Gretsch 6192 Country Club "Al Caiola" (USED, 1955)
Vintage
It's not every day that we're in a position to steward such an historic instrument like this 1955 Gretsch 6192 Country Club.
Owned by one of the most legendary session and live guitarists to exist - Al Caiola - this Country Club made it on stage with some of music's greatest performers in Al's more-than-capable hands. Documented with provenance, this twin-pickup hollowbody electric was a weapon of choice all throughout Al's storied career - Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Percy Faith, Frankie Avalon, Paul Anka, Connie Francis, and countless others had their stage and studio performances backed by Mr. Caiola with this very guitar. Al mentions in included letters to the original buyer of the guitar that he recorded theme songs to "Bonanza" and "The Magnificent 7" - pretty astounding stuff!
Originally built by Gretsch to compete with Gibson's L5CES, the 6192 Country Club is one of the premier electric archtops to come out of the 1950s. The 17" body and nearly 3 1/2" depth combined with the long scale yielded a very powerful instrument with great acoustic volume. The original Dearmond Dynasonic single coil pickups provide the unmistakable tone of the 1950s Gretsch sound, with sweet and clear bell-like chime and great note definition.
The wide-band full body Sunburst finish is in excellent shape and has a beautiful vintage luster that complements the patina of the hardware very well. The 3-piece Maple neck sports the famous 'hump block' fingerboard inlays atop a multi-ply bound Rosewood fingerboard. Transition from the old script style logo in 1954, this Country Club features the newly adapted block lettering that became the defacto logo for the company from that point on. An original and fully functioning set of Grover Imperial tuners top of the high-level aesthetic.
A truly iconic mid-century instrument with some incredible provenance and musical history in it, Al Caiola's 1955 Gretsch 6192 Country Club is a fantastic instrument that would make any collection shine.
Priced with aftermarket hardshell case. Hand-written letters from Al Caiola are included, which reference his use of the instrument with various artists.
- 17" Maple laminate body with original Sunburst finish
- 3-piece Maple neck with bound Rosewood fingerboard
- 1 3/4" nut width
- 25.5" scale length
- Medium C neck profile: .83" @ 1st fret / .93" @ 10th fret
- Dearmond Dynasonic pickups: 9.92k ohm Neck / 8.73k ohm Bridge
- Replacement bridge
- Original frets
- Grover Imperial tuners
- Weight: 6lb 15oz
- Serial # 15907
Every instrument is thoroughly checked and set up before shipping fully insured via UPS with tracking to your door. We reuse boxes and materials to cut waste when they meet our protection standard.
Inspect it, play it, and if it isn't right, contact us within 48 hours of delivery to arrange a return or one-time exchange. Returns are subject to a 5% restocking fee, and the buyer covers shipping both ways.
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