Setzer signature guitars and mods

I own a very early model Gretsch Setzer signature model 6120 (6120-SSL, with the lacquer finish). I had the wiring harness and pickups replaced with TV Jones, making it a better guitar than it was. Who else owns Setzer signature guitfiddles, and what have you done to them?

Thanks for putting this forum up Tommy, way cool.

mike...

Hi, I'm Tom from Austria. I have bought a flat black Hot Rod via ebay and I love it. I already had one of the early 6120 SSU. They are beautyful guitars. But mine had golden hardware which looks pretty bad after playing and using it for some times. And for me it, the tone-knops are not realy necessary.
But now I have all I need. One volume-knop, and a pinned bridge. which is realy helpful with intonation. I realy hated this moveable bridge on the ssu. No golden hardware, just chrome - perfect. And the flatblacj finish looks so cool.
So, if you wish to heave the perfect Setzer-sound and a easy to play guitar with no action, easy intonation - buy one. And you can play all the styles you like. From Blues to Rock, from Jazz to Country. All is possible.
My amp is a 59 bassman reissue. No effects. Perfect combination. I paid about 2300 USD for guitar and amp. I know its much money. but this is all I need. No second guitar, no different amp.
If you buy a hot rod - you are on the right way!!!

I own a 2004 SSLVO.

My, this is the best guitar I ever had! The neck is perfect, a slight "V" feel-perfect for my thumb over the fretboard. The compound radius of the fretboard is a good touch too. I love the tone switch. The moment I played it, I'm home. The guitar felt natural to me, unlike my former strat which I keep on struggling to control.

I did the treble bleed mod after a year, but reverted it to stock mod after three months. I prefer the loss of high when you roll down the volume and roll up for bright and nasty solos.

I removed the the pickguard. I do that to all my guitars. So it's stock sans the pickguard.

and don`t have an original setzer model.
my 6120 was the eddie cochran model. it was cool, but i changed the pick up`s
now i use TV Jones classic trons.

wow it blow my mind.
great sound, now it sounds more like brians guitars.

the only problem is the ability of playing guitar like brian...
i`m so far away from his level...

brett wrote:

the only problem is the ability of playing guitar like brian...
i`m so far away from his level...

I know exactly what you're thinking about!!!

I'm so happy to pick up my first Gretsch at the Music-Fair in Frankfurt next Month!!!

I have a 6120 Meany Greeney Setzer I've nicknamed the Hulk. I went with a Green one since I have an Orange Horton Heat. THe Setzer sig series are the best of the old Gretsch with the new improvements IMHO. I agree with the soft V neck, stays in tune after bashings with the Sperzels and pinned Bridge.

Great guitar, and Love the HULK!!

I've got an '05 6120SSU and the only mod I did was replace the shims under the bridge pickup with some compressible rubber stuff. Sort of like on the TV Jones site. It's a great instrument right out of the box.

I've owned several Setzer Signature models in the past few years. The first was the Orange and 1 Green signature model. Unfortunatly, they both went when my first marriage ended. That's life. The next Orange Signature I owned was great and was signed by the one and only Scotty Moore himself. That was sacraficd to pay the IRS. Oh well. I also owned a 1999 Candy Apple Red Hot, loved that guitar. Also had a 6120-60 that I added all nickel plated hardware and added TV Jone Classic Filtertrons to. The 6120-60 is a hot guitar, I highly recommend it.

I'm saving to get the ultimate right now, an SSLVO. I'm about half there, hopefully I will hae by my Birthday this year, 08/23/08. Time wil tell.

Later and Have A Gretsch Day !


Ross

awesome!! a gear section!!! my name is TV (not jones) I have a small side guitar repair/mod biz' and my "thing" is 'roddinggretsch nashvilles, tele's and strats. My day job is playing music so I really enjoy having gretsch guits for carrying out all duties, they are unmatched.
Here's what I use currently:



the 99's SSU was gutted electronically and I rebuilt the harnesses with george L shielded cabling, all
cts pots,switchcraft jacks n switch. In this harness I dumped the mudswitch for a pushpull 500K
pot that is both a blower switch (takes the tone pot out of the circuit for reduced capacitance=twang+)
or it engages a tone pot w/ an 005uf cap that is helpful when using drive/fuzz pedals in solo'n.
As well it has tvjones classics, an abr-1 wire bridge, sperzels and graphtec nut.

the Spectrasonic was rewired too, I kept the stock tvjones pwrtron neck but added a
tvjones Pwrtron+ in the bridge and redid the harness with CTS and orange drop 001 cap on the tone pot.

the 6118T anni goes under the knife tomorrow and I'm putting tvjones magnatrons in her, sperzels,
and the bridge gets a custom abr-1 fitted with drilled aluminum saddles.

I can only thank Setzer for making me insane like this..well more insane, just with gretsch guits now!

Rockabilly Ross wrote:

The next Orange Signature I owned was great and was signed by the one and only Scotty Moore himself. That was sacraficd to pay the IRS.

Dude, that's the saddest thing I've heard since hearing about the Cats' Farewell. Did you actually meet Scotty Moore? I hope whoever has that guitar now treats it with its due respect. Maybe it's some kid in Masapequa who'll grow up to be a hepcat.

The guitar actually went over to England about 2 years ago and yes I did meet Scotty Moore and got my picture taken with him. It was a great night. It was at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano in Southern California after a Lee Rocker with Scotty Moore show.

That was a fun night.



Later and Have A Gretsch Day !

tvthewiredturtle wrote:

awesome!! a gear section!!! my name is TV (not jones) I have a small side guitar repair/mod biz' and my "thing" is 'roddinggretsch nashvilles, tele's and strats. My day job is playing music so I really enjoy having gretsch guits for carrying out all duties, they are unmatched.
Here's what I use currently:



the 99's SSU was gutted electronically and I rebuilt the harnesses with george L shielded cabling, all
cts pots,switchcraft jacks n switch. In this harness I dumped the mudswitch for a pushpull 500K
pot that is both a blower switch (takes the tone pot out of the circuit for reduced capacitance=twang+)
or it engages a tone pot w/ an 005uf cap that is helpful when using drive/fuzz pedals in solo'n.
As well it has tvjones classics, an abr-1 wire bridge, sperzels and graphtec nut.

the Spectrasonic was rewired too, I kept the stock tvjones pwrtron neck but added a
tvjones Pwrtron+ in the bridge and redid the harness with CTS and orange drop 001 cap on the tone pot.

the 6118T anni goes under the knife tomorrow and I'm putting tvjones magnatrons in her, sperzels,
and the bridge gets a custom abr-1 fitted with drilled aluminum saddles.

I can only thank Setzer for making me insane like this..well more insane, just with gretsch guits now!

Tavo, you're a nut, brother, and I love ya, well, like a brother! So, which is it: Top Hat or El Sonido?
Eddie Lee

Eddie Lee wrote:

tvthewiredturtle wrote:

awesome!! a gear section!!! my name is TV (not jones) I have a small side guitar repair/mod biz' and my "thing" is 'roddinggretsch nashvilles, tele's and strats. My day job is playing music so I really enjoy having gretsch guits for carrying out all duties, they are unmatched.
Here's what I use currently:



the 99's SSU was gutted electronically and I rebuilt the harnesses with george L shielded cabling, all
cts pots,switchcraft jacks n switch. In this harness I dumped the mudswitch for a pushpull 500K
pot that is both a blower switch (takes the tone pot out of the circuit for reduced capacitance=twang+)
or it engages a tone pot w/ an 005uf cap that is helpful when using drive/fuzz pedals in solo'n.
As well it has tvjones classics, an abr-1 wire bridge, sperzels and graphtec nut.

the Spectrasonic was rewired too, I kept the stock tvjones pwrtron neck but added a
tvjones Pwrtron+ in the bridge and redid the harness with CTS and orange drop 001 cap on the tone pot.

the 6118T anni goes under the knife tomorrow and I'm putting tvjones magnatrons in her, sperzels,
and the bridge gets a custom abr-1 fitted with drilled aluminum saddles.

I can only thank Setzer for making me insane like this..well more insane, just with gretsch guits now!

Tavo, you're a nut, brother, and I love ya, well, like a brother! So, which is it: Top Hat or El Sonido?
Eddie Lee

tophat, el sonido,and vintage fender amps!! 90% blonde 6G6-B though!

pigsmoke wrote:

I own a very early model Gretsch Setzer signature model 6120 (6120-SSL, with the lacquer finish). I had the wiring harness and pickups replaced with TV Jones, making it a better guitar than it was. Who else owns Setzer signature guitfiddles, and what have you done to them?

Thanks for putting this forum up Tommy, way cool.

mike...

I have a 2000 SSU stock hardware, sound post etc.. I’m on the fence about putting TVJ Classics in. Did the new pickups have a drastic effect on the tone of your guitar? Are they worth the $$$ Also, why did you replace the harness? Many thanks.

I was at the coach house shows with lee and scotty too! unforgettable!

HEY GANG! CAN ANYONE HELP ME? MY '99 SETZER HOT ROD SERIAL NO. 991120SH-69 HAS "U.S. PAT. 2892371" ON THE PICKUPS, WHAT DO THESE MEAN? I'VE BEEN TOLD LATER MODELS HAD PLAIN COVERS? DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THE SERIAL NO. BREAKS DOWN TO? I'M HOPING THAT THE 69 PART MEANS IT WAS NUMBER 69 BUILT AS I WAS BORN IN '69, HAVE A '69 FORD FALCON XT GT AND KINDA JUST LIKE THE NUMBER 69 IF YA KNOW WHAT I MEAN! ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED, CHEERS PETE.

PICKIN' PETE wrote:

HEY GANG! CAN ANYONE HELP ME? MY '99 SETZER HOT ROD SERIAL NO. 991120SH-69 HAS "U.S. PAT. 2892371" ON THE PICKUPS, WHAT DO THESE MEAN? I'VE BEEN TOLD LATER MODELS HAD PLAIN COVERS? DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THE SERIAL NO. BREAKS DOWN TO? I'M HOPING THAT THE 69 PART MEANS IT WAS NUMBER 69 BUILT AS I WAS BORN IN '69, HAVE A '69 FORD FALCON XT GT AND KINDA JUST LIKE THE NUMBER 69 IF YA KNOW WHAT I MEAN! ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED, CHEERS PETE.

I have those same pickups on my 5120 (switched to them ...more like it) they are gretsch filtertrons. the Pat. number is the same as it came back in the 50's i belive and was never changed out to a solid cover.
the tv jones filters found on some hotrods have a differnt pat number or have the letters TV in them. but its something to that nature.

They are preety sweet pickups. also i belive since yours is a hotrod, the gretsch filtertrons are wound more for a twangier sound or aka "hot" sound. hence the name hot rod. I know this because when i purchased my filtertrons i had the option of getting the regular filtertrons or the hotrod filtertrons. i opted for the reg. due to them being a little cheaper. the tv's I hear are the cats Pijamas. best of the best.

I know what you mean about 69...its a historic, awesome number.....kinda like 32 for me. I wasnt born in 32 but my ford was!

THANKS MAN! WHEN I BOUGHT THE GUITAR IN '99, NO ONE REALLY COULD GIVE ME ANY CONCISE INFO ON IT, EVEN WHERE I BOUGHT IT FROM. I HAVEN'T RODED IT ALL AS IT PLAYS SO WELL AND KNOWING MY LUCK IT WOULD NEVER BE THE SAME. IT ABSOLUTELY SCREAMS THROUGH MY FENDER BLUES DEVILLE 4X10 WITH THE DRIVE ON AND TUBE SCREAMER ON. CHEERS PETE.

Hi Pickin' Pete.
According to the Gretsch pages discussion site, the pre Fender Gretsch serial numbers mean;

Example, 946119-976 would be a June 1994 Tennessee Rose, the 976th made.

94 is the year 19"94"
6 is the month "6" = June
119 is the model 6"119"
So your's should be the 69'th made for that year.
Hope this helps.