For your vintage-rockin' pleasure, I present this 1979 Gretsch 8215 BST-1000 Beast in Red Mahogany. As of uploading this listing, this is the ONLY vintage Beast on Reverb. The only non-stock aspect of this nearly 50-year-old American-made solid-body ax is that I had my luthier install white dot fret markers on the bass side of the neck, so you can see your hand positioning while playing it. They came from the factory without side fret markers. I planned on keeping this guitar forever, because it's my birth year and I love it, so I had the markers installed so I could play the beautiful thing without guessing where I am. I do have to sell it now, though, which pains me. Other than that, it's a stock unit. It makes it way easier and more fun to play.

What I love about the Beast, other than its obviously cool retro-looking body shape and under-seven-pound weight, is the maple neck and the Gretsch humbuckers. It feels and sounds so, so good. The neck has some great flame to it, especially near the volute. It's absolutely gorgeous. The rosewood in the fingerboard is figured beautifully. I could just sit and stare at this guitar. And unlike a lot of Gretsch humbuckers from this era, these ones have not gone microphonic. They rock. Very warm with a strong mid-range presence.

Condition-wise, it has plenty of signs of playwear and scratches. The back side has some minor buckle rash near the neck bolts. And there's a dark blot on the back that was there when I bought it that I've never quite been able to figure out what it's about.

However, it has its original frets with plenty of life left, a straight neck, and a functioning truss rod, setting it up for many more decades of rock and roll. The original Gretsch case has seen better days. Two of the latches are broken, but if you're a handy-type person, or know someone familiar with such, it can be repaired. Because I've never taken it outside my smoke-free home studio, I've never really worried about getting the latches fixed. You could, though. I have taken very good care of this guitar since it's been in my possession. Also, the YouTube video attached is the actual guitar from the fella I bought it from.

Specs:

• Body: Mahogany (single cutaway)
• Neck: Maple with volute.
• Neck construction: Bolt-on
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Inlays: Dot
• Frets: 24 with a zero fret
• Scale: 24-3/4"
• Nut width: 1.6875"
• Pickups: Gretsch humbuckers
• Bridge/tailpiece: Strat-style string-through
• Weight: 6 lbs, 14 oz