Gordon Smith Graduate 60

Manufactured in mid 90's and bought by me in 1997 for ??300 from a local second hand store. Great sunburst finish and lovely weighted body for great resonance. Same pickup configuration as described previously - coil taps etc. No scratchplate and chrome fittings.

Suits me just fine!! I play for myself now having given up gigging with the GS a few years ago. It handles most styles really well and I've not been searching for another guitar to deal with any situation or style that I wanted to play.

Superb action for me - nice and low - straight from the off. The overall finish of the guitar attracted me before I even picked it up. The beutifully lustrous top matched to the satin backside works very well and marks the guitar out from some others I've seen.

In the last couple of years, the laquer has started to craze and peel a bit from the back of the neck. Doesn't affect its playing, but looks a little unsightly - should get it sorted I guess?!? All strap buttons and hardware are very durable, and I have gigged this guitar alot in the past with no need for another instrument.

Not needed - guitar bought second hand so warranty not an issue.

This is really my only remaining electric guitar now, and I can't see me ever parting with it. I just keep an old Marshall VS30 Amp and a Zoom effects box which gives me enough volume for the house, and enough sound options for whatever I like. This is the nicest guitar I've played or owned and is still different enough for people to ask what it is and where it's from - great to tell them it's a British guitar!!

Made in 2000, 22 frets. Two volume (coil tap) and two tone. Regular 3 way selector switch.
Seymour Duncan humbuckers. Tabbacco sunburst. GS locking machine heads. The necks comfortable, Heavy body but thats what you get for great tone.

Good range of sounds, Sweet to Heavy and powerful. Really versatile but does the classic les paul sound the best.

Great action, adjustable brass nut. Good quality and well designed bridge with adjustable saddles.

Very solid and well made. Hats off to British made craftmanship. Its a players guitar, not the prettiest but I prefer understated quality than decoration.

emailed them to find out guitar model year - quick response.

Awesome guitar. Recommend one to anyone after a non Gibson guitar with a bit more to offer. A workhorse of a guitar. You only have to spend a few minutes to appreciate how good these guitars are.

Mahoganey body and neck, maple cap and rosewood fretboard. Seymour Duncan JB humbucker in bridge position and Seymour Duncan 59 PAF in the Neck position, both coil tapped. See other review for more info'.

Since I had the Seymour Duncan pickups fitted the sound is everything you would want and more. This turned a good guitar into a great guitar. It will do all styles with little difficulty. From Slash, Gary Moore, Eagles 60s music you try and it will do it. I don't know which to pick up and play sometimes, my EC strat or my Gordon Smith.Through an AC 30 2x12 CCX it sounds wonderful.

If I had wanted furniture perfection I would have saved up for a Gordon Smith, as it is I believe the quality is as good as most if not all guitars in this price range.

It rocks and is well made, reliable and robust.

I have never needed to find out.

I am 60 now and have played on and off since the age of 12. I will not sell this guitar and if it was stolen I would get anothwer on and have Seymour Duncan pickups fitted.

See my review of September 2002.
Just to add...I now play the Graduate through a (marvellous) Ashdown Peacemaker 60 combo. I can tell you that all the tones and power of the guitar - that were there when pushing the Laney LC15 - are even more real and impressive when played through a more powerful amp. Live and rehearsal - the Graduate is a great guitar.

Features already mentioned but ill say again:
1)Gibson les paul style guitar, mahogany body and neck, 2 gordon smith built humbuckers, carved spruce top with maple veneer.
2)Coil taps on both pickups.
3)Tone controls are bypassed when clicked into the higest setting giving a more trebely sound.
4)Fully adjustable bras nut and Van Gent tuners.
5) Quite a fat, round neck but not like a big acoustic neck, or a skinny speed neck, an inbetweeny, very comfy.
6)gordon smith designed bridge, very tasty and functional.

USe this guitar straight into a marshall mg100hdfx into a 2*12 custom built cab with a celestion vintage 30 and a celestion g12-100 (taken from an avt 275) in it. Use the crunch setting on the clean channel, used to use a few of the onboard effects but dont now, just use some reverb.

Play mostly rock stuff like G n R, ozzy and hendrix but oter stuff like blues e.g gary moore, you could throw any kind of music at it and it would cope. Sounds very trebely at higest tone settings but take off some tone to about 7 or 8 and it sounds beautiful, really powerful. Due to the coil taps i reckon this guitar could do almost anything. fave settings are: bridge pup, tone slightly rolled off to aout 7 for general rock sound, or coil tapped neck pup with tone also rolled off for a fruity smooth yngwie tyoe sound.

The set up was beautiful, however the finish was not as good although I have no problems with the finish some people might. There are a few very small chips along the endges of the body and headstock, not even noticable unless you know where your looking. Aslo some dirt trappe dunder the finish. I dont mind these flaws but others will wnat their guitar perfect, if so, ha ha! you will buy a gibson which sucks in comparision at twice the price! ha! small chips on the veneer on the fret board at 12th fret, doesnt affect playability. Best playing guitar Ive played, read the other reviews they all say this. Also selector switch is playing up but i ca get it fixed for free so dont really care.

this guitar ways a f*%$ing ton! it would kill you if someone hit you with it. changed the strap buttons for schaller strap locks, i feared for me feet after i almost dropped it several tims when my strap dropped off. once the selector switch is changed I would ahve to depend on it, i wouldnt want to play anyhting else. will last forever me thinks.

only e-mailed them once, but they replyed immediatly, heard great things about customer suport but never really dealt with them, being such a small company i guess they can deal with complaints better, rather than just being pushed around various call centres or whatever. Cant realy see why people would complain about them anyways!

LOve it to bits, words cant describe how tasty ths guitar is, go try one they are ace. Didnt compare it to anything but heard such good things about them, and wasnt disappointed. Was looking for something less mainstream (i.e. a les paul style guitar but not a gibson). Wasnt disapointed, and even better, its made in Great Britain. If it was stolen id find the punk and beat him to death with it, and it would really hurt cus its very heavy! mwa ha ha ha.
LOVE IT!

My Graduate 60 was made in 2000 and I bought it second-hand for around 500 quid. It's got a red quilted top and ebony veneered fingerboard. Two humbuckers can be tapped by pulling the volume pots - each has a tone pot which seems to boost the treble at the higest setting. The tuners are not named but hold the pitch very well indeed and the Gordon-Smith bridge allows full adjustment in a small, neat unit. Stylishly simple and effective.

This guitar has the largest range of sounds I've heard for one instrument - from the smooth, rich, jazzy tone of the neck pickup to the bright, twangy sound of the tapped bridge pickup with the treble boost on. Wonderful, just wonderful. Even on the latter setting, there is very little noise from the guitar.
I'm running it straight into a Marshall 30 watt solid-state at the moment (DFX30) and through the overdriven channel, the sound is bright, rich and creamy.

One of the things that attracted me to this guitar was the very low action - it's really fast without compromising accuracy for people like me with telegraph poles for fingers. My machine was (presumably)set up by the shop I bought it at it it has retained the perfect intonation, action and - get this - even tuning through three months of my amateurish thrashing of the 10 gauge strings.

The finish was fine - the top is cherry red showing the quilt underneath and the sides and back are the same colour but a nice, natural matt finish. There was a small dent in the headstock but I have added a couple more so it isn't lonely.

It really is quite heavy (probably too heavy for all you pale, waif-like goths out there). A wide strap is essential if you don't want your shoulder blade surgically incised from the rest of your body but, to be honest, the can tell the mass of the guitar adds to the great feeling of solidity and no doubt the tone and sustain.

The Graduate 60 is built like a brick outhouse and could take any onstage antics. It will last forever. Maybe the finish will rub off in time but to me that'd just add to the charm of the guitar. I'm not so sure about the veneered fingerboard - it seems pretty thin to me but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. The pots could have slightly more resistance to them but that's really like critising a ferrari 'caust the cup holder's in the wrong place.

I was so impressed with the Graduate 60 that I sent an email to Gordon Smith guitars just to point this out. They even replied to this. They were friendly and offered any help in the future.

This was the first guitar I bought that wasn't in the 'beginners' bracket or price range. I really couldn't decide what I wanted - the twang of singlecoils or the meat of double coils and so coil-tap was ideal. This guitar has the tone of a Gibson that costs twice as much, it wasn't mass-produced (Hand Made in England - what beautiful words) and will last longer than I do. A really beaut.

This Graduate was made in 2002; features as other ones listed here - two tappable humbuckers, no scratchplate, GS's own make of bridge. Design wise, the Graduate follows Gibson's Les Paul, but having played both, I'd consider them to be fairly different guitars in all but looks.

The body is mahogany, with a maple veneer over the front. The neck is quite chunky, but very comfortable for me to play.

The shop threw in hard case and a good quality strap.

The Graduate has got everything that I need in a guitar, so gets top marks. I'm not after a whammy bar, super thin neck, or screeching heavy metal pick ups. If I was, I wouldn't be wanting to buy a Gordon Smith. I give it a 10 because the only improvement beyond a Les Paul's spec has been made - tappable pick ups.

This guitar sounds great!

The sound choices allowed by the 2 tappable humbuckers and volume pots allow you to create many drastically different sounds. Good for meaty power chords but also surprisingly usable for jangly strumming.

Set up well by the shop. The overall finish is fine for me - GS guitars market themselves as being tools rather than decorations, so the final finish is maybe not as great as on a more expensive guitar. There were a couple of dirty marks under the lacquer, and the maple veneer had chipped a bit where the pick up toggle had been set - but these don't affect the way the guitar plays, and can only be seen close up. It doesn't really bother me, but I can't give it top marks, as this is a top-of-the-range guitar and if I was fussy I'd expect it to be PERFECT!.

The only problem I've had in my year of owning the guitar is with the pick up toggle. The connection on the neck pick up seems a bit dodgy sometimes. Apart from that, no problems, and yes, I expect it to last until I get too old to play.

This was built to order. Great little company, building guitars because they love them as much as we do. I'd give it 11/10 if I could.

This guitar is fantastic value for money. I also own a GS1, which I rate even more highly for the price paid.

The guitar plays beautifully and looks great. I've only marked a couple of categories down from 10 because of a few very minor problems.

If you are looking to spend between #400 and #700 on a guitar, and want a 'traditional looking' - perhaps 'Gibson' - design with different character, take a look at Gordon Smith guitars. Any one who has played one will tell you that they are great guitars, good value for money, and by buying one, you're helping to support a small company that loves it's instruments as much as we do.

Brand new Ebony Graduate 60, built just before Christmas, but I only got it a couple of weeks OK (see later comments). Pretty much standard except that I went for chrome pickup covers, for asthetic reasons only. Gloss front, satin back & sides, looks beautiful. The option of being able to split the two GS made pickups make it incredibly flexible sound-wise. It doesn't have a tremelo, or any other fancy bits & pieces that I don't want. Oh, also no extra cost for lefties.

I play sixties rock, indie, punk, britpop type stuff & it covers all of this pretty well. Currently I'm playing it through a Fender Blues Junior. I tend not to use effects, as I like to keep things simple & 'natural'. The option to split the pickups really does give a wide variety of sound & the tone knobs are incredibly responsive (far to much treble for my taste on max - but I believe that it is meant to be a kind of teble boost at those levels). The next pickup does seem more powerful that the bridge, so that we you play with both I think the neck dominates, so you should just roll the volume off a bit. My preference is actually the bridge untapped, the neck tapped & the combination of these two. All pickup combinations are useable though - just play a bit with the tone & your amp and you will find what you want.

Was shipped to me in Taiwan is a nice quality hiscox case, all properly wrapped up. The set up is perfect - no rattles or buzzes & a nice low action. I believe the strings are 9's & I will probably end up changing them to 10's. I would say there are some real minor flaws in the finish, but to me that adds a little to the 'hand made' feel. They are certainly not significant enough to alter the overall look and feel of quality.

Difficult to comment from the point of view that I've only had it a couple of weeks. However it feels the most solid guitar I've owned & judging by some of the other comments from GS users, I am expecting this to last well. Also stays in tune very well. I mainly play at home now, but if I were to gig with one guitar only, I reckon this would be as reliable as any.

OK so here's the point of me submitting the review. Having initially contacted Dave McCawley about Graduates, he was incredibly helpful about options, ranges of colours etc. Doing this remote from Taiwan, I was a little worried about making a commitment to order with out trying one. Again no problems, they would build the guitar in time for when I got back at Christmas - if I didn't like it after trying it, then I didn't have to buy it.

Then we had a little snag. The guitar was built on time, but accidently send to Music Ground in Leeds rather than London. I only found out what had happened once I got back to Taiwan. Again Dave was really helpful & between him and Music Ground the arranged to get it shipped to me at a subsidised cost. No waiting for three months etc, it got here in a couple of weeks.

This has been a rare experience for me, actually dealing with a company who really seem to care about their customers. Always a quick response & very flexible.

I've been playing for about 17 years now. It sounds a lot & really I should be an awful lot better - but it's not my job & not my only hobby. I've had a couple of faily decent cheaper guitars in the past including a Tokai Strat (nice, but too thin & bright sounding for my tastes) and a Jap Telecaster (better than the strat, but again a little too bright). The only other electric I own at the moment is an Epiphone Casino (nice clean chimes & jangles). I have been pleased with all of them, & am probably lucky not to have ever really brought a duffer. I don't think my ability justifies spending over a thousand sterling for a guitar, but honestly believe I have that kind of quality with the Graduate for a lot less. I love the fact that it is British, 'hand made' and fairly rare too. Being a leftie, you are often limited with your choices - but I have a feeling I've just made a very good one.

1992 model, solid mahogany top with double cutaway in tobacco burst and a rosewood fingerboard. Slightly different to the other models I've seen in that body and neck have traditional plastic binding rather than the usual 'masked off' effect GS uses now on the body only. The other difference is that the finish is gloss all over rather than satin back and sides. Overall beautifully finished and absolutely gorgeous in looks (wish it was flamed but hey!)

Coil tapped humbuckers really are the biz - full-on its got that creamy, sustainy Les Paul tone in bucketfulls and whilst the coil tap's thinner sound aint exactly a tele twang it's great for cutting through the mix when playing rythmm or arpeggio'd chords

Fit and finish are excellent as you would expect from a handmade guitar. I know GS guitars have a reputation as being workhorses first and foremost with looks secondary but I really couldnt fault this one (oh hang on one - one of the pearl markers on the 15th fret isn't quite seated properly and the Gordon Smith transfer on the headstock is a bit naff - but otherwise nothing)

Only thing that would improve this guitar would be a flame top (which John Smith does supply at a reasonable cost if you are having one made ). I must admit I've hankered after one but this was such a lovely guitar at such a good price that I couldnt pass it up!

Solid? It would probably break your foot if it fell on it...otherwise only time will tell I guess (tho after its first 10 years there's not a mark on it).

Spoken to both John Smith (who makes em) and Dave McCawley who flogs em - both dead down to earth and very helpful. Get the impression they both care about guitars and customers and the stories Ive heard of fantastic customer service tend to bear this out

Been playing 20 years - own a USA strat, Marshall AVT and some top end accoustics - Martin, Santa Cruz. This guitar gives that LP tone without paying #1500+ and has the advantage of more tone varieties via the coli taps plus it's that little bit different style wise. I love this guitar already - only drawback I can see is the LP-like weight and the lack of a body contour on the back which takes some getting used to after a strat. I believe the Graduate slimline addresses both of these. I'd buy this again in a heartbeat.

Serial Number 5361, so early nineties? It's as per all the other detailed reports on this site. Two coil tapped humbuckers in a sunburst maple finish.It's got anything you'd ever need.

I play rock/ metal so it's refect. Power and yet more power. Sustains forever. I've had no problems with the pots that one or two people mention but I get it electrically serviced annually anyway.Nothing to dislike variation unpon variation. It is quite trebly but that due to the tone pot design, just knock it back to 8 and it's georgeous.

Typical GS set up - low & fast. I've just had the first fret dress carried out by a local guitar maker.If the action was any lower you'd have to push the strings up to the frets. I play with super slinkys and a .6mm plectrum so I don't get much rattle and don't break strings so the odd bridge design isn't a big problem. Though if I was heavier handed it would take a while to restring. Build quality & finish excellent.

Live playing - no problems it's a destroyer. Everything lasts well with just basic routine servicing. I use locking strap buttons, It'd break your foot if it fell off. 100% dependable - no question. Back up needed if you break strings frequently as the bridge design isn't easy for quick restringing.

Never needed to contact them, what more can you say. British quality.

Playing 27 years, almost always Gibson (one Yamaha SG 2000). I was trying out a couple and was unimpressed when I just liked the look of the GS. As soon as I played it the quality difference was remarkable. Favorite things are it's sound, its weight and when a Gibson owner looks down his nose at it before playing it, and then the look on his face afterwards. With the exception of some early Les Paul Standards I wouldn't thank you for a Gibson now. British is best. Gordon Smith and a Marshall - Heaven.

My Graduate 60 was not the same spec as most off the shelf versions due to me requesting a certain specification from the factory and having it built to order. I have only just recieved the guitar a day ago so I may post updates in the future. My Graduate has 3 chrome covered humbuckers all with coil taps(they can do that despite it not being mentioned on the web page) a tune-o-matic bridge, no scrath plate, brass nut, gloss black finish, satin black finish on the back (cheaper option)... and the rest is standard. Above all, the guitar looks fantastic.

There are just sooo many sounds that can be had out of this guitar, almost too many, due to the three pickups on an already extremely versatile guitar. All four of the volume (3) and tone controls (1) have a push pull switch on them, one for each of the pickups' coil tap and one disables the middle pickup and, heres the fun bit, all of them sound brilliant (with the odd exception). The amp I play this guitar through is a rocktek rk-20 (aka shite, couldn't be bothered to compromise the quality of my guitar to get a good one, I'll buy a proper amp soon enough) but the tone still shines through. This guitar has a good clean tone, especially played with the coil taps with plenty of clarity and charactor, and a nice funky 'sprangly' kind of sound that combined with some reverb or similar sounds beautiful. For ye of little faith, distorted this guitar roars, screaming with power and plenty of girth but with the huge variety of pickup options etc the sound can be fine tuned to pretty much however you want it. My brother described its sound as 'Killer Jimmy Page' when giving it a go. I am more than impressed with the sound of this guitar, In my opinion it leaves nothing to be desired. To be picky though, with clean sounds and the coil taps on at low volumes on the guitars volume contol, a strange violining effect occurs that can sound very nice but it can also prove annoying. Also, with the clean sounds with the tone turned down to zero (not that anyone ever uses that setting), there is is slight distortion. Due to these minor problems, I will have to give the guitar a 9 for sound but flat out, I'd give this guitar an 11.

The action is the usual gordon smith super low, that combined with its great fat but speedy neck, makes this guitar long to be played, it is such an enjoybale experience. The finish is flawless as is the cool mock binding. The fretting on the highest frets is very slightly lower quality than the rest but is still fine. The third pickup makes playing feel a bit weird but I'm sure I will become more used to it.

Rock Solid.
This guitar will never break.

The guys at gordon smith were great, accomodating for all of my needs. Top quality service.

This guitar really is incredible. I could buy it over and over again. I am in shire awe of its performance. I find myself playing this guitar far more than any of my others.

Nice Job lads from at GS.

This was my first Gordon Smith. I had an Epiphone Les Paul Classic and just felt ,well you know,we are not going to grow old together!! I saw the Smith in Music Ground, Leeds. I dont think I even plugged it it. It was like playing an accoustic, all "sprang" and vibration.

This is how a Les Paul should have been made! It`s not a copy !! Just wanted to get that off my chest. OK - visualise a Les Paul Standard and I will tell you the differences.

Brass nut [ adustable ]
Set mahogany 22 fret neck enters the body at 17th fret [ count em on your Les Paul ].
Compact stainless steel bridge with individually adjustable chromed brass saddles.
Mahogany body with an obeche [ a type of softwood I understand ] top sporting maple veneer [ mine in a woderful antique violinburst ].
A miraculously hidden truss rod with guitar end adjustment with a spanner[ hooray, no allen keys ! ]
Van Gent tuners.
A pair of GS humbuckers on black plastic with individual volume/tone controls.
Coil taps on the volume pots [ pull ]
Treble boost on the tone controls at points 8-10.
Fake edge masking on top of body [ some say like PRS but I`m sure Smiths will have done it first ! ]
No binding on neck with pearl dot markers.
No pickguard.

To be hyper critical I would probably prefer the coil taps to be on the tone controls rather than the volume pots.

Its heavy at 10.5lbs.Serial No is 6731 which probably puts it at around 1995 vintage.

The Smith sings with bags of sustain. Lots of different tones available due to the pick up configuration. No "mushy" tones here !Just as good with chorus laden clean arpeggios as it is with the latest Headmetal distortion pedal.

I use mine with an SJB Ant 16w valve amp for yer basic blues and load a huge string of pedals with it if I want to sound like Robert Fripp [wish I did !! ]It does everything I want it to.

Brilliant. Action very low. Frets well fitted and finished with flat , played in crowns. Neck feels well played in even at purchase which was another good sign.

Fitted Schaller straplocks [ always do ]. However it didn't stop a well oiled friend of mine picking the Smith off it`s stand by the strap, pulling the retaining washer through the strap end and sending the guitar crashing to the floor neck first. Problem? No its a Smith ! Just a small dink out of the neck by the 10th fret. It was even in tune !

I just did a six hour session in rehearsal studios with the boys of the Shambollix and my shoulder did ache a bit with the 10.5lbs weight!

Everything is bullet proof.As to gigging without a backup. Could do as it would only be the strings that go.Depends if you can see straight enough to restring during a gig !!

Never contacted them about this guitar.Warranty doesnt seem to be a problem in the light of comments above.

The only downside to this guitar is its weight.Everthing else is spot on. It is my first Smith and I have acquired more since [ I`m getting round to logging reviews of them all ]It has got to the stage where nothing else will do. If it were stolen I would get another one without doubt.Guitar buyers are hung up with the wrong "G" on the headstock. It should be Gordon Smith.

Mine is a matt black Graduate 60, with the `false` binding as a result of clever masking. It looks superb. Body is mahogany with spruce arched top, neck is mahogany and fingerboard is `slab` rosewood. I hadn`t intended to buy the guitar (3 weeks ago) due to financial circumstances, but I have been looking for a `perfect` Smith for some time. Being largely hand-made, they are of course all different, and thank goodness I tried this one out whilst having some time to kill in the city with my daugher. The guitar immediately felt wonderful, and the tones/playability were awesome. The power is there, the subtlety is there, with the single-coil options, the quality is there with the tonewoods used (who needs maple tops?) and the guitar will jangle AND growl if you want it. The guys at Music Ground are very helpful and don`t `hustle` for time or a quick sale. Later that day, after meeting the missus from work, we went back to the shop and after trying the guitar again I was persuaded by the family to buy it. I kid you not! I am now the very very happy owner of a guitar that I know will last me - and all you other guitarists will know that we can rarely say that!

It sounds more or less however you want it to, to be blunt. A bit of judicious use of the coil-tap options, pickup selections and of course volume / amp settings, and I can`t think of a six-string sound that isn`t available from this guitar. It really does seem to have it all. To illustrate my point, I have always been an out-and-out humbucker fan (having played Gibsons aplenty and owning amongst other guitars a Aria Les Paul which is superb, if a little tatty now). However, this Smith has opened my ears to the possibilities of single-coil tones sounding really beautiful AND powerful, so much so that these are often my preferred settings. And of course the humbucker overdrive and power is there at the push and twist of a knob (pardon the expression). I play through a Laney LC15R, and the tubes allow the guitar to show its capabilities very well.

Set up was very good. It has a set of 9s on, which I will change to 10s shortly and then take advantage of the free setup offered by Music Ground. The action is buzz-free, but I prefer it a little higher (I`m clumsy) and so will arrange that. The finish on the guitar is not perfect - there is a small `shipping` dent on the upper bout and a couple of minor blemishes in the paint - but it still looks great, understated and tasteful, especially with the black pickups. Overall, I am more than happy with it and whilst others may prefer to have kept looking for `perfection`, the essential feel and sound of the guitar sold it to me. And everything feels very solid and durable, so thats good enough for me.

Durability will not be a problem, I am sure. The fittings appear very solid, the controls smooth and purposeful. The finish I assume will `buff up` from its matt look, but I really don`t care as long as it stays on - I happen to think that graceful aging is a virtue (at my age and condition, one has to think that way) and I am looking forward to this guitar growing up with me (if ever) in the future. It will probably outlast me.

Only E-mail contact so far, but fine. I hope to `pop` over to see the folks there sometime soon, and thank them! and encourage them to keep buildinh `em the way they do.

I`ve been playing for 27 years (though you probably wouldn`t think it if you heard me!). I love blues/rock, and up till now have relied on a series of Japanese guitars, the best of which has always been my Aria Les Paul - of largely identical materials to the `real thing` and plays like a dream. This Smith, may I burn in hell, knocks the Aria into a cocked hat tonewise - and therefore in my experience will treat Gibsons with similar disdain. All the tones and power are here, and I would not hesitate to stick with Gordon Smith, on this evidence alone. A friend of mine has 4 of the things, and each one I have played has impressed greatly. They are `no frills` but 100% professional guitars, so don`t pay into USA or Japan economy, buy British - the best.

This is an update to my earlier review. I contacted the Gordon Smith factory and they were incredibly helpful and told me my Graduate is made from poplar,the nearest tonewood avilable to Honduras mahogany in density. It certainly sounds as good. I compared my Graduate to a pukka Les Paul standard that belongs to my cousin and the Graduate wins hands down in the tone stakes. Even my cousin admitted that it sounded far more powerful and sweeter and said his Gibson had never sounded that good. I cut the slightly orange-peely paint on the neck back with cutting polish and it now feels a lot better.

Blah,blah,blah......Its all been said already.
Mine is a 2002 satin black (gothic) finish and was bought brand new in London. It has masked off mock binding, like a PRS, which looks cool against the black. I think its probably the best guitar I've ever owned and can do virtually everything from Tele to Les Paul thanks to the coil taps. The neck is just so comfortable and felt immediately right. The only complaint I have is that the neck is a little roughly finished on the back, but I'd imagine it will get better with playing. I'm planning to cut the paint finish back a little with T-cut to smooth it a bit more. The tuners are Van Gent items made in Holland and were used on original Burns guitars in the 60's. They are really nice and smooth and hold the tuning well. The frets are beautifully polished with no rough edges. I took the plates off the back, but I don't know what kind of wood this guitar is made of; it feels heavy enough to be mahogany, but it looks far too pale.
I would have preferred the volumes not to have been linked on the both-on setting, I don't know why GSG have gone for this option. The bridge saddle adjusting screws are rough on the tops and dig in my hand, so need a bit of filing. I bought a hard case to protect my investment.

Like I said, I'm really impressed with the range of tones I can get. The pick-ups are a bit thinner sounding than a Les Paul, but with my Marshall they have a real clout on overdriven tones. With a clean setting you are into a Tele-like sound, which is strange for a humbuckered guitar. The tone controls get a little getting used to, as they need rolling off to about 7 or 8 to get a "normal" tone...9 or 10 acts like a treble boost. With the coil taps on there is a little loss of volume and although the tone thins out, I wouldn't say it was a single coil voice, although it is still usable. A great sounding guitar overall and very versatile.

I didn't intend to buy this guitar! I was originally going to get a Tokai Love Rock ( flame top Les Paul copy ) but the two I tried at the shop were appallingly set up and that put me off. I only tried the Graduate because they were recently given a great write up in Guitarist Magazine ( UK ). The set-up on this guitar was superb straight off the shop wall; low slinky action and not a buzz or rattle in sight. It came with 9's which I'll probably swap for 10's very soon, but I don't anticipate any problems. If I'm super-critical, the paint could be better applied in a couple of areas and the control knobs are a bit wonky on the pot spindles, but on the other hand I'm getting a hand-built guitar for Les Paul Studio money, so I'll live with a couple of minor glitches.

This guitar feels absolutely bullet proof, but I'd always have a back-up just in case.

I've heard the company is family run and really cares about their customers, so I have no worries.

I've been playing for over 30 years and have a Strat, Tele and a Takamine acoustic, plus Marshall and Crate amps. The Graduate is probably the best of the lot and is certainly the most versatile. It is incredibly good value for money. It doesn't look flashy but all the money has gone into decent hardware, pickups and good quality tone woods. I would get another if anything happened to this one. I just love it!

i only wanted to put an overall rating for this guitar, because i am a bit sic of people ratteling on about the features ect, and complaining about the fact the volume knobs are not 100 % responsive!!
i just wanted to say this guitar is exellent!! it's the bes i have ever owned, I would even go as far as to say i prefer it to my gibson classic les paul, if only for the variety of the sound available!!!/
if it were stolen i would definately track another down, in the same wine red, with tiger stripe finish (beautiful!)
if there is any beginer/intermediat players who have recently purchased a graduate 60, you have an exellent guitar!!

Excellent. H/H pu config, both with coil taps. Gives really comprehensive range of sound possibilities. Hardware is unbranded but durable looking and reliable. Special praise goes to the bridge design: One -piece wrapover style bridge, but with individual string height adjustment & intonation. One piece mahogony neck and back, Spruce top and maple cap. Beautiful jet black finish. Looks and feels very classy, much like a Les Paul.

HANDS DOWN the best guitar I have owned in 18 years of playing. All pu positions sound rich and full. I can set up all the sounds I will need for a set purely via the pickups; neck with coil tap and vol about 4-5 gives me a mellow, almost stat like tone, but with Les Paul fatness. In between gives a sweet bluesy howl. Bridge only (A SD custom) yields a gorgeous fat, woody sustain with harmonics a plenty. All sound great via my cranked JMP 2204 half stack. Neck is quite thick, but is very comfortable. Is backed with a smooth satin finish - very nice.

Superb. Everything about this guitar screams class at you. Most remarkable of all is that this and all GSG's are HAND BUILT. Yep, read it again - I had to the first time I saw a report for one of these things! Action is low and comfortable without a hint of buzz. Easliy adjusted to taste, with plenty of play available. Sustain is long and rich, due to the woods, bridge and brass (trademark) nut. Finish is immaculate aside from a small body ding and a little excess glue on one fret.

Only had it for a couple of weeks, but I own a GS1 which has given me many years of trouble free service.

When researching my instrument purchase, I wrote to GSG (a small firm in the north of England). I recieved a polite, prompt reply with details of the entire GSG range. Being hand built guitars, the company is happy to tweak their basic designs to individual requirements. Fantastic company!

I have owned many guitars, much to the amusement of my bandmates! Another GSG, Squier protone tele (nice!), Ibanez Roadstar II, Mexican Strat, Yamaha SG (nice, but HEAVY), Gibson '74 SG (nice, but dodgy neck). Seriously, this is the BEST. Wonderful, full-on rock sounds that clean up nicely. Classy, built-just-for-me feel about the instrument. Forget paying a fortune for a Les Paul - I have tried several and can honestly say that not a single guitar sounded as good as this one. It's a real head turner! Great guitar, great value for money, great company. Rare in the US at present. Worth a trip to Blighty - I mean it!

Hand finished guitar made in Manchester, UK. Has 22 frets H/H with coil tap, 2x volume, 2x tone, 3-way selector, Mahogany body-Les Paul shape, beatiful flame maple top in cherry sunburst, rosewood 'veneer' fingerboard, brass nut. All the hardware (inc pickups) is unbranded.

I play all sorts of stuff on it, i can get loads of sounds with the coil taps and my Zoom 8080. The pickups are quite good for stock pickups but they are noisy in coil taped mode. One thing i like about this guitar is that it has a good musical tone with lots of sustain even when its unplugged which is always a good thing. Might get a new bridge pickup one day cos the stock unit is a bit weak, other than that the only other thing that would improve it is a peizo pickup in the bridge...

The action is pretty low, the top is not bookmatched at all just one big lump, the finger board feels ok and the fret work is excellent.

The unbraded hardware all seems pretty solid and looks like it will last, the finish looks durable as well. the strap buttons are probably ok but i always fit straplocks anyway, i would not gig without a backup just in case i snap a sring.

N/A

been playing around 9/10 years and this is the best guitar i have owned in that time. My favourite features are the flame maple top and the coil taps, neither of which are present on the roughly equivalently priced Les Paul Studio that i looked at. If it were stolen i would buy a new one with a different pickup at the bridge. An all round good guitar and excellent value for money.

English HAND made Les Paul-a-like, 22 frets and a gorgeous maple cherry burst top. Looks amazing.

2 volume, 2 tone and pickup selector switch. As I purchased it 2nd hand it is a bit different to the standard - mine has two tapped Seymour Duncan pickups and has some Schaller locking tuners fitted, and also has a tune-o-matic bridge which doesn`t come as standard.
Mahogany neck with a satin finish.
Came with a case.

Gordon Smith-->Zoom GFX8-->Marshall VS100R w/Extra Cab
I play punk and hardcore with a bit of Ska and this guitar sounds amazing!!
For dirty parts I use the Bridge P/U and for clean I use the Bridge in single coil mode and it sounds glorious.
Sounds and plays better than the more expensive Les Paul studio and some standards.
Get hum on the single coil mode but you would expect that.
I dislike nothing about it.

The shop I purchased it from set it up beautifully with the strings I requested for no extra charge. Action is lower than low - I can play some quick stuff on this beast.
The finish is beautiful, apart from a small mark on the body behind the bridge.

This guitar is tough,the finish is tough. The strap buttons are good but I always use strap locks so it doesn't really matter.
I will use my old Eiphone SG as back up, just in case a nuclear bomb is dropped on it.

The company are fantastic - quick to respond with queries and very informative.
They will have a website up soon...
www.Gordonsmithguitars.com

Check it out.

Been playing 7 years and this is the best purchase I've made in that time.
If it was stolen/lost I'd use the insurance to get one custom made in blue with the same pickups/machineheads/bridge.
I love the tone of this guitar - it sounds like a Les Paul but more musical.
I compared it to the more expensive Les Paul Studio and the cheaper The Paul, and this British Beast just stuck out like the class instrument it is.

Why pay for a name on your headstock when you can pay for quality?

I just submitted a review of this guitar, but I have to make an amendment to this section. Yesterday I said that when both pickups are on, both volume pots become like masters and you couldn't mix the volumes. Well, I was wrong... but with some sounds the result is not too obvious. Backing down the neck volume certainly has a different effect than backing down the bridge volume. And this is also true while using the coil taps, unlike another review posted here. Sorry about the confusion

I just bought this guitar. It should have been #575 (list price is #635, but I've never seen it advertised at that price) but it had some cosmetic flaws on the back so I got it cheaper. I use a Gordon Smith GS1 (twin cutaway, single tappable humbucker) and Richie Sambora Fender Stratocaster (Floyd Rose, bridge humbucker). The GS1 is a delight to play, but I was missing the sound of a neck humbucker. The Graduate 60 is very much like a Gibson Les Paul Studio, without a scratchplate. Two GS humbuckers, individual volume/tone controls, and a pickup switch, typical LP layout. The volume pots are of the push/pull type and act as coil tap switches. When in the middle position, both volumes become master volumes: the volume is controlled by whichever pot is set the lowest. You can't select one pickup to be full and the other 3/4, for instance (this is the only reason it doesn't get a 10). The tuners in my GS1 were schaller (kluson type) (but broke one and now have a set of Gibson Grover). The tuners here are more like those on a Fender strat. No brand stamped on them, and it's early to tell how good they are, but I trust they'll do the job well. I don't see GS saving a few pounds on this guitar by using crap tuners and spoiling what amounts to be a really nice guitar. The bridge is unusual, I think is made by GS. It allows raising the bridge like in a tunomatic or wrapover, but each individual saddle can be moved up/down/front/back like those in a telecaster. The nut is their trade mark height adjustable brass, like in the other GS guitars that I have seen. Good! Amber sunburst subtle tiger stripe maple top. The rest of the guitar is mahogany, I believe. Set neck. The fingerboard is interesting: there isn't a "real" fingerboard, but rather a sort of veneer on the actual neck. It feels alright. Thick body, and weighs and feels like a Les Paul.

Great sound! I don't see a reason to buy a Gibson Les Paul costing about twice as much when you can buy this, unless you can't live without *that name* on your headstock. Both pickups sound really good. Powerful beast. The neck in particular sounds wonderful, the bridge is a bit not so good, in my opinion, and this is why I don't give it a 10. Although I'm still unsure, maybe I'll give it a 10 after all. I might end up changing this pickup... one day, but I'm not in a hurry, I like very much it as it is anyway. The tone controls can be only subtle at high gains, but anything less heavy-sounding, they do a good job. Oh, and the sustain... what a sustain! (I often use a compressor, and with it on you'll get bored before the sustained note dies out). Most of the time I play through a Boss GX700, into my Tascam 424 4-track (my neighbours are happy and I can play LOUD at 3am if I want to) and using headphones. I can get some very realistic sounds and each guitar maintains its character...

The action is usually very low in GS guitars. This one was too low (lower than my GS1), with a little buzz on the bottom E and A strings, but easily corrected by raising the action a bit. There were a few minor flaws at the back, and I got it cheaper for that reason. The pickup switch was a bit scratchy, and the neck tone control was also a little scratchy towards the end (at 10). This should have been sorted prior to the sale... (I got it delivered without my trying this actual guitar, as I couldn't find one near where I live). Otherwise, it is a well built guitar. Much better than the Epiphone Les Paul standard that I have tried, and not much but still better than the Gibson Les Paul studio.

I just got it, but it appears well and solidly built. Better standard than my GS1 (as expected by their price difference).

Never talked to the guys at Gordon Smith. I have a 1-year warranty from the shop I got this guitar from.

Really nice guitar. Feels superb. The action is low low low (typical GS), and in fact the bottom E, A strings rattle a little... the action on this guitar is even lower than that in my already low GS1, so I will raise it a bit (neck is fine). Other than that, this guitar is incredible! Sounds beautiful, produces those LesPauly sounds, sustains forever, the neck is a bit bigger than that in my very slim GS1, but it feels very good. This guitar, made in UK, would cost a lot more if only it had a different name on the headstock, I am sure. So if you want the sound of a Les Paul, but don't want to spend that much money, or you want to be just a bit different (there aren't that many GS guitars out there, out front and visible), this is the one!

British-made very gibson influenced guitar. The closest I can get to this is a "natural" looking LP Studio with rib and forearm contours. Carved top LP stlye guitar which is a scaled down "racier" version of their popular "Graduate" LP copies. Obviously, the guitar has a solid top construction with a kind of Oiled sunburst finish and it's one of the slightly older models with a proper fretboard rather than the "veneer" type which they now use. Pickups and controls are two tappable HBs with the standard control layout of 2Volume & 2Tone. One thing differs! When the selector switch is in the "split" position, both volumes become like master volume controls e.g. whichever one is set to the lowest setting, that becomes the master control. I think the whole thing is made of mahogany with a rosewood fretboard. Hardware is all made by the Gordon Smith Company with possible exception of the Machineheads. The bridge is a kind of Tune-O-Matic/Stopbar combination unit but works well. The Neck is of a very large radius and feels like a cricket bat or even one of those old 50s strats that are reissued now. There were no accessories with the guitar! It dosen't have tons of features but that's not always the most important thing. If you want loads of knobs and switches, go buy a Burns!

It sounds like a Gibson SG, more bite and attitude than a Les Paul, with a much quicker temper! There's no other way to describe it except that it's more versatile because of the split coils. OK you don't get a true single coil sound but it as close as you'll get. It goes from a rich rich, jazzy fromt-pickup sound through to the classic bluesy bridge pickup a la page & Kossof. I've often considered getting it rewired to the "out of phase" setup of Peter Green's early recordings but never got round to it because I don't know how it would affect the tap coils. Yes, it is powerful! Yes it will push the valves on my amp to make a very warm and rounded tone. One thing I don't like is that the bridge pickup sometimes sounds a little "thin" but you can't have it all.

When I got it, the guitar had been hanging on a shop wall for about six months so it needed a little adjustment but once that was done it worked fine. No buzzing anywhere but I like what some people would call heavy strings (12s) so there's not much chance of that anyway. The actual construction of the guitar is shit hot and absolutley second to none and over the six years I've had it, it's seen a lot of use. Nothing has rusted or tarnished or broken or anything.

Over the last six or so years, the guitar has had loads of abuse. It's been dropped, burned and sweated on and still there's very few marks on it. The finish started to wear away quite quickly. I liked this because it looks cool but some people like a flawless appearance so??? I did change the buttons for locking ones because I'm always a bit frightened of dropping guitars anyway.

I've never had to contact the company about this guitar. I had a Graduate Std. and wanted it dating and the lady I spoke to was very helpful but that's the only time. I don't think it was under warranty.

On the whole, this guitar is superb, I've never had any problems at all with it. Sometimes I think I should have ordered one with a slightly slimmer neck but that's by the way and there's not much I can do about it now. Besides, I also have a telecaster so I don't really need it too thin. If it got nicked, I'd definately buy another. I think a good hard case would be nice though. Gordon Smiths are excellent value and everybody asks questions about it. This is the kind of thng you'd pay upwards of a grand for if the "G" stood for something else. I wanted one ever since seeing them at the Manchester music show when I was about 14. A few years ago I took it to the US and people were always asking me about it because they'd never seen one before. Any Gordon Smith is worth buying. They're distinctive, rare, fantastic value for money and hard as fucking nails. Get one!