Gretsch Falcon for Beginners: A Complete Guide

I remember the first time I actually held one of these against a shop counter — it's genuinely bigger than you expect from photos, and my immediate thought was "am I allowed to want this as a first proper guitar?" Short answer: yes, a Gretsch Falcon can absolutely be your first serious guitar, if you go in with your eyes open. Here's the honest, no-jargon version of what to actually expect.

Is This a Sensible First Serious Guitar?

It can be, but it's worth being upfront: this isn't the smallest or lightest instrument you could pick, and the size genuinely matters day to day. If you've only ever played a slim solid-body electric, expect an adjustment period getting used to the depth and width against your body, especially seated. None of that is a dealbreaker — plenty of beginners fall in love with exactly this size and never look back — just don't be surprised by it.

What Makes It Different From Your First Guitar

• It's hollow, not solid. That means real acoustic resonance you can feel, but also more sensitivity to feedback at higher volumes than you might be used to.
• It has a Bigsby. A vibrato arm that gently bends pitch when you push it — brilliant for expression, but restringing takes a bit more patience than a fixed bridge.
• The pickups sound different. Filter'Tron-style pickups are clearer and brighter than the thicker humbuckers you might have tried on other guitars, which suits some styles more naturally than others.

Getting Comfortable With the Size

Sit down with it before you decide anything. Notice where your strumming arm naturally rests, whether the body depth feels awkward against you, and whether a strap changes that balance for the better once standing. A good number of players find it actually feels more natural standing up than sitting down, simply because of how the body sits against you — worth trying both before you commit.

Your First Few Settings

Don't overthink the controls. Start with both pickups selected, volume controls up, and a clean or lightly overdriven amp tone. Get used to how the guitar responds before reaching for anything more elaborate — the instrument has plenty of character even before you touch the tone knob.

Using the Bigsby Without Wrecking Your Tuning

Go gently at first. This vibrato is built for subtle chord shimmer and gentle bends, not the aggressive dive bombs you might have seen guitarists do on other, differently designed systems. Push it too hard early on and you'll just be fighting tuning stability instead of enjoying the effect — ease into it, and it'll reward you.

Do You Need Lessons Specific to This Guitar?

Not really — everything you'd normally learn on any electric guitar transfers over directly. A Gretsch Falcon doesn't demand a different technique so much as a slightly gentler touch and a bit more awareness of feedback at volume. If you're already taking general guitar lessons, mention what you're playing so your teacher can flag anything specific to a hollow body, but don't feel you need specialist tuition just because the instrument looks unusual.

Honest Beginner Worries, Answered

• "Is it too big for me?" Try it in person if you possibly can. Body size is genuinely personal, and photos don't tell you much.
• "Will it feed back constantly?" Not at sensible practice volumes. It becomes more of a consideration once you're playing loud with a band, and there are simple ways to manage it as you get there.
• "Do I need to understand the Bigsby immediately?" No — plenty of players go months barely touching it while they get comfortable with everything else first.
• "What if I've never played a hollow body before?" That's completely normal, and most of what feels unfamiliar in week one becomes second nature within a month of regular playing.

What You're Actually Learning to Play

A Gretsch Falcon rewards a slightly different touch than a typical solid-body electric — lighter picking dynamics show up more clearly through the hollow body and Filter'Tron pickups, so heavy-handed strumming that sounded fine elsewhere can feel a bit much here at first. That's not a fault in the guitar; it's just a different instrument teaching you a slightly different vocabulary, and most players find their attack naturally softens and improves within the first few weeks.

Give Yourself Time

This is a guitar with genuine character, and character takes a little longer to get to know than a plainer instrument might. Don't judge your first week with a Gretsch Falcon against a player who's had theirs for years — the size, the resonance and the vibrato all take time to feel completely natural, and that's part of the fun rather than a problem to solve quickly.

Keep Learning

Once you're comfortable with your Gretsch Falcon, our complete explainer covers the full range and technical detail in more depth. Thinking about your next purchase or an upgrade? See our buyer's guide, and if budget is a factor, the best options for the money breaks things down clearly.

Frequently Asked Questions