Twenty five were made. One of them has never been played. This is that guitar.

In 2005, Gretsch commissioned Stephen Stern, the most celebrated master builder in the company's modern history, to hand-build a strictly limited run of just 25 White Falcons as a tribute to the original 1955 model. Every one was built entirely by Stern's own hands. Hand-tooled. Hand-aged. Hand-relic'd in nitrocellulose lacquer. No assembly line. No team build. One craftsman, 25 guitars, the better part of a year.

Stern has since retired. He will not build another White Falcon. The window is permanently and irreversibly closed.

This example has spent its entire 20-year life in its original hardshell case with under 1 hour playing time. It is in mint, unplayed condition and comes complete with its Certificate of Authenticity. By every definition, this is a "Case Queen".

The first batch Custom Shop guitars built by Stern are a cut above. All hand tooled by Stephen himself, not team made, and in the hands of artists like Billy Duffy, Brian Setzer, Neil Young, John Frusciante, and Tim Armstrong. This example went to a collector instead. It has stayed there, untouched, ever since.

SPECS:

• Model: Gretsch G6136CST USA Custom Shop
• Builder: Stephen Stern (retired)
• Edition: 2005 Limited 1 of 25 made
• Body: Laminated maple hollow archtop
• Neck: 3-piece maple, fat "C" shape
• Fingerboard: Ebony, mother of pearl "hump-top" inlays with feather engravings
• Pickups: '55 DynaSonic singlecoils (neck and bridge)
• Hardware: Gold throughout, Grover Imperial tuners
• Finish: Hand-aged gloss nitrocellulose lacquer, hand-relic'd
• Binding: Gold sparkle, multi layer body
• Controls: Master volume, neck vol, bridge vol, tone, 3-way selector
• Includes: Certificate of Authenticity, original hardshell case
• Condition: Mint under 1 hour of playing time, no fret wear, no finish issues
• Serial: UC05030032

This is not a guitar you buy to play. This is a guitar you buy because nothing like it will ever be made again.