"Everybody has a great gear score at least once in
their lives, and mine was this one right here," says
Corbin Booth, owner of this vintage 1963 Gretsch
6117 Double Anniversary. He purchased the instrument
15 years ago for $40 after the original owner
found it on top of a pile of old possessions in their
storeroom. The guitar had seen some serious playing
action sometime before that, and it had also
been stained and refinished. When Booth got it,
the neck needed some TLC so it was reset and
refretted. Ever since, this gem has been the pride
of his collection.$0
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The Double Anniversary model debuted in 1958
to celebrate the company’s 75th anniversary. Many
of the early versions didn’t feature a nameplate
on the headstock. In 1963, Gretsch added a
bound fretboard and thumbnail fretboard inlays,
and discontinued the stereo output option. The
model shown here features a bound, semi-hollow
maple body with an arched top and a bound 24.5"
mahogany neck. The rosewood slab fretboard
has kept its luster throughout its 47-year history.
The HiLo’Tron pickups originally sported screened
logos with a stylized "G," but they’ve been wiped
clean from this guitar after years of playing. A
Bigsby tremolo was added to the guitar sometime after its purchase.$0
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Special thanks to Corbin Booth for the opportunity
to feature this fine instrument.