NGD Gretsch Electromatic G5622T Guitar with Upgrades

[Pine Cone]

Thanks to Frank's (Chickee's) Eart Corsair tele posts I ended up buying one last year. It is an awesome guitar and I played it lots. Made some upgrades and it was even better. Started trying to play Bill Kirchen's Hot Rod Lincoln and found that the longer 25.5" tele scale made it difficult to make the finger stretches required. I play banjo and guitar and started moving to sub-25" scales on both instruments about 2010.

I started to think about getting a shorter scale electric, and Gibson made them, so I found and bought a 1997 Korean Epi 335 Dot. Started thinking I might put a Bigsby tremelo on it, but prices on real USA or licensed foreign Bigsby's had jumped leaps and bounds in the last few years. An Epi Dot upgrade to a Bigsby would cost more than half the price I paid for my Dot.

So I waited, thought, pondered, and read AGF posts. Eventually I realized that lots of Gretsch guitars came with Bigsbys, and they had short scale lengths.

Even more amazing, I could even play or buy one in the music store less than 5 miles from my house! Time to check one out...

I ended up buying a Gretsch Electromatic G5622T semi-hollow body at my local music store. They had several models for me to play, and I while I liked the Pro models I couldn't afford another $3000+ guitar. The price was right on the Electromatic, so I bought it with the intension of making some upgrades.

First and worst, few Gretsch guitar come with cases. The store I bought it from didn't even have a hard shell case that really fit. I ended up with an SKB thin body semi-hollow electric guitar case.

Within the first week I hated the stock tuners, ordered a set of Grover 406c Mini Locking Rotomatic tuners. An easy swap, no drilling required. Should help with potential Bigsby trem de-tuning issues as well.

A Vibramate Bigsby String Spoiler was added to make string
changes easier.

The Electromatic's have come with a variety of pickups, and mine came with Gretsch BroadTrons, soon to be replaced by High Sensitivity FilterTrons.

I have the new pickups and some spare time, so I started the replacement process today. Turns out the current pickups come with quick connect/quick disconnect connectors.

Does anyone recognize these and know where I can get some? I would prefer to simply unplug the existing pickups and add these connectors to the new Filtertrons, either by crimping them on the new pickup wires or soldering pre-wired connectors to the new pickups. Are there and tricks to pulling the connectors apart?

They look similar to the "Babaobox 10 Pair 24AWG XHB2.54mm 2Pin Female and Male Connections Plug with 150mm Red Black Terminal Connector Wire Cable" found on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...L8SPGHKJ&psc=1

[Chickee]

What a great mottled, burnt orange finish that guitar has, PineCone. Reminded me of the old BMW motorcycle smoked paint jobs from the 70’s.

It looks to be a solid platform for your tasteful, well chosen mods. Some invention that Vibramate StringSpoiler is, don't you think? I sent one to my son last year for his Bigsby equipped guitar. He says it makes such a difference when changing strings that he enjoys it again.

Thats an interesting thing, those snap plug pickup connectors. I only saw those once on a hotrod Rockabilly did, but never in a factory finished guitar. I guess this is a preview of things to come in current guitar building?

Well, needless to say, I am asking for pictures of the new locking tuners, the installed Bigsby StringThing and the still in the box Filter’Trons before and after plastic connectors please? Being without a current project myself, i must humbly request to live vicariously thru you and your mod job, please. Bahahaha

All the best to you, PC
frank d.

[SpruceTop]

Gotta Love Gretsch Guitars--Enjoy!

[GoPappy]

Congrats on a great looking G5622T! I've got one too, and it's a keeper. And thanks for the tip on the locking tuners.

Is that color the one they call Speyside? I like it.

Another upgrade to consider is a BiggsFix, which decreases the break angle of the strings from the tailpiece to the bridge, which helps with tuning stability when using the Bigsby. It's a 10 minute job. Here's a link:

https://bricksbiggsfix.com

On mine, the BiggsFix helped but didn't completely solve the tuning stability issues. Ultimately, I think a roller bridge is the answer. I haven't done that yet, but it's next on my upgrade list.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Pine Cone

...I ended up buying a Gretsch Electromatic G5622T semi-hollow body at my local music store. They had several models for me to play, and I while I liked the Pro models I couldn't afford another $3000+ guitar. The price was right on the Electromatic, so I bought it with the intension of making some upgrades.

First and worst, few Gretsch guitars come with cases. The store I bought it from didn't even have a hard shell case that really fit. I ended up with an SKB thin body semi-hollow electric guitar case.

Within the first week I hated the stock tuners, ordered a set of Grover 406c Mini Locking Rotomatic tuners. An easy swap, no drilling required. Should help with potential Bigsby trem de-tuning issues as well.

A Vibramate Bigsby String Spoiler was added to make string changes easier.

The Electromatics have come with a variety of pickups, and mine came with Gretsch BroadTrons, soon to be replaced by High Sensitivity FilterTrons.

I have the new pickups and some spare time, so I started the replacement process today. Turns out the current pickups come with quick connect/quick disconnect connectors.

Does anyone recognize these and know where I can get some? I would prefer to simply unplug the existing pickups and add these connectors to the new Filter'trons, either by crimping them on the new pickup wires or soldering pre-wired connectors to the new pickups. Are there any tricks to pulling the connectors apart?

They look similar to the "Babaobox 10 Pair 24AWG XHB2.54mm 2Pin Female and Male Connections Plug with 150mm Red Black Terminal Connector Wire Cable" found on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...L8SPGHKJ&psc=1

In order:

• If the current Chinese-built E-Matics have been brought up to the standard of the old Korean versions (more about which later) - the first ones I played before the lockdown were a step backward in terms of fit/finish and overall QC - you're really giving up very little compared to the Professional Series models; I own examples of both, and use an earlier version of the 5622 as my main gigging guitar...
• The Gator Journeyman 335-style case is a perfect fit - I bought one as a companion to my own 5622, and it's a near dead-ringer for the $600 Gretsch "Western" case available only through the Custom Shop...
• Not familiar with the current Chinese tuners, but if you're not a Gretsch person be advised that they really come into their own - in terms of both tone and Bigsby stability/intonation - with a set of wound-G flatwound 11's; that said, the Grovers can only help your cause...
• Got a Vibramate on my 5622, and I'll be adding one to my White Falcon at the next string change - saves me a whole bunch of hassle trying to get strings to hold on those little pins...
• Broad'trons were the original pickups on the first Korean-made 5100-Series E-Matics (and current entry-level 2000-Series Streamliners), replaced in 2013 by either "blacktop" Baldwin '70s-style Filter'Trons or Super Hi-lo'Trons (based on a modified blacktop Filter'Tron platform, unlike the original single-coil Hi-lo's found on the low/midrange '60s instruments as well as the current '60 Double Anniversary reissue) when players complained about them lacking both the characteristic Gretsch tone and looks -why they would go back to them is beyond me, and replacing them with Filter'Trons is a good idea; FWIW the Super Hi-lo'Tron is being reintroduced on the as-yet-to-ship (but available for pre-order at select dealers) Streamliner G2604T, a quasi-reissue of the circa-1967 Rally double-cut hollowbody - let's hope it finds its way back into the lineup on a permanent basis:
  
  
  
• That said, TMK the Broad'Tron uses a different mounting and requires an adapter to retrofit the smaller Gretsch housing - thankfully they're readily available from the parts houses as more players are discovering the allure of Gretsch pickups;
• You might want to contact Gretsch directly to find out what type of connectors are used - save yourself some time and energy...

Use it well, often, and LOUD...

[Glennwillow]

That's a great looking guitar! Congratulations!

- Glenn

[Pine Cone]

Thanks for the comments. Yes it is a Speyside and I am a sucker for nice looking wood. I had hoped to get a Korean Electromatic, but it sold before I got to the store. The fit and finish is good on this one, and I got to play five different ones to help me choose this one. This was an Amazon return and sold for under $550 before tax. The Pro model I played was nicer that the Electromatic, but not five times better.

The store did a nice setup for me, replacing the awful strap buttons, adjusting the pickup height and action, and the purchase experience was a good one. I picked it up in early January and have gigged with it twice.

The neck was a bit glossy and sticky, so I satined it up a bit with a Scotchbrite pad.

The locking Grovers work well if you read their instructions. First you rotate the cap on top of the tuner until it clicks, then rotate the knobs so the mark on the top of the peg points to the nut slot, install a string through the hole in the peg, and then the tuner locks the string in place as you tighten it to pitch. Not intuitive or obvious, but pretty easy once you learn how.

I tried to mount the new pickups today, but they are both direct mounts with slight differences in their designs. Despite my attempts at getting an assortment of electric guitar screws I still don't have the right 4 screws, and live in region with pretty poor hardware store scew selections. The problem is finding a #3x48 TPI screw that is between 1.25" and 1.50"

So for now the stock BroadTron's are back on the guitar and the FilterTron's are in a box.

I will order a set of wound-G flatwound 11's. Any brands to recommend?

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Pine Cone

...I will order a set of wound-G flatwound 11's. Any brands to recommend?

D'Addario ECG24's are long-lasting, readily available (including in a 3-pack - the only flatwounds in their lineup to do so), and at $15 a set relatively cheap as flatwounds go. Be advised however that these are old-school strings, with a smooth and mellow response, less sustain, and punchy articulation very different from the nickel-plated steel factory-fitted to nearly all modern electrics; I'd recommend breaking them in for a couple weeks (flats can be a bit stiff initially) before forming a final opinion, but most of the Gretsch guys (and one gal) around here on the electric subforum who've tried flats will use nothing else...

FYI Guitar Fetish, TV Jones, Allparts, and StewMac sell a variety of hardware (adapters, pickup rings, mounting plates, screws, etc.) designed to allow true-Gretsch pickups like your Filter'Trons to be retrofitted to almost any guitar - check out their websites...

[Pine Cone]

Thanks Steve!

[Pine Cone]

I finished the last major upgrade today, replacing the stock Gretsch Black Broadtron pickups with with Gretsch High Sensitivity "U.S.PAT. 2892371" pickups.

The pickups are slightly different sizes so I had to to order new mounting ring bezels. The Broadtrons were mounted on their bezel rings. One of the pictures below showing a pickup with 3 mounting screws is a Broadtron. The Filtertrons can't be mounted that way because they do not have any mounting tabs, only a pair of tiny holes in the top of the pickup.

I ended up fabricating two brass mounting plates which were screwed to the bottom of the pickup routes with 1/2" nylon spacers to raise the plates up. I drilled two mounting holes spaced the same as the pickup mounting holes. These holes were then tapped for M2.5 machine screws. I then put a pair of humbucker mounting springs and used 40mm M2.5 screws to mount the pickup to the base plate. See pictures below.

The G5622T wiring harness was built to use quick connect/disconnect 1/10" = 2.54mm white square nylon connectors. I made a good guess and ordered JST-XH Male & Female RC Charge Cables 22 awg connectors from Amazon. I soldered these on to the new pickups. I left the Broadtrons un-modified in case I want to put them back in.

DYI Tip of the Day
Test your pickups by plugging in your guitar and tapping the pole pieces before you screw the mounting bezels back on. My new neck pickup quick disconnected itself while I was moving wires around inside the guitar body. A bit of electric tape now prevents the unintentional disconnect...

The end result is a great upgrade. The Filtertrons sound much better than the Broadtrons for the songs I am playing. The neck pickup now has that Gretsch chime that was missing from the Broadtrons.

I am still fussing with minor setup adjustments to bridge height and individual string pole height to get the balance between string-to-string volume and tone.

I also installed a set of D'Addario ECG24's. What nice strings! I am working on Otis Redding's "Dock of the Bay" which has full chord slides down the neck from G to F# to F and then to E. The flatwounds really shine on that set of chord changes. Quiet and smooth.

I am looking forward to taking it to band practice tomorrow to hear what my band mates think of the upgrade.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Pine Cone

I finished the last major upgrade today,....

The end result is a great upgrade. The Filter'trons sound much better than the Broad'trons for the songs I am playing. The neck pickup now has that Gretsch chime that was missing from the Broad'trons...

I also installed a set of D'Addario ECG24's. What nice strings! I am working on Otis Redding's "Dock of the Bay" which has full chord slides down the neck from G to F# to F and then to E. The flatwounds really shine on that set of chord changes. Quiet and smooth...

I am looking forward to taking it to band practice tomorrow to hear what my band mates think of the upgrade...

Told ya - and IME your bandmates will love it as much as you do...

[Pine Cone]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Told ya - and IME your bandmates will love it as much as you do...

Don't let this go to your head.... Steve DeRose gives very useful advice and suggestions...

Thank you!

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Pine Cone

Don't let this go to your head.... Steve DeRosa gives very useful advice and suggestions...

Not in the least - I've got 60 years worth of avoidable mistakes under my belt, and as a long-time AGF member I simply consider it a matter of giving back...

[rockabilly69]

Hey great job on the fabrication of the pickup mounts.

[Pine Cone]

Originally Posted by rockabilly69

Hey great job on the fabrication of the pickup mounts.

Thanks!

It probably doesn't show, but there are a few sleepless nights of design work to come up with a good way to mount the new pickups so I could easily mount and adjust them.

Hardware and fabrication tools are not very available in Eastern Idaho so I ended up getting the M2.5 drill, tap and long M2.5 machine screws on Amazon. My local Cal Ranch farm supply store supplied the nylon spacers and the #3 x 3/4" wood screws.

The pickup installation required long, small diameter screws which I could not find locally.

I know that owner-made upgrades often lower the value of used guitars, so I wanted to do an upgrade which worked well for me and could easily be removed and the old hardware put bak in if needed.

Given my current love of the guitar and the new pickups it is unlikely I will ever change the current setup, but age and experience tell me to keep my options open.

I can easily remove the new pickups and put the old ones back in in less than an hour.