frettedamericana | 1 decade ago

http://www.frettedamericana.com/gretsch_6122_chet_atkins_country_gentleman_third_version_1966-d-1099-0.html

This extremely rare black "top dog" of the Chet Atkins models weighs just 8.90 lbs. and and has a nut width of just under 1 11/16 inches, a really comfortable medium-to-thick neck profile, and a scale length of 24 1/2 inches (like all of the Chet Atkins models). Laminated maple body, three-piece rock maple neck, and ebony fretboard with 22 medium frets plus zero fret and neo-classic inlaid pearl thumbprint (half-moon) position markers. With three-ply binding on the top and the back of the guitar and single binding on the headstock and the fretboard. Headstock with inlaid pearl Gretsch "T-roof" logo and "The Chet Atkins Country Gentleman" nameplate. Individual Grover tuners with kidney-shaped metal buttons. One Super'Tron II (neck) pickup with an output of 4.11k and one Filter'Tron (bridge) pickup with an output of 4.14k. Gold Lucite pickguard with Gretsch "T-roof" logo engraved in black from underneath and "Chet Atkins / Country Gentleman" in black. Painted f-holes. Two volume controls (one for each pickup) plus a stand-by switch on the lower treble bout, one master volume control on the upper treble bout, plus two pickup and tone selector switches on upper bass bout. Gretsch "Arrow-through-G" knobs with cross-hatch pattern on sides. Double string damper, complete with sponge dampers, and two string damper controls with black felt pads. Gold-plated 'space-control' bridge on the original ebony base and gold-plated V-cutout B-6 Bigsby ("Gretsch by Bigsby") vibrato tailpiece. All hardware gold-plated. This guitar is in near mint (9.25) condition, with very little playing wear to the original frets. There are no issues with the body binding, there is some minor cracking to the neck binding - but it is totally stable and complete. There are no surface issues on the back of the guitar behind the pad, and only the tiniest amount of surface finish checking on the body. There is some slight tarnishing to the gold on the Bigsby tailpiece. This is the only example of a 'black' Country Gentleman that we have ever seen and we believe it to be the prototype based on one of the very last 'third versions' of the "few, rare black-finished Country Gentlemen [fourth version] as mentioned in Jay Scott's book. A real collectors gem. Housed in the original Gretsch two-tone gray five-latch hardshell with maroon plush lining (8.75).