A Singular Sensation Return of the Holy Grail of Gretsches

This Holy Grail of Gretsches is one of twenty-five Chet Atkins G6129DSW Customs built in 2006 by the Fender Custom Shop's Master Builder Stephen Stern. But that's just the beginning.

This mindblower is one of only twelve of those twenty-five that American hot rod artist Junior Bo Huff designed and hand-painted custom pinstripes on in 2009, every one of those twelve unique with pinstriping individualized for each instrument. No two are alike. They were exhibited at the 2010 NAMM Show to wild acclaim.

With a gently distressed orange lacquer finish; vintage-style parallel bracing and sound post; aged vintage wide-block pearloid position markers with Western motif of cactus, steerheads, and fences; aged fingerboard and headstock binding; mixed distressed gold/nickel/aluminum hardware; "G" branded body & Western motif; stained maple headstock overlay; bound, over-sized f-holes; gold plexi pickguard; and "Chet Atkins" signature signpost, and Jr Bo Huff's artwork, this guitar is a stunner in appearance and sound.

The guitar weighs just 7.10 lbs. and has a nice, fat nut width of 1 11/16 inches and a scale length of 24 1/2 inches. Double-bound flamed laminated maple body with double bound oversized 'f' holes and 'G' brand in black on top. Two-piece 'flamed' maple neck with mahogany center strip, rosewood fretboard with aluminium nut, with 22 medium-thin frets and inlaid pearloid block position markers with steers head and cactus western motifs. Single-bound headstock with flamey brown veneer face. Inlaid pearl Gretsch "T-roof" logo and inlaid pearloid and black steers head. Two-layer black over white plastic bell shaped truss-rod cover with three screws. Gold-plated Grover StaTite open-back tuners with oval metal buttons. Two Seymour Duncan Custom Shop (DeArmond Dynasonic) pickups, with matched outputs of 2.55k and 2.53k with gold-plated surrounds. Gold Lucite pickguard with pantograph-engraved Gretsch "T-roof" logo and "Chet Atkins" signature framed in a signpost (the signpost and signature highlighted in black).

Three volume controls (one for each pickup plus master volume control), one tone control, and one (pickup) selector switch. Gold-plated "Arrow-through-G" knobs with cross-hatch pattern on sides. Aluminum compensating Bigsby bridge on rosewood base and aluminum Bigsby B-6 vibrato tailpiece with pivoting arm. Rectangular label inside bass 'f' hole US Custom Gretsch Made in U.S.A. Model No. (stamped in black) G6120WCST and serial number (stamped in red) "UCO6080137" and signed in black ink by the maker "Stephen Stern". The guitar is a deep red orange with nice figuring and the face of the headstock has a superb highly-flamed brown veneer. Complete with the jeweled leather strap, case key, fixed arm Bigsby and Gretsch guitar guarantee with matching serial number. Housed in the original Gretsch deluxe white cowboy-style hardshell case with brown leather trimming and purple plush lining which has also been elaborately 'custom pinstriped' by Jr. Bo Huff, signed and dated "JR Huff '09" (9.50)

About Jr Bo Huff: The son of Kustom Kar legend, Bo Huff, Jr Bo Huff shares his father's DNA for wildly original custom car work and has been pursuing it since he fell out of the womb, pin-striping paint brush in his hand. Anything he paints has va-va vrooom, and this Gretsch is no exception. Drive it or play it, it'll make other guitars eat its sonic and visual dust.

About Stephen Stern, Senior Master Builder: As one of the preeminent archtop builders at the Custom Shop, Stephen Stern has studied under two of the world’s greatest archtop luthiers—Jimmy D’Aquisto and Bob Benedetto. Stern got his start apprenticing at a high-end cabinet shop straight out of high school. Five years of that prepared him for his first job as a builder at Jackson/Charvel Guitars. Stern came to the Custom Shop in 1993, working with D’Aquisto on the latter’s namesake line of guitars until the great luthier’s death in 1995. In the late ’90s, millionaire collector Scott Chinery commissioned a number of custom archtop guitars by two dozen of the world’s finest living luthiers; Stern contributed a custom-built D’Aquisto Ultra. Chinery’s “Blue Guitar Collection” is now housed in the Smithsonian Institution. Stern also built a handful of exquisite archtops in collaboration with the Walt Disney Co. to commemorate the anniversary of the animated classic Fantasia.