Early 1940's Gretsch Super Synchromatic 160 Cat's Eye

 Amazingly Cool… Early 1940’s Gretsch Synchromatic 160 Cat’s Eye

We found this gal in need of TLC, and as you may know, we have a soft spot for these unique vintage beauties. We spent considerable time cleaning her up and fixing her up to bring her back to exceptional playing condition. These cat’s eyes are truly alluring and at this point, quite rare. The placement of the soundholes at just the right spot on the soundboard provides a unique tonal clarity and a distinct visual appeal. There is a faded stamp inside the soundhole that reads, “Gretsch Super Synchromatic” with a pencil mark of 725. All that indicates a date of early ‘40’s. Her spruce top is complemented by a beautifully figured maple back and sides. The maple neck has been reset and action is fantastic. The fretboard is rosewood with original frets, which have been cleaned and crowned, and ready for lots more play. And who could resist those Gretsch block inlays? Speaking of inlays, the inlay on the hourglass headstock screams art-deco (as really the whole guitar) and is emblematic of vintage Gretsch in these early years. The original tuners were toasty so we replaced them with appropriate new Grovers that are smooth and secure. We touched up where the finish had peeled on the upper back of the headstock. The body had a couple of smaller cracks on the back that were sealed. All is structurally solid. We found that the binding is either original or an extremely well done replacement from some time ago. There is one area on the back upper bout where binding has been reglued. Interestingly, the binding around the cat’s eyes is still all intact which is pretty unusual on these old Gretsch’s. You will note that there is a variety of finish wear on the front and back of the guitar with some light overspray on the back to seal abrasion. She is not pristine, but lots of love has gone into her restoration. There's mojo and playability to spare. The floating stairstep bridge looks to be newer. We replaced the tailpiece with a period correct Gretsch tailpiece as the original was not present with the guitar. The set up is excellent and both the sound projection and the tone are both deep and clear. This is a guitar that is appropriate for anything from jazz to solo acoustic. She comes in a newer Roadrunner fitted hard case. We hate to part with this one and likely won't profit from the sale. But there are other guitars out there that are calling for some love.