So this is my second one .... yeah yeah I know.

I've been through a ton of Gretsch models this year. All great guitars but there's something unique about the 6122-1959.

It's a great guitar for Chet picking but maybe it's due to the longer scale but I feel it's a bit more versatille than the 6120.

It's trestle braced!

Now You've Done It!!!!! You're forcing me to take my '59 (bought in 2008) apart to see if it has trestle bracing!

Congratulations, CaptionV!!! Now you can double your pleasure!

Mine is a 2004, and I'll never part with it, no matter what. It is a little heavy, but I don't mind that at all. Craig Dobbins has a newer one and he said his is a little lighter. I would be curious to know what change has been made to make them lighter, but as I said, I will keep what I have. It has always suited me in every way. Plus, it has Paul's sig on the back of the headstock. It is a wonderful guitar. Very versatile and the tone is to die for.

Nice ! I'm pondering a 2nd one also:

http://www.gbase.com/gear/g...

Mitch! Do it! That might be the ellusive third Gretsch you've been after

I saw an 60 or early 61 go for just over 2 grand on Ebay a few weeks ago. Someone had drilled an extra hole or two on the headstock, but other then that it looked ok. I guess they are out there if you're willing to wait.

Richard, Waffles or trestles you're still going to sound great. Me on the other hand I have to worry about little things like that.

The thing that I really like about the trestles is that it's what Chet's probably had. We all know how picky Chet was about bracing too so to have something like that wrong on his "favorite" Gretsch just seems weird.

Me on the other hand I have to worry about little things like that.

Why? Can you tell a difference in the tone, and prefer one over the other, or do you want a guitar that most closely replicates Chet's for other reasons?

Do you like the sound of the 6122-1959 ? I do. I don't know, and don't care what bracing it has. If you liked the sound and found out it didn't have trestle bracing, would you stop liking the sound ? Not sure I get the trestle focus really ?

And NO, not going to buy a 13K vintage guitar. I'll dream about it...that's all The 3rd Gretsch is a new G6120DE... arrives tomorrow.

i just think it's silly to go all that way to make a guitar JUST like Chet's and get something like the bracing wrong. The guitar carries the 1959 moniker because it's supposed to replicate that guitar. I'm yet to hear of an original '59 with waffle braces.

Look at the 6120 line. I can certainly hear a difference in the non-trestled ones vs the trestled ones. I see no reason why that wouldn't carry over to the 6122.

Whether or not that guitar sounds better is subjective and a entirely different subject.

The difference I notice with trestle bracing is greater sustain (which is what Chet wanted) which in turn enhances the tone (IMHO). I purchased my G6122-59 NC back in 2005 when they had waffle bracing and at the time the sustain seemed just fine. That is until I acquired a CA-6120-59-LTV in 2009 with trestle bracing. I had no idea what I had been missing. The trestle bracing significantly increased the sustain and really impressed me how much tighter and more focused the notes were, even above the 12th fret. I really noticed this when playing up at volume with a full band. These are two different guitars however and I am not sure how much difference the trestle bracing will make over the waffle bracing in the G6122-59. But all this discussion has got me curious and I am going to have to compare my guitar with waffle bracing up against a new one with trestle bracing.

The unfortunate thing is that the guitar specs on the Gretsch website are not always correct. Some list what type of bracing, others don't. The Gent lists the bridge pup as a TV Jones HT, but it's actually Classic Plus in an 'open' cover (black top) etc.

Joe needs an assistant !?

My HOF sure sounds wonderful. But heck, now I guess I need to know what's in her ? Not going to matter, but y'all got me curious now. I'm guessing trestle.

Mine's from 2003 and has the waffle-board. Doesn't the 'HT' stand for the 'HiloTron'-cover of the Classic+?

For these guitars, it might be a good idea to add the info about waffle-boards or other bracing in the database too. I just did!

Not sure when the G6122-1959 was introduced, but 2003 was a transition year when Fender took over Gretsch production. Perhaps the design changed from waffle to trestle at some point ? If so, I wonder what year that happened ?

Mine is an '011 so I'd "assume" it has trestle if that's the newest design. I hate taking things apart but will remove a pickup at some point just to verify what's in mine.

I think the first ones were made in 2003. There was a slight change made to the body shape in late 2003-early 2004. To the upper bout, I believe. As far as the waffle/trestle thing, no doubt the trestle bracing will give more sustain, and more sustain is good, plus that is probably the reason the newer ones are lighter than the older ones like mine. As to why they weren't made with trestles to begin with, I don't know, but it really doesn't bother me that much. It is a wonderful guitar and mine will probably be in a guitar stand next to my casket.

Thanks again, CaptainVideo, for checking within your C.G. 6122-1959, to see how it's braced. That inspired myself and others to do the same, and it's significant to know what is producing the sounds we're hearing.

I've just spent a delightfully agonizing hour comparing mine to my Country Classic I, Single cutaway, with its waffle-bracing and standard 'Patent Number' Filter'Trons.

You know how it can be: After playing one guitar for a while, and then picking up something different, you often can feel like, "Hey, this is BETTER because of such and such....." -- You know what I mean: Just the difference is often refreshing and for a while it can seem to be an "improvement," but in fact it may be just that it's different and that change is refreshingly pleasant. I find it can be difficult to determine a Real preference of one machine over another, for the long run.

I'm not very experienced in giving reviews, so please bear with me a bit as I try to explain my point of view.....

• Both guitars are equipped with new and identical Thomastik-Infeld flatwound 12s. - (JS112)

I know we all have our preferences and playing styles which lend themselves to different rigs, etc. For me, many solid-body guitars, like the Gibson SG, can seem almost boring to play, and must require more playing skill than I possess to make it sing with emotion or depth of character. The solid body produces more 'pure' sort of clear notes that one could argue have less "character" than something like a Martin D-28, that has its own fantastic rich tonal character that just pours out such a delightful voice. - I find that easier to put to use. - Not necessarily "better," - just easier, I think, to make lovely music.

I mention this because I find that, for myself, so far, I've preferred guitars like the 6120 Nashville that has minimal bracing, compared to the Setzer signature 6120, with trestle bracing. I'm very open to the certainty that a better guitarist than I can make profoundly better use of the trestle-braced Setzer 6120 than I can make out of anything. - And I am totally open to the possibility that, as my skill increases, I might find that I could learn to play and Love the trestle-braced Setzer model at least as well as the Nashville.

When I first received my 1997 Country Classic I - I was blown away by its Beauty, but especially by its incredibly Rich tonal qualities. When I got a Titanium Compton Bridge (with the 'Tone Chamber') on it, its Depth of Richness seemed to practically Double! - and I was amazed and delighted at the Magic Instrument I had to play. Instantly the description of: "Sounds like a Grand Piano" came to mind, and it is incredibly inspiring to try one's best to wrangle its wonderful capabilities out for enjoyment.

And then I started hearing about the Chet Atkins Country Gentleman 6122-1959 model, and how unsurpassed it is among the stable of GreTscH Guitars. - Annoying! - Now that I have one, and can compare it to my CC I, I can say that if I had to keep one and sell the other, it would be the Country Classic I with its open effs and waffle-bracing that I would keep, and I'd sell the trestle-braced Country Gentleman.

With the Compton Bridge I find the sustain unquestionably equals the sustain of the C.G.'59, but the most decisive factor for me is the sweet Richness of it tonal character. It sounds fully alive and deep in Love, like a voluptuous strong young full-bodied woman who is happy to be well Loved and who is Deeply in Love with her partner, with Life, and with the Song she's Singing!

To me, at this point in my playing ability, I would say the the C.G.'59 sounds very similar to the C.C. I, except just not so Rich. It sounds more like a solid body, and indeed, that is exactly what the trestle-bracing does, - it stiffens the hollow-body which makes it more like a solid body. I think whoever developed the waffle-bracing Really Knew Something, and I am in full agreement with that philosophy of construction. It clearly Works!

I'm certainly NOT trying to imply that the waffle braced Country Classic I is a Better instrument than the Country Gentleman 6122-1959, - all I'm saying is I prefer the sounds I get with the waffle-braced Country Classic I more than I do with the trestle-braced Country Gentleman-'59.

Tom - Stingker

Considering that earlier examples of the Country Gentleman 6122-1959 did have the waffle-bracing system in them, and not the trestle-bracing system, and since they were therefore much more likely how the production run started and was guided by Paul Yandell, it seems clearly more likely to me that the waffle-braced system is what Chet had and Paul recommended.

I cannot discern any logical reasoning to indicate that the later version is more Chet-accurate than the earlier.

I doubt Chet's '59 had waffles. Those didn't exist back in 1959. Trestles did.

So on paper the later 6122-1959s are in fact closer to Chet's actual guitar. They (Gretsch) has also improved the body shape in making it more correct to an actual 1959 Gretsch.

I still think a guitar that is being targeted as being a reissue of a certain era should be constructed as closely to the original.

I'll take my waffles on my breakfest plate. Not in my vintage inspired Gretsch reissue thank you very much.

Well, i think the first step one needs to take (I'm referring to myself) to grow and improve in being less WISHY-WASHY, is to admit that I was.

I mean to say that comparing of the C.G.-'59 to the C.C.I is getting obsessive with me, and the more I delve into it, the more I'm not so sure. Sometimes I prefer the C.C.I, and sometimes I prefer the C.G.-'59. The trestle-braced Country Gentleman absolutely has clearer, crisper notes than the waffle-board C.C.I, and what I was taking to be 'Richness' in the C.C.I, sometimes just seems to be muddiness.

So I admit I'm leaning toward the Country Gentleman 6122-1959 as my all-time favorite, and I'm gonna have myself a plate of waffles with maple syrup!

Thanks,

Tom - Stingker

It's all G-O-O-D In fact, it's DOUBLE G-O-O-D !

So Cap.... any difference in set-up, or use of the identical twins ? Gotta admit, I was tempted to buy a 2nd also just cuz I love it so much.

Mitch. I just have the one. I traded the first one in on a Silver Jet.

AHHH ... Ok, so yer not nuts after all then ?

No I'm nuts. I'm a crazy guitar swapper. It's a sickness.

...know it well !

It's an interesting experience to compare the Country Gentleman 6122-1959 with the Country Classic I!

They're both Fantastic!

It seems to me that the Ideal Sound would be exactly in the middle between the two. It would be fun to record using tracks of both being played simultaneously, to get a rich mixture of the two.

I'd say the C.G.-'59 has slightly more sustain, but the C.C.I has quite enough!

At this point, if I had to choose only one, I'd probably just flip a coin to decide.

I'd like to experience a waffle-braced version of the Country Gentleman 6122-1959 sometime.........

I spent some time with my waffle braced G6122-59 this weekend, the sustain is quite good and as always, it has a great tone. My experience with this guitar is that it sounds good when playing at home or in a small intimate setting with perhaps a few other instruments. But it tends to get muddy when playing up at volume with a full band and I have tried a variety of amplifiers and settings. This is why I now use my 6120-59-LTV with trestle bracing. It performs extremely well in a full band environment and the added sustain really allows the individual notes to cut right through. But I really like the tone and wide neck of the G6122-59 so I am curious as to how well the new one with trestle bracing would perform up at volume.