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1961 Gretsch Clipper
Year: 1961
Brand: Gretsch
Model: Clipper
Class: Guitar
Scale:
Owner: Sean French
    
I saw this old Gretsch at Seans and she screamed for help. From the missing headstock badge to the unusual pickup mod, you could tell she had a bit of a rough time.
 
First up was the headstock decal. I picked up a replacement decal then wet sanded the headstock flat for application. After applying the decal the headstock was show with clear and wet sanded smooth. I decided to age the decal slightly to match the overall finish of the guitar.
 
The next project would be removing the aftermarket pickup and installing the correct Gretsch Hi-Lo tron pickup and pickup ring. The after market pickup used a makeshift aluminum pick guard to mount. After the pick guard was removed you could see the original pickup hole had been enlarged. Most of this would be hidden by the pick up ring except a 1/8 inch sized section on the left hand side. Since the pickup hole had been modified, a stock Gretsch pickup mounting would be impossible. I recessed the pickup and installed wooden stands for the pickup to mount to. Recessing the pick up required the hole to be taller, so I was able to remove an 1/8 in section from the bottom of the hole and use it as a patch on the left side. After some stain and lacquer the repair is still visible, but not very noticeable.
The pickup and pickup ring were aged to match the overall look of the instrument.
The neck joint had a hollow pocket, most likely due to the drying of the old hide glue. Since the joint was still sturdy I decided to inject hide glue into the joint to assure the neck stays tight in the joint.
 
After this glue dried it was time to setup the guitar. Adjustments to the nut, and the after market bridge were made, and the guitar was good to go.
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