Perhaps more so than other guitars, Gretsch guitars are well-known for their distinctive sound. Musicians can easily distinguish between a Gretsch guitar and a lesser-quality instrument, and this has been that case ever since the company was founded over 100 years ago by Friedrich Gretsch. Friedrich moved to America from Mannheim, Germany, and he set up shop in 1883 in Brooklyn, where the Gretsch sound was born.

The list of guitar greats who have played a Gretsch electric guitar is long and substantial. Many of these same greats have teamed up with Gretsch to design their own models. Take the Gretsch Billy-Bo model for example. This take on the classic Gretsch 'Jupiter Thunderbird' was designed with the help of Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top fame and Bo Diddley. It looks like a vintage Gretsch guitar, but is new to the 2005 lineup.

Another rock luminary has teamed up with Gretsch to redesign their 'Irish Falcon' model. Bono from the rock band US worked with the Gretsch team to help put his spin on this archtop classic. This hollow-bodied guitar comes in a beautiful green with an ebony fretboard. It has jeweled tuner knobs and a gold plexi pickguard.

Perhaps one of the most well-known Gretsch players around is none other than Brian Setzer of Stray Cats fame. He is a loyal fan of Gretsch guitars, and he has collaborated with the Gretsch team to create the Brian Setzer 'Black Phoenix' model guitar. This jet black hollow-bodied guitar comes with a classic pinned adjusto-matic bridge, mother-of-pearl inlays, and a silver sparkle fingerboard. Not a famous musician? A used Gretsch guitar can be a worthy investment.