1959 Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman PX 6122 Walnut, Figured w/ Case & Catalog (one digit from Chet's '59)

Up for sale, a 1959 Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman PX 6122 in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case and catalog. Crafted in the second full year of Country Gentleman production, this well-kept 6122 boasts an early feature set including “Patent Applied For” Filter’Tron pickups, Bigsby B6 vibrato, and Grover Imperial tuning machines.

But what really sets this Gretsch apart for any Chet aficionado is the serial number. Chet’s personal favorite 1959 Country Gentleman was serial 31444. This is 31445. This exact guitar is also pictured in Tony Bacon’s “The Ultimate Guitar” book.

For Chet Atkins’ clean, elegant and punchy sounds as well as quintessential George Harrison British Invasion tones, you can't beat the 6122 Country Gentleman. With a 17" fully hollow slim maple body, this Gretsch has an immediate note attack, and a clear, balanced acoustic tone that's enhanced by the midrange character of the “Patent Applied For” Filter'Tron humbuckers. This guitar delivers a full sonic spectrum, with round, bouncy notes on the wound strings and plenty of chewy treble sparkle. This 6122 Country Gentleman weighs 8lbs 6oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 11-49 roundwound strings, low action, and accurate intonation.

Neck Specs:

-Wood: Maple
-Shape: Medium C, measuring .830” 1st fret, .885” 9th fret
-Fretboard: Ebony, “neo-classic” thumbnail inlays
-Frets: Slender, leveled/crowned, no wear
-Scale Length: 25 1/2"
-Nut: 1 11/16”, bone, zero fret
-Headstock: Serialized “The Chet Atkins Country Gentleman” plaque
-Tuners: Grover Imperials
-Serialization: 31-prefix dates to 1959

Body Specs:

-Wood: Maple
-Pickups: “Patent Applied For” FilterTron x2
-Controls: Master Volume (cutaway), Volume x2, Three-way Tone switch, Three-way pickup selector
-Hardware: Bigsby B6 vibrato , Rocking Bar bridge with ebony base, “G” pointer knobs
-Plastics: One-ply gold pickguard

The gloss Walnut nitro lacquer finish is framed by multi-ply binding and accented by the painted-on faux f holes, exhibiting subtle vertical checking and highlighting liberal curly figuring in the maple. There are two small alternate mounting holes for a different Bigsby (as pictured in Tony Bacon’s book), and a circa 1958/59 Bigsby B6 was subsequently fitted to return it to stock.

Cosmetic wear is limited to some buckle worming on the back and a small area of wear at the waist through the gloss, with just a handful of tiny nicks on the top and rims (largely relegated to the lower bout). There is light overspray on the neck profile and some natural palm wear through the gloss.

The original hardshell case is included, along with a vintage 1959 Gretsch catalog; the handle of the case has been replaced.