Is this Gretsch Electromatic Pristine Jet worth it?!

[@degerdi]

Just bought one in black and gold, the black has sparkles in it like space. You’re right pictures do not do it justice, and the sound is incredible.

[@ShaneOpeno]

I have the same one and it was perfect right out of the box. The neck is so comfortable. It's heaven to play.

[@stevenguitarcol]

When you started to play… I thought, it’s the sound that I need! Thanks!

[@AlexRGuitar]

Heck yeah, man! Glad I could help! Thank you for watching!

[@rocinblues]

That guitars shines with simple clean/ reverb tones! Thanks.

[@AlexRGuitar]

Totally! And honestly, when it comes to dirtier tones, it doesn’t scream as much. I would not use this for a heavier/screamier situation, but definitely sings with clean tones.

[@Jeffcatbuckeye]

@@AlexRGuitarunless you are Neil young playing Ohio on a fender tweed deluxe lol

[@Postmortumaz]

I love Gretsch. I have a g5222. A poor man's Malcom Gretsch. I bought it from Sweetwater. Out of the box, tune it up, clean into a Boss mini Katana and it rocks.

[@metallover8]

I love the gold hardware on that model. I almost got the same guitar but had the chance to get the G5230T-140 Double Platinum Electromatic Jet which I am happy with. It has the exact same pickups as the Pristine, the FT-5E Filter’Trons

[@youngsmith1578]

Have one of the petrol ones. Best electric guitar I have. Such a great acdc / rock sound.

[@ΜιχαληςΚεχαγιας-κ5ι]

Great video. Great playing. I am thinking about getting this instrument. I wanted to ask you if from your experience you need to upgade some parts immidietly considering that is a very affordable guitar. (Tuners, bridge, nut ,pots etc) Thanks for your time and keep playing

[@scottejohnson83]

hell yeah! love seeing someone else jam to reggae with a Gretsch!!!!

[@SullysDad-u1h]

great playing. You should do more! (I just ordered the same one)! Thanks Brother!

[@AlexRGuitar]

Aweosme!! I hope it brings you lots of joy! It’s so beautiful! And thank you!!

[@NoCoverCharge]

I play a duffy white FAlcon and I love I it

[@kmitchell3008]

SHE'S A BEAUTY

[@AlexRGuitar]

Absolutely! An attention grabber!

[@tomstegall1346]

Anytime you buy something new it will require setting up to fit your style and taste in music and service to the bridge, nut, strings, fretboard and on, when you get it to fit you, then you have your new guitar 🎸. Every guitar I’ve ever bought has required this, barr none..

[@compucorder64]

I bought one this week too. Sometimes, the grooves in nut can do with a bit of cleaning out with a pressure can, and even smoothing them, then cleaning them out. A new bone or Tusq nut might help too, if the stock one wasn't cut super well. They use pretty cheap plastic ones in most affordable guitars. Sometimes it's just that the workshops aren't as dust free as they should be, and they aren't that careful cutting the nut, many times they ship it too high, half expecting people to adjust later. Maybe a roller bridge is a good idea. But, it shouldn't be essential, I have a Baum Wingman with a Bigsby, and that is absolutely perfect for tuning since I got it - probably my most reliable guitar for that. But their master luthier does the kinds of things you did, before the ship them out. Beautiful guitars, can believe they look better in person, white doesn't show true to life (partly why we have TV Yellow guitars, from the B&W TV days). It gets blown out looking.

[@AlexRGuitar]

That’s a good thought! I didn’t even think of blowing some air in the slots. I do like Tusq nuts, I didn’t think about it since these are synthetic bone, but the pre slotted Tusq may be a great option. Thanks for the info and for watching!

[@compucorder64]

@@AlexRGuitar Yip, and sometimes if you like the action a little higher, the ones that arrive are cut too low to begin with. Graphteq Tusq nuts cost about 15 here, so it's one of the cheaper upgrades. I guess a wilkinson roller wouldn't be that expensive either. But the nut and the bridge are the places to look, for sure. In the Summer, might have take a little settling down too, guitars moving from dry to humid, and cool warehouses to hot delivery vans, to cool or even aircon'd or dry heated homes.

[@AlexRGuitar]

@@compucorder64 I always wonder if anyone else has the thought of, I'd rather buy a guitar in the winter because I'd rather it have a better time in transit with less temperature variations. But maybe I'm a weirdo that thinks of the guitar's feelings 🤣

[@markbois1713]

Really nice guitar. Those guitars don't play effortlessly like, say, a PRS, but if you play them right you will be rewarded with a great sound. Enjoy it !

[@compucorder64]

​@@markbois1713 It's true. But they do play really quite well. Though as you said, it's all about that character tone. Sparkly on the top end, almost like a Strat or maybe even a Jaguar, but then with a bit of upper grit, like my Casino. But then there's more heft to the bottom end, like a Les Paul. My best playing guitar is my Baum Wingman - it's flawless. But, the one that stands out in the affordable range is my Sire L7, it's a really good one, and plays like butter. BUT, it doesn't sound as good as my Gibson Les Paul Special, which plays very well - but not as smooth as the Sire.

[@RocktCityTim]

Gorgeous finish on that one. With that selector issue, I guess so much for Sweetwater's 55 point inspection ... I picked up a G5230T FT in Cadillac Green a while back from a local shop and it had been set up, so was as good as it gets out of the box.Played D'addario XL 9's for a while and then swapped over to #StringJoy Custom 008's and have stuck with them since. This is one of my 5 forever guitars. I love the tones that the FilterTrons give over my Les Pauls. Different guitars for different purposes, but I pick this up more that either of my LPs.

[@AlexRGuitar]

That's a beautiful choice too on the G5230T FT. I've always loved the dark finish with light accents. I did get it from Musiciansfriend, So maybe SW would've been better. That's great to know about Stringjoy. I've been thinking of giving them a try so I can try a custom gauge. I've only heard good things about them

[@teerexness]

The history of the Gretsch Jet model coincides so closely with the Gibson Les Paul, it's difficult to attribute which company copied the other. The differences under the skin are many, so I think that it was probably just a coincidence that they look similar superficially. And saying that a Jet is a Les Paul copy is to ignore a lot of history. History like Gretsch being the older of the two companies. It will eternally be a mystery to me why the Les Paul became the more popular of the two guitars. I'd choose even a cheap Chinese Jet over a Les Paul all day long. Better neck, better tuning, much better sound. Their invisible semi-hollow construction and FilterTron pickups just give them more mojo IMHO. Just my $0.02.

[@AlexRGuitar]

@@teerexness that’s great to know! Thank you for sharing that! I was not aware! I was going by years. I personally enjoy my LPs better, both in feel and sound. But I do love this one and I get so many compliments when I play it.

[@charlespeck886]

I put a roller bridge on mine!

[@AlexRGuitar]

Not a bad idea! I’ll look around and see! Might be fun just in general! 😁

[@brettkramer]

Nice video !! Since the body is chambered, do you know the total weight of the guitar? Thanks

[@123elvislives]

Hi there again I just opened up the box with my new Gretsch Do you find the neck pickup a bit dark and also my neck pickup was wound write down was that the same with yours Thanks David

[@123elvislives]

Hi there I got myself one on Layby pick it up soon I do have the double cut in the same color What gauge string did you go Thumbs up from Geelong Australia 🇭🇲👍🇭🇲

[@AlexRGuitar]

@@123elvislives awesome! Congrats! I went with 10’s but I does feel a bit stiff. I may go down to 9’s or 9.5’s like my Les Pauls. They feel a bit easier to play to me. Cheers! Thanks for watching!

[@123elvislives]

@@AlexRGuitar Hi Alex 👋 9.5-44 would they be the ones

[@AlexRGuitar]

@@123elvislives yes! I like those. It’s a nice in between and you can feel it. Here’s the full name: D'Addario XSE09544 XS Nickel-plated Steel Coated Electric Guitar Strings - .0095-.044 Super Light Plus

[@gizmotis]

so that's what I sound like if I get one? wow

[@AlexRGuitar]

You definitely can! Depending on what tone and vibe you are after! 🙌🏼

[@__tree]

Beautiful guitar!! The size of this is how different Gretsch g5220 electromatic?

[@AlexRGuitar]

@@__tree it’s the same. Same body, just different specs and finish

[@__tree]

@@AlexRGuitar Thank you for letting me know! I'm going to buy it.

[@alesegdia]

nice video! again, which are the strings you put it on? Daddario XS? for electric?

[@AlexRGuitar]

@@alesegdia yup! I put D’Addario XS 10’s. And they have stayed so smooth, and still feel brand new. I may try putting 9’s in the future to see how much different it feels and see if I like it.

[@alesegdia]

@@AlexRGuitar awesome, thanks! I'm about to put my hands in one of those

[@felipesuarez3534]

Which the difference with Gretsch g5230 electromatic?.

[@AlexRGuitar]

@@felipesuarez3534 I think they are basically the same. The difference is the finish and the gold hardware. This one is apparently limited edition. The pickups may be different type of filtertron.

[@olivermirez6667]

Awesome guitar, bro.

[@AlexRGuitar]

Thanks, Oliver! It really is! Glad I went for it.

[@mhidoyaga]

Nice, sweet clean tones. The distorted sound, though… meh, goes to prove that with enough distortion all guitars sound the same.

[@AlexRGuitar]

@@mhidoyaga Agreed!! I don’t particularly care for the OD tones. And yeah, with enough gain/pedals and heavy sound can be achieved.

[@kennybluet5527]

Couldn't agree more.

[@feloniousmonk321]

Totally agree. Distortion kills natural tone and character.

[@kjuergens1985]

The only electric guitar I enjoy with a fully clean tone is a Les Paul, and this reminds me of that. I want to think of this as "Les Paul, but with a Bigsby, and without the Les Paul price tag." Am I in the ballpark?

[@AlexRGuitar]

Love Les Paul clean tone!! I would say so. Close enough. Being a Les Paul guy, I’d say Les Pauls are more comfortable.

[@kjuergens1985]

@@AlexRGuitar Sweet, thanks. Now I really want one of these, because the aesthetics are also fantastic.

[@AlexRGuitar]

@@kjuergens1985 I just spent some time doing a very intentional comparison and it sounds a bit lighter and mellow than the Les Paul which has a Duncan '59 on the neck. It's almost airier, if that makes sense. Both are fine guitars, and a joy to play. the pickups do seem to be less output on the Gretsch. But I don't have a multimeter to confirm.

[@Notes-de-l-autre-monde]

@@AlexRGuitar In your opinion, would the other Pristine with the P90s be closer to a Les Paul than this version with the Filter'Tron, or would it be further away? Thanks !

[@kjuergens1985]

​@@Notes-de-l-autre-monde I was about to ask the same question!

[@MacPakinga]

Nice ❤🎸

[@bissagegaming710]

What about the tuning stability?

[@AlexRGuitar]

It's fine now after changing the strings and lubricating the nut and saddles.

[@Cinestudi0]

Body shape how diferent is from a penguin?

[@AlexRGuitar]

I believe they are the same body shape, with some minor changes in cosmetics and quality, since the penguin is in the higher level of Gretsch. Different headstock, and binding, and possibly neck. But they are similar.

[@Gretsch-s8j]

Same neck pickup problem...crap quality control

[@ic3berg339]

Maybe for u

[@mspirit]

Same with me too so it's systematic. But it only happened to me like once.

[@AjDyer-b9n]

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