1963 Gretsch 6119 Chet Atkins Tennessean + New Gretsch Case

There’s a certain charm about old Gretsches and this one definitely ticks all the right boxes as far as being a great playing and sounding vintage Gretsch, with plenty of vibe.

This 1963 example is the same year and spec as George Harrison’s Gretsch Tennessean. George acquired his in late ’63 just in time to make it’s debut at The Beatles Christmas shows at the Finsbury Park Astoria. It then went on to become his No1 six string guitar throughout 1964 and 65 winning favour over his Gretsch Country Gentleman. George used his Tennessean on numerous live dates and recording sessions during this period including the sessions for Beatles For Sale, Help! and Rubber Soul as well as on the legendary Shea Stadium appearance.

Sonically this guitar delivers all of the classic Gretsch tone you’d expect but with a bit of added top end sparkle courtesy of the single coil HiLo’Tron pick ups. The bridge pick up is bright and clear with plenty of bite (think George Harrison’s guitar part on Help! and you have it), the neck pick up is warmer and woodier but still has plenty of edge and the middle position is chimey and full. All of the electrics are working perfectly with no crackles or pops.

The overall condition is very good with some slight checking on the front around the switches and controls. There are some small nicks on the edges but no major dings – all just regular wear for a 58 year old guitar that has generally been looked after. There is some minor buckle wear and light scratches on the back and normal playing wear to the lacquer on the back of the neck. The binding is in very good shape and shows no signs of the ‘rot’ that can sometimes plague vintage Gretsches. There is a small repair to the binding on the first fret but other than this the binding is very clean.

There is evidence of some old repair work under the truss rod cover and around the centre seam on the back of the headstock. Possibly the result of an over tightened truss rod? Thankfully this is a small fracture and not a full break – see pictures. The resulting overspray on the front and back of the headstock blacklights perfectly which suggests it was repaired a long time ago. There is also an oversized truss rod cover which may have been cut at the same time as the repair. This is made from the correct vintage cellulose nitrate material which again suggests a very old repair. Either way it is rock solid and the neck plays perfectly with just the right amount of relief. There is plenty of life left in the original frets. There is also a small repair in the cutaway where the back panel has separated slightly at the seam – see pictures.

Hardware wise the guitar is totally original with the exception of the tuners which have been replaced with Grover Rotomatics. These are vintage ‘milk bottle’ Grovers with ‘Pat Pend USA’ stamped on the back, and feature the small washers. These would date from the early to mid 60’s and were likely fitted to the guitar early on in it’s life. These vintage milk bottle Grovers are sought after and in themselves now fetch a few bob among collectors.

The only other ‘mod’ is that the original floating bridge has been pinned, which in all honesty is an improvement as it enables accurate intonation, stable tuning and more enthusiastic playing without the worry that the bridge might move at any second!

Comes with a brand new TKL Gretsch Premium Hard Shell Case.

All in all a very nice player grade vintage Gretsch for the cost of a reissue…and a ‘Beatles Guitar’ to boot! What’s not to like?