Gretsch G5122DC Electromatic Double Cutaway Hollow Body

Made in Korea
Gloss black finish
Laminated maple fully hollow body
Laminated maple neck
Rosewood 22 fret fingerboard with "Thumbnail" (Chet Atkins) inlays
24.56" scale length
1.6875" nut width
Chrome covered dual coil humbucking pickups
Rosewood based Adjusto-Matic bridge
Chrome Bigsby licensed B60 vibrato tailpiece
Binding on the top and back, bound neck
Clear pickguard
Chrome hardware
Vintage key tuners

UTILIZATION

This is a great Gretsch for the picker on a budget. Anyone into Chet Atkins, Brian Setzer, Scotty Moore, Carl Perkins, or any of the other rockabilly or country cats would definitely dig this guitar. The instrument is very easy to set up, get great playing action out of, and get a good working tone out of. The Bigsby vibrato tailpiece works like one would expect - it is very smooth, with a small range of motion. For anyone that hasn't played a Bigsby before, the vibrato system is very subtle, yet very pleasant to use.

SOUNDS

Here's where the 5122DC really shines. The pickups sound fantastic. They remind me a lot of the pickups that were in my Gibson Chet Atkins Country Gentleman - very open, clear, warm pickups. This guitar plugged into a great clean amp will create some absolutely memorable tones - I didn't want to put this thing down! I sat and played every rockabilly and finger-style lick I could think of, and then ventured into swing jazz and bebop territory, and I was very well rewarded by the resulting sounds. This axe definitely cuts the mustard.

OVERALL OPINION

This gets a 9 overall from me! The fit and finish were pretty good for the price range, and the hardware and tones were really something. I was expecting the guitar to feel a bit cheap due to the price, yet it hung with my much more expensive USA jazzboxes and fully-hollow guitars. A+.

Made in Korea.

Set neck, normal for a half case.

22 frets, two kinds FilterTron weird microphones but the sound of a Caribbean FilterTron.

A general volume, a general tone and volume micro and micro 3-position selector.

UTILIZATION

The handle is niquel, access to acute fire of God.

In terms of form, shift box, I find it a bit late because I just classical, but it's still fine, resonant and pleasant.

For her, one branch to meu the amp is a very credible, it sounds a little.

SOUNDS

So the sounds, let's go. Proportionally, this guitar has a strange presence in the high mids. One thing that quickly became annoying to me, to the point that I stopped playing the guitar. Mediums that give the impression that we will nosebleed, really weird.
If not all Gretsch Electromatic, it does not compare to one made in japan or U.S. (try one behind the other in the same amp, same channel, same setting, day, night). But good considering the price of U.S. and japan, we can settle for a electromatic. The difference in my opinion, it is a matter of microphones, as with traditional upgrade of putting on authentic filtertrons electromatic, it is very far from a autentique.
This difference comes from the violin, the handle is designed to be virtually travesrant on japan-US giving a crazy sustain and a much more focused in the acute and less serious presence (we are guitarists, bassists not ).

I played on a gaggle of amps, marshall transistors, lamps, lamps Vax, ENGL lamps, hybrid fender, and it stays the same, the serious and unpleasant presence in the media.

I note sounds wrong level because for me this guitar is very disturbing and very unbalanced.

OVERALL OPINION

I have used a few months, then I row before the sale.

I had a 5120 at the same time, and I stayed in 5120, before giving me a white falcon, and I put all electromatic in the basket "weird guitars too serious" since.

I liked its ergonomics without doubt one of the best that I have ever trying to date.

Qulité price level is quite good if you like that kind of guitar and we can not afford to allow the range above. I put average overall because this guitar kills its visual promise with a really weird and unbalanced sound. Maybe someone else will like, but it's not my cup of tea.

I can not believe that the characteristics can be found on the website of Gretsch

UTILIZATION

Handle: The handle is a strong point. I think he is fine and not too thick (vs. Telecaster).
The strings are close to the neck (low action) and all frets are easily accessible.
Body: This is a guitar rather imposing in size. The finish is perfect.
Tuning: It is good agreement in spite of my tendency to use the Bigsby
Drawing: I recommend taking a high enough for this guitar: 11-52.

SOUNDS

It was a very original sound okay I guess, but I changed the pickups with TV Jones (Mod fairly common on this type of model). After the break of TVJones and adjustment .... Whaooouuu. A real gretsch.
I use a VOX AC15CC1. The clean sound is superb and the crunch
I play Rock, blues, pop (Radiohead, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Oasis, BB King, Clapton, Coldplay, etc ...)

OVERALL OPINION

Everything is in the title