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Hi all,
I 'm selling a solid body and I would take another guitar .
I have the chance to choose from a 2009 Legrand and a 1979 Johnny Smith.
Both Guitar are in mint condition, the JS is natural and The Legrand is sunburst.
Wich is the better? For sound and investment?
I haven't The chance to play The Guitars togheter.
Thanks, Louis.
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05-13-2015 11:05 PM
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Tough call ....
The 2009 Le Grand probably has the nicer looking wood .... which is a plus ... I have a 1993 Le Grand and I love mine
The 1979 Johnny Smith is a Norlin .... which could be a negative ... but it's a Johnny Smith and has a some age and may be nicely broken in
I'd say get the one that plays and sounds better to you .... but if you can't get your hands on it before hand ...
yeah ... that's a tough one
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A 79 Johnny Smith in mint condition, blond, gets my vote. Check it out good and make sure the truss rod works.
Joe D
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It really depends on how much they are selling for respectively.
The '79 Johnny Smith has the larger Super 400 headstock and the shorter scale length, 25" and a 1.75" nut width. Also has the SealFast Bullseye tuning machines. The Le Grand has the regular headstock and the 25.5" scale length, and a regular nut width, and the Schaller M6 tuning machines. The Le Grand is not a full 17" across the lower bout. It is a little more compact at about 16.875". The Johnny Smith has an L-5 T-tailpiece. The Le Grand gives you the Finger. They are both 3" deep at the rim, and X-braced.
So, they are different.
As for investment, a Norlin-era archtop has little appeal to the collector today. It is a fine playing instrument; not a patch on it. Buy it to play it. The maple is usually plain with silk and there is nothing wrong with plain maple. In fact, the scuttlebutt has it that plain maple makes better sounding guitars. But curly maple sells. I don't know. I prefer curly myself as much as I like women with a touch of makeup.
Buy whichever one plays and sounds better to you. I have a 2012 Le Grand ASB that I paid under $6000 for. I have seen a 1998 Le Grand ASB going for ~$5535 and a 1999 Le Grand Natural asking for ~$6288. A 1968 Johnny Smith Sunburst is asking for ~$7129. These are from the same dealer. A 1968 JS is considered a pre-Norlin so it tends to fetch a slightly higher asking.
So, these are the numbers.
The 25.5" scale length of the Le Grand gives it a tauter feel. The bass is tighter and the trebles are more exuberant. The larger S400-style headstock of the JS and the heavy Sealfast Bullseye tuning machines affect the balance of the JS in your lap. They also contribute to longer sustain as they're more massive.
These factors affect playability so give them some thought.
I have a Le Grand so I am partial to it. Truth be known, I am saving up for a Gibson Johnny Smith just because...Last edited by Jabberwocky; 05-13-2015 at 11:51 PM.
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"Buy it to play it"
bottom line...
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I'd be inclined towards the Johnny Smith, mainly because I have played two of them and they were both truly wonderful guitars. I've never seen a LeGrand in person let alone played one. Also, Johnny Smith is one of my favorite guitarists (although most of his recorded output was played on a D'Angelico).
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Jabber,
Awesome sagacious reply!
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The Guitars have The dame price.
Detailed photos of The JS must arrive, The Legrand has a nice flame maple.
Louis
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Same price
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If the Johnny Smith is at the price level of the Le Grand, take the Johnny Smith. If the Le Grand is at the price level of a Johnny Smith, take the Johnny Smith.
Take the Johnny Smith.
The last Johnny Smith Natural (a '76 or a '79, I don't recall the exact year) I spotted was asking $7500. This '68 JS Sunburst is asking $8500. http://www.larkstreetmusic.com/list/pict/68jstsb.jpg .Last edited by Jabberwocky; 05-14-2015 at 01:41 AM.
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Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
And the Johnny Smith is blonde
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if hey both sound good and are priced close I'd go w/the Johnny.
hard to find in natural from any period.
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I disagree. Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
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$6250 for the Legrand a $6800 for the Johnny Smith, but The price of the JS is negotiable.
Louis
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The JS pickup is far superior of a pickup than the BJB on the LeGrande. No pole adjustment screws also on the BJB.
Also Lee Ritenour insisted that a JS pickup be put on his LR L5 model and not a BJB and for good reason.
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Just a side note, Jimmy D. told me that he thought plain maple was better for tone but everyone wanted the blingy flamed maple ( including me ). I had a 1978 Super 400. Not a spec of flame. Best sounding and playing guitar I ever had. I would give up a kidney to get that guitar back. I was such a moron to sell it.
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A lot of people don't like the Norlin volutes but they never were a issue for me. In fact I think they are much stronger headstocks. I'd love to own a Johnny Smith ( single pu though ).
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Me, I'd take the JS.
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I changed my mind. I think you should buy the LeGrand. Pass the Johnny Smith on to me. You don't want the JS. Originally Posted by louisguitar
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Originally Posted by Joe DeNisco
Just be sure to post info on the Johnny Smith .... so that one of us can buy it
LOL
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I guess it depends on whether you are looking for an investment or a guitar to play and enjoy. If the former check the current vintage guide value of each and buy the one with the higher estimated value. If the later play each one and choose the guitar that plays and sounds the best. My take on buying collectibles is that there is no way to predict future value. Buy what you enjoy, because if your guitar doesn't appreciate as expected, and you don't love it you will be very disappointed. On the other hand, if you do love it you will still have had many very enjoyable years playing a great guitar.
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Good info on here. I owned both at the same time. JS pup is far superior. Deeper and richer sounding. BJB is thin and harsh in comparison. The LeGrand is a more delicate sounding guitar, maybe due to the scale length, maybe due to the neck floating above the top, where the JSs is built into the top. JSs are punchier and deeper sounding. That big, fat old GBenson tone. Both great guitars, but for me, its the JS. I have been very lucky in that I found a JS that was custom ordered with the neck floating above the top. Lark Street music had it at the same time as the one pictured above
Side by side, both great guitars, but the floating neck definitely gives a superior acoustic sound. I believe JS wanted the neck built in for additional sustain in upper registers, but I did not find that. Again, both great guitars but I would say Legrand for finger style players or a more modern sound, JS for a bigger, bolder, punchier sound. The LeGrand also looks stunning, but that wears off quickly, and the JSs look great too!
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Old thread, what did you end up with?
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figure isn't supposed to be related to tone, they always say that. Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
any explanation why less figured would sound "better"?
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The Gibson Johnny Smith never came with a pickup mounted in the top- not marked as a Johnny Smith, at any rate. It has always had a floating mini humbucker mounted with a bracket to the end of the fingerboard, as specified by Johnny Smith. Some also came with a bridge pickup mounted to the pickguard. The one you had with the floating pickup was the standard JS arrangement and not a custom order. If you had a JS with a pickup set into the top, someone did that as a modification after they bought it. Originally Posted by Tag101
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