GEAR REVIEW
GRETSCH G6636T-RF RICHARD FORTUS SIGNATURE FALCON | Doug Doppler
KEY FEATURES
• 25.5 ” Scale
• 12 ” Radius
• Maple Neck
• Ebony Fingerboard
• Graph Tech TUSQ XL Nut
• TonePros TP6R with Roller Saddles Bridge
• Bigsby B6CP String-Thru Vibrato
• Custom Wound Filter ’ Tron Pickups
• Vintage White Finish
One of the biggest things Richard Fortus has in common with worship guitarists is that his role ( and that of the instruments he plays ) is largely about supporting his band . So , when we heard that Gretsch was releasing the G6636T-RF Richard Fortus Signature Falcon we immediately reached out for an instrument to review . While Guns N ’ Roses is probably not on your Sunday set list , having the right instrument to get the job done is key . From worship to rock , ‘ Droff to Fortus , ‘ that great Gretsch sound ’ crosses genres and generations .
As I ’ ve mentioned in previous reviews , one of the reasons I love signature guitars is that they are a player-centric take that reflects that experience , journey , and instruments of the artist whose name appears on the headstock . Having seen Richard Fortus in action with Guns N ’ Roses , I can affirm that he is one of the most versatile , talented , and skilled guitar players I ’ ve ever seen , which is to say there ’ s a good reason he ’ s been with the band through numerous iterations including the current lineup with Slash .
While I wouldn ’ t normally compare the sound of a worship team to Guns N ’ Roses , they both tend to have a lot of sound going on , which means making sure the various layers contribute versus cloud the mix is key . In mainstream music , guitar tends to be an accompaniment instrument most of the time , and the lack of solos in worship music means that it generally lives in the accompaniment lane . Like worship guitar , Richard ’ s role is largely a support one which gets back to the contributing and not clouding analogy , and no surprise , Gretsch nailed it with this one . And to be very clear , when you need to ‘ step out front ’ this guitar does this in spades .
The Falcon is a big guitar with a big sound , thanks in part to Gretsch ’ s Center Block design , which creates a kind of solid body instrument with hollow body wings . The end result is a ton of sustain as well as breath when and where you need it . Richard worked with Gretsch to develop a custom wound set of Filter ’ Trons ( who wouldn ’ t love to be able to do that !?!) that easily traverse from gnarly to jangly .
Back in the day , when players like Richard were coming up , guitarists had a lot less to work with . While pedals like the Rat and Tube Screamer were making their way into the marketplace , purists tended to opt for using the drive in the actual amp , sometimes using an MXR Micro Amp to hit the front end of the amp harder without dramatically changing the tone like drive pedals tend to do . Numerous players started modding their guitars with a Treble Bleed circuit , which reduces the low end as you back off on the Volume control , ideal for cleaning up an overdriven amp without having to touch anything other than the volume control on your guitar . Even with all the options today , a Treble
Bleed circuit is a great option and as you might imagine this guitar has one . Ideal for cleaning up any driven tone , this mod is great for pretty much any style . In combination with