Gretsch G6120T-55GE Nashville Bigsby Orange

Authentic 50’s tones without the hassle, from this quality modern instrument. Tone and volume controls allow subtle changes in sound. I found it very easy to get to grips with. Intonation is excellent. I had to raise the action slightly to get it to factory specs, but the neck relief was spot on. The pickups are truly excellent, if you’re after that traditional sound. I had to tweak the pole pieces height slightly (easy job) to get it to suit my taste. They are very quiet, so don’t interfere with the playing experience at all. Although I bought it for the sound, rather than its flashy looks, certain guitar playing friends are positively drooling over it!

Let's face it: for this kind of money, you'd want something pretty special wouldn't you? Well, the Gretsch 6120 55VS does not disappoint. It's part of Gretsch's pro line so you know this is an instrument of very high quality in terms of materials, hardware, and craftsmanship. Visually, it is stunning. If you like 50s cowboy bling laced with rock 'n' roll attitude, this guitar was built for you. The neck is very comfortable and fast and you have to keep reminding yourself that it's an electric guitar and not an archtop acoustic with pickups. Speaking of which, the TV Jones T-Armond Dynasonics give you a wide range of sounds from mellow to biting and if twang's your thang, they've got you covered there too. This is my favourite control layout, with a volume knob for each pickup, master tone, master volume, and three-way selector. Out of the box (it comes in a smart Gretsch hard case), the guitar was well set up but the fingerboard was very dry. A bit of lemon oil soon fixed this, though and, after some pencil lead in the nut slots, it tuned up fine and plays very nicely. The slightly longer "spoon arm" on the Bigsby vibrato unit makes it very sensitive and perfect for delicate shimmers. Or you can give it the full Duane Eddy, bending down a whole tone with ease. I've only had my guitar a week so we're still bonding but it's already the stand-out of my small collection. Put simply, you won't find a better guitar than this. Anywhere.