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! 

 

Rockabilly - the Frankenstein music - and why it refuses to die!

Rockabilly - the true Frankenstein of music

a right old lash up and mash up of styles and sounds!

Define Rockabilly - not an easy job.

Ask any non-specialist DJ to define the genre and the examples they'd probably state as being worth mentioning might be a revival group or two.

So what are the roots? Well, its a right old melange of musical styles. The structure is usually around a blues type of sequence of 3 chords. The music is hard to define, it sort of was like adding different bits into a cement mixer and eventually you got something you could say 'well there's a bit of that in it.'.... 

The real down home roots of it is the Hill Billy and Western swing style, plus an injection of black blues music, which had suggestive lyrics, sometime but not always, toned down for the white folks.

That's where Bill Haley came from, as one of the originators of Rock and Roll, he served up a slightly cleaned up version of the original meaty music styles. Shake, Rattle and Roll, is one such number, slightly amended so as not to shock the local Vicar.

Ike Turner came along with his Rhythm and Blues style in his song Rocket 88, which came from the opposite side of the screen and then when Elvis jigged up the country music songs like you'd hear on the Louisiana Hayride television program, you were starting to get the cocktail stirred and built.

The real Howdy Doody of the music though, was the new sound. The electric sound.

Gretsch, one of the new breed of guitar makers 'gone electric'

a 6118 Anniversary model guitar, based on the earlier Electromatics

Rockabilly came along bang on cue with the new developments in music technology, namely the practical and purpose made electrical guitar and amplifier situation. Developments such as the echo chamber, tape echo machine, reverb tank and multi track recording all had their exposure around the start of the 1950's.

Elvis Presley with his 1942 Martin guitar

at the famous Sun Studios c. 1954

The first commercially made 'electric' guitars had appeared in the 1930's and after the hiatus of WW2, production started up again, building on new technology developed in the war.

The dedicated electric guitar, not merely an existing acoustic with a pickup lashed on to the body was now a recognised tool for the working musician. More likely to be found in the conservative venues of jazz and swing dives, being be-bopped in a Charlie Christian style.  

A 2015 Fender Stratocaster, little changed from the 1954 original

one of those 'right first time' designs

In 1954, California radio engineer Leo Fender came up with the guitar that changed music forever, the Fender Stratocaster. Building on the success of the Precision Bass and the Telecaster, his bolt together guitars took the Henry Ford production line approach.

Over in Memphis, Scotty Moore and friends were asked to back a young singer called Elvis Presley. Sam Phillips, the Sun owner had been looking for a white man who could sing like a black man and when Elvis jived up an old Bill Monroe song Blue Moon of Kentucky between studio takes, Phillips had found valhalla.

Scotty Moore on guitar, Bill Black on bass and later DJ Fontana on drums, backed Elvis on guitar, in what would be some of the embryonic rockabilly into rock and roll music. It sounded alive and exciting, it still does over 60 years later.

Gretsch guitars in the 50's were rarer than they are today

Sam Phillips, Norman Petty and Les Paul were three movers in the music technology world of the 1950's. Sam and Norman, both record producers developed ways to get unique sounds from their artists, Les Paul, was a great innovator both on musical instrument technology and music recording fronts, besides his excellent playing ability and style.

Norman Petty did for Buddy Holly, what Sam did for Elvis. Gave him a great studio sound. This was a young man's music and both Buddy Holly and Elvis were young and vibrant, that's why the music sounds fresh, even today.

What Elvis and Buddy did, was to originally take old music and shake it up. Borrowing from the Western swing, giving it a harder edge and more pace.

But then it changed, Elvis was provided with songs and Buddy Holly started writing his own, the divergent paths away from the roots had started, the music was evolving. Inevitably, record labels wanted 'their' Elvis or 'their' Buddy and anyone young with a modicum of talent started to get into music, to be the 'next whoever.

It is interesting now to look back at the diverse plethora of artists from the 1954-57 era that had a go and put their efforts onto Shellac. Many were the classic 'one hit wonders' but some survived to move out into more 'acceptable' music styles in later years.

Rockabilly started to get the harder edge and a harder look. Gone were the check shirt ploughboy cowboy hicks of 1954 and in came black leather, greased pomps and loud motorcycles of the 'Wild One' era.

Oh, and public outrage. Much as would emerge 20 years later in the Punk Rock era.

So what about the modern rockabilly scene? Well, its a varied bag of groceries, that's for sure.

After the deaths of Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran and the call up of Elvis into the Army, Rock n Roll as a hard edge sound gave way to a pappy, preppy, bobby soxin' bubble gum music, where it was a Bobby this or Bobby that singing it. The sort of toned down pomp haired boy next door look, in a pastel sport coat and tie look that'd probably get you called a queer a few years earlier.

Yep, public outrage and corporate America cleaned it up... but not for long.

Brian Setzer of the Stray Cats, Gretschmaniac

In the 1970's, a movement started to gather ground to revive the corpse of the old music. At that time, many of the original 50's stars were still young enough to perform and made appearances on the circuit. They were probably amazed at the level of renewed interest.

The untimely death of Elvis Presley, likely sparked the interest in the music again and that brought the music back up. A number of bands who had been on the fringes of the pop world were now 'booked' to record and fill the new fashion.

The UK had a big following for the music, some of its late 50's stars such as Cliff Richard, Billy Fury and others were still making records and new 'revival' acts followed, bands like Matchbox, Darts and the 'Cod Rock' set of others 'sort of in the style of'. Many were performing their own material, some covered old hits.

The movie 'Grease' came out in 1978 and further ignited the interest, although it featured music written originally for the stage show version, which starred Shakin' Stevens for a while I beleive?

In 1980, a band called the Stray Cats hit the scene and they sounded more authentic than some of the revival offerings. Their debut hit 'Runaway Boys' sounded like a train coming past you, it was exciting, vibrant and they looked the part.

With this 70's revival, in the shadows, people started to buy up the old early 50's records, usually imported in from America by the bucket load. A scene started, reviving the clothes and bands started their own efforts at the music going.

These days it has all become rather 'serious.' People are adopting rockabilly as a 'lifestyle' not old geezers, but young people. Fitting out a house with old style furniture, dressing the part and prices for some of the artefacts and clothing from the era are getting out of reach.

A Gretsch 6120 Brian Setzer Hot Rod model

In the 1970's, the revivalists often never used the 'real' guitars the music was originally made on. The great fallacy was that everyone played a Gretsch or a Fender guitar on early recordings.

The reality was that in the 1950's, many couldn't afford one of these guitars at the time, a Gretsch 6120 being around $500USD.

The reality was that many used catalog bought guitars from the Kay range and others from Sears catalogs and the like. Often, they might not have a high fidelity amplifier and use an adapted unit someone with a bit of savvy had bodged up from what radio parts were around. Ironic that many are trying to emulate a crusty old sound with much better equipment!

So, some of our Roots Rockabilly fanciers of today adopt this 'down home' way and dig out the check shirts and strap on an old Sears guitar or something similar. That's what the hardcore does. Most others go for a Gretsch, because they give you the best sound I think.

A search on YouTube will get you any number of modern revival bands who are out there servicing a willing band of followers, not just in the UK and US but all over Europe and into Japan.

It is surprising to see how serious these people are about the music and the lifestyle.

Rockabilly, the original Frankenstein music.

And there's life in the old beast yet, just crank up the volts and bring the creation to life. Again.

But watch out for the angry villagers with their flaming torches....