A 2008 Gretsch G5260T Electromatic Baritone electric guitar (serial #CYG08050449) owned and used by Adrian Utley of Portishead in live sessions and the studio, as confirmed in a signed Letter of Authenticity from Utley dated July 12, 2023. Photo-matched to a studio photograph of Utley with the instrument through a handwritten star drawn in black marker on the pickguard — an individually distinctive mark visible in both the reference photograph and the instrument as currently preserved.
Photo-Match
This guitar is photo-matched to a studio photograph of Adrian Utley holding and playing the instrument through the handwritten star symbol drawn in black marker on the pearl pickguard. The star is a hand-applied marking visible at the lower end of the pickguard near the “GRETSCH” logo, individually distinctive in both placement and form. The same star is also present on the back of the guitar body. A dedicated photo-match graphic is included in the photographic documentation accompanying this listing.
Historical Context
Portishead are a Bristol-based electronic group comprising Geoff Barrow, Beth Gibbons, and Adrian Utley, widely considered among the most influential artists of the 1990s trip-hop movement. Their landmark debut Dummy (1994) and self-titled follow-up Portishead (1997) redefined the sonic possibilities of electronic and cinematic music. After a decade-long silence, the band returned with Third (2008) — an album that marked a radical sonic departure toward darker, more guitar-driven textures, and was met with widespread critical acclaim.
Adrian Utley is Portishead’s guitarist and a key architect of the band’s sonic identity, known for his use of unusual instruments, analog signal chains, and extended technique. The Gretsch G5260T Electromatic Baritone, with its extended scale length and low-register tonal character, is well-suited to the heavier, more dissonant textures of the Third era. This instrument, manufactured in 2008 as part of Gretsch’s 125th Anniversary production run (confirmed by the headstock badge: “Gretsch 125 Year Anniversary 1883-2008”), is contemporary with that album cycle. Gretsch’s modern serial number system decodes #CYG08050449 to May 2008 — “CY” identifying the Yako factory in China, “08” the year, “05” the month, and “0449” the sequential production number, confirming this as the 449th guitar produced at that facility in 2008 across all models.
Stage & Performance Use
Per Utley’s signed letter (July 12, 2023): “The guitar was used in live sessions and the studio.” The back of the headstock retains an orange tape label with the handwritten tuning notation “BEADF#B” — standard baritone tuning, one full step below standard guitar — confirming this was a working instrument configured for a specific performance or recording context. A hand-drawn star also appears on both the pearl pickguard and the chrome neck plate, consistent with Utley’s personal marking practice on working instruments.
Specifications
· Manufacturer: Gretsch (Made in China / Yako factory)
· Model: G5260T Electromatic Baritone Jet with Bigsby
· Serial: CYG08050449 — manufactured May 2008
· Year: 2008 (Gretsch 125th Anniversary production run)
· Body: Single cutaway solid mahogany Jet-shape body; black sparkle finish with white flecks; bound
· Scale: 29.75″ baritone scale (designed for lower tunings; B-E-A-D-F#-B standard baritone)
· Neck: Bolt-on maple with thin “U” profile; 22 frets
· Fretboard: Rosewood with pearloid thumbnail inlays; star marker at 12th fret; visible playing wear
· Pickups: Dual Gretsch mini-humbuckers (chrome-covered with rectangular pole pieces)
· Controls: Master volume (knurled metal knob with Gretsch “G” arrow logo); master tone; 3-way toggle switch on upper bout
· Bridge: Anchored Adjusto-Matic
· Tailpiece: Licensed Bigsby B50 vibrato with long vibrato arm
· Tuners: Grover die-cast with kidney-bean buttons
· Pickguard: Cream/pearl with “GRETSCH” logo; hand-drawn star in black marker at lower end near logo
· Headstock: 125th Anniversary badge (1883-2008); orange tape label on reverse with handwritten tuning notation “BEADF#B” — confirming the instrument’s working baritone configuration
· Additional marking: Hand-drawn five-pointed star in iridescent/metallic marker on chrome neck plate at neck joint
Condition
Very Good. The guitar shows wear consistent with professional studio and live use. The handwritten star marks on the pickguard and body back are intact. Fretboard shows normal playing wear. All hardware and electronics are functional.
Included Items
1 photo.
Provenance
Accompanied by a signed Letter of Authenticity from Adrian Utley, addressed to Jason, dated July 12, 2023, which states: “This is to certify that I owned the Gretsch electromatic baritone guitar s/n CYG08050449. The guitar was used in live sessions and the studio.” Signed by Adrian Utley. The letter directly names the serial number, providing unambiguous instrument identification. Also accompanied by a studio photograph of Utley holding and playing this specific guitar, used for the photo match.
Nostalgia Bandit Letter of Provenance
This lot will be accompanied by a Nostalgia Bandit Letter of Provenance — a document printed on official Nostalgia Bandit letterhead, signed by Nostalgia Bandit’s principal, and affixed with the official Nostalgia Bandit embossed seal. The Letter of Provenance reproduces the complete final auction description for this lot in full, memorializing all provenance documentation, attribution, supporting evidence, and condition details as presented herein. It is designed to travel with the lot through all future ownership transfers as a permanent, platform-independent physical record of the item’s documented history.
Shipping & Measurements
FIRST AND THIRD PARTY SHIPPING OPTIONS AVAILABLE. Contact Nostalgia Bandit for a shipping quote: shipping@nostalgiabandit.com
» Guitar: 43 x 12.75 x 3.75″ · 9.10 lbs.
