new to Gretsch Guitars

[Matthew]

I recently started playing guitar and just purchased a used Gretsch G5622T with the Bigsby on it. I need a pickguard for it but can not find anything that list G5622T on it. I found G5622 2 and G5622 3 but do not know which one I need. I also have a question concerning the Serial number. My SN: is CYGC19070878. I believe this means that the guitar was built in July of 2019. My question is what does the CYGC stand for. I tried to sign up for a Gretsch guitar forum but I could not since it was requiring my to know who played various models of Gretsch guitars to answer the CAPTCHA. I just play for myself. I do not care who played what model gretsch and from what band they are in. Thanks for your help I also have a Michael Kelly Forte Port Acoustic that I love to play. My background is as a soundman for 25 plus years.

[Scott Fraser]

Check in with Gretsch-Talk.com. It's the most authoritative Gretsch forum & a cool place to hang out. There are definitely people there who can decipher the CYGC part of the serial number. My very informal guess is that it was built in China, in a series made specifically to be marketed through Guitar Center, but don't take my word for it. Check with the Gretsch-Talk guys. As to the model number, the 5600 models are Electromatics, which are to Gretsch as Squire is to Fender & Epiphone is to Gibson. I.e. very high quality but not as expensive as the top line series, which are the 6000 models. A xx22 is a double cutaway, & the T indicates a Bigsby "trem". Enjoy your new Gretsch. At last count I think I have 8 Gretsches here & I love 'em. Great guitars.

[Ivan May]

Gretsch makes some very good guitars. I’m more of a fan of the curved Bigsby arm. I don’t really care for the tubular Bigsby arm, I think the design is a little flimsy. They also tend to be hollow body guitars, which are a little disappointing because they tend to feed back when played at high volumes.

 

But the Gretsch is a wonderful guitar. Stephen Stills played a Gretsch White Falcon, and Gretsch has been decent enough to give him a signature model.

[KuruPrionz]

Over the years, a few Gretsch guitars have come and gone. 

Of course now I wish I had kept them, so it goes. 

 

I had one that looked like the ones that Brian Setzer plays but with just a bridge pickup and in red. It had a Bigsby. 

 

I had an orange Chet Atkins Nashville just like this one - mid 60's: https://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/Gretsch-Guitars/Vintage-1964-6120-Nashville-Chet-Atkins-Hollow-Body-Electric-Guitar.gc? cntry=us&source=4WWRWXGP&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAuNGuBhAkEiwAGId4ahaHkZGAcFZIFSNkgUca6QYdAqUBzZpR5KZJ2VQtCnA63cABnnW8dhoCh6YQAvD_BwE

That one had a Bigsby too. 

 

I owned a black Roc Jet with the Supertron II pickups, the ones with the laminated bars and a magnet on the bottom, more or less the same design as a Gibson hum bucker as both companies patented the design at almost the same time. That had a tailpiece, no Bigsby. 

 

Last but not least, I owned a virtually unplayed 66-68 Gretsch Viking. Most of those that I've seen were double cutaway and sunburst with nickel plated parts. This was a single cut, black, all gold plated parts and pristine. It had the floating bridge and the tempered scale frets (frets were adjusted instead of the bridge). Lots of knobs and switches on that one and of course a Bigsby. 

 

I liked them but I didn't love playing them. I prefer more high frets and better access to them. I currently favor Fender style guitars but I do have a Gibson ES-335 Studio from 1986 in Ferrari Red. I put gold hardware on it and a clear plexiglass pick guard that I painted copper on the back. The old Gretsch pick guards were clear plastic with metallic paint on the back so that's my tribute to their style. 

 

And, I do have a Supertron in the neck position of an early 60's single cutaway Gibson Melody Maker. Just the one pickup, it's a great sounding and great playing guitar plus it's very light. I find myself gravitating to that guitar more and more. 

 

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

If you can’t find a standard Gretsch pickguard for your guitar, there’s definitely companies that can make custom ones for you:

 

https://www.wdmusic.com/wd-custom-pickguards.html

 

https://greasygroove.com/pickguards.html

 

https://www.pickguardplanet.com/our-work/

 

https://www.pickguardian.com

[desertbluesman]

I may have had a Gretsch guitar early on in my guitar playing odyssey (Mid 1960's). I was into Les Paul's at the time so the Gretsch did not sound like a Les Paul or SG, so I probably sold it without appreciating it's unique qualities. I was heavily into Chet Atkins and other country pickers, that is probably why I tried the Gretsch. Oh well we live and learn.........

[p90jr]

those snobby facebook groups and their gatekeeping... I understand they have to try to keep the groups free of spambots who will overrun it and post porn links or whatever, but on the other hand, they could come up with a way to vet actual humans that isn't so pretentious... but you can google for the answers, really.

I have an Electromatic Pro Jet that I put the GFS copies of DeArmond pickups into... it sounds cool, but it's heavier than some of my combo amps... it is the one guitar that is too heavy for me to play onstage because it pinches something in my neck and makes my neck and lower back hurt. So it sits in the corner of my practice building. I've thought about taking the electronics out and planting termites in it for some weight relief.