What do "Snowbird", "I Wanna Be Your Man", and "Stray Cat Strut" have in common? They're all songs that have been performed using legendary Gretsch guitars. In a sense, Gretsch is to guitars as Stradivarius is to violins. Established in 1883 by Friedrich Gretsch, a German immigrant to America, the company became known in its early days for fine quality acoustic archtops. Friedrich passed away only 12 years after founding the company, which was taken over by his sons Fred and Bill.
Gretsch's fortunes took off when their instruments were endorsed by Chet Atkins, who became the artist most associated with Gretsch guitars in the 1950s. Atkins became known as the "Country Gentleman", a title used for the 17" signature model of Gretsch guitar launched in 1957. The Chet Atkins models were distinguished by their state-of-the-art technology and bright orange finish, at odds with the traditional naturalistic look that had prevailed in country music's ethos. The electric guitar was a key catalyst for the changes that the music was undergoing, broadening its range. With Gretsch guitars, Atkins pioneered what was to become known as the "Nashville Sound". He displayed an intense passion for the guitar as an instrument as well as a technological device. Atkins' distinctive finger-style approach and unusual demands fueled his interest in the sonoric qualities of the electric guitar.
With the advent of the Atkins series, Gretsch guitars began to play a large part in the development of rock n' roll. George Harrison and John Lennon gave the company its second big boost, destroying the monopoly that rival companies Gibson and Fender held. Gretsch guitars had weekly television exposure when the company supplied the guitars and drums for the Monkees beginning in the mid-1960s. The Monkees' fan base of teenage girls was not the prime demographic of the ideal Gretsch customer, however.
In 1967 the Gretsch Company was sold to Baldwin, and its fortunes ebbed. Customers said that quality slipped as production moved from Brooklyn to Arkansas. Fred Gretsch never found an adequate replacement, and after he died in 1979, Chet Atkins withdrew his endorsement. Eventually, in 1989, another Fred Gretsch, nephew of Fred Jr., and his wife bought the company back from Baldwin. George Harrison suggested a Traveling Wilburys model, which, while not like the great Gretsch classics, signaled that the company was back. In the 1980s, rockabilly revival or "hyperbilly" player Brian Setzer reignited interest in Gretsch guitars with his band the Stray Cats. The revival of Gretsch models continued with musicians spanning the range of rock to "country-fed punk" to heavy metal.
In late 2002, Gretsch and Fender reached an agreement giving Fender most control over marketing, production and distribution of guitars. With an array of models based on vintage designs being introduced, the "Gretsch sound" has continued to evolve-no two Gretsch guitars sound like. Raw, grainy, and gritty, the Gretsch guitar has retained the idiosyncratic charm of past and present.
More on Gretsch and Ibanez instruments at: http://www.body-electric.com/ -- Body Electric.
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