My friend and bass teacher (@rockin3quarter) was recently telling me about the very interesting 1970s Gretsch Committee basses, and it led me down a rabbit hole of Baldwin-era Gretsch oddities. Not more than a few weeks later, I found this on Marketplace and had to make it mine.
It is a 1975 Gretsch Broadkaster #7605. All maple with an interesting dark stripe that follows through the body and neck. Weight is a unsurprisingly portly 11lb 14oz. The body shape was described by my friend as a smooshed P-bass- it is quite wide and lumpy looking.
Gretsch called the pickup the "bass response pickup" in their ads from the period. It apparently has a low impedance output as there is a small transformer inside. Tone is very mid focused and punchy with distinct harmonics.
When it arrived, I was somewhat appalled at the poor state it was in. The strings were ancient, and it had likely never been cleaned. The frets were extremely tarnished, and the bridge was fairly rusty. After nearly a full day of elbow grease, it came out looking great!
The metal pick guard is very interesting, and I have not found another like it online (only a previous sale of this exact bass). The guard material matches the truss rod cover as well as the neck plate. It has very nicely countersunk screw holes, and is quite thick with a brushed finish. Not sure if it is original or a well done replacement.
It did not come with the original bridge cover, but I took a gamble that Gretsch grabbed one from a parts bin and ordered a Gretsch lap steel cover. It fit perfectly, and I think it really completes the look!
Overall, this is a super fun and unique bass from a poorly documented (and often reviled) period of Gretsch. I love the way it plays and sounds.
If anyone else owns one of these or knows anything more about them, I'd love to hear what you think!
It is a 1975 Gretsch Broadkaster #7605. All maple with an interesting dark stripe that follows through the body and neck. Weight is a unsurprisingly portly 11lb 14oz. The body shape was described by my friend as a smooshed P-bass- it is quite wide and lumpy looking.
Gretsch called the pickup the "bass response pickup" in their ads from the period. It apparently has a low impedance output as there is a small transformer inside. Tone is very mid focused and punchy with distinct harmonics.
When it arrived, I was somewhat appalled at the poor state it was in. The strings were ancient, and it had likely never been cleaned. The frets were extremely tarnished, and the bridge was fairly rusty. After nearly a full day of elbow grease, it came out looking great!
The metal pick guard is very interesting, and I have not found another like it online (only a previous sale of this exact bass). The guard material matches the truss rod cover as well as the neck plate. It has very nicely countersunk screw holes, and is quite thick with a brushed finish. Not sure if it is original or a well done replacement.
It did not come with the original bridge cover, but I took a gamble that Gretsch grabbed one from a parts bin and ordered a Gretsch lap steel cover. It fit perfectly, and I think it really completes the look!
Overall, this is a super fun and unique bass from a poorly documented (and often reviled) period of Gretsch. I love the way it plays and sounds.
If anyone else owns one of these or knows anything more about them, I'd love to hear what you think!
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very cool specimen --- and i'm sure it's a pleasure to play a little bit of EB history --- congratulations on your new instrument! 
