Gretsch G6120T-55GE Vintage Select 1955 Chet Atkins Review

Wow! Twang, 'Tude & a World of Old-School Goodness

I just acquired this jewel! The single-coil pick-ups give superb note definition and classic country twang; It's a different sort of sonic vibe than say a '50's of early '60's Telecaster; The 2.75 inch body depth brings a warm resonance & evenness to the table that the Telecaster lacks; Teles are fabulous guitars. (I play them. We're simply talking the distinctiveness of each guitar's… read more character here.) The T. V. Jones T-Armonds of the Gretsch 1955 Chet Atkins hearkens to a "wide-open spaces" kind of sound; Perfect for writing & delivering Americana music. (For the record, I run these thru either a '65 Fender Twin Reverb, a Supro Black MagicRT or a Vox AC-15.) I was late to the "Gretsch party," but revered them from afar; Mike Nesmith of the Monkees played a Gretsch Country Gent, and I was enamored by that guitar's presence in the "made-for TV" band's sound. As a writer, my "take" on guitars tends to be more about what they inspire when it comes to songs. Early on, I was always able to get the job done with just a J-45 & and a Telecaster. I was able to purchase a Vintage Select Country Gentleman from Sweetwater about 5 years ago; There was no turning back. A year later I went for the '59 Chet; Superb. A big fan of the classic "V" necks on those; Both guitars have been the foundation for many albums now; The play-ability of the guitars is astounding; They're beautiful, well-made & exhibit massive character & myriad tone qualities. Fast forward to the present: I'd been hearing about the twang, the clarity & note-definition of '55 from guitarists at the Gretsch Guitar Players Facebook page for years; So I took the plunge. Wow! I am incredibly pleased with this wonderful instrument. I haven't played any of the Gretsch Electro-matics, or theor Players Edition models, but I CAN unequivocally say: The Vintage Select series of Gretsch guitars exude that fabulous tradition of the '50's & '60's in terms of their aesthetics, ring loud & long with superb tone, and their incredible play-ability make them hard to put down! Grab one, if you're able to. I don't think you will be disappointed; Massive Thanks to Sales engineer Aaron Regenold for his input on this and other Gretsch guitars. For many years now, I've found Sweetwater's sales, technical & customer service staff to be extremely kind & knowledgeable. They continue to set the cross-bar for integrity & helpfulness.

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6120 Gretch

This is guitar sounds and plays like a dream! It is very high quality and the craftsmanship is Impeccable. I liked the the special financing as well . Alex Campos always does a great job as well as the Sweetwater team. I highly recommend this guitar.

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Chet Atkins 6120

This guitar is well made. It sounds and plays like a dream. I highly recommend this guitar. After you play one you will agree I"m sure. Alex Campos and the sweet water team did a great job as always!

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Worth every penny

I believe this to be the best of the current offerings from Gretsch (2018). The T"Armond pickups are so good that I bought another pair from from TV Jones directly so that I can put them in my other Gretsch. Switching between pickup positions on this guitar, you get a wide range of tone and best of all, it"s crystal clear! I will never play another humbucker. It will get you… read more rockabilly, country, jazz, rock, and anything else. It"s not a one trick pony at all! This G6120T-55 plays and sounds fantastic, it really is the best guitar, all around, that I"ve ever played. A word of advice on strings, this guitar is MADE for 11s. I tried to put 10s on it and they just did not sound right. I was getting some annoying fret buzzing also. I switched to D"Addario NYXL 11s and it went away. The orange lacquer finish is way better in person and the gold hardware goes with it nicely. The flamed maple on my guitar is subtle and not over the top, which I prefer. I did not get a setup from Sweetwater and it came very playable but, I will take it to my local tech to have it dialed in perfect. I"m very happy with this guitar and I"m very glad I decided to buy it.

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Gorgeous Guitar

I'm a mediocre rhythm guitar player, but I've collected a few very nice guitars over the years from Sweetwater. Being a fan of the West and Southwest this model caught my attention with it's western motif designs. I ordered it. As usual, the website photos do not do justice to the actual beauty of the guitar. Even though it is made in Japan, the quality and detail of the workmanship… read more is excellent. The guitar is a real pleasure to play with its super comfortable neck. You can get a nice variety of tones from warm and full, to the classic Gretsch "twang" from the bridge pickup. You could play any genre of music with this guitar. Guitars, like any instrument, are a matter of personal choice. This guitar is not going to be everyone's choice, but if you're a fan of country/western style and sound you won't go wrong with this beautiful instrument in your guitar arsenal.

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