I have had multiple Gibson Johnny Smiths come through the shop, but this is the only one I have ever kept for my personal collection. It has clearly been the standout of all of them. I have decided to let this one go to a new home since I don't find myself playing it anymore since I have come to favor archtops with set in pickups for electric work.
What sets this one apart from the others is tone. Others have played as well as this one, but none has sounded as good as this one. It is easily the most resonant of the bunch and is a quite good acoustic x-braced archtop in addition to having great electric tone through the original Johnny Smith pickup.
The guitar has had a few modifications. When I got it from the nephew of the original owner it had been played so much that the frets were nearly flush with the fingerboard. That has been corrected with an expertly done refret with Jescar EVO Gold wire and a new bone nut by master luthier Darrell Guinn. Thanks to this, it plays like a dream. The wiring harness had also been completely ruined by off gassing of the original pickguard, so the pots and pickguard were replaced. At the same time, I upgraded it to have a far preferable endpin jack, instead of the typical pickguard mounted jack. An endpin jack is mounted in the endblock, meaning that there is never a risk to the integrity of the guitar if the cable gets pulled. The guitar will always be safe and the cord will remain out of the way when playing.
Cosmetically, it shows scratches and small dents, but it is completely free of cracks. The back is made of a stunning piece of maple with an irregular flame pattern. The finish, tailpiece, bridge, and tuners are all original. The original Kluson Sealfast tuners work well. The interior label is no longer present.
It comes with an original, period correct 1960s, black/gold, Gibson branded hard shell case. The case is in excellent structural condition with a replacement handle. The latches and hinges all work. A piece of the tolex covering is missing on the side, but the structural wood is unharmed.
Nut width - 1.74 inches
Weight - 6.6 pounds
1st fret depth - 0.91 inches
10th fret depth - 1.04 inches
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