Gordon Smith Graduate (Les Paul shape)

2001 flamed maple tocacco sunburst finish. Fitted with G Smith coil tapable passive mini humbuckers. short 24.75 scale, 22 frets. Neck and body made from mahogany with satin finish. Brass nut. Maple top has gloss finish. Has G. Smith 1 piece bridge/tailpiece, fully adjustable. Gordon Smith's can be really basic,but this has just enough toys.

The guitar sounds beautiful clean, but struggles slightly with mega gain settings, probably as the mini buckers are only 7.5K. The clean sound has to be heard to be believed, it's really relaxing to listen to, kinda jazzy. The guitar is the brightest I've ever played, you have to back the tones off to about 6 if using distortion sounds, as it sound 'clippy'. Previously on all my guitars the tone's always at 10. I would probably change the mini humbuckers but they're a 1 off shape (no backing ring) so might have to get them re-wound for more power. If you're a Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy) fan this is the guitar for you!

I bought the guitar 2nd hand, but if I would have had one made for me at GS it would have been very like this. The guitar when I got it was horrible, strings choked everywhere, action really high, gauge 13 strings on it! I though it needed re-fretting. But after fitting 10 gauge strings, and set up bridge/truss rod, it now plays well.
There is a few dings in the guitar (some quite bad as Mahogany's quite soft), but the wood choice and lacquer finish is nice. The satin finish on the rear of body and neck make gig playing easier.
I reckonthis was a friday afternoon guitar, as some of the drillings for the side neck dots are wildly out! All the important things (bridge/nut position) on the guitar is correct though. I find the strings quite bendy as it's a short scale neck.

This guitar will look very secondhand if it is not looked after, but GS's are popular with hard gigging guitarists for they're build quality (even if all the lacquer falls off!) Hardware is top notch. Guitar fell off strap during my spotlight guitar solo, so needs straplocks!) You wouldn't need a backup guitar, this one's made in Britain, not China......

GS are an honest company, if they can't do it they'll tell you, which I respect, no fob offs, saves all of us time. I think they have a 25 year warranty in case the neck falls off.

I've played 20 odd years and this is my 2nd GS,and I've had Fender's/Gibsons,and sold them all for a reason. I've always found big brand name guitar to be lacking in some areas, and my 79 USA strat while a nice piece of furniture was really just crap. But GS guitars are just hard working, distinctively tonal instruments. I'm personally fed up with big brand companies making us all believe that say, a vintage Les Paul is 'THE' guitar to have, it isn't, it's just worth more.
I would like the GS to have more power, but then it would lose out on it's clean sound. But it's british, and I really hope that more find their way out there (mine's a 4 figure serial no), and it definetely gets more attention than my Gibson LP, as it's prettier!!