Vintage Gretsch Guitar

Vintage Mid-to Late-1970's Gretsch Chet Atkins Nashville!

Superb Condition Model 7660 w/OHSC!

Here's an incredibly clean 1970's Gretsch Nashville. I couldn't pinpoint the month/year of manufacture because the label inside the f-hole is faded beyond legibility and I did not want to drop a pot to check the date code. I think the chrome-plated pickup surrounds are a circa 1975 feature and the Bigsby's flat-arm is an even later one, but with Gretsch there were transitions where minor features are behind/ahead of the latest specs. The mini-toggle switches may point towards the latter. Overall this guitar is in outstanding condition and besides the nut appears to be completely original. The original nut is in the case pocket and looks fine so it can be re-installed, if desired. Not sure why it was replaced, what with a zero fret. There is a small screw hole at the waist on the treble edge for a pickguard bracket screw, however, I'm pretty certain this is the original pickguard. The translucent red finish is in excellent condition with just a few tiny blemishes, none of which are noticeable from more than a foot away on top or back. Buckle wear is limited to some light scuffing, for the most part. Fret wear is very slight at the first 4 frets and almost nil beyond. The back of the three-piece mahogany neck is nearly perfect and there is no wear to mention on the rosewood fingerboard. Most of the Nashvilles I've seen have had ebony fingerboards, by the way. Body bindings are all in excellent condition, tight and crack-free with a nice mellowing to an ivory color, as are the fingerboard and headstock bindings. All the chrome-plated hardware is in great shape, no oxidation present, and the controls work correctly. This model has individual volume controls on the lower bout and a master volume on the upper bout. The top 3-way mini-toggle is the pickup selector and the lower one is the 3-way tone or "mud" switch. Playability and sound are fabulous! The original hardshell case is also in terrific condition inside and out and the truss rod tool is included. The lock latch is broken.

Gretsch originally introduced the Chet Atkins Hollow Body prototype in late 1954 and it had a rosewood fingerboard, not to mention the fact that it was a single-cutaway body. The ebony fingerboard appeared in early 1958, followed soon thereafter by Filter'Tron pickups, 2 switches on upper bass bout, zero fret, and bone nut. It wasn't until mid-1961 that the double cutaway appeared, though now the f-holes were painted-on and the back had a leather pad. Gretsch renamed the model "Nashville" in 1964, now with engraved nameplate on the headstock and vinyl backpad. In 1971 Gretsch renumbered the model 7660 (from 6120) and a number of this guitar's features appeared, including Adjustamatic bridge, squared pickguard, and no mute and nameplate. The open f-holes and red finish were introduced in 1973. A few minor tweaks in the late '70's, like tubular vibrato arm in '75 back to flat-arm in '79, and the aforementioned pickup surrounds. Gretsch discontinued the Nashville in 1980, about the time US manufacturing stopped. The model was reintroduced in 2004, now the Nashville Western Chet Atkins Hollow Body (not on a nameplate!).

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