Gordon Smith Gemini

I had previously owned a GS1 that I had bought second hand from one of the staff in a guitar shop in Edinburgh. This was a great guitar and was often loaned out as a back up to my mate who was in a gigging band. He also had a GS1! The only thing I did to this was change to a Kent Armstrong humbucker and "womanise" the body. "Womanise?" I hear you ask. Yes, I took off all the hard edges of the body and refinished in a deep satin.
But I digress, this review is about my Gemini!
I was browsing the net looking for guitars and I came across a site with a Gemini for sale. On the phone immediately and I bought the guitar totally unseen with only the description of the dealer.
Anxious days until it was delivered by courier to my home. Ripping off the packaging to find the Gemini in a Hiscox hard case. I paused to absorb what I saw. A UK made Gordon Smith Gemini double cutaway guitar. Serial number 5650. The most beautiful combination of woods enhanced with deep laquering that showed off the wine red flamed maple top to the utmost. The deepness of colour was unreal as it glowed in it's case, the maple binding outlining the body perfectly. The figured rosewood of the fretboard was beautiful. OK on with the review!

Mainly I find myself playing blue but this guitar has no limit to capability, get used to the pick up selection and any tone can be achieved from it. The pull up pots are crisp and clean in switching, there is no dreaded crack in changing tone. The Gemini goes through a Carlsboro Colt at home and gets pushed through a Marshall stack when live. The sound is incredible!

As described in opening - this guitar looks incredible! Even second hand it is perfect, you really have to look close to find any defects in the finish. There is one tiny dink on the top (collision with mike stand!) but apart from this it is mint. The back is satin finished and shows polish rings at the strap fitting but this is expected.
The fretboard is fantastic and the frets themselves perfect for my style. Not a sharp edge anywhere. The action is set really low but with no buzzing anywhere.

I have only one small complaint about the hardware - I almost dropped it as the strap button at the back of the neck is quite small but using a strap more than 10 years old might have been the cause of this. A new strap does not fall off!
This is a hand crafted guitar and it has my complete confidence in construction and finish.

I had occasion to contact Gordon Smith but not regarding the Gemini, it was about getting a headstock sticker for the GS1 after customising it. I sent a pic of what I had done to his guitar and he sent me back a gold headstock decal instead of the stock black one!
Nice one Gordon Smith!!!

I have been offered shitloads for this guitar but I will not part company with it at any price (pity I let the GS1 go!)
I have a few other guitars -a Japanese Gibson Epiphone Sheraton in tobacco sunburst (body, side and back!), a Danelectro, A Cort Semi-acoustic in baby blue!, A Takamine electro-acoustic but none compare to the Gemini. This is the ultimate for me unless someone wants to flog their Anniversary!

The Guitar was made by Gordon and Smith (When they were still partners) for me in 1981 its serial number is 00274 , it was made in thier Manchester garden shed, to my own specifications. It looks like a double cut away Les Paul. Except the pick up switch is wisely close to the tone/volume controls. 22 superb frets ( when I first bought I had to have it repolished by them because I wore them down). It has two split coil humbuckers hand wound by Gordon's Wife they are absolutey first class. The neck is shallow, Ebony with jumbo frets and inlaid with MOP I have been playing for 33 Years and never played a better fretboard. My only gripe here is the double truss rod that was fitted into the Mahogany neck makes the guitar unbalanced and it tends to hang neck heavy and slide down. The body is one solid piece of Mahogany I didn't want Maple I was playing quite a lot of Jazz at he time and didn't want it too sound to bright. The body is carved superbly and the finish has never been damaged despite being my main gig guitar for some years. It has Gordons Smiths own design Trem which they told me wouldn't go out of tune, it did, only once that I can remember (I still say the drummer dropped it) The Schaller tuners have been very good with no problems in 21 Years. Although I have to say I don't play as much these days. I deduct 1 Mark for the balance and going out of tune once.

It was built when I was playing a lot of Jazz solo stuff and it has a stunning tone many people commented on its sound. When I was playing in bands (Bunnymen, U2 Type Stuff)it was Perfectly behaved on stage. It fires Blues out any way you want it with the Single coils selected. When playing blues type stuff I sometimes wish I had gone for the Maple top. I have had this guitar through Marshall Stacks, Peavey Musician plus JBLs, Fender twins it has never sounded any thing other than stunning. The Pickups are first rate and I would never swap them ever. It obviously has a Les Paul sound with the Humbuckers selected and can do a fair strat in single position you can always get something different out of this Guitar 20 Years on. I think considering its origonal build it is multi talented but you sometimes wish it would just reach those screechy bits a little more. I was once told by a Frank Hessey (Liverpool) Guitar Tech it was the best guitar he has ever heard. Absolutey No choice here 10 out of 10.

Gordon and Smith are fanatical and it was set up once perfectly. I then played it till my fingers bled result was a couple of years down the line a slight fret polish was required. Performed free of charge and it was checked over. the action is low, I mean low. I have never touched or adjusted anything on this guitar. The Routing is first class and over time the finish has stayed as new. It has never been polished ever but I always wipe the guitar down after use with a soft cloth to remove sweat, which is acidic I reckon.

It has withstood a 20 Year old ( me ) prancing around on stage, Freezing cold vans to red hot stages, it has fell over with me on the end of it. And still looks like new it will certainly out last me I feel confident of that. When I sold my other guitars to by a Roland Sinth guitar I had to use it for almost a year with out a back up it never even broke a string. In the present day attitude of trying to make a guitar look like its a collectors piece, retro fit rubbish, it would stand out for looking like a new guitar my advice to young guns is buy one and play it until its old.

I had a lot of advice from Gordon and Smith about wood types expected sound they were real gutarists making real guitars none of your "this will look good on stage" crap they talked about the guitar and its sound. It has only needed a slight fret polish. They told me I didn't get a warrenty just bring it back when I wanted it checked or fixed its a promise they never needed to keep.

I have been playing for 33 Years however I work away from home now and can't play in band but for ten Years solid this guitar produced the goods day in and day out. It lives in a Bird Brothers flight case which I sold my Telecaster to buy. I regret nothing in buying it and have been proud to have owned such an instrument. I sometimes meet people from many years ago and usually thier first question is do you still have that guitar. When I bought it I was going to buy a gold top but fell in love with the sound of the gordon smith. I hate the weight in the neck because it puts it out of balance being Mahogony its heavy but I don't mind that its just the fact that the neck tends to slide down so you look like your drilling a hole in the floor sometimes. My absolute favorite is its clean pure undriven sound, sustain, character, tone superb. It is a orange to maroon sunburst and is stunning to look at. I also own a Yamaha FG 120 its 33 years old I've had it since I was 9 Years old. A Squire Strat which is 6 Years old. A Roland Guitar Synth the one that has the Ibanez guitar with it I can't remember the number but it is about 15 years old and I still use it. I'm writing this from Africa I'm from Liverpool so I can't go and look at the numbers.
Coming back to the Gordon Smith At its price it is fantastic I intend to buy a Semi and will probably contact Gordon Smith I would advise any young or old guitarist these guitars are in thier own league if they were made in America critics would be kissing thier back Humbucker. Buy One for its sound not its press releases.