Gretsch 6119 Tennessee Rose

Gretsch G6119 Tennessee Rose Electric Guitar Features:

Single cutaway hollowbody with arched top
Laminated maple body construction
3-piece maple neck
25.5" scale length
1-11/16" nut width
Ebony-stained rosewood fretboard
Neoclassical thumbnail position markers
22 frets
Deluxe chromeplated die-cast tuners
2 FilterTron pickups
Bigsby vibrato tailpiece
Black headstock overlay
Bound fingerboard and headstock
Multiple body bindings with bound F-holes
Silver Plexi pickguard with embossed "Tennessee Rose"
2 volume, master volume, and master tone controls
3-way switching
Adjustable truss rod

Case included. Deep Cherry finish. 2005 model.

I've been playing "Americana" rock and folk in an acoustic duo and sometimes band. I've been using it through a Fender Concert, a Traynor Guitarmate, and a Fender Cyber Twin. This guitar shimmers.

I was looking for an electric guitar that would blend well with the acoustic that would pick up less buzz than my P-90 equipped Yamaha. And I've always wanted a Gretsch... The Filtertron pickups are dead quiet (no hums/buzzes) and it sounds excellent - nice and chimey and full-bodied. It will also do a great country twang. Sounds like a Gretsch; reference Chet Atkins, Duane Eddy, the Byrds, Beatles, REM, BoDeans. Sounds great with effects. Capable of filling the sonic space usually occupied by keyboards.

It is somewhat difficult to get a great biting lead sound with the tone already dialed in for rhythm - without a boost pedal. Knobs and switches are farther away than smaller guitars - doesn't facilitate easy, quick tone changes. Access beyond the 18th fret verges on the impossible.

The hollowbody guitar and filtertrons are ideally suited for each other. The middle pickup switch position using both pickups is the best combined sound of any guitar I've ever tried - incredibly balanced and versatile. You won't find better rhythm/accompaniment tone anywhere.

Excellent fit and finish. I haven't found any flaws yet. Sure is pretty. The action was fine out of the box. No intonation problems. Pickups are adjusted fine.

Appears to be built like a tank. Hard core metal knobs. Others have registered concern about the strap buttons...I've never had a problem with a strap button on a guitar. Then again, I don't do much leaping about.

I honestly don't know. I have a positive impression of Gretsch and of Fender, but I've never had a service issue.

I've been playing off and on for about 25 years. I own a couple of Telecasters, a Yamaha AEX-502, a Les Paul, a few acoustics, a bunch of amps. I love the sound and feel of this guitar. It shimmers and twangs. And it feels beefy. My favorite feature is the tone of the Filtertrons. My least favorite aspect is the relatively difficult access to master volume and pickup switch for changing from rhythm to lead tone and volume.

Gretsch G6119 Tennessee Rose Electric Guitar Features:

Single cutaway hollowbody with arched top
Laminated maple body construction
3-piece maple neck
25.5" scale length
1-11/16" nut width
Ebony-stained rosewood fretboard
Neoclassical thumbnail position markers
22 frets
Deluxe chromeplated die-cast tuners
2 FilterTron pickups
Bigsby vibrato tailpiece
Black headstock overlay
Bound fingerboard and headstock
Multiple body bindings with bound F-holes
Silver Plexi pickguard with embossed "Tennessee Rose"
2 volume, master volume, and master tone controls
3-way switching
Adjustable truss rod

The types of music that I play are blues and classic rock with a hidden folkey side....I played this particular guitar through several different amps including a Fender Supersonic, Fender Princeton Reverb (1975), Fender G-Dec, Marshall DSL half stack, Rivera R55-12, Vox AD50VT as well as some other solid state amps. To my ear it sounded great through the tube amps especially the Fender Supersonic, Rivera, and the Marshall. The crunch was wonderful. I also played it on clean channels and it, too, sounded great. This guitar has a warm sound that appeals to my ear. I particularly liked it with reverb and chorus added. The other thing I like is that it is a beefy guitar - that is to say that is feels substantial and not like it is made out of a cheap piece of balsa. Some people may not like that it has a tendency to feedback, but I kind of like that.

No problems at all. The set up and action were to my liking. The guitar is beautifully finished. It is an attention getter when I pull it out of the case. No flaws that I can see.

I will have to get back to you in a couple of years to answer this accurately. Right now it seems like it is built like a tank.

I own 9 Fender products and have never had to call.

I have been playing for 8 or so years, I am hopelessly addicted. Gear that I have includes: Martin HD 28, 2 Fender Strats, 1 Fender Tele, Guild Acoustic, Ibanez hollowbody, National Delphi, and a '62 Gibson Les Paul (SG) reissue. I have always wanted a Gretsch hollowbody and this one sang to me. I went in GC to look at a Martin 12 string and ended up coming home with this Rose.

Check the Gretsch website. It's got Filtertron PU's.

I play rock w/ a little country twisted in there for good measure. But mostly bluesy stoner rock. The Tennie fits it really well. Especially on the countryesque tunes. I play through a Twin Reverb>Tube Screamer>DanEcho>Small Stone>Fish n' Chips. Very Quiet. The fullest, richest sound of any guitar I've ever played. With flatwound string the sound is not as bright as I'm used to, but there is a smooth element that makes up for any loss in highs. Also just flip the bright button on the Twin and I'm good to go. There's not one thing I dislike about this guitar, however it's still pretty new to me. Oh and I gotta say these big box hollowbodys can feedback on you pretty fierce as I am finding out, but you gotta harness the energy and use it to your advantage. I'm still learning how to do that.

Pretty good, but the strings were roundwounds so I changed them to flats. The guitar stays intonated really well after setting it up. PU's sound good to me and the distance looks pretty good too. If there is a flaw in this guitar, I have not seen it yet. If you don't misuse the Bigsby, you can keep it in tune with the right string setup.

It's a hearty, hardy guitardy. Hardware seems fine, but some say the Japanese mad Gretsch's electronics can be an issue. The finish is beautiful, the strap buttons are twist off's and have a bad rap. I've yet to have a problem with them. I would not use it without a backup because hollows have a mind of their own.

One year warranty.

Playing 25 years, own strats, pauls, epi chets, martin and now Gretsch.
I will try to never buy another guitar.

G6119 1962FT Tennessee Rose
Simulated F holes
Zero fret
2 Filtertron pickups
Chrome Bigsby
Stan-by switch
Neo Classical fretboard
Ebony-based rocking bridge

Overall, I could do without the zero fret (caused tuning problems until I switched to flatwounds). I could also dispense with the stand-by switch. I have a volume pedal that does the trick. They are staying accurate to the original, however, except for the Filtertrons. The original Tennessean of this vintage came equipped with Hilo-Trons, a much inferior pickup to the FT, in my opinion.

I play mostly fingerstyle rockabilly and honky tonk. The Filtertrons are perfect for my style. They are warm and clear, almost reminiscent of the P-90 sound, not dense like PAF's. I play through a silver-faced Fender Princeton and an Ampeg SJT, all-tube. I play through all analog effects: Ibanez Analog Delay, MXR Dyna-Comp, MXR Phase 90, and an Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer. The analog delay is the one that's always on. The others I use ocassionally, mostly in the studio. Overall, it is a very quiet guitar. I usually keep the pickup switch in the middle position and will use the tone switch to use the bright tones when I want to cut through. With the flatwounds, a mellower tone is basically what you're limited to, which is OK for me since I have an old Tele and a Strat with which to get a brighter sound. The tone is pretty heavenly, with just enough twang and jangle to emote a country sound, but enough mellowness to delve into Chet-land when desired.

I'm NEVER satisfied with the way a guitar is set up, unil I do it, so for me to critique the set-up the way it came would not be fair. By and large, it's a real looker, with no visible flaws. It was well-maintained by the previous owner, so it came to me almost brand-new. I must say that the truss-rod had some issues, but I did a little chiropractic work and now it's fine.

I've only owned this guitar for about 8 months, but I've gigged with it a few times and it holds up extremely well. I'm not a very aggressive player, so for a guitar to go way out of tune or have string breakage almost never happens. We'll see how this one holds up over the course of time.

I have not had any encounter with Gretsch Customer Support.

I've been playing for over 20 years. I've toured, performed, produced, arranged and done studio gigs for much of that time. I've wanted a Gretsch for quite some time, but have been a Tele player for most of my life (still am). If my Gretsch was lost or stolen, I would replace it with another Gretsch, but I'm not sure which model. I love the tone, and it adds something different to my arsenal. This guitar is a beauty, but if I were to replace it, I would want something with steer heads and horseshoes on it. I love Country Kitsch!

A 2001 Japan made second hand, bought from a friend.
The Tennessee Rose is a well made guitar, it has everything on board what a good guitar needs. No fancy inlays, but who needs that ?

Do not expect a Strat or a Les Paul sound from the Tennessee Rose : it simply produces the well known Gretsch sound, and that's exactly what we want from this guitar, don't we.

Strangely enough : the Japan made Gretsches sound better than the earlier USA ones (sorry guys, but I own USA Gretsches as well as Japanese ones, so I am able to compare : the USA's have a somewhat more mellow sound ; if it's that what you're after, go for a vintage USA Tennessean or Nashville)

Factory setting is all systems go : no problems. Of course, any professional will set up his guitar to his personal liking, so whatever the factory setting is, one can change it.
The finish is tops ; could not be better for a guitar in that price range.
I just had a small problem with the setting of the Bigsby, but fixed it in a blink of an eye (the spring was not well set in its socket).

I've had no problems whatsoever regarding reliability and durability with the several Gretsches I've owned and still own. My Tennessee Rose is only 4 years old, so I could not tell about that one, but I do not expect any problems.
The finish is certainly good enough to last, and the guitar will withstand any stagework or live playing (but take care of the instrument, as you would with any good guitar : this is not a cheap thingy, so if your image requires to play tennis with it during gigs, give it to a more caring friend first, and use a Korean 100 dollar guitar that will be just as good at tennis)

Never needed any support directly from Gretsch, so I would not know, but friends tell me that the Gretsch service is OK.

At 57 years of age, I have some 40 years of guitar playing (both professional and just for the pleasure of it) behind me. Played and own or owned many Fender, Gibson, Guild, Gretsch etc... electric guitars (+ some acoustics of course). There is - in my humble opinion - not such a thing as "the best" guitar : all depends on the sound one wants. If you want the Fender sound, go for a USA Strat or Tele : even the most expensive Gretsch or Gibson will not do the job. If you rather like the Gibson or Gretsch sound, go for those guitars, a Fender will not suit you then. But in any case : go for the real thing ! No Korean or Chinese imitation brands please. (Unless you are a beginner and/or your budget is less than say 500 bucks ; no harm done then : use your imitation till the time has come to go for the genuine thing). And remember : it's the player that makes the biggest difference : a good guitarist will still do fine on any 300 dollar guitar, whereas a lousy player or a beginner will not suddenly do wonders on a first class instrument.
As far as the Tennessee Rose is concerned, I feel that there is not so much difference with the more expensive Nashville : the TR plays just as well. Do not go for the much less expensive Gretsches however : they do not produce the same Gretsch sound in my opinion.

1999/2000 Fred Gretsch Enterprises (pre-Fender), made in Japan, Tennessee Rose archtop. Filtertron pups, maple all over, rosewood neck, etc. Full specs can be found elsewhere.

This guitar was a demonstrator at the 2000 NAAM show. So it was pretty much hand-picked from the lot in the Gretsch Enterprises warehouse.

I've had it for almost 4 and 1/2 years. I wanted to get to know it before I reviewed it. I've got to say - trying a guitar at "g-center" for an hour and then reviewing it is worthless. It's like deciding to move in with a woman you've only had one lunch with. Trust me, I know this guitar. I haven't found any real warts yet. I own a bunch of guitars and this one is one of my all-time favorites.

Pretty much full of the typical Gretsch features and authentic Gretsch sound. I gave it a 9 because I only give 10's to high-end custom guitars that somebody gives me for free! Now that would be a 10.

Excellent - Sounds like a Gretsch should. Mellow, smooth, rich. I play jazz and it's perfect. The bridge pickup isn't quite as hot as I would like but that's a personal taste thing. Plus, I rarely ever use it so I don't mind it at all. It can also be easily fixed by several TVJones pickups.
Since I'm into jazz and not rock-a-billy, I removed the bigsby and put on a straight-up Gretsch tailpiece that I ordered. Wow, it really opened it up. I had no idea the bigsby damped the top out so much.

Okay, I gave this category a 10 even if I did have to pay for the guitar. It really sounds like only a Gretsch can.

Excellent. This is one of the best playing guitars I've ever had. Like I said earlier, I come back to this one over and over. I keep it out on a stand all the time. You can lower the action a lot and it won't buzz. It's fast. It's very sure-footed and forgiving if your technique is a bit sloppy when you go fast. I've got other guitars that won't stand for anything less than perfect precision or the outer strings slide right off the fretboard and the note dies. Very embarrasing. The Gretsch has NEVER done that to me.

Wish it had an ebony fingerboard, but the Rosewood plays and still looks fine. I really like the smaller frets (I hate jumbos). I dumped all my Fenders over the years because I don't like jumbo frets. The Gretsch is a perfect example of why smaller frets work just fine. Very fast, no buzzing, etc.

Finish is very nice, no problems, no cracks, no blems developing. Fit is excellent too. I would exchange the strap locks with real strap locks if I used a strap. I don't. The Japanese are now the high-end of the Asian manufacturing food chain. (I've got a Korean, telecaster clone that is a darned good little guitar, too. No jumbo frets so I keep it around) I'm getting more impressed by Asian workmanship every day.

Anyway, the Gretsch has held together for almost five years with absolutely NO problems. I play it almost every day and haul it around all over town.

No problems in five years. Sure you can play it live. Don't bang it into a piano or a bus and it will last a long time. The switches aren't even noisy yet. About the only routine maintenance I have to do is polish the chrome knobs once or twice a year. Otherwise, they appear to want to start tarnishing. A little guitar polish and the guitar shines like a ruby. I get lots of comments on its appearance.

Never dealt with them. I would think that now that Fender owns Gretsch, their customer service should be fairly good. But maybe the Fendor reviews would reveal more about it.

I've been playing for 47 years - semi-pro and amateur. I play pretty much jazz these days, but enjoy a good blues jam too. This Gretsch is great for jazz and not bad for blues either. It's a very versatile guitar.

I do think they are a little over priced. There are better values out there. But if you gotta have a Gretsch, the quality of the guitar and its sound are worth the price. Find a good used one like I did and you'll definately be a happy picker.

If it were to vanish, I would probably get another one. I haven't said that about many other guitars I've ever reviewed except my Epiphone Elitist 335 (an Epi can you believe it? I love this thing best of all of 'em), my Gibson Les Paul, and my Lowden Acoustic. I own eleven guitars in all - most of them highend Gibsons (72 Byrdland, 94 Les Paul), Heritage 555, Yamaha Nylon acoustic/elec, Fender Strat & Tele (used to own - got rid of them), a Martin OM-28 Custom Shop, etc., etc....

Gretsch Tennesee Rose....no need to go through the features they are listed enough

This guitar suits my tastes to a tee ! Play everything from Tom Petty to the Beatles to Setzer and this guitar fits the bill in every way. Play through a new Fender Cyber Twin SE with added Stereo extension Cab. This guitar stays in tune even whaling on the Bigsby and is as quiet as quiet can be. No prblems with feedback even at higher volumes. Pickups do the job perfectly in any position, I see almsot everyone wants to change them out for TV Jones but I believe thats what they are reading so they think it is the thing to do, my opinion no need at all.

I bought this used on Ebay for a great price and it came perfectly set up. Changed the strings from 9's to 10's and this thing just sings. The finish is flawless and when you pick this up you know you have a guitar in your hand. Not to weighty, just right for the style it is.

Only had it for about 2 weeks but I see no problems gigging with this guitar and it holding up. The only flaw (if it's a flaw) is the pickup selector switch is a bit wobbly, but still works without any problems. Don't know if from previous owner or Gretsch.

Havent dealt with Gretsch or the Fender people (same i know) I have 2 Tele's and a Strat and I have never had a problem with any Fender product I've owned.

Been playing about 20 years, all my other stuff is Fender products. Someone compared this guitar to the Ibanez Hollow Bodies saying they are just as good or better....went that route before I bought this one and NO WAY can the Ibanez guitars compare to this....not even close. had my Ibanez like 3 weeks and off to Ebay it went....I would soooooooooooo replace this guitar if lost or stolen.....Can you tell I'm loving this thing!

Chrome parts ,great finish,Neck feels right.Great sound for almost anything but heavy rock...I like it through a fender reverb amp best...

I love the tone of Filtertrons.They sound much clearer then most other pickups and break up smooth.You have to raise them and there is a small pronlem with the bottom brass plate not allowing for height.Take em out and round the corners with a file (I used a belt sander)and put them back in.they now can go higher and sound louder and fuller.

set up fine.no probs....Selector switch is intermitent so I might replace it..Cheap JAP Controls...

I finally solved the bridge problem on all of these models.Buy a Schaller and get your guitar repair guy to mount it on the wood base.Its the one with the little rollers.You can get it from Stewart MacDonald online if you can't find it anywhere else.Intonate it and frame it with green painters tape.then use white paper glue and set it back down with the strings on it.in the frame.let it dry for a night and there ya go!No more moving bridge and the strings won't pop off when you bend.The whote glue can rub off and won't hurt the finish.Who cares if you can't play the thing anyway.I can kill on this thing now.Don't use the Bigsby up only down.

none.I called all the guru guys and they said i was nuts when i told them I kept knocking the strings off the bridge and the bridge moved around when i tried to bend a chord.No body had a clue ,They said to change my playing style.I have never had a problem on Fenders or Gibsons like this.The bridges on thses guitars suck and so does the design of them.Go with my suggestions and you can even play Tele licks....

I have been playing full time since I was 17 in 1972.Thats over 30 years .Owned everything too.I always like the look of these guitars so I finally bought one,Great sound and now i can play it too without it fighting me back.Use 11s or heavier,They don't sound good with anything lighter.No Boing on the lower strings on lighter ones.

I tried this at g center,and to try and balance out most these people on this forum who havent a clue on what quality is,Ill set a warning here for those of you thinking of buying this online-DONT!-

it really is a plastic sounding,preety looking peice of crap-it has the same feel and sound as the 300$ ibanez archtops that are popping up-those are a good deal-these are not-1800,and an epiphone joe pass I owned once blows this away-Made in japan and sounds it-actually,most the japanese import guitars do better than this,pickups suck as well

looks beautiful,and its a great guitar as long as its hangin up as decoration

Really is crap,you can do a whole lot better for an archtop for a whole lot of less $-this is a sad sad imposter of the old gretch guitars,pure garbage-

1998 Japanese Gretsch 6119 Tennessee Rose, 22 frets, 25.5 in. scale, all laminate maple.
Gretsch electronics (master volume, master tone, individual pickup volumes, 3way switch), filtertrons.
It's a shiny red single cutaway 16 inch archtop with a roller saddle ebony base archtop bridge, stock Gretsch tuners, case inc.

I play in a fingerstyle jazz rock countrifunk and sometimes rockabilly band, and have sat in with jazz, rock, swing, and rockabilly outfits using this particular guitar. I also use it for standard tuning slide and recording.
I run it through a Deluxe Reverb reissue amp, eq'd flat, with an occasional DOD Classic Tube pedal set to a Creedence-type subtle distortion clip.
It is unpredictable noisy, even clean, with an on-again off-again ground hum that appears in certain venues with no regard to stage lights/external switches/power lines/etc.
Full bottom end, very bright high end, but rather scooped in the mid; single note lines could always use more punch in middle octaves (okay down low, okay up high, nuthin' in between).
It is serviceable for all sounds listed above without any amp tweaking (the master tone control is great), but does not really excel or shine on any one in particular. It's pretty feedback resistant, and distorting the middle position (both p/us) is quite beautiful.
The scooped sound I referred to makes it's clean tone rather anemic for recording purposes, and it had the tone and punch of a twist tie when played through my old Ampeg VT-60.

The set up was gorgeous, action was swell, pickups fine and dandy. Nothing wrong when I first got it.

...then after two years of weekly gigging, the p/u switch corroded, the neck strap button stripped out of the wood, the fets developed significant string wear above the 12th fret (deep bite marks!), the pickups and bigsby tarnished up, the roller saddle started buzzing, and the E saddle goes dead if I try a new gauge of strings (I'm using D'Addario chrome flatwound 12's).
Now that I've fixed the switch, strap button, and keep extra Chrome 12's on me at all times, it's still my steady, mostly due to impeccable intonation, a sturdy neck joint, firm tuners (almost never goes out of tune, regardless of weather or climate change).
Not what I'd expected from a Gretsch though.

Customer what?

(Never approached them, as all the problems have been do-it-yourselfers).

I've been playing for 15 years or so, and gigging for 5. I also own a 96 Martin HD28-2R, a '59 Guild CE-100, a Dorado resonator guitar, a Cordoba classical, a lovely handmade O-size acoustic, a Deering banjo, a Danelectro nifty fifty, and a Fender Deluxe Reverb. In the past I've also owned an Epiphone Sheraton, '70's Gibson The Paul and a Washburn dreadnaught.
As far as my electrics go, this is the most versatile and reliable I've had, but it won't be the last I ever own either.
If it unexpectedly went bye-bye, I'd probably go Gibson or Guild.
It is a looker with a fancy name, but that's really not enough. I do love the electronics configuration and placement of all the knobs and switches.
The close out price made it accessible as far as pro gear goes, though my preference would have been a Guild Manhattan.
I wish the hardware was more reliable, though several high-end Gretsches I compared it too had worse electronics right off the rack, or buzzing frets, or more brittle tone.