The 6182 was the Sunburst version of the hollow-body Corvette; the 6183 sported a natural finish. It featured the standard maple body and neck with the rosewood fretboard and dot inlays. Up top was a headstock veneer with "Electromatic" emblazoned across it. This seemed to be an odd thing to do, given that the guitar was designated with the Corvette name, but Gretsch is known for doing things like this.

Downstairs a DeArmond single-coil pickup provided a nice jazzy tone combined with a rosewood bridge, trapeze tailpiece, beveled pick guard, and volume and tone control knobs on the lower bout. The 6182 was a non-cutaway model with a 17" body typical of the Gretsch hollow-bodies of the day. In 1957 the 6187 replaced both the 6182 and 6183, with an ivory finish on top and a gray mist color on the back and sides. Mechanically, the 6187 was not all that different.

It's unfortunate that the Corvette series didn't last beyond 1960 as it was a nice instrument at a good price. In the early days of the Gretsch hollow-bodies they were trying to find their niche in competing with Gibson, their chief rival. Many believe that had company invested a little more in their original Electromatics they could have done better. Nonetheless, the Chet Atkins models were the focal point for Gretsch and they decided to put their energies there.