We’ve travelled a good bit in the last few months- in the Spring we flew Northeast to New York City, always a feast for the senses-to spend time with our friends, the Jacobs family was a real treat of the very best kind! Then we went way down as far as you can go- to our own beloved Orange Beach, right here in Alabama- white sugar sands and ate Alabama Seafood! Then Southwest to Santa Fe New Mexico, for a family vacation- a feast for the soul! Then to the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society in Music City- Nashville Tennessee, with so many musicians- was just icing on the cake! I shared some of the sights and sounds with you-truly thought I was done with personal travel blogging for awhile… then I found a sugary marvel on Twitter- made by Southern Girl Desserts @dessertdivas! It was like a sign… I knew I needed to share some of the ‘real’ guitars along with it! Let’s have our dessert first! Southern Girls Desserts made a cake in the shape of a Gretsch® White Falcon Guitar!
Can you believe that is a real cake?? Look at the real Gretsch® Guitars…
Southern Girls Desserts White Falcon looks like the real guitars! And here are some folks who knew how to play Gretsch® Guitars!
Then there was Fred Gretsch, fourth generation of the family who began making Gretsch® Guitars in the late 1880’s in Brooklyn, New York! I wanted to take Fred Gretsch’s photograph, but Fred set up a photo shoot himself- I told him my husband has a Gretsch® Orange- Country Gentleman, not the White Falcon. Fred Gretsch positioned a chair for me to sit in with him standing behind me! I was nervous as a cat! I sat down, and over my shoulder I could feel Fred lifting a guitar over me and sitting it just perfectly in my lap! These are expensive guitars! I have never even taken my husband’s out of the case! I should explain- I love music…however, I cannot carry a tune in a bucket, I cannot play a note, fret a chord, much less play fingerstyle guitar! And there I am with Famous Fred, holding a Country Gentleman in a room full of people…Okay y’all, here is the deal…my talent is- I am what every performer needs…A. Good. Audience! I have putting my hands together and clapping like an idiot down pat! Take a look at Fred’s photoshoot…
That is a look of shock, thrill and horror on my face; my heart was fluttering inside that blue bandana print dress! And Fred Gretsch is looking adorable, pleased with himself– don’t you think?? He gave this ol’ gal the thrill of a lifetime! And that’s not the end of it…I posted this photograph on Instagram not Twitter…expecting basically my personal friends to see it- then up popped a tweet- ‘Looks good on you’ from the Gretsch®Guitar’s Twitter account! I almost went out of my mind with excitement! I’m not used to this sort of thing! Whew… I hope you will enjoy a few more photos of the CAAS in Nashville- New York handmade DiAngelico Guitars and Australian Maton Handmade Guitars in addition to Gruhn and Wallace Guitar Sellers… had a wonderful presence there, along with some of the guitarists who play them- Tommy Emmanuel, for instance plays Maton Guitars. We thoroughly enjoyed his music and visiting with him briefly.
A big thank you to Fred Gretsch and to Southern Girl Desserts for inspiring this post!! Go visit their sites, they are amazing! I’m going to settle down and listen Chet Atkins, you’re welcome to join me! Mr. Sandman on a Gretsch Orange Guitar!
Love y’all, Camellia
Southern Girl Desserts Gretsch Guitars Maton Handmade Guitars Alabama Seafood
Beautiful guitars!
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aren’t they? George Harrison of the Beatles preferred Gretsch Guitars as well..
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Loved the cake!
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can you believe that?? that guitar is a white falcon- and on the cake- on that gold piece there is an etching of a white falcon just like the guitar!
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Incredible!
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Southern Girl Desserts is worth checking out! They are Cupcake Wars winners and are out in Los Angeles making purely southern treats!
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I will check them out. All my boys play guitar and they went crazy over that cake. Thanks for the cool post!
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count me in with the boys! thank you for stopping by!
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What a lovely trip; you made a great memory!
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I sure did! unforgettable, fun and funny too!
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What an honor! Our son plays guitar and my husband loves Chet Atkins guitar playing. Beautiful cake as well! Thanks for sharing!
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It sure was! My husband plays that style of music- we’ve had this on our bucket list…the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society
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oh and yes! the cake, amazing isn’t it??
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That picture of you is fantastic. You look so happy.
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Oh, thank you! it was a thrilling moment- will blog soon about letting my hair go ‘naturally gray’ 🙂
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I just loved this article! Thanks for the tunes to go along with the cake and guitars!
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I had a ball writing it! thank you!
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Reblogged this on 2 Shades of Grey.
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Thank you SO much!
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Reblogged this on David Fisher and commented:
There are some excellent guitars here! I personally love the White Falcon Gretsch guitars, beautiful instruments. Must’ve been a blast meeting Fred, great post.
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It was an amazing event! And yes, meeting Fred Gretsch was truly eventful! He is a true Rock Star! Thank you for re-blogging my post! The CAAS is well worth attending!
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I’m glad you had fun! I plan to stop by when I visit my mom for Christmas, it’d be a nice pit stop along the way. I might even snag a new Gretsch! 🙂
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Oh do ! The Emerald Green Gretsch is fantastic looking ! I think Savannah’s Gretsch location is a great stop too !
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Thanks for the recommendations! I wish I could afford the White Falcon, but I like the Aspen Green Gretsch, very cool color.
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Reblogged this on Camellia's Cottage and commented:
We are on the road again this week, but couldn’t resist sharing one of my most popular posts with you! Chet Atkins, George Harrison and Duane Eddy played those beautiful Gretsch Guitars! And recently, I saw an ad with a gorgeous Rose color Gretsch- being of a certain age, I recognized the guitar before I realized that Lady Gaga is now using a Rose Gretsch in her latest tour! Wow! Well…read on and see me holding a Gretsch Orange! thrill of the year! love y’all, Camellia
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You do the best posts ever, Camellia! I’m definitely looking forward to the gray hair one! I’m almost 80 and still coloring!!!!
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you are too kind! the hair dye is gone! you look great! actually when I updated my pic- the hair dye was gone- it just faded a bit and I don’t have as much gray as they thought I would! what about that? xoxo
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I love my Gretsch G5120, one of the most nerve wracking things I’ve done was ship it across the country, twice.
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oh my! Gretsch Guitars are fantastic! my husband has an Ovation round back that I also love to hear him play- the Gretsch people are just fantastic! yes, it would scare me to death to ship one also! thanks for stopping by!
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Must have hurt bad to cut into that cake – amazing!
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Don’t you know !
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