Gretsch authority Ed Ball takes us back
in time to explain the genesis and
evolution of one of the company’s most
revered and coveted guitars—the Duo Jet.
BY ED BALL
in the summer of 1953, the Gretsch Company responded to the new threat
of solidbody electric guitars from both
Gibson and Fender with its own offering—
the Gretsch Duo Jet model 6128. With its
dual DeArmond Dynasonic pickups, the
6128 possessed contours that were clearly
inspired by the Gibson’s highly successful
Les Paul model introduced in 1952. The
Duo Jet was also the first Gretsch electric
model to facilitate truss-rod adjustments
premierguitar.com
via a headstock mechanism concealed by a
bullet-shaped cover. Unlike the Les Paul’s
metallic “goldtop” finish, the Gretsch Duo
Jet featured a black top made of Nitron
plastic. And although it was considered a
solidbody instrument, it in fact employed
a chambered body that reduced weight and
contributed to the model’s signature tone.
Upon returning to production after World
War II, the Gretsch factory in Brooklyn, New
York, initiated a sequential serial-numbering
system that marked instruments with stamped
paper labels that were applied inside the
guitars. Jet solidbodies’ labels were inside the
large control cavity in the back of the guitar.
A unique feature not shared by other Gretsch
models is the fact that the Duo Jet also had
its serial number handwritten on the outside
edge of the black plate covering the large
control cavity. This was done to relieve the
retailer from having to remove the plate to
document the number.
