smokeyjocustoms Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 I bought a guitar at an auction. Seller said it is a Gretsch. How can I find out for sure? There is a serial number on the back on the neck plate. model number 319-14759 Any onfo or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 Model number doesn't match up with anything at this site: http://www.provide.net/~cfh/gretsch.html#mod Got anys pics handy? Is it a flattop or archtop? See if specs match anything at the Vintage guitars site above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeyjocustoms Posted February 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 Here it is, I really don't have any clue what it may be. I have yet to find a Gretsch with a slanted pick up. It also came with a Gretsch type case. Hard case with the very plush liner. Please let me know what you think it may be and maybe link to some info on it. Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 Its definitely a Gretsch design , I don't think anyone else employs the use of 2 switches on the upper bout. Unless someone copied a Gretsch design. I don't think the pickup is supposed to be angled either. I would check under the pickguard and look for the original pickup mounting screwhole. I'm surprized that there is no real identification on the guitar, nothing on the headstock and no sticker inside? Not even any markings on the hardware? Look thru the electric archtop section of the website from my earlier post. I found a few guitars that closely resemble yours but not quite. There are others with only descriptions and no pictures. There should be some features/dimensions that should match up. For instance, a lot of the electric archtops featured have "thumbnail" fretboard inlays, whereas, yours does not. They also have a "zero fret" near the nut, can't tell from your picture. The closest match is the Viking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 Better pics would help. Better pics of the whammy plate, a clear pic of the headstock, clearer pics of the pkps themselves and a pic of the back where the neck joins would all help. Also, if you have a thin mirror, or one of those telescoping mirrors, you can look inside with a flashlight at the bottom of the top, maybe some more information/numbers in there. Is the neck a bolt-on or set-neck? The design is very much a Gretch design, but there's 'something' about it that says maybe Epiphone or Import to me, hard to describe. Like a '60's or '70's Gretch knockoff. But not definitely. It has enough features of a real Gretch that I wouldn't rule it out as being the real thing yet. Remember, it's probably over 20+ years old, lots of things can happen in that time, pkps changed (slanted) bridges changed, etc... Not sure until we have a bit more info. I would lay money that it is a '70's model tho.. Yours seems to have the body shape of a Viking, far right in pic, (as Southpaw already stated) and the electronics and pickguard of a Country Club, second from left in pic. The switch at the very bottom of yours, next to the whammy plate, does that act as an on/off switch for the whole guitar? It is called a standby switch, but really is an on/off switch. That would be a clue... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeyjocustoms Posted February 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 Ok, here we go. Sorry for pic quality but the details are visible. This is the Bigsby Here is a pic of the body This is the headtsock, looks like someone painted it on there Not sure if the knobs help date it. or Authenticate it. The neck is a bolt on, but the plate has a model number not consistant with Gretsch numbering. Pup1 Pup2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 Hmmmm, I'm not saying either way yet, but those pickups (which can be changed out, so they're not a perfect indicator) are 100% EXACTLY IDENTICAL to an old knockoff Epiphone hollowbody I used to have that was shaped -just like yours-. And I don't know if real Gretches ever used a bolt-on for a hollowbody, my Epiphone did tho...that is a little suspect...I might take a stab that some things have been done to it...the pkps not fitting the pickguard properly doesn't jive... Don't know either way, but I kind of have my doubts. The headstock logo looks weird for a Gretch too, but I'm no expert on Gretches either... Notice the location of the upper strap button on yours, it's in a completely different place than on the Gretch Viking, I would expect that to be the same for the same shaped body...hmmm... Still not ruling it out as a real Gretch that's just been tampered with tho... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar_ed Posted February 2, 2004 Report Share Posted February 2, 2004 I would also check out The Gretsch Pages. There are people there who specialize in Gretsches. Guitar Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basey Posted February 3, 2004 Report Share Posted February 3, 2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadMojo Posted February 11, 2004 Report Share Posted February 11, 2004 Based on what I read here: http://www.gretschpages.com/models/ I would bet against it being a Gretsch. I'm thinking Epiphone too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted February 14, 2004 Report Share Posted February 14, 2004 Looks to me like either a Ecko Goya or Vox... ...at least that's what I've read. There's a guy who periodically sells a few bodies of these on the 'bay. The slanted neck pup, body shape, and location of knobs are identical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moojiefulagin Posted February 27, 2004 Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 Well if it is a Gretsch then it's probably pretty valuable, but it looks WAY more like a knockoff. I would also doubt that Gretch has ever used bolt on necks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Check www.gretschguitars.com a visual list and info on Gretsch guitars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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