NAMM 2018: Gretsch celebrates its 135th anniversary in style!
The new G6118T-135 and the G5420TG Electromatic limited editions
Gretsch is celebrating its 135th anniversary in 2018 and so there are a couple of ‘special’ guitar models being released at NAMM that honour this milestone.
Gretsch 135th Anniversary
Apparently, 2018 is all about ‘solid bodied’ Gretsch guitars, which are actually chambered, so that is a little confusing. With the Japanese made ‘Pro Series’ getting some nice refinements for this year range, so that and they now have Tim Shaw designed Gretsch Broad’Tron pickups which are unique to the higher end models and based on the Filtertron design, but with a wider magnetic field and slightly higher Alnico 5 output.
These feed into no-load tone pots with PIO (Paper In Oil) capacitors, so you can actually use your tone controls and expect some useful settings, rather than just leaving them set at full whack.
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- Gretsch Broad’Tron pickups · Source: Gretsch
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- Gretsch Chambered ‘solid body’ · Source: Gretsch
Limited Editions
However, the real stars of 2018 are really these two beautiful new limited edition models the G6118T-135 and the G5420TG Electromatic both of which, I think, look pretty stunning.
G6118T-135 LTD 135TH ANNIVERSARY LTD
This is a beautiful looking guitar that comes with some pretty great specifications as well as just looking very vintage in either a Casino Gold on Dark Cherry Metallic finish with matching Dark Cherry pickguard and pickup bezels. It has Dual High Sensitive Filter’Tron pickups and a string thru B6CP Bigsby.
G6118T-135 LTD 135TH ANNIVERSARY · Source: Gretsch
G5420TG ELECTROMATIC 135TH ANNIVERSARY LTD
Loaded with Dual Black Top Filter’Tron pickups and looking pretty classic, this is one hell of a good looking guitar! The 2-Tone Dark Cherry Metallic over Casino Gold looks great in my opinion and it screams class.
G5420TG ELECTROMATIC 135TH ANNIVERSARY LTD · Source: Gretsch
Gretsch 2018
Make sure you head over to the Gretsch website and check out all the new models, plus you really should also check out the two videos that I have added below to get a good overall feel for the 2018 lineup.
I love seeing these classic ‘vintage’ style models getting such great updates and upgrades, as they are very cool, often beautiful and more of us need to start playing them!
More Information
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One response to “NAMM 2018: Gretsch celebrates its 135th anniversary in style!”
I hope Gretsch releases some Phatter Sounding Semi Hollows with full Humbuckers and no can openers …. Bigsbys.
I can hear the Resonance in some of their Guitars in the Demos …I just don’ t often want to be ‘ Twangy’ …lol.