Gretsch Viking Vintage 1967 with OHSC All Original Super Trons USA NY Made

Description: Here we have an all original 1967 Gretsch Viking with its original hard shell case in great condition. There have been a couple of player modifications which I will explain in detail but can be easily reversed. There is a bit of binding deterioration as seen in the photos. I purchased this guitar about 20 years ago and has not really gotten any worse in that time. When I received her, in a small area, there was quite a bit of lacquer erosion on both sides of the neck, where the guitar would have been hanging on a wall hanger. I had this spot sanded and sprayed to return the original luster. Now about the modifications; this guitar was owned by a left hander player and these mods were done by him for easier navigation. You will see two unfilled drill holes for a lefty pickgaurd which I left in case another lefty owns it again. The previous owner also changed the potentiometer’s to a much more useable tone sound for rock and blues, the original potentiometer’s are included and work as they should. When he had this mod done he also reversed the toggle functions in two ways; 1) the tone switching is now done on the upper outside switch and the pickup selecting is now done on the inside switch, as well, he reversed the rhythm and treble switching so that the bridge pick up is in the up position and the neck pick up is in the down position. This was his preference as a lefty. These alterations did not bother me and I actually like them as a rock and blues right handed player so I left them as they were. This all can be easily reversed back to the original way and would not cost much money because of the easy rear access on these models. Below is a descriptive of this lovely creature and all of the unique things she does and is. The original hard shell case is in beautiful condition with all but one of the latches working and solid. Shipping in the lower 48 USA is free and included. Worldwide shipping (anywhere other than the lower 48 states USA) is $200 or less depending on your location. THIS PRICE WILL MOST LIKEY BE MUCH LOWER DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE. Overseas buyers just need to pay the up front upon purchase and I will refund you any difference after your item ships. I will only charge you actual shipping charges and not for packing, handling, or boxes. I do this with everyone so you do not need to request it. I will also include an amount that I would have spent on domestic shipping as a credit as well. So, shipping rebate will be; difference in the Shipping rate PLUS a credit. I will provide a shipping receipt upon request. Weirdo Factor It’s a 1967 American-made Gretsch, built in New York, and a first-class player all the way. But hiding in plain site are three gizmos that were ahead of their time. The first is an A-440Hz tuning fork – or what Gretsch called “The Floating Sound Unit” – hanging from a trapeze attached to the strings, right where a bridge would be. The fork is suspended through the body into a one-inch hole under the trapeze, where it supposedly enhances sustain and overtones (more on this below). The second is Gretsch’s patented T-Zone, or Tempered Treble Zone. To improve intonation with the Viking’s somewhat compensated roller-style bridge, the 10th to 21st frets are angled slightly to adjust for pitch. Finally, located between the standby kill switch and the Bigsby tailpiece (note its distinctive carved-out “V”) is a lever to engage a foam string mute. All this weirdness hiding in the guise of a conservative jazz guitar! Playability & Sound If you like Filter’Trons, you’ll love the Viking’s slightly hotter Super’Tron pickups. The bridge unit is bright and chimey in that very special Gretsch way, while the neck pickup is bassy and jazzy. They sound great combined, but we enjoyed dialing back the neck pickup to balance the bass with the bridge pickup’s chime. Super’Trons are very gainy and sound awesome, especially with a little overdrive. Add distortion or compression and the tuning fork starts to interact, hanging like a ghostly A note under everything you play, provided you’re in a key that includes A. The 17-inch-wide hollow body is laminated maple and has a high-gloss finish. The 21-fret neck is slender, comfortable and fast, and the fingerboard is ebony inlaid with art deco half-moon markers. The Grover tuners with large buttons are the finest I’ve ever used, while the Bigsby is smooth, although vintage units might need to have their spring replaced so the arm comes back to pitch. The other controls include a master volume, individual volumes for each pickup, a pair of three-way switches – one for preset EQ, the other a standard pickup selector – a two-way kill switch and, lastly, a lever to engage the string mute. Value Back in 1967, this guitar’s MSRP was a whopping $675 (a Fender Strat listed for about $200), making the Viking second only to Gretsch’s White Falcon flagship. These guitars now fetch between $2,500 and $3,500, which is worth it for a quality vintage guitar. Even a pair of used Super’Trons can fetch $1,500. Why It Rules The Gretsch Viking sounds musical, plays great and is loaded with fun and useful features that make it truly enjoyable to play.

Price: 3500 USD

Location: Los Angeles, California

End Time: 2024-08-27T13:25:30.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD