Gretsch G5022CE Rancher Jumbo Cutaway Review

Cool Guitar

A little background to help improve this review. I am not a folk guitar player, a country singer, a strummer, or a finger style or honky tonk player. I think most people who would be attracted to this guitar would fall into one of the previously mentioned categories. I'm actually a metal player who has also been playing classical for the past 35 years. I was looking for a guitar… read more that wasn't crazy expensive with decent tone, easy playability, good intonation, decent electronics, and something easy to rest on my knee for studio work (so the Ovation was out). I was attracted to this guitar because of the size (I had been looking at jumbo Gibsons), the crazy color, and the price tag. So, without the background of being an experienced strummer with the ability to debate the subtle nuances of this instrument that acoustic players would be craving, I submit this review. Pros: 1. Presentation - It's not for everyone but I love the way that this guitar looks. It really brightens up my studio. The size is exactly what I was looking for and is rather large so be sure it's the size you want. I didn't want a dreadnought even though many sound amazing. That looks like a 70s design to me and I was looking for something different. 2. Price - Having played a ton of acoustics between $500-$1200, I have to say that there wasn't a single guitar under $500 that had all the options and quality of this instrument - not a single one that I played. This thing plays better and has better intonation than a lot of guitars costing $1200. Of course, being a handmade acoustic instrument, each one is different. I would never buy a classical without having played it quite a bit before, but a steel string is a bit more adjustable and Sweetwater is so awesome with their setup before they ship, this thing was perfectly in tune when I pulled it out of the box. If you get one that you are unhappy with, send it back and they will send you another one. Best customer service on the planet. 3. Playability and Intonation - This guitar plays great in my limited steel string acoustic experience compared to the many, many other guitars that I played before purchasing this one. The neck isn't too big or two small, it's amazingly in tune all the way up and down the neck, even chords fretted between the 7th and 12 frets that are notoriously out of tune on many instruments when the guitar is tuned to play well in first position.4. Quality of construction (for the price) - It's beautiful and feels great while holding it. The wood selection (grain) is absolutely top notch (on mine). The construction (as new), binding, finish, and hardware are mostly flawless. Did I say it's a beautiful instrument? 5. SWEETWATER! The only place the shop. Best prices, best customer service in the universe, best selection, and they will work with you until you are a satisfied customer. A shout out to Drew who takes care of my musical and electronic addictions with supreme skill and amazing customer service. I always get a phone call after an order and he is always available with a lifetime of music experience and pro audio study to provide guidance and recommendations. Thanks Drew!!Cons:1. Sound and Projection - Not really a con. This guitar sound great for $. Just remember how much you are paying for it. It resonates pretty well but not as loud as you would think for the size, and definitely not as loud as many other jumbos out there. This is due to the construction technique, bracing, strings, and probably the amount of finish applied to the exterior - all of which are directly attributed to the price point. It really does sound nice but this is a very subjective assessment and it's not like picking up your holy grail guitar, strumming a nice fat chord, and leaning back to relish that fat, amazing tone and projection. It does sound quite nice however and when plugged in, much of this can be compensated for. 2. Electronics - Not bad but just OK. Remember how much you are paying for this. I haven't played around with it enough while plugged in to give a more accurate assessment. If you are just plugging into an amp or a PA to play solo shows in the corner it should do quite well. For recording work, if you have some nice plug-ins or additional electronic circuitry to run the signal through, you can find some nice sounds. The EQ is marginally acceptable to work out the sound that you want. It's just OK. 3. Tuner - Being a frequency freak, I find the tuner tolerances to be so large that if you don't have a good ear, you'll be playing out of tune quite a bit if you rely on this tuner. For me it's basically a toy and I won't be using it - at all. Clip a little Peterson strobe on the headstock and tune up correctly or better yet, tune a fat string and then tune the guitar to itself by ear for proper intonation. I would not rely on this tuner while tuning silently in the corner before your next song. 4. Tuning Knobs - The hardware is beautiful but low cost. I'll be replacing these in short order. There is quite a bit of slop in the tuner when reversing direction and it makes tuning up a bit more of a challenge. The guitar does stay in tune beautifully once tuned but the process bothers me using these tuners. Compared to a Taylor GS Mini that has a similar price point, these aren't so good. The Taylor tuners are wonderful. 5. No Case - Doesn't come with a case. Not a problem for me because it's a studio guitar but you have to throw that into the decision matrix. This would be the best deal on the planet if it came with a nice case. Plan on spending $ for a quality case. It will be a rather large case also. There are other reviews online that recommend certain cases. Apparently the factory case is quite tight with this guitar and many people don't like the fit. Overall, I am pleasantly surprised at the overall value and quality of this instrument - especially for the wonderfully low price. You get a nostalgic look, a great playing instrument that sounds great, and the ability to plug in and play for an amazing price. The closest competitor in this price point was the Taylor GS Mini which played absolutely amazing, is offered in many different wood choices (spruce for bright sound, mahogany for a more mellow sound, koa is mellow with a nice top end), comes with a soft case or gig bag, and gets you that famous name if you're into that. The finish on that one was lackluster (satin) and it has a shorter string length so it's easy to play for smaller hands, and the body is quite a bit smaller so it's easy to transport and has a much smaller footprint. I personally found it a bit unrewarding to play over time because of the size and string length but if you're looking for an amazing machine in a smaller package, definitely play a few of those.

---

Cancel Comment

Another classic

All of my performing acoustics are small bodied sweet sounding models. I needed a deep voiced acoustic / electric for the Johnny Cash style stuff I had been playing. A show stopping orange stain was just the icing on the cake that I needed. This guitar is tight, warm and just gorgeous. The pick up is smart and clean. Hard to believe it's less than five bills.

---

Cancel Comment

Very nice

Very nicly made and sounds great

---

Cancel Comment

Envy

My friend just bought this from Sweetwater. It's a very well made guitar, has excellent playability and a great tone.

---

Cancel Comment

Big Sound at a Fair Price

WOW! A co worker recommended this guitar for performance use and it is great! The Isys pre amp system sounds transparent when dialed properly. The Phase switch is a great addition for playing varying volumes. The guitar was set up great EXCEPT I needed to tweak the truss out of the box and the strings were dead(comes with D'Adarrio 12s I case you were curious.) once I put fresh… read more strings on it was great. I would buy another if mine was stolen or buster!

---

Cancel Comment