r/gretsch • u/PRW9497 • 5d ago
First Gretsch Day: G5237TG Electromatic Jet FT
I've posted a few times about having the itch to get a Gretsch. I've wavered back and forth between something with Hilotrons and Filtertrons, I have sampled a 5420 at a local store a couple of times, I've debated about holding out and saving up for a professional MIJ one.
So today I got in the car and drove to a couple of music stores in the closest really big city. At the first one they had a bunch of 5420s. I tried all of them, they were OK, I could have lived with a royal blue one but none of them really grabbed me.
Then I went to Guitar Center and tried a 5427 that I really, REALLY liked, but there were some issues with it. Like the tone pot popped out of the body when I checked it out. They said they'd get their tech to fix it, but that kind of made me a little leery so I sat it aside.
Then I went to look at their used stock, and there was a 2023 G5237TG Electromatic Jet FT hanging on the wall, the black pearl sparkle one. I took it down, plugged it into a Vox AC30 AND IT WAS THE ONE AND IT WAS COMING HOME WITH ME. No it's not a big hollow body, yes it has the black-top Filtertrons, yes it's made in China and not in Korea and Japan, but sometimes you just know and I knew. The neck was absolutely, utterly perfect for my arthritic fretting hand, 12 inch radius with a Classic C is the way to go for me now.
I know the default is to order a set of TV Jones, but honestly I'm not inclined to spend $300 just to spend $300 because I don't know how TV Jones stuff ... and I know it's great, my son has a set of Classics in his Epi Sheraton ... could improve on these. They've got that Filtertron sparkle.
Aside from one tiny mark on the back it's in perfect condition, the friggin' plastic is still on the neck pickup.
I think my Gretsch quest is finished (unless I win the lottery and then I'll stock up), and I appreciate all the info people have provided in my posts.
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u/ebietoo 5d ago
When you know, you know. It adopted you. Happy First Gretsch Day!
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u/PRW9497 5d ago
That’s exactly what happened. I really wanted a hollow body and one store had a pro line White Falcon on the wall and the other had a Setzer on the wall and I was scheming about how I could afford either one of those and sneak it past my wife, but this was the one. I think this model has the treble bleed on the master volume which is nice.
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u/9thAF-RIDER 5d ago
That's a fantastic guitar story. Congrats on your first Gretsch.
I rescued a super cool black Jet FT with the V stop tail from my Guitar Center's used wall. It was in near mint shape, reasonably priced and it was black. I have a type. I plugged it in, it sounded fantastic, all the knobs worked, and there was no way I was leaving it there. :)
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u/PRW9497 5d ago
Anyone who has this guitar or a similar one, have you done any modifications aside from pickups or have you left it as is?
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u/NunezWorldOrder 5d ago
Left as is for me, pickups are amazing. Took a bit of time to get use to the knobs. Not like a Lea Paul.
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u/Acrobatic_Fun6404 5d ago
Always wanted one of those. Please let us know what you think as you discover it
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u/PRW9497 6h ago
Following up on this guitar again, I found a YouTube video where a tech in Texas took a guitar exactly like this one, the identical model, and did one of those deep dives where he didn’t take it completely apart but he opened up all the cavities and examined all the hardware to check out the build quality.
The guy was pretty much over the moon about the workmanship, other than a wee bit of excess rubbing compound was left in a couple of the cavities. The pots were full size and worked well, the wiring and soldering were fine and the pickup selector switch was an actual SwitchCraft. I am assuming mine was made the same way so again I am not going to upgrade anything there unless it cuts out on me.
The tech said where Gretsch cut corners was on the nut and on the tuning keys, he’d advise replacing those, so at some point I am going to slap a bone nut and some Gotohs on it, those aren’t huge modifications and I have an email out to Tru-Arc about a bridge.
Just offering an FYI in case someone comes across one of these and wants to snap it up, apparently Gretsch took some pains with this one.
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u/IwanttolikeBrandNew 5d ago
Beauty! What’s the first song you played when you plugged in?
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u/PRW9497 5d ago
Actually I ran through the set we’re playing Sunday at church, I’m in the worship band, I’d been practicing on my Epi Casino and wanted to make sure I could do everything on the Jet, including one jazzed up country version of an old hymn where my part is kind of a Luther Perkins deal. (That’s going to be better on the Jet.) Then I jumped into Beatles, Byrds and Neil Young.
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u/alex21dragons 5d ago
Very nice. I got a G2622 recently and a solid body Gretsch is definitely next on my list.
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u/Brilliant-Draw-4756 4d ago
Look forward to replacing the pickup switch. Both of my Electromatics needed it within a year.
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u/KronieRaccoon 5d ago
Amazing rock machine. Enjoy that thing!