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GRETSCH

This scaled-down sibling of the

White Falcon is one of the coolest magine the meeting at the Gretsch HQ in
Gretsch models of all time. Although the Brooklyn. The firm’s bigwigs, including Fred
Penguin has enjoyed a recent resurgence Gretsch, Jimmie Webster and Duke Kramer,
in a variety of new hues, upon launch I were talking about new models for 1956. The

it proved almost as flightless previous year had been a big one for the company:
as its avian namesake the Chet Atkins 6120 and the White Falcon were
launched to considerable acclaim and, along with
the hollowbody 6120, Gretsch had introduced a
WORDS TONY BACON chambered version, the 6121. With that in mind,
PHOTOGRAPHY ELEANOR JANE Jimmie thought it would be a good idea to make
a matching ‘solidbody’ version of the high-end
White Falcon. What’s more, he had a name for it:
the White Penguin. Once the laughter died down,
the team began to consider the practicalities.
Gretsch had produced its first solidbody-style
guitar just a few years earlier. But while the Duo
Jet came on like a solid, with the general look of
Gibson’s new Les Pauls, it was made differently.
Gretsch routed out a mahogany back to provide a
sort of sectioned box that could accommodate the
electrical bits and hook-up wires. To this, they then
added a pressed laminated maple top, which joined
the back only where the box wasn’t routed, primarily
at the sides and around and under the bridge. The
pickups were then mounted to the top.

GUITAR MAGAZINE 21