Gretsch G5031FT Rancher Dreadnought with Fideli'Tron Pickup Sunburst

What we say:

The first thing you’ll notice is that big bar of gold next to the soundhole. Yes, Gretsch have whapped a big ol’ Fideli’Tron electric guitar pickup onto the face of this Rancher acoustic! We were very intrigued to say the least when this guitar was first delivered!

So, before we get ahead of ourselves, let us check out what we have here. The G5031FT is a Dreadnought with a solid Spruce top and a host of nice Gretsch details like thumbnail inlays, gold hardware, a ton of binding and a most distinctive triangular soundhole! The Sunburst finish is gorgeous too, a great contrast with the Gold hardware.

The fit and finish is excellent: quality control is obviously high and this guitar plays very agreeably. Sonically, the Spruce top and laminated Mahogany work with the dreadnought shape and scalloped X-bracing to create a strong tone with a bright top and a good note fundamentals. Strumming is excellent and fingerpicking sounds extremely pleasant.

So what of this pickup? Well, this Fideli’Tron pickup has been seen on electric guitars like the Fender Cabronita already but it was in fact developed for this range of Gretsch acoustics. It has a clear, low output and is nestled in a wooden box (‘isolation chamber’) to sort out feedback problems. And yes, it does sound like a mix between an electric and an acoustic! Its definitely not supposed to give you sumptuous life-like acoustic tones: it’s meant to give a large, slightly darker voice that suits supportive rhythmic playing and effects-laden soundscaping over straight up lead soloing. It works well and if you want a more lo-fi, scuzzy sound then this will reveal itself to be very useful (and fun) for you!

It’s a unique guitar and no mistake: only Gretsch could do something like this! It is a success though for sure, as long as you what to expect! We love it. More of this!