The Gretsch Company Celebrates 125 Years with a Search for the World's Hottest Unsigned Bands

The Gretsch Company Celebrates 125 Years with a Search for the World's Hottest Unsigned Bands

Next Gretsch Greats Unsigned Artist Competition Kicks Off May 1

SAVANNAH, Ga., April 30 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate its 125th anniversary, The Gretsch Company, one of the world's most well-known drum and guitar manufacturers, is kicking off the Next Gretsch Greats Unsigned Artist Competition, an online competition to identify the world's hottest unsigned bands. The competition entry period will begin May 1 and end May 31, 2008.

"George Harrison, Charlie Watts, Chet Atkins, Bono, Brian Setzer, Phil Collins, Chick Webb, Art Blakey -- they're just a few of the 'Gretsch Greats' who made our drums and guitars so famous over the past 125 years," said Gretsch Company president Fred W. Gretsch. "This year, as we celebrate our musical heritage and kick off the next 125 years of 'that great Gretsch sound,' we're looking for the next generation of Gretsch greats who are going to help define popular music."

To enter the competition, artists simply visit www.gretsch125th.com/contest and submit an mp3 file of the original song that could help make them famous. Every artist who enters will receive a free commemorative Gretsch 125th Anniversary poster, while the top three prizes include the opportunity to perform at Gretsch's 125th Anniversary Concert in New York City and enough Gretsch gear to take an up-and-coming band out of the garage and into the limelight(1).

Grand Prize Winner performs live at Gretsch's 125th Anniversary Concert in New York City as part of an illustrious lineup of "Gretsch Greats" and wins a full rack of great Gretsch gear, including:

-- Gretsch Setzer Hot Rod guitar
-- Gretsch Electrotone bass guitar
-- Gretsch Rancher Cutaway acoustic/electric guitar with Fishman(R) pickup
-- 20-watt Gretsch Executive Amplifier with 15" Eminence speaker
-- Gretsch Renown 5-piece drum set in Bermuda Sparkle Lacquer finish
-- TOTAL ESTIMATED PRIZE VALUE: $20,000+(1)

1st Prize winner wins enough gear to "Gretsch their garage," including:
-- Gretsch Pro Jet electric guitar
-- Gretsch Rancher Jr. acoustic/electric guitar with Fishman(R) pickup
-- Gretsch Broadkaster bass guitar
-- Gretsch Catalina Club Rock 5-piece drum set in Silver Sparkle over
Silver Lacquer finish
-- TOTAL ESTIMATED PRIZE VALUE: $5,245

2nd Prize winner wins $1,250 in Gretsch-product gift certificates to help them take their sound to the next level.

Ten finalists will be selected by popular online voting at www.gretsch125th.com/contest in June and July. Then, the finalists will be judged by an expert panel who will select the grand, first and second prize winners.

The Next Gretsch Greats Unsigned Artist Competition is open to unsigned and independent label recording acts residing in the United States, U.K., Canada, Spain, Germany, France and Japan. No purchase will be necessary to enter or win. The complete contest rules are available for review at www.gretsch125th.com/contest.

More information about The Gretsch Company's 125th Anniversary celebrations can be found at www.gretsch125th.com and www.myspace.com/gretsch125th.

About The Gretsch Company

Founded in 1883 as a small musical instrument shop in Brooklyn, N.Y., The Gretsch Company, now based in Savannah, Ga., has produced some of the world's greatest drums and guitars over the span of four generations. With its emphasis on hand-craftsmanship and commitment to quality, Gretsch has pioneered new designs and manufacturing techniques, winning endorsements from some of the music industry's most respected artists, including Chet Atkins, Charlie Watts, Neil Young and Phil Collins. Gretsch also owns and manufactures some of the other most popular and historic music industry products and brands including Bigsby(R) Vibratos and Sho-Bud(R) Pedal Steel Guitars. The company has strong worldwide ties with musical giants Kaman and Fender, placing the Gretsch name in concert halls and recording studios around the globe.

APPENDIX: DETAILED PRIZE GEAR INFORMATION

Grand Prize Gear Package:

G6120SHATV Gretsch Setzer Hot Rod Guitar: The updated Gretsch Brian Setzer Hot Rod models have been stripped down and rebuilt to Brian's rockin' and exacting specifications. The G6120SHATV comes stock with TV Jones(R) "classic" pickups, 1959 trestle bracing, Sperzel(R) locking tuners, pinned Adjusto-matic(TM) bridge, Bigsby(R) B6C Vibrato tailpiece, and in the hot rod color, Candy Apple Red.

G6073 Electrotone Bass Guitar: Feel the Thunder! ... and your pant legs flapping! With its TV Jones(R) Thunder'Tron pickups and sealed Electrotone body, the G6073 definitely comes ready to rock. Other features include a comfortable 30.3" scale length, adjustable Gretsch bridge, Sperzel(R) locking tuners, and Schaller(R) straplocks. Finished in burgundy stain.

G6022C Rancher Cutaway Acoustic/Electric Guitar with Fishman(R) pickup: This is a big guitar! 17' wide, 3-1/2' to 4-1/2' deep, with maple back and sides, spruce top. It has multiple binding on the body, headpiece and neck and a patented French design sound hole. The neck is laminated rock maple; the fingerboard is bound rosewood. The western motif pearl inlays hint at the instrument's wide-open, big sound. The Rancher acoustic is complete with gold-plated hardware, enclosed gear machines, acoustic-design pin bridge and western maple stain finish. The sound of the West!

Gretsch Executive Amplifier: From delicate finger picking to pounding rock 'n' roll, the Gretsch Executive amplifier is the perfect match for your Gretsch guitar. No master volumes or channel switching, just plug in, find your sweet spot, and let it rip! Features include all tube circuitry, point-to-point wiring, finger-jointed pine cabinets, and two-tone heavy-duty space-age vinyl covering, 20 watts output into one 15" Eminence speaker. Hand made in U.S.A. by Victoria Amp Company.

Gretsch Renown 5-piece Drum Set: Gretsch's Renown series carries on the classic Gretsch look and feel with a presence and sound all its own. Featuring Gretsch-formula maple shells, die cast hoops, 30-degree bearing edges and Silver Sealer shell interiors, Renown produces a warm and distinctively Gretsch sound, but with a contemporary punch. The Bermuda sparkle lacquer finish is a vintage style color and radiates a dazzling glimmer. Kit includes:

-- 18x22" bass drum
-- 8x10" and 9x12" toms
-- 14x14" floor tom
-- 5x14" snare

1st Prize Gear Package:

G5235T Pro Jet Guitar: With its chambered mahogany body with set-in mahogany neck, dual Gretsch mini-humbuckers, and Bigsby(R) B50 Vibrato tailpiece, the Pro Jet definitely breaks the sound barrier! Other features include a rosewood fingerboard, anchored Adjusto-matic(TM) bridge, volume and tone controls, and die cast tuners. Finished in gloss walnut stain with solid black top.

G5015 Rancher Jr. Black Flat Top Acoustic/Electric Guitar: The Gretsch Rancher Jr. Flat Top features a solid spruce top, laminated mahogany sides and back, mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard and bridge and Fishman Prefix pickup.

G6119B Broadkaster Bass Guitar (walnut): The Broadkaster hollow body electric bass is modeled after several successful Gretsch basses of the 1960s for bassists who demand instruments to match the sound and quality of the Gretsch electric guitars. Styled after the Tennessee Rose, the Broadkaster has two FilterTron bass series pickups and full round tone that comes from a hollow body instrument. With an extremely fast, responsive neck, this bass is a favorite among discriminating bassists.

Gretsch Catalina Club Rock 5-piece Drum Set: Born to rock. Gretsch's Catalina Club Rock kit is packed with features that are made for the rocker within. This kit's "one up, two down" tom configuration fully projects classic looks and acoustics. The 18"x24" bass drum kicks with a boisterous bottom-end tonality that delivers a saturating sonic assault. Toms resonate with thunderous tones; the 16" and 18" "double trouble" floor toms provide a meaty texture for tribal tom patterns and fills. The 6.5"x14" matching wood snare drum is equipped to deliver explosive attack with a fat tone. Kit includes:

-- 18"x24" bass drum
-- 9"x13" tom
-- 16"x16" floor tom
-- 16"x18" floor tom
-- 6.5"x14" snare

(1) Grand Prize value includes $15,290 MSRP of gear package plus estimated $5,000 in travel expenses for New York concert performance. More detail on gear portion of prize packages included in Appendix above. For additional detail on the trip portion of Grand Prize, see the Official Rules at www.gretsch125th.com.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: The Gretsch Company

CONTACT: Brandon Hanick, +1-404-874-7852, bhanick@jacksonspalding.com,
for The Gretsch Company

Web site:

http://www.gretsch125th.com/
http://www.myspace.com/gretsch125th
http://www.gretsch125th.com/media
http://www.gretsch125th.com/contest

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