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what is the deal with the back of this gretsch?

exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
edited May 2004 in Musicians and Gearheads
http://i23.ebayimg.com/02/i/01/c5/dd/14_1_s.JPG

apparently it's padding. i've never seen that before.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • TelesonicTelesonic Posts: 222
    ya, i've seen that on some gretschs before. i think its there to prevent getting big ol' belt buckle scratches on the back of the guitar.
    my life...you electrify my life. let's conspire to reignite...all the souls that would die just feel alive.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    too bad i don't have $3000 lying around. it's a left handed 1964 6120. mint. here in calgary.
  • TelesonicTelesonic Posts: 222
    nice. only $3000 huh? hang on, i'll wire you the money.
    my life...you electrify my life. let's conspire to reignite...all the souls that would die just feel alive.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    well, it's at $2000US and the reserve's not met. i'm getting the reserve's $2500US. so more than 3G canadian i guess.

    cooler than a new les paul or something though (if one was actually buying something).
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Originally posted by exhausted
    http://i23.ebayimg.com/02/i/01/c5/dd/14_1_s.JPG

    apparently it's padding. i've never seen that before.

    Telesonic is right.

    remember, it's a lot of country players play those and they wear stuff like this: :D

    http://www.countrycalendar.com/Country_Store/Buckles/dancing.htm



    That IS a really nice guitar!
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • mojorison_75mojorison_75 Posts: 157
    I've never seen a guitar with padding attached to it like that. I'm not an expert on old Gretsches, it may have came stock that way, but before I bid on it I would do some research and find out. I'm a little skeptical about that padding. I know you're not bidding, just adding my two cents.

    I wonder if anyone here knows anything about old Gretsches? I'd be interested in knowing if this was stock or not.

    By the way I recently did some trading for a 67-69(serial number hard to read) Gretsch single annversary. It's not mint but it's still cool. I'm having some work done on it now - fret work, binding - minor stuff. I can't wait to fire her up.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by mojorison_75
    I've never seen a guitar with padding attached to it like that. I'm not an expert on old Gretsches, it may have came stock that way, but before I bid on it I would do some research and find out. I'm a little skeptical about that padding. I know you're not bidding, just adding my two cents.

    I wonder if anyone here knows anything about old Gretsches? I'd be interested in knowing if this was stock or not.

    By the way I recently did some trading for a 67-69(serial number hard to read) Gretsch single annversary. It's not mint but it's still cool. I'm having some work done on it now - fret work, binding - minor stuff. I can't wait to fire her up.


    It is stock believe it or not. More than likely it is an option. It's buckle padding. to protect the finish. It was very popular with country and western guitar players and rock and roll people alike. Buckle padding kept the finish from being mauled by those big buckles.

    you should love it man, Gretsch's are awesome, I love them. I really want one eventually. Those filter/hilotron pickups sound great and the hollowbody sound is just fantastic. Plus you have the classic looks. Have fun.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    it's stock.

    i found this page.

    http://www.gretschpages.com

    it might help you with yours too.
  • mojorison_75mojorison_75 Posts: 157
    Yea, thanks, I stumbled up on there while researching mine and found a lot out there.

    From the research I've done - things on the guitar, serial number placement, so forth - I've pretty much narrowed it down to a 67,8, or 9. They stopped making making single anniversaries around the first of 70 and with the serial number being on the back of the headstock with the made in the usa stamp back there it puts it in that time period. It also has a HI/lo tron pickup in it, which puts it in that time frame.

    I just can't read the damn serial number though! I can barely make out the made in the usa and a few numbers, but it' hard to tell where they are in the total serial #. If I had to guess it's a 68, but I can't be sure.

    What really sucks is that some mullet head refinished the top, which killed the market value. It will still be a great sounding guitar, but I can't help but be a little disappointed.

    I think it was one of the two tone brown models before the top got screwed with. Would have been cool, because in my research I've seen very few of the 2 tone models like that. Most of them are the green ones.
  • nailz100nailz100 Posts: 1,176
    thats some fucked up shit. Don't know why anyone would want to mess up the back of a beautiful guitar.
    Only with our eyes closed can we truly see
  • mojorison_75mojorison_75 Posts: 157
    What I don't get about it is you're putting that padding on to prevent scratches, right? Well, it looks to me like it is bolted on, which means the back now has holes punched in it. Much worse in my book. Plus the area you're wanting to protect is now permanently obscured by that ugly padding that's going to fade and get torn, exposing ugly foam.

    Isn't it ironic, don't you think?
  • nailz100nailz100 Posts: 1,176
    Yeah.....pretty stupid if you ask me.
    Only with our eyes closed can we truly see
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    well honestly most people do not see the back of the guitar. One unfortunate consequence of giant buckles besides scratches is sound that they make. In a true hollowbody guitar this sound can be heard through the thin back of the guitar and sound chamber and can be heard through the amplifier, this is not desireable. Thus the easy solution is to pad the back so that that sound won't come through. Makes sense right?
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • nailz100nailz100 Posts: 1,176
    I guess....

    But it really looks stupid...and besides, I care more about what I think about the guitar than what somebody else does.....and I wouldn't want my baby to be full of holes.
    Only with our eyes closed can we truly see
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by nailz100
    I guess....

    But it really looks stupid...and besides, I care more about what I think about the guitar than what somebody else does.....and I wouldn't want my baby to be full of holes.



    Thus, new Gretsch's do not have the big lame pad on the back.

    ---Everyone lived happily ever after.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Sorry, I forgot to say in my post that that was stock on some of them old country Gretsches. But Paco and exhausted figured it out!:D

    I prefer FULL protection for my guitar:
    http://www.deanguitars.com/content/gallery/zztop/gallery/images/zz1_jpg.jpg

    I actually, somewhere in my stock of guitars and memorabilia (ahem, crap), have a belt buckle that the back of the guitar hooks into so you can spin it like ZZ Top. I tried it on a strat once, but I guess I was too skinny, and it kept pulling my pants down!
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • mojorison_75mojorison_75 Posts: 157
    Originally posted by Pacomc79
    well honestly most people do not see the back of the guitar. One unfortunate consequence of giant buckles besides scratches is sound that they make. In a true hollowbody guitar this sound can be heard through the thin back of the guitar and sound chamber and can be heard through the amplifier, this is not desireable. Thus the easy solution is to pad the back so that that sound won't come through. Makes sense right?


    I've never thought of that before, but you have a point. It could very well affect your sound. Thanks for pointing that out.

    Of course my solution would be not to wear those stupid buckles.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    Originally posted by who's_pearljam?
    Sorry, I forgot to say in my post that that was stock on some of them old country Gretsches. But Paco and exhausted figured it out!:D

    I prefer FULL protection for my guitar:
    http://www.deanguitars.com/content/gallery/zztop/gallery/images/zz1_jpg.jpg

    I actually, somewhere in my stock of guitars and memorabilia (ahem, crap), have a belt buckle that the back of the guitar hooks into so you can spin it like ZZ Top. I tried it on a strat once, but I guess I was too skinny, and it kept pulling my pants down!


    Ha, I wonder if ZZ's guitar tech ever has to give that thing a hair cut before the show!
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
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