Though we might be tempted to think that the Aristocrat was a response to Gibson’s introduction of the Les Paul, it’s much more likely that it was a reaction to Gretsch’s introduction of Duo-Jet guitars.
The pickups, which look like P-90’s, were actually made by the Franz company in Astoria, NY and are lower output than P-90’s.
The Aristocrat was built from 1954 to 1963, and then reintroduced in 1967 as the Bluesbird, but after a year, the construction changed to laminate woods and then solidbody.
- Serial Number: 5780, built during 1958 in New York City.
- Pricing: $4,199 CAD with period fibre case
- Neck: 3-piece mahogany/maple neck, 24 3/4″ scale length, bound rosewood fingerboard with pearloid block markers. The fingerboard binding has some cracks but is intact.
- Frets: Original frets in playable condition.
- Body: Spruce top, chambered mahogany back and sides. Single cutaway.
- Finish: Original nitrocellulose lacquer finish in good condition. Sunburst top, tinted back and neck. The top is bound and there is one crack in the binding near the tailpiece.
- Hardware/electronics: Gold hardware – Kluson deluxe tuners with plastic keystone buttons, gold Guild harp tailpiece, two P-90 type single coils, pickup selector, individual volume and tone controls, original knobs.
- Playability/Action: Plays well and cleanly.
- Case: Period fibre (cardboard) case included.
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