Bigsby BY-WT Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar, made by Gretsch (2002)
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Item # 12323
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Bigsby BY-WT Model Semi-Hollow Body Electric Guitar, made by Gretsch (2002), made in Japan, serial # 0100033, natural finish, maple body and neck, rosewood fingerboard, original black tolex hard shell case.
This Bigsby BY-WT is a pre-production model built for Gretsch by Terada in Japan around 2002-3. Fred Gretsch had recently acquired the Bigsby name, and decided to run some sample instruments to test the market and see how a modern line of vintage-styled Bigsby guitars would be received. Apparently dealer reaction was not good enough to encourage a full production, and the line was never pursued beyond the initial batch. Estimates of how many exist range from around 40 to about 100 examples in a number of different patterns, largely based on existing original Bigsby instruments.
It's sort of a shame, really as this beautifully made guitar features a stunning Birdseye maple top on its sweeping double-cutaway chambered maple body. It is fitted with a set of "vintage voiced" overwound single coil pickups, designed to replicate the unique sound of the original hand-wound Bigsby units. The wiring is simple with a 3-way switch and master tone and volume controls. Other hardware includes a Tune-a-Matic Style bridge on a Bigsby "dog bone" base and a Bigsby B3 Vibrato. The headstock is the original Bigsby style with Kluson Deluxe tuners and the whimsical shaped truss rod cover.
According to the official website, "Bigsby has produced a very few, limited edition, prototype guitars using many of the design features and ideas originally crafted by Paul Bigsby. The Bigsby prototype guitars are unique and specifications may vary from model to model." These are now rare models, and while we don't know how many were built to this exact BY-WT pattern, it was not a lot! This is a fine sounding, great playing guitar and even if not a match for an Original Bigsby guitar (and we have one to compare!) a fine instrument in its own right!
Overall length is 40 1/8 in. (101.9 cm.), 13 1/2 in. (34.3 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This guitar appears little played and shows only light handling wear and minor signs of use overall, with some very minor scratching to the back. The frets and fingerboard have virtually no wear. There is some minor scratching and tarnishing to some of the metal parts. It is all original and unaltered, and looks to have been resting in its clean original Bigsby style case for the last 20+ years. Overall Excellent + Condition.
This Bigsby BY-WT is a pre-production model built for Gretsch by Terada in Japan around 2002-3. Fred Gretsch had recently acquired the Bigsby name, and decided to run some sample instruments to test the market and see how a modern line of vintage-styled Bigsby guitars would be received. Apparently dealer reaction was not good enough to encourage a full production, and the line was never pursued beyond the initial batch. Estimates of how many exist range from around 40 to about 100 examples in a number of different patterns, largely based on existing original Bigsby instruments.
It's sort of a shame, really as this beautifully made guitar features a stunning Birdseye maple top on its sweeping double-cutaway chambered maple body. It is fitted with a set of "vintage voiced" overwound single coil pickups, designed to replicate the unique sound of the original hand-wound Bigsby units. The wiring is simple with a 3-way switch and master tone and volume controls. Other hardware includes a Tune-a-Matic Style bridge on a Bigsby "dog bone" base and a Bigsby B3 Vibrato. The headstock is the original Bigsby style with Kluson Deluxe tuners and the whimsical shaped truss rod cover.
According to the official website, "Bigsby has produced a very few, limited edition, prototype guitars using many of the design features and ideas originally crafted by Paul Bigsby. The Bigsby prototype guitars are unique and specifications may vary from model to model." These are now rare models, and while we don't know how many were built to this exact BY-WT pattern, it was not a lot! This is a fine sounding, great playing guitar and even if not a match for an Original Bigsby guitar (and we have one to compare!) a fine instrument in its own right!
Overall length is 40 1/8 in. (101.9 cm.), 13 1/2 in. (34.3 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11/16 in. (43 mm.).
This guitar appears little played and shows only light handling wear and minor signs of use overall, with some very minor scratching to the back. The frets and fingerboard have virtually no wear. There is some minor scratching and tarnishing to some of the metal parts. It is all original and unaltered, and looks to have been resting in its clean original Bigsby style case for the last 20+ years. Overall Excellent + Condition.