Gretsch 7680 Super Axe

Most guitarheads are aware of the enormous contributions of the late Chet Atkins, the Country Gentleman, to American popular music, from his complex fingerpicking style to producing early rock records. Not to mention the classic Gretsch hollowbody electric guitars that bore his name. But far fewer know how his quest for sustain yielded two obscure Gretsches of the ’70s – the Super Axe and its humbler sibling, the Atkins Axe – or that Roy Clark almost got the credit! The Super Axe was a product of the Baldwin era of ownership at Gretsch. The Super Axe was actually designed circa 1976 by Gretsch manager Duke Kramer in collaboration with Atkins, who recalls that Atkins was always investigating ways to increase sustain in instruments, from modifying bracing to experimenting with glass nuts. Built in Arkansas, the Gretsch Super Axe was a fine guitar. A solidbody (for sustain!), it had a set neck and very slim bound-mahogany body that tapered toward the edges, making it very comfortable to play. They were fairly wide for a solidbody – closer to a hollowbody, probably reflecting Chet’s preferences for that mode. The S-curve shape of the upper bout and cutaway was similar to other designs popular in the mid ’70s, including the Aria Pro II Prototype, ultimately derived from the Rickenbacker Combo designed by Roger Rossmeisl. The bound ebony fretboard had small block inlays that went from one per fret to two, then three. The pickups on Gretsch guitars by this time were produced in Japan, and they kick butt. At the heart of the Super Axe concept was a circuit board with built-in effects. Atkins preferred just two. In addition to master Volume and Tone controls, the Super Axe had compression and phaser circuits, each with its own on/off switch. With compression on, the sound waves get “squashed” or compressed, eliminating extreme highs and lows and yielding increased sustain. This circuit had a sustain control that governed the amount of compression. The phaser circuit had a control for rate plus a second knob to determine how much of the phasing was blended with the final output. In other words, you could have background phasing effect or full-out grooviness. The result is an extremely playable guitar with remarkable tonal flexibility, but without the complexity that plagues many guitars with more onboard effects. There was some discussion about naming the guitar after Chet. However, before it was introduced in March of ’77, a copy was given to Roy Clark, who was performing regularly in Las Vegas. Roy liked the guitar and began using it in his show. Some began to refer to the guitar as the Roy Clark model, which didn’t sit well with its designer! Perhaps it was foreshadowing; the guitar with effects was called the 7680 Super Axe and finished in translucent Red Rosewood, while a version without, the 7685 Atkins Axe, was translucent Ebony. Both were made from ’76/’77 through ’80/’81. By ’78, Atkins had severed his relationship with Gretsch, making the Super Axe his last model. How many of these Atkins Gretsch swan songs were made is unknown, but given how seldom you see one, not many. But if you get a chance to play one, be sure to say, “Thanks, Chet!” This feature was first published in the October ’03 issue. This article originally appeared in VG’s June 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.