In its February 2016 issue, Guitarist magazine features an in-depth look at the new Streamliner collection, and also bestows their “Guitarist Choice” award upon the G2622 Streamliner Center Block Double Cutaway.
“They look like Gretsch guitars and sound quite like them, too. But those prices? Gretsch opens its arms to the entry-level market and sets the bark impressively high,” notes reviewer Dave Burriuck.
One of the key features common among all three Streamliner shapes (Center Block Jr, Center Block, Hollow Body) is the new Broad’Tron humbucking pickup.
“These pickups have gone through extensive R&D specifically for these guitars,” said Gretsch’s Adam Bowden-Smith to Guitarist. “They’re punchy with a higher output, hotter-than-vintage Filter’Trons. The older ones had a larger logo; the new ones are nickel-plated with a more subtle stamped logo. The first prototypes were wound by Chris Fleming, then head of Gretsch R&D (and with extensive experience in Fender’s Custom Shop.)”
The reviewer breaks down each of the three models, and then concludes with the following verdict:
“More guitars for less money will continue to be a theme this year. It will be interesting to see if any major brands manage to do it quite as well as Gretsch has done here. Construction is crisp, seen in the important details of the neck, fingerboard and fretting. Center blocks and lightness don’t always go hand in hand, and yet here they do.
“But are we really getting a half-price Gretsch? Yes and no. The beefier pickups certainly don’t nail a classic Gretsch tonality – although if that’s what you want, the full-size pickups are easy to replace – but they do broaden the sonic potential, especially for more gained styles, while staying close to the classic iconography.
“The deep hollow body G2420T is hugely evocative and perfect for lower-volume older styles. The G2622 might well be the bargain ‘Es-335’ we’ve all been waiting for, and with the G2655, you’ll find a solid body sized center-blocked semi that might be the most ‘solid’ sounding of the trio but will handle virtually any style.”
Watch Guitarist‘s accompanying video demo below: