If the 61-62 6119 HiLo Tenny was the first with the thinner, no F hole Electrotone body, what models came after it?
BirdMan --needs remedial Gretsch instruction
Electrotone frenzy
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- Rated: 18 ↑
Oct 6, 2008 7:43 p.m. DCBirdMan:
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Oct 7, 2008 12:47 a.m. afire:
I don't think it was called an "Electrotone" body this early, but the Country Gent had a closed and relatively thin body from its beginning in 1957. It was 2 1/4" thick (but then again, so were the first 1961 closed-body double-Hilo Tennies), unlike most of the later 1 7/8" Electrotones. The biggest difference would probably be the trestle bracing on the '57 to '61 Gents, unlike the regular parallel top-only bracing on the Tennies and other later Electrotone bodies.
Unless I'm forgetting something, I think it was only the Chet Atkins models that were Electrotones. I think you're right that the Tenny was first. I'd say the 6120 and Country Gent formally became Electrotones (1 7/8" closed body without trestle bracing) not long after, maybe late '61 or early '62.
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Oct 7, 2008 7:53 a.m. senojnad:
afire said: I don't think it was called an "Electrotone" body this early
I had a prototype Tenny -- a 1961 -- that was the same as described by DCBirdMan above (61-62 6119 HiLo Tenny was the first with the thinner, no F hole ...). My prototype was the same except it had no Chet Atkins or Tennesean logos on it. But Gretsch did describe and market it as an "Electrotone" body.
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Oct 7, 2008 9:13 a.m. afire:
I was just talking about the '57 to '61 Country Gents as not officially being Electrotones, even though they had relatively thin bodies and closed F holes.
I agree the the early double pickup Tennies were Electrotones. There's one of the first run Tennies with the 2 1/4" bodies up on eBay right now. If I were in the market for a Hilo Tenny, this run would be my first choice.
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Oct 7, 2008 1:41 p.m. senojnad:
Wow! That one is gorgeous! The pick guard is not original (IMO) -- Mine had a silver colored guard. That's an easy fix if one really cared. The wood looks in great shape! The '61's were a burgundy color -- I've seen many that faded to more of a mustard color. This one has just faded to brown. The chrome parts look excellent for a 47 (?) year old guitar. Very nice example.
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Oct 7, 2008 1:49 p.m. senojnad:
Looking at the Ebay ad -- that is the same prototype model as mine. There are no Chet or Tenny logos on it.
