Though Gretsch, the originally Brooklyn based manufacturer, is most famous for their thin line electric guitars often seen in the hands of players like Malcolm Young, Chris Cornell, George Harrison or his hero, Chet Atkins, they made a killing in the pre-WWII era building affordable archtop jazz guitars to compete with Epiphone, Gibson, and to a smaller degree, local builders like D’Angelico.

This beautiful old Gretsch, most likely a Synchromatic 100, might be a custom order from the post WWII era, close in design and construciton to one other Gretsch we could find as reference, another 1949 custom order Synchro 100 in blonde.

Most likely solid spruce top, laminate maple back and sides, though it could be all solid as Grestch was highly inconsistent in this era.

One pretty major center seam split that’s been repaired, otherwise in great playing shape!

Non-original, vintage hard shell case.