Since 1883, countless instruments have borne the brand name and logo that gives them claim to “That Great Gretsch Sound.” But, only a select set of guitars bearing the Gretsch brand name can be said to embody the essence of what makes that Gretsch sound so great. And, no instruments epitomize the expertise and attention to detail of Gretsch’s most trusted hands like the instruments from Gretsch Custom Shop, now at CME

This Gretsch Custom Shop guitar represents the creative apex of the company’s time-honored legacy of making instruments, where “That Great Gretsch Sound” reaches an entirely new plane—preserving and protecting it, giving today’s most discerning guitar players access to the best of all the Gretsch sounds available anywhere in the world.

NOS (New Old Stock) is built without any relic or wear at all. For vintage-inspired instruments, it feels as if you went back in time and bought it new in the golden-era. Most are finished with nitrocellulose lacquer and in those instances you should expect the finish to age similarly to their vintage counterparts. However, some modern-era Custom Shop creations in NOS are finished in polyurethane, which is far more durable and will likely remain glossy and lustrous for decades to come with proper care.

Master Builder: Chad Henrichsen
Chad Henrichsen joined the Gretsch Custom Shop in 2008, after spending four years with Fender as a guitar tech and, later, group lead of quality control/inspection. Henrichsen brings that developed eye for subtle nuances and perfection to the Gretsch Custom Shop, where he specializes in crafting custom necks.

“I enjoy taking things apart just to see how they work and thinking of the different ways it could be made. So naturally, I enjoy a build request that is outside the norm which makes me figure out how to make it work.” - Chad Henrichsen