Having dropped an exquisite high-end limited edition Penguin a few weeks back, Gretsch has something special for those of us whose budgets are a little more modest, with its Electromatic Jet and CVT remodelled in black limba.
These handsome electric guitars have a Sunburst finish and sprayed in high-gloss, and both feature a lot of the same DNA. They are a modernistic take on the traditional Gretsch guitar, with each housing a pair of gutsy Pure Volt Twin Six humbuckers at the neck and bridge positions.
Indeed, the CVT itself is something of a newcomer to the Gretsch lineup, officially arriving in the lineup in August 2025, evolving out of the cult-classic Corvette, which had in turn been attracting a bit of attention when Jack Antonoff’s Princess signature guitar introduced its body shape to a new generation.
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And that’s what Gretsch is trying to do with these guitars – with the Jet, too, but especially the CVT. Of course the brand will always have its association with the OG rock ’n’ roll players, the Chet Atkins devotees and anyone who watched Billy Duffy under the stage lights and thought that his White Falcon looked cool AF. But it needs fresh blood.
These guitars should broaden the appeal nicely. Black limba is an exotic wood choice. To quote Gretsch it gives you “smooth, rich midrange and serious presence”. It’s worth noting that black limba, the actual wood species, is the same as korina – as in the timber popularised by Gibson on its original 1958 Flying Vs.
They typically used the lighter stuff. Here we have the darker stuff, and you can see with that deep grain why Gretsch has chosen it. With a Sunburst finish and gold hardware (sealed die-cast tuners Lockdown wraparound bridge here, folks), it looks the bee’s knees.
(Image credit: Gretsch)
Both guitars have a Performance C profile neck and 12” radius ebony fingerboards. We can confirm that these are comfortable indeed, with the arched contours and rounded heel of the Jet and bevelled doublecut body of the CVT more ergonomic propositions than some original Gretsch designs.
(Image credit: Gretsch)
There are some fundamental differences. The Jet has a glued-in neck and a chambered body. The CVT is a bolt-on with an all-solid body. The necks are both carved from limba. Limba all round. The humbuckers are interesting.
The Twin Six neck pickup is Alnico IV, the bridge Alnico V, with adjustable pole pieces on both. The CVT offers a simple volume and tone knob, three-way pickup selector control setup, while the Jet has individual volume controls and a master tone.
(Image credit: Gretsch)
These limited edition electrics are available now with the Electromatic Black Limba Jet priced £629/$749, and the Black Limba CVT priced £/$549. That looks like a pretty good deal.
For more details head over to Gretsch.
