GRETSCH 6119 CHET ATKINS TENNESSEAN, 1962

One of the earliest 'electrotone-body' Tennesseans, semiacoustic thin hollowbody with fake f-holes: only the earliest examples like this one feature 'unbound' fake Fs! The new version Tennessean had two single coil Hi-Lo Tron  pickups, whose volume is controlled by two single potentiometers on the lower bout, plus one master volume on the cutaway bout. Two switches on the higher bout select pickups and tone, and a third switch near the knobs works as 'stand-by', to turn off the guitar without disconnecting the amp. Laminated maple body, finished in a see-through mahogany red, brighter on the top, with very nice wood grain showing through. Just like the single-pickup version, the neck joint features the typical neck-dowel. Rosewood fretboard has zero.fret and 'thumbprint' inlays. Chrome hardware is the same type found on earlier version 6119 (and 6120):  G-Arrow knobs, large straight-bar bridge with ebony base (it will have a smaller bar in later years), original V-Cutout "Gretsch by Bigsby" vibrato, Grover Sta-Tite tuners with oval buttons.

Excellent Plus condition: as rarely found on Gretsches, binding is in perfect conditions; issue-free straight and solid neck; perfect action, electronics work fine. Finish is in excellent shape, with some checking but with no heavy signs of wear.  The only flaw, clearly shown in the pictures, is some damage in the finish at the base of the headstock caused by a wall-hanger - I think we can do something to make it look better (light sanding and buffing) but it won't completely disappear. On the flip-side of the original pickguard the old owner has added a decorative scroll, which can be removed by spraying a new coating of silver lacquer: we have chosen to leave it, since it is part of the guitar's history and doesn't affect originality in any way.  
Great-sounding guitar, very light and well-built.  George Harrison used this model with the Beatles: his was a '63, I think, without the metal placque on the headstock front just like this one but with white binding on the fake f-holes. The guitar comes with the original hardshell case, a little too large inside like all G cases of the period, but very nice and solid.

6119a - body1 - body2 - body3 - back - body back - headstock - in case - bigsby - pickguard - bridge - dowel - knobs - pickups - tuner - detail - case