Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster vs Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120
Reasons to Get
Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster over Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120
Reasons to Get
Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 over Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster
Other Key Differences
Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster vs Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120
Shared Features
Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster vs Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120
Common Strengths
- From a High-Quality-Standards Country
- Top Pickup Brand
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
- Locking Tuners
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- High-Quality Frets
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Luminescent Sidedots
- Strap Lock
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Table of Contents
Price History Comparison
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Which One is Better Overall?
After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster is probably the better product overall with its final score of 75 compared to the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120's 71 score, although not by a lot.
The Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality, value for the money. This means that it wins over the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 in every aspect.
If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster.
Which One is Better for Beginners?
If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster is the better choice.
The Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster meets 6 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 meets only 4. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.
New Player Friendliness
Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Comfortable fretboard
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
New Player Friendliness
Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120- Comfortable shape
- Comfortable fretboard
- Short scale
- Comfortable neck
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Locking tuners
- Easy-to-use bridge
Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.
Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster Overview
- From Fender Custom's 2020 Artisan series
- Made in United States
- 6 strings
- 25.5"'' scale
- 9.5" to 12" Fretboard Radius
- 4A Figured Koa top
- Chambered 2-Piece Fiji Mahogany with 4A Figured Koa Top body
- 4A Roasted Flame Maple neck
- Round-Lam Ebony fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Fender Custom Shop Hand-Wound Loaded '51 Nocaster (Single Coil/Passive)
- 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Reverse Nocaster Bridge with Brass RSD Saddles bridge
- '60s Oval C Bolt-On neck
- 21 Jumbo frets
- Vintage Style with Tortoise Shell Buttons tuners
- Compare Specs >
Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 Overview
- From Gretsch's 2010 Professional Collection series
- Eddie Cochran Signature
- Made in Japan
- 6 strings
- 24.6"'' scale
- 9.5" Fretboard Radius
- Arched Laminated Maple top
- Laminated Maple body
- 2-Piece Maple neck
- Rosewood fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Gretsch DynaSonic (Single Coil/Passive)
- 2 volume and 1 tone Speed knobs
- 3-way Switch
- Bigsby B6CBVF Vibrato Tailpiece bridge
- Eddie Cochran Set neck
- 22 Vintage frets
- Grover V98 Sta-Tite Open-Back tuners
- Weight around 7.1lbs (3.2kgs)
- Compare Specs >
Sound Quality Comparison
The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.
Woods Used in the Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster
This wood has beautiful patterns only found in specific types of maple.
Ebony is a high-end wood, so it is not cheap. It's only used for fretboards because it's also very heavy. It does an excellent job as a durable material while looking elegant. Find out more about Ebony.
It's a type of wood native to the Hawaiian Islands, where it's pretty common. Its musical properties make it a great wood for making guitars, but it's especially popular for building Ukuleles. Find out more about Koa.
Woods Used in the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120
Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.
Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.
Winner: Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster.
Pickup Configuration
Both pickup configurations are SP90. The single-coil pickup at the bridge will give you a really bright sound with low output, while the neck pickup brings slightly more output with a warmer tone. This is thanks to the P90-style tone, which is often used for blues and classic rock.
Pickups Quality
Both come with some of the top pickups on the market. You can't go wrong with either of them. You'll probably never need a pickup upgrade.
Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.
Winner: Tie.
Versatility Comparison
Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.
Switch Options
Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.
Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.
They both share the following switching options:
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120.
Final Sound Quality Scores
Build Quality Comparison
When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster compares to the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster is built in United States while the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 is made in Japan.
The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.
Japan has a long history of high-quality guitar building. Little has changed in terms of their manufacturing and quality control over the years. Many guitars made in this country can be compared—and even beat—others made in the US.
Winner: Tie
Nut Material
If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.
The Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster has a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.
On the other hand, the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 comes with a Brass nut. Guitarists used to love brass nuts due to the bright tone and good sustain they help achieve. However, now they use Bone more often since it can also produce a bright tone and longer sustain, but it's also oily, which helps to keep the guitar in tune.
Winner: Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster.
Fret Material
Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.
Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.
Winner: Tie.
Bridge
The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.
The Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster's brige is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.
On the other hand, the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120's is a Bigsby Tremolo. Bigsby tremolos are built differently than regular tremolos. They have a stiffer arm, which is something a lot of people like because the arm won't wiggle around a lot. On the other hand, this type of tremolo is more complicated to restring and it might not be as newbie-friendly as other simpler tremolos.
Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.
Winner: Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120.
Tuners
Both come with regular tuners. The Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster's are Vintage Style with Tortoise Shell Buttons while the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120's are Grover V98 Sta-Tite Open-Back
Winner: Tie.
Neck Joint
Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.
The Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster has a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.
On the other hand, the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 comes with Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.
Winner: Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster
- Made in United States
- Expensive Wood
- Bone Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Weight Relief
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120
- Made in Japan
- Expensive Wood
- Top Brand Pickups
- Tremolo
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- No High-Quality Nut
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Final Build Quality Scores
Playability Comparison
Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.
Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.
Nut Width
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 has the wider nut with 42.9mm (1.688'') vs 41.9mm (1.65''). This is a 1mm (0.038'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.
Scale Length
The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.
The Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster has the longest scale: 25.5". The Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 is only 24.6" long. This is a 0.9'' (22.9mm) scale length difference.
This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.
This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.
Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).
Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.
Neck Profile
No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.
In this case, both have different neck shapes:
The Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster has a C type of neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.
The Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120, on the other hand, has a V neck. This neck shape was more common during Fender's early years. Some people like it because they use their thumb over the edge of the fretboard to press the lower strings. It's rather thicker than most modern necks, so it's not usually used for playing fast solos.
Fretboard Radius
Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.
In this case, the Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster is the only one with a compound radius. This is a huge win because it will give you the best of both worlds: a more curved radius in the first few frets for chords, and flatter as you come closer to the body for soloing.
Hand Size Comfortability
Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.
And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 favors large hands more than the Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster.
Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster:
Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120:
Fret Size
The Fender Custom Artisan Koa P90 Telecaster has Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120's Vintage frets.
Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.
