“The owner hung the album covers on fishing line so it looked like they were just floating in midair and spinning around.
“What really started me on the Gretsch, I remember walking into the local record store in my home town, Massapequa, on Long Island,” Setzer says. The inspiration? One man the consummate rocker, Eddie Cochran. “Making it playable, that was the 40-year struggle!” “I bought the Gretsch in ’76 or ’77,” he says. Setzer might not have been part of the first wave of rock and roll – coincidentally, he was born in 1959 – but, the original Stray Cat guitar, serial number 33024, has a suitably rock-and-roll story that Setzer recently shared with VG, along with many a laugh, hoot, and song accompaniment played on the guitar. Finally, it had to have a voice of its own – proven here by the jangly D-chord intro to “Rock This Town” or that oh-so-cool diminished-scale solo that crowns “Stray Cat Strut.” Then, that chosen guitar had to be forced to play the “Devil’s music,” and along the way was covered in scratches, stickers, and hot-rod emblems. The recipe for such an iconic rock guitar might include an instrument that was part of the establishment – in this case, the Cadillac of old-school archtops as endorsed by none other than Chet Atkins. Both rank among the most storied instruments in pop music. One appeared on stages worldwide, rendering purist tones of a bygone era, the other traveled similarly while helping create a definitive new sound. One is home-made, the other represents the innovation of its era. Brian Setzer’s 1959 Gretsch Model 6120 may be the one.Though their colors are complementary, Brian May’s Red Special and Brian Setzer’s ’59 Gretsch 6120 couldn’t be more different in terms of their origin or their roles in helping to create legendary music. One with a resumé complete with battle scars, stage-side repairs, an impressive song list, and worthy gigs and tours. Stray Cat Axe: Brian Setzer’s Gretsch 6120 Suppose you had to select just one guitar to personify rock and roll.
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