Gretsch 7680

I can"t say a lot that the first writer hasn't already said.
I traded a 1964 Gibson ES 330 TD, which I had bought new, for mine in Dec 1981. I really hated to part with my old Gibson, but couldn't afford both at the time. I've never been sorry I traded. It is the best playing guitar I have ever played, and I have owned many, like most of you. But I have kept this one longer than any other, and do not plan to part with it, at least not very reasonable.
I would rate this instrument as a 10, more if I could.

Art Frailey, Marion, IL.

When the Phaser stopped working, I contacted the Gretch Co. and they sent me a electronic flow chart. That was all I need as the repair
tech said it was a non-complicated design.

i think it's about time someone talks about one of Gretsch's best kept secrets...
i bought this guitar NOS in 1988/89 coming home pretty drunk from a great night out on a saturday morning. passing the guitarshop lying on my way home i took the time (as always...) to have a look in the window and saw the "super axe" standing there. i was hooked. well, it's a beautyfull guitar.
built in USA in january '78, venetian cutaway, binding all around, translucent orange/red, laminated maple archtop and-back, slightly flamed set maple neck, 22 frets, ebony fingerboard, Grover tuners. it sported two 70's DiMarzio humbuckers, 3 way toggle switch and an impressive contollboard with master volume, master tone, phaser, phaser rate, compressor and sustain (compressor and phaser are powered by a nine volt battery). i bought the guitar the same day (when the shop finally opened and i had managed to get hold of the money).
most reviews say it's a solidbody - well, it's not. it's got a maple centerblock and reinforcements but a lot of hollow parts as well ( what you can hear...). i think you can call this semisolid. the body is quite big and pretty heavy (4,1 kg) what you can hear as well...
the brigde is an adjustable wrapover (bad ass).

i play rock, blues, crossover and dabble a bit in jazz. now i play through a Behringer GMX 212 and a Mesa Boogie DC5. when i got the guitar i was a bit disappointed of the neck pu, which sounded muddy to me (that could as well have been my amp in those times), and changed that to a Seymour Duncan SH 2 with coil split. later i changed the bridge pu as well ( Alnico II Pro / coil split ) which suits her great.
i do play a 76' Fender Telecaster Custom and a Rickenbacker 360 as well but this guitar has been and is my absolute favorite. it's extremely versatile, has a woody, full and precise tone on the neck pu in clean (great for jazz), and goes from twangy to chimey on the brigde pu/clean. distorted it can kill and cut knees off. from deep and growling to screaming, biting and piercing. whatever you need. and she has sustain - go and have yourself a coffee while the tone rings out...

i can't say if the guitar has ever left it's case after being built and before i bought it. the set up was fine, the only nuisance were the frets, which had to be dressed. maybe that was a leftover from the Baldwin aera or something happend to her while lying in the case for ten years - who knows.
the frets were worked on slightly and the result is the best low action i've ever played. i'm honest.
the neck is not too slim and extremely comfortable (i've got pretty big hands...). the ebony fingerboard plays like a dream and is a very, very, very good for precise freting and bending (it has a flat radius, funny enough). noodleing on the upper frets get's a bit tricky after the 18/19th fret because of the cutaway in combination with the bodymass, but -well...
all in all the guitar is built and looks like a masterpiece,- heavy, resonat, the finish is still great after 28 years, the chrome is shiny, the tuners work perfect and the neck is gorgeous.

being an archtop there are a handfull of hairline cracks in the finish on the back/upper horn. that's it. everything else is perfect. the guitar has gigged life and will do, but is played at home and in the studio for most of the time. i don't think this is a guitar for heavy gigging, jumping and thrashing but she will do everything else. have a 9V battery handy as a backup when you go playing with the phaser and compressor, but the effects can be bypassed/switched off so no problem if you do not depend on them.

these guitars seem to be wrongly overlooked. maybe because not that many where made between '78 and '81 or because they are( the last) part of the Baldwin legacy. i've been playing for 28 years now (on and off) life and at home. all the guitars i play fit a purpose - different musicstyle, different guitar. but the Gretsch 7680 is by far the most versatile and sophisticated of them and can be used for nearly all the fun. she get's you wherever you want (well, maybe not thrashmetal...) and doesn't let you down. it's hard to put her away and she's great to look at and you'll always come back to her. when you are lucky enough to find one in a good condition, don't hesitate -buy it. you will get addicted.