The Delta Snake Review: Musical Gear Review & Article Archive: Review: 2007 Gretsch Electromatic Pro Jet

Review: 2007 Gretsch Electromatic Pro Jet

The Gretsch Electromatic Pro Jet looks like a souped-up Les Paul copy, particularly the Ebony model which sports a pearloid pickguard. Like most Gretsch's of this type, the body length is a bit longer and leaner. This model also comes with a Bigsby (and costs about 100.00 more).

The body has some hidden value that Epiphones in this price range (or above for that matter) rarely have, which includes a chambered mahogany body. Considering that the mass is similar to a LP, this is a good chunk of quality wood. Add to that a great neck, with good action, medium jumbo frets, and, well, passable rosewood on the fretboard. The bridge section included their version of a tune-a-matic, and a nice, thick retro “G” tailpiece.

Before you go rushing to buy and convert this 390.00 wonder (stopping off to buy two aftermarket humbuckers) into a lighter weight Les Paul (which is an attractive idea), be aware that the pickup configuration makes that virtually impossible unless you know how to rout out a guitar.

The reason is that the pickups are T.V. Jones designed mini humbuckers, which can't be swapped out for virtually anything you can get at Guitar Center. Not even Gretsch has a clear upgrade path for this model, which given the body design, should be towards a Duo's humbuckers (but alas, it isn't).

Even more interesting, the humbuckers are classic vintage “H” style, with two rows of pickup poles. You can micro-adjust tone with those. However, be aware that if you adjust the poles too different, it may create an out of phase effect also. It'll be a challenge to someone used to single pole row humbuckers, but it's worth the effort.

However, if you're considering buying a Gretsch, you wouldn't be thinking about trying to mold this into a Les Paul anyway. This is a Gretsch, and moreover, it is a rocker's Gretsch. Unless you have a pretty good tube or valve amp, you can pretty much forget the clean tone on this one. The front pickup sounds like baling wire, and the back pickup sounds OK. Lower the pickup, and you'll get a decent acoustic-like clean tone but forget even sounding like an Epiphone.

Then, turn on the gain button, and suddenly the guitar comes alive. That chiming, bell-like sound with a hint of twang comes out of the front pickup, and the bridge PUP hits you with the smoothest twanging you'll ever hear. The Tele's worst enemy has arrived.

Crank the amp and you'll find that those T.V. Jones mini's make THE rockabilly sound, and all manner of classic sounds will come as you get to know the guitar. Also, crank the amp gain all the way up, and it's still the cleanest, smoothest distortion at this price range on up to the 1000.00 class.

Ironically, even though it has a poor clean tone (for many amps), its “jazzy” tone with light distortion is exceptional. Experiment with amp and tone settings, and this guitar will pretty much do what you want with it (even sound a bit like a Les Paul when in gain mode). This axe will chicken-pick at high volume as well as any telecaster, American made or not. If you are into the Gretsch sound, you'll shake your head at how a guitar like this could be so cheap.

Of course, the reason is simple. Like many Epiphones, the guitar is made in China. Which has created the interesting and ironic comments now coming up on the internet (and in private deals I've seen and made) where the once derided Korean guitars are becoming preferable to Chinese ones. The reason? Quality issues. However, and there are always exceptions, at least some of the guitars I've seen come out of there have been of exceptional quality and price. The Epi PR-5 Limited Edition was a superb value at 300.00.

Looking over my Pro Jet, I see no serious flaws, the chrome parts are flawless, and the pearloid pickguard is too cool for words. Also, since I got it for 300.00, I have no cause for complaint. A guitar of this construction with T.V. Jones designed pickups would have been 800.00 if American made, probably more. Or else cheaper materials like alder would have been integrated into the construction.

This Gretsch is part of a new manufacturing cycle, now based in China, and it will difficult for even old timers to quantify how good this or that guitar is given that the price will often be quite low. I'm sure the parent company, Fender, is watching this quite closely for future Squire models.

Like I said in an earlier review about import Gretsch guitars; it’s nice to see a company put its name on the entire model line. It tells you that they stand behind every product it puts out, and that you don't have what they consider to be a “cheap” or “economy brand” model line. If you buy a Gretsch, you have a Gretsch, period.

Gretsch has had its ups and downs, but with guitars like this, their wild and cool sound will be blasting out of amps well into the next century. As well it should.

- Al Handa

2007

Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2007. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.

The Quitturz by Al Handa