Gretsch G2420 CG Streamliner

Gretsch G2420 CG Streamliner review

The Gretsch G2420 CG Streamliner is a fully hollow electric guitar with a laminated maple body and a Cadillac Green high-gloss finish. At a listed price of $499, it offers a large-bodied format, two Broad'Tron BT-3S humbuckers, and a push-pull coil-split control. Player feedback describes it as comfortable for extended playing and useful both unplugged and through an amplifier. Those reports are personal impressions, rather than a substitute for trying the guitar with your own setup.

The model has been available since July 2023. Its body and top are listed as laminated maple, with a laurel fingerboard and 22 frets. One detail in the supplied specifications needs clarification: the neck is identified as maple in one listing and nato in another. Since those are different woods, buyers should confirm the neck material with the retailer before ordering if it matters to their decision.

Body, neck, and setup

This is a hollowbody, not a semi-hollow guitar. That distinction matters in use: the body is designed as a resonant hollow structure, and a customer specifically reports that it produces a rich, full sound without an amplifier. The same player found it useful for practicing on the couch, where a solid-body guitar they owned had seemed comparatively thin when unplugged. That comparison reflects their experience, but it points to a practical reason to consider this format for home playing.

The neck profile is described as a soft C, with a high-gloss finish. The laurel fingerboard has a 12-inch radius, pearloid Neo-Classic thumbnail inlays, and 22 medium-jumbo frets. A bone nut measures 42.9 mm wide, and the scale length is 625 mm. The supplied specifications also list a Tune-O-Matic-style Adjusto-Matic bridge and sealed, die-cast nickel tuners. There is no tremolo system.

One owner reports that the intonation was nearly perfect on arrival and that the action felt right. They also found that tuning stability improved after the new strings had settled in. These comments suggest a positive initial setup experience for that particular guitar, though setup can vary from instrument to instrument and with changes in climate or string condition. The factory string gauge is listed as.010 to.046 nickel-plated steel.

Pickup layout and controls

The G2420 has two Broad'Tron BT-3S humbuckers and a three-way pickup selector. Its control layout includes separate volume controls for the pickups, plus master tone and master volume. The master volume has a push-pull function for coil splitting, giving players a way to change the pickup configuration without adding another switch to the control layout.

In one owner's account, the guitar sounded especially impressive through the clean channel of a Fender Performer 1000 amplifier. They also liked it through the amplifier's overdrive channels. That is useful context, but it does not establish how the pickups will behave through other amps, at different volumes, or with different playing styles. The available feedback does not provide measured output levels or a detailed tonal comparison between the humbucker and split settings.

Unplugged, the same player describes the sound as rich and full. They say the guitar encouraged them to practice more often, both on the couch and through an amplifier. Another practical point in the feedback is weight: the owner found it light enough for comfortable longer sessions. No weight figure is provided, so that should be treated as an individual impression rather than a measured specification.

Finish and included accessories

Cadillac Green is the defining visual detail. The high-gloss finish is paired with a three-ply tortoiseshell pickguard and a Gretsch logo in a gold-colored finish. One reviewer calls the dark green finish a head-turner and particularly likes the color. The guitar is sold as a single instrument, and neither a case nor a gig bag is included, so buyers should account for that separately if they need protection for transport or storage.

Verdict

The Gretsch G2420 CG Streamliner makes sense for players who want a fully hollow electric guitar that can also serve as an unplugged practice instrument. Its key details are the laminated maple body, two Broad'Tron humbuckers, coil-split control, and a straightforward three-way selector. Owner feedback is notably positive about the clean sound, comfort, finish, and initial setup, while the conflicting neck-wood descriptions are worth checking before purchase.

At $499, it presents a clear entry point into Gretsch's hollowbody range, but the best reasons to consider it are specific: you want a resonant hollow construction, like its dark green appearance, and value a control layout that includes both pickup volumes and a coil-split option. There is no case or bag in the package, and the supplied neck-material details are inconsistent. Confirm those points with the seller, then try it unplugged and through the kind of amplifier you expect to use.