Fender Australia | Expect to pay AU$1149
Hardtail electric guitars are the workhorse of the gigging industry. While tremolos and vibratos are fun and expressive, they can be complicated to re-string on the fly when one inevitably breaks on stage.
Enter the G2622-P90 Streamliner Centre Block Double-Cut P90 with V-Stoptail, which is, as its name suggests, the hardtail version of the G2622-P90 that features a classy V-shaped tailpiece instead of a Bigsby vibrato. The G2622 is a big-bodied guitar, but the spruce centre-block running up the middle of the body assists on cancelling feedback. The G2622 is the perfect blend of hollow-bodied resonance and solid-body control. The dynamics are present and the G2622 sounds great both amplified and unplugged – a sign of a well assembled and designed guitar. The P90 pickups are Gretsch’s new FideliSonic pickups, featured across a bunch of new models in the Streamliner range. Streamliners are Gretsch’s most accessible guitars, but offer no sacrifice in playability, specs, and sound, and this is increasingly evident in the G2622-P90 Streamliner Centre Block Double-Cut P90 with V-Stoptail.
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The arched laminated mahogany body nestles nicely against the body and even when standing, it’s very well balanced. You can feel the hollow-ness resonating, and the acoustic quality transfers into the dual pickups, offering a big, loud chime. The thin “U” shaped neck is standard for Gretsch and it extends across most of their range, from top-tier White Falcons to their most accessible range, the Streamliners. The 24 3⁄4 inch scale length will have players of a certain single-cut electric feeling right at home, and the neck shape and medium jumbo frets allow for big chords and lead playing alike across the entire neck. The neck is finished in the same gloss finish that the body is, and doesn’t feel grippy or as slippery as a satin or unfinished neck might. The adjusto-matic bridge keeps everything in tip-top tune, and the V-Stoptail holds it all down in a classy fashion. The die-cast machine heads feel smooth and can tune accurately, but overall the guitar holds tune fairly well so it doesn’t need much adjusting! The G2622 is fairly thin in depth and doesn’t feel quite so much like a big jazz box or or an acoustic guitar, but is big enough to provide the acoustic chime we’re all lusting after. The position of the pickups aren’t in the way, and the control knobs are well within reach for adjustments on the fly. The pickup selector on the top horn is a good move as it’s right there when you need it, but never in the way when you don’t!
The G2622-P90 is a P90 equipped, semi-hollow electric guitar. The body is assembled from laminated mahogany on the front, sides and back, and features aged white three-ply binding. The mahogany is finished in gloss that brings out the depth of the Claret Burst finish on this particular guitar. The neck is made from nato and has a laurel fretboard, with pearloid ovals marking the 22 medium jumbo frets. Laurel is a firm wood that’s dark in colour and feels like rosewood, bringing a dark, woody, and mid-forward sound to compliment the FideliSonic 90s. The FideliSonics themselves are a brighter incarnation of the famed P90 pickup, offering the size and cut of a P90 but with Gretsch’s own bright flavour, perfect for hybrid-picked licks and steam-train churning rhythms. The P90s are controlled by independent volume controls, and can be blended with the master volume when the centre position of the 3-way selector is chosen. This routing is classic Gretsch and is used across the entire range. There’s a master tone as well that helps to tame the P90s.
All in all, the G2622-P90 Streamliner Centre Block Double-Cut P90 with V-Stoptail is a shining example of Gretsch’s ability to build a great instrument in any price range. For players moving into hollow-bodied guitars for the first time, the G2622 is a prime example of a guitar that successfully ventures between the two build types. The centre block controls feedback and provides a solid foundation for a solid player with consistent sound, feel, and aesthetic to match.
Gretsch’s FideliSonic P90s toe the line between DynaSonic and P90, and provide the best of both in a warm, fat sound with a bright and articulate attack. The mahogany construction provides a balanced base for the acoustic qualities of the semi-hollow body, and the warm tone of the laurel fretboard is a much better fit than maple, both aesthetically and tonally. For players looking to branch out, the G2622 is an affordable guitar with unique P90s, a semi-hollow body, and unique wiring to blend a bunch of different tonal options, even before you bring pedals or an amp into the equation. A hardtail is the first choice for gigging musicians, not having to worry about re-stringing a vibrato bridge on the fly, nor worry about strings slipping out of tune. The G2622 is a tool that any player could use in their toolbox, no matter what other guitars are on offer.
Head to Gretsch to find out more about this guitar.
