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Re: List of Chet Atkins Signature Guitars

PostPosted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 12:05 pm
by pattie surman
The very first issue of the Gretsch Country GENT had the sign post logo on pick guard the same as the 6120.It also had an oversized headstock like the first 6120.

Re: List of Chet Atkins Signature Guitars

PostPosted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 6:27 pm
by Vidar Lund
That´s confirmed by the photo on page 180 in MMAG. There´s no sign of a sign post logo on the pickguard on one of the two prototypes, serial no. 26439, on page 184, however. Both have the larger headstock and Grover Imperial stairstep tuners.

Re: List of Chet Atkins Signature Guitars

PostPosted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 8:39 pm
by pattie surman
For reference on sign post logo on early 1958 Country Gents check "THE GUITARS OF THE FRED GRETSCH COMPANY "by Jay Scott pages 180 and 182 and "50 years of gretsch electrics" page 109 or Ican send you a photo of my 1958 made in late 1957. Stan Surman.

Re: List of Chet Atkins Signature Guitars

PostPosted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 8:46 pm
by Norm
first issue of the Gretsch Country GENT had the sign post logo on pick guard the same as the 6120


I vaguely remember seeing an obscure picture of that maybe but I can't remember where I saw it. The guitar was prominently displayed on the original In Hollywood album. Big headstock, no zero fret, nothing but Gretsch on pickguard and headstock plate. That was the '58 version.

Vidar, which MAMG do you have? Mine only has 182 pages and the page 180 you cite is a photo of Chet's statue.

Re: List of Chet Atkins Signature Guitars

PostPosted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 10:32 pm
by pattie surman
Time to put an end to this. On page 98 of "ELECTRIC GUITARS AND BASSES A PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY"by George Gruhn and Walter Carter is a photo of a 1958 Country GENTLEMAN with a sign post pickguard and an oversized head stock.Stan Surman.

Re: List of Chet Atkins Signature Guitars

PostPosted: Sun Nov 13, 2011 11:00 pm
by Norm
Fine with me.
It just helps if a source is cited and
very first issue of the Gretsch Country GENT had the sign post logo on pick guard
cited no source whatever.

Having said that, it makes perfect sense to use the standard CA pickguard on the very first units because even then it was going through refinements before the final form was reached in 1959. Even after that some pickguards had Chet's signature, Mine did, I took it off because I liked the plain gold look and even some had country gentleman in block letters on the pickguards in the sixties I think. Gretsch was always fooling around with that kind of thing.

As for questioning Vidar....My MAMG paperback only has 184 pages total. I didn't dig up my hardcover to check the page count because I have my hardcover buried kinda deep in my closet. Vidar cites pages 180 and 184 and neither of those pages show a Gent in my paperback copy

Didn't mean to get anyone's quills up.

Re: List of Chet Atkins Signature Guitars

PostPosted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 12:20 am
by guitarchuck
Image
Norm,
Vidar just had the name of his book mixed up. I'm sure he meant to say "Gretsch - The Guitars of the Fred Gretsch Company by Jay Scott" His page numbers match for that book.
The above photo is the Gretsch ad anouncing the "New Chet Atkins Country Gentleman" Which everyone can see the detatils that Stan Surman was talking about. Chet wanted a guitar without the western stuff on it, so that's why it ended up with the plain gold Gretsch pickguard. Only the very early models had these features that Stan mentioned.

Gretsch even has a re-issue Country Gentleman with the Chet Atkins signature signpost pickguard:
http://www.gretschguitars.com/products/index.php?partno=2401131892

I did a quick Google search of "1957 Gretsch Country Gentleman" and found several examples of original Gretsch Country Gentleman guitars that have the signpost signature pickguard.

Re: List of Chet Atkins Signature Guitars

PostPosted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 12:59 am
by Norm
Now That's a find!

I would have checked my Scott book but darned if I can find it. I usually have that, MAMG and Country Gentleman right at my fingertips for reference. Didn't mean to bust Vidar's chops. He comes from Viking stock and it's not wise to anger Vikings.
:)

Re: List of Chet Atkins Signature Guitars

PostPosted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 6:45 am
by Vidar Lund
Norm, I´m sorry. Chuck is correct, I´m totally mixed up. I meant to say "The Guitars of the Fred Gretsch Company" by Jay Scott. I had both books before me, and handling two items at the same time seems to be too much for me. By the way, another good source to Chet´s guitars is the catalogue of the ongoing CMA Chet exhibition.

Re: List of Chet Atkins Signature Guitars

PostPosted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 10:28 am
by Norm
No harm, just a little confusion...
I found my own Scott book so we're literally 'on the same page'