Gretsch G5120 Electromatic Review: Quality Rep and Thoughtful Design

Body And Neck:
Electronics:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

• Check Price on Amazon
• Check Price on Guitar Center
• Check Price on Musician's Friend

At Gretsch, they have long been known for their hollow-bodied guitars. These open and airy models provide the twang and brightness that country and rockabilly players love, along with more acoustic resonance and depth than solid-body guitars.

The Electromatic line is Gretsch's mid-tier series; it's aimed at improving players who want a high-quality instrument but still don't want to break the bank.

The G5120 model borrows most of its styling and shape from Gretsch's legendary G6120. Played by legends like Chet Atkins, George Harrison, and Johnny Marr, the G6120 is one of the most famous guitar models ever made. As its little brother of sorts, the G5120 retains that iconic sound, style, and shape while presenting a more affordable alternative for players on a budget.

Gretsch's reputation for thoughtful designs and quality builds carries over into every aspect of the G5120. Let's take a closer look at some of the details and explain what makes this model one of the best guitars under $1,000.

Body and Neck

Like we mentioned above, the G5120 is a serious hollow-body guitar: the body measures 2.75″ deep and 16″ long! While it's certainly manageable for players of many different sizes, it offers a noticeably different feel from the solid-body guitars many electric players favor.

The body is constructed from laminated maple on the top, back, and sides. Laminated maple is a common choice for hollow-body guitars; it's used by brands like Gibson along with Gretsch. Maple is known for its brighter tonal character, and the extra zing balances nicely with the warmer acoustic signature of most hollow-body guitars.

The neck is also made from laminated maple and topped with a 22-fret rosewood fingerboard. Gibson or Epiphone fans will feel a sense of familiarity to the 24.6″ scale length and 1 11/16″ nut width  — those measurements are similar to the standard dimensions used on most Gibson and Epiphone instruments. The scale is slightly shorter than the Fender standard of 25.5″, which allows for smoother bending and faster runs up and down the neck.

The fretboard features a 12″ radius; it's flatter than some other models and makes single notes easier to play without harming chording much. A single cutaway helps you access all of the frets without needing to stretch.

Electronics

This guitar comes outfitted with a pair of Gretsch's chrome Dual-Coil humbuckers. Like most Gretsch humbuckers, they deliver more top-end and clarity than other humbuckers like Gibson's famous P.A.F. models. While there's definitely some more muscle to these than single-coil pickups, these Dual-Coils capture the fundamentals of the signature Gretsch sound.

You'll also find that the G5120 utilizes the standard Gretsch control setup. Though it may be confusing to new players, the added controls give you plenty of precision for your playing. Most importantly, the master volume knob is located in front of the pickguard on the guitar's lower bout. Back near the tailpiece, three more knobs control your master tone and the individual volume of each pickup.

A three-way selector switch toggles between the two pickups; the middle position combines them into your signal and allows you to blend each volume knob to find your desired levels. All of the electronic knobs are covered with vintage “G-arrow” chrome dials — a sweet aesthetic touch found only on higher-end Gretsch guitars.

Hardware

Though it's still a budget guitar by Gretsch standards, the G5120 offers a full complement of vintage and modern hardware. An Adjusto-Matic bridge sits atop a rosewood base; this model allows you to adjust each string's intonation individually.

The tailpiece is a licensed Bigsby B60, and it's perfect for adding soft, moody vibrato to your chords and lines. On the headstock, vintage die-cast machine heads keep your tuning stable while adding some extra flair. Finally, the G5120 features knurled strap knobs and thumbnail fingerboard inlays to evoke Gretsch models of the 1950s and '60s.

Sound

If you're in search of an unmistakably “Gretsch” guitar, this is about as good as it gets for less than $1,000. The G5120 delivers plenty of treble with ringing, bell-like clarity throughout the scale. It can perform convincing versions of rockabilly and rock and roll classics with ease.

At times, there's not quite the same glassiness and depth to this model that you'll find on premium Gretsches — if you're not careful, you might drive this into piercing territory. However, rolling the tone knob off slightly or playing with a bit less attack is a quick remedy.

When distorted or overdriven, the G5120 delivers a clear and thick saturation that's immediately different than other humbucking guitars. The bass is more focused and tight, which helps it slice through any mix.

Hard rock and metal acolytes (except maybe Billy Duffy fans) will probably prefer guitars with heavier, booming bass. But if you want a guitar that catches your ear both when played clean and overdriven, the G5120 is an outstanding choice.

Conclusion

The Gretsch G5120 hits all the hallmarks you'd expect from a Gretsch hollow-body guitar while remaining well under $1,000. Some players might regard this instrument as the “budget version” or “little brother” of the G6120. And while that's largely true, the G5120 still delivers an outstanding experience in its own right. New electric players looking for a step up or advanced players in search of a durable hollow-body axe should check this model out.