The Gretsch Twist started out on the wrong foot because it was nothing more than a second-generation Corvette with a few minor cosmetic changes. The 6109 Twist was the first of the two models; the 6110 was identical except that it had a traditional Burns Vibrato instead of Gretsch's Tone Twister. The Toner Twister vibrato was supposed to produce it's sound by vibrating the strings between the tailpiece and bridge. For all intents and purposes, it was a joke.

As for the 6110 Twist's construction, it was a solid-body guitar designed to compete with more expensive Gibson and Fender models. The body and neck were both mahogany, while the fret board with dot inlays was rosewood. It also had a narrow headstock which, at first thought sounded like a good idea, but ended up being pretty unattractive due to the 6110's already a narrow profile. HiLoTron's were the pickup of choice, accompanied single tone and volume controls, a trapeze tailpiece, and that signature peppermint-striped pickguard.

One final note: As if the red and white peppermint design were not bad enough, Gretsch made a limited number with a yellow body and the same peppermint pickguard. They were even uglier than the original red models! Thank goodness they failed to attract a fanbase.