shape. The Electromatic’s is a touch slimmer, but
still has that flat-shouldered ‘U’ shape, while the
Players Edition is the slimmest and most refined of
the lot, with softened shoulders and a playing feel not
dissimilar to the great Gretsch necks of the 1960s.
SOUNDS
Given the similarity in materials and dimensions,
the acoustic differences here are unexpectedly
profound. If we were assessing the sonic qualities of
these guitars from a purely acoustic perspective, the
Streamliner might be the winner. By some distance,
it’s the loudest, brightest and deepest of the group.
There’s a percussive attack, plenty of harmonic
content and a frequency range that the Electromatic
and Players Edition can’t match.
The trade-off is that it’s very much an old-school
archtop tone, with little sustain. Although the
Electromatic has a narrower frequency range and
more subdued dynamics, the response is far more
even, better balanced and it sustains for longer.
Effectively, it sounds more like an unplugged semi-
solid electric. The Players Edition is the quietest
acoustically, but has the best sustain and makes us
imagine an ES-335 with a double-depth body.
For reference, we compare all three review guitars
with our trestle-braced 1960 Anniversary/6120
conversion. Unsurprisingly, the Players Edition
sounds closest to the vintage instrument, but the
Electromatic runs it close for sustain and has a more
vibrant acoustic response.
In most instances, unplugged tone provides some
indication of what to expect when you plug in, but
in this instance, there are some surprises. It turns out
that the Streamliner has far more amplified sustain
than expected and the Players Edition is a little hit
and miss, depending on which area of the neck you’re
playing. The Electromatic has the most even response
all along the fretboard.
Filter’Trons are pernickety things and need careful
adjustment to get them performing at their best. This
has clearly been carried out before the Players Edition
model left the factory, but the same cannot be said
for the Electromatic. This is important to note if you
try one in a shop, because the neck pickup is over
10mm away from the strings and the fillister-head
polepiece screws are all screwed down tight.
Raising the screws and the coils closer to the strings
transforms the guitar and closes the gap significantly
with the Players Edition’s pickups. Again, we use
the vintage Filter’Trons in our 6120 conversion as a
sonic reference and the Blacktop Filter’Trons sound
far closer to vintage pickups than the High Sensitive
Filter’Trons in the Players Edition guitar.
Granted, vintage doesn’t necessarily mean superior,
but if you appreciate the sweet but squeaky treble,
midrange quack and jazzy but clear roundness of
Brian Setzer’s tone, the Blacktops are the ones to
go for. That said, the High Sensitives sound clearer,
brighter and provide more bite and cut. It’s a
contemporary take on classic Gretsch tone that
scythes effortlessly through stompbox chains and
high-gain amps.
The Broad’Tron BT-2S units in the Streamliner
certainly have a passing resemblance to Filter’Trons- especially on the bridge and middle settings, with
their diffused midrange scoop. They’re like a grainier,
louder and slightly brasher variation, but we find
the neck pickup a bit thick and lacking in clarity.
This is an enjoyable and thoroughly usable guitar,
but we’re not entirely convinced that the BT-2S is
a big improvement on the original 2016 Tim Shaw
designed Broad’Trons.
WHICH SHOULD I BUY?
There’s no denying that the Streamliner is great
value for money and a wonderful entrée into Gretsch
culture. We love the colour options and there is
upgrade potential – if you’re so inclined. More
authentic Filter’Tron replicas are available in full-size
humbucker dimensions and if the plastic parts bother
you, changing to Gretsch metal knobs and a metal
switch tip is both easy and affordable.REVIEWSGUITAR MAGAZINE 99