In our honest opinion Gretsch guitars are truly a thing of beauty! Just look at the Gretsch G5448T Double Jet Electric Guitar and that statement is confirmed.
Founded in 1883 by Friedrich Gretsch The Gretsch Company manufactured banjos, tambourines and drums until his death in 1895. His son Fred moved manufacturing to Brooklyn but guitar production did not start until the 1930s. The guitars that they produced rapidly gained a reputation for quality and during the 1950s and 60s were highly sought after instruments. With the change in musical tastes in the 70s and 80s and the ascendency of the virtuoso guitarist and the superstrat Gretsch guitars fell out of favour until the company fell into bankruptcy. Thankfully for us, Fred W Gretsch, the great great grandson of the founder Friedrich resurrected the company in 1989. Most modern era Gretsch guitars are manufactured in the Far East but there are some US models made in the Gretsch “custom shop”. In 2003 Fred Gretsch entered into an agreement with Fender whereby he maintains control of the Gretsch company and Fender handle distribution sales and development.
The Gretsch G5448T Double Jet electric guitar continues the tradition of high quality, distinctive looking guitars whilst delivering both retro and modern sounds on the tonal front. The guitar features a double cutway chambered body made from basswood with an arched maple top. This gives the Gretsch its distinctive resonant tone much admired amongst Gretsch lovers. The finish on the body is truly beautiful with the two tone colour scheme of a gold top and walnut stained back and sides. The neck is maple topped with a rosewood fingerboard and there are 22 medium jumbo frets. The tremolo is in the form of a Bigsby B50 giving you that classic 50s vibrato effect.
In terms of electrics the Gretsch G5448T Double Jet electric guitar is armed with a pair of dynamic new “Black Top” FilterTron pick-ups. These are based on the Baldwin era FilterTron pick-ups giving a really punchy sound and that distinctive Gretsch twang. There is a 3 way toggle switch for pick-up selection and a volume knob for each pick-up, as well as master volume and master tone controls.
Pick this guitar up and you know that you are holding something that has been solidly put together. It has a great clean and resonant tone unamplified, a feature of the basswood and maple chambered body. In fact we played it alongside an Epiphone Les Paul, both unamplified and the Gretsch simply ruled the room. Plugged in the Gretsch G5448T Double Jet Electric Guitar has a fantastic clean tone, with lots of natural sustain. You can really put this guitar through its paces and recreate those classic 50s rock and roll tones but also crank it up to create a more modern rock sound. The FilterTron pick-ups are incredibly versatile and we like the individual volume switches for each pick-up. The Bigsby Tremolo is great for gentle vibrato effects but if you are used to hanging off your whang bar then this guitar is not for you.
To sum up we love this guitar, it has that classic feel but is versatile enough to cater for most tastes. So if you are a retro rocker or a metal head looking for something different then we can highly recommend this guitar.
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|---|---|
| Gretsch G5448T Double Jet Electric Guitar | |
| Body | Basswood chambered with an arched laminated maple top |
| Bridge | Bigsby B50 vibrato tailpiece |
| Neck | Maple |
| Frets | 22 medium jumbo frets |
| Fretboard radius | 12" (305 mm) |
| Fretboard | Rosewood |
| Nut width | 1.6875" (42.8 mm) |
| Scale length | 24.6" (625 mm) |
| Bridge pickup | Black Top FilterTron |
| Neck pickup | Black Top FilterTron |
| Pickup switching | 3 way toggle switch |
| Controls | 2 volume controls for each pick-up, 1 master volume and 1 master tone control |
| Hardware | Enclosed vintage style |
| Recommended retail price | £514.80 |
| If you love this guitar | Buy now for £434 |
