“A great-looking guitar that’s just a few minor tweaks away from being as good as its style suggests”: Gretsch Electromatic Pristine Ltd Jet Single-Cut with Bigsby review

Always the ‘Les Paul’ of the Gretsch line since it first appeared back in the 50s, the Jet gets a snazzy Electromatic makeover. Style over substance? Let’s plug in…

Gretsch Electromatic Pristine Ltd Jet Single-Cut with Bigsby
(Image: © Future / Phil Barker)

Guitar World Verdict

Here’s a great-looking guitar that’s just a few minor tweaks away from being as good as its style suggests. Should we have to do that with a new guitar? Well, perhaps that’s a discussion for another day. In our experience, expecting any relatively low-end guitar to arrive out of its box perfectly set up to your tastes and tour‑ready is a big ask.

Pros

  • +

    Classy looks.

  • +

    Tidy build.

  • +

    Strong classic ’Tron voices.

  • +

    Good weight, feel and playability.

Cons

  • -

    Needed some saddle and nut fettling to maximise tuning stability.

  • -

    No gigbag.

You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

What is it?

There’s always been a show-off element to Gretsch guitars and this new Pristine Jet is no exception. It comes in two blue metallics as well our rather classy top-edge bound White Gold, which looks like a 50s Cadillac cream.

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Ratings scorecard
TestResultsScore
Build qualityA few adjustments needed to support tuning stability.★★★1/2
PlayabilityNeck profile might be misadvertised as a Thin U but it is comfortable and those frets feel nice.★★★1/2
SoundsExcellent pair of Filter’Trons★★★★1/2
OverallA beautiful electric that just needed a little TLC to make properly special.★★★★

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