The Delta Snake Review: Musical Gear Review and Music Article Archive: Review: Gretsch G5810 Bo Diddley Electric Guitar

Review: Gretsch G5810 Bo Diddley Electric Guitar

Gretsch dares you to be different with this pretty close approximation of the original Bo Diddley guitar. Before Brian May of Queen, Bo made his own guitar using Gretsch electronics and neck and mated those to a rectangular piece of wood and a floating bridge and tailpiece. Also, there were no synthesizers on his records either.

Square guitars aren't an original idea. Both Leo Fender and Les Paul made their prototypes with simple chunks of wood.

However, Bo Diddley's contribution to the minimalist school of guitar design is that he didn't need a bench and could be played like a regular guitar. He later had two separate custom designs made by an independent luthier, and one by Gretsch. The former was named the “Mean Machine” and the latter, “Big B.”

What makes this guitar unique in the Gretsch product line is that it's been issued in a few different versions. Two were issued as part of the ill-fated Historic series (one full size, and another a 3/4 model). An expensive limited edition was created, and this G5810, is part of the Electromatic line. That's a lot of square guitars.

Except for the limited edition, these guitars are quite inexpensive, both new and used. Which makes sense, it's really just a wooden rectangle with a bolt-on neck, with a modern bridge substituted for the old tailpiece assembly. Add some decent Gretsch humbuckers and you have a pretty good screamer in the 300-400 dollar range (thanks to Asian manufacture).

This makes one wonder why even an American-made Telecaster (which is only a little more complex in construction) hits the 900.00 mark for an American Standard. That point is made rhetorically, as we all know that Teles cost that much because people will pay it.

In spite of the love-it-or-hate-it design, the Bo guitar is certainly a classic. As much so as the Flying V and the Explorer designs, it really should be judged in that class of guitar. It was made to be different than the mainstream and make a statement, and it did that as much as any other design.

This guitar has the two main strengths inherent in a classic Bo Diddley song. One, it's a cut-and-slash rhythm guitar with that metallic Gretsch bottom that will dominate the mid and upper ranges in any band. This isn't a Gibson.

Secondly, its lead voice is sharp and piercing at its best, like in Bo's “Who Do You Love” which wasn't anything like George Thorogood's well-known version. If you listen to Bo's “I'm A Man” or the immortal “Mumbling Guitar” (you'll see where the Yardbirds came from), you'll have here the instrument that will take you to that place.

There are some aspects of the guitar worth noting. You do have to be a little careful with it. I did bang my leg with one of the corners of this plank when sitting down. Luckily, it's not as heavy as it looks. The balance is OK, but with no sculpting, it is like having a straight-edged plank on your leg. Like the V, it's probably at its best as a stage guitar.

Also, the plain finish emphasizes the minimalist look of the guitar a little too much. To the point where it makes it look cheaper than it is, or worse, less cool than it could be. A nice glossy finish in candy apple red or some spectacular graphic would raise the cool quotient tenfold.

Given its flat surface, the owner could find this a nice blank canvas for the usual decals, interesting stencil work, etc. Certainly, a refinishing job wouldn't be all that expensive given how simple the surface is.

The reason I'm focusing so much on the looks is that in terms of the electronics, this guitar really doesn't need the usual pickup and wiring upgrade. If this guitar is about anything, it's style or anti-style.

If you're buying this guitar to emulate the classic Bo Diddley sound, it's more than good enough if you crank up the reverb, mid, and treble. This is as specialized a guitar as an archtop or twelve-string.

The old Bo Diddley records were classics of the 50's rhythm and blues sound. Lots of echoes, reverb, cheap-sounding tremolo, and plenty of that Gretsch treble attack. For that, you don't need an expensive guitar, just one that can recreate that feel. Remember, that sound was created by a homemade guitar.

This one does the job just fine and at a realistic price. A great second or third guitar. In this case, being square does mean Diddley.

- Al Handa

2007

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