This was a big deal here, and based on what I've heard, it's going to be a big deal for many of us.
The first thing most guys asked us when they came by Gretschland yesterday and Wednesday was "is it here?" We knew they were asking about the new CGP stereo 6120. It's what I was looking for as I unpacked guitars Tuesday night.
The backstory was that it WASN'T here till Wednesday, and it didn't see light of day till yesterday afternoon. It was either shipped separately here to Joe or Paul Yandell brought it with him (they don't tell me everything). The rules were that it could not be shown till FMIC was ready to take orders on it – and FMIC couldn't take orders on it till Joe attended to a whole slew of last minute details, coordinating pricing around the world, creating up-to-the-minute copy and images for the website, and more.
SO many people asked about the guitar that I made the dire mistake of joking about it with one guy. He asked the question and I deadpanned, "Oh man, none of the prototypes measured up to Joe's standards, and he had them all cut up into firewood."
This was NOT taken as humor, and I quickly realized my blasphemy. I assured the guy I was joking and that the guitar would be here. I think he actually sternly said "Don't joke about things like that," but it could have just been the look on his face.
Why is the guitar now known as the CGP taken so seriously? A little history may be in order.
We know Chet wasn't entirely happy with the cowboy-themed 6120, particularly its Dynasonic pickups. We know he always wanted more sustain and less potential for feedback. We know that, starting in 1958, the Country Gentleman in its various versions addressed all these issues.
But that evolution – the morphing of the 6120 into the 6122 – began with what Chet and his associates seem always to have referred to as "the prototype." It appeared on at least one album cover, and is known for several important developments.
The least important is its color, which is good – because there's not universal agreement about it. In these very pages, we've discussed whether it was to be red or orange. Many do have the impression the guitar was red. We may have early color reproduction technology or the deterioration of album print jobs over time to thank for that. The guitar was rarely if ever seen publicly (it was too heavy for gigging comfort). In any case, the people who have made it their business to know have made the new one orange.
Much more important were several specifications. It began life on the chassis of a 6120 – same dimensions. But it had a very thick solid maple top, ranging from about 1/4" around the edges to 1/2" at the middle. And it didn't have f-holes. (They were painted on.) In these details we see the beginning of the Gent.
And it had early Filtertron pickups, wound by Ray Butts with white bobbins in Dynasonic housings.
Most revolutionarily, the neck pickup was stereo: that is, both coils split down the middle. When stereo was engaged with a toggle switch, the three bass strings went to one output and the three treble to another. (The bridge pickup was not stereo, and when stereo was enabled, the bridge pickup was DISabled.)
The guitar was thus another example of Chet's insatiable appetite for sonic tinkering. And remember that in 1956, when Gretsch built the Prototype, most people had not heard stereo. It was cutting-edge stuff.
But only one 6120 with closed f-holes, a thick top, and stereo was ever built. By 1958, the Gent emerged with non-stereo production Filtertrons, a 17" body and closed f-holes. From there the line developed from that point, passing through the best-of-breed 1959 and ending up in the double-cutaway Electrotone configuration with mutes which George Harrison carried to a new generation of guitarists in the 60s.
In all the time since, Chet aficionados have remembered the Prototype (or "the red guitar") as something of a grail. Chet long ago stopped using the guitar, and it was long out of circulation in the hands of relatives. By all accounts, it's just too beastly heavy to carry to gigs. As Paul recounts, it was sold at auction several years ago – and the current owner has not made himself known to the Chet world, so the 1956 Prototype has virtually disappeared.
Which brings us to a couple years ago. Paul, Fred, and the folks at FMIC determined to recreate the Prototype in a limited production run.
And that's the guitar avid Chet pickers have been waiting for. That's the guitar which emerged finally yesterday afternoon at about 3 pm, when its order status went live in Scottsdale and Paul pulled it from its padded gig bag during his Tribute session.
That's the guitar you're about to see – and, more importantly, hear. I thought I had an hour or so of great players putting it through its paces. It's more like two hours. So far. (More coming today, I'm sure.)
And of course, you'll hear it in stereo through a pair of Gretsch amps.
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Thank you Tim ,great cilps ,pics i wish i was there.
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