The Gretsch Pages: Discussions: Vintage Gretsch Guitars: My first vintage Gretsch: 1964 G6120 Chet Atkins

My first vintage Gretsch: 1964 G6120 Chet Atkins

- Rated: 19 ↑
Nov 17, 2008 6:34 p.m. Vinkie:

I love my modern G6120-1960 and Country Club so I was considering getting a nice vintage Gretsch as well. When I went to Arlington this year I had a good look around and found a nice 1964 G6120 double cutaway for a reasonable price so I jumped on it.

It has all original parts and plays great with a near straight neck and low but buzz-free frets. It came with pretty old 011s so I fitted a Thomastik Bebop roundwound 012-050 set and it really came to life. It had some binding issues that were restored and after careful examination it appeared it has had a new clear lacquer top layer applied over the original finish. The result is a very pretty looking guitar and it should be carefree for quite a long time coming.

Soundwise it's an interesting addition to my other Gretsches. It's of course similar to my G6120-60 with TVJ Classic pickups, but the smaller closed F-hole Electrotone body does make for a different sound, less prominent lows but more jangly and with very dry basses. It sounds lovely old fashioned really :) The Filtertrons both are wound at 3,99k but are in no way wimpy.

The pic shows the guitar in my new 6120 case but I got the original grey speckled case, the OK card and the Filtertron manual. Did I already mention I was quite happy with it?
- Rated: 27 ↑
Nov 17, 2008 6:51 p.m. KCeddieB:

Hey Vinkie... Great score!

That's a cool axe! I was watching that Tom Petty documentary last night called "Mudcrutch" (about him reassembling his first band). Mike Campbell was jamming on a double-cut Electrotone 6120. So very cool!

It's nice to hear that somebody actually buys guitars at those vintage shows too! It almost seems like the Dealers do most of the transactions between themselves at load-in, and the rest of the of the time they are just waiting to see what stumbles in the door.

I'm going to the Philly show next weekend... so we'll see what's there. I'm hoping to see some vintage Gretsch of course.
- Rated: 56 ↑
Nov 17, 2008 9:07 p.m. otterbean:

Nice Vinkie. I'm glad you are enjoying it! I wish I had known you were in Arlington. I would have taken you out for a bite of lunch.
- Rated: 3 ↑
Nov 17, 2008 11:30 p.m. Mike_Martin:

WoW Vinkie thats a beautiful guitar. I can remember the days when one of my favorite local band`s rhythm player had a Nashville. My first Gretsch was about a 68 Tenny which I foolishly traded for an SG Special. LOL (I was 13) A few yrs. back I picked up a 1960 CC and just got it back with a fresh fretjob. My first post! Cheers!
- Rated: 32 ↑
Nov 18, 2008 2:13 a.m. cyclopssam:

nice score!!,DA'workhorse rarely left home without mine,it just keeps getting better.....funny i never think of mine being "vintage" but i guess at 40+ i guess it is.........

the last gretsch you'll EVER NEED
- Rated: 31 ↑
Nov 18, 2008 2:31 a.m. Danman:

Hey Vinkie, proficiat,
Nice guitar. I used to have one (1963) and it was a great guitar. They are very different from the single cut versions, but sound nice nonetheless. I sold it for my jet firebird and now by coincidence a friend of mine has it.
- Rated: 18 ↑
Nov 18, 2008 7:27 a.m. F107plus5:

Looking back on it; I think I may have made a mistake....in 1965.

I looked at a 6120DC at a shop cuz they didn't have any Gents and it was the only Gretsch they had. So I passed on it and found a different shop.....and bought a Gent.

Yeah; my two favorite Chet album covers had Gents on them.

Bottom line was I sold the Gent about seven years later partially because the gold was fading and the Guitar just wasn't as "pretty" as it used to be. If I'd have bought the 6120 I wouldn't have been nearly as concerned about cosmetics and I'm quite certain I'd still have the fiddle today.

But I can still picture that 6120 sitting there in that shop.

If I only knew then what I know now.
- Rated: 42 ↑
Nov 18, 2008 1:15 p.m. JC:

Congrats Vinkie!

Lovely old geet ya got there

That was the first Gretsch guitar i ever bought, when i was 17 ,and i still have it!

Mine is a 1965
- Rated: 18 ↑
Nov 18, 2008 1:47 p.m. F107plus5:

Ah hush; JC.
- Rated: 19 ↑
Nov 18, 2008 5:21 p.m. Vinkie:

Thank you all! The Gents are seemingly always more popular than this model but to me it makes perfect sense so I think they are a good deal in this kind of condition. I like that it's a bit easier to handle than my larger 6120 and 'Club yet it still has plenty of hollowbody character. It's a good addition to my other Gretsches with it's own thing going.

I must say it felt quite weird to buy a guitar like this on a music show. At one point I decided to try and get it because the thought of someone else beating me to it started to freak me out a bit! Luckily I had some friends around, one of them very knowledgable about vintage Gretsches, that convinced me I was doing the right thing which helped a lot. Also most older Gretsches I saw elsewhere on the fair were generally in lesser condition yet more expensive so after a few strolls around the fair I tested it, tested it again and went for it.

Otterbean: too bad I've missed you over there! It would have been fun to talk Gretsches live instead of on the board :) Next time I'll go I'll definitely post it on the board here.

Mike_Martin: Welcome on the 'board and a vote up for your first post!
- Rated: 19 ↑
Nov 18, 2008 5:41 p.m. Vinkie:

Some more pics for your viewing pleasure:
- Rated: 25 ↑
Nov 18, 2008 5:44 p.m. billydlight:

Lennon Approved! One of my Favorite pics of him.
- Rated: 25 ↑
Nov 18, 2008 5:45 p.m. billydlight:

Hell might be the same one
- Rated: 19 ↑
Nov 18, 2008 6:08 p.m. Vinkie:

So that's why it will only play Paperback Writer in tune!! Alas, JL's is an earlier '62 model with dial up mute so I'll keep my dayjob for now.

I love those huge power valves in that souped up 7120 VOX amp, and JL showing rock and roll excess and living on the edge mentality by putting a glass of wine on it right next to the cooling vents. The fireworks would be considerable if it would have fallen over and poured into the amp
- Rated: 25 ↑
Nov 18, 2008 6:17 p.m. billydlight:

Dude, if you don't put a beer, or wine or whatever on your amp... well it just ain't Rock n Roll
- Rated: 19 ↑
Nov 19, 2008 8:30 a.m. Vinkie:

Update: it turns out that this guitar is at least one year younger than I thought, it's a 1965 model!

KCeddieB was kind enough to provide info on the particular badge this guitar was made in and all potmeters date from week 16 1965. The serial number 732xx suggests 1964 if you look it up in the literature but apparently things became less clear as Gretsch started to make loads of guitars following the Ed O' Sullivan/Beatles boom. I am quoting this from a longer email so I hope I got it right, if not please chime in KCeddieB!

Still I don't care it's not a '64 at all, apart from it not being from the same year as my 1964 Jaguar anymore
- Rated: 27 ↑
Nov 19, 2008 7:10 p.m. KCeddieB:

Never fear Vinkie... the model year for the double-cutaway 6120's for '63, '64, and '65 were for all intents and purposes the same (feature-wise).

Oh... I don't think Ed Sullivan was Irish.
- Rated: 32 ↑
Nov 19, 2008 10:22 p.m. cyclopssam:

cool!! a nother 73xxxx they hae been poping up latly there was one @ one of the local stores.....enjoy
- Rated: 19 ↑
Nov 20, 2008 12:52 p.m. Vinkie:

Ed O'Sullivan, what was I thinking... Poor Ed.... I must have been drinking too much Scotch lately to make a mistake like that. Maybe Conan O'Brien managed to infest my brain with the O' thing, otherwise I can't figure out how this typo managed to manifest itself
- Rated: 18 ↑
Nov 23, 2008 6:17 a.m. F107plus5:

Arrrrgh! This thread has made life difficult for me!

As I mentioned earlier in this thread; I had almost bought myself a '65 DC back in '65 instead of the Gent which I did buy, and how if I would have, I'd probably still have it today.

....kick thyne own self fifteen times....

More.....more than that.

But wow; there's a whole bunch of reasons why I like the 6120 DC much better!

ORANGE! I really like Orange better! And how the Chrome and Gold go together much better on Orange rather than(to my eye)on the dark Walnut. It was the Gold fading so badly primarily on the Bigsby that so saddened my day.

I also found the 17" body to be just a bit large. No problem with a 16.

The headstock. The Black was fine; but I just LIKE the Wood with the Horseshoe even more!

....to be honest; I don't recall if the '65 I looked at had the Horseshoe covered by a plate or not, but I still like the Horseshoe better!

Now I find I'm being drawn to the DC for a new reason I didn't think of before: The painted F-holes. For some silly reason; I used to play my '65 Gent unplugged...a lot. I used to play my new 5120 unplugged much of the time too, before getting the Classics on it, now I almost never play without an amp cuz the TVs sound just so darned good! There have been times when I wanted to pick something up offa the computer and ended up playing out here instead of in the bedroom where I have been exciled to, and an even quieter fiddle on those occasions would be appreciated by my many housemates.

...well; the Wife anyway; the Kids never seem to complain.

And the Mute! It almost pains me to say it, but although I had the Mutes on my Gent and I almost, almost; never used them; I can't help but think that I just might now. Yeah; really. I don't have a problem Palm Muting with the RBB, but I'm playing just for fun and just for me, and at my age I'm not so sure that I wouldn't just slap on a bit of Bass side Mute by simply adding a bit of material on the bass side of the single mute on the DC. Yeah; I know; but sometimes I just wanna pick on different areas of the strings.....

So now the 6120 DC is again calling me.

I wish it would have called a little louder back in '65.

I might well be playing it rather than just writing about it.
- Rated: 4 ↑
Nov 23, 2008 7:14 a.m. Wings:

Goodness what a great looking guitar....congratulations
- Rated: 19 ↑
Nov 23, 2008 4:50 p.m. Vinkie:

Thanks Wings!

F107plus5: It seems the call from the Double Cut Chet seems to get louder and louder! It is a nice and compact guitar I agree. Maybe you should see if you can try one out (old or reissue) somewhere and see if it really suits you.

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My first vintage Gretsch: 1964 G6120 Chet Atkins

Nov 17, 2008 6:34 p.m. Vinkie:

Nov 17, 2008 6:51 p.m. KCeddieB:

Nov 17, 2008 9:07 p.m. otterbean:

Nov 17, 2008 11:30 p.m. Mike_Martin:

Nov 18, 2008 2:13 a.m. cyclopssam:

Nov 18, 2008 2:31 a.m. Danman:

Nov 18, 2008 7:27 a.m. F107plus5:

Nov 18, 2008 1:15 p.m. JC:

Nov 18, 2008 1:47 p.m. F107plus5:

Nov 18, 2008 5:21 p.m. Vinkie:

Nov 18, 2008 5:41 p.m. Vinkie:

Nov 18, 2008 5:44 p.m. billydlight:

Nov 18, 2008 5:45 p.m. billydlight:

Nov 18, 2008 6:08 p.m. Vinkie:

Nov 18, 2008 6:17 p.m. billydlight:

Nov 19, 2008 8:30 a.m. Vinkie:

Nov 19, 2008 7:10 p.m. KCeddieB:

Nov 19, 2008 10:22 p.m. cyclopssam:

Nov 20, 2008 12:52 p.m. Vinkie:

Nov 23, 2008 6:17 a.m. F107plus5:

Nov 23, 2008 7:14 a.m. Wings:

Nov 23, 2008 4:50 p.m. Vinkie:

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