American Pickers Helped Black Keys' Dan Auerbach Buy A 1958 Gretsch Chet Atkins Guitar
At this point in time, History's thrilling, informative, and sometimes hilarious reality series "American Pickers" has arguably been kicking around the television landscape long enough to boast a "vintage" label of its own. That's especially true when you factor in just how many other shows have come and gone since the series' 2010 debut. And during the antiquing series' surprisingly lengthy small-screen run, series creator and host Mike Wolfe and his various co-hosts have kept viewers well entertained as they scour backyards, barns, and storage units across the country in search of coveted, rusted, and quite often shamefully discarded vintage treasures.
Over the years, the list of obscure objects that have passed through the hands of the "American Pickers" team has included vintage toys, classic cars and motorcycles, forgotten Hollywood relics, and all manner of items in between. But one area of antiques Wolfe and his crew have not often ventured into is the world of vintage musical instruments. During a Season 13 episode, however, Wolfe and his former co-host Frank Fritz got their hands on a highly-sought after 1958 Chet Atkins model Gretsch guitar and were looking to swing a potentially lucrative deal for it. Luckily, the duo found a most willing buyer in indie rock icon Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys.
Auerbach lovingly schooled the American Pickers team on the finer notes of Gretsch Guitars
Dan Auerbach is, of course, best known to many as the frontman of the beloved, blues-infused garage rock outfit the Black Keys. And if you're at all familiar with the band, you know they're gleefully obsessed with crafting modern rock bangers with a distinctly vintage sound. Auerbach has apparently studied up on the world of vintage instruments too as he's visibly excited when the "American Pickers" crew walk into his studio with a '58 Gretsch. He even claims, "The Chet Atkins model is probably the most desirable Gretsch ... I've never even played one."
Auerbach is clearly bent on changing that fact once Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz unveil the instrument. "There's a difference between guitars collectors collect, and ones that players use," the rocker notes, adding, "This one is a player's guitar." Auerbach does his due diligence before attempting to strike a deal, carefully looking the instrument over to see what might need to be replaced or repaired. He does the same for a vintage Fender amp Wolfe and Fritz packaged the Gretsch with.
Once the gang starts kicking around numbers for the package, surprisingly little haggling is done with Wolfe opening the bidding at $11,000, and Auerbach countering with $10,000. The latter figure was enough for Mike to turn a profit, and to ensure the Gretsch found a forever home in Auerbach's studio set. While we can't say for certain, we'd wager you've even heard that vintage beauty on a Black Keys album or two over the years.