Gretsch/Kyle Petty Charity Autographed Guitar Auction

by Pee Wee Adcock

Fred Gretsch was kind enough to take time-out over the 4th of July week-end to talk to us here at Guitar.net about the upcoming Kyle Petty autographed Gretsch guitar charity auction.....

Pee Wee: First, could you tell us a bit about the Kyle Petty autographed guitar that's up for auction?

Fred Gretsch: It’s a 2000 professional Gretsch 6120 Nashville.  It’s been held in the Gretsch Foundation’s private collection and has never been played (other than by Kyle for a few minutes at the signing).  The 6120 series was developed in 1954 in collaboration with Chet Atkins.  Since then, we’ve offered the 6120 in many different versions.  You can check out all of the versions currently in production here: http://gretschguitars.com/gear/.

Pee Wee: Where can our readers check out the auction, and hopefully bid?

Fred Gretsch: The auction runs from July 10-July 20 on www.ebay.com.  During the auction period, readers can enter item number 280240004548 or search for “Kyle Petty Gretsch Guitar” to read about and bid on this one-of-a-kind collector’s item.

Pee Wee: What are the proceeds from the auction going towards?

Fred Gretsch: 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of the guitar will benefit the Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride, which is an annual motorcycle ride from Traverse City, Mich. to Savannah, Ga. led by Kyle Petty.  The ride benefits children’s charities, specifically Victory Junction Gang Camp.  Kyle Petty and his wife Pattie founded the camp for critically ill children who might not otherwise be able to attend camp.  The first Victory Junction is in Randleman, N.C. and I believe they’re opening another camp in Kansas.  Readers can learn about the Kyle Petty Charity Ride and Victory Junction here:

www.kylepettycharityride.com
www.victoryjunction.org

Pee Wee: Kyle Petty and Gretsch Guitars seem like a bit of an odd match. What's the connection between K.P. and Gretsch, and how'd that come about?

Fred Gretsch: The Gretsch Foundation, which is the charitable arm of The Gretsch Company, has always had an affinity for children’s charities. We heard through shared contacts that Kyle Petty is a guitar player and that this year’s charity ride ends in Savannah, Ga., where The Gretsch Company is based.  We figured that auctioning off a professional grade Gretsch guitar autographed by Kyle Petty would be a great way to raise money for the kids.

Pee Wee: Is Kyle a guitar player?

Fred Gretsch: Yes, though I haven’t heard him play.

Pee Wee: Cool, we were wondering if he should he keep his day job…..

Pee Wee: Can we look for anything new from Gretsch in 2009?

Fred Gretsch: Gretsch is always perfecting its “recipe” for drums and guitars, so musicians can expect new models in 2009.  We still have a lot to celebrate in 2008, which is Gretsch’s 125th anniversary year.  Here’s a rundown of what we have going on this year:

Present--July 16—Online public voting for the Next Gretsch Greats Unsigned Artist Competition at www.gretsch125th.com.  The 10 bands with the most votes will advance to the finalist round, where an expert panel will determine the winners.  We’re really excited about the judges.  The panel is made up of Chuck Leavell, touring keyboardist for The Rolling Stones; Keith Scott, guitarist for Bryan Adams; Stephen Ferrone, drummer for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers; and me.

July-August—We’re hosting “Gretsch Night Out” events at music stores around the country.  I’ll be in there in person to talk about the history of the company.  We’ll be giving away Gretsch prizes and I’m always happy to meet Gretsch players and friends and sign autographs.  Readers can see the full tour schedule at www.gretsch125th.com. I’ll also be blogging about the in-store events at www.myspace.com/gretsch125th.  If we’re not already friends on MySpace, please send us a friend request!

August 11 – Music workshop and reception to celebrate Gretsch’s 125th Anniversary at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass.

October 18 – Gretsch 125th anniversary exhibit at Experience Music Project at Seattle Center in Seattle, Wash.

October 25 (tentative) – VIP event and Gretsch 125th anniversary exhibit at NAMM Museum of Making Music  in Carlsbad, Calif.

November- The winner of the Next Gretsch Greats Unsigned Artist Competition will perform with legendary Gretsch musicians at Gretsch’s 125th Anniversary Concert in New York City.

Again' here at Guitar.net we'd like to Thank Mr. Gretsch for giving us the low-down on the Gretsch/Kyle Petty auction for charity. Check out eBay (Item Number 280240004548) for the auction and bid high!