![A Review of the Gretsch Electromatic Premier Jet]](https://backingtracksfullcollection.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/A-Review-of-the-Gretsch-Electromatic-Premier-Jet-758x330.jpg "A Review of the Gretsch Electromatic Premier Jet] 1")
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Known for its high-quality Japanese production for more than three decades, Gretsch has also diversified into several other quality-related pricing tiers in the 21st century, and the new Electromatic Premier Jet presents a striking new addition to the sub-$1,000 lineup. Part homage to the classics, part stripped-down redrawing of the blueprint, it’s a guitar likely to appeal to the Gretsch-ogling rockers out there while offering something for a broad range of budget-conscious players.
If the original Duo Jet on which the new model is roughly based was always regarded by some as “Gretsch’s Les Paul,” the Electromatic Premier Jet is arguably even more so. Although it passes for a solidbody visually, it uses a chambered mahogany body much like the company’s ’50s single-cut, albeit with a somewhat heavier, denser construction.
Tap the carved solid-maple top, for example, and there’s less of a clue to the open airspace within — and there’s a little more weight here than you’ll find with most older Duo-Jets, to further amplify the impression of solidity. Other minor changes — such as comfort-enhancing ribcage and thigh contours at the back of the body’s waist — also help to bring it into the modern age.
The glued-in neck is carved from solid mahogany with a bound ebony fingerboard, all laid out to a slight variation of the traditional Gretsch scale that comes in at 24.88 inches, with a width of 1.6875 inches (a.k.a. 1-11/16 inches) across the GraphTech NuBone nut. The 22 medium-jumbo frets are neatly crowned and well polished, and they partner with the medium-C neck profile to yield an easy playability.
Looks-wise, the neoclassical thumbnail fingerboard inlays, Falcon-like split-V headstock and three-ply body binding lend the whole affair an air of class, while the glow-in-the-dark Luminlay side-dot inlays aid visibility on a dark stage. The Onyx Storm finish on my review sample (a gloss black that reveals a fine-grained metalflake on closer inspection) is probably my favorite of the four options for the model and looks archetypally Gretsch, but with a modern twist.
The triangular control layout reflects one of Gretsch’s long-standing design points. Along with the single upper-bout selector switch, it nods to the earlier rendition of the Duo Jet. But the knobs here also conceal the versatile new wiring setup Gretsch has loaded into the Electromatic Premier Jet. They include a single master volume and two individual tone controls, with a push-pull switch on the former potentiometer to tap Gretsch’s Lumen Filter, and no-load pots on the latter.
The Lumen Filter achieves a brighter, spankier, more single-coil–like tone by running both pickups through a small capacitor — not entirely unlike the “strangle switch” on a Fender Jaguar, for example (and in no way related to the creepy mind-altering corporation in the TV series Severance) — rather than actually splitting the humbuckers’ coils. The no-load pots take the tone control and tone cap completely out of the circuit when rolled fully clockwise, where they click into a firm detent that lets you know you’ve hit home.
This setup governs a pair of Gretsch’s new Sphera Twin Six humbuckers, a standard-sized design that presents more chrome than the smaller Filter’Tron humbucker of old. Made with 12 individually adjustable pole pieces (six per coil) and Alnico VI magnets, they employ polysol-coated wire in the neck position and plain-enamel wire in the bridge to best tailor their performance to each.
Whether in the lap or on the strap, the Electromatic Premier Jet reveals ergonomics that are different from those of more traditional Gretsch guitars. I would dare say they’re more Gibson-like, with the adjustable wrap-tail bridge pitching the strings closer to the top of the body than the old-school floating-bridge options. The result is a guitar that you feel you are hugging closer than the Duo Jets of old, and which you perhaps feel confident hitting harder.
Tested through a 1964 Fender Bassman head with a 2×12 cabinet and a Matchless Spitfire 1×12 combo, the Electromatic Premier Jet proved itself a solid and versatile performer that punches well above its class. It delivers more power than the typical Filter’Tron-equipped guitar, certainly, but also a metallic bite and silvery clarity that still screams “Gretsch!” through both clean and overdriven amp settings.
Those who find modern Gibson-style humbuckers dark or muddy are likely to love these Sphera Twin Six units, which definitely push the amp when needed but present an appealing blend of girth and articulation overall, with a signature brightness that rarely sounds too harsh.
All of this enables the new model to excel in the country, Americana, roots-rock and rockabilly arenas, in which the seminal Duo Jet has traditionally performed well. But it also brings a stinging, searing tone to heavier rock genres. This is further enhanced by the added sustain of the solidly anchored wraparound bridge, which induces more ring and resonance than the more lightly strung trapeze-and-floating-bridge arrangements of yore.
Pop the Lumen Filter, though, and there’s even more snap and jangle via faux-single-coil tones that arguably sound more authentic than the usual coil-splitting. The detents for the tone controls’ no-load settings are a little stiff and might feel kind of “locked in” for those who reach for quick and subtle control changes, but the feature does what it should, letting the pickups’ full clarity shine through.
All in all, then, the new Electromatic Premier Jet is very impressive, and even more so when you factor in the price point. At first glance, I was planning to say something like, “…but you can’t expect ‘that great Gretsch sound’ with full-size humbuckers like these,” and yet it’s somehow there, to a degree at least.
From the choice of paint to the inlays to the binding, the guitar is well constructed and beautifully finished. Playability and functionality are great, and the Electromatic Premier Jet is likely to find its way into the hands of guitarists who could otherwise afford to spend significantly more.
Many players who gasped at the thought of picking a Chinese guitar two decades ago have long overcome their reservations, but this one is yet another testament to how far the country’s instrument manufacturers have come, and to Gretsch’s thoughtful design and guidance as well.
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTACT Gretsch.com
PRICE $799 street
NUT GraphTech NuBone, 1 11/16″ wide
NECK Mahogany, 24.88″ scale length
FRETBOARD Ebony, 10″–14″ compound radius
FRETS 22 medium-jumbo
TUNERS Gotoh locking
BODY Chambered mahogany with solid maple top
BRIDGE Locking adjustable wraparound
PICKUPS Two Sphera Twin Six Alnico VI humbuckers
CONTROLS Master volume with push-pull Lumen filter, two no-load Tone controls, three-way switch
FACTORY STRINGS D’Addario .010-.046
WEIGHT 8.4 lbs
BUILT (country of origin) China
PRO Well-built and cleverly designed, offering impressive sonic versatility and playability for the money.
CON The detents in the no-load tone pots take some getting used to for those making frequent control changes.
