Cars were everything to the teenage mind in the 50s (that
hasn't changed much...), and marketers and manufacturers employed or implied
'auto' styling in everything.
Guitars were apparently no exception as the 616 and its partner in crime the 653
referred to 'auto styling' in their catalog descriptions.
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The 616 was introduced in 1955, in the same catalog as
the 653, the 'Kentucky Blue.' It did not, however, experience the longevity of
the 653, disappearing after just two catalogs (and demoted to an inset on
the 2nd listing, at that!).
An odd bird to be sure, I would imagine some pain would ensue if you caught a
fingernail on the 'countertop' binding, and that aluminum trim had to either
deaden the sound or make some rattles of its own.
Introduced:
Fall/Winter 1955 at $19.95
as the 57D0616L
Retired:
Spring/Summer 1956 at $19.95
as the 57H0616L
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