G5622T-CB 3 pickup awesome

[MichaelGitarski]

a guitar trade and some cash landed me this awesome and i mean awesome gretsch semi-hollow g5622T-CB. CB stands for center block.
It's interesting because i listed an epiphone casino for sale locally with the intension of buying one of the new rally streamliners coming out this year. I got offered this guitar and i snapped it up. As cool as the rally's will be, i think this is one is better overall and a step up.

It's in perfect like new condition and plays impeccably. I find the made in Korea electromatics are very well built and feel like pretty high quality instruments. This one is no exception.

I love the super hilotron pickups. I like that there are 3. The controls are very intuitive and easy. The one negative is that the individual pickup volume pots have a weird function where turning them down has an effect on the entire circuit - meaning you can't really isolate the middle pickup on its own 100% but you can pretty close by playing about with the settings. i don't use the middle pickup all that much but it's cool to throw in for some 80s type new wave sounds. It's a really versatile guitar to say the least.

Also i gotta give the b70 a good review. It performs very well. I know they can be hit or miss, but this one feels great

And this thing is heavy. all that wood makes it pretty substantial. I don't mind this at all. i like heavy guitars.

 

[radd]

Korean made Gretschs, absolutely fantastic guitars. My Korean made two pickup version was a beautifully made guitar.

Congratulations

 

[rockymtnguitar]

Ok that is way cool. Enjoy!

 

[juks]

Congrats! Great find!

 

[GDGT]

Congratulations! I'm a recent convert to one of these myself: ran into one at a recording session and set out to find one of my own. I'm a few months into mine, and also think they're pretty great. To my ears the Super HiLoTrons are very nice.

The one negative is that the individual pickup volume pots have a weird function where turning them down has an effect on the entire circuit - meaning you can't really isolate the middle pickup on its own

There were apparently two builds of the three-pickup G5622T-CBs: one with a two way toggle for the middle pickup, and another with a three-way toggle for the middle pickup. Sounds like you (and I) wound up with the former. The first one I encountered was the latter.

If you search this forum you'll find several threads about modding the guitar, with a number of very useful posts, particularly from @hcsterg. There's an official Gretsch wiring diagram tucked away in here somewhere too.

My "solution" to the problem above was to de-couple the volume knobs: essentially converting from Gibson-style wiring to Gretsch-style wiring. It's simple enough if you're comfortable with a soldering iron and fishing pots in and out of a semi-hollow. But that's not the only option! Other folks have taken different routes: replacing the two-way toggle with a three-way, etc.

I'm pleased to see another fan of this model. I never knew Gretsch made anything like it.

 

[MichaelGitarski]

Congratulations! I'm a recent convert to one of these myself: ran into one at a recording session and set out to find one of my own. I'm a few months into mine, and also think they're pretty great. To my ears the Super HiLoTrons are very nice.

There were apparently two builds of the three-pickup G5622T-CBs: one with a two way toggle for the middle pickup, and another with a three-way toggle for the middle pickup. Sounds like you (and I) wound up with the former. The first one I encountered was the latter.

If you search this forum you'll find several threads about modding the guitar, with a number of very useful posts, particularly from @hcsterg. There's an official Gretsch wiring diagram tucked away in here somewhere too.

My "solution" to the problem above was to de-couple the volume knobs: essentially converting from Gibson-style wiring to Gretsch-style wiring. It's simple enough if you're comfortable with a soldering iron and fishing pots in and out of a semi-hollow. But that's not the only option! Other folks have taken different routes: replacing the two-way toggle with a three-way, etc.

I'm pleased to see another fan of this model. I never knew Gretsch made anything like it.

oh interesting. thanks a lot for that info - yeah mine is a 2 way switch. I might act on it down the line. at this point i don't feel the need to tinker, but that's cool that there are some pretty straight forward options out there for when and if i feel like going under the hood.

 

[hcsterg]

Guys : if you know where to find those GRETSCH 2-way switches, please tell me, so I'd be able to convert my G5622TLH by adding a 3rd SW for an individual pickup switching...

A+!

 

[GDGT]

if you know where to find those GRETSCH 2-way switches, please tell me

That's a good point: I don't know that I've seen a two-way Switchcraft like that. I wonder if it might be worth cracking mine open and seeing if I can find a part number on it…

Quick addition: this is the closest thing I could find online. Not really the right thing. https://www.amplifiedparts.com/products/switch-carling-toggle-spst-replacement-fender

 

[hcsterg]

Thanks @GDGT !

You guess that I already have a truckload of these, in any brands, size and models, new and used...

I was indeed searching for the "true thing", yes - but I don't think there's a part N° or Ref. on it, as I still have the one coming from my G5622TLH, but I'll recheck... My searches on the web gave no results when I wanted to find the missing two others.

Of course, I could make a custom plate - maybe engraved - an put three switches like these ones below :



Or in this way :



But it's not the "Real Thing", as you wrote it...

A+!

 

[LivingMyDream]

Congrats on the "new" 5622, MichaelGitarski!

I had a chance to audition a used one at a GC one day, and I was very impressed. I was looking for a Pro Jet at the time, so I didn't pulled the trigger on the 5622. That was my bad, and I still wish that I had. I do keep an eye out for a good deal on one, but so far there hasn't been one that makes me want to grab it.

 

[GDGT]

Of course, I could make a custom plate - maybe engraved - an put three switches like these

I had that same thought as I was looking for a "correct" SPST switch: maybe do a Jaguar-style plate or use readily-available micro switches. I've personally never really cared for the look of switch plates—they're a lot of why I never looked a Jazzmaster or a Jaguar seriously.

I'd think there would be a part number of some identifier for the "right" switch: I doubt those were a custom batch. But I wouldn't be surprised if it came from a non-guitar part of the shop: that's why I was looking at amp standby switches.

 

[cielski]

Thanks @GDGT !

You guess that I already have a truckload of these, in any brands, size and models, new and used...

I was indeed searching for the "true thing", yes - but I don't think there's a part N° or Ref. on it, as I still have the one coming from my G5622TLH, but I'll recheck... My searches on the web gave no results when I wanted to find the missing two others.

Of course, I could make a custom plate - maybe engraved - an put three switches like these ones below :

View attachment 204669

Or in this way :

View attachment 204670

But it's not the "Real Thing", as you wrote it...

A+!

That makes so much sense! Brian May uses 6 slide switches on his Red Rocket---three for on/off and three for phase reverse. It could be easier using on/off/on toggle switches.

The best things about the 5622 are the Cat's Eyes---they make everything sound better!

 

[hcsterg]

The best things about the 5622 are the Cat's Eyes---they make everything sound better!

Yes ! Gretsch should offer more models with Cat's Eyes : after all, the Synchromatic 160, 200, 300 and 400 from 1939 had Cat's Eyes, so it's a real Gretsch trademark...

A+!

 

[loudnlousy]

Have a lot of fun with it!

 

[Henry]

Congrats, these are grateful guitars with underappreciated pickups (and are now making a comeback). This guitar was my gateway into gretsch.