Gretsch G5422TG Electromatic Classic Hollowbody Double-Cut with Bigsby Review

Beautiful Guitar

One of the most enjoyable purchases I have ever experienced (G5422TG). Sweetwater was a pleasure to deal with and kept me informed of my purchase status the entire time. They even called me to personally discuss my purchase! Some of the best customer service I have ever received. Upon arrival I waited the 24 hours before opening as suggested on the box. This really increased the… read more anticipation factor as I had to look at the box for an entre day prior to opening. Once opened I was totally impressed with the effort Sweetwater puts into packing the product so that it does not get damaged in transit. Finally I found myself standing there with my brand new Gretsch! It was magnificent. Within 5 minutes I was plugged in and jamming and I have not playing any of my other guitars (7 of them) since. I could not find a single flaw on the guitar so Kudos to the Sweetwater folks for doing exactly what they claim to do when it comes to delivering a quality product. Have I mentioned that the guitar look amazing! As for the guitar itself I love the 1) has so many "voices" in the sound 2) master volume control 3) aesthetics. Not a big deal but 1) output signal level is low but tolerable 2) adjusters (knobs) are not linear as they increase in value rapidly right near the end (think of between 9 - 10) 3) hanging position not totally comfortable for me but I can adapt (guitar neck parallels the floor and I like it a little on the rise) 4) forward pickup volume control can be hard to get at depending on the position of the Bigsby 5) wish for more color choices but still love the walnut stain 6) Wanted thumbnails on fretboard but this model did not come with that option 7) frets are a little high for me but does not impact playability 8) slight buzzing on 6th string but almost not noticeable (easy fix). So do not think that I am unhappy with this purchase because of all the "but" items. I just wanted to share my thoughts. I love this guitar and I love the service I received from Sweetwater! Will definitely give them first shoot at any future purchases.

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Now, This Is Fun!

They come and they go and I have spent money and time changing things once I get them. This is perfect just the way it is. I wanted hollowness and a double cutaway. Not much from which to choose. Considered a Casino but I prefer the body depth and upper fret access of the Gretsch. Played a Streamliner and was impressed by the quality/cost ratio. I knew that the Electromatic would… read more be fine. I have "nicer" stuff but I know I'll be reaching for this one more often. Felt great out of the box with nothing to think about. It's just plain fun!

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G5422TE

Well I have only been playing this for about 5 hours(in a row). I am so blown away by it words will not seem to do it justice I was worried about the neck as it said it was a c shaped neck. I usually play a Gibson les Paul, with a 60's slim taper neck, and an ovation guitar. both with very thin necks. I was so happy that this is also very thin, nothing to get used to. Feels right… read more right from the start!!!! I was playing through a strymon Big sky, and it almost made you want to cry!! It sounds better than my les Paul I hate to say. Playability sound feel it all is right on. I was looking for something to kick start my recording, was in a rut. this was much better than I expected! I never had a tremolo before, this is a@kicking. didn't think it would be this much fun, sorry if I'm sounding like a little kid!! I think this might be the best guitar purchase of my life, at 66 years old that might be saying something, I have bought and sold more than I can remember! I have have liked the way Gretsch guitars have sounded for a very long time don't know why it took so long to get one. I don't think this will be my last. I like doing business with Sweetwater, They are fast and reliable. I've never had a problem with anything I have ever ordered and I have bought a bunch of stuff from them, they are my go to store!!!

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My first Gretsch....why did I wait so long???

Loved the look immediately....and I went online to hear a few players put it through its paces...yeah....hooked pretty quickly!! I talked to Sean and he helped me by answering any question I threw at him. Once I had decided on which specific guitar I wanted, Sean asked all of the right questions about string gauge, preferred setup, style of music, picking style - and anything else… read more I could offer to their guitar techs for the setup of my guitar. Well, I got notice the guitar had shipped......it was like waiting for Christmas morning to arrive. The guitar arrived at 10:00AM and it sat outside in the cold for 40 minutes before I got home to "rescue" it from this Iowa winter... YES, I DIID pay attention to the sticker on the outside of the box urging me to let the box and guitar acclimate for a full 24 hours prior to unboxing the guitar - I religiously paid attention to this.... The next day, I started unboxing the new axe....packaging was fantastic! I opened the case and heard Chet Adkins say...."Hey, that's Purdy!" I couldn't wait to get the protective covers off of the hardware and pick guard. I love the look, love the sound, and truly appreciate the setup skills of your guitar techs!! Thanks to Sean, Sweetwater, and all of your people for their expertise! This guitar will definitely be one of my favorite players!!

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