Show Full Spec Comparison
| Gretsch G6659TG Players Edition Broadkaster Jr | G6636T Players Edition Falcon | |
|---|---|---|
| General | ||
| Brand: | Gretsch | Gretsch |
| Year: | 2017 | 2019 |
| Configuration: | HH | HH |
| Strings: | 6 | 6 |
| Made in: | Japan | Japan |
| Series: | Professional Collection | Professional Collection |
| Colors: | White, Blue, Green | White, Black |
| Left-Handed Version: | No | No |
| Body | ||
| Type: | Semi-Hollow | Semi-Hollow |
| Body Material: | Laminated Maple | Laminated Maple |
| Bridge: | Bigsby B7GP String-Thru | Bigsby B7CP String-Thru |
| Neck | ||
| Neck Joint: | Set | Set |
| Tuners: | Gotoh Locking | Gotoh Locking |
| Fretboard: | Ebony | Ebony |
| Neck Material: | Maple | Maple |
| Decoration: | Pearloid Neo-Classic Thumbnail | Pearloid Neo-Classic Thumbnail |
| Scale Size: | 24.6" | 24.6" |
| Shape: | Standard U | Standard U |
| Thickness: | 1st Fret: 0.83'' (21.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.97'' (24.6mm) | 1st Fret: 0.83'' (21.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.97'' (24.6mm) |
| Frets: | 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver | 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver |
| Fretboard Radius: | 12" | 12" |
| Nut: | Ivory Tusq | Ivory Tusq |
| Nut Width: | 42.9mm (1.688'') | 42.9mm (1.688'') |
| Electronics | ||
| Bridge Pickups: | Gretsch Full'Tron (Humbucker / Passive) | Gretsch High Sensitive Filter'Tron (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Middle Pickup: | ||
| Neck Pickup: | Gretsch Full'Tron (Humbucker / Passive) | Gretsch High Sensitive Filter'Tron (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Switch: | 3 Way | 3 Way |
| Knobs: | Speed | Speed |
| Pickup Mods: | None | None |
| Volume Controls: | 3 | 3 |
| Tone Controls: | 1 | 1 |
| Hardware | ||
| Strap Lock: | Yes | Yes |
| Hardware Color: | Gold | Gold |
Show Diagrams Comparison
Reasons to Get
Gretsch G6659TG Players Edition Broadkaster Jr over G6636T Players Edition Falcon
Reasons to Get
Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon over G6659TG Players Edition Broadkaster Jr
Other Key Differences
Gretsch G6659TG Players Edition Broadkaster Jr vs G6636T Players Edition Falcon
Shared Features
Gretsch G6659TG Players Edition Broadkaster Jr vs G6636T Players Edition Falcon
Common Strengths
- Locking Tuners
- High-Quality Nut
- From a High-Quality-Standards Country
- Strap Lock
- Top Pickup Brand
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Neck-Through Build
- Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- High-Quality Frets
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Luminescent Sidedots
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Price History Comparison
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Hand Size Comfortability
After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both favor large hands .
Gretsch G6659TG Players Edition Broadkaster Jr:
Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon:
Beginner Friendliness
Both meet 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.
New Player Friendliness
Gretsch G6659TG Players Edition Broadkaster Jr- Comfortable shape
- Locking tuners
- Tall frets
- Short scale
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Easy-to-use bridge
New Player Friendliness
Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon- Comfortable shape
- Locking tuners
- Tall frets
- Short scale
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Easy-to-use bridge
Sound Quality Comparison
The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.
Woods Used in Both
Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.
Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.
Winner: Tie.
Pickup Configuration
Both pickup configurations are HH. Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.
Pickups Quality
Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.
Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.
Winner: Tie.
Versatility Comparison
Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.
Switch Options
Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.
Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Tie.
Final Sound Quality Scores
Build Quality Comparison
When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Gretsch G6659TG Players Edition Broadkaster Jr compares to the Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Japan.
Japan has a long history of high-quality guitar building. Little has changed in terms of their manufacturing and quality control over the years. Many guitars made in this country can be compared—and even beat—others made in the US.
Winner: Tie
Nut Material
If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.
In this case, both have Ivory Tusq nuts. Ivory used to be considered the best material for guitar nuts due to its beauty, durability, and the rich harmonics and sustain you could get from a guitar with it. However, the way to obtain it is simply unethical. Enter TUSQ ivory nuts, which are made synthetically to imitate ivory. Technically, it's better than ivory because it is consistent piece-to-piece, while natural materials can vary a lot, even if they're made from the same.
Fret Material
Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.
Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.
Winner: Tie.
Bridge
The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.
Both come with a similar bridge: Bigsby Tremolo. Bigsby tremolos are built differently than regular tremolos. They have a stiffer arm, which is something a lot of people like because the arm won't wiggle around a lot. On the other hand, this type of tremolo is more complicated to restring and it might not be as newbie-friendly as other simpler tremolos.
Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.
Winner: Tie.
Tuners
They both have locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.
Winner: Tie.
Neck Joint
Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.
Both have a Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.
Winner: Tie.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Gretsch G6659TG Players Edition Broadkaster Jr
- Locking Tuners
- Made in Japan
- Expensive Wood
- Ivory Tusq Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Tremolo
- Strap Lock
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon
- Locking Tuners
- Made in Japan
- Expensive Wood
- Ivory Tusq Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Tremolo
- Strap Lock
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
Final Build Quality Scores
Playability Comparison
Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.
Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.
Nut Width
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 42.9mm (1.688'').
This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.
Scale Length
The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.
In this case, both have a scale length of 24.6".
This is a vintage-style scale length that's relatively short when compared to modern standards. A short scale makes the string tension lower, which makes the strings feel looser. This makes it easier to bend the strings, but it also makes fret buzz more likely if the action is set too low.
The shorter length also means a shorter separation of the frets. It also makes the overall tone sound warmer since the harmonics and overtones will have less space to breathe.
Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.
Neck Profile
No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.
Both the Gretsch G6659TG Players Edition Broadkaster Jr and the Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon have a U-shaped neck. This is also referred to as ''baseball neck'' because of its shape. It's usually thick, which is why some people with big hands like it. However, they can also be thin, similar to a C shape, but with more shoulders for a better grip.
Fretboard Radius
Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.
Both the Gretsch G6659TG Players Edition Broadkaster Jr and the Gretsch G6636T Players Edition Falcon have the same fretboard radius of 12". This is the radius used in most Gibson guitars. It gives you a good balance for playing chords without muting, but also good comfortability for playing single notes and bending.
Fret Size
Both have a Medium Jumbo fret size. These are slightly shorter than full Jumbo frets, so you'll still feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. However, they interfere less with your fretting hand than medium-size frets. This is a good size if you like easy-to-press frets, but would still like to feel a bit of the fretboard when playing.
