Epiphone and Johnny Smith

**entresz** · 03-18-2018, 08:19 PM

Doing some reading on Johnny Smith - I've spent the weekend learning some of his chord solos.

We're all familiar with his Gibson guitar - however there's a Johnny Smith model (well, not actually called that) that predates it.
Seems there's a variant of the Epiphone Emperor that he had a hand in the design of.
It's called the Emperor Concert - has trapezoid soundhole in place of the F holes. Apparently the tone bar bracing was widened at the lower bout and the top carved thinner around the sound hole.

Tone was described as sounding like D'Angelico, but with the volume of an Emperor. Sounds like a good combination!

Here's a website with some info on these interesting guitars.

TheMoMI.org -- The Museum of Musical Instruments -- The Hank Risan Collection

**Max405** · 03-18-2018, 08:53 PM

It took only a weekend to learn SOME of Johnny’s chord solos? Wow! It takes me a couple weeks to learn just one!! You are my idol!
Id love to play one of those Epi Johnny Smiths. Must be an amazing guitar!!
Joe D

**entresz** · 03-18-2018, 09:14 PM

To say I fully learned them is stretching it (pardon the pun!!!)
Playing that stuff convincingly as you do Joe is what takes time!

**Max405** · 03-18-2018, 10:36 PM

I went through my Johnny Pics ( I save them) and I found these. Johnny had one that had been renecked by the great one. None other than John D’Angelico
Epiphone and Johnny Smith-a1b2468b-2727-470f-9f90-705647e327e3-jpg

Epiphone and Johnny Smith-a1b2468b-2727-470f-9f90-705647e327e3-jpg

Epiphone and Johnny Smith-99c116a2-d195-4279-81a0-db4a8a812ef5-jpeg

**neatomic** · 03-18-2018, 10:42 PM

Originally Posted by Max405

why doesn't somebody re-issue that!!!

great info Joe D

cheers

**entresz** · 03-18-2018, 10:52 PM

Wow - those photos are great! Look at the carve on that thing....

Can't even begin to imagine what that guitar would sound like. I suspect it would be like having a symphony orchestra on your lap.
Interesting how the Frequensator TP is set up too.

**entresz** · 03-18-2018, 10:56 PM

$460 in 1948! Apparently there's only 3 Emperor Concerts known to exist.

**citizenk74** · 03-18-2018, 11:44 PM

That is one impressive hunk o' wood & wire! Anyone have an idea of the span of that lower bout? Just amazing!

**hotpepper01** · 03-19-2018, 03:01 AM

Originally Posted by neatomic

why doesn't somebody re-issue that!!!

great info Joe D

cheers

Look, two long forks on the frequensator. Obviously, Johnny may have had some issues with the string length being too short in combination with the short fork as well.
Love the design of the guitar sound hole.

**skiboyny** · 03-19-2018, 08:35 AM

Ha ha I almost wrote the exact comment. A couple of weeks would be pushing it for me.

Originally Posted by Max405

It took only a weekend to learn SOME of Johnny’s chord solos? Wow! It takes me a couple weeks to learn just one!! You are my idol!
Id love to play one of those Epi Johnny Smiths. Must be an amazing guitar!!
Joe D

**MAJackson** · 03-19-2018, 09:05 AM

Originally Posted by citizenk74

Anyone have an idea of the span of that lower bout?

18.5 inches - TheMoMI.org -- The Museum of Musical Instruments -- Article Archives

**Greentone** · 03-19-2018, 10:21 AM

Awesome. Mr. Smith was quite good at figuring out solutions to his guitar playing puzzles--i.e., "How do I get the best orchestral accompaniment sound behind a singer?" Answer: Epiphone Concert guitar.

**skykomishone** · 03-19-2018, 10:40 AM

Wow! I'm really enjoying this post! What an extremely rare guitar. I knew that Smith played an emperor, but was unaware of the Concert. Thanks for putting up this thread, and Joe D, thanks for the picture. What I'm curious about is the tonal difference of the frequensator configuration. I would love to hear a side by side comparison of the standard Emperor and Johnny's Concert. That would be interesting.

**citizenk74** · 03-19-2018, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by MAJackson

18.5 inches - TheMoMI.org -- The Museum of Musical Instruments -- Article Archives

Thank you kindly.

**BigMikeinNJ** · 03-19-2018, 01:31 PM

Amazing guitar and story.
This place is a breeding ground of GAS of the most rare and incurable form. Unobtainium in a sublime and sexy package, only 3 ever made...

Big

**David B** · 03-19-2018, 04:19 PM

Beautiful guitar!

Smith had a Gretsch shortly before that with a similar, unusual sound hole design.

Epiphone and Johnny Smith-d18d26650bcfb656ee845fda9e9dd793-jpg

Epiphone and Johnny Smith-d18d26650bcfb656ee845fda9e9dd793-jpg

**Stringswinger** · 03-19-2018, 04:23 PM

Johnny Smith, like Les Paul was a gearhead (like most of us). Both of those guys were good at monetizing their guitar fame (kudos to them for that!)

**citizenk74** · 03-19-2018, 05:33 PM

",,,classical, jive, or rhythm...." I want a piece of that "jive" action!

**entresz** · 03-19-2018, 06:01 PM

Here's a photo from what apparently was a "Harry Volpe guitar class"
LOTS of old high-end Gretsches - but most interestingly one that look remarkably similar to the one Johnny Smith is pictured with - and what may well have been an influence in the design of the Epiphone Emperor Concert.

Epiphone and Johnny Smith-volpeclass-gif

**BigMikeinNJ** · 03-19-2018, 08:19 PM

Originally Posted by Stringswinger

Johnny Smith, like Les Paul was a gearhead (like most of us). Both of those guys were good at monetizing their guitar fame (kudos to them for that!)

?

**entresz** · 03-20-2018, 02:00 AM

That Les Paul ad never fails to make me laugh!

Can't imagine Johnny Smith partaking in an ad like that somehow.

**Max405** · 03-20-2018, 08:54 PM

Originally Posted by BigMikeinNJ

?

Mikey, that was the best commercial of all time.
That was about 3 years after I met him at his home. He was having a garage sale. Bunch of electronics advertised in the want ad press. Big gigantic brown square house in Mahwah. There he was, standing in the driveway when we pulled up. I asked him, Where did get all this stuff”. He said, “I kind of invented most it..”
He was a sweet man.
JD

**Max405** · 03-20-2018, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by Max405

Mikey, that was the best commercial of all time.

JD

Ok, well.. maybe after this one..

**entresz** · 03-20-2018, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by Max405

Mikey, that was the best commercial of all time.
That was about 3 years after I met him at his home. He was having a garage sale. Bunch of electronics advertised in the want ad press. Big gigantic brown square house in Mahwah. There he was, standing in the driveway when we pulled up. I asked him, Where did get all this stuff”. He said, “I kind of invented most it..”
He was a sweet man.
JD

I can't even begin to image what it would be like to be at a garage sale at Les Paul's house!! I have the "Chasing Sound" documentary - he seems like such a nice, down to earth character. He had a great sense of humour that really showed in his playing.

I do admit feeling a little bit giddy every time I look at my Les Paul Recording; knowing that's the electric guitar as Les Paul envisioned it. I'm sure you feel a similar way when you pick up the Johnny Smith.

**BigMikeinNJ** · 03-21-2018, 09:57 AM

I read a great book on him many, many years ago. Les was larger than life and some of it was his hype. But he was a real visionary and ground breaker... But at the same he was a bit of a schlub... Not very good to Mary and a lot of other human things. But ya can't take away his vision...

Did you know he'd been in a car wreck and got all broken up in it, they had to set his right arm sorta L shaped so he could eventually play ??

He's a real legend...

Big