Excellent condition featuring single cutaway laminated maple 17” wide and 2.5” deep body, multi-ply top, back and center seam edges, two bound F holes, two Gretsch Filter'Tron humbucking pickups with gold plexi pickup surrounds, three way pickup selector switch with knurled metal switch tip, thick black and gold plastic elevated plexi pickguard with five control knobs mounted to it (a volume and tone control for each pickup) with metal mounting bracket and Gretsch Super Chet logos, Bigsby tailpiece, wooden bridge base with tune-o-matic style bridge, set two-piece maple neck, multiple bound ebony fingerboard with fancy abalone inlays starting at the first fret, zero fret, bone nut, bound Gretsch peghead shape with with black peghead face, pearl Gretsch logo and decorative abalone inlays, three per side individual Schaller tuning machines, serial number 3 2123 and Made In USA impressed into the back of the peghead, white plastic heel cap, multi-ply black and white plastic triangular shaped truss rod cover located below the heel, two knurled metal screw-in strap buttons, gold plated metal hardware, Autumn Red finish, original hard shell Gretsch case and original Gretsch O.K. Card.
This 1972 Gretsch 7690 Super Chet is in excellent cosmetic condition showing very light signs of play wear and no major scratches or dings - just very tidy. The Autumn Red finish has faded on the top to a really nice looking, almost salmon or peach color while the back of the instrument retains its very vibrant red color. The gold plated metal hardware has some slight tarnishing. The Bigsby has been added but the original tailpiece is included (see photos). The bridge and wooden bridge base is a non-original tune-o-matic style unit that works very well. The binding on this instrument is in great shape and shows only minor wear on the neck towards the upper register and in one or two small places around the body but nothing significant. The neck is straight and the truss rod is in working order.
This guitar has a nice feeling chunky neck that has a flatter center and pronounced shoulders. The original frets show some wear but are in overall good shape and have a lot of life left in them. This guitar has been professionally set up and it plays outstanding up and down the fingerboard with low action and good intonation. This instrument is easy and fun to play and has a very smooth feel and string tension. It does not fret out or buzz - it’s ready to play!
The original Filter'Tron pickups sound absolutely fantastic in this guitar! The electronics are fully original and are fully operational. This instrument is well suited for fingerstyle with a very high fidelity, clear and articulate tone that is perfect for Chet style playing and jazz alike. This guitar is also excellent with an overdriven amp and pairs extremely well with a Vox style circuit. From country to rock, this super Chet will definitely deliver!
This Super Chet is housed in its original hard shell case for safe travels and includes its original O.K. card that was written on by the dealer at its time of purchase (although the wrong model number is written on the card, the serial number matches). If you're after a really cool and unique vintage Gretsch guitar that plays and sounds exceptional, this Super Chet is a strong choice!
