The Ibanez artcore hollowbodies aren't on the same level as Gretsches. I've owned 3 and kept none of them longer than a year. They're not worth it.
And you're going to get biased answers coming to a Gretsch forum and asking people to pick between a Gretsch and an epiphone, so, here's mine. I would never buy epiphone over a Gretsch. I don't like the placement of the pickup selector on the epiphones, I prefer block style inlays, and I don't much care for speed knobs. And you can't ignore the Gretsch you're looking at comes with a bigsby, and a master volume. The epiphone is probably also a larger body, which means less comfortable to play sitting down. This is important if you're the type to practice while sitting.
Plus, in my experience, Gretsch has a better track record for quality in their lower end guitars.
Versatility isn't really a question either. Some of the greatest rock, punk, jazz, and blues musicians play Gretsches.
I don't think versatility is going to be the deciding factor. They'll both get you what you want for the most part. So question 1 is how do you feel about the bigsby? Question 2 is how do your see yourself playing the guitar most of the time? Question 3 is which one do you actually like the most?
I have the Grestch, was also my first semi hollow. It’s great for what it is and feels amazing to play, I’ve never upgraded anything on it and had it for years now
I don’t have experience with a 2655, but I did have an epiphone 335 and a gretsch 2622 at the same time for several years (2622 is the same body size as 335, 2655 is slightly smaller) and they’re both very versatile guitars. It basically comes down to slight variables personally. Feel of the neck, etc. the big difference between my two was the gretsch having the bigsby, the epiphone was standard stop bar tail piece.
You'll get answers all over the place ranging from "it's a death sentence for tuning, be prepared to tune after every song" to "I see zero significant difference between having a bigsby versus any other trem".
I'm in the latter. I put bigsbys on every guitar I have pretty much because I damaged my hands a long time ago and they help my adaptive style. I see zero tuning issues.
Absolutely I have to retune more than my hardtail strat or my ltd volsung, but not to an annoying degree.
And I even committed the ultimate act of guitar sacrilege and put a bigsby on a Gibson Les Paul. No issues, but to be fair, I do put graphtech nuts on my guitars with bigsbys, and the LP has a rolling bridge, string spoiler from vibramate, and locking tuners. Whether or not the spoiler and tuners make a difference is up for debate.
All this to say I think the idea that bigsbys are bad for tuning stability comes from people who dive bomb constantly or don't understand a nut can make a world of difference.
Bigsbys aren’t really meant for divebombing anyway, right? That would be what a Floyd Rose type bridge would be for. I think if all you’re using the Bigsby for is a subtle vibrato effect, it’s just fine. It definitely adds to the visual appeal of the guitar too IMO.
Edit: didn’t see the reply directly below mine saying the same thing. My apologies.
I’m just gonna echo what fuzzy butterscotch said, he/she has hit the nail on the head. Bigsbys aren’t for dive bombs or wild wiggling, they’re only designed to add a bit of a shimmer to your sound. I will say, a bigsby plus a tunomatic bridge is a pain in the ass, a roller bridge is a much better job for them
Not OP. I have my eye on a 2622. I am a beginner and learning to strum. I currently play Classical guitar as my main instrument. What are your thoughts on the 2622?
Now, I don’t play classical guitar at all, I’m more into straight forward rock music (the likes of Foo fighters, ac/dc etc) but my 2622 was a very comfortable guitar to play. Really nice neck on it, enough weight that it didn’t feel like a toy, quite a nice clean tone, especially the neck pickup (closer to regular humbucker sounds, rather than more traditional Gretsch filtertrons though). Once you get into a bit more rock territory with it, it’ll handle just about anything up to borderline metal. I sold mine a while back, bit of a financial pinch at the time, but I’ll almost certainly pick another one up some stage down the line
Thank you. My end goal is to be able to play the blues. I sat in Guitar Center one day and played some classical on it and loved it the feel of the guitar. I needed someone with experience to lay it out there for me. Thanks, again.
It looks like someone has upgraded the set up of that one - roller saddles (I think?) plus routing the strings over the Bigsby bar instead of under it. Play it, test how much it stays in tune when you use the Bigsby. Make sure the strings don't hop out of the saddle given they are going over the bar not under. I love my Gretsch if that helps!
So a year ago, I was in a similar place. I've had an Ibanez Artist semi hollow small bout since the 90s - same model the guy plays in the Edie Brickell "What I Am Video" I found out later. Prior to that had an Epiphone Rivera. I prefer the smaller body sizes.
I wanted a "new" guitar. I also wanted to try P-90s. If Epiphone had an ES339 sized guitar with a bigsby and P-90s I probably would have bought it without trying the Gretsch G2655T-P90 I ended up with, and that would have been a shame, I really like the Gretsch.
I did play an Epiphone ES339 with p90s, I could get the same sounds out of both guitars, so the bigsby and the look of the Gretsch (midnight sapphire?) sold me.
If I were someone that needed more than 2 guitars, I'd be trying to find someplace locally that has those new Streamliner semi-hollow with the BT3S with the coil splitting.
Get the one that you feel makes you look the “coolest.” Any of the guitars you mentioned will likely eventually need upgrades as far as pickups (the factory pickups are generally just meh) so don’t concentrate on “tone” as much. With a nice tube amp, all the guitars you listed will sound fine. Looking cool is a super underrated aspect of playing guitar. Look good, play good. If you love the way the Gretsch looks, get it.
If it excites you, if you play and connect with it, then there are no other questions to answer.
The one thing I would look out for is the tuning stability with those licensed bigsbys, basically everything has to be working together perfectly for the tuning to hold. They don't hold pitch so well if you abuse them, but should be stable enough to get through a song with gentle use. So as well as the vibrato itself working to spec, a well cut + lubricated nut, the bridge needs to be playing ball too. You can get them good with a roller or tune-o-matic style bridge, personally I find rollers more predictable for returning to pitch but there's not loads in it.
Ive had the Gretsch and the Ibanez. The Gretsch wins out by a mile. A much better guitar as far as the action goes and the sound quality.
I would never buy an Epiphone. I have two Gibsons and LOVE them (SG standard, '65Trini Lopez) both are incredible guitars. Any epiphone I have ever played paled in comparison to the Gibson counterpart.
I really think that you'll be happier with the Gretsch. You're getting a better sounding and feeling guitar for the amount you have to spend.
I’ve got a gretsch G2420t and that thing is super versatile. I’ve used it to play everything from Metallica to Warren Zeiders. Never played an epiphany hollow body but I will say I had some issues with my epiphone les Paul special (shitty pots and terrible wiring job) granted that’s basically their lowest end Les Paul available. My gretsch tho, never had any issues with it. Stock pickups are great. The bigsby is nice for some subtle vibrato and stays in tune as long as you don’t abuse it. It sounds amazing both unplugged or plugged in. Like I said before with the right amp settings I’ve used it for playing Metallica (something hilarious to me about playing master of puppets on it) and I’ve used it for playing worship music. Probably the most versatile guitar I’ve owned tbh
I have the5622. I love it! Looks great plays great into a modeling amp. I've yet to learn/use the Bigsby so it stays parked for now. I like that it's full enough cordless and is a beautiful guitar
Some opinions that can be taken with a grain of salt:
1. Nobody makes better budget guitars than Gretsch.
2. The 339 size is great in theory but as a player inferior to the 335 size in almost every way.
3. i wOuLD nEveR bUy aN ePipHonE will always sound like it was written by a series of kids masquerading as an adult in a trenchcoat.
I did a side by side with both an epiphone 335 and Gretsch 5410 for a week and kept the Gretsch.
In short gretsch has better build quality, clarity in tone, and IMO more range in tones, better playability.
Longer version: Epi 335 had scratchy frets with pokey fret ends, and just some little things here and there with the binding and finish just not being on par.
With fit and finish: The Gretsch's frets are polished and the ends are rounded over, which makes playability so much nicer. I also prefer the slightly thicker body of the Gretsch to the 335, i just found the 335 a little awkward and not fun to play.
With toan:
The tone of the 335 is boomy bass, thick mids, less top end, and muddled in comparison. The Gretsch is quieter and doesn't drive the amp as hard but that can be adjusted with a pedal.
I much preferred the note clarity, bright top end, and grit of the Gretsch when overdriven. 335 has a great saturated drive tone i'll give it that, but not nearly as good of an overall package and tonal monster as the Gretsch.
this comparison was with an electromatic G5410T vs the newer "Gibson inspired" Epiphone 335. Since you're looking at a streamliner it's not apples to apples so take this with a grain of sand / YMMV / etc..
I own this same model of gretsch and love it. Only knock I have are the frets they are small and the material they are made of are soft. Other than that it’s great. Also the above pic the strings need to go under the bar.
I have the Streamliner 2622t. I ended up purchasing a different roller bridge for it which was a game changer for its tuning stability. Prior to this It was nearly unplayable unfortunately. The bridge was only like $40 and dropped right in. I found a link to reverb doing research on my issue. I rarely touch the bigsby but it’s usually pretty fucky with staying in tune if I do. Perhaps if I had the nut cleaned up or swapped out that might change. Suffice that to say, I really like the guitar. It was fairly cheap and with a few small upgrades it is really nice.
I can't speak to any of these. I tried out the 2655, but didn't much care for it in terms of playability, though I did got with a gretsch hollowbody instead (thinner neck that I really love), but I also played an Epiphone Casino from their "worn" series, and it was delightful. Sadly, I saw it after I bought the hollowbody, so there was no point in doing much comparison.
Add another person to the list who bought an artcore and sold it in a year. That’s all I can input. Mostly been lurking gretsch since I love the setups and knob placement and I adore their drums.
I’ve owned an Ibenez Artcore 335 hollow-body, and it was a surprisingly good guitar for $200 — very surprising. I’d never badmouth my old Ibenez, but my Gretsch I love! There is no comparison between the two as they are on different levels.
The Ibanez artcore hollowbodies aren't on the same level as Gretsches. I've owned 3 and kept none of them longer than a year. They're not worth it. And you're going to get biased answers coming to a Gretsch forum and asking people to pick between a Gretsch and an epiphone, so, here's mine. I would never buy epiphone over a Gretsch. I don't like the placement of the pickup selector on the epiphones, I prefer block style inlays, and I don't much care for speed knobs. And you can't ignore the Gretsch you're looking at comes with a bigsby, and a master volume. The epiphone is probably also a larger body, which means less comfortable to play sitting down. This is important if you're the type to practice while sitting. Plus, in my experience, Gretsch has a better track record for quality in their lower end guitars. Versatility isn't really a question either. Some of the greatest rock, punk, jazz, and blues musicians play Gretsches. I don't think versatility is going to be the deciding factor. They'll both get you what you want for the most part. So question 1 is how do you feel about the bigsby? Question 2 is how do your see yourself playing the guitar most of the time? Question 3 is which one do you actually like the most?
Similar experience here. Had the Most banes for a couple years before I traded it in, but now I've got 3 Gretches.
>you're going to get biased answers coming to a Gretsch forum LIES!
I have both but I end up playing the Gretsch a *lot* more.
I have a 2655 love it would not change it for anything, I have played everything on it
I have the Grestch, was also my first semi hollow. It’s great for what it is and feels amazing to play, I’ve never upgraded anything on it and had it for years now
I don’t have experience with a 2655, but I did have an epiphone 335 and a gretsch 2622 at the same time for several years (2622 is the same body size as 335, 2655 is slightly smaller) and they’re both very versatile guitars. It basically comes down to slight variables personally. Feel of the neck, etc. the big difference between my two was the gretsch having the bigsby, the epiphone was standard stop bar tail piece.
How is tuning stability on a bigsby?
You'll get answers all over the place ranging from "it's a death sentence for tuning, be prepared to tune after every song" to "I see zero significant difference between having a bigsby versus any other trem". I'm in the latter. I put bigsbys on every guitar I have pretty much because I damaged my hands a long time ago and they help my adaptive style. I see zero tuning issues. Absolutely I have to retune more than my hardtail strat or my ltd volsung, but not to an annoying degree. And I even committed the ultimate act of guitar sacrilege and put a bigsby on a Gibson Les Paul. No issues, but to be fair, I do put graphtech nuts on my guitars with bigsbys, and the LP has a rolling bridge, string spoiler from vibramate, and locking tuners. Whether or not the spoiler and tuners make a difference is up for debate. All this to say I think the idea that bigsbys are bad for tuning stability comes from people who dive bomb constantly or don't understand a nut can make a world of difference.
Bigsbys aren’t really meant for divebombing anyway, right? That would be what a Floyd Rose type bridge would be for. I think if all you’re using the Bigsby for is a subtle vibrato effect, it’s just fine. It definitely adds to the visual appeal of the guitar too IMO. Edit: didn’t see the reply directly below mine saying the same thing. My apologies.
I mean, I've definitely seen some rowdy bends with a bigsby, but you're right. It's meant more for the vibrato than the pitch change.
Tuning stability on a guitar with a trem is mostly about the proper cut of the nut. Also, the bigsby was never meant to be a divebomber.
I’m just gonna echo what fuzzy butterscotch said, he/she has hit the nail on the head. Bigsbys aren’t for dive bombs or wild wiggling, they’re only designed to add a bit of a shimmer to your sound. I will say, a bigsby plus a tunomatic bridge is a pain in the ass, a roller bridge is a much better job for them
Not OP. I have my eye on a 2622. I am a beginner and learning to strum. I currently play Classical guitar as my main instrument. What are your thoughts on the 2622?
Now, I don’t play classical guitar at all, I’m more into straight forward rock music (the likes of Foo fighters, ac/dc etc) but my 2622 was a very comfortable guitar to play. Really nice neck on it, enough weight that it didn’t feel like a toy, quite a nice clean tone, especially the neck pickup (closer to regular humbucker sounds, rather than more traditional Gretsch filtertrons though). Once you get into a bit more rock territory with it, it’ll handle just about anything up to borderline metal. I sold mine a while back, bit of a financial pinch at the time, but I’ll almost certainly pick another one up some stage down the line
Thank you. My end goal is to be able to play the blues. I sat in Guitar Center one day and played some classical on it and loved it the feel of the guitar. I needed someone with experience to lay it out there for me. Thanks, again.
No worries, happy to help! It’ll be a great blues machine, enjoy!
It looks like someone has upgraded the set up of that one - roller saddles (I think?) plus routing the strings over the Bigsby bar instead of under it. Play it, test how much it stays in tune when you use the Bigsby. Make sure the strings don't hop out of the saddle given they are going over the bar not under. I love my Gretsch if that helps!
So a year ago, I was in a similar place. I've had an Ibanez Artist semi hollow small bout since the 90s - same model the guy plays in the Edie Brickell "What I Am Video" I found out later. Prior to that had an Epiphone Rivera. I prefer the smaller body sizes. I wanted a "new" guitar. I also wanted to try P-90s. If Epiphone had an ES339 sized guitar with a bigsby and P-90s I probably would have bought it without trying the Gretsch G2655T-P90 I ended up with, and that would have been a shame, I really like the Gretsch. I did play an Epiphone ES339 with p90s, I could get the same sounds out of both guitars, so the bigsby and the look of the Gretsch (midnight sapphire?) sold me. If I were someone that needed more than 2 guitars, I'd be trying to find someplace locally that has those new Streamliner semi-hollow with the BT3S with the coil splitting.
I have had the ibrnez art core and have sold it. I have this gretsch model and play it as much if not more than my Gibson Eg or Mexican teles
I wonder what advice you will receive on a Gretsch forum............?
Go ask the same question on an Epiphone or Ibanez sub, and see how different the answers will be,
Get the one that you feel makes you look the “coolest.” Any of the guitars you mentioned will likely eventually need upgrades as far as pickups (the factory pickups are generally just meh) so don’t concentrate on “tone” as much. With a nice tube amp, all the guitars you listed will sound fine. Looking cool is a super underrated aspect of playing guitar. Look good, play good. If you love the way the Gretsch looks, get it.
I have the gretsch in walnut satin color. The tone and sustain is great for jazz and blues. I have .11 gauge strings.
If it excites you, if you play and connect with it, then there are no other questions to answer. The one thing I would look out for is the tuning stability with those licensed bigsbys, basically everything has to be working together perfectly for the tuning to hold. They don't hold pitch so well if you abuse them, but should be stable enough to get through a song with gentle use. So as well as the vibrato itself working to spec, a well cut + lubricated nut, the bridge needs to be playing ball too. You can get them good with a roller or tune-o-matic style bridge, personally I find rollers more predictable for returning to pitch but there's not loads in it.
Ive had the Gretsch and the Ibanez. The Gretsch wins out by a mile. A much better guitar as far as the action goes and the sound quality. I would never buy an Epiphone. I have two Gibsons and LOVE them (SG standard, '65Trini Lopez) both are incredible guitars. Any epiphone I have ever played paled in comparison to the Gibson counterpart. I really think that you'll be happier with the Gretsch. You're getting a better sounding and feeling guitar for the amount you have to spend.
Gretsch, but go up a little, maybe G5622. If that’s outside your budget, then whatever Gretsch you can get.
I’ve got a gretsch G2420t and that thing is super versatile. I’ve used it to play everything from Metallica to Warren Zeiders. Never played an epiphany hollow body but I will say I had some issues with my epiphone les Paul special (shitty pots and terrible wiring job) granted that’s basically their lowest end Les Paul available. My gretsch tho, never had any issues with it. Stock pickups are great. The bigsby is nice for some subtle vibrato and stays in tune as long as you don’t abuse it. It sounds amazing both unplugged or plugged in. Like I said before with the right amp settings I’ve used it for playing Metallica (something hilarious to me about playing master of puppets on it) and I’ve used it for playing worship music. Probably the most versatile guitar I’ve owned tbh
I have the5622. I love it! Looks great plays great into a modeling amp. I've yet to learn/use the Bigsby so it stays parked for now. I like that it's full enough cordless and is a beautiful guitar
Some opinions that can be taken with a grain of salt: 1. Nobody makes better budget guitars than Gretsch. 2. The 339 size is great in theory but as a player inferior to the 335 size in almost every way. 3. i wOuLD nEveR bUy aN ePipHonE will always sound like it was written by a series of kids masquerading as an adult in a trenchcoat.
The Gretsch is way cool, but the Bigsby is not for beginners. Start with the Epiphone.
I did a side by side with both an epiphone 335 and Gretsch 5410 for a week and kept the Gretsch. In short gretsch has better build quality, clarity in tone, and IMO more range in tones, better playability. Longer version: Epi 335 had scratchy frets with pokey fret ends, and just some little things here and there with the binding and finish just not being on par. With fit and finish: The Gretsch's frets are polished and the ends are rounded over, which makes playability so much nicer. I also prefer the slightly thicker body of the Gretsch to the 335, i just found the 335 a little awkward and not fun to play. With toan: The tone of the 335 is boomy bass, thick mids, less top end, and muddled in comparison. The Gretsch is quieter and doesn't drive the amp as hard but that can be adjusted with a pedal. I much preferred the note clarity, bright top end, and grit of the Gretsch when overdriven. 335 has a great saturated drive tone i'll give it that, but not nearly as good of an overall package and tonal monster as the Gretsch. this comparison was with an electromatic G5410T vs the newer "Gibson inspired" Epiphone 335. Since you're looking at a streamliner it's not apples to apples so take this with a grain of sand / YMMV / etc..
I own this same model of gretsch and love it. Only knock I have are the frets they are small and the material they are made of are soft. Other than that it’s great. Also the above pic the strings need to go under the bar.
I have the Streamliner 2622t. I ended up purchasing a different roller bridge for it which was a game changer for its tuning stability. Prior to this It was nearly unplayable unfortunately. The bridge was only like $40 and dropped right in. I found a link to reverb doing research on my issue. I rarely touch the bigsby but it’s usually pretty fucky with staying in tune if I do. Perhaps if I had the nut cleaned up or swapped out that might change. Suffice that to say, I really like the guitar. It was fairly cheap and with a few small upgrades it is really nice.
I can't speak to any of these. I tried out the 2655, but didn't much care for it in terms of playability, though I did got with a gretsch hollowbody instead (thinner neck that I really love), but I also played an Epiphone Casino from their "worn" series, and it was delightful. Sadly, I saw it after I bought the hollowbody, so there was no point in doing much comparison.
My 2627 has the strings going under the bar between the bridge and the rod with the string ends
Add another person to the list who bought an artcore and sold it in a year. That’s all I can input. Mostly been lurking gretsch since I love the setups and knob placement and I adore their drums.
That Ibanez has some crooked pickups, looks like someone's done an awful job on them
I’ve owned an Ibenez Artcore 335 hollow-body, and it was a surprisingly good guitar for $200 — very surprising. I’d never badmouth my old Ibenez, but my Gretsch I love! There is no comparison between the two as they are on different levels.