I'm usually attracted to a guitar by it's sound - looks are usually secondary, but in the case of the Gretsch G5135GL G. Love Corvette, it was the looks that got me.

I am not a fan of Mr. G. Love, but the guitar he designed with Gretsch is one of the coolest guitars in my arsenal, and I am glad that Gretsch put this instrument on the market.

It took me a while to find one to try out, and to be honest, the first two that I tried I did not like - largely due to the factory setup.  However I persevered, the guitar looked so cool that I could not let it go.

As luck would have it, my fave guitar store here in London ended up stocking one.  Third time was the charm.  I found a Corvette that I really liked.

For starters, it is similar to a Gibson SG, except that the Corvette is well-balanced - no neck dives here.  You have unfettered access to the upper frets with the double cutaways, which makes solos a breeze.

The neck is rather bulky, but not uncomfortably so.  This is good for me, as I prefer thick necks.  It is a "manly" neck - reassuringly thick.  On my guitar, the factory fretwork on all 21 frets is perfect.

This guitar has the TV Jones version of the Megatrons, and in my opinion they are worth the extra money.  I am a big fan of Mr. Jones' handiwork, and these pickups are no exception. 

The bridge pickup is pretty powerful, yet has a nice twang to it that a PAF copy just does not have. The mids are pronounced, but not too much - just enough to cut convincingly through the mix. 

The neck pickup is voiced more or less the same, however due to it's placement closer to the middle of the guitar than on a Les Paul or SG, you get a  distinct tone, with more articulation than on the previously mentioned Gibsons. 

Some people might have an issue with the position of the pickup selector.  It is in a similar position as on a Telecaster.  I do tend to bump into it every once in a while, but this habit goes away after a few minutes, after I get used to playing the Corvette.

The Corvette has a Bigsby - which does what it says on the tin.  My stock spring was fairly soft, so I ended up replacing it with a stiffer one that I bought off of eBay. 

Because the Corvette does not come with locking tuners like the Setzer models, you might experience some detuning with vigorous Bigsby use.  I found that a little graphite from a No. 2 pencil was enough to keep the Corvette in tune.  The mini tuners are stable, and although they do not lock, they do a great job of keeping the guitar in tune.

The nut did seem to bind a bit.  I believe it is plastic, not Delrin like on the Setzer models.  Like I said above, a little graphite dust did wonders. 

Like I said at the beginning of the article, what attracted me to this guitar was the looks.  It is a cool looking instrument - hands down.  It is both modern and retro, and it is sure to stand out in a crowd.

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