Nice Guy...Punk Legend! The image of Billy Zoom on stage with his wide legged stance,
satisfied grin and vintage Gretsch® Silver Jet™ guitar is well documented in the annals
of American punk rock lore. A co-founder of the band, "X" from Los Angeles, California
in the late ‘70s during a time when pop culture was undergoing a radical change, what
started as a small underground cult following quickly grew to international radio airplay
and sold-out packed venues around the globe. The unmistakable playing style and tones
generated from Billy's guitar rig has been a potent ingredient to the overall sound that
has helped sustain the band’s career for more than thirty years.
In honor of his longevity in the world music community and contribution to the legacy
of Gretsch guitars, we are very proud to offer the G6129BZT Billy Zoom Tribute Silver
Jet guitar.
Built exclusively at the Gretsch Custom Shop in Corona, California by Master
Builder Stephen Stern, every effort was taken to recreate Billy's famed sparkled guitar.
It should be noted that with the help of a medical CAT scan device (Computerized Axial
Tomography), like discovering the coveted Holy Grail, it was found that the particular
vintage guitar Billy owned was almost 95% hollow. This chamber style, which Gretsch had
not utilized since the late 50's (until now) creates an extremely light and vibrant body that
resonates sensually to the player's touch and reacts favorably to amplifier interplay. From
the unique pearloid banjo buttons on the Grover® tuners, Bigsby® B12 tailpiece, Seymour
Duncan® DynaSonic™ pickups and Synchro-Sonic™ bridge, the distressed finish and
hardware will inspire you to adopt a wide legged stance and satisfied grin of your own.