NGD: MOAR Corvette!

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NGD: MOAR Corvette!

Post by bender »

What's better than a '60s Gretsch Corvette? TWO 60s GRETSCH CORVETTES!!!

Image

It may seem crazy to get a second one, but the first is so utterly awesome and yet an utter mongrel that I really wanted a tidy one, and this came up at a truly great price so I played the Reverb 'make an offer' game and won! It ended up absurdly cheap for a vintage guitar (it cost me less than a brand new Korean made one), mostly because of how unoriginal it is, but it's not without its issues. It has a slightly odd neck profile (possibly a reshape during its life, but very possibly out of the factory like that) that I'll get corrected and the tuners slip badly enough that I'll probably either replace them or see if someone like Glynn can fix them up. Anyway, I'm now a confirmed Gretsch Corvette fanboi/junky.

It's hard to tell, but I think the bodies have a slightly different shape (aside from the obvious chunk taken out at the base of the tailpiece):
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It's had a really well executed refinish, and is a lovely deep cherry colour. There are a few bumps and scrapes, but it's pretty much immaculate:
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Bonkers Headstock (which most will hate, but I love):
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This is me hard at work:
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Needless to say, I got sweet fuckall done this day:
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Lovely old growth Mahogany, steeper neck angle than my other one and quite a different sound. It's far zingier/chimier than the other one, but that could be down to the bridges. The bridge on this one is off an old Teisco- the base is metal (vs wood on the other) and is screwed on to the body. The bridge itself is basically just a folded piece of metal (might be aluminium?). The pickguard, tuners and tailpiece are original, but the pickups and bridge (and probably electronics- I haven't checked) aren't. The pickups are HiLo Trons out of a modern Japanese Gretsch and sound absolutely excellent. I'm not sold on a HiLo in the bridge position, although it sounds freakin' awesome through a tweed amp cranked to thermonuclear meltdown. I've got a spare Filtertron that I'll drop in over the weekend, and I'll probably redo the controls to be Volume, Tone, Bass Contour rather than Volume, Volume, Tone. I'm also going to try my Coronado Trem on it and, if it works, I'll track down another. It's actually great with the trapese tailpiece, but I'll get more short term use out of it with a trem. I don't think I want to add a trem unless it requires no new holes to be drilled though- I'll probably return it to this configuration at some point.

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Re: NGD: MOAR Corvette!

Post by Darth Sabbathi »

Uh, kind of sounds like this one has a bit of the mongrel too... I think I'm in the 'no' camp on that headstock, but generally that is awesome. I love the look of these things!

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Re: NGD: MOAR Corvette!

Post by bender »

Darth Sabbathi wrote:Uh, kind of sounds like this one has a bit of the mongrel too... I think I'm in the 'no' camp on that headstock, but generally that is awesome. I love the look of these things!
Yeah, definitely a bit of a mongrel, but tidier looking than the other one (particularly the bridge pickup route, which is what I was after).

The other one is mongrel to the core.

And yes, I realise I have a problem. I really want a Corvette Silver Duke as well.

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Re: NGD: MOAR Corvette!

Post by Molly »

bender wrote: Image
I think you've got a screw missing ;-)

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Re: NGD: MOAR Corvette!

Post by werdna »

What crazy guitars, but super cool too. i never knew this model existed.
In life, don't sweat the petty stuff, and don't pet the sweaty stuff.

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Re: NGD: MOAR Corvette!

Post by bender »

Molly wrote:
bender wrote: Image
I think you've got a screw missing ;-)
Nah, it's just loose.

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Re: NGD: MOAR Corvette!

Post by bender »

These two models are firmly on the GAS list too:

Silver Duke (although I'd prefer one with a clean bridge pickup route and no surround):
Image

Princess:
Image
Image

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Re: NGD: MOAR Corvette!

Post by Jay »

Oooooh, that green one... that is one lovely dirty princess that is...


Can you put a photo up of the headstock backside?
When faced with quality, I recognise it every time.

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Re: NGD: MOAR Corvette!

Post by bender »

jvpp wrote:Oooooh, that green one... that is one lovely dirty princess that is...


Can you put a photo up of the headstock backside?
Roger that- will do tomorrow.

Edit: Here's one from t'internet:
Image

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Re: NGD: MOAR Corvette!

Post by bender »

werdna wrote:What crazy guitars, but super cool too. i never knew this model existed.
You want crazy? Look up Gretsch Astrojet.

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Re: NGD: MOAR Corvette!

Post by alanp »

Musicman inspiration?
Capt. Black wrote:Call me if you're looking for the sound of a sows ear made from a silk purse with a side of hot bitches and alcohol

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Re: NGD: MOAR Corvette!

Post by werdna »

the Astroject has humps all over, half guitar half Beluga whale.
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Re: NGD: MOAR Corvette!

Post by bender »

werdna wrote:the Astroject has humps all over, half guitar half Beluga whale.
It's ALL hump!

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Re: NGD: MOAR Corvette!

Post by Jay »

bender wrote:
jvpp wrote:Oooooh, that green one... that is one lovely dirty princess that is...


Can you put a photo up of the headstock backside?
Roger that- will do tomorrow.

Edit: Here's one from t'internet:
Image
The tuner knobs on yours are plastic, so I guess a different tuner then...
When faced with quality, I recognise it every time.

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Re: NGD: MOAR Corvette!

Post by bender »

jvpp wrote:
bender wrote:
jvpp wrote:Oooooh, that green one... that is one lovely dirty princess that is...


Can you put a photo up of the headstock backside?
Roger that- will do tomorrow.

Edit: Here's one from t'internet:
Image
The tuner knobs on yours are plastic, so I guess a different tuner then...
Is that what you're trying to see? The original tuners? Will take a photo tomorrow for you.

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