Gretsch Introduces Brian Setzer Hot Rod Guitar

(Click for a close-up)

January 28, 1999 -- Gretsch endorser Brian Setzer, the reigning king of rockabilly, jazz, and swing guitar, has combined two of his favorite passions - hot rods and Gretsch 6120 guitars - in designing the new Brian Setzer Hot Rod Model guitar.

The Hot Rod guitar is available in a choice of four stunning metallic finishes: Blue, Purple, Tangerine, and Candy Red. The guitar's appearance pays homage to the glorious hot rods and customized cars of the 1950s and 60s. In fact, the Metallic Tangerine is an exact color match of Setzer's personal hot rod.

"Brian wanted the Filtertron pickups to match the original tone, output and warmth of a 1959 Gretsch guitar," stated Fred Gretsch, President of the Gretsch Guitars Company.

Other features of the single cutaway guitar include a chrome headstock plate identifying the guitar as a Brian Setzer Hot Rod Model, a Tune-O-Matic bridge with ebony base, a bound ebonized rosewood neck with neo-classic style inlays, chrome hardware, an open V-style Bigsby, a pickup selection switch, and master volume control.

When asked how the guitar came to be developed, Fred Gretsch answered, "Brian and his guitar tech, Rich Modica, came up with the idea last Spring. We liked the concept, and after Brian developed a list of features, we were off and running to build the first prototype."

Although the final prototypes were scheduled to be introduced at the 1999 Winter NAMM show in Los Angeles, the Brian Setzer Hot Rod guitars made a "four-on-the-floor" debut to a nationwide audience on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Setzer, upon seeing the final proto-type guitars the morning of Dec. 21, 1998, put them in his hot rod and drove to the NBC studio where Brian and his band, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, were scheduled to appear. Later that day, while Brian performed a rousing, rocking version of "Jingle Bells" for The Tonight Show, the four Setzer Hot Rod guitars were seen on stage sitting on guitar stands beside Setzer's vintage Fender Bassman amp.

For more information, visit their web site at www.gretsch.com.