"Renewed style inspired by a traditional Gretsch design showcased in the CVT Electromatic"
New Gretsch Electromatic CVT Series and Jack Antonoff CVT Princess Guitars
Gretsch has expanded its lineup with two new electric guitar models: the Electromatic CVT Series and the Jack Antonoff CVT Princess. Both guitars offer unique features and tonal characteristics, catering to different playing styles and preferences.
The Electromatic CVT Series features a solid mahogany body with a gloss finish, providing warmth, depth, and sustain. Its slim double-cutaway design ensures easy access to higher frets, while the bolt-on okoume neck with a laurel fingerboard offers smooth playability. The guitar is equipped with dual Twin Six humbuckers that deliver versatile, articulate tones suitable for various styles, complemented by a simple control layout with master volume, tone, and pickup selector. The guitar uses an adjustable wrap-around tailpiece and sports a 24.6” shorter scale length, enhancing comfort and playability.
In contrast, the Jack Antonoff CVT Princess is inspired by vintage Corvette and Fender Jazzmaster designs, featuring an offset body shape and a tremolo system. It uses P-90 pickups paired with an uncommon rhythm circuit, offering a distinct tonal palette that blends vintage and modern sounds. The body is made of alder, contributing to a different resonance compared to the mahogany Electromatic CVT. The Princess model’s aesthetics and electronics cater to players seeking more unique tonal features and a vibrato system, whereas the Electromatic CVT focuses on simplicity and punchy, balanced humbucker-driven tones.
The Electromatic CVT Series guitars and bass guitar retail at £499/$419, making them contenders for this year's best electric guitar under 500 bucks. The CVT Electromatic Series guitars and bass guitar are available in three color finishes: Antique White, Havana Burst, and Wychwood. Each model boasts a unique appearance that could suit a variety of settings, from a stoner/doom all-dayer in Portland, Oregan, to classic Roundup Orange or Midnight Sapphire paint jobs.
The CVT Electromatic Series guitars promise "gut-punching power with remarkable balance and articulation." The guitars have a stripped-down platform with humbuckers hooked up to a treble bleed circuit, controlled by volume and tone knobs, and a three-way selector located in the middle. The CVT Electromatic bass guitar has individual volume controls for both pickups and a master tone, ensuring precise tonal control. The bass guitar features a Gretsch Low Down single-coil at the bridge position and a Low Down humbucker at the neck.
The Jack Antonoff CVT Princess, on the other hand, features an offset guitar’s tremolo system, P-90 pairing with an obscure rhythm circuit, and a beefy solid alder doublecut body. Its tonal characteristics lean towards a vintage blend with vibrato and rhythm circuit, making it an attractive option for players seeking a unique sonic character.
Gretsch has launched a sequel to the Jack Antonoff CVT Princess, offering players even more choices in their quest for the perfect guitar. Whether you're a fan of humbuckers or P-90s, traditional designs or unique offset bodies, Gretsch's new CVT Series has something for everyone.
The Electromatic CVT Series guitars integrate technology, such as a simple control layout and the treble bleed circuit, for a stripped-down platform with versatile, articulate tones suitable for various styles. The Jack Antonoff CVT Princess embodies lifestyle and technology by featuring an offset body shape, a vibrato system, and an unusual rhythm circuit for a distinctive tonal palette that combines vintage and modern sounds.
