GRETSCH manufactured the CORVETTE SOLID BODY MODEL 6132 between 1961 and 1978. The Gretsch Corvettes were made in Brooklyn. This model has a single Gretsch HiLo-Tron pickup and a vibrato (either a patent-pending Burns of London vibrato unit or a Bigsby type). The story goes that back in the early 1960s, Gretsch had trouble getting enough Bigsby vibratos to keep up with production. So sometimes they used the Burns vibrato  as a replacement.

The neck joint is a long mortise and tenon like the Les Pauls and SG Juniors of the same period, yet this guitar costs only a fraction of what a Gibson goes for these days. As a vintage find, the Corvette’s a bargain.

Tuners are Klusons.

Source: Stew Mac Trade Secrets Newsletter. Buying used guitars: Great deals if you’re ready for a little fixup work after the sale. Erick Coleman, July 8, 2010