GRETSCH GUITARS | A and B Musical Instruments Geelong, Victoria Australia

A History of the Gretsch Electromatic Guitar

Legendary musicians, including Eddie Cochran, Chet Atkins, Stephen Stills, George Harrison, John Lennon, Pete Townshend, and Bono – to name a few – have played their authentic, dynamic, beautifully sounding instruments.

• Fred Gretsch started making tambourines, drums, and banjos in Brooklyn, New York, in 1883. He died 12 years later, leaving the company to his teenaged son, Fred, who turned it into a foremost American manufacturer and importer of musical instruments by 1916. 
• Fred started producing acoustic archtop guitars for jazz musicians and a few flat-tops for country and western performers. The company presented its first electric guitar, the Electromatic, in 1939.
• In 1942, Fred passed the business on to his sons, Fred and William. William ran the establishment until he died in 1948, and Fred took over in the 1950s, during which time the prosperous concern sold more than Fender, and prestigious artists endorsed their products.

• Fred sold the company to Baldwin Manufacturing - which could not make the required transition during the psychedelic era -  in the late 1960s. Unfortunate decisions and two devastating fires caused the company to shut down in the early 1980s. 
• Fred, the great-grandson of the founder, and his wife, Dinah, repurchased and returned the company to its former glory, making a string of triumphant re-issues and new models available. For example, the Gretsch Electromatic range with its distinctive Gretsch twang and understated pitch modulations.

Fender Musical Instruments Corp started handling the manufacturing and distribution of Gretsch guitars in 2002.

What You Should Know About the Gretsch Streamliner

Our customers trust us to offer a vast product mix, honesty, integrity, reliable service, and first-rate merchandise. 

• Gretsch has led the way regarding innovative designs and manufacturing techniques for 138 years. You can still play the iconic guitars, and we can still hear the Gretsch sound today. 

• The affordable and versatile Gretsch G2210 Streamliner Junior Jet Club is a good choice for beginners. The guitar offers humbucking pickups that generate transparent, clean sounds and dirtier, more aggressive tones. Musicians use this combination for different genres and styles.  

• View our Gretsch Streamliner Center Block options that offer a lot of guitar for your dollar. It is a smaller edition of the archtop body, making it lighter and more comfortable. Use it to perform diverse softer genre styles. Its Broad’Tron BT-2S pickups produce splendid mid-range frequencies and a tight bass sound. It boasts a spruce centre block.

Gretsch guitars present with matchless personality, are easy to play, and the U-shape design neck feels ample in the palm for added control and comfort.