Gretsch’s coolest budget guitar yet? Meet the revved-up Streamliner Rally II

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Available in a trio of rock ’n’ roll finishes, the limited-edition G2604T double-cut boasts Super Hilo’Tron pickups and some serious aesthetic flair

Gretsch 2604T Streamliner Rally II Center Block Double-Cut with Bigsby
(Image credit: Gretsch Guitars)

Gretsch has announced the latest addition to its affordable Streamliner electric guitar range – and it might just be the lineup’s sleekest-looking model yet.

As per Gretsch tradition, the 2604T Streamliner Rally II Center Block Double-Cut with Bigsby might not have a model name that runs off the tongue, but its aesthetics are sure to have guitarists drooling nonetheless.

The tastiest addition to the company’s timeless double-cut silhouette is the Plexi pickguard and truss rod cover, which are adorned with vintage-style striping.

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Those stripes are color-coordinated to their respective rock ’n’ roll finish: a creamy yellow stripe for Two-Tone Bamboo Yellow/Copper Metallic and Two-Tone Oxblood and Walnut Stain; while Rally Green Stain gets a matching green number.

The Rally II is also notable as the only model in the current Streamliner lineup to feature Gretsch’s Super Hilo’Tron pickups, a relatively low-output, vintage-styled set that promises brilliant highs and mellow lows in comparison with the punchier, modern-voiced Broad’Trons usually found in the range.

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Gretsch 2604T Streamliner Rally II Center Block Double-Cut with Bigsby
Gretsch 2604T Streamliner Rally II Center Block Double-Cut with Bigsby in Two-Tone Bamboo Yellow/Copper Metallic(Image credit: Gretsch Guitars)

Those pickups are controlled via some neat Gretsch G-Arrow radio control knobs, which adjust the usual neck volume, bridge volume, master tone and master volume.

Elsewhere, it’s business as usual, with a spec sheet in line with the rest of the Streamliner double-cuts. So, you get a 16” arched maple body with chambered mahogany center block and Bigsby V70 vibrato, while the laurel fingerboard features a 12”-radius fingerboard for more contemporary playability. The Neo-Classic Thumbnail inlays add yet more aesthetic flair here, too.

Given the aesthetic tweaks, Super Hilo’Tron pickups and the limited-edition status of the model, there is a small price hike over the guitar’s stablemates – the Rally II clocks in at $699, positioning it somewhere between the budget Streamliner lineup and the mid-priced Electromatics.

Mercifully, the G2604T Streamliner Rally II Center Block Double-Cut with Bigsby isn’t available until May 2023, so you’ve got a few months to get saving…

Michael Astley-Brown
Michael Astley-Brown
Editor-in-Chief, GuitarWorld.com

Mike has been Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com since 2019, and an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict for far longer. He has been writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist for over 15 years, and recording and performing in original and function bands for two decades-plus. During his career, he has interviewed everyone from John Frusciante to Chris Cornell, Matt Bellamy and Billy Corgan. His writing also appears in The Cambridge Companion to the Electric Guitar. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock as Maebe.