Summer NAMM 2019: Gretsch launches limited-edition Electromatic and Streamliner guitars

Gretsch has revealed three new limited-edition guitars from its affordable Electromatic and Streamliner ranges at Summer NAMM 2019 in Nashville. 

As the name suggests, the G5420TG Limited Edition Electromatic ’50s Hollow Body Single-Cut with Bigsby pays tribute to the iconic Gretsch big-bodied guitars of the 1950s an early 50s enlarged headstock, hump block inlays, tortie pickguard and natty gold hardware. 

The archtop’s maple construction is as you’d expect with sound-post bracing and oversized F-holes, while the neck is the equally classic combination of maple with a rosewood board. Pickups come in the shape of Gretsch’s trusty Black Top Filter’Trons.

The G5422TG Limited Edition Electromatic Hollow Body Double-Cut with Bigsby® and Gold Hardware is thinner than its 50s sibling, with fully hollow construction, with the same maple and rosewood construction, with a 22-fret board with Neo-Classic thumbnail inlays. 

The finish is perhaps this guitar’s most striking feature, with a lush Midnight Sapphire finish, aged white binding, multi-ply purfling and a gold pickguard and hardware. 

The most affordable of the limited editions comes from Gretsch’s entry-level Streamliner range, the G2622TG-P90 Streamliner Center Block P90 with Bigsby and Gold Hardware. Designed for higher gain applications than most Gretsches. 

Key to this is the presence of two P-90 pickups in place of the Filter’Tron and Broad’Tron pickups usually seen in Gretsch Electromatic and Streamliner models. The soapbar P-90 pickups are designed to work with the guitar’s centre-block to offer a more transparent tone than a humbucker. 

More info at gretschguitars.com. And for the latest Summer NAMM news, click here.