1973 Gretsch Super Chet Cherry with Original Hardshell Case

Summary: Chet Atkins himself once said “The super Chet is the prettiest guitar Gretsch has ever made.” It is easy to agree with that sentiment with its uniquely elegant cutaways, classy inlays, gold hardware and a deep cherry finish. Our in-house luthier has just set up and restrung this guitar with a new set of 10s and it plays beautifully with low action and a comfortable slim neck. This classic Gretsch ships in its original hard-shell case fully packed, padded and insured!

Body: This rarity has a laminate maple body, semi hollow construction, 2 1/2” body depth, cherry finish, bound f-holes, multi-ply cream/black/cream binding on the top, back, and down the middle of the sides all the way around the guitar which looks really classy.

Neck: The Super Chet has a really comfortable 2 piece flame maple neck with a slim profile, 5 ply w/b/w bound ebony fretboard with fancy flower pattern abalone inlays, zero fret, bone nut, ornate headstock inlays and gold Schaller tuners.

Pickups/Hardware: It has all gold hardware, 2 Filter’tron pickups, gold Bigsby vibrato unit, gold tune-o-matic style bridge on top of an ebony base, 3-way toggle switch, plexi-glass pickguard with unique controls mounted on the guard. The controls are master volume, 2 volumes for bridge and neck and 2 tones. The truss rod is adjusted through a cover located on the back of the heel.

Cosmetics: This Gretsch is in unbelievable shape for its age. There are no breaks, cracks, major scratches or visible repairs to comment on. There is a little fret-wear but it doesn’t negatively affect the playabilty. There are a few finish checks, mostly in the sides and the back. All wear is typical for instruments of its age and we think it adds to the mojo of the guitar. You can see a small plugged hole at the butt of the guitar where the original tailpiece was mounted but removed so it could be fitted with the Bigsby.

Playability: This guitar has been set up by our in-house luthier with low action and restrung with a new set of 10s. It plays phenomenally up and down the fingerboard with nice clarity and definition. When you touch the control wheels a slight amount of buzz can be heard through the circuit.

Modifications: A Bigsby has been mounted in place of the original tailpiece but the original tailpiece is in the case.

Weight: 8 lbs 9 oz.

Case: The original case is in great shape and has purple interior, we will ship it fully packed, padded and insured!