6120 On Antiques Roadshow

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6120 On Antiques Roadshow

Postby smokymtguitar09 » Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:13 pm

Tonight (Mon) the 1956 Gretsch 6120 guitar was featured on Antiques Roadshow from Miami airing on UNC-TV in North Carolina. The guitar was presented by the original owner's son, and I understood him to say his father bought it new at a music store in Asheville (probably Dunham's Music House). His father had put it away in the closet and never really played it much. It has DeArmond pickups, the original bill-of-sale, unregistered warranty papers, original case and matching leather strap, and was in excellent condition. The appraiser said a 1956 model is usually valued for about $8,000 but this one he appraised for $15,000 due to the excellent condition.
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Re: 6120 On Antiques Roadshow

Postby smokymtguitar09 » Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:34 pm

I should add that I saw it in high def TV and the 'orange color' was very good with little or no fading.
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Re: 6120 On Antiques Roadshow

Postby thenorm » Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:14 am

Things of that nature are always ending up what you can get for it.

I can't remember what Chet's original CGP prototype went for when Jimmie auctioned it or, for that matter, what Merle's Bigsby necked Martin went for but I doubt there are any of us who think the selling price measured up to the mojo of the guitars in question
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Re: 6120 On Antiques Roadshow

Postby Randy Finney » Tue Jan 18, 2011 7:31 am

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/archive/201003A31.html

The video hasn't been posted yet but, photos and written transcript of the appraisal have been.

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Re: 6120 On Antiques Roadshow

Postby smokymtguitar09 » Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:56 am

Thanks for the link to the Antiques Road Show. From the printed dialogue of the show it indicates the owner's grand-father originally bought it from 'Cox Music House' in Asheville, NC. That's the darkest orange color I've ever seen of the older 6120s. The fretboard appears to be darker than most, but it could be the lighting at the time the photo was made. It sure would be great to see Chet's original 6120 become part of the HOF exhibit along with his other guitars and amps enshrined there.
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Re: 6120 On Antiques Roadshow

Postby thenorm » Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:25 am

The case on that Roadshow guitar is remarkably clean. The gretschpages people call that the "cowboy case" and it is a prized asset to collectors
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Re: 6120 On Antiques Roadshow

Postby guitarchuck » Tue Jan 18, 2011 12:36 pm

It sure would be great to see Chet's original 6120 become part of the HOF exhibit along with his other guitars and amps enshrined there.


Ronnie, are you talking about Chet's sealed top stereo pickup 6120? I believe his original 6120 prototype (actually labeled "Streamliner Special") is on display at the HOF. It is too bad the sealed top stereo pickup 6120 isn't there. It would have been great if it would have surfaced when the new Gretsch G6120-CGP was being developed. I would at least like to see some detailed photos of it.
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Re: 6120 On Antiques Roadshow

Postby smokymtguitar09 » Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:49 pm

Chuck,
Yes, that's the one that thenorm mentions in his post. As you know there's a good photo of it in the Cochran book "Me and My Guitars". It was photographed leaning on a dinning room chair at Jimmy Atkins' home in Georgia before he sold it at auction. Jimmy said he never played it much because the solid maple top made the guitar very heavy to play standing. Reportedly, the solid top gave the guitar very good sustain. Chet gave the guitar to Jimmy and his wife as a wedding present in 1962. They kept it 40 years until 2002 after Chet's death.
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