“He said, ‘If you got in the band, what would you do?’ I said, ‘I always wanted a White Falcon.’ Everything I owned, I put into that”: Billy Duffy spent his life savings on his first Gretsch – now he’s got a signature model to mark 40 years of The Cult
Gretsch has partnered with The Cult’s Billy Duffy to produce a new Falcon signature guitar in celebration of the band’s 40th Anniversary.
First officially anointed The Cult in 1984 (after performing under the Death Cult moniker for a year prior) the group have long been established as one of the UK’s most successful gothic rock exports.
During his four decades with the band, Duffy has largely been known for two things: his psychedelic blend of gothic and rock music, and the assortment of Gretsch electric guitars that have helped him craft his signature style.
Specifically, Duffy has been overwhelmingly loyal to the Falcon – a hollowbody model with which he first started a lifelong love affair after he successfully auditioned to be the new lead guitar player for a band called Theater Of Hate.
“[The lead singer] said to me in the audition, ‘If you got in the band, what would you do?’ I said, ‘I kind of always wanted to get a Gretsch White Falcon. That’s the next thing I’m obsessing on.’
“I got in the band, took all my life savings and waddled down to a shop in London. Everything I owned I put into that guitar. I rolled and put everything on Gretsch – and it worked out okay.
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(Image credit: Gretsch)
(Image credit: Gretsch)
“The main attribute of all Gretsch guitars is that they create a three-dimensional [sound],” continues Duffy. “The analogy I use is, if you ever go into a cathedral, there’s a certain quality, and I think most of the Gretsches I’ve ever known have an element of that quality.
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“It allowed me to create space with the instrument. Certain other guitars are quite dense, and there’s air and breath within a Gretsch.”
Because of his affinity for the original Falcon design, this 40th Anniversary model stays largely faithful to the source material, save a few Duffy-selected flourishes.
These include Black Top Filter’tron pickups, gold hardware and gold sparkle binding, as well as a commemorative “8424” metal truss rod cover that sits next to Duffy’s own signature, which has been hand-signed on the back of each model.
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(Image credit: Gretsch)
(Image credit: Gretsch)
(Image credit: Gretsch)
(Image credit: Gretsch)
Some more familiar specs include a 2.75”-deep maple body with parallel tone bars, a U-shaped maple neck, a 25.5” scale length, and a 12”-radius ebony fingerboard, as well as a Bigsby B6GW tailpiece and a pinned TOM-style bridge.
“The Gretsch allowed me to create, what I think is the most important thing for any guitar player, and that is to find your own sound and your style,” Duffy adds. “That’s what playing a guitar with this certain set of attributes did for me.”
The limited edition G8424T Billy Duffy Signature Falcon is available now for $4,499. Each model comes with a Duffy-styled hard case and appropriate case candy.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
