Gretsch has launched black limba versions its affordable and uber-desirable Electromatic CVT and Jet models.
The revamp not only introduces a new tonewood to the range, but gives both guitars a fetching appearance, with the West African hardwood’s famous, striking dark brown and black streaks shining beneath clear gloss finishes.
The CVT has become a major player in the affordable guitar market, and its new baritone model has received widespread praise. Here, the makeover is more than just aesthetic.
Lightweight and resonant, black limba has been used for both body and neck. The latter is sculpted to Gretsch’s Performance C-profile and capped with a 22-fret, bound rosewood fingerboard. Pearloid Neo-Classic thumbnail inlays keep things minimal and classy.
It also features a Wraparound bridge with adjustable saddles, die-cast sealed tuners, and a Graph Tech NuBone nut. The electronics center on golden Twin Six humbuckers, flanked by a Master Volume control with treble bleed, a Tone knob, and a three-way switch. Priced at $599.99 / £549 / €649, it keeps the competitive edge with a striking new look.
The Jet, meanwhile, dials things up a few notches. It again features a black limba body paired with a black limba Performance C-shaped neck.
Its 12”-Radius Bound Ebony Fingerboard gets the same inlays and 22 Medium Jumbo Frets, but elsewhere has slightly more premium specs. Here, the bridge is a LockDown locking version of the same wraparound design, with another NuBone nut and more die-cast-sealed tuners to keep tuning tight.
The electronics then go a step further with PureVolt Twin Six humbuckers, billed as “beautifully dynamic, exceptionally expressive, and addictively powerful.” The neck uses an Alnico IV magnet, and the bridge uses an Alnico V. Again, the treble bleed feature is wired into the Master Volume.
Beyond that, it has individual pickup controls and a push-pull for single-coil snap on each pickup. With the split coil activated and the three-way switch in the middle position, it makes for one hum-canceling ‘bucker. That’s all reflected in its $749 / £629 / €739 price tag.
See Gretsch for more.
