Heritage Johnny Smith

[lawson-stone]

This is the 1st chord in the song Wait Till You See Her. I will play it at the beginning of each verse. That's it. Johnny plays it as part of chord runs which to me is insane.
The fact is, such a small difference in scale length makes a difference in the geometry of a guitar.

My DA has a 24-3/4 scale and I can't play it that guitar. That stopped me from buying another Herb Ellis, believe it or not. So, go figure..

Thank you for trying to play that chord for me. There was no way I was playing it in the DA2 either.
JD

I tried it too, and I have medium-large hands. I usually grab a stretch chord okay.

This one was hard. On my L5ces clone (Aria) I could play it, but I could never grab it in full flight, while playing a tune.

When I tried to play it on the Herb Ellis, it actually spoke to me audibly: "Hey, Joe DeNisco couldn't grab that chord on me, what makes you think YOU can? Huh? You think I'd let you do something with me that he couldn't? Think again, dude!"

Guitars have a hard time dealing with new parents.

[mr. beaumont]

I can get it on my tele...but yeah, never on the fly in the heat of the moment.

Delicious chord, though, made me rediscover this much easier voicing:

X 9 9 0 7 7

[2bornot2bop]

Congratulations JD! She's EXTRA special! Just look at that burst!!!

That's definitely got Floyd Newton's fingerprints all over it. Some of the finest Heritage archtop's I've owned were '94 models.

Here's a nice article on Heritage with some mention of Floyd at the bottom.

Builder Profile: Heritage Guitar

Patrick would often mention glowing comments on guitars featuring Floyd's handiwork. He'd say nobody does a burst like Floyd did.

Obviously you know how blessed you are to have found that particular HJS. There's not another like it anywhere. Keep that in mind if the crazy idea to sell it ever enters your head.

I can't wait to hear it. Enjoy bro, you deserve that guitar!

[2bornot2bop]

According to Marty, archtop quality was still good during that period. Yet I still see comments about the ongoing debate between Gibson and Heritage. So...I felt compelled to remind everyone that the same notable artisians that were making archtops during Norlin, were those same guys who founded the Heritage Guitar company. All of our negative comments about that period only solidify the black cloud of Norlin period, which some might argue carried over to Heritage. After all- Norlin period archtops are percieved as less than other Gibson periods, and Heritage guitars never really obtained the prestige arguably deserved.

Those "same notable artisans" were producing 50-60's pre Norlin Gibson guitars as well. I think its a very big stretch to lay the Norlin era problem guitars on later Heritage founders - low blow. Any startup company has issues...ever hear of Apple?

[mr. beaumont]

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that this guitar might have the most beautiful sunburst I've ever seen.

I like my bursts dark, gradual, not too red and not black at the edges. This one checks every box. Wow.

[JazzNote]

That Em9 is one of those I won't be able to use as a passing chord.

I'd guess it's meant to be played with the low E tuned down to D anyway ...

[mr. beaumont]

I dunno, it's kinda cool with an F# on the bottom...

[2bornot2bop]

You're not the first to be hypnotized under the gaze of a quality burst. Why do you think some of us have a thing for Sunbursts! This ones telling a sexy story...that's my story, and I'm just gawkin' at her from the internet.

[vinnyv1k]

1994...good year for Heritage bad year for Joe Pass lovers. Hey Joe no headstock pics ?

[2bornot2bop]

Here's to Johnny Smith, Heritage and Gibson guitars, and a guy in love with his new guitar!

[Max405]

For you bro

[2bornot2bop]

Hey, how's about that signature!?

I'd be interested in learning the back story on how it was a '94 HJS existed for over 20 years showing hardly any signs of wear?

[Max405]

Just had to perform a ground wire ectomy. The ground wire was disconnected. Had to solder back on.
hey why doesn't Heritage use the knarly-yet-effective lock washer on the inside of the Jack? I just noticed this.
They all turn, work loose and mess up the connection. I think I might have sold Medblues my old HJS with a disconnected ground wire. If I did, I am sorry bro.
After I put everything back together and tightened it all up, I tried the clear nail polish trick on the nut. It worked its way into the threads. I hope it holds. I'll let it dry for an hour.
JD

[Max405]

Hey, how's about that signature!?

I'd be interested in learning the back story on how it was a '94 HJS existed for over 20 years showing hardly any signs of wear?

Yeah me too..
Look at the binding. I looks like it was put on a week ago. Not even yellow.
Heeeeeeres Johnny!

iPads suck but I love them..

[Max405]

Here's to Johnny Smith, Heritage and Gibson guitars, and a guy in love with his new guitar!

you ever get the feeling Johnny wished he played the piano? I mean, I basically played the piano on the guitar..
ill be offline for a couple of hours. Going down to Trenton to DeLorenzos.
See ya guys.
JD

[vinnyv1k]

Just had to perform a ground wire ectomy. The ground wire was disconnected. Had to solder back on.
hey why doesn't Heritage use the knarly-yet-effective lock washer on the inside of the Jack? I just noticed this.
They all turn, work loose and mess up the connection. I think I might have sold Medblues my old HJS with a disconnected ground wire. If I did, I am sorry bro.
After I put everything back together and tightened it all up, I tried the clear nail polish trick on the nut. It worked its way into the threads. I hope it holds. I'll let it dry for an hour.
JD

Bro, their is a special tool you are suppose to use to keep the input jack from spinning if it comes loose and you need to tighten it. Otherwise you shear off the wiring. Stewmac is the cheapest. Frank Ford at Gryphon makes really nice custom made ones but $80. The Stewmac ones work good and they are like around $25. A must tool for every electric guitar player.

Gorgeous headstock !!! and I know the signature in the F-hole is giving you a stiffy. JD is grooving. Happy days.

[vinnyv1k]

I wonder if Maudie Moore did the trussrod cover ?

[vinnyv1k]

Maudie did trussrod covers too. It is quite possible. You scored big time bro. How could someone buy a guitar like that and not play it for 22 years. I don't get it. Binding still bright white....I don't get it. It had to be a master plan from above. We all rejoice with you bro. Something really special just happened.

[vinnyv1k]

I watched that hour long video again last night of JS on YouTube. He had really long fingers. To have hands like JS or TF sure would be a blessing. Hand size is a huge factor. My hands hurt just watching JS play those chords. Joe my hat goes off to you tackling his work. I hope JS's spirit dwells inside your new box.

[Max405]

I watched that hour long video again last night of JS on YouTube. He had really long fingers. To have hands like JS or TF sure would be a blessing. Hand size is a huge factor. My hands hurt just watching JS play those chords. Joe my hat goes off to you tackling his work. I hope JS's spirit dwells inside your new box.

In addition to the all the beautiful things you said about him, he was a beautiful human being. He reminds me of you bro. He reminds me of you big time.

Maudie did trussrod covers too. It is quite possible. You scored big time bro. How could someone buy a guitar like that and not play it for 22 years. I don't get it. Binding still bright white....I don't get it. It had to be a master plan from above. We all rejoice with you bro. Something really special just happened.

The binding is what gets me too. Unless the material they used back then didn't yellow, I don't know how it stayed so perfect. And I guarantee it wasn't in the case for all those years. You can tell when a guitar was in a case for long time. The imprint of the guitar forms into the padding. This case has no imprint. The frets are perfect. The fret binding nibs are perfect with no cracks. Unless this guitar was completely refinished (which I don't think it was) then its been amazingly well cared for and sealed and not played.

Ive played it for about 10 hours since Friday night. It is comfortable playing everything that I play Johnny, Joe, George, Grant Geissman), even Jeff Beck. It is a sweet sounding guitar. Alot like my D'A. And it plays amazingly well. Like George Benson says, It wont break down when you push it. I played hard funky rhythm's on it for backing tracks and it is rock solid. Its a really solid guitar. Its my hammer. A keeper, definitely, without a doubt, case closed end of discussion. I love it.

Thanks Guys.
Joe D

[NSJ]

I'll say it again, the finest guitar that Johnny Smith said he ever played was made by a private luthier, someone named Sam Koontz. A 17 inch oval hole arch top with a RC 1100 floating pick up

A shoemaker from New Jersey, who sadly ended his life early through his own hands .

Too bad his guitars are rarely discussed . I don't think you made too many of them, a few hundred ??

[neatomic]

just for info-

koontz was a top guy...nj..was man behind harptone and standel guitars...very popular with the nyc-philly players..pat martino had a koontz

here's great remembrance by jack cecchini

Sam Koontz

I first met Sam Koontz at a music convention in Chicago. I entered a display and someone was playing a Koontz guitar. I asked if I could try it and he answered no. At that moment a man entered the room with a nametag on his lapel that read Sam Koontz. I asked him if he had built the guitar and he said yes. I asked him if I could try it and he said sure. He took the guitar away from the player and gave it to me. I played it and asked if it was for sale. He answered yes. I asked the price and he said $700.00 dollars. I took out my checkbook and paid him. That was the first of many Koontz guitars I bought. Years later Sam said the reason he liked me was that I was the only person that never tried to get him to lower his price. Sam and I just seemed to be on the wave length and we got to be very good friends.

Whenever he built a guitar he would call me and play it on the phone. He would go into long detailed explanations about the structural changes he had made and how it affected specific aspects of the instrument. Sam was an innovator and his guitars kept getting better each year. I sold many of his instruments to my students.

Bill Shultz who was working for Yamaha (he later became the CEO of Fender) asked me to go touble shoot and suggest improvements for Yamaha guitars. Yamaha was having problems with their neck joints. I suggested that Sam understood production methods from working at the Harptone factory and would be the ideal person to help with production guitar problems.
Sam was a simple man but the moment he entered the factory he became a genius. The engineers at Yamaha were in awe of him and his knowledge. I learned a great deal about guitars from Sam and at the Yamaha factory.


Two very interesting experiences were the climate control chamber and the sound proof chamber. We would put a guitar into a humidity-controlled chamber with movement sensors all over the instrument. The sensors would reveal which parts would move first as a result of the humidity or lack of humidity and then build the instrument to compensate for the movement in that particular area. This information prevented the guitars from cracking in the specific climates of each country the guitar was shipped to.

The sound proof chamber was a room that was elevated off the ground. The moment one entered it the strangest hearing sensation occurred. The room was totally devoid of any reverberation at all. It was a very strange and totally new hearing sensation.
We could test the true sustain of guitars in this chamber because it was totally insulated against any kind or reverberation. We would pluck a string and time it with a stop watch and in this way we would get real information about which bracing system and which change we made improved the instruments sustaining power.

Another important technique was to put the guitar tops in a drying room so they would shrink and glue the braces on while the top was shrunken. This technique prevented many instruments from cracking.

Sam always built his guitars so they resonated at the pitch of A flat. Sam explained to the engineers that the cubic air content of the instrument determined its resonance. The engineers disagreed and Sam took a bucket of water and poured it into a guitar. This of course reduced the air content and changed its resonance note. The engineers had egg on their face.


cheers

[2bornot2bop]

2b, a few years ago you asked about setup on a odd bridge that had 2 sets of 2 thumbwheels. Someone posted pictures of their Heritage Johnny Smith. I didn't forget the guitar. It looked like no other HJS that I've ever seen. It was a lot like mine. Similar shade and coloring. When I first saw my guitar, I remembered that one. I wonder if it's the same guitar? Does it ring a bell?

Don't recall the thread it was displayed in but I definitely recall the guitar. That HJS belonged to a forum member who'd stated it was his former HJS. That HJS too had the same shading as yours. I thought of that guitar soon as I saw the shading on yours.

Its Sunday. He'll chime in Tuesday when returning to work and viewing your post. Seems like it was wintermoon, or one of the east coast members, which took me by surprise they owned an HJS because they were a bonafide Gibson guy

[wintermoon]

"Seems like it was wintermoon, or one of the east coast members, which took me by surprise they owned an HJS because they were a bonafide Gibson guy"

wasn't me, I'm still bonafide, but I like the guitar Joe just got.

[neatomic]

was poking around and found this interesting shot of js...with guild


caption-
Johnny Smith plays his Guild Benedetto Signature Johnny Smith Award archtop guitar at his home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, 2003.



cheers