Gretsch Chet Atkins Left Handed Guitar
Chet Atkins was more than just a legendary guitar player. His ear for the instrument itself, the subtleties of its sound, made his input on building one invaluable. Chet Atkins worked directly with Gretsch from 1955 to 1980. Today left-handers can immerse themselves in that tradition with Gretsch Chet Atkins left handed guitars.All left handed Chet Atkins models feature the embossed signature of the legend on the pick guard. The value, however, is found in the unique designs. The “stereo” prototype built for Atkins in 1956 is now the 6120 Chet Atkins Hollow Body. Available for southpaws, it features TV Jones Classic pickups and trestle bracing. Dual pickups in the 6120 were intended to separately amplify the bass strings and treble strings to support his unique finger picking style. The hollow body Tennessee Rose, another available for left handed pickers, features Hilo’Tron pickups and Grover Sta-Tite machines. The Tennessee Rose is a hefty 2.5 inches wide for the resonance only a deep hollow body guitar offers. At the high end, there is the Country Gentleman featuring a Bigsby Vibrato Tailpiece with a Fixed Wire Arm Rocking Bar Bridge. Gretsch Chet Atkins left handed guitars are not available in all variations of these models. On Gretsch’s 2007 brochure announcing the reintroduction of these 3 classic models, it notes distinctly “Also Available: Left-Handed Model.”
Favored by country artists for the twangy tone, Tennessean and Country Gentleman models were seen in the hands of John Lennon, George Harrison, Brian Jones and other notable rock and rockabilly players. Purchasing a Gretsch Chet Atkins left handed guitar is not a light undertaking. Prices start at around $2,000 and go to over $3,000 for a nicely appointed Country Gentleman. Left handed professional guitarists who lean toward finger picking are the ones most likely to feel this investment a solid one.
