Monthly Archives: April 2011

The Airborne Toxic Event Perform “Changing” on Jimmy Kimmel

Posted: April 29, 2011

The Airborne Toxic Event visited Jimmy Kimmel Live last night to perform a pair of tracks — “Changing” and “Sometime Around Midnight.” The former is featured on the band’s new album All At Once.

Tags: All at Once, Changing, Gretsch Black, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Sometime Around Midnight, The Airborne Toxic Event
Posted In: Artists Blogs | Leave a comment

Jeff Bridges & His Gretsch Featured in ‘Esquire’

Posted: April 27, 2011

Courtesy of Esquire/Perou

Jeff Bridges and the Gretsch G6122-1959 Chet Atkins Country Gentleman guitar he’s seen playing in his Academy-award winning Crazy Heart performance are featured in Esquire’s May issue.

The 61-year-old actor has apparently decided to take the year off from acting to concentrate on making music; he is collaborating on the country effort with producer T-Bone Burnett, who also oversaw the music for Crazy Heart, and plans to release an album on EMI’s Blue Note Records as early as August 2011.

According to the Esquire article, it was his preparation for the Bad Blake role, a drunk, washed-up country singer, that has inspired this return to music. (Bridges previously made a record in 2000 called Be Here Soon, an eclectic collection of folk, rock and soul tunes.)

“We’re here for such a short period of time,” he says. “Live like you’re already dead, man. Have a good time. Do your best. Let it all come ripping right through you.”

Bridges has apparently also remained partial to the axe he played in the movie.

“His beautiful guitar is there on its stand, in the middle of the floor, shining in the light,” notes Esquire. “It is one of a kind. It is a perfect, hand-distressed modern replica of the Gretsch Country custom-made for the legendary Chet Atkins in 1959, with its distinctive telltale “single cutaway” where the neck meets the body. An intricate, elaborate leather strap with silver buckles hangs from it; BAD, the strap reads, in big block letters.”

Read the Esquire article here.

His upcoming major label debut will include guest appearances by Rosanne Cash, Sam Phillips and Benjie Hughes.

Fans can probably expect to hear the new material on Thursday, Aug. 11, when he plays a benefit concert at the Buffalo Chip Campground during the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Proceeds will go to the Bob Woodruff Foundation.

Tags: Crazy Hear, Esquire, Gretsch G6122-1959 Chet Atkins Country Gentleman, Jeff Bridges, T-Bone Burnett
Posted In: Artists Blogs, Product Plugs | Leave a comment

Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 Featured as Premier Guitar of the Month

Posted: April 26, 2011

A 1959 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 Hollowbody is featured in Premier Guitar’s April issue as the “Guitar of the Month.”

As PG notes, the 6120 has been the guitar of choice for several marquee guitarists including Eddie Cochran, Duane Eddy and Brian Setzer, whose main axe is serial number 33024.

It was Setzer’s model that Fred Stucky, guitarist/singer for the Philadelphia-based rockabilly/garage-country band Gas Money, had in mind when he shopped around for his 6120.

“I was looking for my first ’59 6120, and I wanted it to be close in serial-number to Setzer’s,” Stucky told PG of the guitar with serial number 33002 that he purchased at the Dallas Guitar Show in 1990 for $2500. “I knew even back then, 20 years ago, that Gretsches within certain production batches were better than others. That 33000 batch is pretty special. It was the last batch of 2.75”-deep 6120s with an enamel-faced B6 Bigsby vibrato. They also have the light treselte bracing and, purportedly, a slightly thinner top.”

Pick up the issue and flip to 181 for more details on how Stucky modified his Gretsch to achieve Setzer’s early-80s dirty tone.

Tags: 1959 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120, Premier Guitar
Posted In: Product Plugs | Leave a comment

Ron Emory Takes His Anniversary Gretsch for a Whirl

Posted: April 22, 2011

photos by Mike De La Cruz

So Cal punk rockers T.S.O.L recently played a show with Angry Samoans at Angel’s Roadhouse in Apple Valley, Calif. Guitarist Ron Emory (above and below) busted out his Gretsch G118 Anniversary for the occasion. SWEET!!