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Solid-Bodied Gretsch Corvette Guitar Review

Written by vintage on January 8, 2010 – 5:50 am -

by Allen Chiles The Solid-bodied Corvette (not to be confused with the Corvette hollow-body arch-top electric, produced from 1955-1959) was Gretsch’s answer to the Les Paul Jr. by Gibson. Introduced in 1961, the Corvette Solid-body was a small, light-weight, comfortable electric guitar that was just right for the budding musician. This killer guitar, with a solid mahogany body, solid mahogany set neck, and a rosewood fret board with pearl dots, originally came with a single HI-Lo ‘Tron pickup. The earliest examples had a trapeze tailpiece. By 1963, the Corvette was sporting a Burns’ flat-arm vibrato tailpiece. (Yes! That Burns! Good old Jim Burns from England), and came with a choice of either one or two of those Hi-Lo ‘Tron pickups.... more


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Solid-Bodied Gretsch Corvette Guitar

Written by vintage on September 23, 2009 – 7:53 pm -

by Allen Chiles The Solid-bodied Corvette (not to be confused with the Corvette hollow-body arch-top electric, produced from 1955-1959) was Gretsch’s answer to the Les Paul Jr. by Gibson. Introduced in 1961, the Corvette Solid-body was a small, light-weight, comfortable electric guitar that was just right for the budding musician. This killer guitar, with a solid mahogany body, solid mahogany set neck, and a rosewood fret board with pearl dots, originally came with a single HI-Lo ‘Tron pickup. The earliest examples had a trapeze tailpiece. By 1963, the Corvette was sporting a Burns’ flat-arm vibrato tailpiece. (Yes! That Burns! Good old Jim Burns from England), and came with a choice of either one or two of those Hi-Lo ‘Tron pickups.... more


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Gretsch 6134 White Penguin Solid Body Guitar

Written by vintage on August 22, 2009 – 1:26 am -

Gretsch 6134 White Penguin Solid Body Guitar Collectibility Rating: Single cutaway models: A, Double cutaway models: A-. Essentially a white, fancy DuoJet. Solid body 13 1/4 inches wide, maple top, two pickups. 1954 White Penguin Introduction specs: • Single Cutaway, body finished in white. • Two DeArmond single coil pickups. • "Cadillac G" tailpiece. • Three knobs on lower bout, one on cutaway, 1 switch on upper bout. • Melita bridge (gold). • Clear acyrlic pickguard with engraved penguin, back painted in gold. • Pearl block inlays with engraved birds. • 24 3/4" scale, vertical Gretsch peghead. • Gold sparkle binding. • Gold plated parts. 1957 White Penguin specs: • "Humptop" inlays replace blocks. 1958 White Penguin... more


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Starting your vintage guitar collection

Written by vintage on July 26, 2009 – 9:03 am -

Lou Carlozo It may sound like rock-opera fiction, but it happens: Weekend Warrior hits garage sale and buys dusty old Fender guitar for $50 (or, cleans attic and finds the Gibson he bought in high school for $100). He visits a guitar shop in "Antiques Road Show" fashion -- and discovers the "beat-up axe" is a vintage collectible, worth $10,000. Or $20,000. Or $100,000. The vintage guitar market has declined like other investments in this recession. But if you have cash to seed a small collection, why not start a fun hobby that's financially savvy? After all, when your 401K takes a beating, you're broke. When your vintage guitar takes a beating, it may continue to appreciate anyway, just because it looks so cool. Besides, who ever plugged a... more


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Posted in Epiphone, Fender, Fender Bass, Gibson, Gibson, Gretsch, Guild, Ibanez, Martin, Stratocster, Vintage Acoustic Guitars, Vintage Bass Guitars, Vintage Electric Guitars, Vintage Guitars | No Comments »

Vintage Gretsch Guitars

Written by vintage on June 20, 2009 – 3:57 pm -

Gretsch musical instrument production began in 1883 when Friedrich Gretsch, a German immigrant, set up a shop in Brooklyn for the manufacture of banjos, tambourines and drums. The company was immediately prosperous, but in 1895 Friedrich Gretsch died at 39 and his 15-year-old son, Fred, took over. By 1916 Fred Gretsch had moved the company into a 10-story building at 60 Broadway in Brooklyn and become one of America's leading importers and manufacturers of musical instruments. At this time, Gretsch still produced very few guitars, because there was little market for guitars. The banjo reigned supreme until well into the big-band era, when the archtop guitar came to the fore. Gretsch responded with the Synchromatic line. When Fred Gretsch retired... more


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