Until a couple of weeks ago I'd never played a Gretsch
or even seen one in person (!), but I saw the Power Jet
Firebird on the Gretsch site and fell completely in love.

I went to my local Sam Ash, supposedly a Gretsch dealer,
but the closest they had was a used Chet Atkins "solidbody".
Very cool -- I couldn't believe the owner had put big dents
in the back of the neck and bottom of the body. :eek:

Could a Firebird owner tell me a bit more about the finish?
Is the red top translucent or opaque? If it's translucent,
I guess you see the (fairly plain) top layer of laminate?

Also, from photos it appears that the back of the body
and all of the neck but the fingerboard are opaque black.
Is that right?

Thanks for any help.

By the way, if any Firebird owners here have anything else
they want to share about their instrument, I'm interested.

ps I'm kind of a leech (but a well-intentioned one), as I'm
starting a Power Jet build.

The Firebird Red finish is usually opaque. I've never seen a translucent-top Firebird.

Mine has an opaque red top and opaque black back and sides.
I think vintage 50's models had a nitron (plastic drum material) top like the Sparkle Jets. This top may have been transparent, covering an opaque red finish.

Thanks, people!

Here's another question: are the Sperzel tuners chrome
or satin chrome finish?

And here's another question: does the Bigsby B3C come
in different finishes? I see some listed as polished aluminum,
and some as chrome.

Thanks, people!
Here's another question: are the Sperzel tuners chrome
or satin chrome finish?
And here's another question: does the Bigsby B3C come
in different finishes? I see some listed as polished aluminum,
and some as chrome.

Chrome Sperzel tuners (not satin)
B3C with V cut, nice and shiny too, looks like Chrome to me

The B3C is a USA-made Bigsby. None of them are chromed. They are all polished aluminum, except for the gold ones, which are plated.

6stings and tartanphantom, thanks for the answers!

Welcome flatfive, I have nothing to add (the others beat me to it & you seem to know everything you wanted to now) but I wanted to add you have IMPECCABLE TASTE! :D

Jets ROCK! :cool: