After months of simmering desire, and several weeks after a one-hour encounter, I finally took delivery of an Eddie Cochran 6120. Someone got a great deal on my pre-FMIC White Falcon, and someone else got a great deal on my Fender Twin Custom 15 amp so that I could pay for it, but hey...

The EC Sig was mere eye candy and a tantalizing sonic recipe for a while. I have been asking, cajoling, and begging for a left-handed Dynasonic-equipped hollowbody for four years (since I first met Joe Carducci -- it was the first conversation we ever had, and it's been a topic practically every time I see him). Yeah, you can look it up -- no lefty 6120, Country Club, or White Falcon is offered with Dynas. So the EC Sig arrives on the scene, and it's halfway that. Close enough!

And the great spoony Bigsby handle -- something else I've always wanted that has never before existed in a southpaw iteration, but now it does.

Even so, there were a few things that I was unsure of. The 9.5" fretboard radius was primarily of concern, because I have never, ever enjoyed playing Fender guitars with their tight radii. The P90... well, I just didn't know, you know? And it was not lost on me several months ago when Dr. Gretsch tried an EC Sig out and found the single-coil noise to be beyond his tolerance.

I had the opportunity to try out an EC in late May, when I delivered the Giant 45 RPM Record to Streetsounds for their annual Gretsch event. Now, us lefties don't often get the chance to try guitars out in advance because few dealers stock much for us. Rocky does, and bless him for it! However, truth to tell, it's not like I can drop in at Streetsounds just any old time. It's a 360-mile, $100 round trip (gas and tolls) from Baltimore. But there I was on May 29, and I decided to make the most of the visit, and spent some time finalizing my resolve to acquire this guitar.

Rocky plugged me into a Gretsch Executive amp for the tryout. A smart move, since he knows I own one (that I bought from him in March). It allowed me to hear the amp as it would sound once in my possession.

Fretboard radius -- no issue. The neck shape was very agreeable, as were the vintage frets, and the string gauges. It all worked out to be a delightfully playable combination. The P90 -- pretty sweet. It may not be the best of all possible P90s, but my experience with them is quite limited, and I was able to tweak things at the amp and get a tone I was pleased with. The single-coil noise: I didn't experience it as too intrusive. It was hardly there at Streetsounds; later, at home, I got a bit more of it, but it's been very manageable.

Anyway, it passed the audition, and once I got the funds together, it passed from Streetsounds to me. Rocky gave me an astounding price. I could possibly have paid less -- if my mom owned Streetsounds, or if I had a gun in my hand.

Now, here's a question: what would you want this guitar for, if you weren't a big Eddie Cochran fan? I like Eddie Cochran as much as the next rock and roll enthusiast; I deeply appreciate his contributions to the idiom; and when I turned a corner walking through the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum and found myself face-to-face with Eddie's 6120, I were thunderstruck. But I don't play many of his songs myself, and I know several other GDPers who like him more than I do.

My interest in the EC Sig is as a practical musical instrument, one that delivers sounds that I do not and cannot get from my other guitars. I play a fair number of rockabilly and early rock and roll songs, and getting that single-coil bite will enhance those numbers. Almost every other electric in my arsenal has humbuckers (mostly FilterTrons). It's that simple.

Observations on the Eddie Cochran Signature Model:

1. Wow, is it ever well-built. Precision construction from stem to stern, and perfect as deep as the eye can see.
   
2. The pickups are well capable of cutting through a mix. I found myself needing to be mindful of the high-end, as, without taming, it can be ear-piercing, and not for the purpose of fitting a ring there. The aluminum Bigsby bridge and brass nut surely contribute to the propensity for brightness.
3. To that end, with the Executive amp, I was obliged to disconnect my Billy Zoom Little Kahuna reverb/tremolo unit, which seemed, mysteriously, to emphasize certain upper frequencies ever so subtly through the reverb's "drive" function. (I find the "drive" function to be tricky to operate as it is. Nuclear powered reverb!)
   
4. Sonic bottom line: between the P90 and the Dynasonic, all three pickup positions are distinct from one another, and range from jazzy-enough-sweet to aggressive twang. All are pretty rich and plenty versatile.
5. I was right about that Bigsby handle. It makes for sure, solid, responsive handling. And it looks fabulous. If you've never seen this style handle in real life, check the side-view pic. These are substantial in a way that flat handles simply aren't.
6. Nicely balanced and light. An eminently wearable guitar for a long performance.
   
7. The western kitschery has never been on my wish list, but now that I have a guitar with it, I'm in the clique, you know! See fretboard pic. May need to get me one of those embroidered shirts, now.
8. It did well through my Princeton Reverb in a brief trial. (I need to get the Jensen speaker back in the PR, though. The JBL D110F just isn't quite right for that amp.)

I have yet to run it through my other amps, but I anticipate that its amenability to the Executive and Princeton bodes well for combining it with my Showman Reverb and Super Reverb.

I am screamingly happy. This guitar delivers everything you might expect, and a few things you probably weren't counting on.

Yes, it happened, and here are the pics:

Paul/FF909

Nice score have fun playing it sounds like you won't be putting it down for a while!

Congrats Paul! It's so cool how you took the pics in a mirror

Eddie Cochran was ahead of his time with his music and with this pickup configuration. Nice score!

Awesome, Paul.

Sweet! But why are all the low strings are on the bottom?

That's a beauty. Enjoy it!

Good news! Congrats. Hope to see it on 7/29

Congrats. Getting major GAS for one of them. Must sound spectacular.

Nice score have fun playing it sounds like you won't be putting it down for a while!

Well, to be honest, I've had it for a week and I'm just now coming up for air.

Paul/FF909

Congratulations. What a guitar that is. Something Else!

Nice! Lucky devil! That's awesome!

That's awesome, huge massive congrats! Although, I hate you for adding to my GAS for that guitar... I've always loved the EC model, but have (almost) convinced myself that I don't need one... and everytime I do, someone else pops up raving about how amazing they are... ~sigh~

Paul, you lucky devil. That's my dream guitar. Very cool that Rocky had one for you in that odd configuration. I don't know if they make embroidered shirts for lefties, though

Cograts Paul I know you've been longing for that guitar for a while now.

Lefty Eddie! Can't wait to hear it.

Congrats, Paul! The EC Sig is one sweet-fine guitar!

SWEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!

Good on You, Paul! Congratulations!

Nice score have fun playing it sounds like you won't be putting it down for a while!

Well, to be honest, I've had it for a week and I'm just now coming up for air.

Paul/FF909

I've been in relationships like that.

I hope you enjoy longer than I did.

Why do the G brands on these left handed models face the opposite way?

Congrats Paul - those Cochran sigs are killer guitars, sonically and visually. Rip it up!

Funny Mr. T! I didn't notice that.

Paul, it's a beauty! Congrats!

CONGRATULATIONS! How's the neck profile? ........medium thickness like 6120s(IMO)? I really love these and if one pops up at StreetSounds, I might just have to take the plunge!! Enjoy it!

Congrats, Paul!

You asked what to play as you don't play much EC stuff. What about a little Scotty? How does the P90 sound with the bridge backed off a fair bit? You may need to experiment with the amp, too, but my guess is a close to Scotty sound will be possible to which a bit of twang can be added to taste via the Dynasonic.

Why do the G brands on these left handed models face the opposite way?

Aaaah, Mr. Trouble, that's a trick question! The answer: they don't. It's the guitars that are facing the opposite way.

...which sounds insanely silly, but these single letters seem to give manufacturers fits when they build left-handed guitars. I have seen Gretsch G-tailpieces with backwards Gs and Epiphones with backward E logos on their pickguards. And Rickenbacker doesn't even bother to make a proper left-handed R-tailpiece. They infamously and infuriatingly just use their right-handed tailpiece, installed upside down.

Sean, have you bought one of these yet?

Paul/FF909

PS: And Gretsch just couldn't figure out how to put any type and graphics on left-handed pickguards at all back in the day. Blank pickguards were the rule for the lefties built in the '50s and '60s.

Awesome! I love your reviews.