Top Ten Gretsch Guitar Players
Gretsch guitars were very popular during the 50s and 60s, becoming a staple of both rockabilly players and the British Invasion. This list is based on both the guitarists' fame as well as how frequently they play a Gretsch. With that established, feel free to add to this list.
Mr Guitar! For those of you who don't know, Chet Atkins was one of the most influential guitarists and producers in the Nashville country music scene. He was a design consultant for Gretsch for around 30 years, and two of their most famous guitar models (the 6120 and the Country Gentleman) were Chet Atkins signature models.

His first Gretsch was a Duo Jet, which he bought from a sailor in 1962. He later became known for using the Country Gentleman (he also used a Tennesseean), and his star profile gave Gretsch a much needed boost in sales.
Very underrated guitarist with very underrated solo songs. Check out his song All Those Years Ago. It's impressive.

His most famous guitar was a 1963 Jet Firebird he received from his older brother George and Harry Vanda (their original producers); he modified it by sanding off the finish and removing the middle and neck pickups. He also used a White Falcon until someone "fixed" the guitar, causing it to lose its signature sound.

Neil Young bought a late 50s White Falcon with a mono output (it can only put out one signal). He traded it for a stereo version (which allows the user to output the signal to two different amplifiers) with Stephen Stills while they were in Buffalo Springfield. He used it frequently on songs like "Southern Man" and "Ohio".

Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "Twenty Flight Rock", "Summertime Blues", "C'mon Everybody", and "Somethin' Else", captured teenage frustration and desire in the mid-1950s and early 1960s. He experimented with multitrack recording, distortion techniques and overdubbing even on his earliest singles. He played the guitar, piano, bass and drums.
His image as a sharply dressed and good-looking young man with a rebellious attitude epitomized the stance of the 1950s rocker, and in death he achieved an iconic status. ...read more.
He played an orange 6120, which he modified by putting in a Gibson P-90 pickup. When he was killed in a car accident while in England, his guitar was temporarily impounded by police along with his other possessions. A young police officer, who eventually became Dave Dee from Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, learned how to play guitar on Eddie's Gretsch over several nights while it was impounded.
Lead guitarist and singer for the Stray Cats. He has several Gretsch guitars in his collection, and he has an endorsement deal with the company; they make about ten different Setzer signature models.

Pete received a 6120 from Joe Walsh (along with a Fender Bandmaster and an Edwards volume pedal); it became his studio setup. This rig is the rig responsible for the guitar tone on Who's Next and almost all projects that followed.

Duane Eddy also used a 6120, similar to Eddie Cochran's.

As mentioned above, he bought a stereo version of the White Falcon and traded it with Neil Young for a mono version while they were both in Buffalo Springfield. He used it frequently afterwards, particularly while in Manassas.

The guitarist for The Monkees. Since The Monkees had an endorsement deal with Gretsch, the company built him a custom made 12-string Gretsch guitar that became permanently associated with him.

Plays a 1958 Gretsch 6120 hollow-body.