Gretsch 6120
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Gretsch 6120 is a hollowbody electric guitar with f-holes, first appearing in the mid-1950's with the endorsement of Chet Atkins. It was later adopted by rockabilly artist Eddie Cochran. An early Yardbirds picture shows Eric Clapton playing a double cutaway 6120. The model never gained the popularity of Fender's Stratocaster or Gibson's Les Paul during its time of production.
In the 1960's, Gretsch as a musical instrument company found keeping up with demand was difficult. Endorsees like the Monkees played their own Monkees logo branded guitars on and the original Brooklyn factory became too small to cope with demand. The factory moved out of New York and was acquired by Baldwin Musical Instruments in the late 60s and quality of manufacturing issues on some of these transitional guitars dented the company's reputation.
By the early 1970s quality had improved. Models such as the White Falcon, Viking and the 6120 remained standard models.
Gretsch ceased production of guitars in the late 70s. Values of these instruments soared when rockabilly artist Brian Setzer of the Stray Cats was seen playing an old 6120 in his early-80s music videos. Gretsch subsequently went back into the guitar business and new 6120 guitars are widely available.
Pete Townshend of The Who regularly plays a 6120. The guitar was a gift from his friend Joe Walsh, and although he initially hated the look of the guitar upon playing it he discovered the sound that he loved and would regularly use, notably on Who's Next and Quadrophenia.
In his current tour (2006) Mark Knopfler, mostly known for his (Pensa) strats from the Dire Straits period and more recently also his vintage Les Pauls and Fenders, uses a Gretsch 6120 Nashville as well. It is the orange hollowbody without the Western decorations.
Bryan Adams plays a Gretsch 6120 and his longtime lead guitarist, Keith Scott, has his own signature edition of the 6120.
In 2006 Gretsch issued a limited series of American / Japanese Gretsch 6120 Nashvilles. The guitars distinguished themselves from the normal Gretsch editions by their solid carved top (standard guitars have laminated tops). Fully American made Gretsch editions are also available.
