Description
Condition: This is a gorgeous sounding Gretsch with a great vintage vibe! Our master luthier performed a heat press on the neck which straightened it out nicely. While the neck is not perfectly straight it is certainly playable. The very end of the truss rod had broken off and he made about a 3/8” rout in the truss rod cavity to reinstall the nut. This was done with excellent results and the truss rod functions fine. The routing work did result in one of the screw holes for the truss rod cover being drilled into. This causes the screw to go in unevenly (see photos). Because of the neck angle, the action is high towards the higher registers and it will ultimately need a neck reset. The thumb wheels could be removed from the bridge to get lower action. There are finish cracks along the neck seam but this is due to changes in humidity and shrinking over time. Cosmetically there are scratches, a few small nicks and dings and some light weather checking throughout the instrument. There is a chip in the finish beneath the bass side of the bridge and small finish chips around the strap buttons screw holes. There are also some finish cracks on the headstock with some very small cracks around the truss rod routing (see photos). The binding has shrunk and is cracking with small areas of binding rot. The binding has developed a gorgeous patina adding to the guitars character. Some of the metal parts have some blemishing and corrosion. Though the neck will require some further work, this guitar has nothing but potential to be a phenomenal vintage player once all the work is complete. All electronics and parts are in perfect working condition.
Body: double-bound single cutaway body with arched maple top, back and sides in sunburst finish. Gretsch trapeze tailpiece, rosewood-based Space-Control bridge, Gretsch Arrow controls knobs, dual “F” holes and a gold pickguard.
Neck: Two-piece maple neck with bound rosewood fingerboard, pearloid thumbnail inlays, a zero fret and a 1 ¾” nut. Vintage open-gear tuners, 24.6” scale length.
Pickups/Electronics: HiLoTron pickups in the neck and bridge with dual volume controls, a master volume control, 3-way tone switch and 3-way pickup selector switch.
Neck: 3.63K Ohms.
Bridge: 3.16K Ohms.
Weight: 7lbs, 1.0oz.
Playability/Sound: This guitar has a distinctly vintage sound and feel. The HiLoTron pickups sound beautiful with the hollow maple body and offer a very warm tone in the middle and neck pickup settings. A neck reset would make the neck play exceptionally well. It is currently playable but players who prefer very low action may find it difficult to play especially in the higher registers. A neck reset would correct the neck angle and make the action in the middle to higher registers a bit lower.
Case: Includes original hardshell case. Case includes original Gretsch Guarantee Certificate, bridge adjustment instructions, electronics instructions, instrument cable and a string mute.