9th annual Gretsch Day celebrates iconic guitar born in Brooklyn

June 6, 2016 By John Alexander Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Fred Gretsch (center), with his wife Dinah (right) and Rocky Schiano, accepts a commemorative mug and introduces the new "Bachman-Gretsch Collection" exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Eagle photos by John Alexander

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As always, great music made the 9th annual Gretsch Day celebration at Street Sounds in Brooklyn a bona fide success. Musicians and music lovers alike came to Bay Ridge on Saturday, June 4 for a full day of music, ranging from rock and rockabilly to bluegrass, jazz and the blues. There was free food and drinks and numerous giveaways that ranged from Gretsch T-shirts and tote bags to ukuleles and Gretsch guitars.

Sound Streets owner Rocky Schiano welcomed the crowd and told everyone to feel free to pick up and play any of the dozens of guitars that lined the walls of his store. Schiano has been in the music business since 1988. He started out selling CDs and eventually transitioned into one of the finest music shops in New York. Located about 10 miles away from the original Gretsch factory, Street Sounds is the largest authorized Gretsch dealer in the world and carries one of the largest inventories of Gretsch guitars anywhere. Renowned artists and musicians such as John Sebastian of the Lovin’ Spoonful and guitar legend Duane Eddy have come to visit Schiano just to check out his vast collection of Gretsch guitars.

At the event, Schiano introduced Joe Carducci, a record producer, author, A&R executive and currently Gretsch’s marketing director. Carducci gave a brief history of the Gretsch guitar brand and explained that there are five different kinds of people who come to Gretsch Day:

People who love Gretsch guitars and save up all their money to buy them.
Guitar collectors who just have to have a Gretsch guitar in their collection.
Those who attend for the free swag, but then find out they really like Gretsch guitars.
Kids who have no idea that Gretsch guitars started in Brooklyn, but love guitars in general.
Devoted fans who have the Gretsch name tattooed on their bodies for the rest of their lives.

Next, Schiano introduced the guests of honor, Fred Gretsch and his wife Dinah. Fred is the great-grandson of founder Freidrich Gretsch, who started the company in 1883 by opening a shop at 104 S. Fourth St. in Williamsburg. In 1916, he moved the company to a larger building that he had built at 60 Broadway in Brooklyn. Legendary musicians from Eddie Cochran and George Harrison to Tom Petty and Pete Townsend have played Gretsch guitars. And Chet Atkins endorsed a popular series of Gretsch guitars starting in 1954.

Gretsch thanked Schiano and introduced the new “Bachman-Gretsch Collection” exhibit currently on view at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. The guitars are created in conjunction with renowned guitarist Randy Bachman of the Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Fred Gretsch was also glad to autograph any guitars purchased that day, and from the growing number of “Sold” signs it appeared that many attendees were taking advantage of his offer.

Schiano gave attendees a fascinating tour of his guitar shop with riveting anecdotes about the artists who have purchased guitars from him. He recalled when the Stray Cats’ Brian Setzer called him about a particular guitar he desired, and suggested they complete the transaction at one of his concerts. Schiano explained, “Setzer started playing the guitar on his tour bus as I watched and listened in awe. Unfortunately, he had second thoughts when he realized the guitar did not have a ‘bigsby vibrato,’ a type of mechanical device for electric guitars.” Schiano admitted, he left with the guitar in hand, and a memory he would never forget.

Brooklyn Sen. Marty Golden made a surprise appearance to thank Fred and Dinah Gretsch for staying in Brooklyn, and added, “I bet they wish they still owned the building on South Fourth Street in Williamsburg.” Golden also presented Schiano with a plaque honoring him for his community service, and hosting this much anticipated event every year that “brings people together from Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights, Park Slope and all over South Brooklyn, as a community.”

Concert performances throughout the day included English rockabilly star Darrel Higham; Grammy-nominated Nashville artist Todd “Banjo Man” Taylor, who performed with Mike Moody on bass; John “The Cat” Gatto, an original member of Long Island-based band The Good Rats; the Michelle Marie Trio; the Big Lazy; and Off the Roof, featuring Schiano’s daughter Kristina on drums.

Steven Sulzer, a longtime friend of Schiano who has attended eight prior events, happily summed the occasion up, saying, “It gets better every year, and this is just another great Gretsch Day here at Street Sounds in Brooklyn.”