Gretsch 6129-1957, silver sparkle, made in Japan 1994. What an enormously awesome guitar this is. The Sparkle Jet was the flashy cousin of the iconic Duo Jet; this one references the late 50s version with a pair of DynaSonic single coils and a floating non-tremolo 'G'  tailpiece. Fred Gretsch Jr bought the family company back from Baldwin in the late 80s, moving production to the meticulous Terada Gakki factory in Japan. This example dates to a handful of years into Gretsch's renaissance, and you can really feel the love and precision that's gone into the build. The chambered mahogany body is lightweight and gloriously resonant, the neck is slim, straight and stable and the quality of build and finish is obvious in the hands. The Dyna single coils deliver a similar punching, immediate attack as the more common FilterTron humbuckers, but with a low end weight and girthy fullness instead of a snarly brightness. The bridge pickup is perfect for aggressive rhythm parts, as it's so clear and snappy but with a huge midrange oomph. The neck pickup is dark and gooey, great for legato lead lines and dense jazz chords. Now, that finish: do I really need to say more? It's a big, flashy glass-glitter style flake, and holy guacamole it's gonna look good around your neck at your next gig. Or, hang it on the wall and have it watch over you while you sleep. Either way, it's a stunning creature full of majesty and glamour.

Model: Gretsch 6129-1957 Sparkle Jet
Made: Japan, Terada plant,1994 (serial 9412129-273)
Body: chambered mahogany, arched laminate maple top
Neck: mahogany, rosewood board, slim vintage C shape, 24.75" scale, 12" radius
Weight: 3.665kg
Mods: none
Pickups: Gretsch DynaSonic single coil x2
Case: Gretsch wood hard case, very good quality and condition

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has some dimples on the end and some light scuffs on the front and back. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, just a surface scratch neat the headstock join and a few dimples on the back. The back has a couple of small chips on the bottom edge, rub wear on the back edge, a decent patch of buckle rash in the middle as well as widespread minor scuffs and surface scratches, nothing too major. The sides have no major marks, just a couple of small chips in the elbow area, dents near the jack and widespread light scuffs and minor dimples. The front doesn't show marks very easily, but there's some minor dents near the knobs and some play scuffs on the guard and horns.  Overall: good condition (7/10)

Playing condition notes: Neck is straight, action is low, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electrics tested and working properly. Frets have very minor wear, they're in reasonable shape, 7/10. "It's the glamour that kills" - He Is Legend.