Guitar Collection: Semi-Acoustic

Part of my goal was to build my collection with guitars that cost less than $1000. This meant Gibson was pretty much out of the question. So I bought an Epiphone Dot. This was my first semi-acoustic. It did the job - I liked the sound of it, although it lacked the sustain semi-acoustics are known for, and it never seemed to be able to be intonated correctly. It just wasn't the right guitar. I sold it in Brazil in 2010.
I always wanted a Gretsch, but they were always so expensive. My old friend Brent Cooper from the band Huevos Rancheros was an avid collector of them, and his love for them and the tone he got was always an inspiration to me. I wanted that sound that Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet had. I wanted a Bigsby tremolo.
Gretsch is now under the ownership of Fender Music Corp. In 2011, I tried the Korean-made Gretsch 6120 Electromatic. It was priced under $1000, and it was phenomenal. The finish is excellent, the sound is amazing, and it plays elegantly. The Bigsby tremolo is wonderful. The floating bridge allows you to intonate the guitar perfectly. The sound of the pickups are not very hot, they take a lot of overdrive to break up. It has this huge, brilliant, yet warm tone. Picking close to the bridge, with the bridge pickup has the most beautiful twang. And the sustain is endless.