Gretsch White Falcon - Origins and History

Origins and History

In early 1954, Gretsch marketing strategist Jimmie Webster sought to design a guitar to improve upon the Gibson Super 400. He wanted a "Dream Guitar", and gained his inspiration by walking through the Gretsch factory and watching the construction of the diversity of musical instruments the company produced. From the banjo production line, Webster recalled the engraved pearl inlays that adorned the fretboard and headstock. Many of Gretsch's drums were covered with thick sparkly gold plastic that could also be used as binding on guitars. The combination of these eye-catching features with an large 17" wide by 2¾" deep white body and highest quality gold-plated hardware rendered "the Cadillac of guitars," the White Falcon.

The White Falcon was unveiled at the NAMM show in July 1954. It was displayed as "the guitar of the future," but Gretsch initially had no plans to actually manufacture the model. It was supposed to be a showpiece, much like GM's Motorama "Dream Cars" of the day.

The volume of questions sales reps received about the eye-catching instrument led Gretsch to begin commercial manufacturing of the guitar, and the first publicly available White Falcon hit stores in 1955. As the company's new high-end guitar, Gretsch marketed it as "the finest guitar we know how to make – and what a beauty!" The White Falcon originally cost $600 (about $4,100, adjusted for inflation); this price tag was second only to the $690 asking price of Gibson's Super 400CESN.

So popular was the White Falcon (and other Gretsch models of the time) that this era in Gretsch guitar history is frequently referred to as "The Golden Years" or "The Great Years" of the company. Through the '60s, Webster continually improved the Falcon with more features, including a stereo version. By the late '60s, the Falcon was substantially altered from what is considered its former glory. It also switched to a twin-cutaway body beginning in 1962.

Fred Gretsch retired in 1967 and sold his company to Baldwin Manufacturing. Baldwin would have trouble understanding guitars in general and the White Falcon in particular, which disastrously failed to evolve smoothly out of the rockabilly era. Most who were inspired by the new popular guitarists Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and other musical greats were turning to Fender, rather than Gretsch.

To make matters worse, the rapidly deteriorating Baldwin Manufacturing experienced two destructive fires at its new Arkansas plant in 1973. Gretsch limped through the '70s and finally closed production in the '80s. Falcon guitars quickly evolved into mere collectables, being owned more as keepsakes or for vintage sound than as a popular instrument. In 1989, Fred Gretsch III resumed control of the family business and began making guitars again. These instruments are based on classic Gretsch designs, including the venerable White Falcon.