The Dilemma: To buy or not to buy another guitar (based on a photo)
My son called me in a panic a few days before Christmas. He saw an amazing guitar that he felt compelled to acquire (this may be the start of his GAS). I reminded him that it was less than a week before Christmas and that he should perhaps wait until after the holidays so he could benefit from some Boxing Week specials. Like me, he is impulsive when it comes to buying a guitar he thinks he likes, even before the purchase. He immediately fell in love with a surf green Gretsch G5227T Special Edition.
Besides, he would need an amp too. I had already purchased a set of Alesis Nitro Mesh electronic drums for the other son, so I hadn’t planned on dishing out almost a grand for either a guitar and/or an amp (he was figuring out a way to avoid buyer’s remorse before getting himself a VOX AC30).
So he convinces me to go visit the local Long & McQuade store, where there is only one of these Surf Green gems.
Made in China Gretsch G5227T Special Edition is OK
Andrew’s first concern was, “Dad, can you check if this one is made in China?”
“Son, most Gretsch guitars have been made in China or South Korea since the late sixties.”
“Gretsch has made a name for themselves and I’ve never heard anybody not enjoy playing a Gretsch, let alone, be disappointed about the Gretsch experience.”
Can’t find this one on the Gretsch website
The only links about this guitar point to Long & McQuade, The Guitar Center, or Musician’s Friend. For some reason, this G5227T doesn’t score neither on Gretsch’s website under the Jet family, or the Limited Edition section, yet this babe plays like she’s on fire.
The Bigsby is not like a Fender Stratocaster Tremolo
If you like playing Rockabilly with some good slapback feedback (make sure to set the reverb on your Fender Blues Deluxe amp to 12), then this axe is the way to go.
It has nice action, set low, the way we like it, nice neck radius and feel, and superb tone through a Fender Blues Deluxe.
Volume & Tone Controls
If you haven’t played a Gretsch, you may wonder why there are so many knobs? Unlike a Strat, each pickup has its own volume and tone controls, while there is a single master volume knob.
Gretsch G5227T Special Edition Features & Specs
- Double-cut chambered mahogany body with arched maple top
- Lower set mahogany neck for effortless access and performance
- 12″-radius laurel fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo frets and pearloid Neo-Classic inlays
- Black Top Broad’Tron pickups
- Master volume with treble bleed circuit, master tone, bridge pickup volume control, neck pickup volume control and three-position toggle switch
- Anchored Adjusto-Matic bridge
- Bigsby B50 tailpiece
- Available in Two-Tone Surf Green/White with aged white binding, silver pickguard and chrome hardware
- Body Material: Mahogany
- Body Finish: Gloss
- Upper Bout: 10.25″ (260 mm)
- Lower Bout: 13.375″ (340 mm)
- Waist: 8.5″ (216 mm)
- Neck: Mahogany, Thin “U”
- Neck Finish: Gloss
- Fingerboard: Laurel, 12″ (305 mm)
- Frets: 22, Medium Jumbo
- Position Inlays: Pearloid Neo-Classic Thumbnail
- Nut (Material/Width): Synthetic Bone, 1.6875″ (42.86 mm)
- Tuning Machines: Die-Cast
- Scale Length: 24.6″ (625 mm)
- Bridge: Anchored Adjusto-Matic
- Tailpiece: Bigsby B50
- Pickguard: Silver Plexi with Black Gretsch Logo
- Pickups: Black Top Broad’Tron (Bridge & Neck)
- Pickup Switching: 3-Position Toggle: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups, Position 3. Neck Pickup
- Controls: Volume 1. (Neck Pickup), Volume 2. (Bridge Pickup), Master Volume, Master Tone
- Control Knobs: G-Arrow
- Hardware Color: Chrome
- Strings: Nickel Plated Steel (.010-.046 Gauges)
The only complaint about the Gretsch G5227T Special Edition
It doesn’t come with a case. Unfortunately, with the Bigsby, you don’t want to cheap-out with a gig bag so you need to get a hard case for this beauty. It turns out that Long & McQuade didn’t have any of these at the time of purchase and the rep said, “Come back next week, we’ll have cases.” Yeah right.
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