Gretsch
107
APRIL 2020 GUITARIST
reviewGRETSCH G6120T-BSSMK & G6120T-HR
Other shared features here include a
set 625mm (24.6-inch) scale neck, plus
22 medium jumbo frets and cute pearloid
‘Neo-Classic Thumbnail’ inlays on a 241mm
to 305mm (9.5- to 12-inch) compound
radius fingerboard. To clarify, you’ll
encounter an ebony ’board on the Nashville
’59 and a rosewood slab on the Hot Rod.
Hardware spec is the same for both
models. That’s a nickel Adjusto-Matic
bridge with a pinned rosewood base to
prevent any movement while operating
the Bigsby B6C True Vibrato unit. Locking
Gotoh tuners cope admirably with tuning
stability duties.
The pickups on both guitars are wound
and supplied by TV Jones. The Hot Rod has
a set of Brian’s own signature Filter’Tron
humbuckers; The Nashville ’59 features a
pair of Ray Butts Ful-Fidelity model pups
(see ‘Who is Ray Butts?’ boxout, opposite).
The wiring looms differ, too. The Nashville
has a volume for each pickup, the classic
Gretsch master volume and the three-way
pickup selector toggle switch. You also get
the old-school three-way preset tone toggle.
1. Hardware is the same
on these new Setzer
models. You get a nickel
Adjusto-Matic bridge
with pinned rosewood
base, Bigsby B6C True
Vibrato unit, and a set
of Gotoh locking tuners.
The pinned bridge
prevents movement
when you use the Bigsby
or remove the strings
2. The G6120T-BSSMK
Brian Setzer Signature
Nashville ’59 ‘Smoke’
features two TV Jones
Ray Butts Ful-Fidelity
humbuckers with
independent volume
control knobs in addition
to a master volume knob
WHO IS RAY BUTTS?
Many of us will recognise the names
of guitar pioneers like Leo Fender, Les
Paul, Paul A Bigsby, humbucker pioneer
Seth Lover and Gibson head-honcho and
designer of the Les Paul, ES-335, Flying V
and many more, Ted McCarty. Ray Butts
is lesser known. Yet, this guy not only
invented the EchoSonic, an amplifier
with a built-in Taos Echo used by Chet
Atkins, he also developed the Filter’Tron
humbucker for Gretsch.
The TV Jones Ray Butts Ful-Fidelity not
only uses the name Butts intended for his
iconic ’bucker, it replicates the designs
lifted from the man’s own journals. The
pickup is available with a blank cover,
as fitted to late 1957 and 1958 Gretsch
guitars, a Pat. Applied For engraved
cover (1959 to early 1960) as featured on
the new Setzer Nashville; and a US Pat.
2892371 topped version that tributes the
1960-onwards Filter’Trons.
As befits its cool stripped-down concept,
the Hot Rod gives you nowt but a gear shift
and a gas pedal, aka a three-way pickup
selector toggle and a master volume.
Before we move on, we should address
the Nashville’s Smoke Orange nitro lacquer.
It’s not a relic job yet its semi-gloss finish
gives the appearance of some vintage
patina. It’s a bit like what Fender does
with its Closet Classic Custom Shop stuff,
and the Gibson VOS thing. Verdict? It
looks immensely cool and proves you don’t
have to kick a guitar’s spleen in to pull off an
aged vibe.
Feel & Sounds
For all the eye candy and old-school cool
here, the best thing about these new Setzer
guitars is the necks. We already spilled
the beans on the shared compound radius
fingerboards. What you don’t know is
those ’boards are working in cahoots with
a V-profile neck. Vital statistics include a
depth of around 22.4mm (0.88 inches) at
the 1st fret increasing in heft to 25.4mm
(one inch) at the 12th fret, just as it begins to
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GIT457.rev_gretsch.indd 107 20/02/2020 10:49