The Past and Present of the Gretsch 6120

Chet Atkins kicked his D'Angelico to the curb in 1954, started advertising the Gretsch label, and the Gretsch 6120 came to be. $385 would buy the Gretsch 6120 and it was instantly popular. 30 years in the future, this guitar was still in demand by musicians due to its superior features.

Western Orange was the signature color of the Gretsch 6120 save in 1957 when is was produced in bright red! In the years since it's 1954 release the Gretsh 6120 as given up much of it's cowboy heritage as it's inlays and hardward have become plainer and more indistinc.t A couple of major cosmetic changes were made in 1957 in addtion to the bright red color the arrow embellishments on the knobs were replaced with the "G" logo. The same year the rather overwhelming "G" brand was take off of the right side of the guitar's body much to the relief of finicky collectors.

Here's how a 1959 catalog ad spoke about the 6120:

This Chet Atkins guitar is the favorite one ever manufactured. It has a slender 16" cutaway design. The tailpiece and tremolo are by Bigsby. It's equipped with dual Gretsch FilterTron electronic heads. The Actionflo neck is an adjustable rod unit. The high gloss curly maple neck and body are finished in an exquisite amber red. The Neo-Classic fingerboard is silky black. The etched shoulder belt is made from saddle leather. All metal parts of the 6120 were gold-plated for distinction.

By 1958 Gretsch company had kicked their developing innovations into high gear. The Project-0-sonic Sterso wiring, along with humbucking FilterTron pickups (designed to lesson electronic humming) were debuted. The burnished Country Gentlemen also debuted this year, and was the costliest and most superior guitar available.

Gretch brought out a radically different model in 1962, which had a double cutaway hollowbody and false f-holes. Chet Atkins was the one who thought of the false f-holes, which were thought to keep the tone as pure as possible, while also lowering the amount of feedback.

As they released the double cutaway Electrontone hollowboy Gretsch put themselves right where they belonged after a solid ten years of guitar innovation, on and even plane with Gibson and the like. Gibson had invented the double cutaway in 1958 and now Gretsch was poised to go head to head with them as they pursued the greater share of the market.

In 1967, Chet Atkin's Nashville Gretsch 6120 model was introduced, and had a gold-plated headstock with ebony Gretsch script on the pickguard.

The modern Gretsch 6120 is produced in a number of different distinct signature models such as Brian Setzer and a Reverend Horton Heat signatures and reproductions of the original Chet Atkins Hollowbody.

The Gretsch 6120 versions available today offer only the best fittings and electronics. By purchasing a 6120 you will be ensured of a superior instrument that will provide you with excellent quality.

The latest reissue of the Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins Hollow Body guitar features a sixteen inch wide fingerboard of ebony with trademark Neo-Classic thumbnail inlays,and a rock maple neck. The full hollow body is two and a half inches deep. This reincarnation includes two High Sensitivity FilterTron pickupsGrover Rotomatic machine heads, the exclusive Gretsch Adjusto-Matic bridge and a Bigsby B6G vibrato tailpiece. The color selection includes Black, Blue Burst an Deep Orange stain.

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