Spiteface
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2011
- Messages
- 2,149
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As ever, I want more guitars than I know what to do with. Recent things have made me think about getting a Les Paul Junior. Something really simple. A lump of wood with a pickup on it. I happened across the latest signature model Gibson is putting out for Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day.
Looks alright, I thought, probably won't cost much to make and sell. The very similar-looking M2 costs about £400 and this has only ONE pickup. Then I see it's over a grand, and the closest thing Gibson's offering to normal in the new 2019 line is a double cutaway with a horrible big pickguard that looks even more like it's hiding a multitude of sins underneath. That's out of the question, especially with Gibson's iffy quality control these days.
Also, recent trips to Gamlins and issues of Guitarist magazine have alerted me to Gordon Smith guitars. So I visit their website and I realise they do a nice singlecut version, but also the opportunity to custom-order guitars. Tinkering on the site shows I could get what I wanted for well under a grand. The idea of having something that isn't an off-the-peg guitar appealed to me, too.
However, this has me tempted: https://rguitars.co.uk/products/gordon-smith-gs1-60-p90-natural-cedar
Not sure what Cedar's like as a tonewood, and this is a thinner body than is more typical of the “real thing”, so this is something I would need to look into. They also do a more typical mahogany:
https://rguitars.co.uk/collections/...ucts/gordon-smith-gs1-thick-body-mahogany-p90
Apparently the quality of these things is better than ever these days since Auden took over. I'd be OK with the natural finish on these, but again, liking the idea of a custom guitar for under a grand.
Anyone have any experience with Gordon Smith? And as alluded to above, is Cedar a good wood? Apparently Gordon Smith's used it for decades, but I only ever seem to read stuff about acoustic guitars using cedar, no electric stuff.
Looks alright, I thought, probably won't cost much to make and sell. The very similar-looking M2 costs about £400 and this has only ONE pickup. Then I see it's over a grand, and the closest thing Gibson's offering to normal in the new 2019 line is a double cutaway with a horrible big pickguard that looks even more like it's hiding a multitude of sins underneath. That's out of the question, especially with Gibson's iffy quality control these days.
Also, recent trips to Gamlins and issues of Guitarist magazine have alerted me to Gordon Smith guitars. So I visit their website and I realise they do a nice singlecut version, but also the opportunity to custom-order guitars. Tinkering on the site shows I could get what I wanted for well under a grand. The idea of having something that isn't an off-the-peg guitar appealed to me, too.
However, this has me tempted: https://rguitars.co.uk/products/gordon-smith-gs1-60-p90-natural-cedar
Not sure what Cedar's like as a tonewood, and this is a thinner body than is more typical of the “real thing”, so this is something I would need to look into. They also do a more typical mahogany:
https://rguitars.co.uk/collections/...ucts/gordon-smith-gs1-thick-body-mahogany-p90
Apparently the quality of these things is better than ever these days since Auden took over. I'd be OK with the natural finish on these, but again, liking the idea of a custom guitar for under a grand.
Anyone have any experience with Gordon Smith? And as alluded to above, is Cedar a good wood? Apparently Gordon Smith's used it for decades, but I only ever seem to read stuff about acoustic guitars using cedar, no electric stuff.
