What is there not to love about this Savannah Sunset beauty?!!!
It’s the new GRETSCH 5022-CE RANCHER …
$490, and the nicest acoustic guitar I have ever owned. Okay, I admit to not having owned many great acoustic guitars, but still, I’ve played a million of them. And, I have had some nice ones. But, this one is definitely a keeper. I already had my eye on one of these for a few months when I noticed the review Michael Molenda did on it in Guitar Player Magazine. Basically, he mentioned having done a review on a similar, much higher priced model a few years back, and how he regretted not buying that one back then. He mentioned that the high price, and the lack of a built-in pickup had sadly put him off, but that in retrospect he really wished he had purchased it. Now this one comes along for $1000+ less, with a built in pickup, AND a cutaway, and every bit as nice as the pricier model he’d previously reviewed.
He gave it an Editor’s Pick Award. So do I! This baby is so lovely I have it sitting in the living room right next to my chair, for easy access. I have been playing this guitar more in the past month than I have played any other guitar in years! It plays like a dream, with or without a pick, it sounds wonderful…and the setup is so comfy, perfect for playing either with my fingers or with a slide! The Savannah Sunset red stain shows the beauty of the solid spruce top’s woodgrain below. The rounded triangular soundhole, the thumbnail fretboard inlays, the stylized pickguard, the horseshoe headstock inlay, the laminated flame maple back and sides, the full body, neck, headstock and soundhole binding…all add up to a piece of artistic beauty that looks as pretty as it sounds. It even has a nice onboard tuner, so you’ll keep your audience happy, too!
I had to call several places in order to find one in stock. They must be flyin’ out the door faster’n flapjacks off a chuckwagon! I found mine at Sweetwater. A couple of weeks later, my friend Pat asked me to order one for him, on my word that it was too cool! Sweetwater had sold out, I found him one at Sam Ash. When I called to ask about availability, they even knocked another $40 off for him, to out-sweeten the Sweetwater deal! Nice! He loves his, too. We each found nice cases for our guitars for $90. I got mine online through Musician’s Friend…it’s made by Gator, and it’s beautiful. He got his here in town. This is a JUMBO body acoustic, so it was a little tougher to find a case than it would have been for a dreadnaught.
The Fishman® Isys + Pre-Amp System sounds killer through my Roland Cube 80XL amp. I could play it for days on end, if only time permitted.
This isn’t a major write-up, but I just had to get the word out about how great this guitar really is. Do yourself a favor, and buy one now, before they discontinue the model or something. You will be glad you did. And, hey, it’s a Gretsch! How cool is that? George Harrison and Chet Atkins played Gretsch guitars! Here’s one most anybody can afford! No mods necessary!
jap1955 