Thom Bresh Presents Chet Atkins' "Dark Eyes" - The Early Gretsch 6120 Prototype Guitar

One of the guitars that started it all... "A very special instrument… The Holy Grail", according to Joe Carducci, the Sr. Product Manager for Gretsch Guitars. Guitar Player Magazine called this amazing guitar “One of the Most Important Electric Guitars of All Time!

This is The Early 6120 Black Sealed Top Proto that was made famous when Chet Atkins played "Dark Eyes", the famous Russian Folk Song on it so many years ago. This guitar was the precursor for all things to come in the future with the relationship of Chet Atkins and Gretsch. One of the guitars that started it all when it comes to all things Gretsch and Chet Atkins!

This amazing and very historical piece was of course created especially for, and owned and used by Chet Atkins early in his career, and worked on/experimented by and with the genius - Ray Butts. Chet and Ray experimented with pickups, sound control, separating bass (phantom bass) notes off to a separate amplifier channel… notice the pole pieces embedded into the fret board of the guitar… and so much more. Later in Chet’s career, this guitar was given as a gift to famous sound engineer Bill Porter - who helped shape the Nashville sound and recorded such stars as Chet Atkins, Louis Armstrong, the Everly Brothers, Elvis Presley, Barbara Streisand, Diana Ross, Ike & Tina Turner, Sammy Davis Jr., and Roy Orbison and so many more. Some years later this guitar became part of the legendary Scott "Chinery Collection" and was featured in his book. A little later it was displayed for quite some time at the Smithsonian Institute Museum.

Les Paul's personal luthier, guitar tech, soundman and close friend Tom Doyle, has owned this guitar for going on 18+ years now. Tom was the special luthier and curator of Scott Chinery Collection. Scott knew that Tom had always revered the instrument and he also knew that Tom had worked with Chet and was such an admirer of Chet’s talents. So one day, in a grand gesture of his appreciation, Scott generously bestowed this essential guitar to Tom as a gift for all of his hard work and dedication, knowing it would be taken care of. In an ironic twist of fate Scott Chinery passed away, all too early about a week later. This splendid piece is the seminal instrument of all things to come as far as Chet Atkins and Gretsch... and is the very essence of so many models to come. Without this guitar, there would be no 6120, there would be no Country Gentleman, no George Harrison Model, no Brian Setzer, etc, etc. Gibson had their Mr. Les Paul, and Gretsch had Chet Atkins - This guitar was the beginning of it all for Gretsch and Chet Atkins. So you can see that this is way more than just a guitar... it’s a piece of American Musical History!
More info at http://www.darkeyesproto.com

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Видео Thom Bresh Presents Chet Atkins' "Dark Eyes" - The Early Gretsch 6120 Prototype Guitar канала Tom Doyle