Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 Review & Prices

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Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 Review
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  • 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 >

Our Scores and Tone Evaluation

Playability 72
Sound 68
Build quality 73
Value for money 56
Overall Score 71
Tone Evaluation
  • Heavy Metal
  • Hard Rock
  • Jazz
  • Blues
  • Funk
  • Country
Strengths & Weaknesses
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

Price Overview

Its average competitor's price is $3100, which means that the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 costs around 6% more than the competition. It might be due to it having additional features, but know that you can find cheaper similar alternatives. This takes into account all instruments of the same category in our database with 6 strings and Bigsby Tremolo bridge that are made in Japan.

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Videos

Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature Model Guitar Demo
Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature • SN: JT19020540
Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature Guitar Demo
Gretsch Eddie Cochran 6120
Gretsch Eddie Cochran Signature G6120EC Guitar - Quick Look @ Nevada Music UK
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Your feedback

Not all instruments are created equally. That's why it's important to have different opinions. Here's what our users who have played this instrument say. If you've played it before, help others by voting below!

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Is it Easy to Play?

The Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, which means that it's not bad for beginners, but it could be better. 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 to get used to.

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

Hand Size Comfortability

After taking into account the neck profile, scale size, fretboard radius, and nut width, we can conclude that the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120's construction favors people with relatively big hands.

Nevertheless, this comes down in the end to personal preference. Make sure you test this guitar—or another one with similar characteristics—before buying.

Big Hands
Small Hands

How Lightweight is it?

We found that the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 weighs around 7.1lbs (3.2kgs). This was recorded from some online retailers that publish the weight of the instruments they sell.

Scale Length

Scale length is the distance the strings will span between the bridge and the nut. It can tell you a lot about the overall playability and tone of the instrument. A longer scale length means longer distance between frets, brighter tone and more string tension—which means lower action, but more difficult bending of the strings.

Here's the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120's 24.6" scale length compared to other common sizes:

Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 Scale Length Comparison
Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120's scale length (at the top) compared to other popular sizes

This is similar to some of the Les Paul guitars made in the 50s, and it's slightly shorter than modern Les Pauls (24.75''). Short scales like these make the tone sound more bassy. It also makes the frets closer to each other, and bending is easier due to the lower tension of the strings. However, it comes at the cost of not letting you set the action of the strings as low without hearing fret buzz because the low tension will make the strings looser.

Remember that you can still try a thicker string gauge to increase the tension to let you lower the action.

More with the same scale length:

Neck Profile

Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 Neck Profile
Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120's neck profile

The neck profile tells you the thickness (neck depth) and shape in cross section. Every difference will completely change the feeling and comfortability of the neck. This is a highly subjective thing, but most players indeed prefer certain types of necks (like Cs and Ds) because they feel nice in most hands.

It has a V type neck. This is a vintage type of neck that is not so common nowadays. Some people like it because they can rest their hand easily while letting their thumb hang over the edge of the fretboard. It's thicker than most modern necks, so it's great for playing chords but not so much for shredding.

More for different hand sizes

Fretboard Radius

When it comes to fingerboard radius, personal preference will dictate which one is better for you. However, most people seem to agree that a more curved (lower) radius will make it easier to play chords while a less curved (higher) radius is better for soloing and bending.

The Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 has a 9.5" fingerboard radius.

Here's an image comparing this fretboard radius to other popular choices:

Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 Fretboard Radius Comparison with Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul
Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120's fretboard radius compared to others

This is the most common radius for Stratocaster guitars. It's considered curved when compared to most other models. This allows you to play chords very easily without muting strings accidentally and gives you more space between strings for fingerpicking. However, this curve also gives the guitar less allowance for lower action. If you bend too hard at the high frets, some of your notes might get muted because the curve will make the string fret out.

Compound radius fingerboards give the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 has the same radius across the board.

More with the same fretboard radius:

Playability compared to main competitors

24.6'' Scale Length
V Neck Profile
1.688'' Nut Width
9.5'' Fretboard Radius
24.6'' Scale Length
V Neck Profile
1.685'' Nut Width
Compound Fretboard Radius
24.6'' Scale Length
V Neck Profile
1.688'' Nut Width
12'' Fretboard Radius
24.6'' Scale Length
V Neck Profile
1.688'' Nut Width
Compound Fretboard Radius
24.6'' Scale Length
U Neck Profile
1.688'' Nut Width
12'' Fretboard Radius

Nut Width

Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 Nut Width
Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 Nut Width

The Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 has a nut width of 42.9mm (1.688''). This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Frets

The Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 has 22 frets. Even though 24 frets has become really popular, there's still a good reason to get fewer frets; the pickup at the neck position will be further away from the bridge. This makes the neck pickup achieve a warmer tone. You might want this if you're playing Jazz or similar genres.

However, if you don't care about the warmer neck pickup, more frets will always be better. It's always nice to have the option to play higher notes if you want to.

It comes with nickel silver frets, so they won't last as long as stainless steel frets. If you use your instrument a lot, you might need to replace the frets after a few years. But this is unlikely as most people change instruments before this happens.

More with the same amount of frets:

Fret Size

Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 Fret Size Comparison
Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120's fret size (in orange) compared to other popular sizes

Finally, let's talk about fret size. Some people prefer tall frets because it's easier to press the strings and perform bends since there's less friction against the fretboard. On the other hand, some people like shorter frets because they like to touch the fretboard when playing, or because they got heavy hands and tend to press too much on the string and alter the of the note pitch accidently.

The Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120's frets are Vintage size. This is one of the shortest fret sizes you can find. Most modern guitar players prefer taller frets because it's easier to bend and press down the strings. However, some people love the feeling of a small fret that lets them feel the fretboard while playing. We recommend newbies choose a taller size for an easier experience.

More with the same type of frets:

Playability Score

Bending & Vibrato Ease 75
Chord Playability 90
Solo Playability 50
Playability 72

Tone Analysis

Wood will have little influence in the final tone of an electric guitar or bass. Instead, the hardware, especially the pickups, will be the most important thing to look at. Bur first, let's see the quality of the wood.

Wood

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple Body, Neck
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood Fretboard

Maple Body and Neck: This is one of the most popular types of wood used in all kinds of guitars. It's heavy, strong and compact, which makes it great for necks. However, it's also used for fretboards, bodies and tops due to its light color, resistance and beautiful patterns. When it comes to tone, it highlights the mid and high frequencies.

Rosewood Fretboard: Since the ban of Brazillian Rosewood, this has become a rare and expensive wood. It's not usually used for guitar bodies because of this, and also because it's heavy. Instead, it's used mainly for fretboards. Sometimes it's also used for necks because it's an extremely hard wood (even harder than maple). Its tonality tends to favor warm tones.

Pickups

This guitar comes with pickups from one of the top brands: Gretsch. So you can expect well built pickups with great sound that shouldn't need an upgrade anytime soon.

These are passive pickups, so you can expect a rounder sound and a moderade level of output.

The Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120's configuration is SP90. The single-coil at the bridge will give you a twangy, snappy sound similar to what you hear in Country. However, the neck pickup will give you a warmer, more vintage tone. Even though P90-style pickups are single coils, they have more output and more dirtiness than a typical single-coil.

More with the same pickups

22 Frets
Bigsby Tremolo Bridge
Gretsch DynaSonic Bridge Pickup
Gretsch Lindy Fralin Dog Ear Single-Coil Neck Pickup
22 Frets
Bigsby Tremolo Bridge
Gretsch DynaSonic Bridge Pickup
Gretsch DynaSonic Neck Pickup
22 Frets
Bigsby Tremolo Bridge
Gretsch DynaSonic Bridge Pickup
Gretsch DynaSonic Neck Pickup
22 Frets
Bigsby Tremolo Bridge
Gretsch DynaSonic Bridge Pickup
Gretsch DynaSonic Neck Pickup

Versatility

It comes with the popular 3-way switch that is present in most guitars. For more versatility, players tend to prefer a 5-way switch, although it all depends on what you want to use your guitar for.

Unfortunately, it doesn't come with more options for coil split or coil tapping. This makes it less versatile than some competitors.

Diagram

Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120's switch options

What music genre is it good for?

As a 6 strings, Hollowbody guitar with SP90 configuration and Passive pickups, we'd recommend it for genres like Jazz or similar. However, you can use almost any guitar for any genre. This is just the typical type of music for this particular one.

Sound Score

Pickups 100
Sustain 55
Versatility 51
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 68

Build Quality Analysis

Country of Origin

Knowing where the instrument is produced is a good way to know how well it's built. Some manufacturing countries are known for having higher quality standards. For example, most expensive instruments are made in the US or Japan, but there are some exceptionally great countries—like South Korea—that are building a good reputation.

The Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 is made in Japan. You should expect a high-quality guitar with excellent quality control. It can be compared to guitars made in the US, which is why they're also expensive.

Bridge

Bigsby B6CBVF Vibrato Tailpiece: This is a classy bridge that will make any guitar look vintage. It's a subtle tremolo, so it won't change the pitch of the strings too much and is very friendly with classic Jazz and other retro genres. The big disadvantage is that it's difficult to change the strings and setup correctly.

Also, if it's not well done, this type of bridge can cause your guitar to get out of tune often. For this reason, it's often better paired with roller saddles.

More with the same type of bridge:

Nut Material

Another important thing to analyze is the nut material, as it's one of the most important aspects that can affect the sound and playability of your guitar. A well-cut nut will make sure it stays in tune and will make it more comfortable to play.

In this case, the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120 has a Brass nut. This material was more common in the 70s and 80s, but it was slowly replaced by Bone as the better material. This type of nut gives the guitar a brighter tone and more sustain for the open strings. However, it's one of the softest metals, so it will wear down eventually and doesn't have the slippery nature of Bone, which helps with tuning stability.

More with the same nut material:

Neck Joint

The neck joint is the part where the neck of the guitar meets the body. There are three main techniques to attach both parts together: Set-In, Bolt-On and Neck-Through. The latter two provide different advantages, although neck-throughs are the most expensive.

This guitar has a Set neck joint. This type of neck joint consists of using different pieces of wood for the neck and the body of the guitar. Both pieces are then glued together. This is more expensive to make than a bolt-on neck, but it's cheaper than a neck-through guitar. Some people believe that this gives more sustain than a bolt-on neck due to both pieces having a 'better connection' than with bolts. Still, it's something difficult to prove.

However, this type of neck joint does have the disadvantage of not allowing you to easily swap the neck for another. This makes this type of neck joint less mod-friendly.

More with the same build:

Build Quality Score

Quality of materials 60
Features 60
Quality Control 100
Build Quality 73

All Specs

Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature 6120
General
Brand: Gretsch
Year: 2010
Configuration: SP90
Strings: 6
Made in: Japan
Series: Professional Collection
Colors: Orange
Left-Handed Version: No
Body
Top: Arched Laminated Maple
Type: Hollowbody
Body Material: Laminated Maple
Bridge: Bigsby B6CBVF Vibrato Tailpiece
Neck
Neck Joint: Set
Tuners: Grover V98 Sta-Tite Open-Back
Fretboard: Rosewood
Neck Material: 2-Piece Maple
Decoration: Western Block Inlay Position Markers of Cactus, Steerheads & Fences
Scale Size: 24.6"
Shape: Eddie Cochran
Frets: 22 Vintage
Fretboard Radius: 9.5"
Nut: Brass
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'')
Electronics
Switch: 3 Way
Knobs: Speed
Volume Controls: 2
Tone Controls: 1
Bridge Pickup: Gretsch DynaSonic (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Gretsch Lindy Fralin Dog Ear Single-Coil (Single Coil / Passive)

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