Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins Nashville (1966, Private Stock)

`66 Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins Nashville, original condition, Filter'Tron humbuckers, Gretsch Bigsby, only 3.48 kg – featured in gitarre & bass, from Ede's Private Stock and more.

Orange finish, gold pickguard with Chet Atkins signature, Bigsby with Gretsch logo and the “Chet Atkins Nashville Model” nameplate on the headstock: this 1966 6120 is a piece of American guitar history. This very guitar was presented in detail in the “Vintage Guitar Stories” series of the German magazine gitarre & bass (issue 12/2022, story and photos: Franz Holtmann). Both pages of the review are shown in the gallery.

The 6120 is one of the guitars Chet Atkins co-designed for Gretsch. The prototype was built in 1954, still under the name Streamliner Special, and the first production models came out in 1955. Gretsch was confident from day one: the 6120 cost $385 back then, a Les Paul Goldtop $225 and a Telecaster $189.50. Rock'n'roll and rockabilly stars like Eddie Cochran and Duane Eddy quickly made the guitar famous. In 1958 the Neo-Classic “thumbnail” inlays arrived, and Gretsch replaced the DeArmond pickups with its own Filter'Tron humbuckers.

Gretsch guitars really took off in the 60s: George Harrison played Gretsch models with the Beatles that, like the 6120, had been developed together with Chet Atkins, and set off a run on the brand. Neil Young fulfilled his dream of an orange 6120 in 1963, and Randy Bachman eventually collected 385 Gretsch guitars. And when Brian Setzer appeared with an old 6120 in the Stray Cats' music videos in the early 80s, the value of vintage examples rose sharply.

According to the review, our 6120 is a model example of its era and in original condition. Only the pickguard was replaced at some point. The binding shows none of the crumbling that is a common problem with Gretsch guitars. With a 42 mm nut width and nicely rounded shoulders, the neck has a good shape. The frets are still the original ones and in good condition. The guitar has been played a lot and shows the marks of around 60 years; the review speaks of the charm of a faithful workhorse.

It is fitted with two original Gretsch Filter'Tron humbuckers with 5.3 kOhm at the neck and 4.1 kOhm at the bridge. Compared to Gibson humbuckers they have low output, but they sound very transparent and rich in highs, exactly the sound you expect from an old Gretsch. Add to that the Gretsch by Bigsby vibrato, the one-piece bar bridge on a wooden base, the knobs with the G arrow and the padded back pad. At only 3.48 kg the 6120 is pleasantly light. It comes with an old case, probably the original one.

This guitar doesn't sit in a closet: Ede plays it live. The video was recorded at a soundcheck. The live photos in the gallery show Ede with the 6120 on stage; they were taken by Dirk Lörper.

An original 6120 from the 60s with a documented history, from Ede's Private Stock.