The Gretsch G9350 is a beautiful F-style mandolin with an exceptional sound quality and attention to detail. The Gretsch brand is famous for their unique instruments inspired by old vintage classics like the Gibson F-5.
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I’m a music composer and mandolin enthusiast with several years of experience producing folk, rock and soundtrack music for various media. The mandolin has a special place in my heart, as it adds something very unique and special to every track or song it’s used in.
Gretsch G9350 Mandolin
If you like what you see in this Gretsch G9350 mandolin review, you can order the Gretsch G9350 mandolin on Amazon.
Join me in this deep dive into the Gretsch G9350 and what makes it so popular nowadays.
About the Gretsch G9350
Gretsch started many years ago as a producer of acoustic and semi-acoustic guitars. Their guitars became very prominent in the 1950s, as their vintage models were used by famous artists like the Beatles.
In recent years the Grestch company had a small revival, as most players nowadays are fascinated with old-school vintage instruments like the Gibson F-5. This is where Gretsch was able to find its own place creating modern instruments with designs inspired by the old classics.
The Gretsch G9350 is a proud descendant of the Gretsch Roots Collection. This collection is trying to revive the old ways and designs that made this company so popular many years ago.
The Gretsch G9350 is a unique F-style mandolin with a modest design, as this model is all about the sound. I think this mandolin stands somewhere in between simple A-style and modern, fancy F-style mandolins.
Body
The body of the Gretsch G9350 is made of arched solid spruce for the top and solid maple for the back and sides. This is a very well known formula used for many modern mandolins. The mix of maple and spruce offers a very clean and bright tone with a lot of bark and chop.
The overall construction is very solid and has a lot of attention to detail when it comes to small decorative ornaments.
Finish
The finish is a semi-gloss, three-color vintage sunburst. This is a very classic color, which can be found on most mandolins nowadays. It certainly works with this model, and the overall design certainly reminds me of the classic vintage mandolins of the 1920s like the famous Gibson F-5 model.
This is a big pro, as most mandolin players I meet are in love with the old classics. Buying this mandolin will get you an affordable F-5 clone with some modern features and high-end hardware.
The overall details like the bindings, trim and headstock are top notch and much better than most mandolins at this price. This is a very well built mandolin for a crazy low price.
Neck
Here it has a very typical mahogany neck with a padauk fretboard. The neck is quite thin, which is very common for most F-style mandolins.
This mandolin has a very fast action, perfect for bluegrass and country music. Overall, the neck is very comfortable and smooth.
Bridge
The Gretsch G9350 comes with a compensated ebony bridge. This bridge is very easy to adjust and offers a better sustain and a very comfortable action all around the spectrum.
Tuners
The G9350 has a set of quite good open-back geared tuning machines. These tuners are very decent for this price tag and will maintain the tuning of your mandolin without any trouble.
Pickup
Some Gretsch G9350 models might have an internal pickup. They’re normally denominated with the letter A or E in its name. It’s a good quality piezo-ceramic Nashville M300 pickup. This is a very nice addition to an already loud instrument, as you’ll be able to amplify this model and get even more volume out of it.
If you need a mandolin that can be played in a big and loud ensemble or band, Gretsch has you covered.
Order the Gretsch G9350 Mandolin
If you like what you see in this Gretsch G9350 mandolin review, you can order the Gretsch G9350 mandolin on Amazon.
Pros & Cons
✅ Beautiful F-style design
✅ Great sustain and projection
✅ Robust build
✅ All solid body
❌ Low quality strings
❌ Case not included
My Experience with the Gretsch G9350
I played this model for several years and never had any big issues with it. I really enjoyed every second with this beauty. I had to do some professional setup after buying it, and this really improved the overall sound quality of the instrument.
One of the things you can do to get the most out of this model is changing strings. Most mid-range mandolins come with low-quality strings by default. Changing to a higher quality set will help you get a clearer tone and more overtones from your mandolin.
This is a very robust mandolin, and it could even be used as a campfire mandolin. I use it while traveling and always have a very good time with it.
But there are some small cons with this mandolin too. One of them is that the head of the mandolin is too heavy and when played with the strap attached to the scroll, it tends to dive a little bit.
Another thing I struggled with is the thin neck and small fretboard. You need to be quite accurate to play correctly, but this isn’t so much of a design flaw, as Gretsch G9350 was designed for a fast action that’s very common in the bluegrass and country genres.
The Sound
The sound of the Gretsch G9350 has all the characteristics of a typical F-style mandolin. The G9350 has a bright and crisp tone with a lot of bark and chop. This is the perfect mandolin for bluegrass and country music.
The volume of this mandolin is simply incredible. I’ve never heard an F-style mandolin with this kind of loudness. This instrument will cut through any mix no matter how big the band is you’re playing with. This is, without any doubt, the loudest F-style mandolin currently on the market.
Order the Gretsch G9350 Mandolin
If you like what you see in this Gretsch G9350 mandolin review, you can order the Gretsch G9350 mandolin on Amazon.
In my personal opinion the sound of the G9350 is almost unbeatable for this price tag. This is one of the best sounding and loudest F-Style mandolins currently on the market.
Gretsch G9350 Warranty
Some retailers may offer you a 2-year total confidence warranty, although this might vary depending on the offer and the retailer.
Where to Buy the Gretsch G9350
Gretsch mandolins are quite popular nowadays and can be found in almost any music store or website. Let’s take a look at some of the options we have here.
Amazon
Amazon is one of the most important retailers in the modern age. They started as an online bookstore but rapidly expanded into selling all kinds of products, from electronics to acoustic instruments like mandolins and violins.
Amazon has an easy-to-use interface and very good offers with some discounts here and there. The selection of instruments is very big, although you might have difficulties finding some of the rarest instruments here.
One of the most useful features on Amazon is the customer reviews. Here you will find a bunch of honest opinions made by customers who already bought the particular product. If the product has any big defects or cons, the customer reviews is the place to go if you want to know more and make the right decision.
Order Online
Apart from Amazon and eBay, there are numerous retailers that offer a more niche approach. This means that you might find more mandolin models on a website that specializes in vintage acoustic instruments such as violins and violas.
Here at Into Strings we highly recommend SweetWater.com and GuitarCenter.com, as these retailers offer a very wide selection of instruments for a modest price tag.
Your Local Store
In your local store you might find a limited selection of instruments, and this includes mandolins. I recommend being on the lookout for stores that specialize in vintage acoustic instruments, as here you might find a bigger selection of mandolins.
One of the biggest pros of going in person is that you can spend the whole evening there trying out different models, so you can see which one fits you most. I always recommend trying out the instrument by yourself before buying it, and more so if it costs a lot.
Conclusion
The Gretsch G9350 is a truly unique instrument made as a dedication to the golden age of Gretsch guitars and mandolins. This is a solid F-style mandolin with a great sound and a simple but elegant design.
This model is a very popular mandolin with thousands of positive reviews on almost any website where it’s sold. If you’re looking for an affordable but decent F-style mandolin, the Gretsch G9350 is the perfect match for you.
Thank you for reading this article until the end. I hope you liked this read, and if you really did, feel free to leave a comment about the Gretsch G9350 or any other Gretsch model. Also, please share this review on your social media of choice.
Stay safe, and as always, good luck with your sonic adventures!