Gretsch Vintage G6122TG 1964 Chet Atkins Country Gentleman - Walnut Stain

Few instruments carry the weight of a chapter of music history the way a 1964 Gretsch Country Gentleman does. This is the exact model — the exact year — that George Harrison was photographed with relentlessly during Beatlemania’s peak, the guitar that can be heard cutting through the roar of screaming crowds on those early television appearances and studio sessions. Chet Atkins developed the Country Gentleman as his personal signature instrument, and by 1964 it had become one of the defining guitars of the era. What we found in our travels is a Walnut Stain example in good vintage player condition — a guitar that has lived 60+ years in the world and shows it honestly. The cream multi-ply binding carries the expected cracking, shrinkage, and yellowing common to virtually all Gretsch instruments of this period — a marker of genuine DNA rather than a flaw — and the finish has aged into the patina that only real time produces. All electronics and hardware function fully. This is not a display piece; it is a working ‘64 Country Gentleman.

The construction is the full Country Gentleman specification: laminated arched maple body (top, back, and sides) with trestle bracing — Gretsch’s internal cross-bracing system that adds sustain and resonance characteristics distinct from standard hollow body construction. The painted f-holes are original to the design, not holes but decorative elements on a fully hollow body, contributing to the focused midrange response the Gentleman is known for. Filter’Tron at bridge and Super’Tron at neck cover the pickup duties, running through the complete Country Gentleman switching array: 3-way pickup selector, 3-way mud switch (Gretsch’s passive tone switching), 3-way kill switch, and the signature dual-action mechanical string mutes. The mute foam has deteriorated with age — expected at 60+ years — and will need fresh foam pads if you wish to restore mute function; everything else is fully operational. Ebony fingerboard with half-moon inlays, 22 medium frets with Gretsch’s characteristic zero fret, rosewood-based rocking bar bridge, Grover tuners in gold. Original hard shell case included.

Condition Notes: Good vintage player condition. Binding shows cracking, chips, shrinkage, and yellowing consistent with Gretsch instruments of this era — these are expected characteristics, not repairs. Finish aging throughout. All electronics, hardware, and switching fully functional. String mute foam deteriorated — foam pads need replacement to be fully optimized. Original hard shell case included.

Build Date: 1964
Model: G6120-125 (240-1239-828) 
Body Construction: Hollow Body
Bracing: Trestle 
Body Top: Arched Laminated Maple
Body Back: Laminated Maple
Body Sides: Laminated Maple
Body Finish: Nitro
Body Binding: Cream (multi)
F-Holes: Painted
Neck: 3-Piece Maple
Fingerboard: Ebony
Fingerboard Inlay: Half-Moon
Nut: Bone, 1 1/8" 
Neck Profile: Classic "C"
Headstock: Curly Maple (Stained) 
Headstock: Gold Plate, Gretsch Logo 
Frets: Medium 22 (Plus Zero Fret)
Truss Rod: Fully Adjustable
Radius: 12"
Fingerboard Binding: Cream
Scale Length: 24.6"
Neck Finish: Nitro (Matching) 
Tuners: Grover 
Hardware Color: Gold
Bridge Style: Rocking Bar Bridge 
Bridge Base: Rosewood
Pickguard: Gold Plexi with "Gretsch" Logo 
Pickups: Filter'Tron (Bridge) Super'Tron (Neck) 
Switching: 3-Way Toggle Pick selector, 3 - Way Mud Switch, 3-Way Kill Switch, Dual Action String Mutes
Controls: Vol 1, Neck - Vol 2, Bridge - 1 x Master Vol
Condition: Good
Case: Original Case