Gretsch

review
GRETSCH G6120T-BSSMK & G6120T-HR
110
GUITARIST APRIL 2020
PROS Breathtakingly beautiful
as ever but this time we’re just as
taken with the fantastic playability;
the Ray Butts pups are completely
outstanding, too
CONS We had to send it back – that
was the only downside for us…
PROS The new Hot Rods look,
play and sound the absolute
balls; Setzer’s signature pickups
provide the perfect balance of
warmth and snarl
CONS Some may fi nd the stripped-
down wiring loom a bit limited
GRETSCH G6120T-
BSSMK BRIAN
SETZER SIGNATURE
NASHVILLE ’59
‘SMOKE’
PRICE: £3,199 (inc. case)
ORIGIN: Japan
TYPE: Single-cutaway hollow body
electric guitar
BODY: Laminated top, back and sides
with ‘1959’ trestle bracing
NECK: Maple, glued-in
SCALE LENGTH: 625mm (24.6”)
NUT/WIDTH: Bone/42.8mm
FINGERBOARD: Ebony, pearloid ‘Neo-
Classic Thumbnail’ inlays, compound
241-305mm (9.5-12”) radius
FRETS: 22, medium jumbo
HARDWARE: Nickel Adjusto-Matic
bridge with pinned rosewood base,
Bigsby B6C True Vibrato, Gotoh
locking tuners
STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: 53mm
ELECTRICS: 2x TV Jones Ray Butts
Ful-Fidelity humbuckers, 2x volumes,
master volume, 3-way tone toggle
switch, and 3-way pickup selector
toggle switch
WEIGHT (KG/LB): 3.5/7.8
OPTIONS: No
RANGE OPTIONS: G6120T-BSNV
Brian Setzer Signature Nashville ’59
Black Lacquer (£2,769)
LEFT HANDERS: No
FINISHES: Smoke Orange – semi-
gloss nitrocellulose
Fender EMEA
01342 331700
www.gretschguitars.com
GRETSCH G6120T-
HR BRIAN SETZER
SIGNATURE HOT ROD
PRICE: £2,549 (inc. case)
ORIGIN: Japan
TYPE: Single-cutaway hollow body
electric guitar
BODY: Laminated top, back and sides
with ‘1959’ trestle bracing
NECK: Maple, glued-in
SCALE LENGTH: 625mm (24.6”)
NUT/WIDTH: Bone/42.8mm
FINGERBOARD: Rosewood,
pearloid ‘Neo-Classic Thumbnail’
inlays, compound 241-305mm
(9.5-12”) radius
FRETS: 22, medium jumbo
HARDWARE: Nickel Adjusto-Matic
bridge with pinned rosewood base,
Bigsby B6C True Vibrato, Gotoh
locking tuners
STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: 53mm
ELECTRICS: 2x TV Jones Brian Setzer
Signature Filter’Tron humbuckers,
master volume, and 3-way pickup
selector toggle switch
WEIGHT (KG/LB): 3.14/6.15
OPTIONS: No
RANGE OPTIONS: G6120T-HR Brian
Setzer Signature Hot Rod in Lime
Gold and Candy Magenta (£2,549);
G6120T-HR Brian Setzer Signature
Hot Rod in Extreme Coolant Green
Sparkle (£2,769)
LEFT HANDERS: No
FINISHES: Candy Blue Burst
(as reviewed), Lime Gold, Candy
Magenta, Extreme Coolant Green
Sparkle – all gloss
10
8
5. Along with a regular
three-way pickup
selector toggle switch,
Gretsch’s three-way
tone toggle provides
instant tone-shaping at
your fi ngertips
new Nashville ’59s and the Hot Rods. The
build quality, playability and tone on offer
here are exceptional. Figure in the obvious
Gretsch curb appeal and they’re pretty
much unbeatable. Yes, even at these prices.
You genuinely get the vibe that Brian Setzer
wouldn’t put his signature on these guitars
if he wasn’t convinced they were the best.
As much as we love the Hot Rod, the pick
of the litter for us is the Nashville ’59. We’ve
given this guitar 10/10. Why? Well, we
really can’t see how Brian and Gretsch can
improve on this guitar. It’s by far the best
playing example we’ve ever encountered
and those Ray Butts pickups are beautifully
vintage correct. If we were faced with
the choice of playing this Nashville or
an original ’59 model, sign us up for the
V-shape, compound radius neck.
In the words of Mr Setzer: “I’ve got a
long list of things you could do if you ever
get an old Gretsch. It’s much easier to buy
a new one.”
You get the vibe that Brian
Setzer wouldn’t put his signature
on these guitars if he wasn’t
convinced they were the best
VIDEO DEMO http://bit.ly/guitaristextra
5
GIT457.rev_gretsch.indd 110 20/02/2020 10:50