Chet Atkins Owned Gibson with Ray Butts Pickup

[Wes Southerland]

Saw this on ebay and thought some of you might want to check it out. Pricey but interesting find....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gibson-Chet-Atk ... 3cca3fa9d4

[guitarchuck]

I would want some documented proof that Chet owned that guitar. It is interesting though.

[Norm]

About "Chet owned" guitars.

Paul said if Chet 'owned' it and it wasn't still in his possession was probably because he didn't care for it for one reason or another.

He lked the electric classicals but I don't think he ever bonded with the Gibson CG's. Gibson either was not interested or could not come to an agreement with Ray Butts about those pickups.

It is, as you say, an interesting guitar but Chet's most memorable tones were probably with the 59 and the D'Angelico.

[rhudson]

My opinion is that there wouldn't be a lot of significance to the guitar since Chet didn't keep it, however, the story about it being stolen while Chet was having it worked on could have some credence and by the time they got it back he was on to other things. But the Bigsby, for one thing, points to the fact that Chet didn't play it very much, if any.

However the Ray Butts neck pickup would give the guitar more value, imo. I think that is the same kind of pickup that Paul had on one of his Gibsons. The one on The Fingerstyle Legacy DVD where he played After You've Gone. Most exquisite tone, especially brought out the bass notes without fuzzing everything up.

[Norm]

Ray loaded them at about 4K like the filter trons. about half of what gibby pickups rated at.

Gibson wasn't having anything that might sound better than their sacred humbuckers

[smokymtguitar09]

Ray Butts was quite vocal about his problems in dealing with Gibson about his development of a pickup for them to use. Ray said that he made those pickups for Gretsch on a "hand shake" with Fred Gretsch without a contract. He said Mr.Gretsch would order so many and he would make them.