GRETSCH G5265 ELECTROMATIC JET

Still got the sparkle

That’s a lot of chrome...

It certainly is and it’s even shinier in person. The finish – black sparkle – also lives up to its name. Safe to say, if you’re looking for something conservative or low-key then you’re looking in the wrong place...

Is a vibrato a normal thing to find on a baritone?

Probably not, but then that just adds to the G5265’s unique charm. If you’ve ever tried tuning anywhere south of B on a regular guitar, you’ll know it can sacrifice intonation around the middle of the neck, so anything that further messes with your tuning is frowned on. But here, the extra rigidity and strength provided by the 755mm (29.75") scale neck negates that, leaving you free to wobble away to your heart’s content.

The body is listed rather vaguely as ‘laminated hardwood’. What’s that?

The extra tension provided by the combination of heavier strings and longer neck means extra sturdiness is required to keep everything rigid. Laminated woods do just that, and crucially, doesn’t have the negative impact on tone we were expecting.