[Muso] Gordon Smith Guitars & Les Paul Juniors

[Spiteface]

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.
Mind you, this looks rather nice as well, and I'd be tempted to just get this:


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", There's also a mahogany version:


https://rguitars.co.uk/collections/gordon-smith-guitars/products/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? Might pop into Gamlins in Cardiff and try one or two out to get a feel for it, but I like reading other peoples' thoughts on these things.

[Cortez the Surfer]

My cedar GS 1.5 circa 2000/01.



Pros
Outrageously resonant.
Unplugged it's the loudest electric I've ever encountered (been through around 150-200 guitars in my time). I've had thinline tele's and some decent Japanese 335 knockoffs and this thing would drown them all out.

Stupidly light.
The whole thing only weighs around 4lb yet it's perfectly balanced.

Cons
Pickups.
I find the GSG pickups sound a bit bland to my ear.

Tuners.
The GSG tuners are just about adequate.


Apart from the thinner body it's basically the same spec as an LP Jr and I much prefer the slightly longer Fender scale length and thinner neck profile. I'm also not a fan of rosewood fretboards, so I shouldn't like this guitar but it's great to play.
Personally I wouldn't even think about swapping it for any Gibson built in the last 20 years.

[drummersaredeaf]

The double cut model like yours is fit as fuck. Think I'd opt for cherry or TV yellow though.

A mate had one of the basic ones and said it was alright, but eventually sold it. I know this doesn't help, but I'd quite like one if I'm honest.

[sevendaughters]

think Gordon Smiths are GREAT.

[Spiteface]

Thanks, Cortez, this has convinced me even more to get one.

That natural cedar GS1 60 I posted is seeming even more attractive to me, even if the pickups are bland, can change those. But if fundamentally (woods and that) they're as good as you say, then that's encouraging.

[Shit Good Nose]

I don't know Gordon Smith (in terms of playing), but if you're going for a Les Paul Junior, try to get a vintage one as, like all other modern Gibsons, they are now shit. 

What with the Junior always being the "cheaper" model, not so long ago you could get a very good condition genuine 60s or 70s Junior for sensible money (a few hundred pounds) but, as so often happens with these sorts of things since the internet, everyone else has cottoned on to that so the prices are now ridiculous.  I wonder if, like the Epiphone Les Pauls, the Epiphone Juniors are worth a go?

But if you can find a genuine vintage one for a sensible price, go for it and the monstrous (in a good way) tone you can achieve from it...well, I'll let Leslie West explain it to you - https://youtu.be/pKPBsaADQIw?t=787.

[Spiteface]

I don't know Gordon Smith (in terms of playing), but if you're going for a Les Paul Junior, try to get a vintage one as, like all other modern Gibsons, they are now shit. 

What with the Junior always being the "cheaper" model, not so long ago you could get a very good condition genuine 60s or 70s Junior for sensible money (a few hundred pounds) but, as so often happens with these sorts of things since the internet, everyone else has cottoned on to that so the prices are now ridiculous.  I wonder if, like the Epiphone Les Pauls, the Epiphone Juniors are worth a go?

I've had an Epiphone LP Standard since 2001 -it was my first decent guitar (that was a step up from my Squier Affinity strat) and still play it sometimes. The current Epi Junior is a bolt-on thing with a humbucker. Probably a laminate body too like the Epi Special II I briefly owned. I seem to recall Epiphone did make a proper "57" Junior years ago (set neck, P90, came in TV yellow or Sunburst), but it didn't last long, and it baffles me why.

[Cortez the Surfer]

I forgot to mention a trick mine can do.
It's got a push/pull volume pot that splits the humbucker and if you pull up the pot and select the middle position on the pickup selector it goes all Fendery.
So it might be worth considering a 1.5 if you're into that kind of thing.

Also I would recommend getting an adjustable bridge rather than a basic wraparound as stuff like truss rod adjustments and weather conditions can affect the intonation just enough to piss you off.

Oh and if they still do brass nuts get a brass nut.
I suspect that a lot of it's resonance comes from the brass nut and you'll have died of old age before it needs replacing.

[Spiteface]

I forgot to mention a trick mine can do.
It's got a push/pull volume pot that splits the humbucker and if you pull up the pot and select the middle position on the pickup selector it goes all Fendery.
So it might be worth considering a 1.5 if you're into that kind of thing.

Also I would recommend getting an adjustable bridge rather than a basic wraparound as stuff like truss rod adjustments and weather conditions can affect the intonation just enough to piss you off.

Oh and if they still do brass nuts get a brass nut.
I suspect that a lot of it's resonance comes from the brass nut and you'll have died of old age before it needs replacing.

Brass nuts are standard across the board, even now. It's one of the things that make Gordon Smiths special allegedly, so Auden have kept it.

Been considering my options, bridge-wise. I do like the primitive old-school wraparound thing (I kinda prefer 3-saddle tele bridges, too). Maybe the "Lightning" bridge would be a decent compromise, intonation-wise. I'm more used to tune-o-matics, though from my Epiphones and such.

One of the already built ones I posted in the opening post, also comes in a Tune-O-Matic and (splittable) Humbucker flavour:
https://rguitars.co.uk/products/gordon-smith-gs1-thick-body-mahogany

Looks good in natural. Anyway, the spec I was thinking of is the following:

   
• GS1, Single Cut
• Thick Body (44mm)
• Thick neck profile
• All Mahogany
• 60s yellow (I assume this is what they're calling TV Yellow)
• Tune-O-Matic bridge
• P90 pickup

Would cost me £860. Not bad, really. Still cheaper than a Gibson, and a steal for a "custom" guitar.

[Cortez the Surfer]

You need two pickups to get the fender tone. It's a phase thing with either one of the coils being reverse wound or one of the magnets being reversed (not sure which method was used in this particular case).

The idea is based on the famous '59 Les Paul owned by Peter Green then Gary Moore and now tragically Kirk Hammett.
Green used to tell people his tech had reversed the magnet by accident but it's since been examined by an expert who confirmed it came out of the factory that way.

Also Joe Bonamassa managed to get hold of an all original '59 burst that has the same 'mistake'.



Edit - They've already built your guitar (apart from the TOM).
https://rguitars.co.uk/products/gordon-smith-gs1-p90-yellow
You could save yourself a few quid .


Edit2 - It's standard thin and poplar also but they should have some kind of returns policy so you could buy it, try it and if you don't like it then send it back.

[Cortez the Surfer]

Want.


https://rguitars.co.uk/products/gordon-smith-gs-deluxe-burled-walnut-custom

[Noddy Tomkey]

Looks like it should come with some graph paper

[Spiteface]

Edit - They've already built your guitar (apart from the TOM).
https://rguitars.co.uk/products/gordon-smith-gs1-p90-yellow
You could save yourself a few quid .


Edit2 - It's standard thin and poplar also but they should have some kind of returns policy so you could buy it, try it and if you don't like it then send it back.

As I say, plan is possibly going to Gamlins in Cardiff tomorrow to try a few out, including a GS1 in white with P90, which I believe is a thin poplar body and maple neck (I know the tonewood stuff is mostly bullshit, but it's a psychological thing), but I want to see what they play/feel like for myself before I do anything else. It's very much the P90/single-pickup thing I'm wanting though. It kinda fills a gap in my guitar collection. My Baja tele covers the Fender-y single coil tones I like well enough.

I like some of the ones I've already posted here, though, and that yellow one already made.

[Spiteface]

Went into Gamlins today, and tried two guitars. A GS1 60 in white (Gloss front, satin back sides & neck), Poplar body, single P90 and a GS1 heritage in natural satin mahogany, single humbucker.

Both great punky guitars, but found myself drawn to the P90, as I felt it actually covered the same ground the humbucker did, even with the latter's coil splitting (although I think a hotter humbucker would work better with splitting). P90 sounded nice and clear when played clean, and got plenty angry enough when I played dirty. Nice attack on it as well. The wraparound bridge wasn't an issue for me, nothing I played sounded more "off" than usual because of it.

Finish-wise, I'm almost hesitant to get another white LP-type, which is why I was considering a TV yellow one, but I was impressed with what I tried today, that I might just get that one.

Gonna think this over a bit more, besides, I need to get rid of one or two guitars as well, before I get another.

[Spiteface]

So a year and a half later, I finally got a Gordon-Smith. Here it is:

GS1 60, white, Poplar body, P90. The one I tried earlier in this thread.

Got it from Gamlins as they're having a closing down sale (owner's retiring). Means I got 20% off, so this cost me £559. Loving the simplicity of one pickup, first P90 guitar I've owned, too.

[SteK]

My son has a Les Paul Studio I think, we paid about 600 quid for it new (aged) it's decent and not as heavy as a proper LP which will give you neck ache...

Here is is playing it, no idea about the song, sounds fucking shit to me....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OWpKIJup0E

EDIT: just spoke to him, Studio has two pickups, Junior one. BTW he can't see through that doghead mask he wears as a gimmick, WTF, I'm amazed by my own son.....

[Glitch King]

Glitch King!