Vintage Gretsch 6120
Coming out in 1954, the Gretsch 6120 was an immediate favorite. The 6120 originally came with a large G brand, etchings of cow’s head and cacti, and other Western-themed decorations, along with a $385 price tag. It was the original model in the line Chet Atkin’s Gretsch guitar line.
In ‘58, Gretsch’s “neo-classic” or “half-moon” markers were introduced. The DeArmond pickups were replaced by Filtertron Humbuckers. In ‘61 the width of the body was decreased from about 3 inches to approximately two. This was the year that the company decided to cease manufacturing its classic single-cutaway 6120.
The thinline, double cutaway electrotone body guitar of ‘62 was an altogether different animal with it’s fake f–hole and hefty price tag of $495. These new 6120’s also had a big access hole in the back hidden by padding.
Many people wonder about the variations between a Nashville and Chet Atkins 6120. The simple fact of the matter is that there are none. Sometime around ‘64 the Nashville namesake was given to the 6120 but in every material way the two guitars are exactly the same. Also in ‘64, the company provided plastic HiLoTron covers on some of its 6120’s due to a shortage of Filtertrons.
After Baldwin took over Gretsch in 1967, the 6120, along with a number of other models, began to change. All 6120’s made before 1968 have original features. In 1972, the company decided to change the 6120 model number to 7660.
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