Just bought an early 60’s Gretsch Corvette husk.

[Rambozo96]

As the title states I went down a rabbit hole trying to find a Hopf tremolo for a friends Allen Collins Firebird build and somehow at the end I bought a Gretsch Corvette husk. I think I have a problem at this point but that’s one less bucket list guitar to worry about. As it stands I have no idea what direction this resto will go, I know the original Burns tremolo is a pile of crapola so a Bigsby B7 may take its place, as far as pickups go I have no idea if I’ll put in the correct Hilotrons or maybe some Dynasonic pickups seeing the guitar has a headstock repair so any great collector value is already went out the window so I can’t imagine I’ll catch much flak modding it in a tasteful way. Can’t wait for it to show up!

 

[secndshft]

You got it!!! Thanks doe saving me from it. Hahaha

I owned a single pickup model a few years ago. These are great fun. I was eyeing this, a pair of Fralin p90s and a stop tail. I can’t wait to see what you do with it.

 

[Bonneville88]

That is one seriously horned guitar - what a shape!
My pet bison approves

 

[Rambozo96]

I wondered about a noninvasive way to put Dearmond Dynasonics in it. I believe TV Jones makes something like that. I heard the HiLoTrons were infamous for being quiet so I guess that would indicate that they have super low output. Peg head breaks don’t bother me as much as they used to. Used to be an absolute deal breaker for me,

 

[Default]

My other G guitar...

 

[Rambozo96]

My other G guitar...

I’d very much like an Astrojet. I remember when a bunch of NOS Astrojet and Corvette bodies popped out of the blues but what’s the odds of me finding a loose Gretsch neck just sitting around? Also my wood working skills are pretty much basic so I couldn’t make one either.

 

[Default]

Heavy, but the sculpted body is very comfortable to play. 12" radius fingerboard.

 

[79D25MMan]

Are you restoring it to factory or doing a 'custom' build?

 

[Rambozo96]

Are you restoring it to factory or doing a 'custom' build?

Kind of a mod but I’m gonna try to do it tastefully so you won’t see me chucking a Kahler on it and painting it neon green. When it arrived I guess either the crack opened up or it wasn’t a stable repair as the seller claimed. Asked for a price break since now it’ll have to be redone so just a minor hurdle. The main thing is finding someone who I’d trust to redo the headstock repair. Unfortunately I don’t trust anyone in town anymore, I don’t know if it’s a curse or what but when I leave someone else to do a repair I end up finding something they done wrong. This is too cool to throw away so I’ll see if I can’t find someone up for the job. Probably be preferable that some channels be routed so reinforcements could be added. If my woodworking wasn’t so crappy/nonexistent I’d attempt it myself. Because what I’m dealing with is old glue from the previous attempt at a repair and a thing I keep hearing is new glue doesn’t adhere to old glue so pumping more glue and clamping it may not be sufficient. As to get said old glue out I haven’t a clue and I don’t own any routers or clamps so this is probably a job for a pro. If anyone knows a good repair guy in west Texas let me know. The local guys left a lot to be desired unfortunately and I’m really not very picky, just like a job done right the first time.

 

[Rambozo96]

Anyway after the headstock repair thing gets behind me here is the agenda for this Gretsch:

I remember hearing the original Burns tremolo sucked so a Bigsby is likely to be taking its place.

Undecided on pickups, possibly may use a Kay pancake pickup I have kicking around for the neck, for the bridge I may see if I can’t get away with putting in a Dynasonic without too much major surgery.

Finish will be left alone, it has 60 years of patina that’s begs to be left alone.

As for Pick guard I have no idea who makes them these days, the original had a tendency to gas off and basically disintegrate leaving tarnished pots and hardware in its wake so no reason to pay big money for an old one if that’s a possibility.

For tuners I may use Grover Rotomatics since I love the ones on my D-25 and D4.

 

[secndshft]

Surfacing this thread. I’m curious how the resto-mod is coming along.

 

[Rambozo96]

Surfacing this thread. I’m curious how the resto-mod is coming along.

I put some tuners on it but right now I discovered the headstock repair wasn’t really kosher if I expect to put strings on it. I’ll probably drop it off with my tech to see if it’s even worth redoing

 

[Rambozo96]

Like if I bend it with the force of my hand you can see the joint flex. So I imagine if I put strings on it that peg head will snap right off

 

[Tom O]

I see you are in Texas. Kelly Barber in Hawkins (Action Sound) does good work He does all Dolye Dykes work.

 

[Default]

Seltzer on the GDP can make you a pickguard. He's been doing it for years.

 

[mellowgerman]

If you plan on keeping this one for the long-haul, I wouldn't hesitate to put the pickups and hardware on it that will serve you and your tastes the best. Especially considering the headstock repair, it's a player not a thing to sit in a collector's glass case!
My 1970 Starfire bass was all unmodified when it came to me, but once I bonded with it more than I ever had with any other bass, I knew it would be a lifer. At that point, it was time to take this amazing bass and make it exactly what I've always wanted, adding the bridge pickup and an active filter preamp. Can't express how happy this bass has made me since I "completed" it!

 

[Rambozo96]

It’s old Honduras mahogany that you don’t see much anymore. The project will move forward it just boiled down to negotiations with the seller when I discovered there was no way you could put it under string tension and expect it to hold. It’s a minor set back at best because headstock repairs are pretty common and I’m sure it’s just as common to redo one that wasn’t properly done. I seen far worse that ended up being repaired. I had a Gretsch Corvette years ago but the stock Hilotrons were too quiet and the guitar was pretty clean considering it was from 62’ and bone stock. I didn’t want to be that guy that mods up a perfectly fine all original vintage guitar. This husk just eliminates all the crap I would have removed from weird Burns trem that would go out of tune if you merely thought about using it and the Hilotrons that were anemic.

 

[Rambozo96]

The overwhelming part for me is what pickups to use. There’s no collector value at play so I can very well go hog wild. Dearmond and the many surface mounts, maybe a P90 though extra routing would probably be involved. I know for the neck I’m looking at using a Kay Pancake I have in my parts stash that’s probably as basic of a pickup design you can possibly get away with but they have a nice clarity. I had a Custom Kraft Ambassador which was a Kay built guitar made for SLM that played kinda rough and intonation wasn’t a consideration but that pickup was amazing

 

[mellowgerman]

On a related note and slight veer, here is my recent vintage Gretsch acquisition! From 1954. Also a check off the bucket list for me, I've always wanted to spend some time with one of these... which I expect may become a first-string lifer, along side my Starfire bass and Martin dread. All original, just missing the pickguard. Those old 50's Dynasonic/2k pickups are my absolute favorites. I always just use the neck pickup when I play electric guitar, even on my Telecaster, so the single pickup is perfect for me. For my playing style and songwriting, warm, clean, and articulate tones are what I like to hear and this bad boy certainly delivers! Currently with my luthier for some restoration work, but can't wait to get her back by mid-August hopefully.

 

[Default]

Rebinding? Some of that looks like rot.