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SonicPulverizer « More than rockabilly »
Published on 10/27/12 at 01:04The Gretsch Electromatic series offers budget guitars that carry all the sense of class that the flagship guitars are known for. The G5120 is a take on the larger, hollow body electric guitars the brand is predominantly known for. The guitars body, sides, and neck are made up of laminated maple, while the fingerboard is rosewood. The electronics consist of two proprietary Gretsch humbucking pickups wired to a 3 way toggle, and controlled via a set of volumes and a master control near the bridge and a master volume positioned above the pickguard, as on the 6120 models. The Orange finish is beautifully done.
UTILIZATION
The G5120's tuning stability is excellent, and allows for more than sparing use of the bigsby licensed tremolo. Gretsch's take on a thin neck has never carried much favor with me, so the wider neck of the G5120 felt very welcome compared the the other electromatics I've played. Albeit wide, the neck allowed for quick access up and down the fretboard and the cutaway did not encumber movement at all. The pickups are TV Jones styled and are underpowered to provide excellent, tasteful, vintage tones.
SOUNDS
I played the G5120 through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III. I used the first stage of the carl martin plexitone out front and only the reverb of the amp.
The guitar paired very well with the fender to create many different useable sounds. The typical demo of this guitar will typically feature a rockabilly tune or something mildly bluesy, this guitar is capable of much more than that. The cleaner sound of this guitar makes it fit nicely into the mix of a two-guitar band. I use this guitar on a couple of tracks live and it really adds something unique to the clean and low gain passages in those songs. Using the plexitone, I was able to get percussive rock riffs and screaming double stops. The guitar is not nearly as nimble as my SG, but it can hold it's own when it comes to classic rock vibes.
OVERALL OPINION
The Gretsch Electromatic 5120 is an well priced solution for musicians who want the mojo of a hollow body guitar. It handles gain fairly well, and is plenty more versatile than one might expect.
UTILIZATION
The G5120's tuning stability is excellent, and allows for more than sparing use of the bigsby licensed tremolo. Gretsch's take on a thin neck has never carried much favor with me, so the wider neck of the G5120 felt very welcome compared the the other electromatics I've played. Albeit wide, the neck allowed for quick access up and down the fretboard and the cutaway did not encumber movement at all. The pickups are TV Jones styled and are underpowered to provide excellent, tasteful, vintage tones.
SOUNDS
I played the G5120 through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III. I used the first stage of the carl martin plexitone out front and only the reverb of the amp.
The guitar paired very well with the fender to create many different useable sounds. The typical demo of this guitar will typically feature a rockabilly tune or something mildly bluesy, this guitar is capable of much more than that. The cleaner sound of this guitar makes it fit nicely into the mix of a two-guitar band. I use this guitar on a couple of tracks live and it really adds something unique to the clean and low gain passages in those songs. Using the plexitone, I was able to get percussive rock riffs and screaming double stops. The guitar is not nearly as nimble as my SG, but it can hold it's own when it comes to classic rock vibes.
OVERALL OPINION
The Gretsch Electromatic 5120 is an well priced solution for musicians who want the mojo of a hollow body guitar. It handles gain fairly well, and is plenty more versatile than one might expect.