For looks, pop-culture reference points and overall magic mojo, Gretsch has it going on. Yet, the traditional models often don’t cut it for the modern player seeking contemporary-minded versatility and performance. With this in mind, Grammy Award–winning singer/songwriter and top-tier Nashville collaborator Steve Wariner — with assistance from his son Ryan and Nashville-based guitar maker Jeff Senn — has spec’d out his “ultimate Gretsch,” and the results will likely suit other demanding players eager to rub up against that Gretsch swagger.
The platform of the Steve Wariner Signature lies in the 15 3/4–inch-wide body size of the Gretsch 6120, rendered in a fully hollow archtop made from maple ply with vintage-style trestle bracing. From there, just about every appointment makes a subtly thoughtful departure. The maple neck is carved to a rounded but relatively slim “C” profile and sports a bound ebony fingerboard with thumbnail inlays, done out to a longer 25 1/2–inch scale length for precise noting, firmer lows and more shimmer in the jangle. It’s finished in Magic Black Metallic, with gold-plated hardware, a gold back-painted and signed pickguard and truss-rod cover, and a gold model plate on the 6120-sized headstock. To help combat feedback, the f-holes are painted-on faux holes.
Just about every other thing bolted to this guitar falls comfortably under the “upgrade” header. The pinned-down ebony bridge base carries a high-quality Tru Arc bridge, the Gretsch V-cut Bigsby is modified for throughbar stringing, the tuners are locking Gotohs, and the pickups are from acclaimed Filter’Tron-style winder TV Jones: a Paul Yandell Duo-Tron in the neck position, and a Classic Plus in the bridge. Wariner went for a simple setup of master volume, master tone and three-way selector toggle, but there’s a push-pull on the tone knob to split