Gretsch 6022 Rancher Acoustic

Solid Maple back, Sides & Top, The inlays are incredible. This has all the features of a Gibson J185 at $1000 less (still a very expensive guitar though in the upper $1000 range). This guitar will command attention where ever you take it. The look and sounds IS THAT IMPRESSIVE.

Incredible. If bacon cooked in butter had a guitar sound, it would be this guitar.

This is a review for the Japan version. Pre-Fender. It is perfect. I worry that Fender may lose some quality when they start making the Ranchers. There are zero flaws. The action is super low with no buzz. It plays like a million bucks.

Going on ten years of ownership, this guitar is awesome.

Since this was pre-fender, I doubt they would honor the warranty. Prior top that the Gretsch people were wonderful when I called them with questions 10 years ago, but there was never any problems or warranty issues. It has lasted me 10 years, no issues will appear. Buy one if you can find one.

After 20 Years of playing, with the exception of some high end Martins that I love to play at home or in the studio, this is my main stage guitar. If it were lost or stolen, I'd find another pre-fender Japan 6022 to replace it. I am pretty sure they are still made in the same factory though, but Fender is watering down the Gretsch name with cheaper junk models.

I have the 6022 E and it is amazing sounding ...a long story on how I wound up with this guitar ..but apparently I was meant to have it ..It is definitely unique looking ...I have never owned a flashy guitar in my life ..except for a reverse strat ..but this one I was curious about so when I took it down off the wall I was amazed by the neck and the sound ..so even and full...and even when strumming hard it was so solid in response ..the only guitar that has even been close to this was a Martin D-18 Golden Era I played recently ...this guitar is made in Japan and the quality of finish is amazing!!!...the pickup the pro model Fishman has so many different features you have a wide range of possibilities for getting your tone dialed in thru a PA system ...

I am mainly a strummer who can play solos...its very even ...it has a great bottom end with the size of the guitar playing a big role in that ..its huge ..but the mids and the high end shine thru amazingly well ..the intonation is dead on ...it sounds great playing chords all up and down the neck ..I am a country/rock/blues/oldies guitarist and it fits my style perfectly ...and the two times I have taken it out so far ..all the players in the audience want to see it up close ....and ask questions about it ..so that is a good sign !!

the action was low from the git go ...I have small hands and fingers ..it came with 12 or 13 gauge strings ..I put some 10 guage Martin Marquis on it and it still sounds full and big ...and helps my hands when you play four hours on an acoustic ...

the hardware and finish all seem first quality ...I am afraid of loosing the button at the neck for the strap that would be an issue ..but it seems to be a extremely well made instrument ...I am sure I can depend on it ...I do have a Gibson LGO and a lawsuit Takamine EF349E
to go to should it go down ..actually I will probably be rotating use of all three ..I love them all ...

I have no issues with the company ...I did email Kaman music to see if a feedback buster was available to fit the triangle hole as at high volumes it does seem to want to feedback a bit ..but all the controls and eqs on the electronics make that a non issue really ...

I have been playing 38 years and this is one of my favorite guitars ever ..I own around 50 guitars ...Fenders Gibsons Yamahas Hagstroms Tokai's Silvertones Ovations Ramblers

This is a review for the Gretsch 6022 Rancher acoustic. It's the version without the cutaway or elecronics. It's large -- 17" across, 3.5 to 4.5" deep. It's Japanese-made re-issue of the 1954 Rancher, but substantially better made. (The originals had a laminated top with ladder bracing, this is a solid spruce top with x-bracing). Cosmetically, it's a Gretsch: orange, with a G "brand" (actually painted, not branded) western-style inlays (cactus, arrow, rifle, etc) plus a steer's logo on the headstock, and engraved into the pickguard. It's not for the faint-of-heart.

I'm no expert. I've played for 30 years, but I can't give a professonal, critical analysis of any guitar's sound. I just know it's "big" sounding -- very full, with a fat bottom end. I've had a Takamine for 25 years, but it sounds thin next to my Rancher. I'm more of a strummer than a picker, and I'm very pleased by the sold smooth sound it puts out. I've got light-medium strings on it (12 to 54), and I find that a lighter pick brightens up the tone nicely. To this amature ear it just plain sounds good.

The finish is fabulous! It's not for everybody (I mean it IS bright orange with a steer's head on it, for God's sake!) but if love that big bold hillbilly/rockabilly Gretsch 50's look, you can't beat it. It gleams like a mirror, and feels great to play. A really beautiful finish. (In fact, if a lot of us Gretsch guys were to be honest, the flashy look is a BIG part of the appeal of these guitars).
I'm also very pleased with the action. It was pretty good out of the box, but with a minor tweaking from a local guitar pro it was fantatic. The neck is great, and the guitar is very easy to play for an acoustic. I would recommend a little set-up with ANY new guitar, but I have absolutely NO complaints about the action or finish.

I can't really judge this, I've only had it a few weeks, and I'm not a working musician. It feels very solid and well made, the tuners are excellent and the strap buttons are the nice screw-on type, not just pegs. I would have no qualms about taking to a gig, but again, with only a few weeks of home and church playing I can't really judge it for long-term gigging.

I haven't needed Gretsch for repair work, but I did contact them quite a bit in trying to find this guitar (more on that later). They were very friendly and helpful, sending me a nice selection of literautre on the guitar and even having a couple of dealers contact me when I was having trouble finding this model for sale. However, even they had a hard time finding anyone that stocked the guitar.

The worst thing I could say about my Rancher is that the intonation isn't dead-on. It sounds good to my ears, but the electronic tuner shows some discrepancies, especially on the low E-string. When I had it set up I was told that this is very common with acoustics. He also measured and said that the bridge was exactly right and that the variations that are there were no more than common. But I will admit that it shows more variation (on the tuner) than other guitars I checked.
The other negitive on this model is the extreme difficulty I had in finding one. I live near Los Angeles, but none of the big dealers in town stocked them. Some would special order it, but "you-order-it, you-buy-it". No checking it out first. A distressing number of dealers bad-mouthed Gretsch acoustics, even though most of them had never sold them! After many phone calls to Gretsch and various dealers, I gave up and bought one sight-unseen online. That's a dumb way to buy, even though I am very happy with the guitar.
In short, the Gretsch Rancher is a beautiful, well-made, easy-playing, big-sounding guitar with very poor distribution, and an undeserved bad reputation. The problem there is if you ever want to sell it, you're gonna lose money. Im not worried. I won't be selling mine. ;-)

The features are phenominal, Longhorn and cowboy-like inlays. It turns heads at the music school and is a joy to play. The Gretsch Orange is the clincher for me. Maple body, Solid Sitka top, Ebony Fretboard.

I opted for a generic SKB case as opposed to the Gretsch case of similar quality for $100 more.

This Guitar has almost no resale value once it is off the showroom floor. It is a Hyundai. It is a Kia. Be prepared to love it or take a hit in the wallet.

The after market modification I made was adding an L.R. Baggs i-beam active pickup, which allows the guitar to sound superb amplified.

I bought my 6022 in June of 2001. At the time I was convinced that this was the sweetest sounding guitar I had come across in years.

I have tried about a dozen different brands and gauges of strings (John Peirce, all Martins even the +'s, Dadarrio's, All Elixirs) on it and the ones which I go back to time after time are the elixir 12's. They seem to be the best match.

The guitar has a fat midrange, decent bass response, but is lacking in high end presense. Despite it's jumbo size, it is way too quiet in the high end.

This guitar is absolutely beautiful. I had an initial set up done when I bought it, so it plays like an electric. There are no flaws in the wood used. No complaints about playability.

This guitar is a workhorse and seems to be durable as any acoustic guitar I have played. I play it live all the time. The hardware seems solid. This is a really heavy acoustic. I have multiple acoustics and this one is one of the main giggers.

I needed warranty support and Gretsch warranty support is non-existent. I even took it to my authorized Gretsch repair center and they only got me $15 towards the $60 repair it needed. Gretsch is unreliable in regards to the warranty. It means nothing. Customer service is almost non-existent. They make you jump through hoops to get any kind of money for warrantied repairs. I am a professional. I know good service from past experience...Taylor, Fender, Gibson...all great service. Gretsch...by far the worst I have ever encountered in the music industry.

What made me choose this guitar above the Martin 16 models was that it sounded way better, played way better, was constructed better, and looked a lot better. What made me choose it above a Gibson was price alone. It was almost $1000 cheaper then the Gibson I considered.

What made me buy this guitar was that I thought it was a value and it is.

If it were lost or stolen, I'd get a high end Tacoma or a Gibson.

What I wish this guitar came with...customer support from Gretsch.

It's a slick guitar. Check it out.

Spruce top (bound), maple sides and back (bound), single cut-away, maple neck, rosewood fretboard (bound), cool inlays, gold plated hardware, wooden bridge, adjustable truss rod, eq and volume sliders w/ active pickup under bridge, tear drop sound hole, orange finish, and cool gretsch "brand" on top. Only thing I wish it had is a slide out battery compartment (like on Ovation acoustics), but I never play the thing hooked up to an amp, so it isn't a big concern. Other than that, ... great guitar.

(bought in 1998)

Absolutely the best sounding acoustic I've ever heard. Huge sounding ... lows are projected crisp and full, mids are creamy, highs are crisp as well. Everything is distinct. Can sound very bluesy to modern depending on your picking position. Equally good for rhythms and leads. The response and action off the neck are superb. The electrified sound is great as well ... not fake or too electric sounding like some Ovations. There are many decent acoustics out there, but I searched a long time before deciding on this one. This one will always be my favorite.

If you treat her well, she'll last you a lifetime.
(Unfortunately I have some scratches in mine from being careless!)

Never delt w/ Gretsch personally.

I've been playing a long time, and tend to think I have a good ear for tone. Like I said, this is the best acoustic I've heard. If broken or stolen I would go straight back to a replacement of this guitar.