1989 Gretsch 6022 Rancher MIJ
1989 Gretsch 6022 Rancher
For sale is a truly remarkable piece of Gretsch corporate history and Dallas music folklore: a 1989 Gretsch 6022 Rancher jumbo acoustic-electric guitar, hand-built at the legendary Terada factory in Japan.
This is not a standard assembly-line retail model. This exact instrument features the serial number 898022-19, designating it as the 19th modern-era Rancher ever built during the foundational August 1989 launch run. It was built specifically as one of just five original Western Orange models shipped across the Pacific to debut at the 1989 Dallas International Guitar Festival, marking the grand, historic rebirth of the Gretsch company under Fred W. Gretsch. Beyond its corporate rarity, this instrument possesses an incredible, fully documented, 35-year lineage in the Dallas music scene:
The Café Noir Connection: Shortly after its trade show presentation, the guitar made its way to Greenville Avenue. It was purchased by Lyles West, the principal songwriter and multi-instrumentalist for the iconic Dallas ensemble Café Noir.
The Custom LR Baggs Upgrade: To prepare the guitar for Café Noir's high-energy acoustic stage performances, a premium, era-correct, passive LR Baggs under-saddle pickup was professionally installed. This modification ingeniously replaced the bridge ivory and utilized a custom endpin tailpiece jack/strap-button, electrifying the guitar without cutting into the rare Savannah Sunset gloss finish.
The Balcony Club Residency: The guitar later returned to its custodian and spent approximately 10 years anchoring a regular happy hour residency at the legendary Balcony Club in Lakewood, filling one of Dallas's most historic jazz and blues rooms with music for a decade.
Condition: This guitar is a beautifully seasoned, working musician's instrument. It plays wonderfully and possesses a deep, rich, wood-driven acoustic voice that has been broken in over decades of real stage performance. The paper label is intact inside the unique triangular soundhole, clearly displaying the historical sequential sequence suffix.
