Guitar Reviews 4U - Gretsch 5420T Fairlane Blue upgrades you can do - improve your Gretsch 5420T with these easy revisions!

 Guitar Reviews 4U - Gretsch 5420T Fairlane Blue upgrades

Gretsch 5420T Fairlane Blue easy but worthwhile upgrades -

Hardware upgrades for your 5420T guitar

The purchase price leaves you a good guitar base

to upgrade with higher quality hardware

The Gretsch 5420 guitars are nicely made guitars for the price ticket and I've owned a few of them over the years! Starting with a 5120 in Orange that I upgraded and then a couple of 5122's, they offer you a great basic platform to personalise. I now own a couple of 5420T guitars, a Fairlane Blue Korean 2016 guitar and a Chinese made 2023 2 Tone Anniversary Green guitar.

There are great things about these guitars, with great quality construction they are not big ticket prices to buy, giving you plenty of scope to add upgrade hardware later or right away.

The hardware on these guitars is adequate, but can be easily improved, used examples of the 5420T guitars for example can often be picked up for reasonable deal prices and also one-owner guitars are often found for sale where they have not been set up.

Here the owner often new to playing quickly gives up on them sadly and the dream of playing, all these situations I found on these used guitars are mostly easy fixes. If only the new players knew, they could easily make their guitars more friendly to play.

A nice Stray Cats pin badge brightens up this

G5420T Truss Rod Cover Plate

We'll start with a few areas to improve  that will give instant improvement - such as the Bigsby, Tunamatic Bridge & Tuners. Our main example is a 2016 Korean made 5420T in Fairlane Blue and I'll include some pictures of a 5420T Chinese made 'Anniversary' guitar I've also upgraded. 

G5420T guitars upgraded and featured in this article

An instant improvement on the 5420T has to be the machine heads. The ones fitted work but are easily replaced with these Wilkinson WJ45 units. These Kluson style WJ45 units have better gearing and can be greased as I did before fitting them.

 Wilkinson WJ45 Machinehead upgrade

I used masking tape placed alongside the old units so the new ones would follow the same placing. The old holes were filled using cocktail stick cut into short length pegs which were glued with PVA wood glue and then the peg glue when dry paint matched.

 Vanson Roller Saddle Tunamatic Bridge

The Roller Saddle Bridge drops on as a unit, I've fitted this make of Bridge on six or more Gretsch guitars over the last 12 plus years. They are simple and inexpensive and do a great job.

 Bigsby B6C unit installation

Thr Bigsby B60 supplied on the 5420T can be upgraded with the B6C, which I've done on 4 5420T's over the years. 

Bigsby B6C in-filled with matched Fairlane Blue paint

On the Fairlane Blue guitar I in-filled the B6 details with colour matched acrylic auto touch-in paint mixed by hand from MG Trophy Blue and MG Platinum Silver to the correct shade.

 B6C and Roller Bridge installed

The B6C looks such a good unit, it makes an obvious visual improvement, as it also does to the sustain and tone of the guitar.

Wilkinson WJ45 Machine Heads

 Bush added to the WJ45 unit for support

Gotoh SG381 locking machine heads 

Used on the Brian Setzer guitars

Gotoh SG381 Dimensions

 Straplocks were added to the 5420T 'Anniversary"

The Schaller Straplocks fitted to the Green 5420T guitar when the wood was damaged removing the old strap button posts, on the Chinese 5420T, the posts are left hand threaded into the wood, not right hand threaded as on the Korean and Japan guitars.

The straplocks are more convenient as they are quicker to put on or remove the guitar strap.

 G6118T Anniversary Plate

Plate part number

The Green 5420T in the 'Anniversary' 2-tone green looks great with this Gretsch Anniversary plate on the head stock. It adds the finishing touch to the head. I have a choice of Gotoh or Wilkinson machine heads to fit to the Green 5420T. 

 Anniversary Plate on the 5420T

Guitar Reviews 4U - Bigsby Springs review - Spring heights and Bigsby lever height adjustment on the Bigsby

 

Guitar Reviews 4U - Bigsby Springs review

 Bigsby Stainless Steel Springs spare parts

part no, 1802775006  

If you're upgrading Bigsby units or fitting one from new onto a previously non-Bigsby guitar, you may find that the lever height isn't at the right place when you fit it and tune up the strings to pitch.

Don't be tempted to bend the Bigsby bar, as this can make the bar foul the tailpiece when you fold it round to store the guitar in the case. What you need is this Bigsby spring assortment kit to set the lever height correctly.

The Bigsby lever should have about 1/4" or 6mm approx. gap between the lever and the top face of the tailpiece when the lever is folded back round as a guide of measurement.

Often the Bigsby lever height is determined by factors including the mounting angle of the Bigsby, string tension or the guitar dimensions, such as neck break angle. 

Some OEM fitted springs to Bigsby 'pattern' units may not be as high spring tension as the Stainless springs and as such may take a bit more swapping and trying out to get the ideal lever height for you. 

Fixing the right level of lever height can often be achieved by using a different height spring. Bigsby supply these stainless steel springs to do the job in the above kit. These kits should be priced at around $20 USD.

In this Bigsby set you have 4 springs at 18, 21.5, 26 & 29mm heights (or 5/8, 7/8, 1 1/16 & 1 1/18" if you measure in Imperial), 1 white plastic and 1 fibre spacer washers. 

The plastic spacer is also used as a small height adjuster, this is also used where one spring is too low and the next one too tall, so you can 'jack' the spring height by using the white plastic spacer - it also stops corrosion between the spring and Bigsby casting.

The fibre washer in the pack is a gasket, it is fitted to the spring end opposite to the plastic washer and is there to stop any electrolytic action corrosion starting between the aluminium casting of the Bigsby and the Stainless Steel spring, which can be accelerated if wet such as water or sweat gets between the different metals. 

The plastic spacer used at the other end of the spring also stops that corrosion process. 

To change the existing spring  on the unit if mounted on your guitar do not just pull the lever upwards, but slacken the guitar strings tension off, then remove the old spring and check the size against the ones in the pack and also see if there is a plastic washer fitted, this might be worth looking at to see if that factor can be incorporated to adjust the lever height with a smaller spring and this spacer in place.

The Stainless Steel springs in this kit may be stronger than the existing spring on your unit and in this case, an equivalent sized Stainless Steel spring might well make the lever sit as high or higher - if the old spring was weaker in tension, it will compress more easily.

It will be a case of trying springs until you get the right height, it should not take many minutes usually to get to the right lever height I have found.

Another factor affecting lever height can be string tension. The strings loop over the centre bar and compress the spring under the lever when the guitar is tuned to pitch. 

Heavier and higher tension strings can increase the load on the guitar and compress the single spring down more, hence the inclusion of the spacer to make a small height adjustment, or you can use the taller length springs to make the lever height sit higher and at the right height for your playing preference.

The Bigsby has come a long way from a motorcycle valve spring from the original!

Guitar Reviews 4U - Gretsch 6118T Anniversary and Gretsch 5420T 2 Tone Anniversary Green guitars

 

Guitar Reviews 4U - Gretsch 5420T & 6118T guitars -

The Gretsch 'Anniversary' Green models compared

How does the new Chinese made 5420T 'Anniversary' 2 Tone Green guitar stand up against the current 6118T Anniversary? lets take a look in this Guitarreviews4U review.

Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones with his 1962 era 6118 G tailpiece guitar 

fitted with Hi-Lo Tron pickups, tone switches and rare bound fingerboard

Having owned a 6118 Anniversary guitar a few years ago, I was recently looking at buying another. It was one guitar I should in retrospect not have sold but we all know how this happens! 

My old 6118 was a 2003 Japan made guitar and had a rare feature of the neck heel merged to the lower side panel of the guitar body, unlike the standard 'V' neck heel profile which matches the top side to make a symmetrical V shape. Mine was a 6118 that I added a B6C Bigsby to make it into a 6118T.

Post 2014 Gretsch 6118T modern version with new Trestle Bracing

some early Japan reissues from the 90's have the white bound fretboard

My 6118 was a non-Bigsby guitar and had a G cutout tailpiece like the Brian Jones guitar, the 6118T version also offered by Gretsch has the Bigsby B60 type unit fitted. Both versions were shown in the 2007 Gretsch catalogue but featured the then standard Filterton pickups and Tone Circuit switching using the 2 switches.

Gretsch have 'reissued' the 6118 in various forms over the years, most recently in the late 1990's where these Japan made guitars featured a larger than normal headstock and a Bigsby B6 type unit on the Bigsby equipped models, not the B6C. This was often the fashion then where the Japan guitars would feature configurations that were never on the original guitars. The range was rationalised around 2000 and the guitars were more aligned to how they were originally specified.

Gretsch refers to the 5420T in Green as ' Two-Tone Anniversary Green'

The 2 Tone Cadillac Green inspired paint colour scheme has remained on the anniversary model since the guitar was introduced, even though there have been alternative 2 tone colours like copper and bamboo yellow and a rare Jaguar Tan special colours for example, the 2 tone Green/Green scheme has remained the most popular.

The 6118 was always placed as a lower cost alternative to the 6120 and was often favoured by working musicians and session players as it was unfussy and reliable. Gretsch were quick to use automotive paint colours on their guitars and this immediately elevated them from the staid and unexciting dark wood or sunburst stain used on most of the other rival products from Gibson, Kay and Guild. Most 6120's were 'Western Orange' stain, unless special orders using car colours,

Chinese made Gretsch 5240T - special edition in the 2 tone "Anniversary" Green

with pickup only switching and Tone knob is the obvious difference

visually to the 6118 - shown here pre-upgrade to the Bigsby B6C

I was really pleased to see the 5420T series guitars for 2023 featured a 2 Tone 'Anniversary green' model and this prompted me to look for another 6118, the Gretsch website refers to the 5420T colour scheme as "Anniversary Green" - so I thought this might make a good base to upgrade to look more like a 6118T as an alternative, as I was finding 6118's thin on the used guitar market.

Gretsch 6118 G Tailpiece non-Bigsby version

I did look at a 6118 on Ebay but this deal didn't work out, however, seeing the new 5420T reviews and hearing the guitar on youtube I decided to buy one, finding one at Peach Guitars in Essex, who were great people to deal with and the guitar was a good price too. 

The 5420T guitar now featured Trestle Bracing and I was eager to see and hear how this would compare to my Korean made 5420T in Fairlane Blue.

Gretsch 6118 Open back machine heads

Both the 5420T and 6118 guitars feature 'open back' machine heads, Grover sta-tite on the 6118 and a budget lookalike version on the 5420T, the 5420T machines are not the best quality and one broke on an older 5420T I had that fell over, I will likely replace these machines with Wilkinson WJ45 units as I did on my 5420T Fairlane Blue guitar which really improved the sound and tuning or fit Gotoh locking machine heads.

Gretsch 6118 rear view - the 5420T is the same colour too

using a Versailles Green like shade from Dietzler's chart below

Dietzler 1958 Cadillac Paint colours -

found their way onto the 6118 guitar

Acadian (Light) and Versailles (Darker) Green colours

as used on the 6118 shown on this vintage paint chip chart

Although the 6118 is a more of a 'budget' version of the 6120 guitar, the 6118 does feature an Ebony fretboard on the pre 2015 models, a nice quality touch. The 5420T Korean guitars used Rosewood boards, now for the 2023 Chinese production they use Laurel wood for the boards. The frets are nicely finished and vintage type and are easy to play.

I used my 6118 for playing with a 5 piece jazz combo and it sounded really nice. A late friend of mine had a 6118 he used in jazz bands and they were popular with session and combo players since and most like the great colours, I certainly do. The 5420T Anniversary is a great looking guitar much like the Fairlane Blue guitar when that was released to great acclaim.

I could not resist fitting a 6118 nameplate to my Green 5420T!

It added the finishing touch to the headstock as you

will see from the comparison pictures below

The 6118 Nameplate made in Japan and came from Blackrider guitars

in the US who I have bought Gretsch spare parts from before 

Gretsch 5420T and 6118T Headstocks -

the 5420T here has an anniversary name plate added -

the 5420T guitars give you a great base to upgrade

Template for the 5420T nameplate addition-

I made this aid from a piece of 2mm artboard card - 15mm by 46mm marked off -

the 15mm measurement from the logo to the top of the nameplate 

was taken off the Brian Setzer Hot rod 6120 I had to hand -

looking at the Gretsch brochure this seems to be the accepted position spacing

used for Gretsch guitars with name plates on the headstock face

Gretsch 5420T 'full anniversary' conversion

The 6118 features the Tone Circuit switching -

The front switch is for the pickup positions and the rear switch 

for the 'mud' tones when switched to up or down positions.

Gretsch 6118T 2003 note the unusual 'merged' neck and side 

detail - the colour finish 'wraps' on both back and sides and is a 'smoke green'

Gretsch 5420T wiith FT5E pickups - upgraded with Bigsby B6C

these sound nice and bright and will be left on the guitar

I replaced the supplied Bigsby B60 off the 5420T with a B6C unit that I in-filled the Bigsby name with a dark green colour paint to make it look really spiffy against the minty green top. The B6C is a much nicer looking unit and works better as well. I think the tone is improved with it.The Blade saddle Tunamatic was replaced with a Vanson Roller Saddle version that works nicely to aid tuning stability.

Schaller Straplocks were fitted to this 5420T -

note that the strap button posts on the Chinese 5420T are left hand threaded 

on the thread post that screws into the body wood. The Japan and Korean guitars 

have right handed threads that screw into the wood.

The screw on knobs on the Chinese and Korean guitars have different threads too.

The body and necks are Canadian Maple on both 6118 and 5420T guitars, both guitars now feature Trestle Bracing, the 6118 has a rosewood neck and bridge base and the 5420T uses Laurel. Build quality is really excellent as you would expect, comparing the 5420T against Japanese Terada guitars you can see it has a high quality finish.

This price point allows you to buy a guitar you can easily upgrade if you desire and the 5420 and recent Streamliner guitars have shown they are platforms for easy upgrade work. I've used 5120 and 5420 guitars on stage with jazz bands, they sound great and are easy to play and also great if you are a pop music player and want another guitar that looks and sounds good and different! 

It is nice to have the cache of a 6118 if you can afford one, saying that, they are not unreasonably priced when compared to other brands and Gretsch Japan guitars really do it for me, I often use them live with jazz bands. However, I had a 2420T Streamliner and that was a really nice guitar too, so price isn't always a good guide for quality.

Gretsch 6118T 2003 with Filtertrons and Space Control Bridge -

were part of the professional series fitment until around 2016 when the 

'Player' models were introduced and Hi-Lo Trons were used to

replicate the 1960 era 6118 guitars

Modern Gretsch 6118T with Hi-Lo Tron style pickups

In conclusion, the 5420T is a great guitar for the money and you can upgrade it as you desire or not at all if you want to keep it stock, the 6118 is good if you can buy one, having owned both guitars I like both too, I do like the fact that the 5420T has bound F holes and neck/ headstock, I think this really finishes it off against the 6118 that looks plainer without these features.

My only real issue with the 5420T is the machine heads, the Streamliner features some nice sealed units, I wish Gretsch would use these on the 5420T and this would  improve the tuning stability and make it just a nicer guitar, I have Gotoh locking machines in stock as fitted to the Brian Setzer Hot Rod, so that might be a further upgrade when the time comes to change the strings on my 5420T!

Guitar Reviews 4U - Gretsch 5420T 2 Tone Green 'Anniversary Green' Chinese made v G5420T Fairlane Blue Korean made guitar review

 

Guitar Reviews 4U - Comparing a 2023 Gretsch 5420T 

2 Tone Green 'Anniversary Green' Chinese made guitar with a 

2016 G5420T Fairlane Blue Korean made guitar 

A brief overview of the 5120 to 5420 Gretsch timeline journey

 The Gretsch G5420T -

Korean made Mk3 2016 (left) Chinese made Mk4 2023 (right)

my Mk4 was sold by Peach Guitars in the UK. Nice people to deal with,

a good old-style guitar shop that sets up a guitar and gives great service

When Gretsch launched the 5120 guitars in the early 2000's it was a game changer for the guitar players who wanted a genuine Gretsch at an affordable price. And it pretty much kicked into touch other makers looking to create similar styled guitars.

Smaller boutique labels such as Vintage, AXL, Alden, Eastwood, Hutchings, Roberts and other badge engineered guitars were often made by a small number of factories for those other 'names'. The 5120 pretty much dented that market by providing a genuine Gretsch at an affordable price and the 'right' name.

My Korean made 5120 the 'Mk1'-

upgraded with Gretsch Filtertrons, Space Control Bridge 

and Chet Atkins 6120 Scratchplate 

It was for Gretsch their 'Squier' moment - affordable guitars in the image of a more famous parent. The original 5120 and the 5020 Dearmond pickup equipped model ranges at this price point soon became platforms for upgrade as players recognised they could upgrade them.

Like the Squiers had from Fender - these were a good basic guitar which could be upgraded easily. There was a special 5120 that was a limited run which featured Filtertrons as standard.

G5422, G5126, G6120DC,G5420 & G5422 Guitars

The 51220 and 5422's here were upgraded with Gretsch Filtertrons

The 5120 was for Gretsch the start of a rich seam of guitar making and the 5120 line became improved and launched as the 5420T the 'Mk2', now featuring hump block fretboard inlays and the 'Black Top' FIltertron pickups - last seen used on the Baldwin era Gretsch guitars.

G5126 Silver Sparkle with Dearmond pickups

G5420T Silver Sparkle a 'Mk2' Electromatic

The 5420 'Mk2' retained the large 5120 headstock with the 'Electromatic' name vertically placed. The shape was of a style used on the Japanese Gretsch reissue guitars of the mid 1990's owing their style to the headstock design of the pre-1957 6120 guitars. The neck profile was slim and easy to play. The addition of f-hole binding firmly put the 5420 up a notch. However it was not until the 'Mk3' that the headstock was reduced in size and lost the 'electromatic' vertical name.

G5420 Mk1 Headstock shape carried over on to the Mk2

The guitar was then updated to a 'MK3' version, it went back to the thumbnail inlay fretboard, the headstock shape and size was made smaller more in line with the 1958 and later 6120 size and shape head, the new guitars were well received and led onto the special colour 5420's with the Fairlane Blue guitar immediately making a big hit. Like Fiesta Red did for the Stratocaster. F-hole binding appeared and sealed the look.

G6120 Brian Setzer Hot Rod in Regal Blue from 2004 -

perhaps the inspiration for the 5420T in Fairlane Blue?

The Korean made 5420 colour range was expanded from the basic Orange stain of the original 5120, that came from the 1955 6120 and the 5420's were offered in a range of colours including Black, Sunburst, Aspen Green, Silver Sparkle and Daphne Blue, Surf Green although some of these colours were limited run colour shades often for far east markets like Japan or Malaysia.

The Mk2 Electromatic featured a slightly thicker neck than the 5120, I personally found this neck not as easy to play as on my 5120. This was changed on the Mk3 guitar more to a thinner profile neck more in line with the 5120 profile. Perhaps due to player feedback.

My Korean made G5420T Mk3 in Fairlane Blue as purchased -

2016 one owner as new, prior to upgrading it with B6C Bigsby

Chinese made G5420 Mk4 in Azure blue - compare the blue shades!

The Korean made guitars became a Mk3 with the design revisions of the smaller headstock, pinned bridge base, return to the neo-classical inlay fretboard, f-hole  and a slimmer profile neck as we have covered. Having a Mk2 and a Mk3 side by side at the time, the Fairlane Blue Mk3 was easier to play due to the thinner neck. 

The Mk3 like the 5120 had a single square post block between the top and back panels which provided a means of reducing feedback and adding strength to the guitar, I have Terada 6120's with this same design single post so this is no 'low cost' option by any means.

G6120 1959 Trestle Bracing example

The 5420T Korean guitar has a single post between top and back panels

The 5420T Chinese guitar has '59' pattern bracing as below:

Gretsch updated Trestle Bracing - this provides greater strength

to the construction without adding extra weight

With 5420T production moving to China, the guitar design was in to the Mk4 era, this included the addition of Trestle Bracing to the guitar designed in conjunction with Mike Lewis of Fender, a feature now also included on the Player Series guitars. The Rosewood fingerboard changed on the Mk4 Chinese made guitars to Laurel wood and the Tunamatic base was Rosewood and is now Laurel Wood. 

Vanson Roller Saddle Bridge -

fitted as an upgrade to the Tunamatic Blade Saddle Bridge

that is fitted as standard on the 5420s and 6120s

The guitars still featured the open backed Grover style Machine Heads which are a budget version of the Grover units used on the green 6118T Anniversary guitar, Blade saddle Tunamatic bridge and the B60 Bigsby - all upgradeable parts which many owners do change out, as I have done on my Mk3 5420T. 

The neck is described as 'C' Shape on the Mk 4 and on the previous Mk3 as 'U' Shape - but comparing the two side by side in a playing situation, I can't detect much difference between them!

The 5420T in 2 tone 'Anniversary Green'

 

The rear view of the 5420T 

The Dietzler Paints chart of 1958 Cadillac colours - 

inspiration for the original 2 tone Green 6118T guitars

The Mk4 guitars now feature Trestle Bracing enabling the body depth to be reduced by about 3mm, otherwise they appear overall the same as the Mk3, although some of the hardware positioning and items has changed. 

The pickups have been revised over the Mk3 and the guitar now sounds slightly brighter acoustically and also plugged in, having a slightly more single coil sound like with the new Brian Setzer Hot Rods, so it is a bit like a Dearmond / Filtertron type of sound.

Some owners may decided to go and install the 'classic' Gretsch  Filtertron units which with adaptor plates can now fit the guitar without other modifications to the mount. The black top Filtertrons do make the guitar look like the later 1960 6118 Anniversary guitar, the Brian Jones 6118 had neck binding which i think made the guitar look more complete, something I thought was missing from the 6118 reissues since the mid 90's.

Gretsch 6118T Anniversary Player Series model with 1959 style Bracing 

The guitar colours for the Mk4 guitars have been updated with the Azure Blue replacing Fairlane Blue. Airline Silver, Orange and a great 2 tone Anniversary Green model as a tribute to the 6118 guitar are also offered as alternative colours. Limited edition 5420TG guitars with gold plated parts and special paint colours are also offered.

Korean 5420T upgraded with Wilkinson WJ45 Machine heads - 

an example of the way in which these great value

guitars can be improved with better quality hardware

The scratchplate is a tasteful silver shade on the Mk3 and Mk 4which works on all the colours and the one on the Chinese Mk4 5420T does not fit the Mk3 Korean guitar! The strap buttons have been changed on the Mk4 Chinese guitars and the thread on the string post is a left hand thread into the body unlike the previous Korean and the Japanese guitars which have right hand threads. Remember this if changing them or replacing the Bigsby! I put Straplocks on my Mk4.

The B6C here custom paint filled on my Mk3 upgrade -

an improvement on the stock B60 unit

The finish of the guitar is really good for the money, inside the Mk4 Chinese guitar, the bracing strength allows for a slightly thinner body, externally the green paint on the anniversary Mk4 I have is flawlessly finished as is the Mk3 Korean Fairlane Blue finish. This is a guitar you could easily pay a lot more for.

Gretsch 5420T guitars - upgraded with Bigsby B6C,

Vanson Roller Saddle Bridges and on the blue guitar

In conclusion, the 5420 series guitars are great value for money, a real Gretsch, at an affordable price and I have used them live on stage for some years along with Japan made Gretsch guitars. 

Gretsch 5420T with 6118 Anniversary nameplate 

The Japan Terada guitars are about the best Gretsch guitars I have played but you are looking at a price ticket sometimes three times as high as a Korean or Chinese guitar. That said, I find the Electromatics nice to play and have a great sound. I used my Orange 5120 for around 4 years with a jazz band even though I had a 6120 to hand.

Gretsch 5420T Anniversary -

A 6118T tribute!

The finish and construction is really well done on these instruments and I only wish they were around in the 1980's!