Georgia has always aspired to be a musician—even before she started playing the piano at the age of five. Later in life, the famous Yossi Zivoni described her as a “born violinist.” She studied at the Junior Royal Northern College of Music with Rudolf Botta, then Wells Cathedral School, Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the Utrecht School of the Arts, where her teachers included Yfrah Neaman, Jack Glickman and Keiko Wataya. She also had some private lessons with Simon Fischer. And has performed with numerous orchestras and groups. Her career includes tours with Glyndebourne Opera, two years with Phantom of the Opera in Holland, and a year with the Dutch Radio Chamber Orchestra. She has also performed for the late Queen, then Prince Charles, Neil Kinnock, and others. Georgia plays violins and violas crafted by her father, Robert Vale, who passed away in 1996. In 1998, for health reasons, she took a break from music and earned a degree in Chinese from Oxford University. A few years later, in 2003, she returned to music by teaching violin, viola, piano, and theory, as well as running ensembles such as Bromsgrove Amateur Strings. With fresh eyes, and the experience that comes from benig an examiner for the ABRSM, she began writing materials for her pupils giving rise to the Hey Presto! Series which was followed several years later by Top Ten. She has loved writing these series and particularly enjoys creating the audio tracks for the tutor books, as well as arranging music for various combinations of instruments. Other interests include gadgets, languages (she holds a degree in Chinese and has a working knowledge of several other languages), and dogs (she is the proud owner of a gorgeous border collie named Bonnie). She also enjoys walks in the Shropshire hills where she now lives, jigsaw puzzles, the colour turquoise, and dark chocolate.
Inspired by the pivotal and prolific years of Gretsch’s 1950s and early ’60s golden age, Vintage Select …Edition guitars are designed for the player who appreciates the finest in musical instrument heritage. The G6128T-53 Vintage Select ’53 Duo Jetâ„¢ with Bigsby® rocks that legacy with a finely crafted new take on one of Gretsch’s first and dearest models. The Duo Jet debuted in 1953 as Gretsch’s flagship “solid body†guitar, although its signature power and punch came from its chambered mahogany design, which magnifies harmonic richness by letting air resonate between the top and body for livelier and more articulate tone. That’s all here on this originalera beauty, along with special touches including the rare Gretsch “script†headstock logo and dual TV Jones® T-Armondâ„¢ pickups that keenly replicate the vintage DynaSonicâ„¢ sound.
1953 specs and appointments
Dual TV Jones® T-Armond™ pickups
Aged body and neck binding, aged fingerboard inlays
Aged white angled pickguard
Compensated aluminum bridge with Bigsby® B3CCB vibrato tailpiece
Treble bleed circuit, “Squeezebox†PIO capacitors
Specifications
Series:Gretsch® Professional Collection
Body Material:Mahogany
Body Finish:Gloss
Upper Bout:10.5†(267mm)
Lower Bout:13.5†(343mm)
Waist:8.625†(219mm)
Neck:Maple, Standard “Uâ€Â
Neck Finish:Gloss
Fingerboard: Rosewood, 12†(305mm) Radius
Frets:22, Medium Jumbo
Position Inlays:Aged Pearloid Blocks
Nut (Material/Width):Bone, 1.6875†(43mm)
Tuning Machines: Grover® Sta-Tite™
Scale Length:24.6†(625mm)
Bridge: Pinned Aluminum Compensated, Rosewood Base Tailpiece: Bigsby® B3CCB Pickguard: 1-Ply Vintage White
Pickup Switching:3-Position Toggle: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge AndNeck Pickups, Position 3. Neck PickupControls:Volume 1. Neck Pickup, Volume 2. Bridge Pickup, Master Volume,Master Tone
Control Knobs:PlainHardware: Nickel
Strings:Nickel Plated Steel .010-.046Case/Gig Bag:Includes G6238 Deluxe Hardshell Case
Pickups: TV Jones® T-Armond™ (Bridge and Neck)