Gretsch guitars: 6105 Rally
<p>For years, car makers have slapped an unusual paint scheme and/or stripes on whatever wouldn't sell, added a badge that read "GT" or "Rally" and waited for the lowly Escorts and Sunbirds to start rolling off the lots.
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<p>It's tough to figure out if that's what Gretsch was trying with the Rally model, but as the Magic 8 Ball is prone to saying, "All indications point to Yes."
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<p>At any rate, the 6104 and 6105 Rally models rolled out in 1967, adding another guitar equipped with dual HiLoTron pickups to a product line-up already heavy with similarly-equipped guitars.
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<p>The Rally's big claim to fame, besides the sporty stripes on the pickguard and truss rod cover, was the colors. Combinations that hadn't been seen since the early '50s — like Bamboo Yellow and Copper Mist — turned up on Rallys. Even the colors were a bit off, though. Instead of using the gorgeous Cadillac Green used on Country Clubs and other Gretsch guitars, Gretsch introduced Rally Green, which was more of a stain, with the wood showing through and is generally much more drab than Cadillac Green.
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<p>Another odd choice was the onboard active treble booster switch. Since HiLoTrons already tend to be trebly, it wasn't a particularly useful feature.
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<p>In the Rally's favor, it was inexpensive. Retailing for $395 when new, it sat squarely at the lower
end of Gretsch's hollowbody line.
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<p>Although rarely seen, a Songbird model was reportedly also offered that was identical to the Rallys except it had "G" soundholes and no rally stripe. The Rally was discontinued in 1970.
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Bamboo Yellow
Copper Mist
— May 4, 2007 8:24 p.m.
— May 1, 2008 4:49 p.m.