GROSH
ElectraJet
Standard
BY CHRIS BURGESS
PRODUCT REVIEW
The Grosh ElectraJet is an attention getter. It
first got my attention a while ago when I was
scouting out dual P-90-equipped vintage-style
guitars. What grabbed me first was the look—
somewhat familiar, even strikingly so, without
being a case of simple flattery… sort of a
Jazzy-Stratmaster-meets-Goldtop thing. Even
with its blend of recognizably classic shapes
and narrow, slightly offset waist, it manages to
look like a new guitar that belongs to a tradition, rather than simply being a copy of an
old guitar. When the ElectraJet first debuted
almost two years ago, it was, like all of Don
Grosh’s instruments up to that point, fully customizable. The impetus behind the Standard
model, however, was Grosh’s desire to bring
the ElectraJet to a wider group of players
by making it more affordable, without shortchanging the quality his instruments have
come to be known for.
The formula he hit upon was a matter of
cutting customizable options to just a few
and keeping the rest to a standard spec,
hence the moniker. It may be a new direction for an operation that’s built a name on
its custom work, but it seems like a formula
that’s able to succeed. These guitars are
built in the same shop, with the same materials and the same attention to detail as all
of Grosh’s instruments, and the standard
specs are familiar enough to feel right at
home in the hands of any player who’s used
to traditional, bolt-on style guitars. And
there are some choices to be made in terms
of color and pickup configuration (S/S/H,
P-90/P- 90, or H/H).
When this particular ElectraJet Standard
first arrived at PG and came out of its case
(a nicely appointed G&G case is included),
it got plenty of attention. And it is striking,
with its gold metallic suede finish, cream
pickguard and pickup covers, and amber
speed knobs, but the chrome hardware,
natural maple neck and rosewood fretboard
keep the look from getting too precious—a
bit modish, perhaps, for a grunge outfit or
a bona fide punk rocker, but plenty of retro
verve for a straight-up rock ‘n’ roller.
