The Monkees – Pleasant Valley Sunday / Words

Perhaps no other guitar defines Michael Nesmith than the famous blonde Gretsch, played by Michael on The Monkees television series, in the recording studio, and on the concert stage throughout the 1960s.

When providing audio commentary for The Monkees: Season One DVD set, Nez relayed that he always liked 12-string electric guitars. Various guitar companies like Vox and Rickenbacker produced 12-strings, but he preferred the bluesier, twangy sound made by a Gretsch as opposed to the pop sound of a Rickenbacker. Once the pilot of the TV show was sold, Nesmith approached Fred Gretsch and asked him to make a 12-string guitar. Gretsch complied and produced a non-production model, one of three made. (The other two were given to George Harrison and Chet Atkins.) "I played 12-string as a singer/songwriter. That's what I played on my own," Nesmith told Sound & Vision. "But when they said, 'What do you want to play on the show?' I said, 'Well, I want to play a 12-string.' They said, 'Gretsch will give you instruments.' I said, 'Oh, that’s great. Do they make a 12-string?' 'No.' 'Oh. Would they make me one?' And they said, 'Yeah, they will.' And that’s how I got it."

?A representative from Gretsch confirmed that the 6076 Model was produced from 1966-1970.

Nesmith is seen playing the Blonde Gretsch 6076 on the promotional video for "Pleasant Valley Sunday"