Chet didn't particularly like Gretsch but after a series of conversations with the company they adapted a number of the guitarist's ideas and gave him a guitar he couldn't refuse. So Gretsch contacted him to agree to be sponsored by the brand. The song was recorded in Atkins' garage, where a small studio was being built in which he would record most of his elegant solos.Īlthough he had not yet achieved success on his own, Atkins' reputation as Nashville's most important guitarist had crossed over the Tennessee border. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, Atkins was still playing his D'Angelico. Guitar' but Atkins was also known as the ' Country Gentleman', a nickname that came from this classic engraving (co-written with Boudleaux Bryant) in 1953 and would end up giving a name to one of his models for Gretsch. His incredible technique and elegance with the guitar earned him the nickname 'Mr. With this guitar he would record many of his early 50's classics like this Black Mountain Rag, which is one of the first examples of his use of open tunings. Not content with those modifications Atkins decided to modify the guitar himself and added a P-90 pickup, among other things. John D'Angelico was not at all convinced but he complied with the wishes of his young client and gave him the guitar in August 1950. A luxury model at the time that Chet ordered 'customized' to his taste with a Bigsby pickup and other small variations.
It was thanks to this money that he bought his famous D'Angelico Excel guitar. His first big break came when he was signed by Steven Sholes for RCA and shortly thereafter, in 1949, he began working with the Carter family, specifically Maybelle Carter and her daughters June, Helen and Anita. Most likely he recorded this song with his Gibson L-7, to which he added some P-90 pickups himself, or his Gibson L-10, a gift from his brother Jim who, in turn, had got it from his bandleader, Les Paul himself. A song that, besides its incredible contribution to the guitar, also included a clarinet solo, with a lot of swing, by Dutch McMillan. In Atkins' incredible technique you could notice his appreciation for blues and jazz, something that was already evident in his first solo recording, also in 1946, Guitar Blues. So much so that when he made his first appearance in the Grand Ole Opry he was eyed strangely for not sounding " country enough". By the time he recorded his first song, Wally Fowler's Propaganda Blues, in 1946, he was already a master. By practicing Atkins would be able to add the middle and ring fingers to his famous ' fingerpickin' style.
The country artist played the guitar using the thumb for the bass lines and the index finger to play the melody. That year he heard Merle Travis for the first time. With 88 studio albums, countless collaborations and a career spanning from the early 1940s until his death in 2001, choosing just 10 great moments is nothing more than a small introduction to the work of a giant who forever defined the sound of country music, but who also managed to promote jazz, classical music and even rock & roll.Ĭhet Atkins was obsessed with the guitar and music since he was a child, but it was in 1939, at the age of 15, when he had the revelation that would lead him to create his own style. Chet Atkins left a dinosaur-sized footprint in the history of the six-stringed instrument. Guitar' and you're the visible face of one of the most important guitar companies in history, to say you've left your mark on the guitar world falls short.
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