Gretsch 6135 Corvette

I'm pretty sure this is a 1963 model. it has ONE hilotron pickup and three tuners on each side of the peghead. Really simple single volume single tone control for the SINGLE pickup. Set neck, real big for this guitar, not a baseball bat, but a nice big size. Trapeze tail piece with the floating bridge job, not the Burns vibrato (which I don't really care for). Cool looking body style with beveled horns. Features are great, but there aren't a ton of them. If you want features, get a Bunker Prostar.

My old friend who owns a guitar shop always told me to look out for the guys who play on a single pickup guitar. Now I know why. The guitar is excellent for everything you can think of, but you can't flip a switch to change the sound. YOu have to be able to adjust the knobs and actually alter your playing (attack, where you pluck the strings, use ur fingers instead of a pick? etc.) to get a different tone. THIS GUITAR SOUNDS GREAT. The hilotron was a little bit weak for me so I took it to a local winder (lynn Collins) and he wound it to a little bit over four k ohms and ran the pup right up close to the strings. This guitar works really well overdriven through my Marshall Plexi reissue (1987X) for crunchy rhythm and searing guitar solos and also plays some good blues through my Erickson Audio Research (Basically an old Fender bassman but custom built and hot rodded out) and a TS808.

This thing is built great. I have it set up for ten guage strings right now. The cherry finish still looks and feels excellent. All of the frets are straight and the neck is still straight as an arrow. This guitar is exceptionally well made. Interestingly enough, it was made as a beginner's guitar, but I'd challenge anyone to find a student's guitar that is built half as good as this thing from the present time. There are none!

The finish, hardware, electronics, body, and neck have been around forty three years or so and they are still all original. I would say this thing is really solid and I would gig it without hesitation, however, I would have to bring along a strat or something for different types of music because the guitar is not incredibly versatile although it is more than suitable for many types of music.

1965 Corvette, 2 hilotron pickups, mahogany body and neck, 2/4 tuner configuration, burns tremolo.

I just got this guitar a week ago. I haven't picked up my other guitars since. At first it seemed almost too bright, but after turning the treble down on my Fender Twin, it's great. I've been doing a lot of surf stuff and using the Burns tremolo, so far it's been staying in tune well. The guitar didn't come with a trem arm, so I just stuck a fork(yep, a dinner fork)into the trem and it works just fine. It'll be a sure fire conversation piece the next time I play it out. I love the sound of this guitar; it has such a bright, cutting sound. It can't cover the same ground an SG or Les Paul could, but I love it because it's so unique. A very powerful sound.

Everything seems to work great on this guitar, especially surprising since it's 41 years old and I only paid $400 for it. It seems to be really high quality, and it's that nice old mahogany you can't get anymore.

I might put straplocks on this for playing a gig, but besides that I wouldn't hesitate to play it at a show. I might bring along another guitar just in case, but I don't think I'd need it.

I've been playing for 18 years now. I also own a '73 Guild s-50, a Matao Rocker, and an Epiphone acoustic. I've owned many other guitars over the years: Fender teles and strats, Gibson SGs and some other types of Gibsons. This guitar has a great, ripping metallic tone that I haven't heard on any other guitars I've owned. If it were ripped off, I'd hope I could find another(cheap) but I wouldn't cry over it. I was going to get an SG Standard, but I played this in a shop and for less than half the price of a good used SG Standard, this is a lot more interesting, has vintage 60's mahogany, and is not another "me too" guitar. I'm really lucky I snagged this guitar.

Mine's a late 1964 Corvette, single pick up version in cherry... solid mahogany, funky head stock (2 tuners on the top, 4 on the bottom). Someone replaced the hilotron with an old filtertron at some point in the past (I assume in Gretsch managed to fit the right pick-ups at the factory, unless they'd run out that day), the rest is original. Has a trapeze tailpiece and floating bridge, rather than the dodgy Burns vibrato... nice chunky neck. This double cutaway design is my favourite (even better than the LP Jnr IMO).

The Filtertron sounds great - it's got the clearly articulated twang... you can hear each individual string even when playing distorted. It sounds great - a new, distictive voice in my armoury (great for rythmn playing). Anyone who thinks single pick up guitars are limited doesn't know the joys of a the single volume & tone controls.

Low action, chunky neck... this is rock'n'roll. The finish has a few checks and cracks but it's pretty good for a 40 year old geetar.

it's 40 years and it still works! No breaks...

Whoa! My first real vintage guitar... a pice of 60's history for under #400. It sounds great, plays brilliantly, looks cool... what more do you want? The pick-up sounds totally different from a strat / tele single coil, P90 or humbucker. REALLY good for rythmn, the tone cuts through and the string to string articulation is fantastic. Great for "rock'n'roll" type licks (Chuck Berry / Keef-isms). Way cheaper than a Les Paul or SG junior but the same build quality, woods and just as much fun. I'm a happy bunny!

Mine is a 1964 model. Cherry sunburst with TWO Hilotrons and a Burns Vibrato. The control layout is two volumes and a master tone with a 3 way pickup switch. In the center position you can blend the two pickups using individual volume controls. The bridge floats. All solid mahogany construction with a Brazilian Rosewood fretboard. The headstock layout is 4 on one side and two pegs on the bass side.

Hilotrons are often described as "half a Filtertron." They are basically a low output single coil pickup. A friend of mine had a "Princess" version of this guitar (white with a single bridge pickup) It sounded awesome so I began my quest to find a 2 pickup version of one of these with a vibrato. I found one on Ebay for 610.00 with a few issues and snapped it up. Since my friend sold his for 900.00 to Guitar Center (who stuck it on the wall for sale at 1,500.00) I figured I got a good deal for mine with TWO pickups.

Anyway, when I recieved mine I found that the neck pickup sounded awesome but the bridge pickup was a little weak. They both read around 3ohms impedence, so I sent the bridge pickup off to Lindy Fralin to be wound hotter. It came back 4.6 ohms. Between that and raising the pickup slightly I got a great sound out of both pickups. A trick I learned about Hilotrons from an old tech was this: The closer they are to the strings, the better they sound. Raising the pole pieces is NOT the same thing. Adjust polepieces for balance between strings...but raise the pickup height for sound. I achieved this by cutting a mouse pad and fitting it under the pickup where it bolts to the body. the sound is very clear but with a profound bass. Both wonderful and different from any strat or Les Paul you've ever heard. Sort of like a clean baritone guitar that's also capable of a biting twang. the Burns vibrato stays in tune better than most Bigsbys I've played even with the non-roller hold down bar...But the tuners have a little play. I'm torn over replacing them or keeping the guitar "original."

I'll list the few "issues" with this guitar. Apparently the guitar wasn't played much. Just stuck in a closet for decades unplayed. BUT:
The pickguard SHRANK like crazy pulling up screws and warping terribly.
I had to replace it with a replica. The three way switch was a little spotty. It played the bridge pickup alone but on the other two settings would only allow BOTH pickups to play. No way to get the neck pickup solo. I decided just to turn down the bridge volume control but then lately it's started to work fine. Who knows? The body paint has a nice nitro crackle "relic" look after all those years, but the neck is perfectly straight. The frets are unworn but tiny. I might one day have them replaced with bigger ones. Overall the build quality was very good. About the only serious work I had done was rewinding the bridge pickup hotter. No one would ever tell i did this because it's all inside the old casing

It held up pretty well for over 40 years old This guitar is what vintage guitar collecting is all about. Snap up one of these if you can find them. It has a unique sound I've never heard in other guitars. Dark but twangy.

The ultimate model Corvette in my opinion is the TWO pickup (Hilotron) version with either a Burns or Bigsby vibrato. By the late 60's they were fitted with standard humbuckers (yawn) If Gretsch ever decides to reissue these, or a famous rockstar is caught playing one, I'd imagine the prices on these might shoot through the roof. Snap one up now while they are still cheap. A unique sound in a cool looking package.

My Gretsch corvette is an actual 1961, not like the one the guy below me is trying to say his is. They were only available in natural or grey finishes in 1961. It has the weird tailpiece tremelo that if you push on it, it works as a slight whammy bar. I do not know what the guy below me was thinking, but the pick up kicks ass! It has 1 tone, 1 volume, 1 pickup, easy to tone-in with.Kluson tuners are great, though a bit old and rusty. But hey, dont mess with anything that is this old and original, right. The orignal year these were made (1961, the one I DO have) has a wooden pickguard, 2 piece. It is a slight flamed look, and really the only decorative piece on the guitar. Everything else on the guitar is pretty plain jane, which is fine by me. I give a 10 based on the fact it does everything I need it to and would not ask for anything more.

The sound of this baby is great. Very vintage, very radical for its time. I can play anything from jazz to death metal on it. I play mine through a Peavey ultra 120watt tube head going through a 4x12 Ampeg bottom cabinet, and a Marshall 1960 4x12 slant top cab. I also run a sonic maximizer through the effects loop, with a Yamaha DG stomp as a processor for slight effects. No noise, no hard feedback even when aimed directly at the cabinets! I have many friends who are in death metal bands, and they ask me why I play "that piece of shit" instead of my 1971 Gibson SG or my Ibanez RG570, and all I have to do is let them play it for a few minutes before I have them offering to buy it.

Very low setup with no fret buzz. All of my electronics are original, and this is a 40+ year old guitar. Great wiring!!!! I am starting to rust a bit on the pickup, but I do do alot of palm muting so it will do that. I have no plans on replacing the pickup unless I absolutely must.

I have done several 100's of practices with it, always take it to every show I play, and have never had to do any kind of work to it. Amazing life to this guitar!The finish is there after all these years, but is anything but mint. But what can you say for a guitar this old that still sounds and plays better than most of these crap guitars the companies are putting out these days. Instead of strap buttons, you have the good ols screw mounts so I never have to worry about my strap coming off in the middle of performance. I can always depend on my Gretsch and only bring 1 backup with me to shows, in case I break a string. Why not give a 10 on this subject? It is very thin, and I would not do any Cobain, Hendrix, or Townsend smashes with it and still believe it would be good to go the next practice or show. I have had many other guitars that were perfectly capable of being beat the shit out of and playing the next night with them. This is not one of them

Never had to deal with them, and for the most part I am not a Gretsch fan, other than my baby of course

It took 40 years for this guitar to find her true owner. I would never sell her, trade her, hurt her, or leave her. If she were stolen, I would track down the piece of shit who took her, break his arms and legs, cover him with gasoline and eat popcorn and laugh while I watched him burn. I own over 40 guitars at the moment, and have owned more than 200 in my life. I have played for 12 years, on Jacksons, Ibanez, Fender, Gibson, etc, and would trade all of them for this one if I had to. This is the greatest guitar I could ever possibly imagine to own. After 1961, they started started to change the design to try and compete more with the Fenders and the Gibson solid bodies at the time. This wasnt neccesarily bad, it just that nothing should comprimise good tone and great sound. Because they were more interested in trying to keep up with the times instead of putting out a great rocking guitar, they eventually discontinued the model. No other year could compare with the original 1961, and if the guy below me really has a 1961 he should be shot for changing out pickups. What an idiot!!!

1961 Gretsch Corvette,made in Brooklyn.21 frets.1st year of beveled slab body.1 pick-up,tone and volume control.All mahogany w/bright cherry red finish (not the usual Gibsonish heritage cherry you see them in).Double cut for great fretboard access.Has floating bridge which I,ll change someday(about the only reason I don't give it a 10)The tuners are old Klusons,but I'm lucky,they still work pretty good.Fat neck,but not as wide as my baby('56 Les Paul TV junior,but hey...)Good old vintage size frets.OK,why a 9?Because its two pieces of at least 42 year old mahogany glued together with a single pick-up,and the quality is pretty damn good.Those are the features I want.

My style is fat,bluesy rock and roll,with a punk edge a la The Dolls and the MC5.This is a great guitar for that kind of stuff.Years ago,I had a '59 TV jr. that got stolen.It was my pride and joy.I was so bummed out I quit playing music for a few years.I just couldn't afford to replace it.But I digress.I started playing again and thought;how can I get that tone again on a budget.Tall order.I played every reissue,knock-off,whatever.You just can't replace old wood and electronics.So I bought the corvette and went to work on it,because the stock hi-lotron is just a wimpy pick-up.Too thin and not very responsive.Wanted an old P-90,but there goes the budget.One day I came across an old Supro dualtone or belmont pick-up,you know-the fat old single coil that looks like an old Gibson PAF.Dropped that in the Gretsch(I made a plate that went in the oldscrew holes and used the two pole pieces that act as anchors on the Supro pick-up to fix the pick-up to the plate.Not hard and now this guitar is the bomb.The Supro pick-up is not as responsive as an old p_90,but it was 25 bucks.Now this thing gets a huge fat tone.Just a huge bottom and mid section,then crisp ,sparkling,but creamy sounding highs(Yeah,this is a Supro review,too).Not a lot of variety here tonewise,but it gets the tones I want.I played it on my last recording and those in the know swear up and down that its an old Les Paul jr.

Action is low,mostly due to the neck angle.I like the action a little high so I can bend those strings and get the tone,so I've set the action up a bit.I've played a few of these and like any kind of guitar,there are good ones and not so good ones.Pick ups are a non-issue,as I've altered that.
These were well-made guitars,just not as well made as the Gibsons they were competing with.The neck joint is solid as a rock,especially for a guitar that just has that little tongue joint so the neck can meet the body at the end of the fretboard.In this respect,they probably are superior to the same year SG's,which have kind of a scary neck joint.
The finish is wasted!This guitar has had some heavy use/abuse,but it still plays great.Heavy checking,finish cracking,and just plain bare mahogany all over mine.But hell,if it could tell you where its been...

Like I said,its been around.I'd say about 50 % of the wear is from me,so yeah,you can gig this thing to death.The one thing that's not great is that floating bridge,but I'm used to it.I've counted on it a lot.Until I got a gret deal on a refinished '56 Junior,this thing was my main guitar,and I didn't think it was wanting.Now it backs up my jr.,but gigging with the jr. can be scary,so I call on the old Gretsch more and more.

Gretsh?Wouldn't I have to send it across the Pacific.Forget about it.They probably wouldn't believe its a Gretsch!

Been playing 18+ years now.I'm a feel player.Lotsa chops.Long on style,probably short on technical stuff as I learned from records and watching people play.I play fat,riff laden stuff(faves incude Hubert Sumlin,Chuck Berry,Mick Ralphs and Ronson,and a special nod to Johnny Thunders).My main guitar is a '56 Junior,played through either my '65 black face super-reverb,or my other secret weapon;an old Supro Sportsman head w/piggyback 2x12 cab.The Junior will always be my favorite guitar.I like it more than the Standards or Customs.They're just more alive sounding.But the Gretsch is a monster guitar.I love the way it plays,and it sounds otherworldly with that pick-up.I'd definitely find another one if something happened to it,but I know with all the sentimental value I place on this little guitar,I'd be crushed.When I play it live,everybody wants to know what the hell it is.Most people have never seen one much less played one.It looks great and plays great.And the thing just flat out has loads of character.

This is a 1964 USA-made solidbody, with a translucent cherry finish. All-mahogany construction, neck set in typical Gretsch fashion (wooden pin), perfect upper-register fret access. 21 medium frets. Two vintage Hilotron pickups (chimey!), two volume knobs/one tone, 3-way pickup selector. 3-on-a-side plain headstock (last year made before they went to the weird 4-and-2 headstock) with gold logo decal. Floating bridge combined with Burns tremolo system (similar in function to Bigsby but more primitive, with a tension bar in between the bridge and floating saddles). Neck is meaty, v-carved, a lot like classic Les Paul necks. It is simply as cool as vintage solidbodies get.

I play blues, protorock and jazz, and this guitar suits my style fairly well. I play mainly through a '64 Gibson Falcon (one of the sweetest-sounding but most underrated of all vintage tube amps), which really livens up the tone of the hilotron pickups. It does sound fairly flat on a solid-state amp though. It is a very quiet guitar, thick and warm when played neck-pickup-only, and delisciously chimey with both pickups. The bridge pickup is pretty weak by itelf. On the whole, it is not terribly versatile, and although it has a nice grind with just a touch of overdrive, it sounds too thick and muddy on full overdrive for my taste. (Some 60's rockers would think it has great BTO-like tone however.) It is an eye-catcher for its unusual shape (Rik-like) and always gets attention.

Setup is a non-issue, as this thing has traveled cross-country who knows how many times and judging from the belt rash and numerous dings, has seen a lot of action. But the neck is still arrow-straight and perfectly carved in a tapering V, and is the most comfortable I have ever played by far. If you've ever played a classic Gibson SG, this guitar is similar in feel, weight and fret access. The feel and action of the neck alone makes it a keeper in my book -- it is just so damn easy on the hand. The pickups are another story, being difficult to adjust (you have to adjust sensitivity via individual nipples) and the bridge pickup being weak, although it is a replacement and the new wiring is second-rate. It also has dirty POTS, etc., as would be expected with a well-used guitar this old. The biggest design flaw is the floating bridge paired with the Burns tremolo. The bridge is height-adjustable only, so intonation is of course tweaked by sliding the floating bridge saddle; however, using the tremolo arm tends to wiggle the bridge out of position, with the result that if you use the trem, you have to set up intonation every time you play. Because of these drawbacks, I am considering playing Dr. Franksenstein and modifying the guitar with fixed bridge saddle and a Gibson P-90 bridge pickup, leaving the Burns tremolo and original neck-position Hilotron in place.

It's old. The electrics are nearly shot and are badly in need of repair. But the body and neck are solid as a rock, the tuners work fine, and the well-worn finish still looks good when polished. When I get the wiring redone, I'm sure it will be 100% reliable. Right now I use an old Dano Silvertone as a backup (amazingly, it is just as old but the electrics are in perfect shape), although the Corvette hasn't quit onstage on me yet.

This model has been out of production for years, which is too bad because it a beautiful, eye-catching, light and comfortable guitar and with some updating of the electronics could be a real modern contender. I hope Gretsch sees fit to reissue this model someday, although I don't think they'll ever be able to match the quality of the originals.

If you find one in good shape, snap it up! Corvettes are still pretty cheap but the quality is way above a comparably priced modern guitar.

I have been playing guitar and bass for 34 years. I have played mostly Fenders in the past. Currently I also own a '63 Dano Silvertone, a '65 Eko 12-string acoustic electric, a new Ibanez AEJ-70 jazzbox (hey, if I could afford a Gibson ES175 I woudn't be buying cheap Korean imports and old used Danos now would I?), and a Vantage Alembic-copy bass. Various and sundry amplifiers.

If this guitar were lost or stolen, I would replace it if I could find one with the same V-carved neck (I have tried later models and the necks are rounder and too fat); otherwise I would save for my dream guitar, a Gibsob ES175. The comfortable neck and warm neck pickup are the centerpieces of this instrument. Hate the floating bridge combined with the Burns tremolo system, it sucks donkey balls. No wonder the later models sported a Bigsby with fixed bridge! On the other hand the Burns tremolo is very distinctive looking, and the bridge is pretty stable as long as I avoid a lot of whammying. To my hand (and back), this is the most COMFORTABLE guitar I have ever played.