" ""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. The Double Anniversary model debuted in 1958 to celebrate the companyуs 75th anniversary. Many of the early versions didnуt 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 HiLoуTron pickups originally sported screened logos with a stylized ""G,"" but theyуve been wiped clean from this guitar after years of playing. A Bigsby tremolo was added to the guitar after sometime after its purchase. "