Gretsch Guitars

The Gretsch Guitar Company has been around for over 100 years- since 1883. It was then that German immigrant Friedrich Gretsch started a small shop in Brooklyn, New York. Despite his early death in 1895, Friedrich built his business on the principles of precision and quality. After his death, it fell to his teenaged son, Fred, to carry on the family name. In just twenty years, Fred, moved Gretsch to a ten story building and from these headquarters responded to the growing demand for more specialized instruments.

Gretsch's "best" years started in the mid 1950s. By this time, Fred's son Fred Jr. had taken the reins and the company had started to produce distinctive models of electric guitars, including the 6120 and White Falcon.

When Chet Atkins became to endorse the guitars, their stock went through the roof. Atkins was one of the pre-eminent guitarists of his day, and it gave Gretsch a fighting chance against their competition: Fender, Telecaster, Stratocaster and the Gibson Les Paul. Gretsch ultimately sold thousands of guitars with Chet's name on the pickguard, most notably the 6120 Chet Atkins model, one of which was purchased in 1957 by a young guitar player called Duane Eddy. The success of Duane's "twangy" instrumental records, television appearances, and extensive touring helped expose the Gretsch guitar to an ever bigger market, that of the teenage rock and roll fan. Other Chet Atkins models were the Country Gentleman (named after an instrumental hit for Chet) and the Tennessean , a lower cost version of the Country Gent.

Other famous Gretsch players include Elvis Presley (although Elvis’s guitar player used instruments made by Gibson, The King owned a Gretsch- now known as the Gretsch Country Classic- that he played both onstage and in the studio), George Harrison, Pete Townsend and Neil Young. In the 1960s, Gretsch enjoyed even more noteriety when The Monkees television show used their guitars and drums.

Unfortunately, Fred never found an adequate successor, and Gretsch was sold to Baldwin in 1967. Gretsch's name lost prestige as its models were seen as cheapening and their signature styles fell out of fashion. In 1989, the Gretsch family once again acquired their namesake company, and production began again. The guitars produced during this period were of high quality, but expensive, and mostly consisted of classic reissues.

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