Gretsch 6120-60

Year: 2001, made in Japan, Glossy poly finish, plywood hollowbody, nice orange stain, bound neck, body and f-holes,22 frets, great Bigsby, gold plated hardware, dual filtertron, 2 switch, one master volume and 2 volumes, etc... you are probably aware of the features by now if you are in the market for one.

I put a 8 because I dislike the poly finish and the wiring is a bit weird to me (I know it's the tradition but it's not very practical), also the roller bridge sucked and was hard to intonate, so I put a abr-1, gibson-like tune-o-matic. Also, for the price these guitars should come stock with TV Jones filtertrons.

I play mostly jazz (hard bop and Joe Pass style solo guitar) and I am playing a lot. In fact I used this guitar in various context (country and rock also), but jazz is really what I do the most, ranging from chord melody style to Benson-style hard-bop soloing. As you can imagine, I am aware that this is not the ideal jazz guitar and using this in a jazz context is a bit foolish in the first place but for some reason, I think this guitar is fine at the moment and fits me like a glove (physically) these days so I'll stick with it for now.

Let me say I've been using this guitar as my main for the 2 last years, so it's not a "honeymoon review". I use it mostly with flatwounds .011 and a Roland JC-120. The clean, dead flatwound sound coupled with the clean, sterile and dead sounding JC-120 result in an interesting sound that I seem to like sometimes (but I also hate it at times). It really is particular and I have some EQ settings to make it work. I am not sure about what I am doing right now since it sounds bad more often than not but I am trying to find a tone I have in my head and I obtain it about 25% of the time (I do sound like sh*t the rest of the time tonewise, but I don't sweat over it too much). The reason I am trying something different is that I am getting fed up of the ES-175 with the tone knob rolled halfways or even 335 sound that everybody and their brother are after in jazz nowadays.

Also, I had this country/psychobilly influence lately and discovered Horton Heat and these guys also using Gretsches and I try to put some of this "wildness" into my (too often purist and boring) jazz world.

I am still trying to learn how to deal with this sound I am after but one thing sure is that I'll re-wire it soon somehow in order to have a tone knob because a "mud switch" give me presets that are not versatile enough for me. Also, I may put some TV Jones.

I used it for rock and it was great. If you have ways of getting away with the feedback, this guitar really has an edge for rock/overdriven music I think. When overdriven, this guitar turns into a tone monster even with the stock pickups. I suggest (like everyone says) to have at least .011. Some people say that "you run out of things to play on it fast because it's not versatile", but if you're a good player, that's bullsh*t. Of course it has a distinctive voice but I used it at gigs without backups for everything, and from fast playing (shred style) to fingerpicking to blues wanking to "chug-chug", this guitar can do it all, all with a badass attitude. You may have feedback problems though if you play very loud or with lots of gain.

For rock, pop, etc, I'd rate 9. For jazz, I have no opinion yet because I am still working on that, but now probably around 6-7.

First of all let me say this: this guitar is light years ahead of the Korean electromatic serie (funny to see the review ratings being so high for these pieces of junk). This guitar is very solid (I never gig with a backup because my antidepressors make me feel optimistic and fearless!). I could setup the action very low without buzz. The guitar is a bit hard to keep in tune however. I hate the poly finish and now it started cracking all over the place, I don't care about the cracking, I just don't like the "new" feel especially under the neck and I know it will never feel "broken-in" like my '78 nitrocellulose LesPaul.

I have to say that no guitar had the visual effect of this one on other people. I generally don't care much about cosmetics but here, I ALWAYS get a comment or two (or more) at EVERY gig or audition about how nice it looks. Personally I think it looks almost "gaudy" but at the same time I kind of like it, especially for jazz: a world of big sunburst or natural archtop. The ebony board with small inlays is super sweet and the shape is awesome to me: just thick enough and comfortable. That's the main reason why I stay with it I guess. A flame top like the setzer would be a bit over the top.

I have to say again that the Electromatic feel like toys compared to this one (I finally tried a few today and couldn't believe how sh*tty they felt compared to mine).

I talked about it in the paragraph above. The strap button are amazing, the hardware is also amazing. The poly finish annoys me as I said earlier. I currently gig without a backup all the time.

I don't know anything about them and honestly I just hope everything will be fine because I don't believe in customer support. I will never ask help from these big corporate assh*les if a problem occurs. I know a skilled luthier that takes care of my guitars like no big conglomerate can.

I don't know if I have a warranty, and I don't care either, I won't call them for help as I said.

I have been playing for about 15 years. I am a college graduate in jazz performance and do it on the side at this moment. I will hopefully and finally do it full time soon! I also own a good LP and a good strat but this is now my #1 for basically everything I play. If it would be stolen, I would probably get the 6120 SSLVO (which is the lacquered version) because I don't like the poly and I know it won't get better in time. This guitar is obviously not in the same ballcamp as benedetto-like archtops (which is really what I should have to play jazz), but now I just don't have the maturity to care enough and bang it everywhere in the subways, etc. When played besides a custom carved archtop, these grestches feel like plywood POS, but I just stay away from better guitars in order to feel satisfied with what I have now. I'll switch to better soon, but at the moment I enjoy this sweet cheapo (compared to +$5000 custom archtops).

'93 6120-60 Reissue, Orange transparent finish, flamed on the head stock. Big hollowbody single cut away, Grover tuners, space-controller bridge(absolute junk) 2 toggle switches, gold hardware and chrome bigsby, 2 filtertron pickups, master tone, and two separate volumes for the pickups.

Pretty much I'm happy with everything except the bridge. The space controller bridge is a cool concept, but stupid and ineficient, and the bridge DOES move around when you play hard or palm mute too hard. I'm going to end up pinning the thing down after I replace the bridge with a tune-o-matic.

Sound is fantastic. Runs into a dyna comp, Keeley mod TS-9, Boss blues driver, delay, into a Goodsell Super17 1X12. I didn't really know what I was getting myself into. I played a couple of Gretsch guitars before, and now that I have one, I'm wondering what I have done the past couple years without it. The best way I can describe the sound is Rich, full, and smooth, with emphasis on the smooth. A lot of people complain about the "mudd" switch, but I don't have any problem with it. The switches are a little noisey, so those are probably going pretty soon along with the bridge.

Finish is awesome and even. Action is easy to set up. It has a zero fret, which adds a little more sustain with the open strings and allows me to slam the action way low.

As of right now, I'm giving it a 6. Is it reliable? It can be. That darn bridge moves too much. Once I replace the bridge and pin it down, then there will almost be no point in a backup guitar. Other than the bridge, I feel like this guitar can take the regular beating of being on the road.

I've been playing for 9 years now, and professionally for 3. I'm really getting into country and rockabilly right now, and this guitar is just opening up so many doors to different styles of music. I feel inspired to play it every time I think about it. I also own a Suhr Classic Strat, which is absolutely amazing as well. I probably wouldn't get another 6120-60 reissue if I lost this or it were stolen, but probably something like a Setzer model where the bridge is already pinned.

Mine is a '97 6120-60 MIJ. Two Filtertrons, two switches, three volume knobs and a bigsby. The previous owner tacked down the tunomatic bridge and installed Sperzels!

Everyone says, replace the electronics. I haven't yet, but will. Still, this guitar sounds killer. I always get comments on it when ever I gig with it. After thinking I wasn't a Gretsch-Guy, I ended up with this because of my love for Buffalo Springfield and CSN&Y tones. I play in a jam band that does Dead, CSN&Y, Dylan and some others. The Gretsch rocks! I usually use it with a few pedals and a Mesa Studio .22+ with an Altec speaker, a '90's Vox AC-15 or a Rivera S120-210 with a Roland Space Echo in the loop. I can go from warm jazz tones to screaming Neil Young solos.

The stock switches are noisy and physically rattle, the pots are pretty good, but doing the TV Jones upgrades can oly make this guitar better.

When I bought it, I had a repairman level the frets and do a set up. I use D'Addario XL 115's on it after trying a bunch of other strings. After I do the electronic upgrades, I'll try some tweaky strings like Snake Oil or Pyramid just to check 'em out but the XL 115's are good enough.
As I mentioned above, the switches rattle. When I first got it, I was trying to figure out where the rattle was and a friend reached over and grabbed the switches and the rattle went away.
So, cheap parts and high frets keep me from giving it a higher rating.

This guitar has a poly finish so it'll take some abuse. Not that I go out and try to trash my gear, but it gets played a lot. So it'll get bumbed and dinged. I don't worry about it.

When I bought the guitar it had a pickguard in the case pocket, the mounting bracket, but no screws. It took me months to finally get the screws for it. It was during the time that Fender was taking control of Gretsch, so maybe my request just got lost in the shuffle. I finally went to a dealer and after getting the wrong screws the first time, got the right ones.

I've been playing since some vintage guitars were new. I own lots of instruments, some vintage, some new, some home brews... I know guitars. I went to a bunch of guitar shows after I got bit by the Gretsch-bug and after playing a host of vintage and new Gretsch's, this was the best one for the money I had to spend. Best of all, no one else bought it in the six months between when I saw it at a guitar show and when I bought from the store.
I love the sound of it. It has a unique voice. It's something I couldn't get from other guitars. What I don't like is the cheap electronics, though it still sounds real good. I'm glad Fender has taken care of those problems.
If it were lost or stolen, I'd track it down or save up for a new G6120-59LTV.
Once I upgrade the electronics, I'll post another review.

Made 2003
22 frets
3 volumes, 1 3way tone switch and 1 3way pickup selector switch.
2 Gretsch Filtertrons
Passive electronics.
Transparent Western Orange finish.
Maple hollowbody construction.
Ebony fretboard.
Bigsby Vibrato tailpiece w/roller rocker bridge.
Non locking tuners
Hardshell case.

I play Rockabilly, Jump Swing, Bluesy , and harder Reverend type styles. Play through Fender 4 x 10 bassman and Dr Z Carman Ghia 2 x 10 combo. Effects, oh yeah my chord. Guitar is built extremely well and plays the same. Do your self a favor and call TV Jones and get pickups from him. Ditch the Fender Filtertrons. They are dogs. Next take the tone (MUD) switch out. And then take the individual volume pots out of the wiring and just use the master volume and move your pickup selector to the tone switch hole. Setzer does it and you should too. After these mods the guitar came alive.

The finish, action, fit were great from the factory. Wish it had bigger frets but I will wear these out soon enough and replace. Set-up is always a mute point. You always have to set the guitar up to you and your strings.

I waited to post my review for this section. I have played the hell out of this guitar in a working Rockabilly trio for almost three years and it has never let me down. Gretsch is making wonderfull guitars again and TV Jones has the correct pickups.

Company was great. I got this guitar at a special deal because I was working at a dealer.

Been paling 4 years. 20+ years as a drummer before this. If lost or stolen I would replace. I see Gretsch is now putting TV Jones in alot of there production models. Good for them. This is great guitar.

04 japan Terada factory(fender owned since jan 03) you know the features

sounds fantastic. Clean/Distorted. The ceramic filtertron bridge pick up has lots of low end!

Unplayable! I screwed down the wood bridge, installed tune-o-matic.This made the guitar a fantastic player! With 24.6 scale and .009's it bends real easy!(even with .040 fret hieght!-I will install dunlop 6105 frets when they wear down and go to .010's)I installed Shaller strap locks.I also have a set of Sperzals to installed. That zero fret needed to go down!It doesnt seem to hurt tuning.The guitar is constructed very cleanly. This axe needs some mods to make it perfect, so fit that into your budget.

Its all maple, so even thou its hollow, thats strong wood.I suggest watching temp changes. Always leave it in the case 20 minutes during temp changes. Like an airconditioned car to the summer out door heat.I would take it to a jam, but when youre playing a paying gig, always take a back up.

no idea

Guitar full time since 94.(dabbled since 72) Oh yes I would want another! I have a Carvin TL60T(at Least as good as a PRS)Gibson es-135(Man that needed a setup!)Dean biscuit resonator, ibanez archtop.Fender pro junior tube amp, Vox AD120VT . No other guitar has the charisma-mojo of a Gretsch! If my brother let me play his 4 Gretsch'es when I was a kid (72-up) I would probably have gotten one alot sooner.

2002 6120-60, 22 frets, the usual configuaration of knobs, TV Jones classic filtertrons, gotoh locking tuners, Tune O Matic bridge (pinned to body), Classic Gretsch orange, Bigsby
Always loved the look of this guitar (pickguard removed!!) with the dual toggles on top. Very Cool!

I am a bit of a Pete Townshend nut and had to get one of these knowing that he recorded most if his brilliant tunes with one. I was so used to my Les Paul Deluxe that at first this was a real shock. I am currently playing through a Bedrock Lead 50 Combo and it sounds great! Not sure about the tone toggle I keep it mainly in the middle (pretty drastic change in either up or down position) Absolutely great sound, I've played a 1959 and this plays and sounds very close. I thought i'd be disappointed when I got it in the mail because I read alot of reviews saying it didn't have the sustain of the older ones...I must've got lucky 'cause this thing sounds fantastic!

No flaws, Plays like a dream, previous owner did everything right!

I never gig without a backup, security blanket i guess. Solid Solid Solid!!! a very well built guitar, which is good because I don't baby any of my instruments they get beat on.

N/A

This is about the 50th guitar I've owned, always trying to find THE ONE - this may be it! Still love my 1976 Les Paul Deluxe and my Gibson J45 for acoustic but this thing just makes me play better. what a neck, so fast! I really need to find a great amp for this guitar (bedrock suits les paul better than gretsch) feel free to email sugestions...i can't afford the '59 3X10 Fender Bandmaster :)

2002 Japan made 60's re-issue nashville 6120
Same configuration as above:
22 frets, dual filtertrons, bigsby tremolo, bar bridge etc...

Straight bar bridge can't be adjusted to an individual string.
The guitar is never perfectly in tune.
It's the only negative thing i have to add.
My guitar stays well in tune, even when lowering pitch with a tremolo arm or tuned down in d.

I play Psychobilly & other hard rock n' roll in a band.
I've had lots of different guitars and nashville is simply the best
instrument i've ever played with.
I play thru a Marshall head & 4x12 cabinet in rehearsals & live.
I know my amp ain't a 59'bassman but it still sounds fine.
Gretsch responds greatly to nuances even when distorted in 200bps tempo.
DOES NOT FEEDBACK! Overall sound is full and rich, but as someone wrote earlier it is not as the old ones. Too shabby bottom-end and low sustain makes a huge difference between this and old U.S. made ones. Too thick body maybe causes this bottom-end problem??

Bought the guitar used, Tone and pickup swithes are customised opposite.
(like in Brian Setzer moedr and few other ones!)
Did not show any signs of weariness.
Original owner had it like a month or something and sold it to me.
Had to configure pickup heights & poles to get my sound.
I think the guitar was in a factory config when i got it in my hands.
Not much to complain about.

Like i said. Best instrument i've ever had, does not have uncontrolled feedback. Haven't even broke a string! (but changed them often!)
VERY reliable.

Never had to.
Is there a customer support in finland?!

I've been playing for 17 years or something..
I've got cheap synchromatic sparkle jet 1616 and Fender lite ash strat.
Some other crappy guitars. Tons of EFX, a roland chorus cube amp ( so bad that it's good)
If someone stole my guitar i would mutilate that person and feed the remains to my pets. Sure i would get that same model back again, I love it!
I love the looks, feel and sound of it.
Bar bridge and Hard access to upper frets are things that make it lose the "perfect guitar" award this time. But it's not made for heavy-metal tap licks though.
Really, among many other gretsches it the best tool for rock n' roll.

this is a 2000 model Gretsch 6120 1960 reissue.The 6120-60 is a very close replica of the original. Ebony fingerboard(have one and you'll never want rosewood again), pickup selector with master tone switch, which suits me perfectly because I never touch a tone control, unless it's to turn it all the way off for that muddy-jazz-ryhthym tone, and this axe lets me do that with just the flick of a switch. Master volume w/individual pickup volume, bigsby tailpiece, roller bridge, rock maple neck with neo-classic inlays, original looking filtertron pickups with patent number on them. My Uncle owns an original '60 Gretsch and about the only noticeable difference is the tailpeice and tuning keys. On his original the tuners are open gear type, and the tailpiece is a Gretsch by Bigsby, in other words it bears the Grtesch logo no the Bigsby logo. Also the top is much thinner on the old one.

I know that most people praise Gretsch for their sound. I'm not saying they don't sound good because they do. I've owned and gigged with mine every weekend for 4 years now as my main and only axe I take with me. They are great. But they do not have the sound of the old ones. As I said, My uncle owns an original, and I think that the thinner top on the old ones contributes greatly to their sound. I love the sound of the new ones, but they have no sustain, I guess thats what I miss mostly. The tone is very similar, but the sustain isn't there. I have noticed though that since I've wowned mine (four years) it has gotten enormously better sounding. The longer I have it it seems the better the sustain and tone. I use very few effects. I play in a rockabilly group and I have never really tried to copy any ones sound. I knew what I wanted to hear, and a gretsch was the first thing I heard that gave me whatI was looking for. I play mine through a fender Tone Master amp and a roland re-201 space echo. I play through the drive channel of the tone master all of the time, and one thing that I do love about the gretch is that it is very responsive and touch sensitive, I don't use alot of dirt I just the gain knob on about 31/2-4 or so and if you play with a light touch, especially in the middle position, it's almost totally clean, then switch to the bridge and play harder and it starts to get loud and dirty, bear down on it and just rock it and it will peel your face off with incredibly nasty marshall stack sounding overdrive. All without touching a pedal. Thats what I love about it so much. But what the new ones miss that the old ones have is brightness without being harsh. The tone is very bright and clean, all the notes are distinct and crystal, but the old one will get bright to the point of tears, almost a sizzle on top, but it never gets offensive. My new gretsch won't get that sizling high end without everone in the audience looking like you have a laser beam for a voice coil in your speaker. Also my group is 3 piece so everything has to sound huge, and the new gretsch needs a little more dirt to sound full with 3 piece. I have never played a full gig with my uncles old 6120, because, well I don't guess I have to get into why, but I have played it out a few times, and you can play it totally clean and it still sounds full, the new ones don't quite have this ability. Totally clean its a little thin, especially the bridge. The neck pickup is great and the middle position, but the bridge position needs a little something to fatten it up and take the edge off. Maybe in 40 or so years..........

this is an area whre the new Gretcsh's outshine the old. It is light years ahead of the origianl. I bought the guitar brand new and it played absolutley perfect when I took it out of the case. the only change I made to the guitar was the strings. It came with an enormous set of wound G junper cables from the factory. I switched them out for a set of elixer mediums, .011-.049. The truss rod has been adjusted twice since I have owned it, once shortly after I changed the factory strings, and again about two years ago. The only modifiaction I have had done to the guitar is replacement of the zero fret. After I had owned the guitar about 6 months I started have serious tuning troubles. I was perplexed by this because the gutair tuned perfectly up until then. As normal fret wear occurs, the zero fret (which the strings ride on all the time) becomes grooved. Then what you have is a steel string trying to slide through a steel groove in a fret. Needless to say this ia a high friction joint. but filing the zero fret means filing all the frets because the zero fret also acts as a nut. So the solution for me was to remove it and replace it with a graphite nut. I know this sounds like major surgery but it is actually very simple. Simply very carefully work the zero fret out of its groove, it is not glued in, it will come right out - just be careful. Then using a .020 thick fret tang saw, saw just barely through the fingerboard in the slot which the zero fret was in. This will be the exact location of the new nut. I used a graphite nut blank and fitted it myself, then all you need to do is reuse the piece of fingerboard you cut out to cover the naked area behind the new nut. I would suggest this mod to anyone owning a zero fret gretsch that plans on playing it alot. Just take a look at the setzer models, they don't use a zero fret for this very reason. Overall the Gretsch is a VERY high quality insrument. There are no gaps in the binding,not even around the F-holes, this is very rare for any mass produced guiatr, and the finish is slicker and smoother than any Gibson or Fender I have seen in quite some time. The tuners are nice, and all the switches and pots are very quiet also.

I have owned my Gretsch for four years, and for the last two I have played it an average of 3 nights a week at bars night clubs all over the country, and it has never given me one seconds trouble of any kind. It has been knocked over, dropped, I let a strap button get loose one time and it fell off of me into the middle of a crowded dance floor, and it's had beer spilled on it or in it (yes they are water tight if you get beer in your f-holes) more times than I care to remember. This is one tough Guitar!! I do use strap locks on mine (now) and the only thing I could say that needs improving is the gold plating. The tuning keys on mine are still quite gold, but the master volume knob is, for all intents and purposes, silver now. Also the bridge pickup is worn to the silver right where my pinky finger rubs it when I play. This is to be expected though because I sweat like a whore in sunday school the whole time I'm playing. I'd say your average person would get years and years of good life out the gold plating.

I have never had any need for customer support so I couldn't really say

I think the gretsch is a great guitar. As I said I have been gigging with mine hard for two years now. I also own a tele, and I still think is the most universal guitar in the world, you can do anything on a telecaster and get close. the gretsch doesn't quite have the versatility in that respect. What they do have is an unmistakable tone. I used to take a tele and a paul with me to every gig, and I would end playing all night after about the first set, because it jst played so damn good, and the sound was absolutey perfect for what I was playing. the paul always sounded a little to muddy and undistinct, and the tele was just the other end of specrtum, it shines in larger 6 or 7 piece gruops because of it's amazing ability to cut through any amount of "noise" and be heard. But it's thin sounding in a three piece band being the only guitar. I suppose the best thing about a gretsch (besides the incredible coolness factor) is that they are liberating. When you hear one for the first time, you'll remeber it always, they are distinct, and mine has allowed me to play things and do things and express myself in a way I never thought possilbe. If your looking for a sound all your own, buy a gretsch.

My Gretsch 6120-60 paperwork says it was built(or shipped?) Sept02. I bought it in Nov02.I had wanted one since the Sray Cats days, and done pretty good research on them over the years. This guitar was assembled and finished in Japan from semi-finished US made maple bodies, necks and US made hardware, then shipped back to.. Guitar Center of course.
22 frets, and a zero fret.
Laminated, maple top.
Master volume(my 1st guitar with m/v)on cutaway bout. Individual p/u vol on lower bout, and p/u select and tone switches on top upper bout.
Standard neck and bridge p/u config.
Re-issue Gretsch Mfg. Filtertron pickups.
Passive system.
Solid maple back and sides.2pc laminated maple neck with an ebony stringer(or possibly an inlay)down the back of the neck. Ebony fretboard w/pearl half-moon markers, and black dot markers on the white top fretboard binding. Ebony bridge base. Tiger maple headstock overlay.
High gloss, over the requisite transparent orange stain throughout.I have noticed after checking out alot of these guitars a wide range of woodgrain on the tops, all are nice, but some are really outstanding, look at alot of these before you buy.
Hollow body w/rounded cutaway. 16"lower bout,12"upper, avg 2-3/4" thick. No center block.
Gold, Gretsch"Space Roller"bridge w/black painted and polished aluminum B-6 Bigsby tailpiece.
Gold, Grover non-locking tuners w/Gretsch logo.
Ebony fretboard.Scale length is 24-3/4"from the zero fret to the saddles.Gibson size,but the neck is thinner than on a les paul and the frets are about 1/2 the width of the les paul's "jumbo" frets. I like these frets alot, they are a little taller than I was used to, but they reward you with really ringing chords and great articulation and definition of slid notes.
An excellent Gretsch HSC was included.

I like to play in a variety of stlyes and have found this guitar to be really versatile, but its best used mainly as the rockabilly/psycobilly and even country and jazz weapon that it is.
TUBE AMPS ONLY!! the dynamics of the filtertron pickups really come in to play with a tube amp, and p/u volume and picking attack variations provide an endless variety of nice tones.
I am playing through a Fender re-issue 65 twin reverb but not often,(neighbors) w/o a master volume you have to crank it to get it to sound right,or use a box(TubeScreamer)which I do but...the Fender BluesJunior is what I mostly use. This little amp is awsome! It's a 15w all-tube amp with a 1x12Fender special design speaker, it runs two EL84 and three 12AX7 tubes. It has pre-amp and power amp volume controls, Bass/Mid/Treb and Reverb controls and a "fat" switch.It's plenty loud! In psycobilly mode,the Gretsch is run through a Boss tuner/power pedal>Crybaby 535q wah>Ibanez tube screamer>DOD fx96 echo>DOD fx65 stereo chorus(not always on) to either amp with slightly scooped midrange settings.Look out Rev!
This guitar is not noisy,there is sometimes popping heard when you hit the tone switch. But I only hit that switch by accident. It's true that this guitar sounds muddy with the switch anywhere except the middle position. You can make it work, but you'll need to tweak your amp settings. Feedback is controllable,musical,and alot of fun!
Even though this guitar is all maple,it is not as bright sounding as you would think. Maple solid body guitars are more focused and over brightness can be a problem, but a hollow body has more "give" and I think maple has the inherent brightness(and strength) to compensate for the design and produce a very balanced sound.
Nothing else sounds like this guitar, from dark brooding plaintive clean tones, to high octane overdriven crunch, to fingerstyle nashville "chicken pickin" all available by adjusting volume and attack.
While you can substitute this guitar for a hummbucker equipped Gibson in some situations, you cannot sub for the Gretsch for that Rockabilly/Psycobilly,roots music,even jazzy sound thats instantly recognizable and authentic.

I was quite fortunate in that my guitar was in a factory sealed case when I got it. No one had ever messed with it at all, so I can tell you that the factory set-up was perfect(at least for me)very low action but no buzzing even when spanked. Intonation was,and is still right on.It holds its tuning very well, but is a little sensitive to temp/humidity changes.Play for five minutes,retune,it's good all night.
The pickups were adjusted at the correct height with no discernible volume difference between bridge and neck pickup when switching while playing, and set close enough to deliver all your picking dynamics clearly and cleanly.
Laminated top, single piece, not bookmatched.
Flawless finish, the woodgrain really "pops".Even though this is not quilted maple,there are a few small areas of quiting on the top and elsewhere that look great.Hardware is nice.Quality gold plating on the pickup covers,bridge,knobs and tuners. Everything was/is tight and looked/looks great.Not showing any wear yet.
OK, I'm finally going to say something bad about this guitar. Two stupid things and one thing I don't know about yet. 1)The plastic pickup rings on this brand new guitar were cracked from over-tightening the screws.I found this to be common on nearly all the Gretches in stock. Thats stupid. 2)The rear strap button stud wasn't glued in.Lastly, recently started to occasionally cut-out when neck p/u selected,but it comes right back when I flick the switch, it does get used alot though.

This isn't a fragile little toy, you can beat on it(almost) without mercy.
I do worry about the bridge moving during hard Bigsby usage especially in a slack tuning, but it hasn't happened.All the hardware is in excellent condition.
The finish still looks like glass.The Guitar sounds better to me now than when I first got it, a sign that the finish isn't too thick and will only get better sounding.
Been playing it daily for almost a year and it's not showing any wear.
I didn't like the strap buttons at first, you have to unscrew the knob completely off, put the strap over the stud, then screw it back on. However, this has saved me from ruining my strap ends as they don't need to be stretched over a big knob,and they are solid, so now I like them.
I am not a professional so nobody is getting fired if my guitar glitches out, but still, it's never happened. No backup needed.

No problems yet, and I dont know how Fender's purchase of Gretsch will affect parts and service. Especially on a "pre-fender" Gretsch.
Only a 1 year warranty so take good care of it!!

Been playing 25yrs with a 10yr break in there somewhere. Other guitars:74 Gibson LP standard,Dean Bel-Aire.
I knew what I was getting and that there are compromises you make for this guitar,like the tone switch,and possible tuning issues. But also knowing there are fixes for these as they have been Gretsch issues for years.
If it were stolen I would hate it. Then replace it.
I really love the sound, hollow body guitars have a sound thats got an extra dimension to it thats hard to describe but easy to hear and feel. This one has ton of it.
What's not to like? When it does need a new bridge I'll go with a tune-o-matic, when it does need tuners I'll get the Sperzels,but not till its needed. Other than that I wouldn't change a thing.
You can't really compare this guitar to solid body guitars, Metallica riffs sound much better on the les paul, but there currently is no "box" or computer algorithm that can replicate the sound of a Gretsch.
I take this guitar live every chance I get. This guitar is about sound AND attitude!! You feel like a bad-ass when you've got this baby slung low with the lights hitting it. I swear this guitar makes me play better, I don't want to disrespect it with lame music!!
I just wish I had enough hair for a DA!

I bought this used and the previous owner had already "Hotrodded" it the way I would have done if it were a new guitar. TV Jones pickups, Switchcraft switches, tune-O-matic bridge. I have to say I like the look of the tone switch but would like the flexibility of a dial. The only thing I may add is locking tuners. Even though I use the bigsby alot and it stays in tune fairly well I think it would benefit from a set of Sperzels. The only reason I rate this an 8 is due to the lack of tone adjustment and a couple of minor finish flaws.

This guitar ROCKS! I play rockabilly, 50's and 60's garage rock with some surf undertones. I run it thru a Prescription Electronics Fuzz, a friends Turbo Rat (which I will soon be eliminating from my set up and replacing with a better overdrive pedal), into an old digitech rack mount processor that I use only as an splitter into a Carvin Bel Air and a Reverend Hellhound.I am very pleased with the tones I get out of this set up. I want to have some type of echo but not sure if I want to go with a old tape unit or try my luck with a modeling type.
Any advice would be appreciated.

When I purchased the guitar, it was set up wonderfully. I did notice a couple of tiny flaws in the finish that were from the factory. Overall a beautiful, classy looking guitar. I would almost rate it a "10".

Seems very durable. I will be using it out in clubs with a backup, but thats just in case of a string break and I would do that with any guitar I own.

Have not dealt with the company. I notice they don't get into production details on their website (like where they are building them!). From looking at the site you would assume they are built in the US. No warranty.

I've been playing about 35 years. I have owned Rickenbackers, numerous Gibsons (ES125, 59'LesPaul Junior, Tobacco Les Paul Standard), Strats, Lawsuit Ibanez destroyer, a couple of Danos, and numerous other guitars over the years. I would buy another 6120 if this one were stolen or lost. It is a splendid guitar. I have to agree with one of the other reviews that you need to play a few to pick out the one that "speaks" to you (as with any other guitar).

Standard Factory 6120-60 RI
I love this guitar. The people I met that have run into problems with this model guitar 99% of the time didn't research what they were buying and didn't play enough of the same model to find the one that spoke to them. This a hollow body and a very organic guitar. WHat do I mean by organic? Well I played 14 6120's and was amazed by how different each of them felt and even sounded. Find a dealer where you can really play a decent amount of Gretsches or better yet the same model. The debate between the RI's (Re-issues) and the original is still up in the air. I personally liked the new filtertron pickups in the RI's and the guitar that 'spoke' to me was an RI. DO I regret I didn't buy the 67'? No.

But understand that in buying a 6119 or a 6120 you are buying a very fine instrument. But they are toward the middle (6120) to bottom (6119) end of the Gretsch models. Not having so many bells and whistles but enough that you can keep it as it is and play the hell out of it and keep it 'standard' or slowly start to upgrade and mod. Like a fine hotrod. And these guitars just asked to modded! Other style bigsby's, TVJones PU's, wide variety of bridges, pickgards, tuners, etc... Don't get me wrong, the standard factory line looks and sounds amazing. Modding is just a personal thing, either for looks or tone.

I play Rockabilly, Jump Blues, Bee-Bop, and Swing. It fits perfectly to this style of playing. And listen, you just spent over a grand on a great guitar, don't go plugging it into a Marshall or Crate. Give this instrument some respect and fork over the money for a good vintage or at the very least tube amp. ;) But if you plan to play a Gretsch through a little Peavey practice amp, then maybe this isn't the guitar for you.

If you set it up correctly, and/or have the seller set it up for you, the guitar is a piece of art. Great action, surprisingly light for it's size. It's a real instrument. Feels very organic. Hollow bodies are the way to go.
I love the mix of the Silver brushed metal look of the bigsby contrasted with the the other gold hardware. The Gold on the spacer adjustment bridge where I rest my hand to mute has started to go after about 7 months, but I do play the heck out of this thing and happen to like the worn look on the metal hardware. The body looks like brandnew.

I've had no problems with this guitar. I gig weekly and play the hell out of this little darlin'. The strap buttons were an issue at the beginning, all in my head. I never had them come loose and give them a good tight turn before I start to play. If you want locking strap buttons, go for the schallers but you may hear them click through the amp every now and then. Okay things I have seen but not experienced, from my other gretsch buddies.

- Clicking switches heard through the amp.
Wiring harness issue, maybe bad or dirty pot

- Going out of tune.
Most likely your guitar isn't set up correctly. A bigsby can take a lot of abuse and still stay in tune.

- Listen to it, play it. Play a cariety of gretsch models that have different PU's find the sound YOU want.

- Most importantly head over to http://www.gretschpages.com for any info you may crave or if you just want to talk with gretsch experts.

Haven't had to deal with them. :)

I became a member at http://www.gretschpages.com, all about gretsch guitars and amps and have learned so much, I can almost repair and install anything and everything I will ever need to on this baby.

10 because I researched and took the time to find what I wanted. I play through a 1946 Dan Electro, 1965 Valco Supro, and hopefully soon some kind of 60's Fender VibroKing or Bassman.

2001 6120-60. Filtertrons, Bigsby, space control bridge, tone control. Don't really like the tone switch control, since I use only one setting exclusively (the other two sound like your guitars played underwater). Would prefer a tone knob. Great ebony fingerboard, the nice feature of this guitar compared to other Gretsches. The zero fret is good as well - keeps the open strings balanced.

Just great sounding. Blows away my Gretsch Syncromatic. For Rockabilly and Surf this guitar is it. Has that deep, rich sound on the lower strings.

The action and feel of the guitar was great, though the shop set it up before I bought it, so I don't know how the factory set up is.

The flaw of this guitar is tuning. Bend a string, out of tune, use the Bigsby, out of tune, move that bridge, out of tune. Especially that damn G string.

I think a few remedies will fix this though. I plan on installing Sperzels, maybe changing the bridge to tune-o-matic, and at least taping down the bridge if I stick with the Space Control one. Supposedly, greasing the nut helps keep it in tune better as well.

I'd recommend one of the Setzers for prospective Gretsch buyers. They come with Sperzels and a tune-o-matic bridge.

Still, it sucks to buy a $1600 guitar and then have to start modifying it just to keep it in tune.

It's a well built and tough guitar. Once I get the tuning stable I'll have more confidence in it. The Bigsby is pretty much worthless right now until the Sperzels are on there.

Haven't dealt with em' yet

This guitar is a lot of fun, sounds great, and of course, looks awesome. By the way, orange is the only color to get a gretsch. Once I make some mods, I think I'll be very happy. Would recommend a Setzer over it however.

1996 Japanese made. Filtertrons, Bigsby - the usual. This is the one with the tone selector switch rather than a knob. Faux flame on the headstock, but not the body. A historically accurate, but impractical feature the floating roller bridge instead of tune-a-matic style bridge. If you play up the neck, and like to bend, you'll be tweaking the intonation every week or two. If you're not familiar with these guitars, it really is a hollow-body - there is no feedback controlling block like a 335. Know what you're getting into. None of this is bad, but it's not modern and you need to know that.

It does 50s and early 60s styles well - surf, rockabilly, Chuck Berry, and jazz if you roll back the tone controls. I found the pickups to be pretty middle-of-the-road and had them re-wound by a Gretsch specialist, and had the tone capacitors swapped out to match the pre-baldwin specs. A much more satisfying sound afterward - I think a guitar like this shouldn't be too polite. That's what Jazz boxes are for. For the price, you'd expect that great gretsch sound out of the case, but I had to pay for additional mods to get it.

Almost forgot - this guitar really likes a Fender tube amp.

Much better build quality than the pre-baldwin guitars. Binding an neck joint were flawless. Setup isn't really a fair question as it moves around a lot on these guitars by design. I think it goes with the floating bridge + Bigsby territory and you've got to deal with it. I would say that a Gretsch should have a set of 12s on it to sound right, though to do the Chuck Berry unison bends, you've got to swap the wound G string for a solid one. I know that people like lighter gauges, but if you want that woody chunky rhythm sound, use the heavier strings. This isn't a tele.

Tough question. It's reliable for what it is. I've replace the entire electrical harness. The pots and switches were scratchy, and the intonation needs constant watching. Bring a backup for sure.

You get this for a certain mojo and look as well as the sound. It's like getting a brand new `57 chevy. It doesn't corner like a new BMW, but that's not the point. You get it because it's cool, it's what you want, and you can handle the limitations. If you like roots music, psychobilly, or anything in that range, this is your guitar. If you want an anvil and can't be bothered, think about a tele.

99 model reissue of 59-60 model.Hollowbody,orange finish.Filtertron ceramic pickups,bigsby vibrato arm,ebony fretboard,gold hardware,grover machine heads,maple neck and body.This has the fatter neck then the regular 6120 or Brian Setzer model,but it has a thinner taper then a standard les paul.Fretwire is smaller then any les paul or strat I have played.

Talk about that great gretsch sound,this guitar has it.The filtertrons sound fantastic,and are very unique.Perfect for rockabilly,surf,and early beatles.I had to shim the pickup height on the bridge pickup to get more response and a better mix when using both.It has a 3 way tone swith rather then a knob that's only good at the max,but I have never set a tone knob on anything other then 10 anyway.

I set the action higher because I like it that way.The neck was the straitest I have ever seen and not a buzz anywhere.The only problem is the high E gets caught under the 3rd fret wire when doing heavy pulloffs on the open string.The finish is beautiful,but I passed on one at a different store becasue the translocent orange didn't cover the grain in spots,and there was a weak spot at the neck joint.

So far this seems to be a pretty durable guitar,especially for a hollowbody.The finish appears very durable,and all reports I have seen confirm this.The hardware is high quality.I have heard of people having problems with the strap buttons,but mine are fine so far.I normally play a strat also for gigging so I always have a backup,but thats more for sound variety then a lack of confidence in the gretsch.

So far I have had no need to contact the company,but I have heard of people having problems with them.

I have been playing for 27 years and have had many quality guitars.I would rate this as high as anything I have played.The quality of construction and attention to detail are better then my les paul standard.If it were stolen or lost I would replace it immediatly after killing the person who stole it.Its a pain to string with the bigsby,and shimming the pickup was a pain,but its all more the worth the sound this guitar has.

This is the Japanese-assembled reissue made to look like a 1958-1960 era Gretsch 6120. It's all laminated maple with an ebony fingerboard and a flamed maple veneer on the headstock. It has the thumbprint inlays, oversized f-holes, and orange finish one would expect on a Gretsch like this. It has the post 1958 era electrics and controls: 2 humbuckers with a 3-position selector, a 3-position preset tone switch, a master volume knob on the upper treble bout, and individual volumes for each pickup on the lower bout. The ceramic Filter 'Tron pickups have higher output than the original alnicos to please modern players who appreciate quieter guitars. Construction techiniques are more modern, as well. The neck is set much more firmly then vintage Gretsches. The tuners are excellent quality. I have replaced the bridge, but more for my personal tastes than for a quality issue. After 5 years of use, the pots are about as scratchy as any 5 year old guitar I have owned. I clean the jacks and pots a coulple of times a year and haven't experienced any embarrassing on stage from failures. It would be nice if the electrics weren't merely average -- the rest of the guitar is top notch.

These guitars are much more versatile than their Rockabilly image would lead one to believe. I play some surf, some loungey stuff, some rockabilly-ish stuff, some blues, some jazz, some country, and the Filter 'Trons (when dialed into an appropriate amp) seem up to any task I throw at them. I play mostly clean tones, but with an occasional bluesy crunch. Sit down with a Line 6 Pod and dial through the different amp styles, play with the tone settings -- you'll be amazed at the versatility. Beatles-style sounds can be had with flatwounds and a Vox. Duane Eddy? Big strings, a 1x15 amp with 6550's and your there. Surf? Blackface and lighter gauge. Jazz? Try it through a Polytone or JC120. High-gain stuff? Careful now, this IS a hollowbody! So long as you can work with lower volumes, the Filter 'Trons work well even with Mesa Boogie-style hollowed overdrive; though you should expect more microphonics than you'd get from a Strat. I play through a combination of amps. For may music, I find that for thicker tones, Fender tweeds combine nicely with the Filter 'Trons. The higher output ceramics put you into overdrive territory you couldn't achieve with a vintage Gretsch without a stomp box. For a more articulate tone, I go through a Sovtek Tube Midget (think JTM 45) going in to a 2x12 cabinet loaded with WeberVST Californias. I am amazed at the versatility I can get from the sounds. I have played through 5881s, El34s, El84s, 6550s, solid state -- they all create different textures with this guitar -- but they all work.

Fit and finish is top notch. Unfortunately, though, most guitar shops don't know how to properly set up a guitar with a floating bridge. I have seen some nightmare set-ups. I can't blame Gretsch for that, though. The flawless thin poly finish seems to let the guitar breathe much more than those thick 1980s poly finishes. The finish and construction is light-years ahead of vintage Gretsches.

I haven't experienced any unexpected problems in 5 years. I have used it without a backup many times. Maybe I'm tempting fate, but I am pretty confident about this guitar. One should treat it like a hollow body with a floating bridge, mind you... but it's much more solid than most hollows I have used in the past. With less scratchy pots and a little more solid strap buttons, this would be a 10.

I have contacted Gretsch through my dealer to buy parts for other guitars -- I have never had a problem with them. A lot of folks don't seem to understand that Duke Kramer's shop is respsonsible for parts in America and end up blaming Gretsch for the misunderstanding. Whatever. They didn't knock my socks off with service, but they definitely did what I expected.

I've been playing for 13 years. This was my fourteenth guitar in that time. There is no doubt in my mind that this Gretsch is "my" guitar from this point forward. Nothing else has come close. If it were stolen, I'd hunt down the thief and kill them. These are not inexpensive guitars, but compared to rival Gibsons they are rock bottom cheap. I can't recommend them enough.