I've had quite a few hollowbodies most of which were Gretsch and it was nice to find one out of the box that was almost perfect for me. I love the feel and tone of it and it just feels more solid that most of the others that I've used in the past. It is a real workhorse and I play it hard and loud when gigging.

That said, the pickups didn't pack as much punch as I'd like. I've since worked with TV Jones and he set me up with his Classic + pickups which did the trick. Other than a set-up, it was the only thing I'd change. The pinned bridge, Bigsby and locking tuners work well together and its the best set-up I've used yet for staying in tune. I love my red Hot Rod and will never give it up!

Cheers, John

I've owned my purple Setzer hot rod now for about 5 years and can honestly say it is not my favorite. It's an excellent guitar, and plays like a dream. The bigsby is hands down the best I've ever seen. But this guitar is made for one thing only: rockabilly. The pickups are voiced to be twangy and mid-rangey, which, if you play in a big band like Setzer's, is ideal because it really cuts through the mix. However, to sit down and play it unaccompanied, it doesn't sound nearly as good as a les paul or tele. The pickups are also the lowest output of any of my guitars (les paul, tele, strat, & ric), requiring a preamp boost to get a decent overdrive. Buy this if you really want that Setzer big band sound, otherwise you can get both a tele and a les paul for the same money, and a better sound for 90% of the musical styles out there.

I play a number of custom guitars, but I have to say this particular gretsch guitar is really great. From right off the showroom floor it went right to work and with only minor adjustments to the action, intonation and electronics. This guitar is easy to play, great neck and sounds awesome thru my fender hotrod deville amps. I can get a great sound with minimal effet pedals. Alot of times I will the amps only. Definitely worth the price and this is great for the value of ones dollars.

The G6120SH is one of the best guitars Ive ever played! The TV Jones pickups sound great clean, or distorted and the '59 trestle bracing gives it a more solid feel than other hollow bodies. The tones are awesome! You've got to play this thing to believe it!

I was actually looking for a Tennessee Rose when I accidentally stumbled onto this guitar. The guitar shop did not have a Tennessee Rose so I decided to test out a Country Club. I was very impressed with the CC and was considering buying it when the tech I was working with asked me to play the Hot Rod. I was afraid of the price but decided to give it a whirl anyway. The smaller box of this guitar was instantly noticeable...I loved it. The neck is slim and plays super fast, but this guitar is all about simplicity and tone. Unlike most other Gretsch models, there is only one pickup select switch, and NO tone knobs...just one selector switch and a volume knob. That's all you need because this guitar sings. It's warm, quick, and has a great sound range from fuzzy blues, clean jazz, screaming rockabilly, etc. I've played SG's and Les Paul's and Strats, but none compare to this baby. If you're looking for a hollow body, you owe it to yourself to try this guitar.