Gretsch G5222 EMTC D. Jet BT V-St

BODY: Mahogany
NECK: Maple, bolt-on
FINGERBOARD:
Indian laurel
FRETS: 22
SCALE: 29.75”
PICKUPS: 2x Gretsch
Mini-humbuckers
CONTROLS: 1x
volume, 1x tone
SW ITCHING:
3-Position Toggle
HARDWARE:
V-Stoptail, anchored
Adjusto-Matic bridge,
chrome
FINISH: London Grey
[as reviewed], Jade
Grey Metallic, Dark
Cherry Metallic
CONTACT: 0845 305
1122 / GretschGuitars
.com
AT A GLANCE
APRIL 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
THE TG TEST
103
F
or all intents and purposes, the
G5260 is pretty much the same
guitar as the G5260T. It, too, has
the solid mahogany body and
the bolt-on maple neck. The
scale is a similarly generous 29.75
inches. The fi ngerboard is laurel – as
is it is across the 2020 Electromatic
models – and you’ve got the same
electronics, with a pair of gnarly
proprietary mini ’buckers with master
volume and tone and a three-way
selector for dialling in the tones.
The anchored Adjusto-Matic bridge is
identical. So why does it feel diff erent?
Why the subtle variation in sound? Well,
it sure isn’t the block inlay. Maybe it’s to
do with the V-Stoptail, which off ers
a solid zero-wobble anchor point for
your strings, and the imagination, too.
Sometimes there is no getting by the
power of suggestion. The G5260 could
be deployed in almost all the same
situations as its Bigbsy-equipped
sibling, but there’s something about
its tone, the sharper attack, and the
promise of a fuss-free experience – the
Bigsby can be a fi ddle – that make this
a baritone for sitting in the pocket,
partnering up with the drummer as the
rhythm section, or digging in for some
super-aggressive low-end playing.
The factory settings say rock ’n’ roll,
but the clarity and heat of those
mini-humbuckers makes the G5260
suitable for all kinds of mischief. Clean,
it’s ideal for playing country basslines.
With a splash of spring reverb you can
put a new spin on your surf rock playing.
Indeed, approaching the baritone from
a regular six-string is a transformative
experience, and thanks to its skinny-ish
neck, the G5260 isn’t too intimidating.
If your amp can handle it – and this
will reward those who invested in
a combo with a 12-inch speaker – the
G5260 has a lot of range for playing
distorted. You can imagine some
alt-metal acts getting a lot of high-
volume joy from the G5260 and a fuzz
box. The question is whether drowning
out its natural twang is worth it.
G5260 JET
BARITONE
Let’s get ready to rumble…
£569
“IDEAL FOR COUNTRY BASSLINES, A NEW SPIN ON
YOUR SURF ROCK PLAYING OR EVEN HIGH-VOLUME
ALT-METAL WHEN PAIRED WITH A FUZZ BOX”
THE TG TEST
G5260 JET
TGR330.gear_test.indd 103 27/02/2020 13:39