Atrium Collection

Gretsch PX6070 Bass Guitar

Year Produced: 1964

Biography: Often referred to as the “Country Gentleman Bass,” the PX6070 hollow-body bass guitar, introduced in 1962, was a vast improvement on the short-lived line of Bikini bass guitars from the late-1950s. Its 17” archtop body is fitted with a single Super’Tron pickup, three-way tone switch, master volume control, and a lever-operated mute system. Due to its impressive size, prior to 1964 the PX6070 had an extendable endpin which allowed for it to be played standing up similar to a cello.

Gretsch BST-5000 Bass Guitar

Year Produced: 1979

Biography: The BST-5000, one of the most popular instruments in the Gretsch “Beast” line, features a solid walnut body with a maple and rosewood neck and fretboard. Its trademark chunky sound comes from the twin sets of Dimarzio Super Distortion pickups which are capable of being “split” by the player. The rosewood stripes across the BST-5000’s body was intended to resemble the popular S. D. Curlee bass guitar of the late-1970s.

Gretsch 7629 Committee Bass Guitar

Year Produced: 1979

Biography: Featuring a five-piece solid walnut body, rosewood fretboard, smoke screen pickguard, and single Super’Tron pickup, the 7629 Committee bass guitar was one of the most popular models of the Baldwin era.

Gretsch 7626 TK-300 Bass Guitar

Year Produced: 1979

Biography: With its autumn red finish, asymmetrical body and pickguard, and hockey stick-style headstock, the TK-300 bass guitar was one of the most radical and popular departures from the Baldwin-era style.

Gretsch 450MD Synchromatic Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 1996

Biography: This 450 Synchromatic electric guitar features an archtop hollow-body, ebony fretboard adorned with pearloid split block inlays, historic Gretsch logo “Chromatic” tailpiece, and stair-step style “Synchronized” bridge. This particular model was introduced as a special issue amidst the resurgence of Japanese-constructed Gretsch guitars in the post-Baldwin era.

Gretsch 3161 Historic Series Streamliner Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 2003

Biography: Crafted at Gretsch’s renowned Peerless factory in Korea, the Historic Series Streamliner is an homage to the timeless single cutaway electric guitars of the 1940s and ‘50s. Featuring neo-classic fretboard inlays, two Gretsch Electromatic humbuckers, “cats eye” sound holes, and a classic “G” cutout chrome tailpiece, the historic Streamliner offers current artists a unique sampling of “That Great Gretsch Sound.” This guitar is autographed by folk legend and GRAMMY award-winning artist Tom Paxton.

Gretsch 3967 Historic Series Synchromatic Junior Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 1999

Biography: This single cutaway Synchromatic Junior model, also part of Gretsch’s Korean-made Historic Series, celebrates the matchless style and tone of the 1930s models. Featuring a single neck-mounted floating pickup, as popularized by jazz guitarist Johnny Smith, the Synchromatic Junior packs a modern punch while maintaining the characteristic tone of the early-twentieth century.

Gretsch 6121 Roundup Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 2009

Biography: The 6121 Roundup, produced at Gretsch’s celebrated factory in Terada, Japan, is one of the most unique instruments in the entire Gretsch catalog. It’s orange finish, G-branded chambered archtop body, tooled leather trim, steer and cactus engraved inlays, and buffalo-branded headstock are callbacks to the original 6120 Gretsch produced for country music legend Chet Atkins in 1954. These unique features can best be seen as the Brooklyn-based company’s attempt to appeal to the country western aesthetic of Nashville musicians in the mid-1950s. Despite Atkins’ request to remove most of this iconography for the first edition Country Gentleman, produced in 1957, fans and artists alike continue to celebrate the 1954 model as one of Gretsch’s finest creations.

Gretsch Chet Atkins 6122 Country Classic Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 1959

Biography: The 1959 Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman highlights all of the classic features that made the fleet-fingered guitarist’s catalog line so popular in the late-1950s and ‘60s. Its tiger-striped walnut hollow body and gold hardware give it a depth and warmth recognizable to artists and collectors alike. Perhaps its most unique feature, the curved “wire” Bigsby vibrato arm, gives players a level of control over the instruments pitch modifier unique to Atkins’ playstyle.

Gretsch Chet Atkins 6119 Tennessee Rose Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 1962

Biography: A favorite of The Beatles’ George Harrison, the Gretsch Chet Atkins Tennessee Rose is visually and sonically unique. Its burgundy shell features a combination of light and dark mineral lines that give it a rippling texturing, and the chrome hardware and pickguard, as well as the white outlines of the binding and F-holes, stand out atop the deep rich finish. Moreover, the simulated F-holes (painted on as opposed to carved out of the shell) eliminate most of the feedback from the two HiLoTron pickups and allow the guitar’s hollow body to resonate freely, making the Tennessee Rose one of the most sought after models of the entire Gretsch catalog.

Gretsch Chet Atkins 6122 Country Classic Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 1962

Biography: The 1962 Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gentleman will forever be enshrined in Rock & Roll history as the guitar that George Harrison played during The Beatles’ live performance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. Its large three-ply maple top with simulated F-holes, gold “G-Arrow” control knobs, and iconic gold pickguard and Bigsby vibrato distinguished the Country Classic from other instruments of early British Invasion era.

Gretsch Chet Atkins 7680 Deluxe Chet Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 1972

Biography: Released as a fifteenth anniversary edition to the Chet Atkins line, the Deluxe Chet is revered for its classic tone and remarkable playability. Its three-ply autumn red-stained body, 24-karat gold Filtertron pickups and Bigsby vibrato, and stark black pickguard continue to catch the eyes of fans and collectors decades after its limited run.

Gretsch Burl Ives Junior Acoustic Guitar

Year Produced: 1955

Biography: Designed for beginner players and children, the Burl Ives junior acoustic guitar offered a great deal of flexibility in combination with a durable mahogany body. Known best for 1964’s “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” as well as acting roles in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) and The Big Country (1958), Ives was one of Gretsch’s most popular acoustic artists during the 1950s and ‘60s. 

Gretsch TW-600 Traveling Wilburys Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 1989

Biography: After recording his 1987 album Cloud Nine, George Harrison discussed the formation of “supergroup” with fellow recording artist Jeff Lynne. One year later, the Traveling Wilburys were formed, consisting of Harrison and Lynne, as well as Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, and Bob Dylan. As they group began writing their first album, Harrison reached out to Dinah Gretsch and asked for series of personalized guitars for the band. This guitar was one of five that Gretsch produced for Harrison and the other members of the Traveling Wilburys.

Gretsch 3131 Malcom Young Signature Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 1997

Biography: With its simplistic design and sleek finish, the Gretsch 3131 pays homage to Malcolm Young’s battle-hardened 1963 Jet Firebird used to during recordings and stage performances with AC/DC. Nicknamed “The Beast,” Young famously removed all but one of the guitar’s three original pickups, creating two open cavities atop the Firebird’s chambered body. The 3131 honors Young’s preference for a single pickup by including only one Filtertron pickup and a single master volume and tone control knob, in addition to the natural, semi-gloss finished top of the 1963 model.

Gretsch 6120 Duane Eddy Signature Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 1996

Biography: While performing as a radio artist in Phoenix, Arizona, in the late-1950s, Duane Eddy acquired a Chet Atkins model Gretsch 6120. The guitar quickly became Eddy’s signature instrument and served as the foundation for the deep and resounding twang that he introduced to Rock & Roll throughout the 1960s and ‘70s. In 1994, Eddy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and two years later Gretsch introduced the Duane Eddy Signature 6120 Hollow Body electric guitar. Complete with brass hardware, twin Dynasonic pickups, and the Bigsby vibrato, this signature model perfectly replicates the unmistakable sounds of the “King of Twang.”

Gretsch 6136 White Falcon Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 1999

Biography: A visual and sonic masterpiece, the Gretsch 6136 White Falcon is arguably the most sophisticated and sought-after entry in the historic Gretsch catalog. Created primarily as a showpiece for the 1954 National Association of Music Merchants meeting by inventor and Gretsch technical adviser Jimmie Webster, the White Falcon, with its sparkling gold-plated hardware and binding, ebony fretboard with mother-of-pearl inlays, and eye-catching “Cadillac G” tailpiece, was dubbed the “guitar of the future.” There’s no doubt that Webster was inspired by the futuristic concept designs of other products from the 1950s, particularly concept cars featured in magazines and at travelling car shows, when he designed the White Falcon. And, like these products, customers flocked to get their hands on it — so much so that Gretsch was forced to include the White Falcon in their 1955 catalog.

Gretsch 6120 Brian Setzer Signature Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 1998

Biography: Known for spearheading the rockabilly revival of the early-1980s, Brian Setzer remains one of the most respected members of the Gretsch worldwide community of artists. This signature Gretsch 6120 honors the aesthetic and tonal features of Setzer’s prized 1959 “Smoke” hollow body electric guitar, including an arched laminated maple top, 1959 trestle bracing, dice control knobs, and oversized F-holes for improved sonic projection. Dual TV Jones pickups and a classic Bigsby vibrato provide a timeless tone for those interested in replicating Setzer’s Stray Cats and Orchestra sound.

Gretsch 5850 Bo Diddley “Mini” Signature Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 2008

Biography: Immortalized for his signature rhythm and fusion of blues with Rock & Roll, Bo Diddley is perhaps just as popular for the instruments he played as he is for the songs he produced. This mini Gretsch 2850 electric guitar pays homage to Diddley’s original “Twang Machine,” produced for him by Gretsch in 1958. The Twang Machine was styled after the rectangular cigar box guitars that Diddley and other blues musicians had been playing throughout the 1950s, but was outfitted with state-of-the-art dual High Sensitive Filter’Tron humbuckers for unparalleled sonic projection. The 2008 re-issue of the 2850 honors the fiftieth anniversary of the Gretsch-Diddley partnership and features a single Filter’Tron humbucker, rosewood fingerboard, and Diddley’s iconic thunderbird red finish.

Gretsch 6199 “Billy-Bo” Jupiter Thunderbird Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 2005

Biography: One year after the creation of the “Twang Machine,” Bo Diddley and Gretsch collaborated once more to produce the stylized Jupiter Firebird electric guitar. Diddley drew inspiration from the popular Cadillac Thunderbird cars of the late-1950s, resulting in the guitar’s unique shape and firebird red finish. Years later, he gifted the instrument to Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. In 2005, Gibbons and Gretsch joined forces to release the 6199 “Billy-Bo” Jupiter Thunderbird, a 21st-century celebration of Diddley’s classic guitar with modern updates including a pair of gold TV Jones pickups, Grover Sta-Tite tuners, and a “G-cutout” fixed tailpiece. 

“Some time ago, Bo gave me the guitar as a gift. It was during the recent ZZ Top recordings, when the engineering crew and I snaked through the guitar vault searching for that certain-something guitar, and there it was! We didn’t risk subjecting such a rare instrument to the rigors of the road. So this new reproduction model was recreated with some BFG mojo thrown in for good measure. It’s now the main stage guitar with a groove.”

– Billy F Gibbons, 2005

Gretsch 6118 125th Anniversary Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 2009

Biography: Produced in commemoration of Gretsch’s 125th anniversary, this 6118 hollow body electric guitar similarly combines elements of the past with new, state-of-the-art features. Its ultra-rare jaguar tan and metallic gold back and sides are a callback to the visual simplicity of the pre-rock & roll era, as are its three-ply laminated maple body and neo-classic thumbnail fret inlays. Within this classic shell, however, are several innovations that give the 125th anniversary 6118 unparalleled resonance and tone. Its new “ML” bracing, invented by renowned Gretsch designers Masao Terada and Mike Lewis, synchronizes vibration between the top and back of the guitar creating increased acoustic tonal projection, while a pair of TV Jones Power’Tron pickups instantly allow players to switch between classic and modern styles of play.

Gretsch 7560 Double Anniversary Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 1973

Biography: This unique Baldwin-era 7560 electric guitar is one of a limited-edition line produced from 1973 – 1976. Preceded by the 6117 and followed by the 6118, the 7560 commemorated the 90th of Gretsch musical instrument production and features a vibrant nitro lacquer dark sunburst finish with scaled down F-holes and a rosewood fretboard and jumbo mother of pearl fretboard inlays. Completed with a traditional T-roof Gretsch logo, chrome control knobs, and stark black “Anniversary” pickguard, the 7560 was a bold inclusion to the dark and complex guitar style of the 1970s rock & roll era.

Gretsch 6118 135th Anniversary Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 2019

Biography: This variation of the Gretsch 6118 135th Anniversary guitar includes many of the same modern technical specifications as its counterpart, while building on a legacy of commemoration that began decades ago. The predecessor to this particular model, like the White Falcon and Bo Diddley Cadillac Thunderbird, first appeared in 1964 and was heavily inspired by the flashy automobiles of the mid-20th century. Nearly sixty years later, Gretsch has kept its iconic two-tone smoke green finish and combined it with modern details like High Sensitive Filter’Tron pickups, a Space Control bridge, and Bigsby vibrato.

Paul Bigsby Solid Body Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 1948

Biography: Most widely known for inventing the Bigsby Vibrato tailpiece, Paul Bigsby also made the first modern solid body electric guitar. In coordination with the legendary Merle Travis, Bigsby introduced his iconic guitar in 1948. Most notably, the guitar features a curved headstock that incorporates all six of its individual tuners on the same side – the first of its kind for an electric guitar. A decade later, Fender emulated this style with their iconic Stratocaster headstock.

Gretsch 7715 Spanish “Sho-Bro” Resonator Guitar

Year Produced: 1973

Biography: This Baldwin-era Spanish resonator guitar features a single cut-away body design, an internal tone chamber and external cone made from hand-spun aluminum, and two screened tone holes for increased resonance and projection. Dubbed the “Sho-Bro” by inventor Shot Jackson, this model honored the timeless tradition of parlor guitars at a time when the majority of companies were producing instruments for rock & roll artists and electric amplification. 

Paul Bigsby Solid Body Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 1950

Biography: Similar to the 1948 model, this 1950 Paul Bigsby solid body electric guitar features the iconic curved headstock, single-side tuners, and dual humbucker pickups. Unlike the Merle Travis model that mirrored the scroll design of the headstock on the top edge of the guitar’s body, this guitar, similar to the Bigsby model built for guitarists Jimmy Bryant and Tommy Page, features a more rounded top edge. Elegant in its simplicity, the 1950 Bigsby solid body was one of the last models built without the inclusion of Bigsby’s famous vibrato tailpiece.

Gretsch Bacon Belmont Electric Guitar

Year Produced: 1952

Biography: This non-cutaway electric guitar, produced by Gretsch in 1952, was part of a rebranding campaign in partnership with the historic Bacon Banjo Company. Utilizing the design and major features of the Gretsch Electromatic II, the Bacon Belmont was featured in the Montgomery Ward Mail Order Catalog between 1950 and 1953 as a cheaper alternative to the Electromatic line. Featuring dual DeArmond pickups, an unbound rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays, and a uniquely engraved headstock, the Bacon Belmont achieved modest popularity before leaving catalogs in the late-1950s.

Gretsch Players Edition Acoustic Guitar

Year Produced: 2018

Biography: This Gretsch Players Edition acoustic guitar is a modern reproduction that celebrates the timeless traditions of Gretsch guitar manufacturing. Featuring a combination of spruce and mahogany for its body, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with neoclassic thumbnail fret inlays, pearloid binding, and a classic T-logo headstock, this model represents the best of Gretsch’s style, design, and sound.

Gretsch 9515 “Jim Dandy” Flat Top Acoustic Guitar

Year Produced: 2014

Biography: Part of Gretsch’s “Roots” collection, this petite acoustic guitar harkens back to the “Rex” parlor guitars of the 1930s, ‘40s, and ‘50s and embodies many of the classic features that accompanied beginner guitars in the mid-20th century. Its warm yet punchy tone is derived from its traditionally lined and braced agathis wood body and steel reinforced rosewood neck and fingerboard, and its coral sunburst finish makes it especially appealing to young players. Parlor-shaped guitars have long been popular with delta blues and country music artists and the 9515 Jim Dandy acoustic guitar aims to provide a classic experience for beginners and seasoned musicians at a relatively low cost.

Bacon & Day NE Plus Ultra “Troubadour” Acoustic Guitar

Year Produced: 1933

Biography: This archtop acoustic guitar, produced by the Bacon Banjo Company in the early-1930s, is one of the most unique pieces of the entire Gretsch collection. A longtime producer of some of the finest banjos prior to the Great Depression, Bacon expanded their catalog amidst the economic downturn of the 1930s to include guitars and other instruments. Owners Fred Bacon and David Day reached out to Gretsch to produce their guitars (which were then rebranded as “Bacon & Day’s”) and the NE Plus Ultra “Troubadour” quickly became one of the most sought-after results of the collaboration. Featuring a sizeable 16” x 5” mahogany body and elaborate pearloid headstock adorned with numerous multicolored rhinestones, the Troubadour is a truly unique piece of early-20th century guitar history.

Gretsch Vintage Acoustic Guitar

Year Produced: c.1940s 

Biography: This early acoustic guitar, likely made in the 1940s, is a classic example of the pre-war guitars produced by Gretsch. Its maple archtop body, completed with a vibrant blue and green sunburst finish, is accompanied by a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with historic block pearloid fret inlays. Its strings are affixed within a simplistic wooden tailpiece on one end and bound headstock featuring an early-20th century Gretsch logo and vertical stars and stripes inlay.