FS: 1964 Fender Mustang

pluckedout

Well, where to start with this, testing the water a bit due to recent overspending (and upcoming NGD). Once sold by Fretted Americana, then by Dirk Witte, ended up with me a couple of years ago (I think). Short version: 1955 DuoJet professionally converted to full White Penguin spec. 


https://imgur.com/a/FKjjGi5

EDIT: Many more photos here:

https://imgur.com/a/2qCTAyS

Many more photos can be made available, just ask! Collection only given the value but happy to meet part-way, I'm in High Wycombe.


As you can see from the pics, there are some areas of lacquer cracking and one bit where there is lacquer/veneer lifting by the tailpiece. This is stable and looks worse in the pics than it does in real life, and I assume is from the pressure of the tailpiece on the top. Would be relatively straightforward to fix but is purely cosmetic. However, I have lowered the price accordingly.

Hard to price but given the price of real penguins (6 figures) and a 1957 duojet just went for £7500 at ATB and even custom shop penguins are £5k+ now it seems...

PRICE DROP TO £5000. While I'm looking for cash I'll always consider p/x, electric/acoustic or bass, but has to be vintage, ideally pre-1970.

----

Long version... culled from original dealer adverts...

This guitar is actually an original 1955 Duo Jet (6128), which has been professionally refinished in white with gold sparkle binding as a 'White Penguin,' including having the headstock enlarged to style. All major parts are original, although a few cosmetic parts have been specially fabricated. The original Gretsch '6128 Duo Jet' printed paper label with the serial number '15***' is intact inside the control cavity. 

It feels and plays just like it should -- after all the guitar is a real 1955 Gretsch Duo Jet!'In the same way as Gretsch had issued a companion 'solidbody' to the Chet Atkins Hollow Body, they also produced a partner to the White Falcon in their standard-shape semi-solid style. This was called the White Penguin, complete with all the Falcon features and also released around 1955. 'The name came about because a penguin has a white front,' insists Duke Kramer, although it's hard to imagine how Gretsch expected anyone to buy a guitar with such an unappealing and comical name. The instrument even had a little penguin waddling across the pickguard. In fact, very few people did buy the White Penguin. It doesn't appear in any of the company's catalogues, and only makes a fleeting appearance on a 1959 pricelist (at a steep $490). From the small number that surface one can presume that very few Penguins were made, and the model has since become regarded as one of the most desirable of all Gretsch guitars. Thus the occasional examples that do turn up command very high prices (6 figures) on the collectors' market.

This 13 1/4-inch-wide guitar weighs 8.60 lbs. and has a nice, fat nut width of 1 11/16 inches and a scale length of 24 1/2 inches. Chambered mahogany body, pressed arched top, mahogany neck, and ebony fretboard with 22 frets and inlaid pearl hump-top block position markers with engraved feather motif with black highlighting. 'V' headstock with vertical Gretsch 'T-roof' logo cut from gold sparkle plastic, the 'G' with two wings protruding from it. Gold sparkle plastic 'V'-shaped truss-rod cover. Individual Grover Imperial tuners with 'stairstep' metal buttons. The back of the neck with gold sparkle plastic heel cap at the body end. Black, white, and gold sparkle binding on the sides of the body, the fretboard, and the headstock. With the banjo armrest on the lower bass bout. Two single-coil DeArmond pickups. Gold Lucite pickguard radius-engraved with Gretsch 'T-roof' logo and with a penguin in black. Four controls (individual volume controls for each pickup and a master tone control in a triangular configuration on the lower treble bout and a master volume control on the cutaway bout) plus three-way pickup selector switch on upper bass bout. 'Arrow' knobs set in the middle with a mother-of-pearl circle and a red rhinestone at the tip of the arrow and with cross-hatch pattern on the sides. Melita Synchro-Sonic bridge and 'Cadillac' tailpiece with 'G' logo. All hardware gold-plated. The three covers on the back of the guitar are clear plastic painted gold underneath. A few small surface marks and finish cracks, otherwise this guitar is in excellent plus condition. Housed in a specially modified early Gretsch fitted black hardshell case with purple felt lining.

It is a real stage guitar, eyecatcher, and unless youre a total vintage freak noone will ever see the ever-so-slight differences with the original thing, and since it is a 55 afterall with the same body/neck/pickups as the original Penguin, you wont hear or feel difference either.

It has been pro refretted and trussrod adjusted, plays like a dream allover the neck. Low action no dead spots or buzzing. No issues left just take out off the case and play for decades.

SOLD

Benm39

Wow  that's a bit special!

musicman100

Interesting guitar, all the best with ur sale

fretfinder

pluckedout said: Once sold by Fretted Americana, then by Dirk Witte, ended up with me a couple of years ago (I think). Short version: 1955 DuoJet professionally converted to full White Penguin spec.
… in a specially modified early Gretsch fitted black hardshell case with purple felt lining.

Spectacular looking guitar. Do you know who did the modding/conversion, and how was the case modified? 

pluckedout

Sadly not, I have no other information but it's definitely been done by a pro, I suspect in the USA given the fretted Americana link

AlexO

I think a post on the Gretsch Talk forum would be helpful for your sale… I would even imagine a few on there might know a bit more about the history / work on your guitar.

pluckedout

Price drop bump - will check out the Gretsch Talk forum later this week! Good suggestion.

musicman100

pluckedout said:

Price drop bump - will check out the Gretsch Talk forum later this week! Good suggestion.

The one person on the gretsch talk who might know is Ed Ball. 

pluckedout

Some dealer interest but would rather cut out the middle man/person, feel free to make me an offer. Am going to get on Gretsch Talk tomorrow and see what I can find out...

pluckedout

Bump

pluckedout

Bump and an even bigger price drop as I've seen something I want/need.

pluckedout

Bump and some pics of the pickups as requested

https://imgur.com/a/PvF3nDA

This shows them to be original DeArmonds

pluckedout

Adding some more things for sale...

First, 1950s Fender Champ lap steel. Fair condition, has clearly seen some action and is therefore missing a bit of paint on the base and has a few dings here and there. Sounds incredible though! Original case and I'm fairly sure it's the original felt on the back. Tuners have been replaced but the originals are included, they are missing some pegs though. Comes with Shubb tone bar as well.

Pics here, will embed tomorrow once on a PC.

https://imgur.com/a/kZoz3IP

£1200 plus postage or collection very welcome from high Wycombe or possibly central London.

pluckedout

Next, 1967 Fender Musicmaster II. This is the much more desirable 24" scale version. Original case and is in very good condition, just a few minor dings. Paint is nicely patinated. Plays and sounds superb!

Pics here, will embed tomorrow...

https://imgur.com/a/83q57j7

£2000 plus postage or collection very welcome from high Wycombe or possibly central London.

pluckedout

1964 Fender Mustang. Definitely not all original but punk AF. Has Seymour Duncan antiquity Firebird pickups installed and sounds incredible. Original case included as well. I was going to restore this but don't have the time...

https://imgur.com/a/sUtLVwK

£2250 plus postage or collection very welcome from high Wycombe or possibly central London.

pluckedout

Finally, for now at least, recent (2022?) Squier Jaguar HH in shoreline gold. A modders dream! I was going to do great things with this but have to accept I don't have the time to complete all the projects I have on the go...

https://imgur.com/a/u0aEhxz

Very good condition, just one small mark on the back of the neck.

£250 plus postage or collection very welcome from high Wycombe or possibly central London. No case but will be very well packed.

JD50

What's the neck width on the Mustang, A or B?

pluckedout

JD50 said:

What's the neck width on the Mustang, A or B?

It's A.

simonhpieman

JD50 said:

What's the neck width on the Mustang, A or B?

I've played that very guitar. It might be an A neck but it still feels pretty big, it's very unusual. It's a great little guitar, is that!

pluckedout

Bump

pluckedout

Bump