Reasons NOT to buy a Gretsch G2420?

[stormsedge]

I have been very pleased with my Streamliners. Sound great…feel great. I have not had a feedback issue, but I am a home player. The singular complaint (not a show stopper) is the switches are not up to the standard of the guitar and will need to be replaced in the future. (I gave the 2420 in the first pic to my son as a grad gift…it was that good.)

 

[badscrew_projects]

As Gretsch curious I might dip my toes getting a Jet

 

[Brent Hutto]

I agree. There’s a lot of love for the Streamliners on the Gretsch forum; my impression, though, is that people there buy them to modify. If you like how it looks, go for it. But the sweet spot, for under US$1000, is the Electromatic series.

My impression, from the little bit I’ve gleaned so far in researching this, is what you say about Electromatic is true for people looking to do the Chet Atkins or Brian Setzer twangy thing.

But it’s my understanding if you’re viewing this as a cheap but cheerful jazz box, the pickups in Streamliner may actually suit that style of playing better?

 

[dswo]

But it’s my understanding if you’re viewing this as a cheap but cheerful jazz box, the pickups in Streamliner may actually suit that style of playing better?

Yes, if the Streamliner has Broadtrons (generic humbuckers).

 

[OldTelePlayer]

Many hollowbody guitars have a bridge that floats free of the soundboard, similar to a fiddle or mandolin. But it looks like the Streamliners have glued-on bridges, don’t they?

Is that a major difference in terms of tone or responsiveness?

Or just a minor tweak for convenience so it doesn’t slide around?

This type of bridge is the subject of discussion in the hollow body guitar world. Attached or pinned, free floating, metal or wood saddles...

As far as I know, the floating bridge is mainly an intonation mechanism but there are some tone related issues.

If the bridge is too rigid, screwed into the wood then it can effect the attack and decay of a note. Take into account that hollow bodies gain some natural sustain and tone associated with the top and body that's similar to an acoustic guitar but related to archtop acoustics more than flat-tops. Pinned or free, depends on exactly what the player wants. Some hollow body players will modify the bridge to pin it. I won't but I know that there's no single "best" for everyone. The free is considered "standard".

Just want to mention that there are several style of saddles. The adjustable individual saddles allow for some compensation and fine tuning without having to move the whole bridge around. Individually compensating each string that way is better (as in "easier") in my opinion than having a compensating saddle and shifting the whole bridge around. Of course metal saddles versus a wood is a point of discussion related to tone. And, as usual, the answer is "it depends." A big deal? For some it is but I think its not a major issue.

The bottom line:

For us mere mortals, the best bet is to not worry about the fine points and always, always, always use that blue tape to hold the bridge in place when changing strings.

 

[OldTelePlayer]

My impression, from the little bit I’ve gleaned so far in researching this, is what you say about Electromatic is true for people looking to do the Chet Atkins or Brian Setzer twangy thing.

But it’s my understanding if you’re viewing this as a cheap but cheerful jazz box, the pickups in Streamliner may actually suit that style of playing better?

I agree with that.

The Streamliner has BroadTron pickups. These are closer to the Gibson PAF but with more definition. To my ear, more "jazz" sounding, a bit Gibson like, but much clearer and more defined.

The Electromatic 5420 has FilterTron pickups. (Its also trestle braced and that has an effect). The FilterTron, a humbucker, is closer to the P-90 in output but with higher definition and clarity. It was developed because Chet Atkins really did not like the Gretsch single coil Dynasonic's hum but wanted its high definition and clarity. The FilterTron is the "classic" Gretsch sound to my ear.

Best bet is to try both and see what works best for you.

 

[srblue5]

Can't think of a reason not to buy a Gretsch G2420 unless you don't really like the Gretsch/hollowbody thang.

My first hollowbody experience was with an Epiphone Joe Pass Emperor that I never bonded with. I concluded that because of that, hollowbody guitars weren't my thing so I stuck with regular acoustic guitars and solid-body guitars for decades.

I was gifted an Epiphone Casino some years ago which started turning me around on hollowbody guitars but I ended up buying a Gretsch G5410T Rat Rod recently and fully realized what I was missing about hollowbody electric guitars. They really are unique and enjoyable, especially as a guitarist that was mostly reared on acoustics.

Up until recently, I can't say I ever GAS'd for Gretsch guitars but since buying mine, I've come to realize how many great tones I liked that were actually done on Gretsches -- Pete Townshend (The Who), Stephen Stills, Robert Lockwood Jr., etc.

So, no, can't think of a reason not to get a Gretsch. Personally I'd go for a G5420 (or in my case G5410T) but the 2420 looks pretty decent and is priced nicely.

 

[fretknot]

I like the Gretsch lineup of hollow/semi-hollows, and I also find the Guild Starfire line as well as DeArmond attractive. I had a DeArmond Starfire Special that sounded and played very well. The weight was a bit too much.
It was over 9 lbs., but everything else about it was good quality.

 

[Brent Hutto]

I really appreciate all the insight y'all are sharing with me, thanks so much!

Today I made a first serious foray into hollowbody shopping, ending up spending nearly 2 hours in my favorite local guitar store.

Below is a rundown of all my impressions from the guitar I tried but first I'll get to the main takeaways:

1) Ibanez AMH90 is off the list.
2) G2420 is just about off the list, can't decide if I want to find another example to try or not.
3) A guitar I wasn't even planning to look at, Ibanez AF95FM, suited me much better than those two.

Details...

First off I compared one of the two G2420's they had in stock against the Ibanez AMH90, although I was already having second thoughts as soon as I saw just how much smaller and especially shallower the body of the Ibanez was. Tried it first, very comfy to hold and play, neck and fretboard suited me, it was set up well and the frets were well finished...could not get anything than a generic, humbucker-y "electric guitar" sound of it to save my life. I'd much rather stick to playing my Strat and Tele than get another guitar that doesn't feel or sound like my concept of "hollowbody".

The G2420 on the neck pickup, I quickly found some settings on the switches and knobs that sounded pretty good. Definitely had an unfamiliar characteristic to the tone, not like playing my solid bodies. But the middle or bridge pickup settings were just bad. A little bright (which was hard to correct with the Tone knob) but mostly just plunky/twangy sounding. By which I mean, for someone who know what they were doing I think they could get that twangy-Gretsch thing going but for me it just came across as plunky, too sharp on the attack and not enough sustain. Like trying to play clean on a Tele bridge pickup.

I went and got the second G2420 (actually a G2420T) and I thought the neck sounded better than the first one but the middle and bridge sounds were exactly as before. And the whole Bigsby thing felt and looked Rube Goldberg-ish to me. Plus every time I as much as touched it for a subtle vibrato I would have to retune 2-3 strings.

Honestly, I lost the plot a little by the one-hour mark. I think there were one or maybe two other guitars I bought but nothing that changed my growing suspicion that the whole hollowbody thing was a boondoggle for me. They just seemed like either an elaborate way to end up with Tele-like sounds or else I don't know what I'm doing and ought to leave them to better players!

I almost went home at that point but I couldn't resist pulling down what I thought was the best looking guitar in their entire Gretsch/Ibanez inventory. It was an AF95FM, in the Antique Yellow finish that I'd seen in photos and found quite unimpressive. In person, it was gorgeous.

More importantly, I tuned it up, plugged it in, did a little perfunctory noodling around (not expecting to like it, by that point in the day) and started getting interested. On the neck pickup, other than a tendency to get a little too loud when I strummed it (which could be tamed by slightly backing off the Volume and Tone) it was everything the G2420 neck pickup had plus a distinctly rounder decay to each note. Very full. And the middle and bridge settings were actually useful. Really bright sounding unless I backed off the Tone but not quacky or plunky or even twangy. More like a singing bright voice, the kind of fat tone it's sometimes hard to get without a lot of gain on a solidbody guitar.

So I was pooped and a little shell shocked by that point. Maybe my sit-up-and-notice reaction to the AF95FM was wishful thinking. I need to go try it again with fresh ears and fingers. One thing I did notice was the setup needed attention. Neck relief was fine, fretworked looked nice and the action was about right (just under 0.070") on the high strings. But down on the low-E and A the action was on the high side of 0.090" which is too high for me, especially with the 10-52 heavy-bottom gauge on there.

More importantly, and probably related to the high action, the intonation was off. At that 12th fret the high strings were slightly sharp (compared to the harmonic) and the wound strings were seriously, easily audibly sharp anywhere above the 9th or 10th fret. So I need to go back and ask their tech to do a setup and maybe put fresh strings on there so I can give it a better tryout.

 

[Bruxist]

I agree. There’s a lot of love for the Streamliners on the Gretsch forum; my impression, though, is that people there buy them to modify. If you like how it looks, go for it. But the sweet spot, for under US$1000, is the Electromatic series.

I bought a Korean 5420 in 2017. Since then I’ve upgraded the bridge (Serpentune), wiring harness (TV Jones), and pickups (TV Jones Classic/Classic+). Even before I changed the pickups, it had become one of my most-played guitars; and it’s the only one whose looks my wife has commented on. It’s comfortable to play too: one reason I like hollow-bodies is that they’re big, which means the strings sit higher off my leg when I’m sitting down. (This is a real problem with a small-bodied guitar like the Les Paul.) And I like the thumbnail inlay markers: they were the first thing I noticed, other than the orange body, when I saw one hanging in the store.

I see that one of the guitars David Gilmour did not sell was his Gretsch solid body: https://www.guitarworld.com/news/david-gilmour-gretsch-duo-jet.

Which color, if I may ask.

There is a red one on CL taunting me. And another black with gold hardware one at my local MGR.

 

[KeithDavies 100]

What ?!?

That made me laugh! In this context, in UK English, "blow me" sort of means "well, would you believe it, ... "

You probably worked it out already, but this did make me chuckle!

 

[Brent Hutto]

Kind of like when Popeye says, “Blow me down”.

 

[Brent Hutto]

BTW, I must be losing either my mind or my eyesight. I've looked up pictures of the AF95FM in Antique Yellow Sunburst online this evening and I don't recall anything like the black edges that are shown in all the photos I can find. None of the photos (including Ibanez's, Sweetwater's, those on Reverb listings) show the guitar nearly as yellow as I recall and they have have a much darker 'burst edge treatment.

Crazy. If the guitar had looked anything like those photos I might have not even picked it up to play!

 

[MelodicBend]

Let me complicate things for you.

- Godin Midtown or 5th avenue or similar

Honestly, you're much better off with a quality guitar that you won't outgrow. A used Godin is going to be a fantastic bargain. Pickups and hardware will be top shelf so you don't have to worry about upgrades or replacing cheap metal and plastic parts as they degrade. That alone is worth the cost in my opinion.

The G2420 or AF95FM seem like okay guitars but there's a reason why they are able to be produced and sold so cheaply. Unless you're head over heels in love, consider a few more models.

Good luck!

 

[dswo]

Which color, if I may ask.

There is a red one on CL taunting me. And another black with gold hardware one at my local MGR.

My 5420 is orange. At various points I’ve also considered an orange G&L semi-hollow Bluesboy.

 

[Brent Hutto]

On the positive side, the big guitar feels, sounds and plays like no other design. If you have played a lot of acoustic you'll probably find the body familiar and comfortable but the playing feel of the guitar is different. Its not like an acoustic, a semi-hollow or solid body... its not the neck, its the right hand that feels different... and it might take a bit of getting used to or a few changes depending on your current technique.

This morning, as I've been pondering my rather confusing experience yesterday, I remembered above bolded comment and I'm pretty sure @OldTelePlayer called it correctly in advance! I am definitely NOT going to be able to grab a hollowbody guitar, play it like I'd play a Strat or Tele and just get a different sound.

My big problem when trying these guitars was tone production. If I used my typical very, very light touch with a little Tortex Jazz pick like I'd do on a Strat or Tele it made a thin and plinky sound. If I tried more of an acoustic guitar flatpicking technique, driving the pick down and through the strings it just sounded harsh and thuddy.

Especially changing back and forth between guitars with different proportions every 10-15 minutes I never got my right arm and hand in a good position to playing cleanly with solid tone.

Interestingly, with the G2420 (neck pickup) I was almost instantly able to get a pretty decent tone picking with my fingers. That's something I struggle terribly with on solid body guitars, to the extent I just never play that way. But somehow with that one hollowbody I stumbled on a hand position that, even with my scratchy, chewed up fingernails, allowed a creditable job of fingerpicking.

I almost think if I'm going to do the hollowbody thing at all, I'll need to just pick a guitar I like and figure on not really knowing how to play it until I get it home for a few days of woodshedding and experimenting.

 

[derekwarner]

My 70' Tele is 3 colour sunburst with aged white double binding, so that Gretsch in Cadillac green takes some beating for me!

 

[OldTelePlayer]

I almost think if I'm going to do the hollowbody thing at all, I'll need to just pick a guitar I like and figure on not really knowing how to play it until I get it home for a few days of woodshedding and experimenting.

Yes. Find a hollow body you like that won't break the bank, find the technique that works for you and have fun. Gotta start someplace. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to start.

If you really like it, get used to the feel and technique and get hooked on them, then that's the time to think about upping your game and getting a "better" one. (There are lots of choices.) The good thing is that by then you'll know exactly what you are looking for.

And yes, they are great for finger style. I never use a pick.

Also consider using flat wound strings if you want a bit more of a smooth warm tone.

 

[Brent Hutto]

Yes. Find a hollow body you like that won't break the bank, find the technique that works for you and have fun. Gotta start someplace. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to start.

If you really like it, get used to the feel and technique and get hooked on them, then that's the time to think about upping your game and getting a "better" one. (There are lots of choices.) The good thing is that by then you'll know exactly what you are looking for.

And yes, they are great for finger style. I never use a pick.

Also consider using flat wound strings if you want a bit more of a smooth warm tone.

I've actually (briefly) tried an 11ga flatwound set on my Telecaster. It didn't really work out for what I usually tried to play on the Tele but it's definitely something that ought to suit any hollowbody, I'd think. The best thing about flats is they'll usually have a wound G string!

The factory strings on the Ibanez are some sort of light bottom/heavy top 10-52ga set but the wound strings did not feel smooth like flatwounds, so I assume they're just D'Addario XL's or similar.

 

[OldTelePlayer]

I've actually (briefly) tried an 11ga flatwound set on my Telecaster. It didn't really work out for what I usually tried to play on the Tele but it's definitely something that ought to suit any hollowbody, I'd think. The best thing about flats is they'll usually have a wound G string!

The factory strings on the Ibanez are some sort of light bottom/heavy top 10-52ga set but the wound strings did not feel smooth like flatwounds, so I assume they're just D'Addario XL's or similar.

The flatwound 11s work well for most hollow body guitars. I think they give a good tone and provide enough string resistance when playing. Hollow body guitars don't respond or feel "right" to me if the strings are too thin. (Maybe they inherit that from acoustics?)

But I think there is no one-size-fits-all. It depends on what you want from the guitar and how it feels.

By way of example.. I use D'Addario XL Chrome flatwounds. No particular reason for that other than the local shop stocks them and they work fine for me. However, I use various gauges for the hollow bodies depending on how I want each to respond and feel. The ES-175D gets 12s, the Epiphone Emperors and Gretsch 6120 get 11s, both Ibanez and the Gretsch 2420 get 10s.


I think Ibanez ships with some kind of D'Addario XL nickels.