Gretsch 5220 owners

[jfassett]

I know there's just a few 5220 owners, however, I wanted to get some feedback on the black top Broad Tron pickups and hear how you feel about them?
I was thinking about up grading and wondering if I'm nuts?
Thanks in advance for the input!

 

[NoRhythm]

I’ve bought my first gretsch and happens to be a 5520. I am very much a novice, so please bear that in mind and base any comments against my experience. The 5520 is wonderfully comfortable to play. Light, gorgeous finish (cherry) the pickups I think sound great, the sustain seems to go on forever. For the money, less than £400, for my first electric I think is a bargain.

 

[jfassett]

I love the action and the feel of this guitar so much, I want to upgrade to the bt65 broad tron pickups that are in the 6228 , however, I can't find them anywhere. I even contacted Gretsch and they told me to try ebay or reverb, ha!

 

[hcsterg]

My G5220LH Cherry Metallic is on order, so I'll have one soon...

A+!

 

[jfassett]

My G5220LH Cherry Metallic is on order, so I'll have one soon...

A+!

Love to hear your thoughts on the blacktop broad tron pickups!

 

[audept]

My G5220LH Cherry Metallic is on order, so I'll have one soon...

A+!

Looks great!

 

[Nemesis44UK]

I've had my G5220 for less than a week, but I'm loving the pickups so far. The tone control (unlike most of my other guitars) makes a real difference to the sound and I have to say, whilst I have been unable to replicate the overdriven tones achieved by Chappers in the Andertons video thus far, the pickups are a real treat in my mind.

It's my first Gretsch, so I don't feel qualified to compare the pups to Filter'Trons (seriously?) or others, but I genuinely feel that this guitar could do all genres of music, although with full-on metal, you may need a pedal as it doesn't get that dirty going through my Boss Katana amp.

I love the sound of the Broad'Tron pickups, clean or with crunch and would pick it over many others. Brighter and cleaner than a mahogany-bodied guitar has any right to be. They seem very refined to me, but as I said, I don't have previous Gretsch experience.

 

[hcsterg]

Love to hear your thoughts on the blacktop broad tron pickups!

Looks great!

Thanks !

I bought it from my long-time pal-owned small local music shop :

The order is placed and the guitar should be there on early October.

My concern is less the BroadTron PUs than the possibility to install a B3LH tremolo without any additional toy (Towner bar, etc...).

A+!

 

[jfassett]

Thanks !

I bought it from my long-time pal-owned small local music shop :

The order is placed and the guitar should be there on early October.

My concern is less the BroadTron PUs than the possibility to install a B3LH tremolo without any additional toy (Towner bar, etc...).

A+!

I gave the "Les Trem" some thought, however, not sure it will fit on a 5220

 

[jfassett]

I gave the "Les Trem" some thought, however, not sure it will fit on a 5220

They are not cheap either!

 

[jfassett]

I've had my G5220 for less than a week, but I'm loving the pickups so far. The tone control (unlike most of my other guitars) makes a real difference to the sound and I have to say, whilst I have been unable to replicate the overdriven tones achieved by Chappers in the Andertons video thus far, the pickups are a real treat in my mind.

It's my first Gretsch, so I don't feel qualified to compare the pups to Filter'Trons (seriously?) or others, but I genuinely feel that this guitar could do all genres of music, although with full-on metal, you may need a pedal as it doesn't get that dirty going through my Boss Katana amp.

I love the sound of the Broad'Tron pickups, clean or with crunch and would pick it over many others. Brighter and cleaner than a mahogany-bodied guitar has any right to be. They seem very refined to me, but as I said, I don't have previous Gretsch experience.

Thanks so much for the review!

 

[fender62custom]

My G5220LH Cherry Metallic is on order, so I'll have one soon...

A+!

Yeah!! Another Jet in the family!! Congrats!!

 

[Pdnlegs]

I ordered mine in May. Was told to expect it in about a month. Then was told to expect it by August. Then was told “fall”. Then finally was told November.

 

[hcsterg]

ordered mine in May. Was told to expect it in about a month. Then was told to expect it by August. Then was told “fall”. Then finally was told November.

Well... It means that I may have to be patient, then ?

We'll see !

A+!

 

[Agus]

A few weeks ago, on August, i got a G5230T but It had a lot of intonation issues, specially on G string, even if you didn't use the bigsby, and using It, that Was a disaster, almost every string went flat.
So I returned It and i ordered one G5220 ... Last friday The G5220 came And since that day i am so happy ... The G5220 Gretsch IS awesome, The pickups works cool in clean, crunchy And more crunchy, you can get a lot of tunes from them.
Sorry for The photo, it is really ugly.
For the first upgrade i am thinking about towner bigsby B3, no drills is neccesary, but i don't know if It works because The strap button of my G5220. Anyone could resolve my doubt.

Have a good day, dudes

 

[audept]

A few weeks ago, on August, i got a G5230T but It had a lot of intonation issues, specially on G string, even if you didn't use the bigsby, and using It, that Was a disaster, almost every string went flat.
So I returned It and i ordered one G5220 ... Last friday The G5220 came And since that day i am so happy ... The G5220 Gretsch IS awesome, The pickups works cool in clean, crunchy And more crunchy, you can get a lot of tunes from them.
Sorry for The photo, it is really ugly.
For the first upgrade i am thinking about towner bigsby B3, no drills is neccesary, but i don't know if It works because The strap button of my G5220. Anyone could resolve my doubt.

Have a good day, dudes

Good news, Agus! Happy it worked out for you!

 

[Pdnlegs]

A few weeks ago, on August, i got a G5230T but It had a lot of intonation issues, specially on G string, even if you didn't use the bigsby, and using It, that Was a disaster, almost every string went flat.
So I returned It and i ordered one G5220 ... Last friday The G5220 came And since that day i am so happy ... The G5220 Gretsch IS awesome, The pickups works cool in clean, crunchy And more crunchy, you can get a lot of tunes from them.
Sorry for The photo, it is really ugly.
For the first upgrade i am thinking about towner bigsby B3, no drills is neccesary, but i don't know if It works because The strap button of my G5220. Anyone could resolve my doubt.

Have a good day, dudes

Where did you order from and what kind of deal did you get? I ordered from Prymaxe and got 20% ($360) but, you know I haven’t actually got it.

 

[Pdnlegs]

A few weeks ago, on August, i got a G5230T but It had a lot of intonation issues, specially on G string, even if you didn't use the bigsby, and using It, that Was a disaster, almost every string went flat.
So I returned It and i ordered one G5220 ... Last friday The G5220 came And since that day i am so happy ... The G5220 Gretsch IS awesome, The pickups works cool in clean, crunchy And more crunchy, you can get a lot of tunes from them.
Sorry for The photo, it is really ugly.
For the first upgrade i am thinking about towner bigsby B3, no drills is neccesary, but i don't know if It works because The strap button of my G5220. Anyone could resolve my doubt.

Have a good day, dudes

But if there is somewhere else I could get as good a deal and not have to wait half a year that would be cool.

 

[Agus]

Where did you order from and what kind of deal did you get? I ordered from Prymaxe and got 20% ($360) but, you know I haven’t actually got it.

I ordered in a store in Madrid (Spain) but at thomann.de you can get It. 429 €.

 

[Pdnlegs]

Ahh. Across the pond. Guessing we are not goIng to be much help to each other on this lol.