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1976 Gibson Johnny Smith
Status: Pricing and hold status for all instruments currently available is shown on our Instruments page here. If this instrument does not appear on the Instruments page it has been sold, and is no longer available. Photos and descriptions of Previously Sold instruments may by found here. To be notified of examples of this model or similar instruments in the future, please contact [email protected],. Please be specific on which instrument(s) you're looking for, and we'll be happy to contact you as soon as they become available.
Serial #: 00100317
Body size at lower bout:17" Scale length: 25" Nut width: 1 3/4"'
Materials: Handcarved bookmatched solid spruce top; highly figured tiger flame maple sides and neck; handcarved bookmatched flame maple back; ebony fingerboard with mother of pearl block fingerboard and peghead inlay; 7-ply body binding, 5-ply peghead and fingerboard binding, 3 ply back binding, bound f-holes, bone nut.
Hardware: 100% original hardware includes engraved gold-plated tailpiece; solid ebony bridge with abalone inlay in base; gold Kluson Sealfast tuners; gold floating Johnny Smith humbucking pickup with mini-jack mounted to pickguard; original truss rod cover with "Custom" imprint. Vintage correct bound tortoise guard installed, original in case.
Notes: With his peerless musicianship and innovative design ideas, it might be said that Johnny Smith was the Les Paul of the archtop guitar. Never content to accept existing constraints as given, Smith worked first with Epiphone, then Guild to create unique instruments tailored to his restless vision. By the end of the 50's, with his career at its peak, Johnny finally sat down with the design staff at Kalamazoo to create one of the most sought-after archtops of modern times: the Gibson Johnny Smith Model.
Introduced in 1961, the Johnny Smith represented the pinnacle of Smith's design creativity, in an instrument that married classic body styling with unprecedented technical innovation. Four decades later, it's hard to envision a time when the only floating pickups available were the DeArmond or the McCarty pickguard pickup. The Johnny Smith debuted the world's first floating humbucking pickup, now the industry standard. Taking inspiration from the past as well as the future, Smith resurrected the classic X-braced top, a design used by Gibson in the 1930's. With it's increased sustain and warm, throaty tone, the X-brace has become the standard as well among contemporary archtop builders from Benedetto on.
While some of Smith's innovations were revolutionary, many more were evolutionary; incorporating a number of ergonomic refinements designed to improve the playability of the instrument in subtle but significant ways. Feeling constrained by the standard 1 11/16" nut, Smith again reached to past masters and revived the more generous 1 3/4" fingerboard of the early 30's, a favorite of finger-style players. Similarly, Smith introduced a 25" scale, to facilitate stretch voicings without sacrificing response. Finally, the body was slimmed by 1/8th of an inch to an even 3" depth, to make it just that much easier to hold.
The result is an instrument unique in playability, tonal response, and design aesthetics. The visual appointments of the Johnny Smith are drawn from a number of Gibson paramount models. The 17" Venetian cutaway body and deco tailpiece are those of the L-5C, the neck and peghead are from the Super 400, and the opulent 7-ply body binding recalls the classic Epiphone Emperor.
This example is one of only 38 made in its model year. It is in absolutely immaculate condition, without cracks, pick, buckle, thumb wear or finish checking. The neck shows exceptionally fine tiger flame figure and the top is carved of fine grained quartersawn bookmatched Sitka spruce. The neck profile is superb, tapering to a wonderfully flat contour at the back of the neck, with the original medium-jumbo frets and no volute bump at the peghead. The tone is rich, warm and responsive, and the guitar is fitted with a Gibson deluxe plush hardshell case. A classic instrument in time-capsule condition, this guitar can satisfy the requirements of player and collector alike.
Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, crowned and polished; trussrod tension and neck relief adjusted; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation set; string slots at nut and bridge inspected and recut as necessary; bridge foot contour inspected and fit to top as necessary; bridge radius inspected and recurved as necessary; bridge wheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished.
This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel strings (.013-.056). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 5/64" to 6/64" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief for acoustic playing with medium strings. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.
Case: Gibson black plush hardshell case.
