An All Original 1957 'DeArmond' Jet Firebird.

1957 Gretsch 6131 Jet Firebird.

This wonderful guitar weighs just 7.00 lbs. and has a 13 1/4 inch wide and just under 2 inch deep chambered mahogany body with three-ply binding and a pressed arched top with the Firebird red finish. The back and sides of the body and the back of the neck are finished in black. One-piece mahogany neck with a nice fat nut width of 1 9/16 inches, a wonderful thick profile and a scale length of 24 1/2 inches. Single-bound ebony fretboard with 22 original thin frets and neo-classic inlaid pearl thumbprint (half-moon) position markers. Single-bound, walnut veneer faced headstock with inlaid pearl Gretsch "T-roof" logo. Individual open-back Grover StaTite tuners with oval metal buttons. Two single-coil DeArmond pickups with original tortoiseshell spacers and plated metal surrounds with outputs of 3.01k and 2.99k. Original silver lucite pickguard with Gretsch "T-roof" logo engraved from the underside in black (small piece of original tape on the underside with the serial number written in pencil). Four controls (two volume and one tone on lower treble bout, one master volume on upper treble bout) plus one three-way pickup selector switch on upper bass bout. "Arrow-through-G" knobs with cross-hatch pattern on sides. Original Melita six-saddle bridge on ebony base and plated cut-out "G-hole flat" tailpiece secured to the edge of the body by three screws. The potentiometers are stamped "615 7033 542" & "615 7033 607" (ROC October 1955 & February 1956). The control cavity cover is etched with the serial number "21146". The Gretsch label on the inside of the control cavity is torn away with just a small remnant remaining. There is a very small amount of belt buckle rash on the back of the body (nothing through the finish) and just one very small and insignificant surface chip on the top just by the master volume control. There is a small area on the treble waist where the triple-binding has very slightly separated away from the body. Otherwise this fifty-five year old Firebird is in exceptionally fine (9.00) condition with very little playing wear. Housed in the original Gretsch two-tone gray, five-latch, shaped hardshell case with burgundy plush lining (9.00).