The Delta Snake Review: Musical Gear Review & Article Archive: Review: Gretsch Roots Collection G9300 Yorker Supreme Mandolin

Gretsch Roots Collection G9300 Yorker Supreme Mandolin

One of the most interesting, and I would have to say, exciting new low-cost instrument lines is the Gretsch Roots Collection, a full range of acoustic instruments that will almost certainly end up in more than a few collections. Great vintage looks, almost all the money spent on wood and hardware instead of electronics and flash, and the company willing to put its brand on it (as opposed to giving it an economy line name).

In the case of the Yorker Supreme Mandolin, which has a release date of the 25th of February, some are already showing up in the larger Stores, which are giving this line prominence in the acoustic area.

The Yorker, a low-cost F-style mandolin is joining a very crowded field in the 239.00 range. You can get nice looking beginning mandos starting from 150.00 up, and in the Yorker's price range, many come with electronics.

The Gretsch isn't the only “vintage” looking one in the field, but it's natural mahogany finish does differentiate it from the competition. As a rule, manufacturers strive to make these look as nice as possible in terms of finishes, but Gretsch went the other way, and made it look sort of like an old 1920's Gibson Mandolin Junior, which still has a cult following in this country.

The Gibson was an oval sound-hole type, but the sound of the Gretsch is similar, if a bit sharper due to the F-holes, which probably wasn't an arbitrary design decision. F-hole mandos are the most common type for bluegrass and that's where the market is. That, along with the rock and folk guitarists who buy a cheap one just to add an extra dimension to their sound (an important submarket).

The all-mahogany construction does give it a darker sound, more vintage 40s and 50s than one with the more common spruce (or maple top) would. In the case of the beginner, this type of mandolin would be more forgiving in its tone, with its mellower sound smoothing out mistakes and less than confident fingering of notes.

Even nicer, the stock Grover pegs hold tune well and are a nice touch in one area where most cheap mandolins are weak. The rest of the materials are good enough, and the styling as far as an old-time look is concerned, first rate.

I personally found the Gretsch Yorker Supreme very likable. Its tone is more old time, yet it has a nice chop and cut sound for those who want to play bluegrass, and it's more to my taste. Keep in mind we're talking about a low-cost model, so my comments about the instrument are in comparison to its competition.

A nice amount of time spent playing it reveals that it's bluegrass sound is more along the lines of the older style of the 30s and 40s, and for the average beginner, will be more pleasing to the ears. The tone's a bit rounder than a normal F-Style might have, but you know, the one thing about music is that there aren't any hard and fast rules about which instrument does what best.

Even if your preference is the next tier that starts around 500.00 (I know, they prefer to say 498.00), I would consider this model while trying out the costlier Epiphone or Fender spruce top types in that range. Decades of manufacturing in Asia have changed some of the older ideas about what is good or bad, and what used to be a nice cheapie to learn on can often turn out to be a nice keeper for someone who just wants to own one instrument and just have fun with it. Most buyers don't buy instruments as a first step in a constant upgrading process.

Although it's not as much a consideration at this price range, I would think about what kind of music you intend to play before buying a mandolin. These F-hole “A Style” body types are one of the standards for bluegrass and may not have the type of resonance one would want for Celtic or folk. I personally play an old oval hole Martin and have never really liked the F-hole mandolin, but I must admit, this one has me thinking that at this price range, a second one for a little variety might not be so bad.

The vast majority of classic blues, folk, bluegrass, and old-time music was created and recorded with inexpensive or home-made instruments. In other words, talent makes music, not instruments. With this well made and inexpensive Gretsch, you might have all the tools you need to make a few classics on your own.

- Al Handa

2013

Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2013. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.

The Quitturz by Al Handa