Gretsch G6120SH Brian Setzer HR Green Sparkle WC

General

If you're a fan of rockabilly, jump blues and rock & roll, Brian Setzer won't need an introduction. In the early 1980s, he made quite a name for himself with The Stray Cats and he's been heading his own Brian Setzer Orchestra since the 1990s. In those days, Gretsch's G6120 Chet Atkins models - with a few modifications - were his weapon of choice. No wonder Brian Setzer's signature models have been modelled after his modified G6120 from 1959. A set of TV Jones pickups provide additional bite.

Construction

Like the original G6120, the Brian Setzer Signature has a body made of 3-ply laminated maple, which in this case is finished with a distinctive Green Sparkle gloss lacquer. Gretsch's patented 1959 trestle bracing reduces the chance of feedback, even while playing at high volumes. The guitar's maple neck has a sizeable scale length of 24.6 inches and is fitted with an ebony fingerboard with 22 frets and characteristic thumbnail position markers. Two TV Jones Humbuckers take care of your sound and an original Bigsby tremolo bridge is the icing on the cake.

Brian Setzer Signature

Brian Setzer modified his own Gretsch G6120 so it would suit his playing style to a tee. Many of those modifications can also be found on his signature models. The complicated tone controls of the original guitar, for instance, have been replaced by a single knob. As Brian is a big fan of his Bigsby tremolo, the G6120SH STZR is mounted with a high-grade Delrin string nut and Sperzal Locking tuners and, although the bridge of the original was floating - the G6120SH STZR's bridge is fitted with two pins.

• Brian Setzer's signature model.