Gretsch Electromatic Electric Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

I've had my London Grey G5222 for a few months now, and I like it as much as the day I bought it. The pickups are the star here, great tone, covering many musical bases. The guitar itself arrived without a flaw and only needed mild tweaking to get it where I wanted. I'm playing everything from classic Sabbath to Tool on this guitar, and it never sounds forced. The neck is wide, without being overly thick. Those complaining about flaws should remember that there are websites out there that will actually inspect your guitar before shipping it. Unfortunately, G.C. isn't one of them. Just saying…. For the price, you can not beat the overall playability and tone of this guitar. It's fantastic.Patooey G

I was disappointed in the quality of the guitar I received. The master tone knob is viably slanted and does not turn freely. It stops just before half way and requires force to turn more. I am also getting some crackles from the wiring. The guitar shipped with very low action. Fretting out and buzz is more than hoped for even before a set up. The guitar does sound good. I would not replace the pickups. The neck has a good profile. I was concerned that it would be to thin, but it is full enough and feels comfortable. After the problem with the bad knob I got an RMA to return the guitar. After plugging in the guitar I may keep it. I like the sound. But if I keep it, It might need rewiring. Also the knob may not be easily correctable. It is positioned right where to top curves. So if everything worked on this guitar it would be a lot of guitar for the money. The other point is the guitar has small thin frets. Problem with sending the guitar back is high shipping rates for an oversize package.I don't like the idea of having to pay to send a defective item back.Unlucy

This guitar is beautiful. The tone is outstanding. I purchased this *brand new* through the Guitar Center App and had it shipped directly to my house. When it arrived, it was not in the original box, but was in an acoustic guitar box. When I opened the box, it was really evident that the guitar was not brand new, but a heavily played floor model, which was disappointing. The set up was pretty bad. The strings would fret out at the fifth fret, and the bridge pickup was so high it was almost touching the strings. The cover plate on the back of the guitar was warped and pulling away from the guitar, and one of the tone control knobs was really loose. I Adjusted the truss rod, raised the action, and leveled out the pickups, and now it plays like a dream. Guitar Center has already agreed to repair the backplate and knobs, but not sure I would have had the same luck without the warranty (always buy the warranty. It's an outstanding price).Nic, S.

Love this Gretch guitar. So many versatile sounds from the two blacktop humbucking pickups. Smooth controls. Love the gold hardware. Bigsby bridge with tremolo is rock solid. The factory bridge setup for string height and intonation were spot on. This beauty plays like butter.Rick T

I'm a full time player in Nashville and generally believe 'you get what you pay for,' so I've long been skeptical of the cheaper Gretsches. I needed a good Gretsch for when that sound is called for, but with the pandemic, something like a 'real' Country Gentleman is out of reach at the moment. So I took a chance with the 5422 along with the AMS payment plan, and boy am I glad I did. Is it a high-end guitar? No… but the differences are mainly subtle. The build quality, playability and overall sound quality are very, very good right out of the box, and with a few tweaks it can definitely be a formidable tool in the arsenal. Nice, airy top end with some jangle, though maybe not quite as detailed & pristine as you might desire. All in all, it's a super solid guitar and definitely worth $1k. Works great for middle of the road roots-y music from Brit pop to modern country, and is a keeperJC

I purchased the walnut version with the cloud inlays. It was listed as a 'Blemish' and marked down $150.00. I cannot find a blemish anywhere, and the plastic coating was still on the components. I am thrilled with the guitar. The action and intonation was dead on perfect right out of the box. It took about a half hour to get used to the settings and adjust my amp to handle the tone from this, as the sound is completely different than any other guitar I own (all high end Strats and Gibsons) The neck is comfortable, silky smooth and the frets are well done, properly crowned and polished, and no sharp edges anywhere up and down the neck. The sound is crisp and clean, almost bell like, and chimey, almost like a 12 string. The finish is perfect, although a bit 'plastic' feeling, more like an Epiphone heavy polyurethane finish than a nitro finish, but it is beautifully applied and no ripples or defects at all. The clean tone is perfect for rockabilly, country twanging and mellow stuff, and with a bit of overdrive, it can pass as a good rock and roll axe as well. All in all, it is a fine instrument, well built and has that great Gretsch sound. I couldn't be happier.Bluesman Sammy Guy

Bought this guitar wanting a lightweight comfortable player with a good setup. And thats what i got. The chambered body keeps weight down (7lbs 8 oz) and balances well. Fretwork was fine and action can go very low with minimal buzz, unlike a lot of higher priced Fenders/Gibsons. Gretsch guitars with this bridge assembly seem to behave nicely regardless of price. Vol/tone are fine but three way selector might want an upgrade (as well as the strings of course). The chambered body gives u a slight semihollow vibe, but it takes the pickups into muddy-tone territory. I just eq it out with a clean drive/eq pedal for now. Heck, for the price, no tragedy to upgrade the pickups down the line.Go_Pats

I love the look of this guitar. I did have to adjust it a little as I am very picky. It came with a little fret buzz. So I adjusted the neck relief by slightly loosening the truss nut with the supplied Allen wrench. Then I tuned it up and did some slight adjustments to the intonation and bridge height. The fret work, inlays, paint finish and hardware are all really nice. The quality control is great. It just needed a little attention to get the action as low as it can get without fret buzz. It wasnt really bad either out of the box. Like I said I'm picky and check all my new guitar purchases. For the price its definitely a standout cool guitar. I like the stock p.u.'s. Cool look and they sound great to me. I play everything from country to metal. I would recommend this instrument as a first or to add to the collection. Oh fyi it has great sustain and a nice neck joint.Expro70

It has been awhile since I had an electric guitar (10 years), and I was ready to get one. After reviewing options of my preferred design and price range, I automatically gravitated to this guitar. I knew Gretsch was a top of the line brand, and saw the good reviews on this guitar. Since I have been playing it I have been loving the tones and feel of the neck. This is my first upper tier electric guitar and I can tell the quality is up there. I soo wouldn't change my mind on this purchase. To top it off I get on a deal! Love this Gretsch!Anthony

My only gripe would be that the wood tone on the back and sides is so dark that it doesn't stand out. Apart from that slight concern it's a beautiful instrument. It's tone was Gretsch even before I plugged it in. It's fun to play it even without an amp. Through an amp it becomes a whole 'nother beast…actually, several other beasts! The pickups ring sweet and clean together or by themselves, but are quite willing to burn through the haze of any bar I've ever played. I'd forgotten how distinctive these guitars sound. And I just hope I can remember all the options of the 3 volume knob setup. As soon as I tweaked her into tune I loved it. I might have it set up after I've worn out the set of strings that came on it, but they're not bad at all, and the intonation seems fine to me. Action's probably a touch high, but I was always a rhythm guitarist so that's how I like 'em. I am really impressed by this guitar in every way possible. {If only it came in a 12-string…}MIKER

This is the First time I ordered from Musician's Friend. The plan: Order and try three guitars I've always wanted, to decide whether my American Gibson V2, Made in Japan Fender Strat, Mexican Fender Tele, and Chinese Epiphone SG gave me all the tonal and playing features I'd ever want – or whether any of the following: a Les Paul, an ES-339, and/or a Gretsch with Filtertrons, would significantly expand the tonal and playability possibilities. Also, would the guitars by Epiphone and Gretsch in this price range, be a great value or a disappointment? Answer: I am keeping all three beautiful, different, versatile guitars, for a cost less than one decent American made Fender or Gibson. Are they as good as the American models, in fit, finish, wood quality, and overall performance? Almost certainly not. But for a cat with my ability level and budget, they are great (see my other reviews under the nickname ETHELTHEFROG from Miami, FL.) I've played a few Les Pauls, loved the look of the red sunburst and goldtop models, the difference in sound and playability from my Fenders, but could never justify buying myself a Gibson Les Paul, even used. I wanted to hear whether the Gretsch had the unique Filtertron tone I read about and heard in all the videos I watched. Also, the goldtop looked great on the MF website, and the body was similar but not the same as the LP gold tops which I've admired. Finally, I've always wanted an ES 339 or 355, for the look, and the semi-hollow body and P-90 sound I gig, I want guitars that look good as well as play nicely, but are not so expensive that I'd regret losing them to theft or damage, which all live and studio players know happens (luckily I've only had one inexpensive Ibanez bass stolen, but I loved it, and my Strat was in it's case when my buddy drove his car over it by mistake, no harm done, amazingly!) OK, the Gretsch arrived really fast by regular ground shipping. Out of the box the setup was perfect. It looked great, with the white pearl pick guard, chrome Gretsch control knobs and black and chrome vintage looking Filtertrons, and tombstone fret markers. There was one tiny nick on the low E side of the nut, but not worth sending the guitar back. Everything else looked very good… Binding on fret board by frets was a little less than perfect, but did not affect playability. I was and am a drummer first, so there is still a lot I don't know about electric guitars and amps, though I have played electric since 1978. By experimenting with my 40w all tube Fender Deluxe Hot Rod and Solid state Frontman 65R amps, I learned: Put the amp on 6 at least. Then dial in the master volume and individual volume pots on the guitar at various levels to have more expressive range. Experiment and you hear a huge range from lightness and country twang, jazzy warmth, to blow your face off growl and loudness, with NO drive or distortion added from pedals or amp switching. WITH extra overdrive and distortion this is a blues rock monster. These pickups will push the amp easily into natural distortion on the clean channel if you set the amp and guitar controls correctly. The body has excellent resonance. This guitar definitely sounds and plays differently than the new Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro with coil tapping, which I am also keeping. They are something like distant cousins, similar, but with their own personalities. I love the positioning of the PU controls and PU selector switch, because I strum loosely, even on electrics, and I was always hitting and changing the PU switch on my Fenders. Here, you can strum right by the bridge for beautiful brightness, and not hit control knobs or switches like on the Fenders. With the master and separate PU volume controls you can dial in a rhythm appropriate volume on the master and bridge PU, set the neck PU at a lead level, then when you get to a lead, flip the PU toggle and rock! Need more volume? Crank up the master! Lead done? Flip back down to center or bottom position and quickly dial back the master. I wanted the Bigsby model but reviews read here indicated tuning problems. I never mod my guitars, they have to be what I want as is, but I may add a Bigsby to this axe, I already love it so much. Normally I take my guitars to practice and gigs in gig bags, but I will probably buy a case to protect this bargain… "The best I ever had!"ETHELTHEFROG

I find a guitar to be very nice. Theres a slight reverberation in the E Sting against the fret board. Other than that I find the guitar in excellent condition. It plays well. This is my first Gretsch. Ive owned Gibsons les Pauls and others. This is a well made instrument. Reminds me of the Guitars used by the Stray Cats.kriyayogi108

New 'Gretsch' Guitars Are Now Made By 'Fender'; Which Is Why They All Sound Like 'Telecasters' – AND Are Cheaper. If LOOKING Like A 'Gretsch' Is All You Seek, Knock Yourself Out. But If You Want An ACTUAL Gretsch Guitar, Buy An Old One. These Imitations Are A Rip-Off In My Humble Opinion. THIS Is A 'Fender'.ec80-a

You always have to adjust the bridge before you play a fresh hollowbody. Just like a violin, you adjust your bridge almost right above the soundpost to achieve tone, stability, and intonation. If you don't even know how to take care of a hollowbody vs a solid body. LEARN. Don't complain like this dud below. Btw, it's a MIK (Made in Korea), which means it takes 4,000 miles to reach the East coast, and if came in perfect condition in the package, you're the luckiest player to own such a beautiful instrumentDYO