Gretsch 6120

G 6120 DSW (dyna-sonic western). beautiful orange finish, love the kooky inlays. everything about the guitar has personality by the bucketload. I bought it second hand from ebay a few days ago, and I never usually put reviews on the internet but I am so blown away by this thing I thought I should make an exception.

I played one about a year ago in a guitar shop and my jaw fell on the floor. I didn't have any money at the time so I took the stores number and tried to call the shop a few weeks later. No answer. I tried again a few days later. No answer. This went on for months, until one day someone picked up. It had been sold. Ever since I have been on the lookout for one, and I happened upon one on ebay and thank god it plays and sounds exactly like the one I had previously fallen in love with.

Here's the blurb from the gretsch site for my model:

This tribute to the early Gretsch Chet Atkins Hollow Body models of the mid-'50s features full western appointments, including a "G" brand on the upper bout, western-engraved fingerboard inlays and a steer's head headstock inlay. Other features include a 2 3/4"-deep laminated maple body, dual DynaSonic??? single-coil pickups, polished Bigsby?? vibrato tailpiece with vintage flat handle, Grover?? Sta-Tite??? machine heads, "arrow" knobs, aged binding, gold hardware and Western Maple Stain finish.

As far as features for guitars go, the only thing that matters is how you can control the sound on the guitar. From that respect, I really like the control setup on this guitar - a master volume, individual volumes for neck and bridge pickup and a shared tone control, as well as a 3 way selector switch. It's simple to get to grips with, and is just very nice to use - setting up mixed sounds in the middle position is easy as you have the master volume to sort things out quickly. There is so much versatility in this guitar with these controls, there isn't much this guitar can't do apart from really heavy distorted sounds.

I sold my les paul to get this and thank god I did. The les paul was a good guitar, but it didn't really "speak" to me. I think I didn't play music heavy enough to warrant the guitars grunt, and so it was a slight mis-match. This guitar, however, is a perfect fit. I also have a strat which i really like using, but I can tell the gretsch is going to be my go-to guy for a long time.

I have a very eclectic musical taste, but when I play guitar I generally stick to clean / slightly overdriven sounds. I'm a big fan of note articulation, hearing all the notes in a chord, and the 6120 is very good in that regard.

I haven't used it with my effects pedals yet, just messed about with reverb (it sounds amazing with lashings of the stuff)

The reason I wanted to post this review was just to say this - this is the best sounding guitar I have ever played, full stop. It has a huge amount of touch responsiveness, you can set up an on the edge of crunch tone, and when you play sofly it responds with a beautiful 3-D sound, but if you dig in it comes alive and barks like a wild dog. It can really do most styles of music as long as they don't require huge amounts of gain, as it can get a little mushy and obviously the feedback problems. Saying that though, as another review has said, this thing can feedback in a very musical and controlled way. All three positions on the pickup selector switch give you wonderful tones, and all are so useful. All I can say is try one out if you get the chance, you won't be dissapointed.

I got it second hand so I don't know about factory set up, but it plays wonderfully so the previous owner obviously took good care of her.

Its a beautiful guitar. Just simply beautiful.

It's new, so I don't know yet, but it seems well built.

n/a

simply the best guitar i've ever played. i was also thinking about getting a 335 instead of the 6120, but the 6120 just seemed to have the extra x factor in every department, though no disrepect to the 335, its a great guitar with amazing sounds of its own but i think the 6120 is actually more versatile and handles gained sounds better.

made in 2004 in Japan, golden anniversary model, 22 fret (no zero fret) laminated maple with metallic gold finish, nitrocellulose lacquer, 2 TV Jones 'filtertron' humbuckers, separate volume controls plus master volume, pup selector plus 3 way tone selector, maple neck,ebony fretboard with thumbnail mop markers, ebony floating bridge (not fixed), roller bridge, gold plated bigsby, grover sta-tite tuners, basically a souped up bling bling 6120 with all the trimmings, hard case with certs etc. It has the sound post bracing, not the trestle bracing like the setzer models and falcons. The trestle bracing apparently increases sustain and reduces feedback, but i prefer personally a quicker decay, more twang than braaaang, still not as twangy as a dynasonic equipped model but i think its the combination which best suits me.
This is a new old stock model, got ??1000 off list price, the TV Jones pups and nirocell lacquer swung it for me.

ahhhh! Wanted a Gretsch to complete my guitar collection, trying to cover all bases and each guitar i own i play slightly differently and enjoy in different ways. I'm a big fan of 60's garage/freakbeat/psychodelic, basically 60s pop rock, and started to notice a sound that my other guitars couldn't really quite manage - that Gretsch fat twang! Of course the 6120 nails it, mostly through a Vox AC30CC1 with neodog speaker. Powerful, articulate, twangy, bright, but not harsh, vintage, chiming, raunchy, huge, responsive, delicate when tickled, aggressive when beaten in anger etc. I really like the tone switch, or 'mud switch' as it used to be referred to. I believe Gretsch changed the capacitor values to make the switch more useable, it is usually left wide open, but i like knocking back the trebles occasionally - really not that far away from the ES335 57 classics, less midrangy but very useful. Can get pretty jazzy on the neck pup, but i admit i prefer the ES335 for jazz noodlings.
Responds great to more experimental chord shapes, each string complements the other in a very pleasing manner.
Minimal humming, clean and fruity. Through higher gain amps (an Orange tiny terror and marshall tsl half stack) it's pretty close to Malcolm Young territory, more gain it can feed back quite musically, but I rarely go there! I have actually started playing a bit of rockabilly, it just begs to be put through the normal channel with brilliance engaged and a nice little slap back delay. Never listened to that particular style before, but it's one of the things i love about getting a new guitar of a different style - discovering a love of other types of music. I used to be very much a 'plug into valve amp and play' kind of guy, but over the past couple of years have developed a bit of a fuzz fetish, have a few different types, including homemade tonebender replica, MI Audio 'neofuzz', of course the zvex fuzz factory, and this gretsch sounds raucously filthy through them. From house of the rising sun to the beatles to the music machine and electric prunes and count five, this guitar hammers it all home.
It's the only guitar that can sound like a gretsch, it has to be a 10

Came from Peter Cooks music in England - very pleasant and prompt people to deal with, and great pricing, but expensive carriage fees. They set it up before sending it, although i normally prefer to set guitars up myself - it's a very personal thing. However, i havent touched the set up since getting it. Well, i put a bit of pencil graphite in the nut slots, and a taste of 3 in 1 around the bigsby and bridge, but other than that intonation was pretty much spot on - something i was a little bit worried about due to the rocker bridge. I think it probably has 11 or 12s on it, these unfixed bridges need a bit of extra pressure to keep them in place, so i believe. Going nuts with the bigsby will put her out of tune, but I can get away with a fair amount of wiggling without a problem now that i've lubed it up a bit, and I am a little obsessive about tuning. Action is medium, i like to have the option of beating the crap out of my guitars from time to time without too much buzzing, it's always a trade off, but I can get reasonable speeds out of it, it aint no Jackson/ibanez wank machine for sure (that's what me Jackson wank machine is for!), but thank god it doesn't sound like one either! Pups are directly screwed into the body, height adjustment seems to be via the individual polepieces, but output between neck and bridge is bang on to my ears, and this beast is so accurately constructed that I dont forsee any problem. The gold finish is opaque, but internal construction is clearly visible through the large f holes - as neat and tidy as a Taylor. I read somewhere some guy saying that Japan is the new USA in guitar making these days, the 'made in Japan' stamp on the back of the headstock was one reason why I bought a Gibson ES335 before taking the plunge with this Gretsch (it aint cheap for a Japanese guitar), but quality of construction is miles ahead of either of my gibsons (335 and SG), or my american tele. I personally think that only Rickenbacker can give the Japanese a run for their money in the QC stakes these days, but all of these guitars, including the gibsons are masters of their own domain. The Jackson is Japanese, and again is flawless. The ebony fretboard on the Gretsch is flawless, perfectly laid and polished frets, the mop in the headstock inlays and the thumbnail markers is the most glistening and 3D that i have ever seen (Gibson should be ashamed!). The only flaw I can find is a tiny micrometer sized black spot in the neck binding, i'm kind of glad it has a distinguishing mark! It's own little freckle...i'm not going to take it down a mark for this.
Nitrocell finish again is absolutely perfect, this thing looks like it was cast from a mould.
Open grover sta-tites work perfectly well, reminds me i'll have to throw a little taste of grease on them...
This is a well made instrument.

I have a home studio, this is where most of my playing takes place. I occasionally have sessions with friends involving large quantities of alcohol, and I dont think I want to risk this thing, that's the problem with workmanship of this quality - I'd probably cry if it got dinged. It is a playing guitar despite the bling, but the studio is the place this will stay i think. I played in bands as a student with shite gear, i now have a well paid, long hour job which pays for all of this stuff, but isn't condusive to being in a band anymore. The only live playing i do these days is irish trad in local pubs (i live in limerick).
I'd imagine it'd hold up no problem with life on the road, as Setzer, horton heat et al show well. I've read that the gold plating isn't too long lasting, and the shop sent a lovely note to warn me that the nylon in the case can accelerate the oxidation of the gold so i keep it covered in it's case. So far it's still perfect.
The nitrocellulose feels lovely and should develop a nice patina with age, this guitar gets plently of lovin', so i'm looking forward to ageing with it.
Strap buttons are the knurled screw types, I dont fancy taking them on and off too much as they seem to screw direcly into the wood, no problems so far though.
If i were to gig at some stage in the future, hopefully I will, this guitar will not be going. I have no doubt I could depend upon it, but I'd be less upset getting a few war wounds on my casino or danelectro.
The switches and pots seem to be of good quality, positive and accurate.
Hard to rate this category, its completely hollow so more vulnerable than say a les paul or tele, for me it's a studio guitar but i dont feel i can give it top marks in all fairness, it's the nature of the style of guitar

warranty is crap - 1 year for a guitar that you could buy a half decent secondhand car for. Even if Gibson may not be that good for it, at least on paper they give some commitment.
Doubt i'll ever need it, still mark down for limited warranty. It should be limited lifetime like gibbo

playing for 20 years, only over past 8 years have i had the money to buy nice things including gibson SG, gibson ES335, American Fender telecaster, Epiphone Casino (better finished than the Gibsons by the way), epiphone Les Paul with bareknuckle mule, japanese jackson fusion XL pro, danelectro 59, rickenbacker 330, aria pro 2 cardinal, fender jazz bass, taylor 414, martin dm, tenor banjo, fiddles, mandolins etc. As you can imagine, most guitar sounds are covered with this selection, the gretsch is a fine addition, i love it but every guitar sounds and feels different and has different applications for me, rather than one being 'better' than the other. Admittedly the gretsch gets played a lot!
I research my purchases thoroughly before buying, i use harmony central a lot, and have got a lot of useful information in general which is why i felt compelled to write this review.
If stolen/lost i doubt i'd find this particular limited edition again, but i would probably get a 6120 again, or maybe a country gent. As long as it has TV Jones pups and preferably a nitrocell finish i reckon i'd be happy.
What do i love about it? It's best feature? It's the sound! Nothing like it. I hate nothing about it, it has it's own idiosyncrasies pros and cons, it's a beautiful tool.
One can only compare fairly a gretsch to another gretsch, this had all the features and a little bit more at the right price. I considered the anniversary model with tv jones, a fair bit cheaper, i'm sure feels similar and sounds much the same, but have no regrets. A great buy, well worth the ear chewing from the wife!
It's expensive, but nothing else can do what it does, so top marks.

Since a few years ago all Gretsches are made in Japan and this is a new one so it i Japanes, (my only Jap, and easily my best quality guitar, all of my others are American Made.)I paid 3200 Canadian, and it was well worth every penny of it, this is the best looking guitar that i have ever seen, all gold hardware including the Bigsby. This guitar has a volume for each pickup, a master volume and a toggle swith for each pickup. Filtertron pickups

This is the best sounding guitar that i have ever heard, it is very warm and full. The guitar has a great response, it responds to the lightest of playing and can definately supply you with the extra bite if needed. It is a pretty quiet guitar and has a very rich sound, with exellent tone.(Filtertrons are amazing)

When i first got the guitar it needed to be set up but once i set it up the action was perfect. It has a floating bridge so it is not that hard to set up and you can definately do it yourself. This guitar was perfectly made it is flawless in every aspect. the binding is great and fits in every curve perfectly, the guitar is very sturdy and if handled with care will definately stay that way. The bigsy is exellent, at first i couldnt get it to stay in tune when i used it, but when i put a set of 11 guage strings on it i can make full use of it and the guitar will stay perfectly in tune, the higher guage strings the better, since i have put these 11's on the guitar the sound is amazing. If you can handle a set of 11's or 12's it is definately recomended, you may even want to go to 13's with a wound G.

This guitar will definately withstand live playing, and i would easily use it at a live gig without a backup. all af the hardware is olid and well made, the body and neck are sturdy and the Bigsby is smooth. If you dont think it can handle a live gig tell that to Harrison or Setzer.

I have not had to think about this becasue of how well the guitar is made but from what i've heard sonce they were bought from Fender the customer support has gotten better

I have been playing for 6 years now and i consider myself to be a pretty good player. My other guitar is an American made tele and that is an exellent guitar as well, but since the purchase of my Gretsch the Tele hasnt moved off of the stand. Even thought the Gretsch is Japanese it is made much better than many of the American made guitars otu there, and it definately can stand up to any other guitar in the world. What i love about this guitar is how everythng fits, the neck is exelent and the guitar is very easy to play if set up right. The Bigsby is exelent and the smoohtest Whammy that i have ever used. This guitar is amazing and i would recomend it to anyone who is serious about their playing.

new orange finish,2003 model,same features as other reviews.bigsby,gold finish,hollowbody ect.i actually traded 2 rickenbackers mint condition for this gretsh.i always admired their looks but didnt want to spend 2300 for one.the transparent orange is better than i thought it would be,and the sound just cuts through with roundwounds.i did change to daddarios for a wound 3rd string.the plastic protectors on the pickups are a nice touch.tuners are top-notch,also knobs are high-quality.

this is a gorgeous model from gretsch,finish is stunning,quality control by gretsch is very good,compared to many major brands.this is my first gretsch,it compared very favorably with the quality of the rickenbackers that i traded for this.have a great variety of sounds,and controls are excellent.the neck is just right,compares with my gibson es-137,but slightly narrower.this is the most expensive guitar i have even owned and the quality shows.sound is very full,acoustic-like.using a fender hot rod 2x12 cab for a good clean sound.i havent played out with it yet,dont know if feedback will be a problem .very quiet controls,no scratching like my gibson.

action was set up higher than i like,but thats just a preference for me.pickups were balanced,no finish flaws,the only problem i noticed was a high fret way up the fretboard.i like low action ,so i dropped the bridge some and then noticed the unlevel fret,just one.i should be able to just knock it down a little.it should be no problem.the neck was adjusted just right.fingerboard is very smooth and fast.

this is a hollowbody ,so you cant bang it aroung without problems,finish should hold up well with the amount of coats on it.i plan on using it without a back up.just a quality product from gretsch or should we say fenderetsch.the new owners.

no issues here,it was good to see a quality control checkoff list included with the package,gibson wouldnt dare do that.1 year standard warrantee,not great like carvin,but i dont think ill need it.

the finish and gold hardware give this the ultimate classic hollowbody style.i have not seen a better-looking guitar.the finish is amazing.the bigsby unit is a nice feature it just belongs on this guitar.i cant think of anything i dont like about this guitar,i would definitely replace it if lost,if i have the cash?

1961 Gretsch 6120,orange finish, thinner body than earlier 6120s, solid wood and binding, original frets, pickups, Bigsby, Grover tuners added, gold tune-a-matic added, back of headstock has been painted black, non-original parts have been correctly installed though. None of the usual Gretsch issues such as corroding binding,loose neck joints......

Classic Gretsch. There is NO WAY to get this sound on any other guitar. Even though the newer Gretsches may be built more solid they don't quite sound the same as the older ones... unless you are willing to get some good replacement pickups,preferably TV Jones, and work on the sound. Can get the whole Stray Cats/Brian Setzer Orchestra thing with a decent amp and a delay.

The guitar has its original frets and plays great. Wood is very flamed and finish is still fine. Binding is tight as is neck joint. For over 40 years old this guitar is solid. Of course, there is some normal wear and tear but that comes from use.

40 years of playing and still going strong. The case is beat and then some, but the guitar is solid. There is a reason the older 6120's are so desired-they sound great, play great, and are worth the price you pay to get one.

The original Gretsch is long out of business.
The reissue Gretsch is a whole other venture.
Fender has just taken over Gretsch so who knows ???

After playing many of the reissue Gretsch 6120s I decided that they were good but the vintage ones were still much better. (We'll see if Fender can do better now that they own Gretsch) I was fortunate to find a vintage 6120, with changed parts that actually helped make the guitar better, at an affordable price. Not an especially collectable piece but a wonderful player's guitar.

I'm not sure of the year, but I think '96 - made in Japan. The 6120 is a seven layer laminated hollow-body with jumbo F holes and a single cut-away. This model (6120-BS) is equipped with volume controls for each Filter-Tron pickup, an overall tone control, a master volume control and a pickup select switch. All the knobs were somewhat confusing at first, but very useful after going through the learning curve. This particular model is equipped with a roller bridge which works beautifully with the Bigsby - this combo, with a bit of graphite applied to the nut slots, stays in tune really well. A rosewood fretboard, Grover tuners, medium frets rounds out this high end package.

Ah, the sound. I'll get right to the bottom line. If I had to choose but one electric, this is the one. Hands down. I also own a Strat, Tele, Paul, and a Danelectro (which is obnoxiously cool, by the way), but this has to be the coolest guitar of all. I gravitate towards Rockabilly Swing, Blues, and play a bit of C&W. This guitar obviously does the Setzer thing (he plays a vintage 6120), but so, so, so much more. I play it thru a 68 Fender Deluxe with a Vintage 30 Celestion, and the tone is rich, full, bright, and expressive. The neck position is very full and bright. The middle position is extremely nice and can be dialed in to suite with the separate volume controls. The bridge position has all kinds of punch. The sound of the Filter-Tron pickups is superb, very full, very tight. This is one of those rare guitars that begs to be played with everything you have, and when you do, it delivers more than you gave. But back to the versatility, a friend recently used this guitar in a contemporary Christian service in one of Houston's largest churches. The style of music there borders on alternative. The 6120 put an unbelivably cool twist in that mix. Contempory Christian players - you guys gotta try one of these!

The finish is beautiful! This one is translucent blue - as blue as blue gets. All hardware, even the Bigsby, is gold plated. It has a very special stage presence. The setup was very good, an intonation adjust was the only thing needed.

It's built like a tank!

Unknown

I've been playing 25+ years. I just wish I would have grown up on one of these.