{"product_id":"gretsch-px-6128-duo-jet-solid-body-electric-guitar-1956-12851","title":"Gretsch PX 6128 Duo Jet Solid Body Electric Guitar (1956)","description":"Gretsch PX 6128 Duo Jet Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1956), made in Brooklyn, NY, serial # 19193, black top, natural back and sides finish, mahogany body and neck, maple cap, rosewood fingerboard, original tweed hard shell case. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOK, if you're looking for a perfect collector's Duo Jet, this is NOT it! It is however a fine playing, great looking and sounding 1950's Gretsch with a lot of adventure behind it, though we don't know ALL the stories. This gleaming black-top Jet was originally built in early 1956 and retains some typical features of the period, about three years into the model's run. It also has some later appointments, including a factory re-neck done at Gretsch probably in the later 1950s. The neck sets on early Jets were notoriously prone to failure; when the instrument came back for service the Brooklyn factory typically discarded the old neck (\"sawing it right off\" according to legend) and fitting a current production neck in its place. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Gretsch Jet series first appeared on the heels of Gibson's Les Paul in late 1953. While the company described them as solidbodies they are actually chambered semi-solids. A plywood top is mounted over the hollowed-out mahogany lower body, with some extra blocking installed but still plenty of open space inside. This makes them rather lighter than their Gibson competitors, but with a different sound and feel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis Duo Jet carries a black Nitron plastic-covered top on a natural-finished mahogany body. The hardware is chrome plated, giving it a sort of badass '50s automotive look. The twin original pickups are the DeArmond Dynasonic units that Gretsch had used since the early 1950s; in 1958-9 they would be replaced by the new Filter 'Tron humbuckers. The sound on the DeArmond equipped Jets is brighter and falls in between the typical '50s Gretsch hollowbody and a true solid guitar, with a lot of bite but more airy quality than a Les Paul. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis guitar shows considerable re-working (more than once) and a mix of features and hardware. As specifications at Gretsch were pretty much constantly evolving it can be difficult to say exactly, but the lack of a zero fret combined with the thumbprint \"Neo-classic\" inlay on the ebony fingerboard suggests this neck was made and fitted in 1958-9 so the guitar would have been \"in the field\" for about two-three years before being rebuilt. At the same time the retaining screw and covering plug on the treble side of the heel were added, as was factory practice at the time to help secure the sometimes unreliable neck joints. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe \"Space Control\" bridge may have been added at the same time, replacing the Melita unit originally fitted. The \"G\" logo trapeze tailpiece is the longer piece meant for a full depth archtop; the rear strap button was moved lower on the body to accommodate this piece. The earlier \"arrow\" chrome knobs are survivors of the guitar's original fittings, while the silver back-painted clear Lucite pickguard is a later repro. The Waverly tuners remain original to the neck at least. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe DeArmond equipped Duo Jet was a fairly popular guitar in the 1950's, one of Gretsch's success stories. The single best regarded user was Cliff Gallup in Gene Vincent's band but a number of early Rock'n'Roll and \"Hillbilly\" performers made use of this or other Jet variations: the red-and-black Jet Fire Bird and flashy Silver Jet with a Nitron sparkle top. Over the years the Jets have proved to be one of Gretsch's classic designs, and after being somewhat forgotten in the later 1960s and '70s have returned to favor as one of the Brooklyn company's best regarded and most enduringly popular models. This one is a bit of a mix-and-match but retains an excellent feel and sound and still looks badass as heck.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eOverall length is 39 3\/8 in. (100 cm.), 13 1\/2 in. (34.3 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 2 in. (5.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 1\/2 in. (622 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3\/4 in. (44 mm.). \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs noted above this is something of a hybrid example of an early-style Jet; there are a number of alterations both factory and later but the guitar retains much of its vintage charm and remains in fine playing condition. There has been non-factory work done after the re-neck; the back, sides and neck were refinished some time ago with a lighter-toned, somewhat satin-feeling natural patina. A clearcoat over the black Nitron top preserves the original color there; the rest of the guitar looks a bit lighter than the original dark natural mahogany color. This later finish has only light wear overall; there is no cracking or noticeable shrinking to the binding, although there is discoloration along both sides of the fingerboard. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe pickups are the original DeArmonds, with some corrosion to the rear cover; the plastic cover insets look to have been sanded or cleaned heavily long ago. The original tortoise plastic pickup riser survives in the front, the rear is a repro. Practically ALL the internal wiring was replaced, likely in the 1980s or '90s, using mini-pots but retaining the original arrow knobs; the upper volume knob has some damage to the edges. The tuners are original (to the neck at least) the bridge period Gretsch, the tailpiece period Gretsch but is the longer version technically incorrect for the guitar\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe neck angle is excellent, it looks like the early factory re-work has held ever since. The frets are original to that neck and appear to have been crowned down just a bit with hardly any subsequent wear; the nut is a later replacement. This Jet retains the original Tweed Case, fairly well battered but still fully functional. Through all its trials this Jet remains an excellent player and sounds great, far from a perfect vintage piece but a fine player's 1950s Gretsch nonetheless. Overall Very Good Condition.","brand":"Gretsch","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46853717819532,"sku":"12851","price":5000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0672\/8702\/3756\/files\/01_92f557fa-ba27-4931-8b80-a3ca7553a963.jpg?v=1774344491","url":"https:\/\/retrofret.com\/products\/gretsch-px-6128-duo-jet-solid-body-electric-guitar-1956-12851","provider":"RetroFret","version":"1.0","type":"link"}