The Gretsch G6122T–59 Vintage Select Edition is a semi–hollow–body electric designed around Chet Atkins' 1959 Country Gentleman platform. Built in Japan, this model combines period–correct aesthetics with modern pickup technology: a pair of TV Jones® Super'Tron™ units (Classic Plus bridge, standard neck) housed in a 5–ply laminated figured maple body finished in walnut stain nitrocellulose lacquer. The rocking bar bridge paired with Bigsby® B6GWVT vibrato delivers stable tuning whilst maintaining the articulate, woody resonance hollow bodies are prized for.
Construction details matter here. The neck is standard U–shaped maple (1.75–inch nut width) with a 12–inch radius ebony fingerboard carrying 22 vintage–small frets across a 25.5–inch scale. Hardware runs throughout gold–plated: Grover® Imperial™ tuning machines with butterbean buttons, aged white binding with black purfling, and a gold plexi pickguard. The control layout features an individual bridge pickup volume control alongside master volume and tone, whilst Gretsch's "Squeezebox" capacitors shape the high–end response. Parallel bracing inside manages feedback inherent to semi–hollow designs.
The G6122T–59 includes a hardshell G6242L case (17–inch hollow body spec) and ships at 23.95 lbs. Three–position toggle switching selects bridge alone, both pickups, or neck alone, covering everything from twangy single–coil character to warmer dual–pickup fullness. Nickel–plated steel strings (0.011–0.049 gauges) come installed. Current availability sits at 12+ months ETA.