❌SOLD❌ Gretsch 6131 Jet Firebird, 1962

Here’s a rarity – a Gretsch 6131 Jet Firebird in great condition and dating to 1962, its second year as a double cutaway.   This model is perhaps most visually associated with the late Malcolm Young of AC/DC.  

The Gretsch 6131 Jet appeared in 1955, following the 1953 release of the Duo-Jet, perhaps as the Gretsch response to the Gibson Les Paul. At that point it featured a single cutaway body with an arched top – but instead of being solid, the body was chambered to reduce weight and produce a more ‘acoustic’ tone, towards Gretsch’s other arched-top models. The pattern of an archtop-style floating bridge rather than a fixed bridge like the Les Paul was still used. These models were fitted with a pair of deArmond DynaSonic pickups until the new humbucker Filter’Tron pickups, designed by Ray Butts, became available in later 1957. In 1961, the body design again followed the Les Paul evolution and the single cutaway body became a double cutaway. The Jet construction uses a chambered Mahogany back with a Maple laminate, arched top and a Mahogany set neck with Ebony or Indian Rosewood fingerboard. The floating bridge base matches the fingerboard wood; here both the bridge base and fingerboard are Ebony, and the fingerboard has a zero fret.

Here we’re looking at a Gretsch 6131 Jet Firebird, meaning that it has a Red top, in largely original condition and in good working order. The tuners are period correct, but somewhere along the line another set was installed; these were removed, the peg holes filled and redrilled to accommodate original style open gear, press bushing models. The pickguard and its mounting bracket and screw may not be original, but everything else, including the gold-plated Filter ‘Trons with gold plated switch knobs and G-brand controls, Space Control Bridge and Burns vibrato tailpiece seems stock.

This Gretsch 6131 Jet Firebird is in overall good condition with light wear to the original frets. The binding is in good shape, with none of the deterioration found on some later models. The finish shows natural lacquer checking, and the gold plating is worn from skin contact in the usual areas.

This guitar plays well, and is very resonant. It sounds great, and its light weight makes it very comfortable to play.

This wonderful guitar is sold with its original Gretsch hard shell case.