#Gibson guitars serial number lookup serial numbers#

Equally unusual is the headstock ornamentation incorporating a white diamond on the face, just under the inlaid steer’s head. Most conspicuous is the anodized fixed-arm Bigsby vibrato tailpiece – a B6 on the ’55, but, inexplicably, a smaller B3 on the 13767 guitar. Though the guitar embodies all of the cowboy motifs the 6120 has come to be known for, several of its features depart from the subsequent debut format of the ’55 Chet Atkins 6120. Despite its historical significance and the fact some feel it should be in a museum, Stucky has recorded with it and is prone to periodically play it at gigs with his band, Gas Money. Equipped with the DeArmond Dynasonic single-coil pickups Gretsch was using exclusively at the time, the guitar plays amazingly well. The guitar is gorgeous, with a nicely flamed maple top, deep ruddy-orange finish, and gold-plated hardware with just the right amount of patina. Outside of the Cochran connection, which appears to be as utterly coincidental as it is ironic, the revelation that another 6120 specimen exists from the mysterious 137xx serial-numbered prototype batch, and in fact falls between the initial Streamliner Special (13753) and Chet Atkins’ first 6120 (13770) is thought-provoking to say the least! After realizing the family’s connection to Eddie Cochran, he informed them about his Gretsch, which was “…just like Eddie’s.” It was purchased by Bobby’s father from an insurance salesman named Burke, who had called upon the Cochran residence. The story behind the acquisition offers frustratingly little insight into its origins and early life.

The provenance of this guitar extends to 1962, when it was presented to Bobby when he was 12 years old. Once owned by Bobby Cochran, nephew of the ’50s rocker/6120-playing icon Eddie Cochran, the guitar possesses the telltale unbound headstock feature common to the other two prototypes, and its label is stamped as a 6120 and carries the serial number 13767, certifying its origin to the development of the 6120. That all changed recently, when 6120 collector Fred Stucky revealed the existence of a special specimen.

#Gibson guitars serial number lookup serial numbers#

So, for the past five decades, it has been assumed that 48 of the labels that comprised the roll containing serial numbers 13750 through 13799 went curiously unused, with only numbers 1370 being applied to the pair of 6120 prototypes created for Atkins. For example, the initial production batch of the 6120 model was a 100-unit group documented from serial number 16450 to 16549. Serial numbers were printed on rolls of 50 labels, while model numbers were applied by rubber stamp as each label was applied to a finished guitar. For this reason, this second prototypical guitar has generally been considered the first “6120 model.” The two share the distinctive unbound headstock – a characteristic not carried over to the three subsequent production batches of the model’s 1955 debut.Ī relevant side-note is that Gretsch’s factory, located in Brooklyn, typically applied consecutively serial-numbered labels into groups of like-model guitars, creating sequentially numbered batches of 50 or 100 of each model. The story goes that Atkins made some suggestions and a second prototype (serial number 13770) was created reflecting his desire for the incorporation of a vibrato tailpiece and a metal nut. Hardcore fans of the 6120 might even be aware that its prototype, labeled as a Streamliner Special with serial number 13753, was presented to Atkins in early 1954. It’s well documented that Atkins was recruited to endorse a signature model in hopes of duplicating the success Gibson enjoyed with its Les Paul model of the early ’50s. Most Gretsch enthusiasts know the legend associated with the development of the 6120. Recently, a previously undocumented prototype of this iconic model was uncovered, fueling renewed speculation and necessitating a fresh look at the genesis of the model. Arguably the most identifiable guitar design of that time was the Chet Atkins Hollowbody model 6120, with its distinctive orange-stained finish, “G-brand” body, and decidedly Western aesthetic. The Gretsch company rose to the upper echelon of guitar manufacturers in the 1950s with the introduction of a diverse and dynamic array of electric models. The pickguard is an accurate reproduction of the original.Ħ120 SN13767: Curt Wilson. Possessing pot codes dated April of 1954, serial number 13767 is the earliest documented Gretsch 6120.