Gretsch Catalog Trivia Question

[AccordionUprising]

Got a question asking What is the date of this old Gretsch catalog? Im wild guessing the 1940s – anyone know for sure?
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DTwjJDCW4AAf0OX.jpg>

Question is from these Gretsch guitar fans.

Not so many remember that Gretsch also imported accordions. In the 1920s they were made by Rosati, I dont know how long they sold them or who made them later.

So, anybody know about when this came out? Its not a very fancy looking accordion, but maybe they earned their reputation for guitars for a reason.

 

[maugein96]

The guitar in the picture may be a clue that it was 1939.

If you look at the guitar in the attached link youll see it is identical to the one in the poster concerned. The guitar has a very distinctive bridge and tailpiece that I hadnt seen before.

http://gretschpages.com/history/memorabilia/catalogs/1939-catalog/

Mind you I would have thought that the Gretsch enthusiasts may already have trawled the Gretsch website, but you never know.

Ive no idea about the accordion, and never knew that a Gretsch brand of accordion existed.

However, the Gretsch Varsity harmonica in the poster was produced from about 1937, and was known to be used in recordings from about that time up to 1940 by Lonnie Glosson, so I suppose that from 1937 to 1940 is as close as I can get.

 

[JIM D.]

Yes the catalog is late 30s - early 40s.
Gretsch made fine guitars & drums with other makers making instruments with the Gretsch badge on them.
In the late 40s to middle 60s they imported accordions (student to Pro models)from La Tosca of Italy with a Gretsch badge. Such as this --
http://www.accordiongallery.com/la-tosca-tuxedo

 

[triskel]

Mind you, Gretsch were already importing piano accordions as early as the late teens/early twenties too, judging by this early La Tosca Professional example that I have the remnants of:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/StephenChambers/001_3.jpg>

(La Tosca was an old Gretsch house brand - they used it on strings too!)