(SOLD) Gretsch 6122 Country Classic II Walnut 1996
Gretsch 6122 Country Classic, walnut stain, made in Japan in 1996. The Country Classic II is the 90s-era version of the classic Country Gentleman, which launched in 1957 as a signature model for legendary twangmiester Chet Atkins. The 6122 Gent was originally envisioned as a more deluxe offering than the already established 6120 Nashville model, with a slightly slimmer body for comfort, a slimmer neck, gold hardware and a fancy walnut finish. This one dates to the middle of the 'rebirth years' period, after Fred Gretsch Jr purchased the company back from Bladwin and got the whole show going again, bvefore selling to Fender in 2001. It looks amazing: the bigger body is immediately eye catching, the depth of the walnut finish pops perfectly against the gold hardware and the ebony board... it's just stunning. The neck is on the slimmer side of a vintage C, and combined with the relatively light slightly thinner body it's a comfy player. It's satisfying to feel all your notes vibrate around in your hands and chest as you play, there's definitely something about these big ol' Gretsch guitars that you can't achieve with a smaller body. The tone is rich, full and thick, with a lovely weight to the low end. The midrange is very responsive: it's breathy and eloquent to a light touch, or if you dig in hard, it'll bark, bite and growl like a beast roused. This has that classic Gretsch tone, and nothing else will ever really do that job properly. Classic indeed.
Model: Gretsch 6122 Country Classic
Made: Japan, Terada plant, 1996 (serial 964122-272)
Finish: walnut stain, gloss poly
Body: laminate maple, 57mm depth, fully hollow
Neck: maple 2-piece, ebony board, 25.5" scale, slim C shape
Weight: 3.915kg
Mods: none
Pickups: original Gretsch Filtertron humbuckers
Case: original wood hard case, good quality and condition, inc. Gretsch strap
Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has a couple of minor marks on the end. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, minor dimples on the back only. The back has widespread minor dimples and scuffs around the whole body but no major marks. The sides have minor scuffs around the whole body, as well as couple of dents in the elbow area and near the jack. The front has widespread light scuffs around the whole body, as well as some dimples near the elbow area and some standard play wear on the guard and horns. There's a bit of oxidation on the gold hardware. Overall: very good condition (8/10)
Playing condition notes: Neck is straight, action is low, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electrics tested and working properly. Frets have some normal wear, they're fairly even in height with no major buzz issues, around 6/10 for life left. Proper cool guitar!