Chet's Black Solid Top 6120 with Gold F-Holes surfaces

[PhilHunt]

I thought this was neat.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHCrpXuJEVU

And here's Chet playing it....."Dark Eyes"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwFpV80ASjw

[guitarchuck]

Phil,
Thanks for posting! That is neat, but Mr. Doyle has several facts wrong I believe. It's common knowledge that the first 6120 prototype was a orange Gretsch labeled "Streamliner Special". This was sometime before the sealed top black guitar came along. Also, it is my belief, I'm not stating this as fact, the orange sealed top 6120 then the dark top 6120 with sealed top and the light colored sides and then the black sealed top 6120. If anything these 3 guitars were prototypes for what Chet was looking for and eventually became the Country Gentleman.

[John Knowles]

Phil, You are the best at finding the good stuff. I've always loved that performance of Dark Eyes and it's great to know that the guitar is still out there. John

[pattie surman]

Thanks Chuck..... I was just going to respond to that. Probably one of the few times you see Chet playing with a non stationary Bigsby. I wonder if anyone besides me would be interested in that guitar if Gretsch decided to do a reissue?

[rhudson]

Phil, bless your heart, man, for finding this out. A very important piece of Chet history.

[Norm]

VERY nice video but I agree with Chuck

He is off on just a couple of points. The 6120 was originally an orange guitar with the 'cowboy' inlays on the fingerboard and the famous 'G' brand and, originally, it had open F-holes and a Bigsby. I'm pretty sure the signboard pickguard was standard on Chet's early 6120 models also.

I think the "red" guitar, the solid top, predates this one. The redtop originally had the cowboy neck but it got broken and Chet had the neck replaced (right around the time the Dave Garraway show happened.) which was the start of getting rid of the cowboy illustrations

I think the black guitar was an experimental as they looked for a way to give him his sealed top without having to go into the prohibitively expensive carved maple top the 'red' guitar had. It was a prototype to the sealed "Electrotone" body that eventually aquired trestle bracing under the bridge and became the standard applied to the Atkins line as well as other Gretsch guitars.
The dark color may well have been in imitation of the Gibson Les Paul Custom but they wisely chose the dark brown highly figured effect we've come to know and love as the Country Gentleman of that era. There are photos of him with another dark topped, sparkly f-holes but with light colored sides also using those prototype pickups.

It is not known whether Ray had more than one set of those prototype pickups as used on that orange solid top. He may have only had one set when those color films were made but switching them from one guitar to another would have been a two hour project for either man. Since, as far as I know, the only full set of those early pickups out there are on the solid top 'red' guitar it is very possible there was only one set made but that is pure conjecture.

Nice to get the close view of the guitar even if it has been "tamed" a little.

[Tony Enamel]

Thanks, Phil,

I have to second John. Great find. Tom Doyle seem to be a nice person, listening to him talking. He must have tons of stories to share.

Regards,

Ingo