Like many of the companies that would go on to lead the charge in guitars and electric guitars, the Gretsch company did not get their start in guitars. Their musical instrument business revolved around several different instruments, most notably banjos and drums.

However, the Gretsch company got a relative early start with electric guitar production, selling their first models by 1939. Despite this, their guitars never reached a critical mass in the public’s eye or within the company.

Few electric guitars were produced by Gretsch until a decade later. Gretsch than debuted their Electromatic line which were arch-top guitars, in addition to Hawaiian style, steel lap guitars. Following this came more lines of guitars and more innovations. With the Electro-II introduction in 1951 the guitar bodies featured cutaway designs.

Next came the Duo-Jet model which was a line of solid body guitars. Despite all of these variations and innovations, the most noteworthy element of Gretsch guitars to this point in time was that they were the reason that Fender Telecasters received their names.

The Telecaster was originally intended to be the Broadcaster, however Gretsch had the copyright to their name. So in their part, Gretsch played a role in the breakthrough electric guitar release by Fender.

After this though things picked up for Gretsch and it is this period, starting in 1954, when Gretsch began its peak. The Electro-II was renamed the Country Club and was gaining popularity. However the two models that stand out the most from this time period of Gretsch are the 6120 Chet Atkins and the White Falcon. The 6120 Chet Atkins model differed from the main 6120 model.

The 6120 Chet Atkins was a semi-hollow, smaller version of the 6120. And of course it had Chet Atkins’ name on the side, which helped to move thousands of guitars off the shelves. The 6120 line was truly designed and targeted for country music however would be used by many rock musicians.

One of the biggest moments in the history of Gretsch guitars came when George Harrison of the Beatles played a Country Gentlemen – the successor to the Country Classic and another Chet Atkins line – on television. Despite the fact that the Beatles are more commonly associated with their Epiphone Casinos, the George Harrison appearance once again helped sell thousands of guitars for the company.

Elvis also played with a Gretsch Country Gentlemen. Gretsch guitars seemed to live off the celebrity musicians who played their instruments. And they continued on this path, reaching even higher heights when they supplied instruments to be played weekly on television by The Monkees. Many other prominent musicians of the time used Gretsch guitars, including Pete Townshend of The Who.

As is the case with most things, different styles and trends are favored in different periods. The Gretsch guitar lines would fall out of popularity and go through a dull. Following this the Gretsch family sold the company, only to buy the company back once again. In the last few years, Gretsch has been produced and distributed by Fender although the Gretsch family still owns the company itself.