The Tiger Army guitarist's namesake model features Black Top Filter'Tron pickups, a master volume with treble bleed circuit, and a Bigsby B50 vibrato tailpiece.
Scottsdale, AZ (August 12, 2020) -- Gretsch today introduces the G5230T Nick 13 Signature Electromatic Tiger Jet with Bigsby.
As the guitarist and songwriter for California trio Tiger Army (celebrating a quarter century in 2021), Nick 13 seamlessly blends his eclectic influences — from the twang and slap of early rock ‘n’ roll and hillbilly country, to the dramatics of dark, Orbison-esque ballads or the raw energy of first wave ‘70s punk. Whether at the helm of Tiger Army or with his Americana solo pursuits, Nick 13 manages to be retro-sounding while still pushing into uncharted musical territory.
Gretsch honors the left-of-center icon with the all-new Gretsch G5230T Nick 13 Signature Electromatic Tiger Jet with Bigsby.
“While not my first instrument, it wasn’t until I got my first Gretsch many years ago that I really bonded with a guitar and felt like I’d found my sound — something deeply emotional but unique at the same time,” said Nick 13. “As time went on, I realized that many of my favorite records and artists utilized this sound, whether 1950s rockers like Duane Eddy or Eddie Cochran, George Harrison of The Beatles, or bands associated with the early punk movement like The Cramps and X. To be part of that lineage as a Gretsch artist with my own model means the world to me; I never wanted to play anything else.”
For nearly 70 years, the Gretsch Jet has been the hallmark sound for iconic players. Nick 13 puts his own stylistic spin on the classic instrument with dark and moody design elements including a sleek Black finish, white binding, cream pickup inserts, chrome hardware, distinctive pearloid TigerBat inlays, oxblood pickguard with TigerBat logo and matching truss rod cover with his signature.
Black Top Filter'Tron pickups amplify and accentuate the Jet's chambered mahogany body and maple top to produce a wide, balanced and transparent tone. Together, the body and pickups thunder with full, responsive lows and mids with a high end that sparkles without spikes. A complement of individual pickup volume controls, master tone and master volume with treble bleed circuit provides intuitive control over pickup and tone settings. This unique signature instrument also features a lower set mahogany neck for effortless access and performance, 12”-radius laurel fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo frets, Bigsby B50 vibrato tailpiece and anchored Adjusto-MaticTM bridge.
“The tone of my Tiger Jet is expansive – one of my favorite things is the hollowed, enclosed chamber within the body,” said Nick 13. “You can’t see it, but it provides resonance that a completely solid body guitar couldn’t get, while still avoiding the feedback issues playing a hollow body with higher gain normally creates. It’s the best of both worlds. Aesthetically, I love the handpicked color scheme and my favorite feature is the ’TigerBat’ fretboard inlays, which Tiger Army fans will recognize as the band’s logo.”
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