Carter Sisters, the reconfiguration of the
seminal Carter Family, which featured
Mother Maybelle and her three daughters.
With them, Chet moved to Nashville and
became a fixture on the Grand Ole Opry
and in the young studio system of Music
City. The story is only slightly marred by
another accident. June Carter bumped the
D’Angelico as it rested and the neck separated in the fall. It took years for it to be
restored to its current condition, but the
loss paved the way for a new chapter in
Chet’s guitar career.
Gretsch Streamliner
6120 Prototype
A guitarist and product rep for Gretsch
named Jimmie Webster sought out the
fast-rising Chet Atkins in Nashville and
began trying to talk him into accepting an
endorsement deal. Chet wasn’t a big fan of
Gretsch guitars, but over a series of conver-
sations, Gretsch accommodated Chet’s ideas
and delivered a guitar he couldn’t say no
he was crazy for so radically modifying one
of the world’s finest instruments. Though
truth be told, Chet ordered his dream
guitar with electrification in mind. The
D’Angelico log books reflect it with their
first-ever order for an “ele.” guitar. Chet had
begun to make decent money, and he cus-
tom ordered this Excel with a Bigsby bridge
pickup and sound posts for a more rigid
top. John D’Angelico was disturbed by the
idea, but he accommodated his young cli-
ent, and it was delivered in August of 1950.
