Some Background
Gretsch has not always
been a guitar company.
They started out making or at the very least re-selling almost everything except guitars. Drums have always been part of the Gretsch story but there were also brass and woodwind instruments. Roughly 50 years into the company's history they decided to get into the guitar business and things haven't been the same since.
When Gretsch jumped into the guitar business the archtop was king. Gibson and Epiphone were slugging it out and both companies had plenty of good instruments to their credit. Gretsch jumped in with both feet and within a few years the Gretsch Synchromatic was a serious contender in the rhythm guitar business. The Epiphone Emperor and the Gibson Super 400 were big-bodied rhythm choppers and the Synchromatic 400 was every bit as impressive measuring 18 inches across the lower bout and possessing huge "cat's eye" sound-holes which gave it not only impressive volume but an art-deco appearance that still looks exotic 70 years after the fact.
A New Influence
Still, the Gretsch guitar story only began with these guitars because the '50s would bring the influence of Jimmie Webster and Gretsch archtop guitars would be redefined to meet his colorful tastes.
Let us count a few of the ways this happened. The Cadillac Green Country, the White Falcon and, of course, the Chet Atkins model with its orange stain finish. The Gibson and Epiphone archtops seemed pretty tame looking by comparison and these guitars were a hit with more than a few players in the emerging Rock 'n' Roll world. Suddenly, both the sound and the appearance of Gretsch guitars was being noticed. Duane Eddy invented the "twangy" sound using a Gretsch 6120 with Dynasonic pickups and his album covers showed a young fellow in a number of desert settings, always holding a bright orange Gretsch.
A Suitable Instrument for Mr. Guitar Himself
Another rising star was Chet Atkins and Gretsch sought his endorsement. The first Chet Atkins model, also known as the 6120 was influenced by Chet himself and became a mainstay of the line. Starting with his orange Gretsch Chet played various Gretsch models for years but he especially liked the walnut colored Country Gentleman model in the late '50s. For many young enthusiasts, including myself, the covers of Chet Atkins' albums were as close to a Gretsch catalog as we were likely to get . . . but that was enough.
Meanwhile, Across the Ocean
One such young fellow lived in Great Britain and he knew who Chet was and wanted a Gretsch. His first was a Duo Jet, similar to the one Cliff Gallup had played with Gene Vincent. He eventually got his Country Gentleman and when he played it during the Beatles first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in the Gretsch company became very busy indeed.
As the music scene of the mid-to-late '60s unfolded Gretsch guitars popped up all over the place. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young managed to showcase all sorts of Gretsches and even Pete Townshend of The Who used a 6120 for a time proving that these guitars could deliver even at ear-splitting volume. When it was learned that a TV series about a struggling Rock band was in development the folks at Gretsch outfitted them free of charge providing a showcase of Gretsch guitars, basses and drums for millions of music loving youngsters to see once a week in their own living rooms.
