Gretsch PX 6124 Single Anniversary Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1960), ser. #38751, hard shell case.

Gretsch PX 6124 Single Anniversary Model Arch Top Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1960), made in Brooklyn, NY, serial # 38751, sunburst lacquer finish, Laminated maple body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, hard shell case.

While hardly a rare guitar, this 66 year old PX-6124 is a super nicely preserved example of the Gretsch Single Anniversary model. In 1960 this was Gretsch's low/midline archtop model, more affordable than the Chet Atkins signature guitars or the high-end White Falcon and Country Club. Priced to be affordable to amateur players, it has the same basic body, neck, and feel as the 1950s Chet Atkins model 6120 but only one Hilo'tron pickup (basically a single coil version of the Filter'Tron humbucker) and no Bigsby tailpiece. The round-backed neck is fairly slim with an unbound rosewood fingerboard inlaid with "Neo-classic" pearl half-moons along the upper edge.

The single bound full-depth body has a fairly dark sunburst finish and large open F holes. The "Great Gretsch Sound" is provided by the single Hilo'Tron pickup controlled by a minimal wiring layout comprising a volume knob on the lower cutaway bout and 3-way tone selector (A/K/A "Mud switch") on the upper which players usually ignore. The bridge is the "Space Control" unit mated to a "G" cutout tailpiece. Other hardware includes Waverly single-unit tuners with oval metal buttons and the unique Gretsch screw-off strap buttons, still a great idea that has never really caught on elsewhere. This early Anniversary is a very good player and even comes with the original blue Gretsch "OK" card signed by Dan Duffy, showing it passed inspection 66 years ago.

Overall length is 41 1/8 in. (104.5 cm.), 15 1/2 in. (39.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 in. (635 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).

This all-original 65+ year old Brooklyn Gretsch has no binding distress on the top or back; the strip by the neck heel that was starting to crumble has been replaced. The guitar shows only some very light wear but no alterations; the finish shows scattered minor dings, scrapes and scuffs; the area under the bridge has a couple of dinks and marks from it being mislocated over the years. The back of the neck is very clean with no really notable play wear. There are also a couple of small lamination cracks, chips and scuffs in the headstock veneer.

The neck has never been reset, the joint is solid and the angle good. All hardware is original with some minor wear and there are small cracks to the back-painted Lucite pickguard at both screws. The original small wire frets have some very minor wear in the lower positions but the instrument plays very well. This is a really nicely preserved dawn-ot-the 1960s Gretsch, a modest but good playing guitar in a modern HSC but with a period strap and the infamous "OK" card still along for the ride. Overall Excellent - Condition.