The Case…

This guitar comes in a deluxe TKL-made case. I believe it to be real leather, but I could be wrong on that. The exterior is soft to the touch and easily indented (it has some dents and signs of storage wear.) A case like this typically has a case cover but that is no longer present. The interior is PINK and form fit to this guitar. It is possible this is not the original case as most promo flyers show this to come in a TAN colored interior. Everything else appears to be the same – 7 latches and ultra heavy duty. This guitar was part of an estate sale – it is possible it was packed up in the wrong one or there were variations in the run of 25. The COA is NOT present, but we do have some hang tags and two Chet Atkins Super 4000 pre-pack checklists and the original USPS receipt where the original owner sent in the original warranty card. 7/10

The Guitar!

Here it is! One of the most ornate and tricky to find “Super 4000″ Archtop models. Whether you’re a fan of Chet Atkins or just the finest Jazz Box money can buy, you’ll find solace in this one. These retailed for $40,000 brand new in 1997 – that’s $80,000 in 2025 money!

Solid Spuce Top – Heavily Figured Maple Back and Rims – Figured Maple/Walnut Neck with Black Stinger. 25.5” Scale – 1 floating “Chet Atkins” Humbucker

This guitar is in very nice condition. It just received a head-to-toe hand detailing and fret polish so it shines like the day it was new. Due to the off-gassing of the pickguard, most of the gold has been worn away on the pickup cover and tailpiece but they were polished to make them shiny again. Aside from that, there are stand rash/burn marks on the bottom edge and some binding discoloration along the edges too. I noticed one deeper clear coat scratch on the bass-side when I had it in natural lighting too – I’ve included a photo of it in the worse lighting – most times it isn’t even noticeable. There are a few “bumps” that look worse in the photos than in person on the two back edges of the headstock as well as some random “stains” on the heel cap that appear to be under the finish. Outside of light play wear, this Super 4000 is in “very good” condition that will please all players and many collectors.

The Floating Humbucker is original and has a volume slider switch only found on the edge of the pickguard. You’ll want to make use of that as the harmonic richness of this piece will quickly resonate the strings to infinite sustain on a loud amp. There is a mild internal crack to the pickguard that you can see in the photos – I cannot feel it with my fingernail. Consider it cosmetic only. The guitar is break/crack/repair free – there is a small finish check on the treble side of the top that I only noticed looking back through the natural light photos

Please note – I will remove the bridge and strings for shipment. Please let me know your favorite set of strings at the time of order and I’ll send a set to your house. If you don’t let me know, I’ll assume you have a set ready for it. You might need help from your luthier to intonate and place the bridge right again. I previously believed this guitar to be sunfaded on the top, but after checking for tan lines, I don’t see major evidence of that. The only tan line I saw were where the bridge rests so it should be easy to get in the “ball park” on your own. There is a mild scuff on the top where the bridge rests on the bass side to help you as well. I found this bridge likes round-wound strings best, particularly for the G string. If using flatwound, you might prefer a wooden bridge with a ridge setup for that.

Overall, on a very picky scale – I’d give this package an 8/10. The stand rash and gold tarnishing are the main reasons for the point deductions. Most dealers would probably call this “mint” but I’m a collector too and take time to be forthcoming of EVERYTHING I possibly can. I know the disappointment all too well buying from a shop that won’t take the time to make a proper listing. Please check out my full video to see the guitar in real time – I also can take additional photos for you. Feel free to reach out