The Gretsch Tennessean was presented to George Harrison by Ivor Arbiter who had sold Ringo his Ludwig drum kit in 1962 under the aegis of Brian Epstein and designed the Beatles "Drop T" logo to paint on the kit at the same time. His shop was called Drum City and he also had a Gretsch dealership nearby called Guitar City and it was his idea in 1963 to present the Gretsch. The guitar was chosen and a date was set for George to come in and my friend Dick Middleton did the presentation. Dick had played for Gene Vincent in his British Blue Caps and later played for Johnny Hallyday and Mungo Jerry. He says that a number of people- like Big Jim Sullivan had played the Tennessean and reckoned it was a really good example- there was a steady throughput of musicians through the shop- aspiring guitarists like Jimmy Page and Pete Townshend and other more established guys like Joe Moretti who played the solo on Shakin' All Over and so many others. On the day itself, Dick says George was looking very stylish- but was not wearing a tie- Beatlemania was just around the corner and Dick says that the shop was more excited because Bruce Welch of the Shadows was coming in to trade a Gretsch Rancher Jumbo that he had acquired in the USA and he was eagerly anticipated. There are a few clips of Dick playing over the years and he had toured in Germany with a band (the Blue Caps minus Gene Vincent) supporting the Everly Brothers- who had Jim Gordon on drums while their guitar player, Don Peake taught him James Burton's licks- which is how he won the audition for Hallyday in 1964- others rejected were Eric Clapton, John McLaughlin who worked selling guitars at Selmer and sold Dick his first Telecaster and Alvin Lee.
If you search RUclips for this- you can see Dick with his Telecaster in 1965 behind Johnny Hallyday- he's not doing much. DOCUMENT N°15 JOHNNY HALLYDAY 1965 Then there is this clip with him when he backed "Weeping" Tommy Brown- one of the earliest rock and rollers who had Chuck Berry in his band in the early 50s. Like an idiot I did not go to this gig- Tommy died a while back. Dick has an Esquire type guitar. Tommy Brown @ Shakedown Blues ' Love Of Mine' Dick did a tour with Little Richard, Duane Eddy and The Shirelles- plus others in November 1963 and at that time he played a green Gretsch Country Club- which was stolen- at one point Duane complimented him on his tone- praise indeed! Here he is with a Strat- unusual for him- the music starts a minute in- the bass player/singer always likes to fiddle with stuff!- Dick Middleton's Southern Nights Band
I have known Dick since 1978 and he has told me a wealth of information over the years- how he came to work at Sound City and Ivor Arbiter- and just interesting details about the importation of the guitars- and what a tight little wold in was in that part of London, Denmark Street, Shaftesbury Avenue and Rupert Street where Sound City was before it moved to Shaftesbury Ave- Dick says it is a Chinese restaurant now. There are interviews with Ivor Arbiter regarding the Ludwig drum kit out on the internet. Back in the 1970s before I met Dick I had read in the magazine International Musician that the guitar was presented to George Harrison and it was later on, that Dick told me the details. One of the other sales guys, Dick persuaded to concentrate on bass and he became a top session player- played on some early Who recordings, he was called Cliff Barton and should have been huge but succumbed to drugs. We were going to get this all written down but Dick has been really ill for a while and just has not had the focus, which is a shame as he really was there in the middle of it all- with the dreaded Don Arden as manager when he was with Vincent and the associated bands. Google Cliff Barton Bass Musicians' Olympus.
I bought an original '64 Tennessean as a pandemic gift to myself, it's been lots of fun nailing those old George tones. Had to watch Help! for the great Tenny scenes the night after I brought it home.
Hey ! Nick, So lovely to see that you have taken the time and thought to explore dear George Harrison’s guitar. Wonderful the way demonstrated the various sounds this ‘ beauty’ produce. I am sure Chet & George must have been watching! May they both Rest In Peace 🙏🙏 Thank you ☺️
Nice Demo, really showed this Guitar well. Personally I liked the 68 Super Filteron pickups the best of all the Gretsch pickups. I would imagine tv jones has those well replicated. Boy am I glad they filmed that 1965 Shea Stadium concert, wish we had 66 too. They were Great live, and in 65 the pa system was getting bigger so we could hear them over the jet airplane screams.
You are right i have 64 anniversary with hilotrons, have played a lot of filtertron eqhipped gretsches but few years ago got 64 astro jet with supertrons and they are best...also look coolest
Great history and demo! I had a Tennessean back in the early '60s, purchased before George Harrison made it famous. Loved it, but unfortunately it was stolen and I missed it dearly. I recently resumed playing guitar after a 30-year hiatus and while I would have liked to purchase a Tennessee Rose, financial considerations forced me to settle for the similar Gretsch Electromatic G5655T-QM which is a pretty good substitute, considering the price.
Our lead guitarist from my band in the late 60's played a Tennessean (I played Bass) and although he had a VOX Super Beatle, he actually preferred to play the Gretsch through an Ampeg B-15N. The only effect he ever used was a VOX Tone Bender. I absolutely LUSTED after that sound and swore I'd some day own a Gretsch Tennessean or Tennessee Rose. Here I am in my 70's and I too fell in love with the G5655T-QM and purchased one. I have NO regrets!
Yes, the G5655T-QM is really great. I'm looking for a better amp for mine, Considering a Henriksen Blu-6. Back in the day, I played my Tennessean thought an Ampeg Gemini II.@@Deuterom
One of George's guitars met a terrible fate. "Fourteen of our guitars were strapped to the roof of our Austin Princess and the only one lost was my Gretsch. It fell onto the road and into the path of the oncoming traffic. About thirteen lorries went over it before our chauffeur could get near it. Then, one of the lorries stopped and the driver came up with the dangling remains of it and said, ‘Oi, is this banjo anything to do with you?’ Some people would say I shouldn’t worry because I could buy as many replacement guitars as I wanted, but you know how it is, I kind of got attached to it."
Hi Nick, a few years ago when we were 'locked-down', in the UK due to the world-wide Covid epidemic, I must have listened to all of your Beatles covers...and much more besides. All fab stuff. Along with your videos about John's Rickenbacker guitars, this is very, very interesting too. The sound samples really show how essential these guitars are to George's sound at the time. I often wondered what all those switches actually did. Tremendous video.
This young Man knows his stuff, 11s flatwound on a Gretsch is the fastest way to get to 60s-ville. Great playing style, when you start using a wound 3rd and Gretsch pickups you really start enjoying yourself!! BTW, I put a " 330 pico farad" capacitor to act as a treble bleed on that Master Vol which and it works, no more muddy lower volume sound. It actually makes it sound more "acoustic" if that makes sense? Great job, show us more 60s stuff..please.
Seems like every album George was sporting a new guitar or two. I first saw the Tennessean watching Help in a movie theater as a kid. I remember the close up view of the neck as he played barre chords. Fun fact - I stood alone very close to his Jet(behind glass) at the Grammy museum in LA a few years ago.
Strats, Teles, and LPs have a nice dependability aspect to them all. Hollowbody Gretsches have a certain extra somethin’ due to their vibrating tops. I adore the overtones & acoustic stuff that leaks into their plugged-in sound.
Well done, pretty accurate research 👍. The main reason for the pad wasn't comfort, but to cover up the plate over the access hole to get to the string mute(s) through the back. Any model with string mutes has this, and my 6073 Bass has this (because of the mutes).
My favorite of all George’s Gretches. And man how awesome would it be to have an hour to yourself in that EMI storage room. All that historic gear would be awesome to look at
Had one… l bought it in about 1964. I wish I still had it. The Country Gentleman pad on the back also covers access to the wiring. Hilton Valentine in the Animals also had one.
I owned one of these guitars and loved the way the single coils sounded, especially when playing slide and over driven The one drawback of the model is the pressure mounted bridge that moves very easily when using the Bigsby vibrato.
Well done. I had a '64 Country Gent and a '65 Tennessean. I liked the Tennessean (which I think my daughter has in storage), but not the Country Gent too much.
I bought a Chet Atkins model of the Tennessean in the late 1960's. It was my first big boy guitar. I didn't know about the George Harrison connection, I just loved it's sound and it fit the music I was playing at the time. I didn't think of it as a "cheap" guitar. I don't recall the price, but know it was a lot to me back then. My Tennessean definitely had a string mute and the f holes were trimmed in white. I played the guitar until the late 70's when music had changed somewhat and the Gretsch was no longer in vogue. I traded it even for a new Fender acoustic 12 string. Although I really liked the Fender and got a lot of use out of it, I really regret the decision to make the trade.
You and everyone else at that time. NOBODY wanted a Gretsch in the 70's They started making a comeback when Brian Setzer (The Stray Cats) came on the scene. Still, most 80's hair bands played solid body guitars. I started seeing Gretsch's on MTV vids in the late 80's early 90's. Tom Petty helped.
20 years ago I bought one on a deal from musician friend. I’ve really never used it. It’s going to be a collectors piece that one of my daughters will likely end up with Consequently- I just learned it has a kill switch. Groovy baby
Great video. Sadly the Tenny is pretty much confirmed to have been one of the guitars destroyed in the dec 65 incident where one or more guitars fell off the roof of the Beatles tour car. A recovered tuning key was installed on Paul’s recently recovered 62 Horner and is still there. RIP 💔
Excellent video about this particular guitar. Great job with sampling all the switch/tone settings. BUT, did anyone notice that your Butcher Cover is in STEREO! Supposedly, only 10% of the 100,000 copies were made in stereo. I picked up a stereo butcher from the ground at a NYC flea market in the mid 70s. It's been framed on my walls ever since.
As I remember, there is also some controversy regarding the second Country Gent. The first one was destroyed, falling of the truck during 63 tour. The second-either it was given by George to one of their Apple young artist, either Ringo is reported to have one.
Just found your channel…I’ve a few Beatle guitars…including the Tennessee Rose and 57 Duo Jet reissue. Thanks for your information…subscribed too. “Beatle guitars” and guitars are quite a passion of mine…so much fun…nothing like playing one of the Beatle songs to perfection. Good demonstrations on the Tennessee Rose….
Best explanation on YT that I have viewed so far. I own a G6119T Vintage 62-Select Chet Atkins Re-issue and your vid helped me out tremendously. Thank you for posting. If you woulf be so kind when you have the time post a demo of this same guitar with a country Twangy sound/song. Thanks again. just subscribed!!
Very nice presentation, good job. What are the things I will add is that filter trons Can really scream if you overdrive them. They can give you some of the best sound Billy zoom from X and Malcolm Young from early AC/DC are two examples of that. I know Malcolm put a Gibson in his Gretsch later on, but those early recordings were pure filter.Trons. The Gretsch single coils don’t seem to have the same capability to overdrive like the filter trons
There are several other differences between the 6119-1962HT (Tenessean/Tennessee Rose) and the 6122-1962 Country Gentleman. One is the size: the TRose body is 1.85" deep and the Gent is 2" deep, and the TRose has a 16" lower bout where the Gent has a 17" lower bout; the Gent is a bigger, and a bit heavier guitar. The TRose has a rosewood fingerboard and the Gent has ebony. I had an early 2000s 6119-1962HT with the Tennessee Rose pickguard, which was a wonderful, versatile guitar and the HiloTron pickups absolutely nailed the early Beatles guitar tone. I sold it (and a couple of other guitars) and used the proceeds to purchase a 2006 Gretsch 7594 double cutaway White Falcon.
Nick ,great review of the gretsch tennessean!!im a huge Beatle fan and ive always felt that the tennessean had a very cutting tone also i thought george did some of his best lead work on it.not that i didnt like the jet or the gent they were fantastic as well.ive owned all of them but my fav was the tennessean. Great job on the video!!!
New study shows that George didn't use flats on his Gretsch's. He used the stock rounds that came on it. They have yellow fluff on the end by the ball ends of the strings.
Owned a 64 Tennessean for over 20 years and it was truly a unique sounding guitar. The Hilo-trons are relatively weak output pickups (3.2 and 2.8 ohms resistance) but they have have an unmistakable twangy clarity. To me they really shine when played through an EL-84 type amp like a Vox. Wish I'd never sold it.
Hilton Valantine and David Crosby both inspired me to want to save for a Gretsch Tennessean, I honestly love this guitar and its such in iconic gretsch model
I have a similar Tennesseean which I purchased second hand in 1970 - it is a burgundy colour. I love its twangy sound and these days I use it manily for fingerpicking! Mine has a silver plate on the headstock.
Nice playing Nick. Love those Beatle leads. Love the early Beatles The most. Your ac 15 that you played , was that the UK JMI or Korg era amp? I subscribed because you really felt that Beatle rush to which you played so well. What a era that was . Vox amps Beatle boots electric guitars. Magical !
I had a 66 Tennessean. The F-holes weren't white-bordered - and it was more a walnut colour than George's model. BTW, the 60s models sound different over the lifetime of the instrument because they used fish-based glue, as opposed to wood-based glue that yours has. For some reason, I thought that George gave his Tennessean to Ringo - and it was this one that was sold for around STG750,000 at auction. Speaking of strings, I always used to use as thick a gauge of round wounds as I could as I wanted a more bassy sound (and being poor, they didn't break as often when I tried to bend them). Finally, I thought that he used his Rickenbacker 360-12 on "Can't Buy Me Love" (but maybe I'm wrong!).
You forgot to mention that besides single vs. double cut-away, the bodies have a slightly different shape/size. The Tenny body is smaller than the Gent.
1963. After the initial EMI sessions and Pete was dropped like a bad habit a new contract was prepared. Seems George took his EMI money and bought guitars. Besides this Tenny, he and his bro visited his sis in Benton Illinois, played at a couple gigs as the 5th "Four Vests" making George the 1st Beatle to play in the USA and while there bought his Rickenbacker 425 - again before Ed Sullivan show a few months later. It was the great unsung Eddie Stokes who on lunch hour painted the famous Beatle logo based on napkin sketch of drop T by Ivor, but Eddie did the Typeface and you can see his style on THE - WHO, Mooney's 1st dbl bass kit and GINGER - BAKER on Ginger's dbl bass kit as well as others, very distinctive style. 👀
That Tenny is probably in somebody's closet totally forgotten. Much like Terry Kath's signature sticker covered strat. It took years before his daughter finally located it in Terry's Mom's house. She had totally forgotten that it was in the back of a closet.
hey you're a heck of a player! years ago i had my experiment with Daddario chromes and couldn't hack it as i guess i'm too heavy-handed, LOL! i remember thinking those chromes would be good for a kid to play bass on guitar with.
Very nice video! I have an original 1963 Tennessean that I’ve owned since the late 80s. It is a great guitar but only after having had a neck reset. These guitars were not particularly well built in my opinion but they definitely have a unique sound. I noticed when you demonstrated the tone switch that the capacitor values on the more modern versions seem more usable than the vintage ones. On mine, they are completely useless unfortunately.
Along with George, one of my favourite Tennessean players is Xan McCurdy of Cake. Totally different era and Xan's Tennessean is actually a Chet Atkins Gibson. How different the guitars from the two manufacturers are, I do not know.
That’s why it’s there! Having blocked the f-holes they had to cut a hole in the back to install wiring, then having cut the hole they had to cover it up! The “pad” is a bit of Gretsch marketing to try to make a virtue out of a necessity … :)
I have my dad's 72 country gentleman unfortunately I broke 1 of the original tuners and still have 5 of the original imperial but it only has the bottom string mute switch and the original bigsby looks way different
The Achilles heel of the guitar is the bridge. It floats and isn't tunable. Bump it and you've had it. It's a shame a classic like this one doesn't have a decent bridge. That's why I sold mine.
Good job all around on your video Nick! Hey I was wondering about the bridge that’s on that Tennessean. I noticed that it doesn’t have any adjustable saddles. How is the intonation on that guitar? Thanks!
I had a 63 country gentleman. I liked it but it weighed a ton. My shoulder was killing me after a 3 hr gig so I traded it for a light as a feather gibson es225 td.
Nice! I also got mine G6119-1962HT (No Chet signature) from that same Musicians' Friend closeout. They kept lowering the price, then boom! Got mine at $1,000. I decided to hot rod the thing. So I installed TV Jones Supertrons, Schaller locking tuners and Tru-arc bridge. Sounds great, but definitely not like the Beatles. Which is kind of a shame. Now I need to get another one just like George's. lol
Hi, I finally found a true Beatles enthusiast who knows the history of their guitars well, I have a doubt that has been nagging me for some time, what strings did George use on his guitars? Flatwound or roundwound? There are those who say Flatwound but if that was the case, what scaling? I've tried various brands and scales but they all have a wound G and I can't do the bends, it is said that George used Flatwounds but you changed the G with a non-wound one, is that right?
Gibson stole the names Country Gentleman and Tennessean from Gretsch when they let the names expire. Of course, Chet moved to Gibson as well and took his name with him. Thankfully Gretsch got it back. The pad on the back of the Country Gent was to install the mute system with a back plate to allow access.
I had a ‘67 gretsch tennessean or Tennessee Rose. It was a quirky guitar that wouldn’t stay in tune. It had a square brass plate on the headstock that said Chet Atkins. The pickups didn’t have the greatest output. I traded it for Gibson Les Paul.
Nice job! Right to the point and no opinionated bull. Always wondered what all those switches and knobs did. BTW You’re really rocking that nerd persona quite well! JJZ…(°¿.°`)
I think that George got his best sound on his best Gretsch, his '57 Duo-Jet. The Country Gent was too dull sounding, the Tennessean too thin. That DJ was real Goldilocks guitar, just right.
As a fan of Gretsch guitars and the Beatles, I really enjoyed your video. Gretsch guitars are very interesting and different. Unfortunately, due to the imitation F holes on some, it is not possible to see how they achieved the various sounds by looking at the different types of internal construction, regardless of the pickups used. My Chet Atkins 6120 is trestle braced, giving it the "extra Gibson like" sustain that Chet wanted, but has Filtertron pickups. The reissue 6122 has open F holes and a different internal construction is visible. Apparently, and correct me if incorrect, the reason for the painted on F holes was to prevent feedback.
Painted F-holes do of course help stop feedback, but since Chet did more late night plugged into the desk playing than loud concerts I wonder if part of the idea was to hear what was coming out of the studio monitors more and the actual guitar less. I have a very Gretsch-like Aria with open F-holes and sometimes I can hear it too much when I'm going straight in to tape.
Want a Gretsch with sustain?... try a late 70's Gretsch Axe or Super Axe. The super Axe had built in compressor and phasor effects. I love mine! Rick Springfield played one for a few years in the early 80's.
He once said that the Gretsches were him being in denial about wanting a Strat, having missed out on a deal to buy one in Hamburg from a departing American.
Thanks @@brotherjohnhiggins8614 . I did not know that Hilton Valentine got his Tennessean before George. Still, I think that the ubiquity and fame The Beatles enjoyed would have been more likely to introduce the guitar to more people than The Animals appearances would have (both in concert, and on TV), and George's influence was definitely greater than Hilton's (although I really like and respect Hilton as a guitarist).
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George Harrison was such a bad ass! He doesn't get the praise he deserves!
The Gretsch Tennessean was presented to George Harrison by Ivor Arbiter who had sold Ringo his Ludwig drum kit in 1962 under the aegis of Brian Epstein and designed the Beatles "Drop T" logo to paint on the kit at the same time. His shop was called Drum City and he also had a Gretsch dealership nearby called Guitar City and it was his idea in 1963 to present the Gretsch. The guitar was chosen and a date was set for George to come in and my friend Dick Middleton did the presentation. Dick had played for Gene Vincent in his British Blue Caps and later played for Johnny Hallyday and Mungo Jerry. He says that a number of people- like Big Jim Sullivan had played the Tennessean and reckoned it was a really good example- there was a steady throughput of musicians through the shop- aspiring guitarists like Jimmy Page and Pete Townshend and other more established guys like Joe Moretti who played the solo on Shakin' All Over and so many others. On the day itself, Dick says George was looking very stylish- but was not wearing a tie- Beatlemania was just around the corner and Dick says that the shop was more excited because Bruce Welch of the Shadows was coming in to trade a Gretsch Rancher Jumbo that he had acquired in the USA and he was eagerly anticipated. There are a few clips of Dick playing over the years and he had toured in Germany with a band (the Blue Caps minus Gene Vincent) supporting the Everly Brothers- who had Jim Gordon on drums while their guitar player, Don Peake taught him James Burton's licks- which is how he won the audition for Hallyday in 1964- others rejected were Eric Clapton, John McLaughlin who worked selling guitars at Selmer and sold Dick his first Telecaster and Alvin Lee.
Great info - thank you!
If you search RUclips for this- you can see Dick with his Telecaster in 1965 behind Johnny Hallyday- he's not doing much. DOCUMENT N°15 JOHNNY HALLYDAY 1965
Then there is this clip with him when he backed "Weeping" Tommy Brown- one of the earliest rock and rollers who had Chuck Berry in his band in the early 50s. Like an idiot I did not go to this gig- Tommy died a while back. Dick has an Esquire type guitar. Tommy Brown @ Shakedown Blues ' Love Of Mine' Dick did a tour with Little Richard, Duane Eddy and The Shirelles- plus others in November 1963 and at that time he played a green Gretsch Country Club- which was stolen- at one point Duane complimented him on his tone- praise indeed! Here he is with a Strat- unusual for him- the music starts a minute in- the bass player/singer always likes to fiddle with stuff!- Dick Middleton's Southern Nights Band
Great comment.
Fantastic info mate ! If i may ask how do you know?
I have known Dick since 1978 and he has told me a wealth of information over the years- how he came to work at Sound City and Ivor Arbiter- and just interesting details about the importation of the guitars- and what a tight little wold in was in that part of London, Denmark Street, Shaftesbury Avenue and Rupert Street where Sound City was before it moved to Shaftesbury Ave- Dick says it is a Chinese restaurant now. There are interviews with Ivor Arbiter regarding the Ludwig drum kit out on the internet. Back in the 1970s before I met Dick I had read in the magazine International Musician that the guitar was presented to George Harrison and it was later on, that Dick told me the details. One of the other sales guys, Dick persuaded to concentrate on bass and he became a top session player- played on some early Who recordings, he was called Cliff Barton and should have been huge but succumbed to drugs. We were going to get this all written down but Dick has been really ill for a while and just has not had the focus, which is a shame as he really was there in the middle of it all- with the dreaded Don Arden as manager when he was with Vincent and the associated bands. Google Cliff Barton Bass Musicians' Olympus.
I bought an original '64 Tennessean as a pandemic gift to myself, it's been lots of fun nailing those old George tones. Had to watch Help! for the great Tenny scenes the night after I brought it home.
One of the best beatles freaks youtube channel! love it so much! Thanks a lot man!!
Hey ! Nick, So lovely to see that you have taken the time and thought to explore dear George Harrison’s guitar. Wonderful the way demonstrated the various sounds this ‘ beauty’ produce. I am sure Chet & George must have been watching!
May they both Rest In Peace 🙏🙏
Thank you ☺️
Nice Demo, really showed this Guitar well. Personally I liked the 68 Super Filteron pickups the best of all the Gretsch pickups. I would imagine tv jones has those well replicated. Boy am I glad they filmed that 1965 Shea Stadium concert, wish we had 66 too. They were Great live, and in 65 the pa system was getting bigger so we could hear them over the jet airplane screams.
You are right i have 64 anniversary with hilotrons, have played a lot of filtertron eqhipped gretsches but few years ago got 64 astro jet with supertrons and they are best...also look coolest
Awesome. Also love your Twin Towers-WTC piece in the background.
Great history and demo! I had a Tennessean back in the early '60s, purchased before George Harrison made it famous. Loved it, but unfortunately it was stolen and I missed it dearly. I recently resumed playing guitar after a 30-year hiatus and while I would have liked to purchase a Tennessee Rose, financial considerations forced me to settle for the similar Gretsch Electromatic G5655T-QM which is a pretty good substitute, considering the price.
Our lead guitarist from my band in the late 60's played a Tennessean (I played Bass) and although he had a VOX Super Beatle, he actually preferred to play the Gretsch through an Ampeg B-15N. The only effect he ever used was a VOX Tone Bender. I absolutely LUSTED after that sound and swore I'd some day own a Gretsch Tennessean or Tennessee Rose. Here I am in my 70's and I too fell in love with the G5655T-QM and purchased one. I have NO regrets!
Yes, the G5655T-QM is really great. I'm looking for a better amp for mine, Considering a Henriksen Blu-6. Back in the day, I played my Tennessean thought an Ampeg Gemini II.@@Deuterom
One of George's guitars met a terrible fate.
"Fourteen of our guitars were strapped to the roof of our Austin Princess and the only one lost was my Gretsch. It fell onto the road and into the path of the oncoming traffic. About thirteen lorries went over it before our chauffeur could get near it. Then, one of the lorries stopped and the driver came up with the dangling remains of it and said, ‘Oi, is this banjo anything to do with you?’ Some people would say I shouldn’t worry because I could buy as many replacement guitars as I wanted, but you know how it is, I kind of got attached to it."
Super cool , man ! So many different sounds and tones ! Great guitar !
Excellent !! What a great display of that guitar. Good work. Thanks ! You really showed how those classic tones were attained.
Hi Nick, a few years ago when we were 'locked-down', in the UK due to the world-wide Covid epidemic, I must have listened to all of your Beatles covers...and much more besides. All fab stuff.
Along with your videos about John's Rickenbacker guitars, this is very, very interesting too.
The sound samples really show how essential these guitars are to George's sound at the time. I often wondered what all those switches actually did.
Tremendous video.
Great demo and comparison, Nick! Really enjoyed it AND your Beatles guitar vocabulary. Awesome!
That was really a fun watch! Keep it up. Love your research and youthful exuberance!
And of course he used it on Beatles For Sale, you can hear it all over that record, which was made and released in '64.
That guitar is so beautiful I definitely wish I could have that. And it’s a shame I didn’t have that for Christmas this year.
This young Man knows his stuff, 11s flatwound on a Gretsch is the fastest way to get to 60s-ville. Great playing style, when you start using a wound 3rd and Gretsch pickups you really start enjoying yourself!! BTW, I put a " 330 pico farad" capacitor to act as a treble bleed on that Master Vol which and it works, no more muddy lower volume sound. It actually makes it sound more "acoustic" if that makes sense? Great job, show us more 60s stuff..please.
Great video Nick!
Thank you, Galeazzo! I'm honored. :) Ciao from California!
Great job Nick, I've got an '04 Tenny and ❤❤❤ it! Looking forward to hearing about the rest of George's Gretsches.👍👍
Seems like every album George was sporting a new guitar or two. I first saw the Tennessean watching Help in a movie theater as a kid. I remember the close up view of the neck as he played barre chords. Fun fact - I stood alone very close to his Jet(behind glass) at the Grammy museum in LA a few years ago.
I'm a Strat guy, so this was very informative. Well done.
Strats, Teles, and LPs have a nice dependability aspect to them all. Hollowbody Gretsches have a certain extra somethin’ due to their vibrating tops. I adore the overtones & acoustic stuff that leaks into their plugged-in sound.
excellent demo.....I've wondered how much influence Chet's playing had on George.
Well done, pretty accurate research 👍. The main reason for the pad wasn't comfort, but to cover up the plate over the access hole to get to the string mute(s) through the back. Any model with string mutes has this, and my 6073 Bass has this (because of the mutes).
My favorite of all George’s Gretches. And man how awesome would it be to have an hour to yourself in that EMI storage room. All that historic gear would be awesome to look at
Had one… l bought it in about 1964. I wish I still had it. The Country Gentleman pad on the back also covers access to the wiring. Hilton Valentine in the Animals also had one.
I owned one of these guitars and loved the way the single coils sounded, especially when playing slide and over driven
The one drawback of the model is the pressure mounted bridge that moves very easily when using the Bigsby vibrato.
Great demo! And I love your playing of the classic Beatles tunes. Thanks!
Great video, Nick.
Well done. I had a '64 Country Gent and a '65 Tennessean. I liked the Tennessean (which I think my daughter has in storage), but not the Country Gent too much.
Excellent Video !!!! i really enjoyed it !!!! Thanks !!!!!
I bought a Chet Atkins model of the Tennessean in the late 1960's. It was my first big boy guitar. I didn't know about the George Harrison connection, I just loved it's sound and it fit the music I was playing at the time. I didn't think of it as a "cheap" guitar. I don't recall the price, but know it was a lot to me back then. My Tennessean definitely had a string mute and the f holes were trimmed in white. I played the guitar until the late 70's when music had changed somewhat and the Gretsch was no longer in vogue. I traded it even for a new Fender acoustic 12 string. Although I really liked the Fender and got a lot of use out of it, I really regret the decision to make the trade.
You and everyone else at that time. NOBODY wanted a Gretsch in the 70's They started making a comeback when Brian Setzer (The Stray Cats) came on the scene. Still, most 80's hair bands played solid body guitars. I started seeing Gretsch's on MTV vids in the late 80's early 90's. Tom Petty helped.
Thanks for the helpful info! I bought one of these 20 years ago and I'll never sell it. I love the single coil sound!
20 years ago I bought one on a deal from musician friend. I’ve really never used it. It’s going to be a collectors piece that one of my daughters will likely end up with Consequently- I just learned it has a kill switch. Groovy baby
Great demo, son, thanks. Love the guitar, love the sound.
Great video. Sadly the Tenny is pretty much confirmed to have been one of the guitars destroyed in the dec 65 incident where one or more guitars fell off the roof of the Beatles tour car. A recovered tuning key was installed on Paul’s recently recovered 62 Horner and is still there. RIP 💔
Excellent video about this particular guitar. Great job with sampling all the switch/tone settings.
BUT, did anyone notice that your Butcher Cover is in STEREO! Supposedly, only 10% of the 100,000 copies were made in stereo. I picked up a stereo butcher from the ground at a NYC flea market in the mid 70s. It's been framed on my walls ever since.
As I remember, there is also some controversy regarding the second Country Gent. The first one was destroyed, falling of the truck during 63 tour. The second-either it was given by George to one of their Apple young artist, either Ringo is reported to have one.
Just found your channel…I’ve a few Beatle guitars…including the Tennessee Rose and 57 Duo Jet reissue. Thanks for your information…subscribed too. “Beatle guitars” and guitars are quite a passion of mine…so much fun…nothing like playing one of the Beatle songs to perfection.
Good demonstrations on the Tennessee Rose….
I love Gretsch!!
Best explanation on YT that I have viewed so far. I own a G6119T Vintage 62-Select Chet Atkins Re-issue and your vid helped me out tremendously. Thank you for posting. If you woulf be so kind when you have the time post a demo of this same guitar with a country Twangy sound/song. Thanks again. just subscribed!!
Very nice presentation, good job. What are the things I will add is that filter trons Can really scream if you overdrive them. They can give you some of the best sound Billy zoom from X and Malcolm Young from early AC/DC are two examples of that. I know Malcolm put a Gibson in his Gretsch later on, but those early recordings were pure filter.Trons. The Gretsch single coils don’t seem to have the same capability to overdrive like the filter trons
There are several other differences between the 6119-1962HT (Tenessean/Tennessee Rose) and the 6122-1962 Country Gentleman. One is the size: the TRose body is 1.85" deep and the Gent is 2" deep, and the TRose has a 16" lower bout where the Gent has a 17" lower bout; the Gent is a bigger, and a bit heavier guitar. The TRose has a rosewood fingerboard and the Gent has ebony. I had an early 2000s 6119-1962HT with the Tennessee Rose pickguard, which was a wonderful, versatile guitar and the HiloTron pickups absolutely nailed the early Beatles guitar tone. I sold it (and a couple of other guitars) and used the proceeds to purchase a 2006 Gretsch 7594 double cutaway White Falcon.
Nick ,great review of the gretsch tennessean!!im a huge Beatle fan and ive always felt that the tennessean had a very cutting tone also i thought george did some of his best lead work on it.not that i didnt like the jet or the gent they were fantastic as well.ive owned all of them but my fav was the tennessean. Great job on the video!!!
Finally I'll know what strings to use...... Thank You
New study shows that George didn't use flats on his Gretsch's. He used the stock rounds that came on it. They have yellow fluff on the end by the ball ends of the strings.
Owned a 64 Tennessean for over 20 years and it was truly a unique sounding guitar. The Hilo-trons are relatively weak output pickups (3.2 and 2.8 ohms resistance) but they have have an unmistakable twangy clarity. To me they really shine when played through an EL-84 type amp like a Vox. Wish I'd never sold it.
- yes, I have the same and I use it with a mid 1960s Vox AC30
I have a few Tenny's; '64, '67 and a '75. All sound great through my '67 Vox AC-30.
It might be safe to say that “What Goes On” was the last time George recorded with the Tennessean.
Hilton Valantine and David Crosby both inspired me to want to save for a Gretsch Tennessean, I honestly love this guitar and its such in iconic gretsch model
I have a similar Tennesseean which I purchased second hand in 1970 - it is a burgundy colour. I love its twangy sound and these days I use it manily for fingerpicking! Mine has a silver plate on the headstock.
The nameplate was added in 1966.
Nice playing Nick. Love those Beatle leads. Love the early Beatles The most. Your ac 15 that you played , was that the UK JMI or Korg era amp? I subscribed because you really felt that Beatle rush to which you played so well. What a era that was . Vox amps Beatle boots electric guitars. Magical !
Korg era, believe it or not! Thanks for watching.
I had a 66 Tennessean. The F-holes weren't white-bordered - and it was more a walnut colour than George's model. BTW, the 60s models sound different over the lifetime of the instrument because they used fish-based glue, as opposed to wood-based glue that yours has.
For some reason, I thought that George gave his Tennessean to Ringo - and it was this one that was sold for around STG750,000 at auction.
Speaking of strings, I always used to use as thick a gauge of round wounds as I could as I wanted a more bassy sound (and being poor, they didn't break as often when I tried to bend them).
Finally, I thought that he used his Rickenbacker 360-12 on "Can't Buy Me Love" (but maybe I'm wrong!).
Well done, thanks!
I respect your strength, with those heavy bends on those thick strings!
You forgot to mention that besides single vs. double cut-away, the bodies have a slightly different shape/size. The Tenny body is smaller than the Gent.
The neck is slightly further out from the body too, on the double cutaway ones.
You gatta do smoke on the water!
1963. After the initial EMI sessions and Pete was dropped like a bad habit a new contract was prepared. Seems George took his EMI money and bought guitars. Besides this Tenny, he and his bro visited his sis in Benton Illinois, played at a couple gigs as the 5th "Four Vests" making George the 1st Beatle to play in the USA and while there bought his Rickenbacker 425 - again before Ed Sullivan show a few months later. It was the great unsung Eddie Stokes who on lunch hour painted the famous Beatle logo based on napkin sketch of drop T by Ivor, but Eddie did the Typeface and you can see his style on THE - WHO, Mooney's 1st dbl bass kit and GINGER - BAKER on Ginger's dbl bass kit as well as others, very distinctive style. 👀
Always wanted to know what those switches were for and how George used them. Fantastic video!
That Tenny is probably in somebody's closet totally forgotten. Much like Terry Kath's signature sticker covered strat. It took years before his daughter finally located it in Terry's Mom's house. She had totally forgotten that it was in the back of a closet.
hey you're a heck of a player! years ago i had my experiment with Daddario chromes and couldn't hack it as i guess i'm too heavy-handed, LOL! i remember thinking those chromes would be good for a kid to play bass on guitar with.
Very nice video! I have an original 1963 Tennessean that I’ve owned since the late 80s. It is a great guitar but only after having had a neck reset. These guitars were not particularly well built in my opinion but they definitely have a unique sound. I noticed when you demonstrated the tone switch that the capacitor values on the more modern versions seem more usable than the vintage ones. On mine, they are completely useless unfortunately.
Same here. The caps need replacing on the old ones.
Along with George, one of my favourite Tennessean players is Xan McCurdy of Cake. Totally different era and Xan's Tennessean is actually a Chet Atkins Gibson. How different the guitars from the two manufacturers are, I do not know.
Good stuff. Thanks!
The pad on the back 0f the CG comes off to give access to the wiring.
That’s why it’s there! Having blocked the f-holes they had to cut a hole in the back to install wiring, then having cut the hole they had to cover it up! The “pad” is a bit of Gretsch marketing to try to make a virtue out of a necessity … :)
Thank you 😊
Guitarra linda! Parabéns!
That is so great.
I have my dad's 72 country gentleman unfortunately I broke 1 of the original tuners and still have 5 of the original imperial but it only has the bottom string mute switch and the original bigsby looks way different
Interesting video, nice guitar playing...
How's about a detective looking for George's Gibson 345, that is a mysterious guitar.
The Achilles heel of the guitar is the bridge. It floats and isn't tunable. Bump it and you've had it. It's a shame a classic like this one doesn't have a decent bridge. That's why I sold mine.
A lot of people pin their bridges.
Good job all around on your video Nick! Hey I was wondering about the bridge that’s on that Tennessean. I noticed that it doesn’t have any adjustable saddles. How is the intonation on that guitar? Thanks!
There's a lot more than 5 things i don't know about that guitar
Great story🎉
I had a 63 country gentleman. I liked it but it weighed a ton. My shoulder was killing me after a 3 hr gig so I traded it for a light as a feather gibson es225 td.
Nick, I really want to get a Horner violen bass on Amazon, but I don’t know if it’s worth it.
thanx mate !
Hi
Great review. Did you adjust the pole pieces since the Hilotrons are low output
Thank you 😊
Isn't the Tennesseean 16" wide and the Gent 17"?
Hilton Valentine from The Animals also played a Gretsch-the sound of "The House of the Rising Sun"-where is the guitar today
09:36 YES!! There it is! Fuck yes! lol Sorry, the Tennessean's my favourite of all his guitars. Some day I'd love to own an original.
Nice! I also got mine G6119-1962HT (No Chet signature) from that same Musicians' Friend closeout. They kept lowering the price, then boom! Got mine at $1,000. I decided to hot rod the thing. So I installed TV Jones Supertrons, Schaller locking tuners and Tru-arc bridge. Sounds great, but definitely not like the Beatles. Which is kind of a shame. Now I need to get another one just like George's. lol
good stuff
i have a gretsch streamliner guitar,is it a good similar looking guitar?
I think Norman Harris mentions George trying to use a Gretsch in exchange for a guitar that he had. IIRC it may have been a Les Paul.
I owned one. The 1 thing I didn't like about it was the bridge held in place by string tension and friction.
NICK!!!!!!!!! IS THAT A "LOS SHAKERS" ALBUM BEHIND YOU????????????????????? 🥰🥰
Hey where did you get the lego world trade center?
Hi, I finally found a true Beatles enthusiast who knows the history of their guitars well, I have a doubt that has been nagging me for some time, what strings did George use on his guitars? Flatwound or roundwound? There are those who say Flatwound but if that was the case, what scaling? I've tried various brands and scales but they all have a wound G and I can't do the bends, it is said that George used Flatwounds but you changed the G with a non-wound one, is that right?
I miss my '64 Tenny. I certainly like my new Gretsch Country Gent, but it's just not quite the same.
Gibson stole the names Country Gentleman and Tennessean from Gretsch when they let the names expire. Of course, Chet moved to Gibson as well and took his name with him. Thankfully Gretsch got it back. The pad on the back of the Country Gent was to install the mute system with a back plate to allow access.
Same guitar and amp , what are your amp settings for Beatles stuff.
Smoke on the Water doesn't sound anything like Blackmore, but it sounds really good!
You need to try the Pyramid Fusion Flats. Flatwounds that are brighter than the Chrome’s.
I had a ‘67 gretsch tennessean or Tennessee Rose. It was a quirky guitar that wouldn’t stay in tune. It had a square brass plate on the headstock that said Chet Atkins. The pickups didn’t have the greatest output. I traded it for Gibson Les Paul.
You had a real Tennessean. "Tennessee Rose" came out after they started making them again in the 2000's. They are close, but not the real thing.
Nice job! Right to the point and no opinionated bull. Always wondered what all those switches and knobs did. BTW You’re really rocking that nerd persona quite well!
JJZ…(°¿.°`)
Dont know when country gents got the leather back, but they didnt start out with them. My 58, second batch, has a beautiful back.
I think that George got his best sound on his best Gretsch, his '57 Duo-Jet. The Country Gent was too dull sounding, the Tennessean too thin. That DJ was real Goldilocks guitar, just right.
As a fan of Gretsch guitars and the Beatles, I really enjoyed your video. Gretsch guitars are very interesting and different. Unfortunately, due to the imitation F holes on some, it is not possible to see how they achieved the various sounds by looking at the different types of internal construction, regardless of the pickups used. My Chet Atkins 6120 is trestle braced, giving it the "extra Gibson like" sustain that Chet wanted, but has Filtertron pickups. The reissue 6122 has open F holes and a different internal construction is visible. Apparently, and correct me if incorrect, the reason for the painted on F holes was to prevent feedback.
Painted F-holes do of course help stop feedback, but since Chet did more late night plugged into the desk playing than loud concerts I wonder if part of the idea was to hear what was coming out of the studio monitors more and the actual guitar less. I have a very Gretsch-like Aria with open F-holes and sometimes I can hear it too much when I'm going straight in to tape.
Want a Gretsch with sustain?... try a late 70's Gretsch Axe or Super Axe. The super Axe had built in compressor and phasor effects. I love mine! Rick Springfield played one for a few years in the early 80's.
Hi, what strings do you use for flatwounds? what scaling?
Once George got a strat and some Gibsons, the Gretch guitars went under the bed.
He once said that the Gretsches were him being in denial about wanting a Strat, having missed out on a deal to buy one in Hamburg from a departing American.
Don’t forget that John, Paul & George did a lot with their Epiphones.
The reason so many other famous 60s musicians used the Tennessean was because George played it.
I think Hilton Valentine of the Animals bought his before George got one. House of The Rising Sun is pretty famous riff.
Thanks @@brotherjohnhiggins8614 . I did not know that Hilton Valentine got his Tennessean before George. Still, I think that the ubiquity and fame The Beatles enjoyed would have been more likely to introduce the guitar to more people than The Animals appearances would have (both in concert, and on TV), and George's influence was definitely greater than Hilton's (although I really like and respect Hilton as a guitarist).