“Vintage charm and modern performance”: Gretsch and Guitar Center go green with an exclusive Streamliner that features some rather unusual f-holes

Guitar Center and Gretsch have linked up for a limited-edition take on its Streamliner semi-hollow electric guitar.

Dubbed the Gretsch Streamliner Cateye Center Block, it marries then-and-now features via “classic Gretsch aesthetics and contemporary performance” and an eye-catching Olive Drab finish.

Complementing that tasty colorway is a pair of rather unique cat-eye F-holes that nestle either side of its Adjusto-Matic bridge and V-Stoptail.

Tones come via a duo of Broad’Tron BT-3S humbuckers that use Alnico 5 and Alnico 2 magnets for a “well-balanced sound with strong midrange presence, tight bass response, and clear, smooth highs”.

The magnet pairing puts versatility to the fore, with “aggressive high-gain textures” and vintage chime. Each pickup also gets a dedicated Volume control, which sit alongside Master dials for Volume and Tone, and a three-way toggle switch.

Of the guitar’s skeleton, there’s a maple body with an arched and laminated maple top, a gloss-finished nato set neck, and a laurel fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo frets.

The body features a chambered center block, which enhances the instrument’s resonance and sustain while helping curb feedback. It’s a sizable body, but one that promises to be lightweight and comfortable “without sacrificing the full, dynamic tone that Gretsch guitars are known for.”

Away from the olive look, black is employed as its secondary color, and is used for the small block inlays, one-ply pickguard, and Gretsch Radio knobs.

Says Guitar Center: “Combining classic Gretsch character with contemporary enhancements, the Streamliner Cateye Center Block is built for musicians who demand both vintage charm and modern performance. This model offers a unique blend of style, comfort, and dynamic tone.”

The Gretsch Streamliner Cateye Center Block is priced at a tidy $549.99 and is available exclusively from Guitar Center.

The collaborative move comes after Guitar Center CEO Gabe Dalporto laid out the retailer's plans to win back the trust of prospective customers while putting the fight to Amazon. This sparked an outpouring of comments from Guitar World readers, who offered their own two cents on how Guitar Center can reclaim its former glory.