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Review: Gretsch G2622TG-P90 Limited Edition Streamliner

With a pair of P-90 pickups and a centre-block, this isn’t your average Gretsch – but it certainly makes a statement.

Gretsch-G2622TG Limited Edition Streamliner

Gretsch-G2622TG Limited Edition Streamliner

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Review Overview

Our rating

9

Our verdict

Traditional and non-traditional features combine to create a special guitar at an affordable price.

Gretsch says this special-run model from its affordable Streamliner range was designed with three things in mind: “high gain-friendly performance, slick, easy playability and spectacular style.”

It’s certainly the first time we’ve seen Candy Apple Red applied with a satin finish, and combined with the gold-plated hardware and the tortoiseshell pickguard, this guitar is guaranteed to get you noticed. The aged-white body binding tops off the look, although there are a few stray patches of colour that the scraper missed.

The appearance may be contemporary Gretsch to a tee, but there are other features that are less frequently associated with the brand. The licensed Bigsby B70 vibrato is teamed with an anchored Adjusto-Matic bridge and it may surprise you to see a pair of cream covered P-90 pickups. Less obvious is a chambered spruce block running through the centre line of the laminated maple, double-cutaway body.

In addition to the three-way pickup selector and a slightly crowded arrangement of individual pickup volume controls and a master tone, there’s a master volume on the treble-side horn.

Gretsch-G2622TG Limited Edition Streamliner (Pickguard)
Gretsch-G2622TG Limited Edition Streamliner (Pickguard)

In use

Before we plug in, the G2622TG produces an exceptionally vibrant, loud and full tone. There’s ample sustain and the substantial and solid quality of single notes complements a chiming twang that is undeniably Gretsch-y. It’s all very encouraging, but can the pickups do it justice?

It turns out they can, and the tone even compares very favourably with a pair of 1953 soapbars in a Goldtop and a pair of dog-ears in a ’56 ES-225. We hear a wonderful contrast between the two P-90s in the Gretsch. The bridge has a snarly vintage quack and the neck is sweeter, more rounded and flute-like.

Our initial concerns about the bridge pickup’s distance from the bridge are quickly dispelled. The gap is sizeable, but shifting the pickup closer to the centre introduces a touch of midrange honk reminiscent of the oft-overlooked middle position on a Strat. There’s also plenty of room for picking adjacent to the bridge and sufficient space to play fingerstyle without anything getting in the way.

Gretsch-G2622TG Limited Edition Streamliner (P90 Pickups)
Gretsch-G2622TG Limited Edition Streamliner (P90 Pickups)

Neither pickup is as bright as the P-90s in our mid-60s ES-330, but for vintage sounds and high gain, the more refined treble is an asset. The G2622TG-P90 produces huge overdriven tones and sustains like a solidbody, while both pickups maintain clarity and definition. This really is a remarkable all-rounder.

There are hints of Casino and ES-335, and yet despite the pickups, there’s always something Gretsch-y going on. The flattish neck profile is very much a Gretsch thing, and with the impressive fretwork, we can’t criticise the playability. We appreciate the stiffer than usual Bigsby spring too, and tuning stability is excellent. Gretsch purists may disapprove and the looks won’t be for everybody, but there’s no denying this is a very fine guitar.

Key Features

  • PRICE £559
  • DESCRIPTION Semi-solid electric guitar, manufactured in Indonesia
  • BUILD Laminated maple body with chambered spruce centre block, maple set neck with ‘Standard U’ profile, 12” radius laurel fingerboard with pearloid block inlays and 22 medium-jumbo frets
  • HARDWARE Gold Bigsby-Licensed B70 vibrato, Adjusto-Matic bridge, die-cast tuners, black plastic knobs
  • ELECTRICS 2x P-90 pickups, master volume, master tone, individual pickup volume controls, three-way pickup selector switch
  • SCALE LENGTH 628mm/24.75″
  • NECK WIDTH 43.2mm at nut, 54mm at 12th fret
  • NECK DEPTH 21.4mm at first fret, 24.2mm at 12th fret
  • STRING SPACING 34.7mm at nut, 51.8mm at bridge
  • WEIGHT 3.25kg/7.16lb
  • LEFT HANDERS No
  • FINISHES Candy Apple Red satin
  • CONTACT gretschguitars.com

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