Gretsch 6119 Tennessean

My guitar is a 6119 Tennessee Special. Built in 2005 in Japan at the Tamura factory. This guitar is supposed to be like the 1959 6119 model but with 2 pickups. the body is 2-3/4" thick with aged, yellowed binding on front and back. The color of the guitar is like a faded dark cherry color. The wood on the body is lami-maple and the wine finish is see thru. The top seems a little thinner than others that I have seen. The fingerboard is unbound and ebony with larger pearl thumb position markers. The headstock is unbound with only pearl Gretsch logo. The head stock seems a little wider to me. The tuners are open geared vintage type Grovers. I have some expensive Waverlys that look like they could drop right in. Tne neck is maple and with a very different neck shape I can only describe as a "soft V". It is very comfortable for playing chords. The scale on this guitar is 24.6" not longer, 25.5", like on 6120s. My guitar has 2 Filter-trons, 3 volume controls, pickup selector and 3 position tone controls. it has the Bigsby B6 tailpiece and matching bridge. All hardware in chromed. It has larger unbounded F-holes with a small soundpost that I can see. The pickguard is black with old style printed Gretsch name. The strap buttons are the Gretsch style. This is supposed to be an entry level guitar. This guitar came with a hard case and all extra accessories. I'm gonna sell all my other guitars and just play this baby.

Once you get past playing a guitar with preset tone switches you realize that it really sounds very good. I have always liked the idea of having a master volume within your reach. I can make it ever so slighly softer and still have the same tone. Right now i just plug this guitar into a Fishman Loudbox 100 but I tried it through Fender amps in the store and it really sounded good. The tone is warm and acoustically alive. I do not use excessive treble or even the bridge pickup alone. I am looking for a good rhythm tone without sounding mushy. For lead tone, I just want a tone that is rich and full but not harsh. I do not use pedals or distortion and I don't really care much for that trebly tone. I can play this guitar around the house unplugged and it sounds adequate for quiet practice. The tone of this guitar is very rich and warm plugged in.

Forgot mention that this guitar features a zero fret. I tighten the truss rod a little and lowered the action. It plays very nice with no buzz anywhere. The action is perfect for me. I tried 11-50 strings but am now using 10-46 elixers. It is very easy to play and slick with the ebony fingerboard. The wood on the guitar is maple but not flamed but I like the see-thu burgundy color. It looks like an old vintage guitar from 1959. Guitars made in Japan and from the Tamura factory are top notch.

Everything is durable to me and I play without a backup. Strap buttons are fine but must be checked for tightness occasionally. All knobs, switches are fine. I can adjust whatever comes loose. I must mention that I like the different shape of the neck and have never played a guitar with soft V.

I've had no contact with the company and no issues.

i have been playing for 45 yrs, in fact I started in 1959. this model is supposed to be a reissue of 6119 but with 2 pickups instead of one. I liked the aged look and the different sound of this guitar. I sold 2 Gibsons and got this instead because it has a different tone. Very excellent playability and the workmanship is top notch to me. I play in a stage show and it works fine for this. I do not use distortion and plug directly into a Mackie mixer or Fishman Loudbox 100. Off the stage, I like to play light jazz. bossas, folky James Taylor songs and songs from my high school days, 1959-1963. My father once told me, when you get older, only play songs that you like and that is what I do. This is a very good guitar and I love it's sound and vibe.

Mine is a 1960 model 6119 - Chet Atkins hollowbody model, also called a Tennessean. This is a stripped down guitar - but in a good way.

One patent-number Filtertron (a humbucker, but brighter and cleaer than your standard bucker), bar bridge, Bigsby vibola, open tuners, half-moon fret markers. Originally red, this has now faded to "Gretsch Orange." I assume the top is laminated but who knows. All maple, I think, including the neck.

This 6119 is a ONE pickup guitar, with the pickup at the brige position unlike every other gretsch single-pickup guitar, with real F-holes, as it was from 1958 through 1960. In 1961 the body becomes closed with painted F-holes and it gets the second pickup, making it just like a 6120 but less fancy binding - but 1958 though 1960, it's like the same year 6120 but less fancy and no neck pickup.

Body is 2" deep, standard for this year (they were thicker before). it has two arched brace things under the top acting as soundposts and top bracing - this is the bracing style that Brian Setzer goes on about with his 6120's (1959, same bracing, slightly bigger body). It gives a more semi-hollowbody sound than the earlier models, which are simply hollow (more sustain and compression and less airy, woody jazz kind of tone).

There is a tone switch (medium muddy, very muddy, normal) and volume knob. That's it. Frankly, it could have no controls at all and would be just as good.

Oh lordy! These things are the shit, plain and simple.

If you've never played a 50's Gretsch, you need to. They have a magic sound - snappy, bouncy, chimey, twangy, and they sound like REAL GUITARS, not planks of wood. They have character. They have air in the tone, and wood. And they look cool (even if quality control was...non-existent) and they play well - though you may have to have them fixed up, neck reset to get there. Old Gretsches look (and often play) like they were designed on acid and put together by very talented but very drunken squirrels - lovable, goofy, half-assed, flawed, genius, irritating.

Oh, but that Great Gretsch Sound...nothing duplicates it.

6120's (Chet Atkins hollowbody, two pickups, orange, fancy binding) from the 50's (and 1960 - right up till the body closes and the F-holes become paint) cost a butt-load of money - like over $12k or much more. The 6119 is your 'Esquire' version of that for a fraction of the money. You lack the two-pickup sound and the neck sound, sure - but who cares? You lack binding - so close your eyes. These are the twang-machines, the rockabilly holy grail, the guitar that will make you roll your Levis up and wear loafers and get girls with poodle skirts. And you can buy a freaking HOT ROD with the money you save not laying out for a 6120, kids.

Flaws? On an old Gretsch!? Ha ha!

Be prepared to have a good (as in Grestch-knowledgeable) luthier re-do the neck set on like one out of three of these things. Seriously.

Among other things, some problems with these guitars are that the pickups are not height adjustable. The pole pieces are, yes - but if your neck angle is shallow and your bridge way down, the strings will be too close to the poles, and you can't crank the pickup down to get away from them. This gives you one version of the Grestch Sound - i.e. magnets dampening the strings and farting out when you hit them hard. Not a good thing, in my book, bust certainly "vintage" and "authentic." If you reset the neck angle and raise the bridge (which will improve the sustain and tone overall a great deal, so worth doing), you gain some space and can move the pole pieces up or down and get a cleaner sound.

Aside from inherent Gretschiness, this is a tank.

The Gretsch company is actually back in family hands, but 90% of production is overseas, and the production methods are more modern and standard. I doubt they'd know how to take one of these crazy things apart and put it back right even in they were inclined.

I have lots of guitars, including a new Gretsch. I mainly like 50's built or 50's designed early 60's guitars - hollow Gibsons (like 225's and 330's), early 50's Kay or harmony solid peanut-style guitars, Fender Jazzmasters, old Gibson acoustics, that sort of thing.

Gretsches have their own sound and nothing sounds or looks or plays quite like they do. If you like to play heavy strings and feel an acoustic kind of vibration and have some life in your axe, Gretsches are awesome. Cleaner and more versatile than your P-90 hollow Gibson (WAY cleaner than any Gibson humbucker guitar), but similar feel. Jazz guys SHOULD love these, at least the ones with neck pickups.

If you play rockabilly, 50's or 60's rock, country, garage rock, even shoegazer stuff (Bigsby!) you should really try one.

Plus there is no cooler looking guitar, in my opinion. It's like having a car with fins. Even the stripped down 6119 has so much American exuberant cool.

Heck, trust-fund "hipsters" and yuppies are living in the Fred Gretsch Building in Williamsburg, Brooklyn now - it's become condos! These guitars will remind you of a time before all that.

1958 6119 made in Kalamazoo! 22 frets. Solid top? 1 volume pot, 1 tone switch, hi,low,neutral. 1 pickup, "Pat. applied for" passive electronics. I am guessing ash body, but don't know. Finish has oxidized to a soft red on back, a little lighter on the top. Single cutaway. Bigsby patent, black paint in the center, no cut-out. Tuners unmarked. Neck is fairly thin, maybe maple? Case is hard shell, flecked pattern outside, plush purple velvet inside with "G" embossed. Couple of heavy tourtishell Gretsch picks in the case, brown colored. Serial # 28236

I love the bottom end and heavy, clear chords this guitar can put out. I use mostly an old Fender Bandmaster for it, or an Ampeg B50 Bass amp head with a Fender 2-12 bottom. Kind of noisy electronics at rest, but not with fingers on the strings or playing it. I love it! Dislike the value, as I have to be careful not to cause abuse setting it down or letting it in less than careful hands.

I didn't get it from the factory, I am the 2nd owner. The original owner played country in a band in Bozeman, Mt, and there is some buckle wear on the back, and a small burn from parking his cigarette on the headstock strings. The setup is great. I use fairly heavy, roundwound strings on it. It is a workout for my fingers when I don't play it for a while, but it really responds best to this setup. Can get great feedback from the tube amp, yet it is very easy to control. It takes a lot of input on the strings, but they don't sound squishy or sloppy when playing hard. They stay in tune and are predictable for that. I can go right back to picking single string melody after heavy strumming, and they are all in tune and responsive. I don't use the Bigsby, so don't know how it would return to tune after.

this guitar has lasted nearly 50 years, and I think that is a good indication of it's quality and ability to stand up. Hardware is great. Only flaw is celluloid binding pulling away from the arch by the single cutaway. It doesnt affedt the sound, and I imagine it was the best material at the time, and would not trade it away for such a cosmetic flaw.
I don't play gigs, but if I did, I wouldn't take it unless it was a fairly controlled environment, as I want to take care of it for my own use. there are plenty of other guitars that also sound great, without this feel an quality, that I would play in public.

Never tried to contact Gretsch for anything

Playing for 30 years, have old Fender tube gear, another Gretsch hollow body, a couple of bass guitars, and a Cello. Mossman acoustic is my main guitar now.

!964 Gretsch Chet Atkins Tennessean
She is very clean and all original. I don't think the original owner used it much. All of the chrome is still great shape. The finish is next to perfect. It was a real find at $2100.00

I play in a Club/Wedding band making it easy for me to get a lot of different sonds that I need. I play it with my Roland Jazz Chorus amp. I can get anything from a smooth jazz sound to a sceaming rock sound with a pedal.

Action is nice and low. My only complaint is, when you go to stretch a string, the bridge will move on you. That's what you get when you have a floating bridge.

I play this guitar up to 5 nights a week. Inside and outside. Where ever the gig is. She is a work horse.I have never had a bit of trouble with it. For being 38 years old, it's in a lot better shape than I am!

No warranty for a 38 year old guitar. But I don't think it needs it. They don't make them like this anymore.

I am 38 years old and have been playing guitar since I was 5. I also own a 1952 Gibson Les Paul.

My guitar is a 1961 Gretsch Tennessean made in the USA. It has 22 frets. For those thats dont know the Tennessean,they are a great hollow body electric guitar. It has quite a few controls including a Master Volume Control,3 way control,tone knob for each pickup (TV JONES),switch from single coil ect.. The guitar also has the great Bigsby Tailpiece, as Brian Setzer once said "I dont know what I would do without it" and also the guitar came with a great snug case too!
There is just way too much stuff to mention!

This sound is absolutly fantastic for my bands style. We play many genres which include Rockabilly (Stray Cats type),Psychobilly (Rev Horton Heat type) and Aussie Rock (ACDC type).
I use a few amps and boxes with it. Since I`m so young I dont own an Amp equipment but when we practise I use by drummers brothers Marshall stacks amp and surprisingly it sounds great! I expected to get the JNN JNN heavy sound though it but no! It was great. When we perform I use my friends home made box and H-H amp. Its great also! Really can get a true Rockabilly sound aswell as a pure Malcom Young sound!. This Gretsch has so much variety in its sound. The soudns are extreamly rich especially when you play single notes, I find the single notes stand out just as much as power chords (Ive never come across any other guitar like it).
THe only downside with my guitar is I cant get the harmonics right on my high E string.Ive tried lots but I cant get it.

The Tennessean (6119) had great action when I got it and I havent changed it since,same with the pickups ect. However the two tone knobs have a bit of crackle when I turn them when my guitar is up loud.

Not only is it a crowd pleaser by its appearance but lots of people just love the sounds I get from it. I can see myself playing this guitar for many many years to come (at least 30 years! If its been going for 41 years already I`m sure it can cope another 41!). I dont think I will ever have to replace anything on this guitar. All I would do is pot the pickups so the guitar dosnt feedback as much,thats the only bad thing that it feedsback a hell of alot.
I will always depend on my 6119 but I will take the safe option and have my trusty Epiphone Les Paul on backup duty incase I break a string.

I doubt I could get a warrenty on the Gretsch seeing its only 41 years old!! But if I were to need a new scratch plate Im sure I could get one.

Ive only been playing seriously for 4 years now and I only now play apart from my 6119 a Epiphone Les Paul and a Riviera nilon string.
I wish I had asked for a free set of strings when I got it cos they broke that night!
If it were stolen or lost I would buy another 60`s 6119 for sure!
I love the soudns I get especially when palm muting power chords (sounds so fat) and playing clean tone jazz. I dont really hate anything about the Gretsch but I really dislike how it feedsback easily. Ive compared by guitar to the Gretsch White Falcon,Country Classic and Duo Jet and I can say that my guitar is seriously the easiest to play. If your after a second hand hollow body guitar I strongly suggest the Gretsch Tennessean 6119. It WILL NOT let you down.

1964 Walnut brown, american made with original case. A beauty!
I've replaced the original tuners since they were crap, the new one's are made by Schaller. And I had new frets installed.

Stays in tune pretty well nowadays,
although I wank on the whammy quite a lot.

Has too many knobs that do nothing, I use mainly master volume and the pickup selector with 3 positions and that works well.

The case has been round the block couple o times and looks just great.

I use Fender amps; Twin reverb, blue junior and Blues deluxe.
Works well with all of those, depends on the situation & location of course.

Brights and middle are nice but the bottom is a little bit muddy sometimes but I use Ibanez Tubescreamer to fix it. Not too much distortion, just a hint.

And some room old Yamaha analog delay which model I don't remember. it's from the seventies, black funny looking box.

The sound is fokkin great fro rock & roll, rockabilly et al. It's not heavy at all and looks great.

The bridge & saddle take time to adjust but once I was done with it, it has been fine. Took 3 hours, haha!

Bigsby is a one amazing thing itself. Yes, stays in tune after you learn to use it.

Nope

Been playin for 15+ years, several hundred gigs. If it was stolen, I'd kill to get it back or buy a 6120 or Duojet.

I have/had Fenders and gibsons etc, They're all right for certain purposes and Stratocaster is maybe little more versatile than gretsch, but you can't get this sound fron nowhere else.

Only thing that bother is that new ones are so expensive
and that it has too many useless knobs. Otherwise it is simply great soundung and lookin roots rock & roll guitar. Maybe for
other styles too?

I purchased this 1964 Gretsch Tennesean from a vintage guitar dealer for about 800.00 I had the back oversprayed to repair a belt buckle gash and its now hardly noticable. I also needed small sections of the binding replace due to binding rot and now the body looks great for a guitar 37 yrs old. The hardware was shabby abd the silk screened "g"s were worn off the hi lo tron pickups but I found a mint anniversary and swapped the dials and switches and pick up ( I know I know but I wanted a Tennesean) I cleaned up the Bigsby and now the guitar looks like a well preserved well taken care of guitar. The finish is Burgundy over maple plywood with nice wood grain texture. There is no binding on the back edge of the body. The fret board is rosewood and it has the configuration of master volume and 2 individual volumes one for each pick up and a stand by switch whic I think every guitar should have and 2 switches 1 for tone and one for pick up selection. The Tuners were kept original and are open back grovers. The case was falling apart so i ordered a new case from the Fred Gretsch Co.

this guitar has killer sound from the highest trebles to deep thudding bass..it is a hollow body guitar with no open f holes ( they are painted on)..Ive used it with a vox ac-15 and a fender twin and it sounds great in both. Its great for rock, pop, country,blues, just about anything.

I had one from the factory when I was a mere lad of 16 and I remembered it with fond memories. The standy by switch broke and i traded if for a gibson SG..but always missed it so here I am with my hands on this one which I restored to roughly the same shape as the one I had but professionally set up by Robert Peterson of South Florida. and it plays like butter. He sanded the top under the bridge legs to keep it from shifting after it was set up with perfect intonation then once again replace the bridge and re checked intonation..it never goes out of tune even with the bigsby..but I am not a heavy handed vibrola puller nothing more than what George ( may he rest in peace) Harrison may have pulled. Some of the original binding is crystalizing and its all faded to a nice yellow. The Old grovers are holding thier own. This must have been a killer new guitar

Well its 37 now and i play it in my house every day so Im sure its a sturdy axe although a delecate looking piece. The strap buttons are fine the finish is excellent save the back which was gashed by a belt buckle and professionally repaired. I would definately gig and just bring extra strings just in case one breaks.

This is a used Guitar and Fred Gretsch company is a new company and did not make this guitar. Repairs are easy by any professional luthier but the parts may be hard to find..I dont know If the new gretsch companies parts fit the old guitars. So I have no opion on Gretsch service

I have been playing since Im 11 and Im now 52. I have had just about every guitar make and model used by the Beatles. I sold the Country Gent and the Duo jet during hard financial times but kept the Tennesean cause it had the beast overall sounds(The Mufflers were however cool on that Gent) I also recent got my hands on a %( Les Paul Reissue(R9) and I have the John Lennon Epiphone Casino reissue(American made kalamazoo specs) which I put a bigsby on. I originally had all the vintage models but they are now too expensive to replace and some of these reissues are as good as if not better than the originals.

Made in 1964, standard frets, pickups, and electronics. All factory original. Color Burgundy.This guitar must be an early 1964 because it does not have the metal plate on the headstock that started somethin in 1964 or 1965.

I like that sweet Chet sound and this guitar has that tone. Full rich and real.

This guitar plays well for an arch top and the intonation is true up and down the neck. The finish is still very good considering that it is 37 years old. The gold leaf arrows have been wiped off of the rear pickup from the palm of my hand resting there, but the front pickup is still in tact.

The guitar has never been used outside of the home and occasionaly in church so it has held up well. The hardware is chrome and is still in good condition. There is some corrosion at the tremelo arm that is green, but could be cleaned.

Never used.

I have been playing country and southern gospel for about 35 years and own a 1998 Telecaster USA Standard, a 1998 Alveraze accoustic electric, and a 1989 Peavey T60.