All the major electric guitar models evolved throughout the 50s and 60s, but Gretsch’s changes tended to be more seismic than incremental. The single-cutaway 6120 era lasted from late 1954, when the first ones were made, through to 1961.
In the intervening years, Gretsch gradually reduced the body depth, introduced two distinct variations of ‘trestle bracing’, transitioned from a dovetail to a mortice-and-tenon neck joint, adopted entirely new pickups and completely redesigned the wiring harness.
