2011 Gretsch G6120EC Eddie Cochran Signature Hollow Body

I have wanted to buy one of these for sometime, but finding one I could actually play before buying was hard. I was at a guitar show and ran into a great guy selling one which was his personal guitar. He had already corrected a few flaws from the factory (in my opinion). This particular G6120EC has a more flamed maple that I have seen. Most are pretty plain. This one popped and what first caught my eye.

The Gretsch G6120EC has a 9.5-inch radius (most modern Gretsch guitars are 12-inch radius). For some reason Gretsch ships these with the same bridge that use on the 12-inch radius guitars. The bridge and base has been changed to a much nicer Tru-Arc SerpenTune rocking bridge that is the correct radius at 9.5-inch and compensates for a plain-G string. The pickups have been had shims added to raise them for the proper height under the strings and a setup was done to make this guitar play like a dream. I could not past this beauty up.

Gretsch announced the G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature Hollow Body guitar model around August 2011. This guitar’s serial number shows it to be made in July 2011 making it an early one. This signature Eddie Cochran model came after very limited edition G6129EC Eddie Cochran Tribute Custom Shop guitar that recreated every nuance of rockabilly pioneer Eddie Cochran’s actual guitar which is now displayed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

During his all-too brief life and career, Eddie Cochran (1938-1960) only ever played the Chet Atkins hollow-body he bought brand-new in 1955 at age 16 from the Bell Gardens Music Center in his hometown, Bell Gardens, California It was this guitar that Cochran played on hits such as “Summertime Blues,” “Twenty Flight Rock,” “C’mon Everybody,” “Somethin’ Else,” “Nervous Breakdown” and “Sittin’ in the Balcony,” which influenced generations of guitarists. And it was this guitar that was in the trunk of the car on the April 1960 night that Cochran met his tragic and untimely fate on a winding rural road in Chippenham, England at the age of only 21.

Born October 3, 1938 in Albert Lee, Minnesota, Eddie was the youngest of Alice and Frank Cochran’s five children. At age eleven his family moved to Bell Gardens, California to join his brother Bill who had moved there when he got married after leaving the Military Service. Twelve year old, Eddie Cochran wanted to join the school orchestra as a drummer, but ended up opting for the trombone. The director of the school band said that Eddie didn’t have the “lip” for trombone he suggested clarinet instead.Cochran quit the band and asked his brother to show him some chords on an old Kay guitar. After getting a chord book he seemed to just naturally start playing guitar.

In late 1953 Eddie formed The Melody Boys with friends Al Garcia on lead guitar, Fred Conrad Smith on upright bass, steel guitar and Eddie playing rhythm guitar playing country music. Eddie Cochran began recording in 1955 with songwriter and performer “Hank” Cochran (no relation) and they toured as the Cochran Brothers. After seeing Elvis Presley in Dallas in late 1955, Cochran switched to rock and roll. Cochran demonstrated his skill as a rockabilly guitarists at number of sessions in Los Angeles.

While recording background music for a low budget film Boris Petroff, the producer, asked him to appear and sing his song “Twenty Flight Rock” in the first color rock and roll movie. Eddie’s fame, especially in England, skyrocketed when is was in the movie, The Girl Can’t Help It! starring Jayne Mansfield. Eddie Cochran influenced many your players in England like Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and the Beatles. In fact, it was a very young Paul McCartney that played “Twenty Flight Rock” and knew all the lyrics to impress John Lennon when they first met. This led to Paul joining John’s skiffle group, The Quarrymen.

Notice the “clear” pickguard in this clip from the movie.

June 11, 1958 “Summertime Blues” was released and then C’mon Everybody” both which were written by Cochran and Jerry Capehart. Cochran, an exceptionally talented guitarist, energetic stage performer, began touring extensively. In early 1960 he toured the England with his girlfriend, songwriter Sharon Sheeley (who later wrote songs for Glen Campbell, Ricky Nelson, Irma Thomas and Brenda Lee), and fellow superstar performer Gene Vincent (Be Bop a Lula). The tour was a resounding success. Outside of London on the way to the airport to return to the United States, their cab was involved in a fatal accident when it blew a tire and slammed into a lamp post in Chippenham, Wiltshire on April 17. Sheeley suffered a broken pelvis, Vincent sustained injuries that left him with a limp for the rest of his life. Eddie Cochran was tragically killed.

Eddie was one of the first great stars of rock and roll and an artist whose influence would far outstrip his brief career. He is one of the pioneers of rockabilly, an icon that influenced all that came after him. No mistaking his impact. Cochran’s influence would be seen with artists as diverse as Bobby Fuller, Marc Bolan (T-Rex), the Ramones, the Clash and the Sex Pistols. Cochran was also one of the first American rockers to tour the United Kingdom.

Eddie’s Gretsch also has an interesting history.

Once a 13-year-old kid named Marc Feld met Cochran outside a London Theatre called the Hackney Empire, where Cochran had just played a concert. Cochran allowed the boy to carry his guitar out to his limousine. Feld later renamed himself Dib Cochran and fronted a band called The Earwigs, a homage to the performer who had inspired him. Marc Feld later became famous under the stage name, Marc Bolan with his band T. Rex. Bolan helped create glam rock, and enjoyed a top-10 hit in America with “Bang a Gong (Get It On).” Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan (formerly The Turtles) provided the back up vocals.

After Eddie’s fatal accident his Gretsch guitar was impounded. While the guitar was impounded in Wiltshire, a young policeman named David Harman, used it to teach himself how to play. That policeman would change his name to Dave Dee and co-found a band called Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich. This band became one of the first wave of the British Invasion, along with the Beatles.

Eventually, Eddie’s Gretsch was returned to his family and is now on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Gretsch used Eddie’s actual guitar to recreate it for the limited edition G6129EC Eddie Cochran Tribute Custom Shop guitar. The production model Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature followed.

From Gretsch:
The Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature hollowbody electric guitar is based on the distinct and highly-modified instrument that powered Eddie’s groundbreaking rock ‘n’ roll and rockabilly style. The three-ply maple body is pure Gretsch quality, with parallel bracing and double-bound “F” holes, and of course a Bigsby B6GBVF tailpiece. Distinct to the G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature, though, is the special “open” internal body design for exceptionally huge tones with rich harmonics. You also get Eddie’s unique combination of DynaSonic and Lindy Fralin “dog ear” single-coil pickups for that distinctive rock tone. If you want classic Gretsch playability with a unique sound, you’ll love the Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature hollowbody.

Based on Eddie Cochran’s Gretsch:
The Gretsch G6120 commemorates Eddie Cochran’s short but iconic career as a pioneer of rock ‘n’ roll and rockabilly. The G6120 combines classic Gretsch playability with Eddie’s distinctive modifications for a truly unique instrument.

Legendary construction:
You’ll find classic Gretsch construction in the G6120, like parallel bracing for maximum tone. The G6120 also features a special “open” internal body design, increasing your resonance and sustain even more.

Dual single-coil pickups:
The Gretsch G6120 sports a unique combination of DynaSonic and Lindy Fralin “dog ear” single-coil pickups. The DynaSonic has been a Gretsch standard since the late 1940s, loved for its wide frequency response and adjustable pole pieces. The Lindy Fralin “dog ear” gives you rich and powerful midrange response, with the bite only a single-coil can provide.

Gretsch G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature Hollowbody Electric Guitar Features:

  • Amazingly playable guitar with a unique sound, based on Eddie Cochran’s iconic Gretsch
  • Special “open” internal body design for enhanced tone
  • Great intonation with the compensated aluminum bridge (Replaces with TruArc Bridge and Base)
  • Hardshell case included

Specs:

  • Body Type: Hollowbody
  • Body Shape: Singlecut
  • Body Material: Maple
  • Top Material: Maple
  • Body Finish: Gloss Urethane
  • Color: Western Maple Stain
  • Neck Material: Maple
  • Fingerboard Material: Rosewood
  • Fingerboard Inlay: Gretsch Western Block Inlays
  • Number of Frets: 22
  • Scale Length: 24.6″
  • Nut Width: 1.6875″
  • Nut Material: Polished brass
  • Radius: 9.5
  • Body Depth: 2 3/4-inch
  • Body Width Upper Bout: 11 1/2-inch
  • Body Width Lower Bout: 15 3/4-inch
  • Bridge/Tailpiece: Polished Aluminum Compensated Bigsby (replaced with Tru-Arc SerpenTune rocking bridge and base for plain G-string)
  • Tuners: Old style Grover V98G Sta-Tite Open-Back Tuners
  • Neck Pickup: Lindy Fralin “Dog Ear” Single-coil
  • Bridge Pickup: DynaSonic Single-coil
  • Controls: 2 x Volume, 1 x Master Volume, 1x Master Tone, 3-way Pickup Selector
  • Case Included: Hardshell

Eddie’s Mods

In the ’50s the variety of guitars we enjoy today simply didn’t exist and aftermarket accessories were extremely limited. There were few replacement pickups or parts to hot rod and personalize guitars that we take for granted today. Humbuckers were not invented yet and most electric guitars had some sort of single coil pickup(s). Many had D’Armond style single coils which basically describes the Dynasonic found on the Gretsch.

Eddie Cochran modified his famous orange Chet Atkins Gretsch to fit his needs. He swapped out the neck pickup with Gibson style dog ear P-90 and was able to access a whole array of sounds that went beyond the bright Dynasonic sound. The pickguard on this signature model is clear as Eddie chose to scratch off the painted back of the original pickguard. He did not want Chet Atkins name on HIS guitar!

Back in the 50s, guitars came factory-equipped with a wound third string. These are not easy to bend. Cochran was one of the first to start re-stringing his orange Gretsch 6120 with a plain G string.

The neck pickup on the Gretsch G6120EC differentiates this guitar in Gretsch’s lineup. The P-90 pickup had been around for a while by the time that Eddie Cochran installed one in his Gretsch 6120. We can only guess that he pulled it off a Gibson guitar. It is a powerful, warm sounding pickup, but not muddy. P-90s are clear and articulate and were a favorite of many jazz guitarists in the 50s (and some still today). Interesting Scotty Moore’s early Gibson ES-295 he played with Elvis also had Dog Era P-90 pickups and makes me wonder if this may have influenced Eddie Cochran his putting one on his Gretsch.

The P-90 pickup in the neck brings this guitar into Gibson ES-175 territory (or Gibson ES-295) that was always a main Jazz axe, back before the Gibson added Humbuckers to ES-175. Many blues players also loved P-90s as well. Many Jazz guitarists like to roll off the volume and tone a bit. This particular 6120 model is great for this. Other than the orange color and western motif this guitar would be perfectly fine on a Jazz gig (if you close your eyes).

Also note that the Gretsch G6120EC is a bit different as it has a 9.5-inch radius. Most modern Gretsch guitars have a 12-inch radius. It sounds more open and resonant as it does not have the sound post to trestle bracing like many Gretsch guitars. This gives the guitar a more acoustic and woody character than the average Gretsch 6120. There isn also a brass nut.

Feedback issues with archtop guitars became a problem when music changed as volume increased. Acoustically live guitars of the big band era became a liability in this regard. This is why laminated wood tops over carved tops became popular because they were less prone to feedback at these higher volumes. Adding a soundpost to a laminated-wood archtop could result in a very usable instrument capable of performing at higher volumes without feeding back. Trestle bracing was an even better solution that arrived around 1959. Gibson came with a thinline semi-hollow with the ES-335 in 1958 that had solid wood running up the middle. These were efforts to make these hollow body electric guitars less “live” and reduce feedback when played at higher volumes.

2011 Gretsch G6120EC on left and 2005 Gretsch 6120 RHH

From left Gretsch 6120EC Eddie Cochran, Gretsch 6122-1962 Country Gentleman,
Gretsch G6128T-GH Duo Jet George Harrison, Gretsch 6120RHH Reverend Horton Heat and Gretsch G6120TM Chet Atkins

So if you are wondering about if feedback would be an issue with the Gretsch G6120EC as it is fully hollow with no soundpost or trestle bracing, I have not had any issues. Sure if you stand in front of your amp you can do a great John Lennnon “I Feel Fine” impression. The guitar being more open and alive makes it a pleasure to play. The pickups used and fully hollow body makes this one of the most versatile Gretsch 6120’s being produced today.

Some Gretsch 6120s