The Gretsch 57 Duo Jet VS (Vintage Select) with Bigsby sports a Cadillac Green finish and gold plated hardware, reflecting 1957 design choices. Dating to March of 2000, this Gretsch 57 Duo Jet is in great shape with very little actual wear. There is slight oxidization in wear areas of the plating – particularly the arm rest and Bigsby handle, but virtually no fret wear. At just over 7 pounds (3.28kg), this is a very comfortable, great sounding and playing guitar.

Though classed as a solid body, the Gretsch 57 Duo Jet VS Bigsby is really a chambered design. The body back and sides are Mahogany, with a number of cavities routed in it and supporting a laminate Maple top. This helps provide an “archtop” type attack and decay profile without feedback, further supported by the floating style adjustable ‘Melita’ bridge. The neck is Mahogany, with a bound Indian Rosewood fingerboard and headstock.

The Gretsch 57 Duo Jet VS sports gold-plated hardware including an arm-rest and the pickups are TV Jones “T-Armond” models, replicating the classic single-coil deArmond DynaSonics used on many Gretsch models before the introduction of the hum-cancelling Filter ‘Tron models in mid-1957 – at the same time Gibson was introducing theirs on solidbody and archtop guitars.

Here’s the builder on the Gretsch 57 Duo Jet Vintage Select:

“Inspired by the pivotal and prolific years of Gretsch’s 1950s and early ’60s golden age, Vintage Select Edition guitars are designed for the player who appreciates the finest in musical instrument heritage. In smartly stylish Cadillac Green with gold hardware, the new G6128T-57 Vintage Select ’57 Duo Jet™ with Bigsby® rocks that legacy to perfection.

The Gretsch 57 Duo Jet VS Bigsby is the flagship Gretsch “solid body” guitar, introduced in the 1950s and packing signature power and punch from its chambered mahogany body, which magnifies harmonic richness by letting air resonate between the top and body for livelier and more articulate tone. Back then, Gretsch produced a very small run of Duo Jets in handsomely uptown Cadillac Green with gold hardware, which is exactly what you have here, along with dual TV Jones® T-Armond™ pickups that replicate the vintage DynaSonic™ sound.”

Gretsch 57 Duo Jet VS Bigsby Specifications: