Gretsch 5420t vs 6120t 

I've got myself 5420 fairlane blue, too. And I'm so proud that it's made in South Korea, my own country. :) Great design and epic sound! I love this guitar as much as you do

Appreciate this review, I bought my son a Semi-hollow Streamliner as a gift and I was instantly impressed with these "Budget" guitars. The attention to detail even with the materials used in the Streamliner is incredible. It feels good and plays good, dress it up with the Chrome G Arrow knobs and Chrome Switch and it makes you feel like you are holding history in your hands. From top to bottom I think a person will be happy with the Gretsch. I am in the market for a hollowbody Gretsch which I think is their marketing ploy, make great guitars at entry level prices and customers will buy more at the higher price point due to the quality and impression of the 449.00 Guitars. If they made junk kiss brand loyalty goodbye..Make quality and they will be back for more. Plug our Gretsch into our 62 Fender Brown Deluxe and I feel like I went back in time 50+ years!!

Jack, thanks for that! Fantastic playing and commentary. You are a breath of fresh air man. Thanks for all the effort.

Great video! I have a 5420TG and a Brian Setzer 6120 Hot Rod. I haven't been playing Gretsch for very long but these guitars have seriously changed the way that I approach the instrument. At times I find it hard to go back to playing solid body guitars. Thanks for making this one!

One thing Gretsch does amazingly well is clean tones and rockabilly tone!

I just picked up a brand-new blue 2022 G5420 And I love it the versatility is amazing and I played unplugged all the time just a chill out

Excellent review! This was just what I was looking for. Both lovely guitars, but for my budget the 5420 is going to work for now! Great playing too!

I got a G5420T in Sunburst years ago. I remember trying to expand my styles and get a guitar that was a little different than anything I had. I've got Fenders, Martins, and a couple lower end items. I picked up a gretsch purely based off of looks in the shop and was unbelievably floored by how it played. And I remember being amazed at the sustain. Went home, did my research on them, and 5 years of ownership in it's *still* my favorite guitar. I prefer playing it over my Martin--which was almost 2 times what my Gretsch cost. I dont get why so many people sleep on the Gretsch guitars, they're so versatile and they're such a joy to play. I'm thinking of picking up the Rat Rod soon and maybe another 5420T to completely customize the electricals on. GF is hooked on them too now--wants to go pick one out tomorrow for herself. I really need to expand into the higher end Gretsches like the 6119 or a Players Edition.

Thanks for the comparison ... quite informative and well done ... nice playing too!

I have a TG 427 Graach with tombstone fret markers. It is midnight, blue, trim, and white. It is a beautiful I love it. It sounds like Chad Atkins I really love it I wanted to buy a high-end guitar but there’s so much money I live on a fixed income so I bought myself a 427 Graach all except I can say is that’s one cool guitar I love mine I wouldn’t take nothing for it. It sounds beautiful. Thanks for the video. I’ve been playing guitar now for almost 50 years and this is my first electric I have owned since 1976 all the rest of my guitars are all acoustics even have a fender Newporter it’s beautiful and a 2005 ovation Sunburst I love my guitars all of them I make sure they will last me as long as I am alive and I know they will also own a couple of Ibanez guitars. They’re great to I love the way you did this video 👍🏼🎵🎶🎼💖🎸🎸😎

Both are great guitars but to my ears, the 6120 seems to have more body resonance and sustain and more clarity/separation of the notes, especially with gain. Still, you can't go wrong with either.

I use my Gretsch guitars for rock & roll, and blues...to me, there is so much potential in Gretsch tones that seems to be little used...but they are VERY versatile.

I love my Gretsch! The action, pickups, etc are all great. Great action too!

Some 10+ years ago I had an Electromatic 5120 which I loved but had to sell to pay a bill or something. In the last couple of years I have been replacing guitars that I miss and have just ordered a new G5420 in orange and I'm very excited. Your video went a good way to reassuring me that the Electromatics have moved forwards and not baclkwards and for that I thank you.

Have and love the Electromatic. Also play it through Fender amps. That 6120 looks and sounds fabulous on clean tones! Can't go wrong with either.

Thanks for all youre vids, teaching on hollow ones, i finally got me a 5420 50s LTD, which for now i like this more than my 50ths shell pink strat which has been the one for me :)

Thank you for this comparison. I just got myself a 5420 tg in white. It’s a beautiful instrument.

I'm so glad you did this comparison between these two beautiful iconic Gretsch guitars. Most Gretsch fans will tell you the 6020 is the model that is that Gretsch sound". I'm not sure if my aging 68y old ears are hearing a great deal of difference between the two guitars. I do believe the 6120 has the edge on the 5420, a little more chime perhaps. I have a Gretsch G5420TG-OS 50S LTD, It is my only Gretsch and I do love it. I am however a Tele player, Strat and Les Paul in that order I think it's fair to say. Coming off those and back on the Gretsch does feel like the proverbial wardrobe under the arm. Great comparison and review, Keep em coming :)

Great demo! I'm Gretsch-happy right at this moment, so it's good to know the Electromatic is nearly as nice as the higher-priced model, which sounds a bit darker to me.

Just got the same blue 5420T Korea Bloody inspirational

Really good video. Very professional and entertaining 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

excellent sounds out of the 6120. i bet the sound of it in the room is tremendous

The 5420T is a super guitar and I have three of the 6120's too, I have used the 5420T live recently and no one noticed it cost a lot less than the 6120's! They said it sounded great. I have put the V shape Bigsby on the 5420 and a Tunamatic with roller saddles which has made it a lot better sounding.

Great video! I would love to see a review of the Gretsch 5622 maybe a comparison with the Epiphone 335 or Sheraton. Thanks for the quality content!

nice tone(s), Jack, and Gretsch really knocked it out the park w/ those paint jobs. The 6120 was so RICH!

l have a 6120 Eddie Cochran model that I love. The combo of the P90 neck and DynaSonic bridge pickup are great. Bluesy sound that gets to a Tele single coil sound with a flick of a switch. But I wanted that filtertron sound too, so I ordered the 5427 T with the flame maple top that Musician's Friend is selling. These guitars are more versatile then most people think. Much more then just rockabilly/county twang.

Currently eyeing that 5420 in red. Love the new designs for the Electromatics! Definitely considering this one more now. Maybe the 6120 down the line, but for ghe price, I ain't too beat up about the Electromatic.

Great review!!!! I own a highly modified Walnut 5120t and a slightly modified 5420T in Fairlane Blue. Your comment about the blacktop Filtertrons sorta of baffles me you said they " Hearken back to TV Jones pickups " TV Jones Classics emulate the original 1950's Filtertrons , the blactop filtertrons have ceramic magnets where as the vintage and TV Jones Filtertrons use Alnico 5 magnets. The Black top's a higher output and breakup better than the regular filtertrons and lean a bit more towards a a gibson PAF sound, ( Not to be confused with the stock Gretschbuckers in the 5120's which have a definite Gibson sound. The bottom line is the the Electromatic line up is awesome.

Great clip !!! Thanks enjoyed that and I agree the Japanese build is just beautiful! The Korean build is a very very close 2nd!

I recently bought my first Gretsch a brand new G5622T centre block electromatic in imperial stain which looks fantastic - a lot of guitar for the price - they have the look, vibe and get very close to the Gretsch sound. However now I’m at a crossroads as I did have to get a fret shave by a guitar tech as I noticed it had a ‘dead fret’ on the 9th fret a few days after I got it. The tech also filed the nut as it was slipping in tuning after bending strings. Now it plays great & tuning is stable with bends and Bigsby wobbles. My stumbling point now is I’m going to upgrade the machine heads - they work ok but do occasionally slip and aren’t the smoothest. I also want to upgrade the pots - again they work ok, no crackles but like most cheap pots the volume goes from 10 then straight down to 3 on the slightest turn then off completely. As for the blacktop broadtron pickups overall they sound good - they are a higher output with more lows & midrange than a traditional filtertron. The bridge pickup has a slight nasal mid range character - not bad but not ‘classic’ Gretsch. So now when you ad up the initial setup/fret shave, investing in new machine heads, pots, paying a guitar tech and maybe a set of TV Jones pickups I’m now wondering if I should move the electomatic on and go the whole hog for a Professional broadcaster or Nashville. So my overall thoughts/advice are the electromatic guitars are good but expect you have to throw a bit more money on them to get them fully up to speed - that’s where the extra money goes when you compare Chinese or Korean build to high quality Japanese craftsmanship & premium hardware/pickups - It’s a price I’m now seriously considering shelling out for...

Really great playing and feeling Jack, it's a pleasure to ear a guitar in your hand.

I just got a 5622T and I like it quite a lot. I don’t mind the blacktops at all. They definitely handle overdrive really well. Apart from wanting to shorten the spring and possibly try a roller bridge, there’s nothing I’m in a hurry to change on it.

excellent demo

They sound so close....I have the 5420 and guitar is amazing

G'day from Oz Jack Thanx for the demo mate. My girlfriend gave me a Fairlane blue Streamliner for Christmas. Wow man!!! Blew my mind. I was shaking............my first Gretsch. I love it to bits. It sounds and plays awesome. I'm definately keeping the guitar maybe even the girlfriend. Lol I have a 89 Strat , a Gem , an Artseries Ibanez and a few others so the Gretsch has its own place in the collection. Bloody great guitar mate. Fair dinkum👍

As of 2 nights ago, I own one of each: 5420 & 6120. Still waiting to dig in and find their "personalities". Thanks !!

I purchase a 5420 last year and really liked the quality and tone, I was exploring the possibility of upgrading the electronics to improve the sound and was searching for the components. Recently a ran across a G6120 t a local music store and we worked a trade for the 5420 so I ended up with the G6120. Really feel it is a big step up in quality and tone and very happy to have in my possession. Changing the electronics of the 5420 would not make it a 6120.

People forget that Poison Ivy of the Cramps played a 6120 with Ray Butts pickups and she got lots of crunch, fuzz and all sorts of other sounds out of it. Also Billy Duffy of The Cult. I just purchased a 2015 G 5420T. It hasn’t arrived yet so thanks for the thorough review.

I’ve got the 5435t pro jet and I love it. I’d love to get the bigger bodied semi-hollow at some point. I don’t find myself using the tremolo at all, and just fold it up out of the way. Maybe I oughta start tinkering with with it. These Gretschs are very nice, e en the streamliners.

5120 mantis from Gretsch talk here, again great review on these guitars

Great comparison video!! I've an older Eletromatic 5420t. It's a tobacco sunburst. Sweet guitar and got a sweet deal from a pawnshop on Ebay. I'll never part with it.

Great shootout Jack. I always felt the classic 6120 style Gretsches were too far beyond my means, but assumed the more affordable models wouldn’t get the sound well enough. I just ordered a G2655 Streamliner for my first foray into the Gretsch world because they are revamping the model and selling the older iteration for ridiculously cheap ($499 Canadian). But the G5420 Electromatic also caught my eye, as a more affordable alternative to the 6120, and your demo here has shown that it definitely has the classic tone.

6120 seems to have a bit more of this warm twang while it's breaking up into distortion but other than that 5420 is more or less spot on.

I love my G5420T, also my first Gretsch, but after purchasing a Japanese made G6122T-62 I am considering the G6120T 59. The '62 is in another league in terms of feel, sound and playability, so I am guessing the 6120 59 will be of a similar quality. Really, though, these modern Gretsch guitars, Japanese or Korean, are really superb instruments. Thanks for this comparison, most helpful.

Great review, great guitar, thanks!

Coming from the world of G&L/Fender guitars I actually like the black top pick ups a little more… Why? They have the spank that I used to. surf, country and western/spaghetti is my home base. I took my 5410 out for the first time in an open mic gig and I wasn’t sure if the Gretsch sound would work for me… This guitar totally worked! I actually got a great chicken picking sound off the bridge pick up and that surprised me plus the hollowness of the Guitar gave a certain low mid umph … I guess you might say. Yes, the 5410 is a shallower depth than the 5420 but it still has that “sound”. It’s not that I higher end pick ups can’t do the same thing with a little amplifier tone adjustment. All said, I am stoked!

Great comparison and really nice playing! The G5420 seems to be missing that little "zing" at the top that the 6120 has but that helps it sound better when overdriven.

Jack, Thank you! I owned a Gretesch in 1980 something in high school. I had a guitar that would not sell and a buddy that really wanted it offered a Dolly Parton Green sparkle Gretescg Streamliner as trade. I said let's trade for a week....I have played it everyday and not touched any of my acoustics. It is a streamliner and I was looking to see how much better it would be if I spent more cash. There are better but not 5 times better. That is the best review I have ever seen and I have seen many. That really shows me the difference. Thank you for CLEAN playing and a CLEAN amp. I tire of amp models and distorted sound, Just about everybody can make it dirty....making it clean....well that is a whole different thing altogether and so worth the journey. Cheers!

The 5420 is a great allrounder that sounds like a classic Gretsch. The various 6120s are nice, but increasingly use more specialized TV Jones pu's that stray further away from the Gretsch sound. They may not work well for multiple styles or venues. One more reason why the 5420 is the overwhelming favorite for working guitarists.

Another excellent review. Two super instruments nicely demonstrated. The 6120 sounds a touch classier to me as you might expect, but the 5420 does it for me at that price range.

Very nice demo. The electromatic sounded really good, but the 6120...oh boy...

Ray Butts pickups aren't wax-potted. That's why I wanted em, you get the full benefit of that big acoustical chamber.

You say at 8:00 that you can get some FilterTrons. The G5420T comes stock with black top FilterTrons. What you probably meant was that you can upgrade to TV Jones or other pickups. If you want more aggressive pickups, the TV Jones Setzer pickups are the way to go. The G5420T also has a pinned bridge. l also have the G5420T in Fairlane Blue.

Thank you for this video!

They both definitely have "That Great Gretsch Sound" -for sure~

Thank you sir this is what I was looking for. I have a Gretsch Rancher and a Gretsch resonator. Haven’t played a hollow body yet. I own 4 hollow bodies but no Gretsch. I’m afraid to go to Guitar Center motels I know I will buy something lol

Thanks for this. It is really helpful 🙂

Thanks for the comparison. Would have liked to have heard them without any FX so we could better hear the clean tones and the sustain differences between them. I find the 6120 has a fuller, rounder tone. It may be partly due to the pickups, but I find the 5-ply laminate of the Electromatics is a little stiffer, giving a slightly thinner sound than the 3-ply of the 6120s. I would definitely consider starting with the electromatic and also use it for playing gigs where the audience couldn't tell them apart anyway. You could easily record well with either but there would be more EQing with the 5420 to get a similar sound.

Thanks for the comparision, Not many videos with this much info, Still eyeing off the G420T - Looks great and sounds pretty good.

The binding work, especially in the f-holes, will typically show a difference between the Chinese and Japanese Gretsch guitars. Also, the pickup selector switch on the 5420t has been a problem for many people. If you're fine with some less than perfect detail work and are up for replacing the pickups and wiring harness (from TV Jones), you can get a very nice looking and well playing guitar for much less than the cost of the Japanese ones. It will require a bit of work, but it saves money and gives you something interesting to do.

I have the 2420 indo made 5420 korean And i just bought the 6120 player japan All different but all gretsch Great video

Hi Jack. Let me say that your channel is one of the best on YT. I play blues the most and I wish to buy a Gretsch, but, at the moment I can't afford a 6120 serie models. I like wery much the 5420 but I'd ask you if you have tried the semi hollow 5655 with Broad Tones pick up. If you know the 5655 I'd like to know what do you think of that model comparing with the 5420. Thank you in advance. Greetings.

Would love to hear the same comparison, but with filtertrons not blacktops in the 5420 😉

I watched briefly then just listened . I can’t tell a bit of difference in the two .

I really enjoyed that! The playing was inspiring. Both guitars sound really great! I have a Fairlane blue Electromatic exactly like the one in the video and it's a gorgeous guitar. Of course, I'd be lying if I didn't say I wish I had a 6120t as well. For the clean sounds, the 6120 sounds significantly better to me. There is a smoothness and richness to it that you would expect from such a high-end, Japanese crafted instrument, like Jack said, essentially custom shop level. And that comes down to the sum total of a lot of elements, including, but not limited to the pickups, the electronics, and the wood. The 6120 is incredible! But the big surprise for me was that, to my ears, the 5420 sounded better with higher gain/overdrive on it.

6120 - I have a gretsch power tenny 6116 ever hear of it its a beast !

Love yr playing m8ey

I'm an old guy (68) and I'm a brandy new beginner. I was going to buy a high end but thought about it and bought myself a Gretsch G5420T in the Aspen Green. I figure I'll never be good enought to make any real use of a higher end model.

If you change the 1/8” magnets in the blacktops to real 1/4” thick Filtertron magnets it makes them very close to the HS Filtertrons in the 6120. It’s a cheap mod too. I absolutely love TV Jones filtertons and Supertrons and both of those guitars would be improved with them but it’s a nearly $300 upgrade so it’s not cheap. I put TV-Js in my 6120-60 and put the HS Filters in a Electromatic Jet and it improved both guitars sound.

A few years ago I was in a pawn shop and they had a 6120 red hanging up and it still had the price tags for two hundred dollars and the owner nor I know much about them but I didn't have that much money on me but later found out! If only I had known!

São lindas , e têm um belo timbre 🙌🙌🙌🇧🇷

I have a 5120TG and I love it. It sounds great with my AC30 and my 5112 Tweed clone. I've also played the 6120, and yes, it's a nicer guitar, but I'm not convinced it's a better guitar. If I wanted another really expensive guitar I'd go for the 6120, but my Les Paul Custom already fills the gap for guitar I'm too scared to gig. Great comparison video.

I have the 5420T. Love it. Something I don't know. Is there a pick up cleaner? I change the strings (obviously) and keep the exterior as clean as possible. Anything for the pick ups? Any help from the crowd is appreciated. Thanks.

Great demo.The Electromatic stands up pretty well, but the 6120 is more cultured and complex. How do you find working with the tone switch on the 6120? I like it very much, more interesting in the tone shift than a simple rotary knob. Love the 6120, it's a legend.

The 5420 is great , diverse Sounds can be had , Rockabilly 5622 T , Also great , thin body , great Neck , had the strings Lowered and adjusted , plays awesome , one of my favorites Japan : 6420 : $3500 Korean : 5420 : $1000 Japan : 5622 : $ 2800 - 3200 Korean : 5622 T $ 900 Your pic . . . . Hint : Most Japan made Gretschs have Ebony Fretboards , dark , almost black wood as opposed to Rosewood , Dark Red . . . .

I’m new to Gretsch and I love my 5427 but I’m having a hard time keeping it in tune after using the Bigsby. I’ve mod it with a roller bridge but it doesn’t seem to really help. Is that just normal for Bigsby or does anyone have any other advice? Should I change to locking tuners?

I bought A Fairlane Blue G5420T a few months ago. I love the sound and feel. I am still learning the controls on the Fender Champion 20 and the guitars knob controls. It is my first electric. So starts the journey!

I have a Grestch 'Vintage Select' Jet Firebird (the single cutaway version, which seems to be discontinued at the moment), a black Rat Rod, and an orange/gold plated hardware 5422TG (which is a double cut version of the 5420). The first is made in Japan, the second in Korea, and the third in China, and there are funny little differences - as you'd expect, the Jet is superb - it has top quality everything. The Rat Rod has much cheaper open-backed tuners compared to the Jet's locking ones. They still work fine, but the buttons aren't that good looking - they look like they're made as two pieces and stuck together, and don't quite line up correctly. The Rat Rod does have a really lovely, closed grain piece of rosewood for the fingerboard, though. The 'G' and arrow on the knobs is less sharply defined compared to those the Jet, and the knobs may possibly be chromed plastic as opposed to the metal of the Jet. I can't take one off to check the weight as they seem to be an Allen key type as opposed to the grub screw on the Jet, and I don't have one to fit! When I bought the 5422TG ('Goldie') I noticed a slight kink to the inner edge of the visible F-hole. It's only slight, but I pointed it out to the dealer, and they knocked a bit off the price so that was good. When I got it home I took the scratchplate off as I think the double-cuts look better that way, and the other F-hole had the exact same kink in it so they match, which was even better! The knobs on this look much closer to those on the Jet - nice, sharp definition on the 'G' and arrow. Again, I can't tell if they're plastic or metal, as they once again have a grub screw that needs an Allen key. The open backed tuners seem better made than on the Rat Rod, with no visible line along the top. The fingerboard is really the only thing that lets this one down - as opposed to the lovely Rosewood on the cheaper Rat Rod, this has a Laurel fingerboard, which has a much more open grain. It doesn't really affect the playability I don't think, but cosmetically it doesn't look as good. One thing the Rat Rod and Goldie share is the way the switches work. Those on the Jet (it has the 'mud' switch as well as the pickup selector) are smooth and easy going, whilst the ones on the other two guitars are very keen to be in a postiton - if you push them up or down from the centre position they kind of 'jump' into place, which is fine, unless you've got your finger or thumb too far down on the shaft, in which case it'll give you a sharp little nip! 😄 One thing I love about the Rat Rod and Goldie are the bound F-holes. . I've always felt bound F-holes look really classy, and Gibson let the 335 down just leaving the F-holes plain. It doesn't look like even the 355 has binding on them now.

Great review, think new 2022 model of the 5420 maybe 5422 DC for me to buy, do you have any idea of the Guild stardire hollow ones ?

Great video! I’m looking to add a hollow body to my collection sometime soon and this was really helpful. Could I request a video comparison between the 6120 and a Gibson ES-335 by any chance? They are the two main contenders for me at the moment and a video demo would be great! No worries if you can’t of course. Love your stuff anyway. Rock on!

Love my blue 5420

You just convinced me on the 5420. The truth is there isn't a great deal between them - apart from the money.

Excellent comparison and commentary. Those Ray Butts pickups on the 6120 are very special. Reminded me of a cross between a Filter’Tron and Dynasonic when I played one. I’ve never played an Electromatic though but was really surprised how good yours sounded and how similar it sounded to the 6120 but I suppose it might feel different from the pro series guitars. I’ve currently got four (two pre and two post FMI): a G7954 White Falcon II (with TV Jones pickups), a G6120SSU Brian Setzer Nashville, a 6121-55 Chet Atkins and a 6118 Anniversary. As you can probably guess I’ve become a bit obsessed with Gretsch and with arch tops in general, which I now prefer to solid bodies...must be getting old

If the 6120 were a 10, the Electromatic would be 9.5. I think I could have been more objective if I didn’t see the guitars as they were demoed. The sound difference is very subtle.

I always wanted to have a 6120 so I bought an Electromatic 5120 in order to partially satisfy my desire. I had it for some years but I never really liked to play it and I found its pickups had a dull and boring sound. Recently, I managed to acquire a japanese 6120 and I fell in love with it at the first chord I played ! Is it worth the price of 4 or 5 similar 5120 guitars ? That's a tough question, but it's like buying a $3 red wine bottle or a $15 one. Is the taste of the $15 wine 5 times better ? Probably not, but quality is expensive. Of course, if you just want to get drunk, you better buy 5 bottles of $3 wine...

I was a big Strat guy, then I got a Gretch! I was really wowed, yes very different guitar, but I’d keep the Gretch and sell my Strat.

Go Gretsch! Such lovely guitars. G5420T in Aspen Green and G5230T in sparkling Airline Silver here!

Great comparison man, thanks for sharing!

Im left handed and love my 5420. Its so pretty i cant put it down, but i wish the bastards would give us lefties a break and fit a Bigsby standard. Will have to fork out £300 extra for that and install myself. Wouldnt mind paying extra if there was an option. I paid £700 for the guitar and it is great but want BIGSBY!

Seem pretty similar clean but with distortion 5420 sounds better.

Excellent review. Even that horrible overdrive pedal couldn't spoil it. Like both guitars.

Marvellous that , I've got the same blue 54 and I might have another you have there if that is an epiphone 335 dot hanging up ?

They both sound great, but I'd say the 6120T has a little richer tone. All depends what you're looking for...

Love the Music your Playing to......Wish More People Demoed with that Flavor of Music. Thank You Jack.

Nice riffin!

Is there any chance of getting that chord progression for that comparison you did at the beginning of the video

It's not all that difficult to replace the pickups on the Electromatic with TV Jones Classics or Supertrons. It will make a difference.

I have an older model kS07013701 Made in Korea it's a great playing guitar And sounds even better

An excellent review as always Jack 👍 To my ears (as if anyone’s really interested) the 6120T has a slightly fuller sound and better/more even note definition. However the 5420T holds up really well against its more expensive relative all things considered. Cheers 😁

My local store currently has a beautiful white Gretsch 5422 double cutaway electromatic and I am thinking about buying it, but since I have no experience with Gretsch I'm not sure if I should. What do you think? They also have some Epiphone guitars that I'm also interested in so it's hard to decide what to get... Awesome video. Both guitars sound good, but I think I prefer the expensive one. Thanks from Lord JS.