Gretsch Electromatic

The Gretsch Electromatic model name bears a long and distinguished history, from the company's earliest experiments with electric guitars, to the sleek line of axes bearing that name today. The Gretsch Company had its origins in 1883, when German immigrant Friedrich Gretsch, then just 27, opened a small shop in Brooklyn, where he manufactured banjos, drums and tambourines. Guitars were not a major concern until the big band era, when Gretsch began producing archtop orchestra models. In 1939, Gretsch introduced their first electric guitar, the archtop Electromatic Spanish 6185 model, followed by several other design variations that also carried that name. By the early 50's, the Electromatic badge was applied to a variety of guitar designs, and that still holds true today.

Currently, the Electromatic line includes hollowbodies like the best-selling G5120, based on the iconic 6120 model that helped establish the Gretsch guitar legend in the 50's, with a pair of Gretsch dual-coil pickups, a Bigsby B60 vibrato tailpiece, and classic appointments like thumbnail inlay markers and those distinctive G-arrow knobs. The G5425 Electromatic Jet Club is a chambered solidbody, with an arched maple top and 24.6 scale length maple neck, loaded with dual-coil pickups and an Adjustomatic bridge with stop tailpiece for plenty of rich, growling tone with tons of sustain. The G5191BK Tim Armstrong signature model is a recent addition to the lineup, designed with input from the legendary Rancid punk rocker. Black Top FliterTron pickups deliver ferocious tone, which is enhanced by the internal parallel tone bars and sound post; and the harp tailpiece, Grover tuners and gold-plated hardware make this axe as visually appealing as it is sonically intimidating. The G5105 CVTIII is a stripped-down, thin profile mahogany solidbody, loaded with three Gretsch Mini Dual-Coil humbuckers, Tuneomatic bridge and stopbar tailpiece, for maximum tone, sustain and tuning stability. The G5422TDCG harkens back to Gretsch's classic models of the 50s and 60s, with a pair of Black Top FilterTron pickups and a B60G vibrato tailpiece mounted on an elegantly appointed, bound double-cutaway hollowbody, for classic Gretsch twang and classy good looks. The Gretsch Electromatic line also features modern takes on the classic chambered Pro Jet and Duo Jet models, so you can finger pick and rock out like your idols before you - everyone from Chet Atkins to Brian Setzer, Joe Perry and Neil Young has made history with Gretsch electrics, and rock and roll wouldn't be where it is today if rockabilly pioneers like Eddie Cochran, Duane Eddy, and Cliff Gallup hadn't added their famous Gretsch twang to the mix. Even Mike Nesmith of the Monkees did his part in pop music history with his specially-designed Gretsch 12-string electric, which he recently used on the latest Monkees reunion tour. So if you're looking for legendary tone that doesn't quite sound like everyone else's Stratocasters, Telecasters and Les Pauls, grab a Gretsch Electromatic and see where it takes you!