❌SOLD❌ Gretsch Committee G7628 Maple Walnut Solidbody Guitar, 1978

The Gretsch Committee G7628 came into being during the era of Baldwin ownership – summer 1967 to early 1985 – and was built from 1977 to 1980.

By the late 1960’s, the trend for successful guitar design was unmistakable, and that trend was based on solid bodies that would not feed back at constantly and dramatically increasing stage volumes provided by omnipresent amplifier stacks. This moved most Gretsch models out of consideration.

The Baldwin Piano Company purchased Gretsch in 1967 on the assumption, which turned out to be incorrect, that piano and guitar construction and marketing have significant overlaps. The Gretsch plant was located in Brooklyn, but Baldwin was not, so in September 1970 guitar construction moved to the Baldwin Piano shops in Booneville, Arkansas. However, few Gretsch staff members decided to follow, limiting the pool of experience on the shop floor. In 1973, two shop fires seriously disrupted production. In 1979, Baldwin began the process of selling their still unprofitable Gretsch line, ownership bouncing back to Baldwin’s CEO after several failed attempts. In late 1983, Baldwin itself was declared bankrupt. At this point, Fred Gretsch III stepped in to purchase Gretsch from ex-Baldwin CEO Dick Harrison. The sale took effect in January of 1985.

This Gretsch Committee G7628, a solidly Baldwin era Gretsch Committee G7628, a solid-body, through-neck double cutaway design built of Maple and Black Walnut. With a bound Indian Rosewood fingerboard, it carries a pair of humbucking pickups under a ‘bat-wing’ type pickguard. The pickguard was either opaque or transparent. The pickups feed through a mini-toggle selector switch and individual volume and tone controls. A hardtail bridge strung through the body and enclosed tuners complete the hardware.

The control access plate is also clear plastic, and shows that the controls are mounted to a PCB – printed circuit board – and the label with serial and model information is in the control cavity.

This guitar dates to March of 1978 and was built in Booneville, Arkansas.

This fairly rare guitar is in overall good condition, with a few expected dings and dents. It has been played, but not heavily, so fret wear is light to moderate in the lowest positions. It plays reasonably but could benefit from a thorough setup.

A period correct hard shell case is included.