it's already home and feels unexpectedly stiff for bends.

Fix it: play a few bends and chord shapes in the shop before buying, not just an open chord or two.

The Pattern Behind These

Almost every mistake on this list comes from treating a Gretsch Falcon like a generic solid-body electric rather than the specific, larger, hollow instrument it actually is. Respect what makes it different and most of this list simply doesn't apply to you.

Mistake 10: Chasing the Cheapest Listing Without Checking the Model Name Properly

A suspiciously cheap "Gretsch Falcon" online is sometimes a Synchromatic or a heavily used, poorly maintained example being sold under the more famous family name to catch a search. That's not necessarily dishonest, but it does mean the price gap between listings often reflects a real difference in what you're actually buying.

Fix it: read the full listing title and description carefully, and ask directly which specific model it is before you get attached to the price.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the most common mistake buyers make?

Assuming every Gretsch Falcon shares one fixed specification, when body depth, top material, bracing and pickups all vary meaningfully between ranges.

Is the Bigsby usually to blame for tuning problems?

Less often than people assume — nut friction, poor string installation or bridge movement are usually the real cause, and a well-set-up example holds tuning fine.

Can the Bigsby handle aggressive dive bombs?

No — it's built for gentle chord shimmer and subtle bends, and pushing it toward extreme pitch drops just hurts tuning stability.

What should I check before buying one secondhand?

Gold hardware wear specifically, since plating shows age fast and replacement parts for older finishes aren't always easy to source.

Does it need a special case?

A correctly sized 17-inch deluxe hollow-body case, not a generic hard case that happens to be roughly the right shape.

Why does it feed back more than a solid-body guitar?

Because it's genuinely hollow rather than semi-hollow, so playing loud without managing distance from the amp and volume controls can cause problems a solid-body wouldn't have.