Gretsch

review
GRETSCH G6120T-BSSMK & G6120T-HR
106
GUITARIST APRIL 2020
GRETSCH G6120T-BSSMK BRIAN SETZER
SIGNATURE NASHVILLE ’59 ‘SMOKE’ &
G6120T-HR BRIAN SETZER SIGNATURE HOT ROD
£3,199 & £2,549
CONTACT Fender Musical Instruments EMEA PHONE [phone] WEB www.gretschguitars.com
I
t was almost a year ago that we caught
up with undisputed king of rockabilly
guitar, Brian Setzer. The occasion
was the launch of the Stray Cats’ reunion
record, 40, the blistering and aptly named
celebration of their four decades in the
rockabilly and pompadour business.
We talked gear of course, and Brian let
slip he was working on some new Japanese-
made signature models with the team at
Gretsch. To say we were intrigued is the very
definition of an understatement. We turned
a metaphorical lamp in Brian’s direction and
began applying the thumbscrews.
“For me, it has to be a new model,” he told
us. “It’s not just slapping a new coat of paint
on it. You know, ‘Here’s a new model. It’s
red!’ That’s what all the guitar companies
seem to do. ‘It’s the new neon Les Paul. It’s
got neon lights around it.’
“I want to change quite a few things
when I’m involved with a new guitar. I’ve
shot down quite a few ideas, but every little
tweak we make seems to improve them.”
That’s all we got. Mere crumbs. Brian
Setzer doesn’t fold under questioning. We
were left to operate what former British
prime minister John Major once described
as “a wait and see policy...”
The good news is the cats are out of the
bag at last. The rebooted Gretsch Brian
Setzer line-up kicks off with a couple of
Nashville models, in Black and Smoke
Orange nitrocellulose lacquer finishes.
The popular stripped-down Hot Rod
guitar is being shipped in four new gloss
poly colours: Candy Blue Burst, Lime
Gold, Candy Magenta, not to mention
the fantastically named Extreme Coolant
Green Sparkle.
As you can see from the photos, we took
delivery of the Smoke Orange G6120T-
BSSMK Nashville ’59 and a Candy Blue
Burst G6120T-HR Hot Rod. Both these
G6120s, and the other guitars in the range,
are based around the modern (2.5-inch)
deep laminated maple hollow-body design
with trestle bracing. You might recall that
Brian, and Gretsch alumni Mike Lewis,
had his original ’59 Stray Cats G6120 run
through a (no pun intended) CAT scan
machine to see what was going on inside.
The ’59-era trestle-style bracing the x-rays
revealed has been replicated in Brian’s
signature guitars for years.
“I want to change
things when I’m
involved with a new
guitar… I’ve shot
down a few ideas”
What You Need To Know
Mods and rockers?
The Gretsch G6120 is the ultimate
50s rocker guitar. The latest Brian
Setzer signature versions come
heavily modded. Hence, mods and
rockers. Actually, mods like Pete
Townshend of The Who and late
Small Faces frontman Steve Marriott
loved Gretsch gear, too.
Are we just talking about some
new finishes here?
No. Brian and the Gretsch team
have had their way with the original
blueprint to produce the best-playing
G6120 models we’ve ever wrapped
our mitts around. You’re getting some
cool finish options, but the beauty of
these guitars is more than skin deep.
So, we get a Floyd Rose,
catastrophically overwound
humbuckers, a spindly compound
radius neck...
These guitars are based around
Brian’s ’59 G6120, which he played on
all the early Stray Cats records. That
said, you’re onto something with the
compound radius thing.
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GIT457.rev_gretsch.indd 106 20/02/2020 10:49