frettedamericana | 1 decade ago
The George Harrison Model - In Black!!!
1963 Gretsch 6122 Chet Atkins Country Gentleman (second version).
This super rare factory ordered black "top dog" of the Chet Atkins models weighs just 7.80 lbs. and and has a nut width of just over 1 5/8 inches, a really comfortable medium 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 original medium frets plus zero fret and neo-classic inlaid pearl thumbprint (half-moon) position markers. With four-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 53445" nameplate. Individual Grover Imperial tuners with 'stairstep' metal buttons. Two Filter'Tron 'patent-number' pickups with outputs of 4.21k and 4.19k. Gold Lucite pickguard with "Gretsch" (T-roof) logo engraved in black from underneath. 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 tone selector switches on upper bass bout. The potentiometers are stamped "137 6409" (CTS, February 1964). Gretsch "Arrow-through-G" knobs with cross-hatch pattern on sides. Double string damper, complete with sponge dampers, and two string damper controls with red felt pads. Gold-plated bar bridge on the original ebony base and gold-plated V-cutout B-6 Bigsby ("Gretsch by Bigsby") vibrato tailpiece. Large oval black plastic control cover on back stamped in blind "Pat. No. D196609 / Gretsch" with eight screws. Original black vinyl cover with eight fasteners (additional foam rubber pad under cover). All hardware gold-plated. This guitar is in near mint (9.25) condition, with virtually no playing wear whatsoever. There are no issues with the binding on the body. There is some very light cracking to the fretboard binding - but it is quite stable. There are no surface issues on the back of the guitar behind the pad. There is some light finish checking on the body. A real collectors gem. Housed in the original Gretsch gray five-latch hardshell with maroon plush lining (9.25).
Dan Spree is playing:
1966 Fender Jazz Bass.
This lightweight custom color Jazz Bass weighs just 8.90 lbs. Asymmetrical double cutaway, contoured solid alder body. One-piece 'birds-eye' maple neck with a very fast medium profile. Bound rosewood veneer fretboard with 20 original medium frets and inlaid pearl dot position markers. Matching Sonic Blue headstock with transitional "Fender" in gold with black trim and five patent numbers in black below, "Jazz Bass," "Trade Mark," and "Electric Bass" in black on three lines beside, and "Offset Contour Body" at the ball end of the headstock. Single round string tree. Individual Fender tuners with oval "paddle" metal buttons. Four-bolt neck plate with the Fender backward "F" logo and the serial number "137258" above it. Two eight-polepiece, single-coil pickups with outputs of 6.00k and 6.59k. Three-layer white/black/white plastic pickguard with bevelled edges and eleven screws. Three controls (two volume blend controls, one for each pickup, and one master tone control) and jack socket, all on metal plate adjoining pickguard. With the original thumb rest on the treble side of the pickguard. Black plastic knobs with white markings. Combined four-saddle bridge/tailpiece. With both original bass pickup and bridge pickup covers, the bridge cover with the original mute. The neck is dated "7 JAN 66 A" and the pots are dated "137 6611" (CTS, March 1966). The sonic blue finish has uniformly and very slightly darkened by a shade. There is some minor body checking and a fewvery slight' 'burn' marks to the finish where the guitar has been in contact with a guitar cord whilst in its case. Overall this forty-sven year old custom color Jazz bass is in exceptionally fine to near mint condition. Housed in it's original Fender three-latch, rectangular black hardshell case with orange plush lining (9.00).
