The Gretsch 5210 P90 Electromatic Jet. A Jet for Blues?

I take a look at the Gretsch 5210 P90 Electromatic Jet, discussing it's features, build quality, and value.
I demo the guitar plugged into my Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb and use no pedals, the only overdrive coming from cranking the amp.
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[@nellayema2455]

Great sounding and looking guitar! Excellent playing, sir!

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Thanks so much.

[@guitarzan0515]

Holy Smoley, that guitar in your hands is Outta’ Sight!! Super playing today!! Great Tone!! Beautiful Guitar!!!

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Thanks. They are pretty.

[@blackhawkbushcraft]

Ok, you sold me on this guitar. I’ve been looking for an affordable P90 setup and you playing the blues sealed the deal. Just subbed to your channel. 👍

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

It was quite capable. The P90s give it more of an early Les Paul vibe than traditional Gretsch. Thanks so much for watching.

[@roycedot]

The bridge has such a nice bitey honk- no ice pick. Great playing/demo

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Thank you so much my friend.

[@ClemsonJohnson]

I have had my eye on these. Thanks for the great review. I love the tone.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Thanks so much and thanks for watching.

[@mortonwilson795]

Nice! Really interested in this one - there's an off white with Bigsby that I want to check out. Gretsch are doing good things.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Yes, so far I’ve had good experiences with these low cost Gretsch models. Electromatics generally just need a nice setup and they’re a solid choice. Thanks for watching.

[@john_duncan]

I just bought the cadillac green one yesterday. I payed 450 + tax man's share. The finish is really good for this price range and the p 90's are super sensitive to adjustments. I did have to lower the action a pretty good bit, set intonation (went to 9's), tighten up the tuning machines, and tighten up one pot because it was loose (probably from everyone dicking around with it). I am impressed with it. It has a very warm sympathetic buzz now that almost sounds like a built in fuzz tone. This thing is a steal.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

That’s great. They do seem to require some tweaking, but once done are solid guitars. Thanks is for watching.

[@ditchgator1]

😎👍 Same color that caught my eye. Wondering if gold hardware is available aftermarket 😉👍 😎✌👍❤🖖

[@john_duncan]

@@ditchgator1 i have some old gold grover tuners i may put on there and i have a better wrap around bridge i need to put on there too. The adjustment screws on the stock one are sticky.

[@ditchgator1]

@@john_duncan 😎👍 Just remembering that gold plating was offered at a car dealership. There are people that gold plate anything that's metal and can take it. Wasn't expensive if memory servers...but that was YEARS ago🤣 The whole procedure didn't take long at all. The plating does wear off from constant contact. However, that looks cool from a vintage point of view. 😎✌👍❤🖖

[@christophergallagher531]

@@john_duncan I am wondering if the post spacing is standard. I have a Schaller fine tune bridge, I like. It is set for a 10"r, which over a 12" would be close to how I set up Teles. That Cadillac Green! Yikes!

[@rumblcat]

I got that model with the Bigsby. Dynamite for recording. the p90’s sound amazing. Guitar stays in tune! Perfect size and feel! Lots of value for the money

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

I’ll be honest, it was much better than I expected. As you say, just tons of value. Enjoy yours and thanks for watching.

[@geoffmonk8954]

Great review, thanks. I wouldn't normally associate a Gretsch guitar with the blues, but this guitar with P90's seemed to pull it off well. Sub £500 in the UK, very tempting. I'll add this to this the list of guitars I want but don't need! 🤣

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

I think we all have one of those lists. 😆 Thanks so much, and thanks for watching.

[@JCM467]

It's the same thing for me. I don't know the during quality of the new vintera 60's but, compared to a professional usa price.... 😅

[@JCM467]

Great playing. 😊

[@JCM467]

It will be my first electric guitar and i searched for a Fender in order to play all styles of blues. Eric Clapton is always with us fortunately, Hendrix live us since a long time..

[@thomasd9237]

I have 2 Gretsch in my collection (so far) A 5222 & a 2655p-90. I love these guitars, they do everything well at a working man's price. I will be buying more ☺️ thanks for posting this 👍👍

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

That’s great. Thanks so much for watching. Stay tuned. Actually doing another Gretsch this upcoming week.

[@braddietzmusic2429]

Stephen Stills played Blues on all manner of Gretsch. I’m remembering his famous White Falcon, of which Gretsch made a signature model, and he played others including a Country Gentleman. Check out his playing on Super Session. I suspect he played a Gretsch on that. Check out his playing with Manassas. There’s both photographic and video proof of him playing Gretsch with that band.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Yes, to be clear, I wasn’t implying that no one plays blues on a Gretsch. Plenty have, especially rock guys who aren’t really full time blues players. And there have even been a handful of full time blues players who have, or do play Gretsch models (Keb Mo comes to mind), though it isn’t usually their main guitar. I firmly believe it’s the playing not the guitar for any genre. All I meant was it’s not the type of guitar that usually comes to mind when we think blues players, no doubt because the blues greats, BB, Albert, Freddie, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, etc., etc., didn’t tend to play the brand. But yeah, if it has strings and can be played, you can play any style you want. Thanks so much for watching and engaging.

[@johnwalsh3919]

Holy moly Leonard, you have me looking at the antique white model with the bigsby just for the looks , I buy most of my guitars with my eyes which is probably not the best idea 😂great Video, my finger is hovering over the buy button 😅stay well ✌️🧷🎸

[@johnwalsh3919]

Just pushed the button, second guitar in a week 😅 all your fault ✌️🧷🎸

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Thanks so much my friend. I hope you love it.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Yep. If anyone asks, just point to my video and say, “it’s that guy’s fault!” 🤣

[@BobbyRoberts-n2m]

I enjoyed your review of this guitar. You give a good review of the tones of this guitar. May just pick one up this weekend. Neck certainly sounds better than my tele

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Nice. I’m happy you enjoyed the video. Thanks for checking it out.

[@bigsby6bender]

Sounds amazing! Great playing too!

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Thanks so much.

[@Anjohl]

I just got one. I had one on layaway earlier this year, and talked myself out of it. I took a bath on a trade in to get it, but it's a keeper!

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Glad you’re enjoying it and thanks for watching.

[@christophergallagher531]

Hey thanks. The .283 post dia seems right. Hard to get to it while installed. Post centers 82.71 and string spacing of 53.36. I like the lite wrap tail. Once again, digging the feel and phrasing of your playing. Chris

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Thanks again.

[@sixstringcity3931]

Nice to see likeminded players in my area

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Nice. Thanks so much for watching.

[@garlandlabat4922]

Some incredible blues tone and licks!!

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Thanks so much and thanks for watching.

[@christophergallagher531]

I don't understand about this treb 'bleed' nomenclature. A bleed shuntes the signal to ground. It that what this master volume does? I am a fan of treb passes, which I use. A treb pass, lets the treb frequencies do an end run around the volume pot. Being a long scale guy, the notion of having a short scale around may be reasonable. I tried a hard tail, unplugged. One thing, that floored me was how harmonics leaped out, even at the third fret. (Leaning to Cadillac Green) Hey, I stuck around to finish your vid, because your playing grabbed me. Thanks Chris.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Hey Chris, thanks for watching. If you Google “guitar treble bleed”, you’ll find the term is universally used in the industry for a simple capacitor on the volume pot which allows highs to be maintained as the volume is turned down. I can’t speak to the accuracy of the term, but if inaccurate, it wouldn’t be the first time. Everyone’s been calling vibrato tailpieces “tremolos” since Leo Fender got it backwards 70 years ago. LOL

[@christophergallagher531]

@@leonardgriffieblues5845 I have been using treb passes for forty years. With out one, invariably V pots ends up wide open. Leo cracked me up with his amps having trem and his guitars having vibrato. I assume these Gretsch models mean pass. Lately, .002 ufs are what I use. Thanks Chris

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

@@christophergallagher531 Yes, “treble pass” is more accurate. I have no idea when or how “treble bleed” became the standard term, but it has, not just with Gretsch. Thanks again for watching and engaging.

[@christophergallagher531]

Hey, I hauled *ss to my favorite brick and mortar, Parkway Music 50 miles off in Clifton Park NY. I gave a couple of these a run in a Supro Delta 12 (I use a 10). both were different. The lighter one seemed better. Better feeling tuners, pot tapers, and harmonics lept out even around the third fret. I tried a rash of P 90 guitars. The Gretsch units felt as good as any thing. My wife offered to buy me one. Sweet thing. But in the end I grabbed a Mexican Chrissei Hynde Tele. That put me in my place. Kinda like get back to where you belong. I love that ax, except for locking tuners, much prefering 'safety tuners'. Back on the home stead, it was time to run my Squire Tele Deluxe with a pair of Duncan 'Phat Cats'. These are not P 90s. Fact is I like them more. There are .002 uf treb passes and CTS 500k audio taper pots in there which suit me well. A take away from the G5210s, is that master volume. Naturally, a question arises, 'where do I put one!?' Of note, not being a short scale guy that notion appeals, but the 12"R threw me. My Martians are that way, but baring is no fun. Thanks for your help Keep the faith. Chris

[@garylearo5301]

Great playing. My kind of blues. Deciding between these and a Yamaha rss02.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Thanks so much. Yeah, hard to go wrong. I would probably lean toward the Yamaha because I liked the playing feel a little better, but it’s really going to be a mostly subjective choice.

[@pilgrim3387]

I have the p90 junior jet in the same colour. Great guitar. Great value for money

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Nice. Enjoy it and thanks so much for watching.

[@ditchgator1]

Electromatics are a steal😉👍👍

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

They are a fine value for sure. 😎

[@mariodriessen9740]

Just bought a G6636T White Falcon and I promised myself it would be my last guitar to purchase. But how can I leave the G5210 hanging there when it’s only 555 Euros and it sounds so good and it looks so damn nice?!?! I want one!!! 🧡

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Ah, the allure of a new guitar. All the best my friend and thanks for watching.

[@augustotannus27]

Late to the party butnI'd like to know two things: 1- how does the playabillity of thia guitar compares to de yamaha revstar rss02t? 2- Can thia guitar handle some eclectic gigs? I plan to use this guitar to jazz, as well as blues, funk and other styles that don't demand a humbucker!

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Honestly, I would pick the Revstar. It was lighter, had a nicer neck (IMO, of course), and played better out of the box. That said, nothing wrong this Gretsch, and a good luthier could have it playing beautifully, but at an additional cost.

[@rmsavig2204]

I have the blue-s one.😊 The middle position is kinda quacky, which i like.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Nice. Well enjoy it and thanks for tuning in.

[@castnoshadow82lr48]

Thanks brother I don’t know how I N found you from over here in the uk but I’ve been itching for a gretsch for some time now I can’t afford to go Balls deep on Something too fancy so I’m gonna try a couple of affordable models and when I think I’m there I might splash the cash. I love the Beatles and I just gotta get me some George bling

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Well I’m glad you found my channel. Those Gretsch Electromatic models are solid choices. Be prepared for some setup work but once properly set up they’re good guitars. Thanks so much for watching.

[@Rick........]

I've got one too and it sounds somehow very narrow and not bright at all. When gain is set on >5, the noise levels are higher than the actual playing sounds. It's probably broken :( But this is my first electric guitar ever and I don't really know what to expect...

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

That definitely sounds like something’s wrong. Bad ground of something. That’s too bad. Sorry.

[@uncleterrydidntworkattheha6116]

Beautiful playing - how much 60 cycle hum are you getting from it?

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Seemed pretty average for P90 style pickups. Certainly no more. I don’t recall much hum but I didn’t play it outside my studio and hum is minimal there.

[@badscrew4023]

Never seen any Jets in person. These look like slightly bigger bodies than Les Pauls, is this true?

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

The lower bout is close but the Gretsch upper bout is wider. So yeah, overall slightly bigger. Thanks for watching.

[@badscrew4023]

@@leonardgriffieblues5845 thanks

[@stevemiller1203]

Sounds muy bueno señor

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Gracias mi amigo

[@sheepdog72]

Liked and subbed

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Thanks very much. Appreciated.

[@cajunqueen5125]

👍👍👍

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Thanks so much.

[@valueofnothing2487]

Really burying the lede there. It's the frets that we need to know about. Are there sharp fret ends? Is there buzzing? How low is the action without buzzing? How well does it keep tune? Can you intonate it? How was the fretboard? Is it dried up? Do the frets need polish? Also, It would seem somewhat important to know whether this pickup is ceramic or alnico. Maybe I'm being a snob, but I certainly wouldn't spend $600 for a ceramic pickup guitar unless it was for metal or something.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

Not at all. If you followed my channel, you’d know I always point out any issues with the fretwork, tuning stability, etc. I’ve mentioned prickly fret ends, frets that weren’t level and nuts cut incorrectly when they occur. I set up all guitars with my customary action of 1.5mm treble and 1.75mm bass. I also set the intonation and neck relief. I rarely do any work on the nut for a review guitar but if I need to in order to do a decent demo I’ll always let you know. As for pickup composition, if the manufacturer publishes the information I pass it along, but I don’t generally disassemble guitars to find out, preferring to ignore generalizations and let my ears decide. I can tell you this guitar certainly doesn’t sound like metal. Not in my hands. LOL

[@valueofnothing2487]

@@leonardgriffieblues5845 So if you don't mention any of those problems then the guitar is free of them? That's good to know. Although I am not sure how I will remember that. But, good to know.

[@leonardgriffieblues5845]

@@valueofnothing2487 I’ll always mention when things are off, or if they’re especially nice. This particular guitar was fine. It didn’t play like a PRS, but the fretwork wasn’t especially bad either. If it has prickly ends I always mention that. But most guitars in this price range don’t have expertly leveled and crowned frets. They’re just too mass produced and I’d sound like a broken record repeating that every time. If I can set it up to play fairly well, at the action I use with no buzzes or fretting out on bends, not only is there not much to say about that, but it should be apparent in the playing demo, which is the heart of my videos. Thanks again for watching.