![]() ![]() They may be gold-plated, but the toggle switches are the type you’d find at any consumer electronics outlet Whatever they used back in Booneville, it was slathered on in large quantities and appears to have been wiped smooth with someone’s finger rather than sanded. The most bizarre aspect, however, is the filler around the neck joint. The paint is also fairly uneven and the gloss has subsided to a dull and slightly sticky surface. These edges are far from crisp and the transition along the fingerboard binding is particularly sketchy. The white lacquer has yellowed slightly and it was laid on very thickly – you can see and feel a distinct step where the white was scraped back, or masking tape was removed, to reveal the multi-ply black/white and gold-sparkle binding. This is Gretsch’s take on a tune-o-matic bridge, although here one screw has been inserted backwards However, there can be no confusion here, because it’s clear this guitar has spent more time on display than on stage and since it’s in near-mint condition, no allowances are necessary. Writing regularly about vintage equipment, we are able to distinguish between finish flaws and the inevitable wear and tear that goes with the territory. The back is padded for comfort and you’ll also need a padded strap for this 10-pounder We’ll discuss the playability in detail later, but suffice to say, the neck is arrow straight, action is low and the guitar plays perfectly. Considering Booneville’s reputation for flimsy neck joints, that’s quite something. Weighing in at over 10lbs, it’s heavier than many 1970s Les Paul Customs and the neck joint is as solid today as when it left the factory. We have no concerns about this guitar’s solidity, because it’s built like a tank. So what can we say about this Gretsch, which was made in the year before Baldwin decided to cease guitar production? Build quality is a tough thing to quantify and it might be helpful to approach it from two different angles – structural integrity/playability and standard of finish. By the late 70s, Baldwin utilised metallised plastic control knobs Baldwin Gretsches have always been somewhat stigmatised, although some Gretsch fans argue that it’s not entirely justified. Consequently, build quality suffered and even the company’s main endorser Chet Atkins declared: “They just couldn’t build Gretsch guitars at Booneville.” By the early 1980s, he had shifted his allegiance to Gibson. ![]()
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