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Gretsch G2202 Junior Jet vs. G2210 Junior Jet II

C

chilliwilli

Aug 17, 2005
922
303
#1
I was amazed by the quality of the G2202 (especially the pickup) and was thinking of getting one, but now there is a newer model. It seems like it has an extra fret, the body joins the neck at the 15th fret instead of the 13th, and it has smaller frets in general. Hardware seems a bit better too. They don't say what the body is made of on the first junior jet is (agathis?), but the newer one has basswood. The pickup is different too, but is it an improvement or are you trading better fit and finish for a worse pickup? Not sure about the difference between the TV jones designed Gretsch mini humbucker and the Gretsch mini humbucker. It's closer to the neck on the newer model too.

Any help would be appreciated. I'd like to know if you actually get a better sounding bass for $35 extra.
 
#3
I can't speak directly to the quality of the G2210, but the one potential I foresee is neck dive. The G2202 has an LP sized single cut slab body. Having the neck join the body at the 13th fret means that the bass balances perfectly -- with the added bonus that it fits into a standard electric guitar gigbag.

The pickup on the G2202 is great. It's the hottest passive pickup on any of the basses I own. And unlike some basses I've played, the tone control actually make a noticeable difference in the sound of the bass. As to the extra fret, I certainly don't miss it. I play bass in a rock band. If I play much above the 12th fret, I start to step on the lower end of the guitars' range.

The only mod I made to the bass was the installation of a Gotoh 201 bridge. I currently have the bass strung with D'addario short scale tapewounds.

The band really likes the sound of the bass. At a lot of our gigs, I'll start out the night on one of my Birdsongs, and play the last set on the Gretsch.

If you are able to A/B the two basses I would like hear your thoughts on that...

PS. A final thought on the pickup placement. The pickup on the G2202 is in the sweet spot. Moving that pickup closer to the neck would likely change what I like about the sound in the first place.
 
#5
I don't know if this will help you, but I posted a short demo of the Gretsch G2220, which is the two pickup version of the G2210 you are considering. Part of the video has the neck pickup solo'd, so that would give you an idea of the sound. Here you go:

Gretsch Electromatic Junior Jet II Bass Demo G2220 - YouTube

The quality of the hardware on this bass is lacking, IMO. The tuning pegs have some give in them, meaning that you have to turn them a little bit before the gear actually starts turning. The pickup selector was sort of junky on mine, so I removed it altogether and rewired the bass like a jazz bass. I guess the single pickup model wouldn't have that problem.

All of that said, this is currently my favorite bass to play. It is light weight and a the neck is really smooth. The pickups are HOTTTT!

I used to have the G2202. I sold it because I was not in love with the burst color - the gray was a bit too drab for my liking. It definitely is a solid bass, though.
 
#6
Can someone tell me what the neck feels like? As a reference, the find the Ibanez basses all appear to be very thin in width and shallow in the depth, especially by the nut. On the other end I would say a Warwick bass is fat and feels like a baseball bat. I like the thin styles cus my fingers are not big. I found the Warwick harder to play and uncomfortable. What is style and feel of this Gretsch, single pickup bass? Is the nut area 1 1/2" wide?
 
#7
GGman said:
Can someone tell me what the neck feels like? Is the nut area 1 1/2" wide?
Click to expand...

Neck is the best neck I've ever played - it almost plays itself. Better than any other short scale including the SG and miles better than any fender. It's a slim D shape and easy even right at the nut. You can play fast and easy on this neck - superb. The bass balances well sitting, also, so really nice to practise. Neck at nut is 1.56" or 39.7mm
 
#8
I have the 2202. I love the sound of it... except for the E string. It doesn't ring as loudly as the other strings acoustically and that obviously translates to the amplifier as well. I've tried 4 sets of strings and I just changed to a high mass bridge. No change. Ideas?
 
#9
OrvCraig said:
I have the 2202. I love the sound of it... except for the E string. It doesn't ring as loudly as the other strings acoustically and that obviously translates to the amplifier as well. I've tried 4 sets of strings and I just changed to a high mass bridge. No change. Ideas?
Click to expand...

Common issue for short scales IMO with the E string. What brand of strings are you using? Go for a higher gauge E string, something .100 or greater. Labella do .100 or .105 i think
I used to have this all the time with Roto flat's which were like .90 E string
 

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