[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

I think that's exactly right-- Steve? SDR will know.

Here ya go, Jeff:

• All post-1985 Professional Series instruments are made in Japan, generally by Terada but with a few circa-2K instruments produced by Dyna Gakki (these bear a serial number beginning with JD rather than the JT of Terada), and are built to a standard exceeding all but the very best Brooklyn originals;
• Early-2K's Historic 3100-Series and Electromatic 5100/5400/5600-Series hollowbody and semi-hollow instruments were made in Korea into mid-2021, gradually transitioning to Chinese production through the end of the year (FYI there's a period of substantial overlap through summer '21, and you'll need to check the headstock markings to determine origin), with some solidbody 5200/5400-Series instruments having been made in China for several years before the transition - BTW the Korean 5400/5600 guitars are held in exceptionally high esteem, with tone/playability/QC comparable to pro-level gear (including some of Gretsch's own - see rmp's comments above) selling for three and four times as much but at intermediate/step-up prices;
• The entry-level Streamliner 2000-Series is made in Indonesia, although some dealer-exclusive special editions (like the MF/GC G2627 quasi-reissue of the short-lived G5622T-CB Electromatic cats'-eye 3-PU semi-hollow from the mid 2010's) have occasionally been made in China;
• If you're looking for "true Gretsch" tone in an affordable package you want the 5400-Series E-Matics from 2013-present and the Korean 5600's through 2019 (both of which are fitted with variations on traditional Brooklyn Gretsch pickup designs) as well as some of the early-2K's Historic Series fitted with DeArmond Dynasonics (as used on the pre-1958 electrics) - FYI the 5100-Series was equipped with the first-edition Broad'Tron full-size humbuckers (updated and installed on current Streamliners), which sound absolutely nothing like a Gretsch and are held in such low regard that the 5100's sold poorly in spite of their excellent construction and QC;
• Some light at the end of the tunnel: the recent limited-edition G2604T Rally (a fairly good reproduction of a short-lived model from the Brooklyn-Baldwin transition era) is equipped with the Super Hi-lo'Tron mini-humbuckers formerly used on the post-2013 Korean Electromatics - these are based on a modified Baldwin-era "blacktop" Filter'Tron design (unlike the original single-coil Hi-lo featured on the Brooklyn-built Anniversary and Tennessean, as well as their current reissues), a bit smoother-sounding than Brooklyn "split-top" Filter'Trons while still maintaining the traditional Gretsch chime and twang, and my favorite of the newer-generation Gretsch pickup designs; I'm kinda hoping that Gretsch realized their mistake with the Broad'Trons and decides to fit the Super Hi-lo's to the entire Streamliner lineup - it would effectively break Ibanez' (justifiable) decades-long stranglehold on the entry-level hollowbody/semi-hollow market - but I can't predict when "limited" will end, and at $699 it's an easy way to take the plunge and find out what all the fuss is about "That Great Gretsch Sound";
• Corollary to the above: apparently the blowback from Gretsch aficionados was taken seriously by the powers-that-be, and the current Chinese 5400-Series hollowbodies have not only been fitted with proprietary FT-5E Filter'Trons (TMK a late-Brooklyn design in a Baldwin-style "blacktop" cover, crisper than a '70s Baldwin or Super Hi-lo and well-suited to a full-hollow guitar) but it also appears some heavy-duty heinie got kicked in their QC department (not surprising given Epiphone's full-court press in the same price range, with the historically-accurate '60s Riviera/Sheraton models and upgraded Casino) - haven't had the chance to play one myself but the latest Chinese instruments are getting very good reviews (including from some folks here on the Electric subforum), and if they even come close to the Korean stuff from a few years ago they're going to be strong competition for Epiphone and Guild in the vintage-inspired "new-stalgia" market...