Chet’s Gear
Although it is important to understand that Chet’s Sound was mostly a result of how he personally touched the guitar, he did use many different guitars and gadgets throughout his career. It is the intention of the Chet Atkins Pedagogy Project to view this information as relevant to a pedagogical study of Chet’s recorded body of work.
As with the Project as a whole, it will take some time to research and prepare this information for presentation.
Chet endorsed many commercially available Gretsch, Gibson, and Epiphone signature model guitars. These guitars are listed here, as it becomes available, will information on technical specifications, whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model, and how he may have customized his.
Original Gretsch Model Guitars
| Model | Description |
|---|---|
Single Cutaway Chet Atkins 6120 | This guitar was available from late 1954 until mid to late 1961. |
| Double Cutaway Chet Atkins 6120 | This guitar was available from mid to late 1961 until approximately 1963. |
| Chet Atkins Nashville 6120 | This guitar was available from approximately 1964 until 1980. In 1971 it was renumbered 7660. |
| Chet Atkins Solid Body 6121 | This guitar was available from 1955 until 1963. |
| Chet Atkins Country Gentleman 6122 Single Cutaway | This guitar was available from late 1957 until late 1961. |
| Chet Atkins Country Gentleman 6122 Double Cutaway | This guitar was available from late 1961 until 1981. In 1971 it was renumbered 7670. |
| Chet Atkins Tennessean 6119 | This guitar was available from 1958 until 1980. In 1971 it was renumbered 7655. |
| Chet Atkins Junior | This guitar was available in 1971. |
| Super Chet 7690 - Autumn Red 7691 - Walnut | This guitar was available from late 1972 until 1980. The letter “B” added to the model number indicated a Bigsby. |
| Deluxe Chet 7680 - Autumn Red 7681 - Walnut | This guitar was available from 1973 until 1974. |
| Super Axe 7680 - Red Rosewood Stain 7681 - Ebony Stain 7682 - Sunburst Stain | This guitar was available from 1976 until 1981. |
| Atkins Axe 7685 - Ebony Stain 7686 - Red Rosewood Stain | This guitar was available from 1976 until 1980. |
Current Gretsch Model Guitars
| Model | Description |
|---|---|
| Chet Atkins Hollow Body G6120DSV | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Hollow Body Blue Burst G6120BS | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Akins Hollow Body Black G6120BK | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Hollow Body Amber Tiger Maple G6120AM | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Hollow Body Tiger Maple G6120TM | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Hollow Body Full Western G61120WCST-1955 | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Hollow Body G6120W-1957 | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Hollow Body Flame G6120 | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Hollow Body G6120DSW | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Stereo Guitar G6120-CGP | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Hollow Body G6120 | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Hollow Body G6120-1959LTV | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Double Cutaway Hollow Body G6120DC | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Hollow Body Left-Handed G6120-1959LHTV | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Hollow Body Left-Handed G6120LH | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Country Gentleman G6122-1958 | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Country Gentleman G6122-1959 | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins HOF Country Gentleman G6122-1959HOF | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Country Gentleman Left-Handed G6122-1959LH | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Country Gentleman G6122-1962 | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Country Gentleman G6122II | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Country Gentleman Left-Handed G6122-1962 | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Country Gentleman 12-String G6122-12 | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Tennessee Rose G6119 | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Tennessee Rose G6119-1959 | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Tennessee Rose G6119-1962FT | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Tennessee Rose G6119-1962HT | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Tennessee Rose Left-Handed G6119-1962HTLH | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Tennessee Rose Left-Handed G6119LH | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
| Chet Atkins Solid Body G6121-1955 | A description of this guitar, including technical specifications, and whether or not Chet actually performed and/or recorded using a similar model and how he may have customized his, is coming soon. |
Gibson Model Guitars
| Model | Description |
|---|---|
| Chet Atkins CE | This guitar was available from December 1981 until 2005. It had a Gibson logo headstock from 1993 until 2005. It had a rosewood fingerboard from 1981 until 1995 and an ebony fingerboard from 1996 until 2005. A cedar top was optional in 1994 and 1995. |
| Chet Atkins CEC | This guitar was available from 1982 until 2005. The Gibson logo headstock was used from 1993 until 2005. |
| Chet Atkins Country Gentleman | This guitar was available from 1986 until 2005. The Prototype was named the Chet Atkins 350XT. It was introduced as Chet Atkins 3535 in June 1986. In October 1986 it was renamed the Country Gentleman. |
| Chet Atkins CGP | This guitar was available from May 1985 until early 1987. Chet's Peaver” guitar was the prototype for this guitar.” |
| Chet Atkins Phasar | This guitar was available in 1987. Chet's Peaver” guitar was the prototype for this guitar.” |
| Chet Atkins SST | This guitar was available from 1987 until 2005. From 1993 until 2005 it did not have a fake soundhole. |
| Chet Atkins CE Showcase Edition | This guitar was the July 1988 guitar of the month. It was had a Vintage Sunburst finish and a production run of 200 in the U.S. and 50 overseas. |
| Chet Atkins (JS) Double | This guitar was available from March 1989 until March 1991. It is similar to Johnny Smith Double. |
| Chet Atkins SST 12-string | This guitar was available from 1990 until 1994. |
| Chet Atkins Tennessean | This guitar was available from 1990 until 2005. |
| Chet Atkins SST Celebrity Series | This guitar was available from 1991 until 1993. |
| Chet Atkins Studio Classic | This guitar was available from 1991 until 1993. The fleur-de-lis was only inlaid on the headstock in 1993 and was not inlaid on the spruce top. |
| Chet Atkins SST 12-string Brett Michaels Edition | Only two of these were made in 1992 and 1993. |
| Chet Atkins SST Flame-Top | This guitar was available from 1993 until 1995. |
| Chet Atkins Studio CE | This guitar was available from mid 1993 until 2000. In 2004 and 20005 it was re-designed with a deeper cutaway, a sound port on back, a cedar top, a moustache bridge, and a circular plate with slider controls on the upper bass bout. |
| Chet Atkins Studio CEC | This guitar was available from mid 1993 until 2000. In 2004 and 20005 it was re-designed with a deeper cutaway, a sound port on back, a cedar top, a moustache bridge, and a circular plate with slider controls on the upper bass bout. |
| Chet Atkins Super 4000 | This guitar was available in 1995 and 1997. |
| Chet Atkins CEC True Cedar | This guitar was available from 2000 until 2005. |
| Chet Atkins SST True Cedar | This guitar was available from 2000 until 2005. |
| Chet Atkins L-10 | This guitar was available in 2004. |
Epiphone Model Guitars
| Model | Description |
|---|---|
| Country Gentleman II | This guitar was available from 1986 until 1990. < /p> |
| Chet Atkins SST Standard | This guitar was available from 1994 until 2005. It had a had a spruce top. It is unclear at what time the fake soundhole was dropped.< /p> |
| Chet Atkins SST Custom | This guitar was introduced in 1994. It has a flame maple top.< /p> |
| Chet Atkins SST Deluxe | This guitar was introduced in 1994. It has a Birdseye maple top.< /p> |
| Chet Atkins CEC | This guitar was available from 1994 until 2005.< /p> |
| Chet Atkins CE | This guitar was introduced in 2002.< /p> |
| Chet Atkins Studio Classic | |
| Chet Atkins Country Gentleman Elitist | This guitar was available in 2004 and 2005.< /p> |
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