Guitar reviews for you the Gretsch 6118 Anniversary model in Green

Gretsch 6118 Anniversary model 2010

Those of you who find Western Orange a bit harsh on the eye can indeed look to an alternative to the Gretsch 6120, the 6118 Anniversary model originally introduced around 1958 by Gretsch. The 6118 was aimed at those who wanted something basically less expensive than the 6120.

Up for review here is a lovely 6118 made in 2010. The guitar is in two tone green colour scheme, the top is a lovely mint green colour and the back is a Cadillac Green which has a smoky 'greyness' to it, not a hard green like British Racing Green as a comparison.

The obvious differences to the 6120 are the unbound fretboard and headstock and on the original 1958 examples, only one pickup was fitted, although some guitars were later factory modified or modified by their owners over the years.

By no means is this a poor relation of a 6120. It is a super looking guitar, has an Ebony fingerboard and the unbound board seems to be no issue, it seems to suit the colour scheme. The guitar has a space control bridge fitted which is a bridge I particularly like.

The guitar is fitted out with chrome hardware from the 58 onwards era and has the 1959 style V Bigsby B6C, with the flat swing out handle. The machine heads are the open back Waverley type but look quality and are nice in action, although I tend to prefer the Grover sealed 18:1 type of unit.

A chromed plate on the headstock face states it is a Gretsch Anniversary model, the overly is a black material and the inlay style of text used on the Gretsch name can vary from the rounded shape letters to the squarer type of font, I have observed on the professional series guitars.

Pickups are High Sensitive Filtertrons which are standard output and give a great sound, the tone is derived from a tone switch circuitry set up as found on the 58 onwards guitars, depending on which part of the year a 58 was made in.

Build quality and finish are superb, faultless in fact. The Japanese makers - Dyna Gakki, Fuji-Gen and Terada are all top line manufacturers and there is not a stray glue blob anywhere inside this guitar as with any of the Professional series guitars these producers make.

Playing wise, the guitar is superb and gives a great spectrum of sound from jazz and country through to hard driving playing. Of course the open f-holes and hollow body does preclude it from high gain distortion playing!

The guitar comes with a nice quality hard case, often these are made by TKL in Canada. A more expensive 'Cowboy' replica case is available as an aftermarket alternative.

So what about price? The standard 6118 is about £2650 new as a guide with a secondhand one from £1300 to £1800 depending on age. Usual price is around £1500.

The 6118 Japan Anniversary is a great guitar and you would find it a very versatile guitar that is also striking looking. Buy one before they get out of reach. Gretsch guitars are harder to find new and secondhand and I personally would choose one anytime I was looking for a hollow body archtop, there are other imitators out there, but why not own the Gretsch name to start with?