Gretsch G2420T Streamliner VS G5420 

FYI, you can brighten up the sound of that Streamliner with a simple pot upgrade. You don't even have to change the pups on that guitar. They're actually very good pick ups. Just put in some 1MB CTS pots and it will really transform the tone and if you still want something even more "Gretschy" sounding, the Seymour Duncan Hot Rod filtertrons in full PAF size are great as well.

Got a streamliner two months ago....best decision I ever made. Always wanted a Gretsch and finally broke down and got one. I absolutely love this guitar and the price was perfect. You can get into a Gretsch for less than 500 if you don’t mind getting cheaper hardware. To be honest it sounds and plays amazing and if I can save a hundred bucks going with the basic knobs that doesn’t change the tone so I don’t mind. Great guitars and a joy to play. Keep the videos coming and keep playing everyone! The world needs more music.

Phil, I have to say I dig your reviews more than any of the others I have run across on RU-vid. You break things down nicely.

The 2420t is amazing just bought one. Always dreamed of a Gretsch and drooled, never thought i could own one. thanks for the demo.

Excellent! This comparison is exactly what I was looking for. I couldn't find anyone else showing subtle (and not so subtle) differences between the Streamliner and other Electromatics. Cheers.

Got the G2420T two months ago… love it plugged or unplugged. Thanks for a very informative comparison! ✌️❤️

Just ordered a 2420T based on your review, and the comments posted here. Can't wait to get it and try it out.

I bought the Aspen green G5420 you see in this video 10 months ago. I still love this guitar. Phillip is a great guy to deal with and I can't say enough good things about him. If you are going to spend some money, spend it with him and help support his channel.

I just received the 2420 in Brooklynburst, and it is an excellent guitar. The neck plays like butter. I like the large position markers (easier to see where you are, especially in dim lighting). The workmanship throughout is perfect! I like the looks of the F holes and am glad that they didn't bind them. If this guitar were twice as much money, it would still be a bargain.

I have a G2420 sunburst with the Broadtron p/ups. They have more midrange response than a FilterTron, more like a Gibson. Came with chrome bezels. Great tone unplugged. Good looking guitar and it plays quite easily, Incredible value.

I love your reviews because you actually REVIEW the gear, do a thorough walk through, I haven't found this small differences until your review. SO many reviews the people just play and show off their playing without showing the guitar to the camera, talking about details etc. Thanks!

Great comparison, I think about buying a streamliner, on Friday I am going to test one, your video helped a lot, I know some things now I will test!

Just bought the 2420 in sunburst, Wow I Love it, I was trying to get an acoustic sound, but still have the option to rock out with some gain and this is the guitar that fits the bill. Great review.

Got a 2420T. Changed to bone nut, gotoh locking tuners, polished/lubed nut & saddles until no more pinging when press behind the bridge and ahead of nut. Awesome guitar.

I have always loved Gretsch guitars. Great video.

I got a 2420T for my birthday this year. Beautiful guitar! Since I didn't have to pay for it, I gave it some nice upgrades. Grover locking tuners, Tune-O-Matic roller bridge, coil splitter, and a new set of TV Jones PowerTron Plus pickups! I'm not sure what kind of pots it has in it, but I will likely replace them at some point as well. I should have it all done in time for my show this weekend, can't wait!! 😁

I played both the Steamliner and Electromatic. I bought the Electromatic. I think the tuners on the Electromatic are better and just liked the Electromatic better overall.

Lubrication on the G string and using a pencil to “get in there”! Love it haha!

Quality review Phil always enjoyable, you tell it straight and honest, and you can play really well, a big fan

Love your videos! My son bought me a G2620 last Father's Day and I love it! I have always been a Gibson guy (ES 175, 330, and Les Paul Deluxe) and also have a Strat and a Tele. This is the first Gretsch I have ever owned in 47 years of guitar playing, and I don't know how I ever got along without a Bigsby! A couple months ago I found an incredible G5122 made in Korea and had to get it. One of the best playing guitars I have ever played. On par with my Gibson hollowbodies. That said, the 2620 is really nice, and plays almost as well as the 5122. Gretsch is such a unique sound, unlike Gibson or Fender. I have become a Gretsch convert!

I just bought one of these yesterday based on your review and I absolutely love it ! I think it sounds exceptionally well for a lot of the Beatles catalog too ! Thanks for your review, it was so helpful.

You should have so many more subs... you definitely deserve them. but small channels are actually better for the viewers because we can actually communicate unlike channels with so many subs you barely ever get a reply back. obvious you for the most part know what you are talking about. I for one love your videos! if I had a time machine I'd have started learning to play younger because ive always loved music but I'm 28 and have not even been playing a year yet and your videos have taught be ALOT. there's some really cool channels out there but yours is one of the unique ones for sure.

Nice comparison vid. After hearing that, for me it would be the Electromatic line, hands down. You can dial out jangle, but you can't add it if it's not there. But I can certainly see the value in the Streamliners, sweet looking guitars, and for jazzier tones or with more gain, I'm sure they'd fit the bill.

love that sound a gretsch and a bigsby has the rock a billy sound

"T stands for Bigsby..." the pregnant pause and face is pretty much perfect

that pause from 6:10 to 6:15 was hilarious lol.

Fixed that issue with a nut and roller bridge. Love the result!

Glad I found this old video. Great comparison!

Those Streamliner pickups actually work pretty decent on a solid body gretsch They still have an oldschool tone eventhough I use pretty heavy gain.

I really wish they'd offer these guitars in the classic ivory color.

Phil implicitly trust your advice man thanks for the great videos.

Sweet guitar for the price! Thanks for all of the pictures at Namm! Great job!

I just pulled the trigger on my third Electromatic. They're great guitars. Right up there with the SE series.

Pickup height is phenomenally important for filtertrons (and Dynas). Ceteris paribus, the lower output a pickup has, the more tiny adjustments in height = big tonal changes. I won't bore you with the physics but consider gravitational fields and magnetic fields don't work linearly as to distance. They work GEOMETRICALLY

Spend the money and get the electromatic. The blacktops are definitely not tv jones, but I really don't even think it's worth replacing mine. Had mine for 3 years now, debated changing them, but every time I do I plug in and play some slow blues with a tiny bit of grit and it's sonic sex

Great review, thank you. Very honest and down to earth. Thanks for sharing 👍

The first guitar i ever bought was a streamliner 2655. Still an amateur, i used to play an old chinese GK warlock copy. I really enjoy playing the gretsch because of the centerblock body i can practice without plugging into an amp. 100% recommend a streamliner serie gretsch to all starting guitar player

Gretsch are knocking out of the park at the moment

Your review format is the best!

I have a 2010 model 5120 with Gretschbuckers and I think it sounds amazing. It plays like butter too. Gretsch always seems to make quality instruments, regardless of the model. There's probably a few lemons out there but I would wager fewer than other big brands.

Those 'minor differences' you point out were right off my list of things I wanted to know, and made my mind as to whether or not to spring for the Electro.

Hi Phil, I had an gretsch anniversary in the 60's, my very first decent guitar. it was over $300 back then.(thanks dad ). Same color and very similar to the electromatic you are demonstrating.I put a Bigsby on it and it knocked it out tune all the time. By the way, the name is what they called products in the 60's.pretty dated. I'm considering these 2 instruments and also the Ibenez AF75. Thank you for your demo , really well done !

nice breakdown thanks. Streamliner sounds fatter and warmer. All depends on what you need.

I think the biggest difference in sound is in the pickups. I didn't plan on even demoing a gretsch and ended up taking one home. the streamliner has a nice gretsch tone when dialed in on mu vox and a killer rock tone when red distortion. can't put it down.

Great video! The comparison to the Electromatic was brilliant! I do like this guitar, but still I am kind of torn between one of these and a Casino. Thanks much!

Thank you for your insight I’m a novice I don’t have no idea what the hell I’m doing and I believe you gave me very honest opinion to help this novice out

That streamliner really does sound good. Those pups are what they used to put into the old 5120’s. I took them out of my 5120 and my 5122. And put TV’s in them. But they really do have a pleasant sound to them. Is there a center block in the streamliner? I thought I read somewhere that there is. I feel like those old gretsch buckers sound better in a streamliner. They sounded really kinda muted or something in my electromatics. Maybe because mine are full hollow bodies? I don’t know. I do totally dig those streamliners tho. They can probably hold their own in just about any kind of music. I kinda want one now 😂 Great vid!

Would you mind explaining the issue with the G nut slot and why that happens? Also, just got one of these and I already love it. Fun to watch this review, thanks for the video

After watching and listening - I just went to Amazon and bought an electromatic, for the 850 price point I figured I couldnt go wrong, and I have always loved that Gretsch orange color!

Excellent review Phillip. Thank you.

I'm (obviously) looking at one of the G2420s, which is why I'm here. On this video, if the tone setting is the same on both guitars, The 2420 sounds "boxier" than clear and bright on the bridge setting.... at least on computer monitors. I'm checking out a number of reviews, so the tone here isn't a deal breaker. Thanks for doing the direct comparison.

I'll shoot for the 6120 ! The others are okay but I guess I want it all .

I have a Electromatic Jet that came with the Blacktop pickups. I found that swapping the magnets from the 1/8” stock to a 1/4” traditional Filtertron magnets gets the tone much closer to the pro series pickups. I don’t care for the pickups in the Streamliner but at the price it’s a great platform to put the pickups you really like in and customize. You could easily put PAFs, P94s or TV Jones makes a humbucker size filtertron and I’m not 100% but it seems like TVJ may have a Dynasonic style that is humbucker size. There’s definitely a lot of choices in the Gibson humbucker size of pickups to choose from.

Hi Phil, I noticed that you mentioned that the 5420T you have is the newer model, but I just saw another video that explains 5420T with the thumb nial inlay is the newer model.

I’ve got a 5122 and did a side-by-side with the budget gretsches. Damned similar sound, but emailed gretsch and asked. They told me the pickups in the Streamliners are Broad’Trons whereas the 5120 and 5122s have plain Gretsch Filter’tron (not blacktop filtertrons). I do like the Streamliner models. Been recommending them to friends.

Cool Demo/Review/ Comparison Thankyou. Hope my next guitar will be a Gretsch Hollowbody and this was very Informative, and useful. Already have a G5215 and G5248, so want the Electromatic Hollowbody. Cheers

A very good Review , thanks !

Dude! I really appreciate this review. I am knew to Gretsch as a METAL player up in age, moving to Jazz - more fitting. Lol. Anyway I am looking at both of these models and I played the 5420T looking forward to exploring something different but... I was disappointed. I figured out that I was subconsciously expecting a Humbucker sound from the 5420T so of course I was like... where is the UMPH? I then noticed what look like mini humbuckers which I feel are too light for me. However you side by side playing really helped me hear what I thought I can expect from the 2420T. The 5420T does sound nice but I am too used to Humbucker tone that if I get the 5420T I'm gonna feel like I didn't get my money's worth. Anyway I am excited about the sound, look and PRICE of the 2420T. Thank you friend!!!

Just got one used (2016) not a ding on it anywhere and 300 bucks cheaper than list. Love it!

Good job Phil.... I love my 2015 Electromatic 5620T CB. Semi hollow body, cats eye sound holes. It does everything great. Made in Korea. Korea? I was skeptical. Bought it on line. What a surprise out of the box. Lots of chrome. Polished frets. Gretsch makes the Cadillac of guitars. Quality fit and finish, impressive quality build. Flawless, as good as any American made, and better than many,. The Koreans do a terrific job. Remarkable sound, Plays great, rocks great. Can't believe what I got for $850 bucks. If it were American made.....Easy 12 to $1500.00

Just got mine to day ..really cant say how happy i am ..got mine for $600 (au) +Xtream hard case brand new after i traded in a couple of really bad guitars....so happy now

Always a great watch mate👍🎸🇦🇺. From Australia 🍻🍻

Nice review! I just bought a 2019 G2420 Streamliner (not the T) in the dark sunburst finish. The fretboard is Laurel instead of rosewood, the inlays are now the same hump-block style as the Electromatic and my volume and tone knobs are a smoky gray semi-transparent color as opposed to the gold tone on the guitar you demoed. It looks like a classy jazz box, but it can do so much more!

Great review Phil!!! I'm swinging daily between the 5420t and 2420t or do I hold out for a 6series.but this review was super helpful

Great review! I own a Electromatic guitar, and the problem is that they're not cheap. I think what they tried to accomplish with the Streamliner Series, is that "your first Gretsch" thing without loosing their pedigree. That's why they did the binding on the headstock and kept any Streamliner logo out of the equation. I would not make ANY changes on a Electromatic guitar, but on a budget guitar with a regular humbucker hole on it, I would think about putting some different pickups, change the three way switch, maybe the knobs. And I would pick the Streamliner over an Epiphone, for sure. Greetings!!

played an electromatic and the feel of the neck was awesome and the tone was full, really surprised me and totally love the look of a black penguin

What kind of melody is Phil playing in this video and in de Pro/Electromatic video? Could somebody tell me/have an idea?

hi phillip can use the streamline for jazz stuff ?? im really curious and looking for cheap but great guitar!! for jazz

just purchased a 2017 5420T Electromatic- it's headstock has the binding like the Streamliner you are showing and the Electromatic name is off the headstock and moved to the pickguard

Thickness wise is it thicker than epiphone? Also you try it high gain? On andertons vid they talked to Gretsch guy and he said supposedly less feedback cause of smaller f holes....I'm interested enough to have to try one out......Thanks for the info, great job on new vids.......

Thanks for your accurate explanation Phil. The more expensive the shimmier. Got it

I've got me a 5620T center block, but I want one of those aspen green 5420's so bad.

Great comparison, thank you

Thank you! for another great review.

Nice Comparison Dude. Thank You.

Had the same issue with the G strings on these guitars

Very good comparison. I am definitely shopping. FWIW, I have an original Streamliner, which had the same shape pick guard as that Electormatic, but in black. When it got to looking ragged, I ordered a replacement, using my serial number, and Gretsch sent me another black one.

Hi Phil, great video. I've been weighing up the streamliners and electromatics and came to your video via Reddit. My dilemma is, while I prefer the tone of the electromatic (and it is within my budget) I really like the look of the 2622t in Torino Green above anything else aside from the pro series (which is not within my budget!). My thoughts, having watched this video and your other vid comparing the pro series with the electromatic, is to buy the 2622t, and replace the pickups with TV Jones'. Maybe replace the knobs with proper Gretsch ones too. This would cost less than an electromatic and could potentially sound even closer to the pro series. What are your thoughts on this idea? Many thanks, and keep up the good work. Great informative vids, a new fan here!

Would be curious to know if there are any kits to upgrade any of these to electro Matic or even American standards. Great video.

hi. congratulations on the video. but the body of the G2420 streamliner measures the width of a traditional hollowbody case or is it narrower? Thank you

I've got one of the streamliners. Love them both. I think the streamliner is easier to match to whatever style of music you wanna play. Most gretschs are kinda locked in on one style. But for the price man it's better than about any other guitar you'll find until you hit a much higher price range.

Sam ash mistook an Electromatic for a streamliner so they priced it at $430 used, so I bought it and it is my favorite guitar to play

I have played the brown stain streamlined, double cut, and my my it was wonderful

Thanks for the review.

Very helpful comparison. Thank you. Just began search on exactly this! Let's see which one I'll get. I will of course go to a store to try but as simply an acoustic guitar unplugged (for those convenient occasions for practice) how would it be? I mean does the sound come close to an acoustic guitar sound? Thinking of putting such an instrument in my living room for practice. And when I want it could be plugged in to get an electric guitar sound.

I wonder what the G2420T Streamliner would sound like if you put in some TV Jones pickups?

I love the gretsch lineup, I got the electromatic pro jet with bigsby and absolutely love it. I aim to get another soon, either a 2420 or a 5420 I’m not sure which. Don’t believe ya can go wrong with either.

I purchased a streamline. played it and had to have it. turged in a couple epiphones and never regretted it. the tuning problems go away once the strings are fully broken in (takes a bit longer than hardtail).

Thanks man, very well done 👍

I find the 2420T a bit muddy for my liking (personal preference)... thanks for doing the back-to-back review!

Great review ..TY

Very good video thanks for posting. I have just bought Gretsch G2420T :). Thumbs up :)

I’m in the process of shopping for a new guitar. Sold my strat. I’m torn between the Gretsch electro magic 5420t and the Epiphone Les Paul 59 standard. I play a lot of acoustic, old country and folk. I also love to play a lot of punk rock green day, living end, but also into grunge, 90s pop rock like third eye blind, love the 80s stuff ,particularly U2, cure, clash, cult, inxs. I also grew up on zeppelin, love playing it, and like the old blues rock. No idea which way to go….any thoughts?

Wicked man I am picking one up tomorrow got my collection in the library but I want some close by to rip

I want a Gretsch so bad... like a couple others mentioned, i think the electromatic sounded better but rightfully so. I don't care as much about the "look" as I do the sound. I lead worship in our church with an Epiphone Masterbilt and the hollow body is killing us on feedback. These are hollow body but I've been told they don't resonate the same as a traditional acoustic style guitar. I'm considering and will probably buy a semi hollow Gretsch but I play rhythm and not much lead at all; not much of a finger picker. Do you think Gretsch would work with minimal pedals (if any at all) for a clean sound, not too tinny and bright, but with the same warm vibes of an acoustic? I'm hoping we can EQ the sound to mimic the acoustic but maybe add a couple pedals for effects; delays or slight modulation maybe.

Very cool. I had a 1963 Streamliner for several decades, and it is amazing to see these modern guitars selling for what they did in the early 1970s...except a dollar was worth about SEVEN of today's "dollars". I had bought a Stratocaster a few years before, and loved the way it plays, but you have so much control out of the hollow body Gretsch and Gibson guitars. Keep this stuff coming.

I recently bought a new labeled Walnut stained G2420t from Guitar center without one of there plans. Though I have become very attached to it, I have noticed the master knob can be squeaky at times (a mechanical squeak when unplugged) and the neck pickup knob is scratchy around 8-10 volume. I think that’s pretty good for at least 8 years sitting in a shelf or rack or being considered by other people. Would a guitar center tech be able to help resolve the knobs? I had planned on replacing knobs with burgundy and black swirled dice with gold pips, and the pickguard with a custom Saber tooth tiger skull reverse etched and painted gold with the shape of a more traditional Gretsch guard.

I got the 2420 two weeks ago. A beautiful instrument. But I'm having the same problem with the G string. And the sound is a bit tubby in the bass.

If possible could you do a brief review on the Tim Armstrong Signature G5191 Gretsch. Great channel! ~ Cheers ~

Was liking the new one till the sound check......I like the warmer sound....but does seem like a good value though, they for sale now?