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OK, its only been 5 days. But I've had enough time to see if I like it. And, I LOVE it.
Vinny and I nick-named this guitar "JSjr". It really is a Johnny Smith Jr. It really plays itself. It sounds just like the famous 18" Unity. The lower notes swirl around the body and waft out into your ears. Very unique sound. To me, it feels like half Gibson and half high end Boutique Guitar.. Its extremely lively. The strings on it are TI 13 Jazz Swings.
I wanted to play something on it so you can HEAR the guitar. Nothing flashy. Just like the guitar. But in my opinion, it is a fantastic Guitar. It is very clear and has great sustain. The neck is classic Gibson, just like the 175 and L5.
If you can get one for around $3,000, I really think it is a GREAT buy. Next time you see it, hopefully it will have some bindings on the pick guard.
Pics of the beautiful wood to follow.
Thanks, Joe D.Last edited by Max405; 04-23-2016 at 07:23 PM.
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04-23-2016 06:46 PM
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Joe,
Beautiful guitar. Was this yet another TMZ score influenced by our good friend Vinny ...lol ? I played a few during one of my visits and was impressed with the feel , tone and responsiveness.
I agree entirely with you - at 3k it's a great deal ...and a nice pick guard will really dress it up.
Enjoy !!
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Joe - Beautiful looking and sounding guitar, beautiful song beautifully played - exquisite!
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Wow, killer looking and sounding great.
Proves that any guitar can win on any given Sunday.
Best,
Rob
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Sounds great Joe! Though I'm willing to bet you could make a shovel with strings sound damn good too!
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Beautifully executed JS, oops I mean JD. You nailed Johnny Smith's vibe and tone. I love Tenderly. Bravo my friend. You played it wonderfully.
When I first got this Formed Top the first thing I thought was JD would love the tone of this axe. Yes I am a enabler.
Joe's wife put a picture of my face on the family's dart board. She is shooting bull's eyes now.Last edited by vinnyv1k; 04-23-2016 at 11:14 PM.
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Joe,
That guitar is a winner in your hands for sure. That said, any quality guitar is a winner in YOUR hands, my friend.
Play it in good health (along with the rest of the amazing guitars you own) for many years to come.
Cheers,
Marc
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Superb playing, as ever, Joe. The right guitar in the right hands...again.
What's your opinion of its unplugged voice?
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Joe,
I think that you have most certainly enhanced the general opinions of this guitar.
An exquisite rendition of Tenderly, a particular favourite standard of mine too.
Gibson should offer you and Vinny a commission for your joint promotion of their
guitars. IMO your vid is superior to any of the professionally produced commercials.
on YT.Congratulations on a brilliantly executed piece.
Best,
Alan
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Very nice, Joe. It does sound great. The pickup sounds like a BJB more so than a JS, and that's a good thing with the fuller mids.
I wouldn't touch a thing on the guitar. Resist the temptation to doll it up. You have a first run specimen of what will be a Gibson classic.
The string choice of TI Swing 13s is excellent. You'll get a better acoustic sound than the GB 12s and save a few bucks.
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MG, thank you very much buddy. The guitar is awesome. I am gonna follow yours and Vinny's advice and not mess with the original parts. If I do a pickguard with binding, it will be a new one with a different pickup and schattens. Thanks again buddy.
Originally Posted by Marty Grass
thank you Frankie. I really appreciate it. Originally Posted by FrankLearns
foxman, thank you buddy. Originally Posted by silverfoxx
We are both Gibson devotees so we are happy to help. I think Tenderly is jacuzzi music and it always leaves a smile on my face. The video quality was very clear, too clear in fact. I can see how old I am getting!
thanks buddy.
Rob, thanks my good man. I love the unplugged sound. It's not real deep on the bottom. It has natural reverb, unlike my DA. It is a very lively guitar, similar to the L7c and the JP20. It doesn't sound like any of my other guitars, which is why it's a keeper for sure. Thanks again. I was actually thinking about you when I was playing it. Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
SS, thank you bro. There is a lot to explore on this one. The next tune will be exciting. I was gonna do Rhapsody in Blue but I have opted for "Wait til you see her". That will certainly get my hands back in shape for sure. It will never put me in the top .02% but who cares.. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
thanks for being a part our thing here Marco.
JD
Vinny, what else can I say bro. I am really proud your are my friend and we are all blessed to have you here. Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
I do love everything about the guitar. Thank you. And Mrs D, or any other normal person could NEVER have a bad thought about you. And any body who does, would expose themselves as a piece of garbage.
Thanks for everything.
Thank you everybody, who makes this JGF place my favorite place to go.
Joe D
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Sorry, what is a "BJB"?
BTW, I agree that this guitar sounds great.
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Joe,
I loved everything about that. From what little I have seen of your clips, it strikes me that you have a deep reverence which comes through in your music. Proof that we can continue to improve as we age with hard work and humility.
Oh, and the guitar itself sounded great. Just so I am clear, this is the same guitar that was the subject of Vinny's last NGD thread? If this is a fractional ownership guitar, please sign me up.
I have a feeling that this could be a one-off series for Gibson, but I hope that they give it a real name if they decide to keep them in production.
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The Gibson pickup as found on the LeGrand. Originally Posted by goldenwave77
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Ha! That was good.. Originally Posted by Rob MacKillop
That's funny. I was thinking about you while you were playing it
Thanks Bud. JD Originally Posted by goldenwave77
Kid335, Originally Posted by kid335
Thank you very much. Yes, this guitar once belonged to Vinny, not long ago. You are right. I very much revere Johnny Smith and Joe Pass. I go through phases. But the Johnny Smith Phase started when I was a very young boy. My father was a Johnny fan and he told me that Johnny was the best. I didn't believe him because I was young and dumb and I thought Ace Frehley was the best... Thankfully, I grew up eventually and now I get to replicate the music of the masters. I am beyond amazed that I can play what they played, but now, I mostly do this because I don't want the masters to be forgotten. So I challenge myself in an almost torturous way, but the accomplishment is beyond my wildest dreams.
I think Gibson will build more of these and give them a proper name. It is the smart thing to do. They just have to get the pricing right or else no one will buy them. I think brand new they should go for $4,000. They have to figure out how to make a profit at that price point and not compromise the result. Hopefully they will.
JD
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nice joe D...not everyone would attempt johnny smith on their 1st ngd video!!!..bravo
tho i must confess i'm spoiled by your d'angelico vids...the frequency spectrum and clarity of that guitar is just so far beyond...
(maybe with 20 years of consistent playing this new one will open up too!!)
haha
bravo & enjoy
cheers
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What an incredibly lovely testament to old and new! A classic performance from the past, played on a guitar modeled on classic forms, but made using modern techniques, a 21st century musician keeping fresh and alive the memory of a master... there is just too much goodness here to absorb all at once.
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Originally Posted by goldenwave77
Here's a fairly recent thread on the BJB. Obviously Gibson has started making them again.
Gibson BJB pickup - History anyone?
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that was an easy one. The difficult part was remembering all those chords that he made up.. Thanks buddy. Originally Posted by neatomic
Lawson, that was nice bro, thanks. Originally Posted by lawson-stone
I wish could have met Johnny. If you listen to the complete roost recordings, that this man can do it all. He didn't need to play 4 octave 32nd note arpeggios or 6 fret stretch chords. He played a lot of simple, and elegant single note melodies, ala Wes and had a feel that was soulful with plenty of air between the notes. He was one of the masters to me. Along with Joe.
Thanks again.
JD
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I really do wish Gibson would come up with a decent name for this guitar. Even just the SF series, you know? This one could be the SF-5 or something. But come on, Gibson, give us a real name!
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Like the L5 Studio several years back maybe the LeGrand Studio or the L8CES ?
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Haha the canaries have well and truly gone down the coal mine but subsequently not appeared in a Monty python sketch! (parrot, canary, who cares?)
Kudos to you Joe and Vinny. Lovely playing Joe! Showed that to my GF, thought it might make her change her mind about Jazz... I think it did
Do post some more if you get the time
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Joe, I don't like your playing - I love it! Originally Posted by Joe DeNisco
Btw., many archtop guitars will offer that swirling of the lower notes, if you tune the axe down to D...
OTOH, that's one of the main differences to many German made vintage archtops (talking about the period before the late 1960s, before most Geman and Japanese manufacturers turned to simply copying US design): the German boxes weren't designed to offer plenty of bass range as the main thing; the makers knew that most bands include a bass player anyway, and that too much bass of a large hollowbody guitar with fat bass strings might cause a feedback problem.
Historically, there's something like a different sound ideal between US-Americans and Germans. My own explanation in short: Americans like that AFN sound, 'bassy', punchy and a bit blasting, whereas Germans liked the sound you could get out of... nice Telefunken tubes: airy, rich and crystall clear! In general, the German guitars favored that mid range and 'trebly' sound even on the larger sized guitars, and, IMO, this can only be reached decently on a carved archtop, hardly on a laminated one. The boxes with solid formed plates should rank in between both.
It's certainly not my business to think about the correct pricing of these new, nameless Gibsons with solid formed plates, and my own stays in the USA are long gone. Just one point: if Gibson is listing these guitars for $6K, and some of you think $4K would still be justified - I'm really surprised how much higher the actual standard of living and the average wages must be in the USA (or in GB, for that matter) in comparison to Germany, where it won't be easy to establish a market segment for these guitars at estimated (converted) $3K. And most people that I know would vote in favor of a (necessary) trade agreement between the European Union and the United States, just not for the TTIP in the actual completely intransparent version, which is a shame for both supposed democratic partners.Last edited by Ol' Fret; 04-25-2016 at 03:29 PM.
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What's an AFN sound ? Originally Posted by Ol' Fret
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