GretSch Players edition 6609 broAdkASter £2,299

For those of us that find Gretsch guitars just too archaic but still love the uber-cool aesthetic, the Players Edition models are the perfect compromise, mixing old-school design with contemporary stage-ready features. New for 2017 are a pair of spruce centre-blocked Broadkaster models – full-sized double cutaway and downsized single-cut Jr model – the name of course taken from a Gretsch drumkit and the reason why Fender had to change the name of its early solidbody from Broadcaster to Telecaster.

Excellent additions like the easy-to-string String Thru Bigsby with Gotoh locking tuners, No Load tone control and master volume with treble bleed circuit, not to mention the beefier Full’Tron humbuckers, the Broadkaster,will cover your Grestch desires while driven in a way more contemporary fashion.

While the Broadkaster Jr is available in just two Bigsby-loaded hues, Cadillac Green Metallic and Dark Cherry Stain, with gold- and chrome-plated hardware respectively, the full-size model comes in flame maple Bourbon Stain and Dark Cherry stain, with chrome hardware and Bigsby, Cadillac Green or Vintage White with Bigsby and gold hardware plus a V-Stoptail version in black or Dark Cherry Stain, again with chrome hardware.

“We think even more players will be seduced by these models,” we wrote back in issue 422. A Gretsch for the modern age? Definitely.