Anyone else on here got one or played on one? Hand crafted in the UK, no frills solid as a rock guitars with superb quality craftsmanship. I got mine for my birthday last year and love it to bits (its the one on my Avatar - a GS1.5-40, which is as far as I know still unique, its the first one of that range which is a slight alteration to the standard GS range). Hand made to order, though there is about a 6 month waiting list. Have a look at
Gordon Smith GS1.5-40 Marshall VS65R
Tell me - is this a 24.75" or a 25.5" neck? I'd love a GS, but I've always assumed they were short-scale...
When I ordered it I specified it to have a 25.5" scale as opposed to the normal GS range scale of 24.75". For my Guitar I paid £430 UK (£451 now). The maple necks are also completely unique as they are totally made with one piece of wood - no separate maple fretboard and no skunk-stripe (they somehow drill a curved hole along the neck for the truss rod - a secret technique!).
Mine is the one shown on the site (my name is mentioned in the specs). They also gave me letter certifying I had the first one made!
Cant stress how much I love it - Im not a great player but this thing can produce a massive range of tones from the bridge H/B (tapped) and neck S/C. The humbuckers are incredibly tight and powerful for rock guitar.
Gordon Smith GS1.5-40 Marshall VS65R
A Picture!
Gordon Smith GS1.5-40 Marshall VS65R
That is just plain gorgeous 8) Now I'm going to have to try one - I see from the Gordon Smith site that there's a dealer Farnborough way... If I could get one of those with a rosewood fingerboard I'd be one happy bunny. Nice to have your own name on it, Ray!
That's a plain wrapover stopbar bridge like a PRS, isn't it? I've always liked those - the less gubbins between the string and the wood the sweeter and better the sustain, or so it seems to me :wink:
I had a Gordon&Smith surfboard back in the 60's. :wink:
Tim Madsen
Nobody cares how much you know,
until they know how much you care.
"What you keep to yourself you lose, what you give away you keep forever." -Axel Munthe
It is just a plain wrapover bridge but the intonation doesnt seem to suffer. Getting a rosewood board wont be a problem, its all in the options list. Great neck, quite wide and 14-16" compound radius. Glad you like it!
Gordon Smith GS1.5-40 Marshall VS65R
You're right - there shouldn't be any intonation problems, at least unless you use strings of a hugely different gauge than the guitar was designed for - 16s on a guitar built for 9s or 10s, or something like that :shock: I've long been an admirer of the arrangement on PRS guitars.
Just noticed your location - I take it that's Burtonwood near Warrington? Funny thing, though we're down in Wool, in Dorset, the name of the little estate where our house is, is Burton Wood :D No connection I'm sure - East Burton is on the outskirts of Wool, and there was a little patch of woodland here once, before someone dug a chalk pit sometime before WWII, and then someone else built these 26 houses in the hole in '93... Actually it doesn't feel like living in a hole - the North side is completely open, and to the South (behind our back garden) is a 50' bank covered in trees & shrubs, and full of birds 8)
When I ordered it I specified that it should be set up for 10's (the nut is cut for them - brass nut by the way, and adjustable!) It came strung with D'ads but I use Roto yellows (had a set of elixirs on too which lasted well but turned to lead at the end of their life).
Yep, thats the Burtonwood nr Warrington - I have been to Wool (in passing) a few times and stayed down at Lulworth (very beautiful down there). Had relatives on army base at Blandford. Hope you get to try a GS soon, remember mine is the'40' model so The shops wont have one (25.5 scale and the different headstock) - should have the regular GS range though. If you speak to Dave McCawley at GS he will be able to help you spec it up through your local dealer - you could have the first ever GS2-40 if you go for 2 Humbuckers! You can even order direct from them (I did - picked it up from D Mc's house in Doncaster while working in the area and got tea and biscuits into the bargain!).
The customer support, from such a tiny company, is truly exemplary. They really are a hidden gem and I wholeheartedly recommend them.
Gordon Smith GS1.5-40 Marshall VS65R
