Electromatic G5622T-CB
- Thread starter pikdude
- Start date
Seems to be according to the Gretsch Web Sight & Sweetwater . Google " Gretsch G5622T-CB " ... a few used ones will pop up
Yes. The Gretsch Electromatic G5622T-CB has "evolved" in a two pickup version. But I wonder if there's not a 3-PU CB Streamliner version available ?
I don't even speak about mine : a 3-PU / Lefty / Surf Green / a batch of 10 made for a French shop specialized in LH guitars...
A+!
GDGT
Electromatic
Absolutely correct: the three-pickup version went away in 2016. However, they're not truly difficult to find; a bunch are on Reverb at the moment. I picked one up in late 2022 after only about six weeks of not-terribly-serious looking. And then rewired it. As one does.
Far as I know the Streamliner version was the G2627T. In the US it was only available through Musicians Friend and Guitar Center; I can't speak to other markets. It disappeared in 2022 but, again, isn't hard to find. I think those all featured a three-position switch for the middle pickup; the initial G5622Ts have a two-way switch that's just on-off.
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Thanks for the precisions, @GDGT ! 
Well, I must confess that my G5622TLH 3-PU version is not my preferred Gretsch...
Why ?
- she's quite heavy at 4.3kg - even more than the 4.2kg of my venerable ES-335TD LH from 1980. It's my heaviest guitar.
- the switching is not so intuitive - even if I modded it (although I should have memorized it !), and a 3-switch (one per PU) would be far easier to manage.
- the middle pickup interferes with the pick when I play - even if I lowered its height / not so much for output imbalance reasons.
But :
- 10 made.
- only in LH in that color.
- the first Gretsch to be Surf Green in the brand history.
- the first Gretsch to be 3-PU in the brand history.
- fitted with the excellent DC SHT pickups.
OK, that's why I keep her but... She's complaining that she's too much a Case Queen !
A+!
Well, I must confess that my G5622TLH 3-PU version is not my preferred Gretsch...
Why ?
- she's quite heavy at 4.3kg - even more than the 4.2kg of my venerable ES-335TD LH from 1980. It's my heaviest guitar.
- the switching is not so intuitive - even if I modded it (although I should have memorized it !), and a 3-switch (one per PU) would be far easier to manage.
- the middle pickup interferes with the pick when I play - even if I lowered its height / not so much for output imbalance reasons.
But :
- 10 made.
- only in LH in that color.
- the first Gretsch to be Surf Green in the brand history.
- the first Gretsch to be 3-PU in the brand history.
- fitted with the excellent DC SHT pickups.
OK, that's why I keep her but... She's complaining that she's too much a Case Queen !
A+!
My two pickup version weighed a ton, I can’t imagine what the three pickup one is like.Thanks for the precisions, @GDGT !
Well, I must confess that my G5622TLH 3-PU version is not my preferred Gretsch...
Why ?
- she's quite heavy at 4.3kg - even more than the 4.2kg of my venerable ES-335TD LH from 1980. It's my heaviest guitar.
- the switching is not so intuitive - even if I modded it (although I should have memorized it !), and a 3-switch (one per PU) would be far easier to manage.
- the middle pickup interferes with the pick when I play - even if I lowered its height / not so much for output imbalance reasons.
But :
- 10 made.
- only in LH in that color.
- the first Gretsch to be Surf Green in the brand history.
- the first Gretsch to be 3-PU in the brand history.
- fitted with the excellent DC SHT pickups.
OK, that's why I keep her but... She's complaining that she's too much a Case Queen !
A+!
GDGT
Electromatic
It's my only Gretsch (so far) so I guess it's preferred! I didn't know they were the first three-pickup model: that was certainly what caught my ear when I encountered one in a session.
Mine is an even 4kg/8.8lbs (with strap and nonsense), but I regularly play basses that come in at 5.25kg/11.6lbs so I hadn't noticed. Comfortable for me, at any rate.
Now that I've switched the G5622T volume knob wiring to "Gretsch" style I'm much happier and have been playing it in. I also like the Super HiLo Tron (SHT) pickups. I'm OK with the middle pickup on/off switch and volume knob: I can get to the tones I want quickly, although I'm currently not gigging out with it. The middle pickup did interfere with my playing initially, but I just realized I haven't thought about it in some weeks so I guess I've adapted.
My lingering doubt about the G5622T is the neck. There's just something off about it for me: sometimes I reach for simple things that I've done for a million years and they just don't happen right. It's like the neck is too narrow in the lower positions, but I've measured with width and string spacing against some necks where I don't have the issue and some are perfect matches. Still have to puzzle that one out.
Thank you again for the wiring diagrams you posted ages ago on the G5622T: they're what convinced me to try the rewire.
I had a stunning 5622, sold because the neck played so slim.
@GDGT : a possible unsuspected cause could be the position of the uppern strap button... I displaced it on my G5622TLH from the upper horn bout to the the heel of the neck, à la Gibson ES335-TD, and this changed all about body balance, weight sensation, neck handling :
But it's me; OK ?
A+!
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GDGT
Electromatic
Wow—so it's not just me! I do need to figure out what's happening there.
I waited 2 years for one to show up at the right color and right price. Reverb sellers were asking for stupid prices claiming the red one as rare.
GDGT
Electromatic
I generally like the strap button on the upper bout but agree 100% a strap button on the neck heel changes the balance and feel tremendously. I work with another player who strongly prefers it. I once had another semi-hollow with a strap button at the heel and I kept feeling like the guitar was tipping away from me and about to go face-first into the floor.
Either way, I've definitely encountered the "slim neck" thing playing while sitting with no strap engaged. Happened just this Friday: I tend to do some types of tracking while seated. A typical "problem" example would be a Dadd2 played x54230—the high E may not happen. Sometimes that's no big deal, but when you're arpeggiating through chords the miffed "click" of the dead note jumps out. One time when I couldn't land a part like that on the Gretsch I literally just piugged in another guitar I was using for the session with an on-paper similar neck and got it on the first try. (In fact, that neck on that guitar is 1mm slimmer at the 0 fret!) It didn't sound like the Gretsch but…the producer didn't care and time is money.
I just need to figure it out: once I understand it I'm sure it'll be fine. Because sometimes—even most of the time—there's no problem. Proof: I just picked up the G5622T (it happens to be behind me) and played that problem part clean with no miffed strings, no warmup, and stiff hands. Who knows.
GDGT
Electromatic
Any idea if some colors are rare than others? It does seem like Georgia Green is the most common. The first G5622T three-pickup model I encountered was red but when I was looking for mine I found nothing but Georgia Green, save for a single black one locally that had, unfortunately, taken a fall and had cracks at the neck join. Maybe people just hold on to the red ones!
Honestly, I wasn't too excited about the red, black, or Georgia Green—I like to see the wood. The "Single Barrel Burst", "Speyside," and "Imperial Stain" options on the current two-pickup version catch my eye, though.
I dont know the production numbers but have made the same observation as you. The green ones show up frequently. I only saw couple of black ones in two years. Few red ones at stupid prices. I don't think I've seen any other colors with the three pickups.
pikdude
Electromatic
So glad I bought one in red. A very versatile guitar indeed.
