Up for sale is a 1964 Gretsch 6119 Chet Atkins "Tennessean" that has one heck of a story. I'm the 3rd owner of this 62 year-old beauty, and I'm hoping whoever becomes the 4th will love and play this instrument more than me. And to be crystal clear: For this sale, I am **NOT interested in Trades.**

The original owner was a Serviceman who purchased the guitar new in 1964 and played it quite a bit either in a band or as a hobbyist. For whatever reason, he stripped the original finish and f-hole decals from the guitar and when it came to the second owner (whom I purchased it from), the guitar was naked (see the last two photos for what the guitar looked like the day I brought it home). It also had some wear on the frets, but for many years it sat in it's after-market case (the second owner wasn't a player, and the guitar was bequeathed to him after the original owner passed on). That all said, I am listing this guitar as "player grade" because I took it into my tech and had it restored as close as I could to its original glory.

Here's a list of things that were done to the guitar:

• New frets (the originals were fairly pitted and caused tuning issues)
• New strap button on the "belly" of the guitar (the original was lost to time)
• Replacement silver pickguard with Chet Atkins' signature and "Tennessean" etched into it. The pickguard was purchased from Darren Riley Guitar Parts in Raleigh NC (he sells quality parts)
• Replacement silver pickup rings (these were in the case so my tech put them on, but I *do* have the originals in the case now, and other than a crack in one of them, are still functional
• New "kill switch" cover (the original was missing)
• New hand-stenciled f-hole decals designed and die-cut by my tech and based on a 1964 Gretsch Country Gentleman that he had in his shop at the time)
• Professional refinish in Walnut, which based on my research, was the original finish on this guitar.

Here are the POSITIVES:

• The original Hi-Lo-Tron pickups go from jangle to snarl with the flip of a switch.
• The original solid bridge and Bigsby keep the guitar in tune.
• The neck is chunky and plays like a dream (and don't discount a guitar with new frets!).
• Though usually an issue on these guitars, the BINDING and NECK SET on this guitar are in superb shape! No buzzing and great action all the way up the neck!

Here are the NEGATIVES:

• The refinish de-values the guitar - however it DOES NOT affect how it plays. And before balking at the price, I have factored in the costs for the re-fret job, decal reproduction, and professional setup.
• Some other non-original parts (pickguard, kill switch knob cover).
• Non-original Epiphone guitar case (but is a high-quality, highly protective case).

Overall this is an excellent example of a 1964 Gretsch Tennessean. After this year, production on the Tennessean and Country Gentleman saw a spike in demand after a British guitar player named George Harrison played his 1964 Country Gentleman on the Ed Sullivan Show with his band The Beatles. Turns out, the "Quiet" Beatle also owned one of these 1964 Tennesseans as well, and this model year was desirable as players wanted to have the same axe as their guitar heroes.

I am pricing this lower than a couple unofficial appraisals suggested (and they factored in the refinish)- one of which was Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville, TN. But aside from the checking and patina of the original finish, this guitar has all the mojo you'd expect. Perfect for Rockabilly, country-blues, Travis-picking, Americana, country, and even good ol' Rock n Roll.

Message me to arrange a date and time to come try the guitar out (or if you're in the NC Triangle-area, I could arrange to come to you if you want to play it through your own rig). I would rather **NOT** ship this item. But if you are a motivated buyer willing to pay for high quality packing and shipping, reach out and we can talk.

Lastly I'll be happy to answer whatever questions you have about the guitar to the best of my ability so that you're fully informed before you make the decision to buy it or not.

Thanks for looking!