Gretsch Streamliner dull and woolly

Moltisanti

I bought a Gretsch Streamliner last week to try out, it plays great, looks great and is super light but plugged in it's super dull and woolly sounding. The bridge pickup is a LOT less bright than all my other guitars and the neck pickup is even warmer. Also rolling down the volume just adds more mud so there's no option to back down a dirty tone to get a clean one.

Are they all like this or is the one I've got just got shitty pickups/ electronics?

barnstorm

The HH Centre Block Jr I had a go on was woolly-sounding. Is that what you've got? 

Don't know about the ones with P90s, or the solidbodies.

Sounds worth keeping and modding though, if you like the way it plays and the weight.

TheMarlin

That got cheap pickups. Not typical of a Gretsch 
If you want the Gretsxh sound, you need to pay more. 

Jimbro66

They are probably Broad'Trons which are fairly dull sounding pickups. Some owners have reported an improvement by removing one of the rows of pole pieces from each pickup but others have simply replaced the pickups. A shame because the guitars themselves are well made and good value.

Winny_Pooh

What value pots in there? If currently 250k and you change to 1meg ohm you'll open the pickups up a fair bit more. 

Moltisanti

Yes it's a centre block with broadtrons, the issue is that there's no control cavity so changing pickups or pots is a total pain in the arse

TheMarlin

Just buy a used set of Blacktop Filtertrons (and mounts). You should find a pair for £50-£60. 

Pop them in, get the pickups snug up under the strings, you’ll be delighted 

ICBM

Moltisanti said:

Yes it's a centre block with broadtrons, the issue is that there's no control cavity so changing pickups or pots is a total pain in the arse

Cut and join the cables under the pickups - it's a bit of a bodge, but works fine. Leave enough length of cable on the old pickups that you can re-join the wires if necessary, and don't cut the new cables short, just coil them up under the pickups - in case you later want to do the job 'properly', or put them in another guitar.

Moltisanti

i'm not convinced the pots are any good either, the roll off is really bad

lovestrat74

I have one too. One of the earlier ones with rosewood board and full block inlays.

They are great guitars, very playable, but the pots are shite! You definitely need to change them along with the pickups.

thermionic

Moltisanti said:

Yes it's a centre block with broadtrons, the issue is that there's no control cavity so changing pickups or pots is a total pain in the arse

I don't know about the Streamliners, but the Electromatic centre blocks are wired with snap-fit connectors. 10 minute job and the only tool you need is a screwdriver (as long as you replace like for like). I replaced mine with Electromatic Filtertrons which are pretty good but at some point I think I might get some better ones and replace the pots at the same time.

I found the Broadtrons in my Electromatic quite bright - compared to Gibson PAF-types I've had in a couple of Epiphone Les Pauls. I think maybe the Streamliner Broadtrons are further down the generic cheap humbucker spectrum than the Electromatics. The Electromatic has a treble "bleed" on the master volume (but not the individual volumes), which reduces muddiness as you lower it.

GoFish

Streamliners are lovely guitars, if a smidgeon less refined than their older bretheren. The pickups are an issue though. Some liek them (surely) but they are a real letdown for the typical more recent clear Gretsch sound. People over on the specialist forums report success from removing three of the polepieces from each pickup to make it more of a single coil but, not being a tinkerer myself, I am slightly skeptical. I'd also want to change the pots and so upsold myself to a 5420 for the extra faff and cost. 

@TheMarlin would there be an issue fitting new pickups? BroadTrons are a funny size, are are filtertrons tbf

TheMarlin

GoFish said:

Streamliners are lovely guitars, if a smidgeon less refined than their older bretheren. The pickups are an issue though. Some liek them (surely) but they are a real letdown for the typical more recent clear Gretsch sound. People over on the specialist forums report success from removing three of the polepieces from each pickup to make it more of a single coil but, not being a tinkerer myself, I am slightly skeptical. I'd also want to change the pots and so upsold myself to a 5420 for the extra faff and cost. 

@TheMarlin would there be an issue fitting new pickups? BroadTrons are a funny size, are are filtertrons tbf

Not tried, but I’ve seen it done 

Creed_Clicks

The G2622 is interesting. So those broadtron humbuckers are not standard size?

ewal

I've got a Streamliner and it sounds perfectly fine. It's also really nice to play - got it when I was shopping for something else and I really bonded with it. The only thing I'd mark down is the thick poly finish, but that's normal for lower value guitars.

Jimbro66

Creed_Clicks said:

The G2622 is interesting. So those broadtron humbuckers are not standard size?

They are paf-style humbucker size so will accommodate most Gibson-type humbuckers from many makers. To stick with the Gretsch sound there are several pickup winders who make Filtertron-type pickups in traditional humbucker size. Most cost £100 or more each but the Alegree ones are a little cheaper and Kent Armstrong ones are around £70 each. There are much chheaper ones on eBay but may be no better than the Synchromatic originals.

TheMarlin

I’d talk to Mojo or Oil City.  Both make great HB sized Gretschy pickups.  I’d thought about getting a G2420T put Mojo’s gold foils in there. They’re fabulous. 

Creed_Clicks

Thinking of a used G2622. Most reviews seem to suggest a pickup upgrade. They are lightweight guitars too. This thread has given me an excuse to get some filtertron style guitar going....

lovestrat74

Interestingly though... I stuck the broadtrons in this t-type partscaster and they sound great!

ewal

In defence of the pickups... This is my Streamliner through an HX Stomp - neck pickup probably. I don't think it sounds woolly. Possibly nothing like a classic Gretsch but that's not why I bought it.

Definitely not replacing/upgrading anything, even if that's what alot of people do to these guitars.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TgRJwo-ZiZUi4nDT6rHhj2AuttwS34sy/view?usp=drivesdk

Creed_Clicks

ewal said:

In defence of the pickups... This is my Streamliner through an HX Stomp - neck pickup probably. I don't think it sounds woolly. Possibly nothing like a classic Gretsch but that's not why I bought it.

Definitely not replacing/upgrading anything, even if that's what alot of people do to these guitars.


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TgRJwo-ZiZUi4nDT6rHhj2AuttwS34sy/view?usp=drivesdk

That sounds really nice ! Amp Sim? What’s the keyboard in the background? A plug-in?