Brian Setzer

Gretsch produced the G6120SH Brian Setzer Hot Rod in collaboration with Brian Setzer. "Gretsch® Brian Setzer Hot Rod Models are stripped down and built to Brian’s exacting specs. Now featuring a striking assortment of new colors over a flame maple body..."

Brian is seen in this image posing with his Signature G6120SSLVO.

Brian Setzer’s guitar tech, Tyler Sweet discusses the 1959 Gretsch 6120 at 0:25 in this Rig Rundown from Premier Guitar saying, “This is Brian’s original guitar that he played in the Stray Cats. It was basically in all the videos and he’s had it for a long time. He bought it when he was just a young kid and he’s broken it back out again in the last year. It’s sounding great and he’s totally digging it.“

Brian Setzer’s Green Sparkle Gretsch Hot Rod is discussed at 6:05 in this Premier Guitar Rig Rundown. Setzer’s guitar tech, Tyler Sweet says “We have a 2010 Gretsch Hot Rod Model with Custom Paint, Green Sparkle, which is kind of the colors of our tour as you may be able to tell by the colors of my shirt here. Some of the backdrops we have are built around this color. It's kind of just a theme for the tour. Hes really digging on it. It's breaking in really nice and it stays in tune quite well.“

In this image Brian Setzer is seen playing a Fender Telecaster! Photo credit Getty Images.

On Gretsch's website it quotes Brian Setzer saying, “The Black Phoenix is the Big Kahuna. This guitar is just WOW! Its got a longer scale and that is really helpful in the upper register when you are playing up high you just have more room up there. Its so clean sounding.

It’s got the full 17” body and the new pickups. But unlike a Falcon, the Phoenix does not have the tone controls. It's a little clearer a little louder.

It's just a beautiful guitar. We just changed a couple things and added all the modern updates. And the silver sparkle binding on the black ... I mean, yeah, it’s just cool. It rocks my world.”

He is quite clearing using it in this video

Strange to see Mr. Gretschslinger play a Ric...

This guitar can be seen around 33:55 in this video. According to Premier Guitar, Setzers guitar is the prototype, on which this model is based. The prototype was built by Tom Jones of TV Jones. The only noticeable differences are the headstock and the fretboard-inlays.

Brian Setzer can be seen here playing a Silver Jet he can also be seen playing it at the 1999 Woodstock

In this video we can see Brian with a Guild Bluesbird.

At 12:55 in this Rig Rundown, Brian Setzer’s guitar tech, Tyler Sweet, discusses the Fender Bassman Amps. “They range from 1961-63 era. They're all brown face, all 6G6B's. Incredible amp. Everybody’s in search of them these days.”

Brian using a Fender 63' Reverb unit

"Brian has more than 20 of these. He has been collecting them since they came out. Since like the late 70's and early 80's"

Probably OC-2, but he does not say which one Boss Octave is. Nearly 31:40 in video.

At 32:16 you can see the blue pedal. You can also recognize this pedal because it has only 2 knobs.

At 32:41 he uses the Tube Screamer. You can't see exactly which TS Brian uses, but it's green (as Ibanez TS) and it looks like a TS10.

At 57:54 in "Live At Montreux", you can spot the Stereo Memory Man in front of Brians Vox cabinet.

Brian Setzer’s Mojave MA-201 FET Mic is shown at 19:40 in this Rig Rundown from Premier Guitar.

Brian Setzer’s Royer R-121 Mic is shown at 19:50 in this Rig Rundown from Premier Guitar.

Brian Setzer uses the Roland Space Echo RE-201 in every concert. You can see it in this video.

In this Rig Rundown, Brian Setzer’s guitar tech, Tyler Sweet, discusses Setzer’s settings for the Roland RE-301. At 18:35, he says “Once in a while, he uses some chorus for couple of tunes. More reverb, less reverb type thing. For the most part it just stays the same. If he feels that he’s not getting enough something, he’ll go over and play with it.”

On Gretsch's website, it reads, "These pickups are on his new signature guitar the gretsch hot rod

'Unbeknownst to me, TV Jones was slipping in new pickups during the shows that we were doing but eventually I said to him,

'That Hot Rod you gave me just sounds unbelievable' and he replied 'I have been sneaking in these new pickups.'

'He is the mad genius behind them. So we’ve got NEW pickups that sound like TV Classics with more clarity for finger picking and when you really get on them they break up more.'”

In this video Brian is using a Deering Crossfire electric banjo.