I now own one of the coolest guitars ever made: one-off 1938 Gretsch Prototype. Pics!

eBay link

I'm too excited to type - but I'll keep this as short as possible. I've been watching this guitar for two weeks on eBay. Basically it's a 1938 Gretsch Synchromatic Prototype, that Gretsch built just before the Synchromatic line came out (in 1939) to test various features. This was master built, maple back and sides, spruce top, and Brazilian rosewood fretboard. The headstock inlay alone is worth the price of admission for me.

The current owner (well, the last owner) bought the guitar last year from the original owner for $2,500, but had to sell it. The original owner bought it many many years ago, and still had the original hard shell case, and the original strap (in pics below). He also has pictures of himself using it over the last ~70 years, which I think is darn cool.

Well the hell with it, lets get to pictures!

In the top 5 prettiest guitars I've ever laid my eyes on.

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Now in the top 3 guitars I've ever laid my eyes on.

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The original Gretsch case. See that yellow thing? That's the strap. That's right, in the 1930's, men used ropes as straps. That's manly.

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Beautiful.

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Beautiful.

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Some little damage and checking, but look at the tailpiece. See that logo, stamped out as if it's stitched? Completely and utterly gorgeous.

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So ****ing beautiful!

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Look at the burst on this thing. To say it's "pretty" is an understatement, at least in my eyes. I don't remember seeing - ever - a prettier burst or prettier grain. This is like Les Paul Honeyburst, squared - at least to me. The flash does no justice, but just wait until I get my own pics.

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Needs a good cleaning, and not a great picture, but that's a pretty neck. At least I think so!

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Alright that's it. I'm going to go celebrate - 2 weeks of anguish and selling everything is over! In the end, it cost me a lot, but this is a lifetime guitar. And to think, this is the one guitar Fred Gretsch built 70 years ago, that's mind-blowing.

Wait, think about that. I'll wait. Fred Gretsch built this guitar, 70 years ago, and didn't build a single other one exactly like it. Sinking in?

My good God I'm happy. See you all later!
 
Re: I now own one of the coolest guitars ever made: one-off 1938 Gretsch Prototype. P

Dude, wow. Just wow. Wow. Super wow.

That guitar is, just, wow.
 
Re: I now own one of the coolest guitars ever made: one-off 1938 Gretsch Prototype. P

You sold your Les Paul for that!!!
hahaha i really dont like it, ill be honest, but if it makes you happy thats amazing, i still prefer the Green Buddy
 
Re: I now own one of the coolest guitars ever made: one-off 1938 Gretsch Prototype. P

Hey BigAl...Wow is right! That truly is a once in a lifetime find!! It couldn't have gone to a more deserving soul. Congratulations!!!

-dave
 
Re: I now own one of the coolest guitars ever made: one-off 1938 Gretsch Prototype. P

Great looking guitar with an awesome back-story! I'm surprised at how low the winning bid was, considering all of the above.
 
Re: I now own one of the coolest guitars ever made: one-off 1938 Gretsch Prototype. P

That is simply phenomenal. I can't say good enough things about it, really. And if I did, it's nothing you haven't felt already so congratulations!

Such a beautiful instrument, man. I'm really happy for you. :) And I do mean it!

Enjoy it!
 
Re: I now own one of the coolest guitars ever made: one-off 1938 Gretsch Prototype. P

that is a thing of beauty. enjoy it!!

the story is just awesome though
 
Re: I now own one of the coolest guitars ever made: one-off 1938 Gretsch Prototype. P

that thing willl never bring the heavy. Shoulda gotten a dozen Agiles instead.
 
Re: I now own one of the coolest guitars ever made: one-off 1938 Gretsch Prototype. P

So, when are you gonna route it out for humbuckers?
 
Re: I now own one of the coolest guitars ever made: one-off 1938 Gretsch Prototype. P

Very Nice guitar...congrats dude.. I own a vinatge accosutic and I tell you it is my prized possesion. You are going to love the tone of this guitar.
 
Re: I now own one of the coolest guitars ever made: one-off 1938 Gretsch Prototype. P

So, when are you gonna route it out for humbuckers?

right -- first you gotta route it for P90's, THEN route it for humbuckers, so that you don't miss the Les Paul GEM.
 
Re: I now own one of the coolest guitars ever made: one-off 1938 Gretsch Prototype. P

that screams 1930's jazz club
 
Re: I now own one of the coolest guitars ever made: one-off 1938 Gretsch Prototype. P

Very nice indeed. Congrats on a great score...
 
Re: I now own one of the coolest guitars ever made: one-off 1938 Gretsch Prototype. P

Beautiful piece, congrats on your lifetime buddy! ;)
 
Re: I now own one of the coolest guitars ever made: one-off 1938 Gretsch Prototype. P

i dont know why people are so concerned about you giving up your les paul... this thing is a one of a kind! and its georgous. You can get another les paul anywhere, even vintage ones will never be as cool at that. Congrats, that thing is a work of art
 
Re: I now own one of the coolest guitars ever made: one-off 1938 Gretsch Prototype. P

OMG!
OMG!
OMG!
OMG!
OMG!

I wasn't ready for something that awesome and beautiful, that's one of the most beautiful guitars I ever saw.
Everything is beautiful and amazing I just love how fancy the guitar is and that include a one of a kind craptastic piece of rope as a strap hahahaha.

That thing is just WOW, amazing guitar, I would have had a heart attack if I opened the case and saw it.

Great buy.
Cream will go nuts when he sees the pictures, and then try to stick a Charlie Christian pickup in it.
 
Re: I now own one of the coolest guitars ever made: one-off 1938 Gretsch Prototype. P

Dude, wow. Just wow. Wow. Super wow.

That guitar is, just, wow.

Starting the thread off nicely! Thank you very much. You know all the while I was thinking of that One-off Epi you had. That was cool too.

gorgeous man, congrats!!! :)

:) Thank you! Appreciate it. Watched SRV the other night too...

You sold your Les Paul for that!!!
hahaha i really dont like it, ill be honest, but if it makes you happy thats amazing, i still prefer the Green Buddy

Yeah dude, I sold the Gibson. I could either have an awesome - but beat up - Gibson Les Paul, which is pretty cool with the finish, but can be bought anytime. Or I can have a once-in-a-lifetime guitar, that also happens to be a great investment, that also happens to be a Gretsch, that also happens to be a jazz-box (the one guitar I've wanted for years), that also happens to be the prettiest acoustic I've ever personally seen.

Game, set, match!

I still really like the Green Buddy too though. BTW, the work on it is done - should be picking her up soon, with the new binding and ebony board. Shaping up to be a great month!

Hey BigAl...Wow is right! That truly is a once in a lifetime find!! It couldn't have gone to a more deserving soul. Congratulations!!!

-dave

Thank you much Dave! And with the money I saved (I bid nearly $1k more than what it sold for), I can pay you back a lot quicker than I'd previously planned. That's why I was so hesitant to buy, because I've been trying to figure a way to work this for a while. But I could do both, so that's awesome!

Great looking guitar with an awesome back-story! I'm surprised at how low the winning bid was, considering all of the above.

Yeah dude, I'm super surprised how low it went too. 'Surprised' is a big understatement. It shouldn't have gone this low. A music store could advertise this properly (like Ed Roman or something) and sell it for ~$5k.

That is simply phenomenal. I can't say good enough things about it, really. And if I did, it's nothing you haven't felt already so congratulations!

Such a beautiful instrument, man. I'm really happy for you. :) And I do mean it!

Enjoy it!

Thank you very much! Kind

that is a thing of beauty. enjoy it!!

the story is just awesome though

Yeah it is a cool story - I'll be sure to scan the pictures of the original owner when they come.

Dude, that is a thing of sheer beauty, stunning.

. :wow:
:cool2:

Congrats, nice score.

:) Thank you! Very much in fact.

Very Nice guitar...congrats dude.. I own a vinatge accosutic and I tell you it is my prized possesion. You are going to love the tone of this guitar.

Yeah he sent me a sound clip, and though it was short and not recorded with great equipment, I could tell it was a pretty special tone. Deep, but not muddy. I hate mud, but I also hate being overly bright. The best Jazz guitars in the world walk that line perfectly.

If this thing sounds even decent, that's icing on the cake. But all signs point towards it sounding excellent.

that screams 1930's jazz club

Yes! :beerchug: That's exactly what I'm going for! I've kinda learned a lot of the rockabilly stuff, and I'm starting to want to learn jazzy type stuff. I mean I know all the jazz chords, but that's a whole feel I don't have yet. Might as well learn on the best! Or if not best, coolest. :)

But yeah, this will be my jazz baby.

Very nice indeed. Congrats on a great score...

Thanks hat man! I appreciate it

Beautiful piece, congrats on your lifetime buddy! ;)

Coming from the man himself, that's awesome. Everything you touch turns pretty, so thank you for the comment.

that thing willl never bring the heavy. Shoulda gotten a dozen Agiles instead.

So, when are you gonna route it out for humbuckers?

right -- first you gotta route it for P90's, THEN route it for humbuckers, so that you don't miss the Les Paul GEM.

lol You guys know that I didn't cut .01 ounce of wood out of that Gibson, it came that way. I did the best with what I could, and that P90 through my Falcon cranked can rip your ****ing head off if I want - especially with a Twin Tube Classic or TS9 pushing it harder.

But next summer, I'm getting another Gem. With P90s this time!
 
Re: I now own one of the coolest guitars ever made: one-off 1938 Gretsch Prototype. P

i dont know why people are so concerned about you giving up your les paul... this thing is a one of a kind! and its georgous. You can get another les paul anywhere, even vintage ones will never be as cool at that. Congrats, that thing is a work of art

Well I'm concerned about giving up the Gibson - I put a lot of myself into that thing. Hell, until I decided to sell it there was a bloody smiley face on the back. :earl:

Seriously though, it was a part of me and it was a cool guitar. More than a cool guitar, it was my guitar. The routing was destroyed, the electronics were ruined, the finish was fantastically damaged, even the bridge was cracked in the middle. And yet, it worked. It sounded perfect, it intonated perfect, it played perfect, and it even looked perfect (to me).

But this Gretsch, this Gretsch is on another level - one that is hard to describe accurately without sounding like the 'proud parent.'

:) Regardless, thank you very much, I really appreciate it!

OMG!
OMG!
OMG!
OMG!
OMG!

I wasn't ready for something that awesome and beautiful, that's one of the most beautiful guitars I ever saw.
Everything is beautiful and amazing I just love how fancy the guitar is and that include a one of a kind craptastic piece of rope as a strap hahahaha.

That thing is just WOW, amazing guitar, I would have had a heart attack if I opened the case and saw it.

Great buy.
Cream will go nuts when he sees the pictures, and then try to stick a Charlie Christian pickup in it.

:bowdown: :oo

Aww you made me blush. :) Yeah, Marc is going to crap himself. At least I hope he does! If he doesn't, he needs his jazz-meter readjusted!
 
Re: I now own one of the coolest guitars ever made: one-off 1938 Gretsch Prototype. P

Dude, wow. Just wow. Wow. Super wow.

That guitar is, just, wow.

OMG!
OMG!
OMG!
OMG!
OMG!

I wasn't ready for something that awesome and beautiful, that's one of the most beautiful guitars I ever saw.
Everything is beautiful and amazing I just love how fancy the guitar is and that include a one of a kind craptastic piece of rope as a strap hahahaha.

That thing is just WOW, amazing guitar, I would have had a heart attack if I opened the case and saw it.

Great buy.
Cream will go nuts when he sees the pictures, and then try to stick a Charlie Christian pickup in it.

Yeeeeeaaaah, those two posts captured my initial reactions beautifully.

Man, right now I just wish I was in the states, take you out for a couple rounds of beer and make you play this for an hour or two :D

Oh, I can see how it pained you to let the LP go, I DO hope however that was as far as you went to raise funds for the Gretch, right?

I mean, you STILL have the Duo Jet and, GASP, the Green Buddy, right?
 
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