Gretsch: G9201 Honeydipper

Submitted by TSSN on 10/22/2013

Where Purchased: Palen Music

Year Purchased:
Price Paid: 529 ($US)

Sound

My primary instrument is the mandolin, which I play in a local bluegrass band. I like the sound of a resonator guitar, and I liked the sound of this one so much that I had to buy it. I have another guitar and an old bottle slide that were just not well paired. I am not a resonator guitar player (yet) but the sound of the Honeydipper made me want to try. The sound is bright, and the projection is amazing. I had the opportunity to try every one of the reso guitars in the Gretsch Roots Collection, but I liked this one the best.

Sound Rating: 8

Setup

The setup was fine. My only complaint was the ancient, dirty strings on the instrument. However, the store threw in a pack of Martins for free. In less than 20 minutes, I had them changed out and was playing again.

Setup Rating: 8

Appearance

This is a beautiful instrument. I noticed it in photos early on, and went to it immediately in the store. Playing it (see Sound above) cinched the deal. The body, neck, and headstock are all very well done, especially for this price range. Fit and finish are exceedingly nice. Everyone who sees it comments favorably on it.

Appearance Rating: 10

Reliability

So far, the only issue I see is the tuners, which are open backed. Still, they are Grovers, so I expect no issues with them.

Reliability Rating: 8

Customer Service

Customer Service: not rated

Components

The finish and overall look are what make this guitar stand out. Also, the folks at Gretsch have invested a lot in the "Ampli-sonic" cones in each of their resonator guitars. Although fairly new to the reso world, I think it is achieving its goal in this model and all of them in the Roots Collection line.

Components Rating: 8

Overall Comments

When I first saw this model online, I said that I wanted to hear it. When I heard it in person, I bought it.

Overall Rating: 8