Gretsch G5222 EMTC D. Jet BT V-St

TOTAL GUITAR APRIL 2020
104
BODY: Chambered
mahogany with
maple top
NECK: Mahogany,
set
FINGERBOARD:
Indian laurel
FRETS: 22
SCALE: 24.6”
PICKUPS: 2x
Gretsch Black Top
Broad’Tron
CONTROLS: 1x
master volume with
treble bleed circuit,
1x master tone,
2x volume
SW ITCHING:
3-Position Toggle
HARDWARE:
V-Stoptail, anchored
Adjusto-Matic
bridge, chrome
FINISH: Walnut
Stain [as reviewed],
Jade Grey Metallic,
London Grey, Aged
Natural
CONTACT: 0845
305 1122 /
GretschGuitars.com
AT A GLANCE
I
f your eyes are watering and
fretting hand is in paroxysms of
psychosomatic tendonitis at the
mere prospect of playing your
go-to rock and blues riff s on the
wide-open spaces of a 29.75-inch scale
guitar, then worry not, the G5222
Double Jet returns us to familiar
territory. In fact, after adjusting
your style to get the most out of the
baritones, the Double Jet feels like
a toy. Its neck has got a fairly skinny
profi le – a “thin U,” says Gretsch –
that welcomes all styles, with
a short-ish 24.6-inch scale and
a fl at-feeling 12-inch fretboard with
22 medium-jumbo frets. This all adds
up to feel reassuringly contemporary,
despite being on a guitar that’s all
about fi nding tones that predate the
colour TV. The neck is glued to the
body. Channeling classic Jets of yore,
it has a chambered mahogany body
with maple top that keeps it light
and resonant. When it was unveiled
at NAMM 2020, the main talking
point was the newly-designed Black
Top Broad’Tron pickups. These are
controlled by a master volume control
mounted on the treble-side horn, with
individual volume controls for each
pickup and a master tone control.
Gretsch’s four-knob setup might
seem a little complicated, but it makes
perfect sense when interacting with
a pushed valve amplifi er. It gives you
total control over the guitar’s tone,
with the master volume’s treble
bleed circuit allowing you to roll
back the volume without losing any
brightness. The Black Top Broad’Tron
pickups are wound quite hot as
Gretsch pickups go, but retain the
sort of balance you would expect.
The bridge pickup has plenty of trebly
attitude. Taking the tone control back
a little and it rounds off some of that
meanness quite nicely. Select both
pickups together and kick on some
overdrive or fuzz and you’ll fi nd the
Double Jet in classic rock territory
where there’s no shortage of midrange
sustain. The neck pickup rounds out
the tone without killing the harmonics.
It’s seriously addictive. But then
you’ll have to wean yourself off
that bridge pickup to get there.
That won’t be easy.
G5222
DOUBLE JET
Built for the long haul
“FEELS REASSURINGLY CONTEMPORARY
FOR A GUITAR THAT’S ALL ABOUT FINDING
TONES THAT PREDATE THE COLOUR TV”
£495
G5222
TGR330.gear_test.indd 104 27/02/2020 13:39