I bought one a few weeks ago and I love it ! SOUNDS GREAT and the action is awesome !

I own one of these in Airline Silver, and it’s not only my favourite, but also my most stable guitar, in terms of tuning. Here’s how I made that happen: 1. Bricks BiggsFix. 2. Replaced that scrapey Adjust-o-Matic bridge with a roller bridge. 3. Replaced the tuners with Grover Rotomatic lockers 4. I widened the nut slots just a wee bit. 4. I Keep everything well lubricated with silicone gun oil. On the nut slots, I use a silicone gel. The strings now move freely when I operate the Bigsby, and after a 10-minute jam with moderate vibrato use (that means no dive-bombs-it’s a Bigsby, not a Floyd Rose) my tuning’s typically off by only a couple of cents. After leaving her in the case for a month, tuning is PERFECT, provided she’s not exposed to any temperature extremes. Seriously, though; she’s more stable than my Gretsch stop-tail (G2655-P90), which ALSO has Rotomatics on her , though no roller bridge. I don’t really need the strings to move nearly so smoothly over the bridge, without a vibrato tailpiece.)

at 53yrs old, (now 56yrs), I first bought a HB st-20 3 yrs a go to learn on at £75 (beautiful quality to be honest), but i seen the 5230t in Aleutian blue at £469..I HAD to buy one..i didnt know nothing about intonation then, being a guitar noob lol , i bought a KORG GA custom tuner watched YT vids on intonation..after owning the 5230 for over 2 yrs and checking the intonation..IT WAS SPOT ON!! no adjustments where needed..My recently bought £700 fender strat was no where near intonated WTF! and fender make the Gretsch guitars..basically i just use my Gretsch now as i just love it 💖 EDIT: action was spot on too 😍

You have to see the colors in person to really appreciate them. Just amazing really.

It's also has a chambered body.

So much clarity

Interesting comment on not holding tune well. Not denying your experience, but I've wondered why my G5232T with the same B50 and hardware stays in tune so well as I've seen others make the same complaint about G5232Ts. I bend heaps, although Bigsby vibrato use is moderate. Nut is synthetic bone, so the slots do require lubrication. I use 3-IN-ONE Lock Lubricant (spray) which allows accurate minuscule volume delivery. It has anti-dirt attractant properties. If it's a suitable alternative to Graphite for locks -which is how I discovered it and tested it, I figured it'd be great for Bone and Urea guitar nuts. It is.

The color of this guitar makes me think of the Emerald City. It is very pretty. :) The fret board is kind of plain looking compared to a lot of the other guitars that you've played. I also like that it has a really unique looking bar on it!

Nice guitar. The fretboard on mine is walnut.

This is the sweetest-sounding "clean" guitar I own, and also one of the least expensive. Go figure!

I have one of these. It sounds good, but I have some issues with it. First pickup selector sometimes messed up (cut out). Second, I absolutely hate the tapers on the pots. Third, sharp frets. Not fret sprout, but where crowns meet the bevels was very uncomfortable to play all up and down the neck. Fourth, the tuners felt horrible. Finally, like you said, the damn thing will not stay in tune even if you never touch the vibrato. I have replaced the switch. I have not yet replaced the pots but that's on the agenda. I've dressed the frets and replaced the tuners. I've tried lubricating the nut, the bridge and the Bigsby, but nothing has helped with the tuning. I think it needs a new nut but I won't cut a new nut myself, so I have to take it to a tech. For me that's 60 miles round trip twice through urban traffic and two weeks, so I'm tempted to just sell it, but I probably won't after sinking as much time as I already have into it. I really like the sound or I would have sent it back when it was new. The guitar has good bones but they made some questionable decisions with the pots and switch, and the workmanship leaves quite a bit to be desired (just the frets and the nut...the fit and finish is really good). I would have paid two or three hundred more for the same guitar if it had better electronics, would stay in tune, and had a good fret dress at the factory. As it is, I've had it nearly two years and really don't play it that much. Eventually I'll get it straightened out, I guess.

I have this guitar the tuners are not great and it does not hold tune so I just bought new grover locking tuners I think that will solve the issue for sure. Only paid 500 for mine a few years ago inflation jeez...check out reverb for used versions