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  1. #51

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    This Heritage Johnny Smith sold for $5k in 2016. That was long before the prices of Heritage guitars were increasing because the current Heritage owners aren't making them any more. It was worth that, imho, because its finish was a one off, and it included the rare Rose inlay. Would I have paid $5k for the guitar? No. But someone wanted it bad enough to pay that. If that's the OP's question, then yes, someone will always pay the going price for a rare guitar. But for a run of the mill HJS, today, I'd not pay $5k for it. Would someone pay $5k for a blonde model without a rose inlay? Perhaps, but they'd be a rare buyer.
















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  3. #52

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    Quote Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
    But why did you sell them so cheaply? I sold a Heritage Johnny Smith on Reverb for $5k.

    Heritage Johnny Smith Rose w/ Rose Pick Guard 1998 Amber | | Reverb
    This was what I was looking for a couple days back posing the question here. I was hoping for a baseline to see where I fell in with my recent offer on a HJS Rose. I had not seen your Reverb ad (the link above). As for the inlay, I am happy for the inlay on the headstock, and while the one on the pick guard is beautifully done, it would not influence my offering more for the guitar.

    As I mentioned, I was taken with one I played years ago, and frankly cannot recall whether it had the inlay on the pickguard. That guitar was at Phil's in Seattle (but when he had a shop in Bellingham). If that is where you got yours, it could be the same In any case I enjoyed your playing on the video.

    David

  4. #53

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    That is a mightybeautiful Smith and I can tell by the spruce grainlines that it is a fantastic top. It seems to have all going for it and certainly $5k not out of line but if I really like the guitar maybe I would pay that? I know right now for a GJS what I would pay for the correct one and it is more than $5k but of course not typical reverb overpricing that is unrealistic.

  5. #54

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    Quote Originally Posted by deacon Mark
    That is a mightybeautiful Smith and I can tell by the spruce grainlines that it is a fantastic top.
    Fairly wide grain, if that's what you are referring to. There are two schools of thought about spruce/cedar tops. Some say very narrow grain sounds better, others say wider grain sounds better. Personally, after playing many many archtops, classicals and flamencos, I've never really been able to make any correlation. I've tried great examples of both, and some real boners of both.
    Last edited by Woody Sound; 12-04-2020 at 03:57 PM.

  6. #55

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    Quote Originally Posted by Telerious
    I fully understand the sizing preference. I always wanted to like the ES 335 but for the size, and weight combination. I am okay with 17 inch archtops that aren't also heavy. I've ended up with a CS 356 and love that instrument -wishing only for a fatter neck profile.

    David
    The irony is, a while back I had the opportunity to buy a 15" HJS, one of *I think* two made. But at the time there was a question about my health, possibly terminal, so I passed. In the long run it turned out to be nothing serious and the guitar had sold. STILL kicking myself over that one.

  7. #56

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    Looking at the Reverb sold listings, I saw a nice burst HJS that went for $3k. Nice grab.

  8. #57

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    Quote Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
    Would someone pay $5k for a blonde model without a rose inlay? Perhaps, but they'd be a rare buyer.

    No argument here!

    Quote Originally Posted by deacon Mark
    That is a mighty beautiful Smith and I can tell by the spruce grainlines that it is a fantastic top. It seems to have all going for it . . .
    Given that there are two gigantic knots on the treble side I'm surprised that this particular top didn't get a cover-up via sunburst or solid-color.

    Mark, it may be a fantastic top but it certainly doesn't look like luxury wood. That's where actually playing the actual instrument first yields rewards!

  9. #58

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    Quote Originally Posted by Telerious
    This was what I was looking for a couple days back posing the question here. I was hoping for a baseline to see where I fell in with my recent offer on a HJS Rose. I had not seen your Reverb ad (the link above). As for the inlay, I am happy for the inlay on the headstock, and while the one on the pick guard is beautifully done, it would not influence my offering more for the guitar.

    As I mentioned, I was taken with one I played years ago, and frankly cannot recall whether it had the inlay on the pickguard. That guitar was at Phil's in Seattle (but when he had a shop in Bellingham). If that is where you got yours, it could be the same In any case I enjoyed your playing on the video.

    David
    Hi David! Today these Heritage guitars are way over priced. I’ve seen Super Eagles listed for $7k, which is $3k more than they sold for 3-4 years ago. Sellers are attempting to cash in on the fact that Heritage is no longer building these guitars. If I saw a guitar priced at $4k I’d make an offer for it. It’s up to any seller what they choose to sell a guitar for. As to a Rose vs. non Rose edition, the Rose edition has to be worth more. How much more is a negotiable issue. So negotiate your top offer, which is all one can do. And btw, it was purchased on line from a dealer. I’m from Seattle, so it may have been the dealer in Bellingham, I can’t recall.
    Last edited by 2bornot2bop; 12-04-2020 at 05:36 PM.

  10. #59

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sam Sherry
    No argument here!


    Given that there are two gigantic knots on the treble side I'm surprised that this particular top didn't get a cover-up via sunburst or solid-color.

    Mark, it may be a fantastic top but it certainly doesn't look like luxury wood. That's where actually playing the actual instrument first yields rewards!
    It was a moderately dark finish. You don’t see the actual color because this guitar is being photographed under camera lighting, which brightens the actual finish in the photo, by a lot. The actual finish was much darker under natural lighting.

  11. #60

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    Quote Originally Posted by Woody Sound
    The irony is, a while back I had the opportunity to buy a 15" HJS, one of *I think* two made. But at the time there was a question about my health, possibly terminal, so I passed. In the long run it turned out to be nothing serious and the guitar had sold. STILL kicking myself over that one.
    Damn WS - -you hit the jackpot in my eyes ! You ' traded ' a misdiagnosis of a fatal condition for a simple guitar ?? And you made the deal unarmed too !! : )

    You made out like a bandit and glad the Doc's were wrong !

    Dennis

  12. #61

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    knowing 2b's distaste for blondes ['sa matter w/this guy anyway? ] what's w/all the blondes he's had?
    blonde burnout? hmmm....

  13. #62

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    Hi, For what its worth, I went hog wild trying to find a Rose TP. Even spoke a few times with Ren Wall and a good Friend of the mine (and the forum) actually tried reaching out to Maudie Moore to see if she had another Rose in her vase to make up for me and I kinda struck out.
    The Rose was close to a $500 option.
    I still think a Rose on the Pickguard of this guitar makes it very special.
    I had an 18" HJS with a Rose for a while and cherished it.
    The Heritage version of the JS is a very different guitar than the Gibson Model although the specs are very much the same. The Heritage has a thinner top and back (probably) and I suspect the sides are a little thinner too. That's what I was told by super luthier, Ronaldo.
    To the OP, outside of the scale and nut width, The Golden Eagle is extremely close to the Heritage Johnny Smith.
    A real Beauty.
    JD

  14. #63

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    Quote Originally Posted by wintermoon
    knowing 2b's distaste for blondes ['sa matter w/this guy anyway? ] what's w/all the blondes he's had?
    blonde burnout? hmmm....
    I have a strong distaste for blondes. The problem is blonde is the far and away the majority of arch tops. I’ve owned 4 blonde Super Eagles. And I always wanted a sunburst. Oh well, we bought what was available!

  15. #64

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    Quote Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
    Hi David! Today these Heritage guitars are way over priced. I’ve seen Super Eagles listed for $7k, which is $3k more than they sold for 3-4 years ago. Sellers are attempting to cash in on the fact that Heritage is no longer building these guitars. If I saw a guitar priced at $4k I’d make an offer for it. It’s up to any seller what they choose to sell a guitar for. As to a Rose vs. non Rose edition, the Rose edition has to be worth more. How much more is a negotiable issue. So negotiate your top offer, which is all one can do. And btw, it was purchased on line from a dealer. I’m from Seattle, so it may have been the dealer in Bellingham, I can’t recall.
    I was specifically looking for a Rose and have one on it's way to me now....a Blonde I saw you were in Seattle which made me think it may have come from Phil who did have an on-line retail site as well. Either way it looks like a nice one lack of pigment notwithstanding Speaking of the Golden Eagle and Seattle there is a nice one at Mike's Guitar Bar in Fremont for $4695. They are not so much as scheduling appointments to try guitars out (during this T o'C) and I get that but they also have a no returns policy Crazy! There's was a Golden Eagle I was going to try and play before I broke for the Rose.

    David

  16. #65

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    Quote Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
    I have a strong distaste for blondes. The problem is blonde is the far and away the majority of arch tops. I’ve owned 4 blonde Super Eagles. And I always wanted a sunburst. Oh well, we bought what was available!
    only w/custom builders and 'newer' outfits. back in the day @ places like Gibson and Epiphone it was typically around 4 bursts to each blonde

  17. #66

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    Gibson rep told me, when I ordered my L5.... go blonde they can’t hide bad wood or work in a blonde.

  18. #67

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    Quote Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop
    But why did you sell them so cheaply? I sold a Heritage Johnny Smith on Reverb for $5k.

    Heritage Johnny Smith Rose w/ Rose Pick Guard 1998 Amber | | Reverb
    Antique natural
    with a rose on the pg


    for all the money you’d spend on a GJS you could grab an amazing Campellone Special like the beauty on Reverb and score a couple cases of great wine

  19. #68

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    The tightness of the wood grain is the least of my concerns as a determinant of the final sound I make. Right and left hand coordination is at the top of my list.

    I've owned a half dozen HJS's over the years. For some reason they kept being available for me. I also have had the opportunity to talk with the builders of these instruments and the Gibson counterparts. One thing I heard a few times and read is that Johnny became dissatisfied with the Gibson quality, at least its consistency before breaking off with Gibson. Some of the earlier Gibson builders, especially JP Moats, convinced Johnny to collaborate with Heritage. I hate to say this but it's true, this was past Johnny's commercial prime anyway.

    Johnny had a dominant role in the design and the build quality of the HJS in the first few years. Eventually the consistency of quality started to drop. I noted that Heritage built some odd Johnny Smiths, too. There were two 18" ones, a rose natural and a blonde. There were also two 15" ones without fretboard inlays. The latter two, to my knowledge, did not have Johnny's signature on the label. Johnny dropped Heritage. But it was Johnny who wanted black hardware and the rose in the headstock. He also wanted the rose offered in the pickguard, which was a $500 upcharge. Johnny then switched to Guild/Benedetto.

    All of the HJSs I've had were excellent. They were light, fragile and resonant. A flower decorating them seemed apropos considering the delicateness of the instrument. Some were tap tuned. But I think that meant little since they basically were all build by those who tuned tops and backs at Gibson anyway. You could pay an extra $500 to have Aaron Cowles take the top and back to his shop a few miles away and do the final carving. Otherwise you might get Marv Lamb to do his standard carve at Heritage, which is highly impressive.

    Wood sourcing at Gibson and at Heritage was JP Moats job. He maintained his premium connections when Gibson moved to Nashville. He continued to contribute to Gibson but stayed in Kalamazoo. He then helped found Heritage.

    The first production year of the HJS was 1989. The last year of production was 2002 as far as I can tell.

    I told this before. Johnny was in Kalamazoo talking with some of the Heritage builders about Johnny's specific desires in the planning of the instrument. Johnny was said to be quite specific. One requirement was to have a "rose natural" finish, a slight pink tint to blonde, sort of a Chablis. Marv Lamb was a master in the spray booth and was trying to find the right shade for Johnny. After looking at several possibilities Johnny wasn't happy. He walked over to a wall in the room where a Playboy calendar was hanging. He pointed to the model's derriere and said this is the shade. And so it was.

    There is a widespread perception that slow growth spruce is more lively for tone than fast growth spruce. The grain tightness indicates to a degree the years of growth, the tighter the older. More figuring is thought to be desirable, including prominent silking and bear claw. Whether it's true or not in some ways doesn't matter. What does matter is that many believe it, making slow growth, highly figured wood more expensive. Heritage upcharged for the "ultra wood package". That was also the case for nicely bookmatched, flamboyant maple.

    Here is my HJS from 1991. While the Heritage Floating #3 pickup is quite decent, I wanted a single coil. I had one built that fit into the original pickup casing. I like it a lot, but like all of the others it fundamentally is an acoustic instrument with a pickup added. It is not like modern L-5s (meaning 1960 or so onward).

    Did I pay too much for this guitar? Maybe. I certainly will have overpaid if I tried to sell it quickly now. This one I thought a lot about. I didn't think there would be many more opportunities for another HJS. Johnny Smith is a paragon to me, so it is important to honor him IMO. Plus he in fact played this instrument, not just signed the label. This was Jay Wolfe's personal guitar that he tried out with Johnny. This story I will be able to bore many people with, including grandchildren and folks in some retirement village. Plus this is a very good specimen.

    Is $5K too much to pay for a HJS? Only if you don't like it or resell it too soon.

    BTW, it sounds great with a single coil lightly wound P-90-ish pickup. A Dearmond would do it proud, too.

    We all like pics!

    Heritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-23667748668_0c8a3e9fba_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-23667748258_2d594485a8_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-30129733828_79efb86acc_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-28044348089_593c49d9fb_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-39790897812_c80c4e7ec0_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-39790898522_a4870c0f70_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-39790899652_183e61feb3_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-23667749078_15ec021a90_h-jpg

  20. #69

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    Quote Originally Posted by Marty Grass
    The tightness of the wood grain is the least of my concerns as a determinant of the final sound I make. Right and left hand coordination is at the top of my list.

    I've owned a half dozen HJS's over the years. For some reason they kept being available for me. I also have had the opportunity to talk with the builders of these instruments and the Gibson counterparts. One thing I heard a few times and read is that Johnny became dissatisfied with the Gibson quality, at least its consistency before breaking off with Gibson. Some of the earlier Gibson builders, especially JP Moats, convinced Johnny to collaborate with Heritage. I hate to say this but it's true, this was past Johnny's commercial prime anyway.

    Johnny had a dominant role in the design and the build quality of the HJS in the first few years. Eventually the consistency of quality started to drop. I noted that Heritage built some odd Johnny Smiths, too. There were two 18" ones, a rose natural and a blonde. There were also two 15" ones without fretboard inlays. The latter two, to my knowledge, did not have Johnny's signature on the label. Johnny dropped Heritage. But it was Johnny who wanted black hardware and the rose in the headstock. He also wanted the rose offered in the pickguard, which was a $500 upcharge. Johnny then switched to Guild/Benedetto.

    All of the HJSs I've had were excellent. They were light, fragile and resonant. A flower decorating them seemed apropos considering the delicateness of the instrument. Some were tap tuned. But I think that meant little since they basically were all build by those who tuned tops and backs at Gibson anyway. You could pay an extra $500 to have Aaron Cowles take the top and back to his shop a few miles away and do the final carving. Otherwise you might get Marv Lamb to do his standard carve at Heritage, which is highly impressive.

    Wood sourcing at Gibson and at Heritage was JP Moats job. He maintained his premium connections when Gibson moved to Nashville. He continued to contribute to Gibson but stayed in Kalamazoo. He then helped found Heritage.

    The first production year of the HJS was 1989. The last year of production was 2002 as far as I can tell.

    I told this before. Johnny was in Kalamazoo talking with some of the Heritage builders about Johnny's specific desires in the planning of the instrument. Johnny was said to be quite specific. One requirement was to have a "rose natural" finish, a slight pink tint to blonde, sort of a Chablis. Marv Lamb was a master in the spray booth and was trying to find the right shade for Johnny. After looking at several possibilities Johnny wasn't happy. He walked over to a wall in the room where a Playboy calendar was hanging. He pointed to the model's derriere and said this is the shade. And so it was.

    There is a widespread perception that slow growth spruce is more lively for tone than fast growth spruce. The grain tightness indicates to a degree the years of growth, the tighter the older. More figuring is thought to be desirable, including prominent silking and bear claw. Whether it's true or not in some ways doesn't matter. What does matter is that many believe it, making slow growth, highly figured wood more expensive. Heritage upcharged for the "ultra wood package". That was also the case for nicely bookmatched, flamboyant maple.

    Here is my HJS from 1991. While the Heritage Floating #3 pickup is quite decent, I wanted a single coil. I had one built that fit into the original pickup casing. I like it a lot, but like all of the others it fundamentally is an acoustic instrument with a pickup added. It is not like modern L-5s (meaning 1960 or so onward).

    Did I pay too much for this guitar? Maybe. I certainly will have overpaid if I tried to sell it quickly now. This one I thought a lot about. I didn't think there would be many more opportunities for another HJS. Johnny Smith is a paragon to me, so it is important to honor him IMO. Plus he in fact played this instrument, not just signed the label. This was Jay Wolfe's personal guitar that he tried out with Johnny. This story I will be able to bore many people with, including grandchildren and folks in some retirement village. Plus this is a very good specimen.

    Is $5K too much to pay for a HJS? Only if you don't like it or resell it too soon.

    BTW, it sounds great with a single coil lightly wound P-90-ish pickup. A Dearmond would do it proud, too.

    We all like pics!

    Heritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-23667748668_0c8a3e9fba_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-23667748258_2d594485a8_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-30129733828_79efb86acc_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-28044348089_593c49d9fb_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-39790897812_c80c4e7ec0_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-39790898522_a4870c0f70_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-39790899652_183e61feb3_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-23667749078_15ec021a90_h-jpg
    [QUOTE=Marty Grass;1080363]The tightness of the wood grain is the least of my concerns as a determinant of the final sound I make. Right and left hand coordination is at the top of my list.

    I've owned a half dozen HJS's over the years. For some reason they kept being available for me. I also have had the opportunity to talk with the builders of these instruments and the Gibson counterparts. One thing I heard a few times and read is that Johnny became dissatisfied with the Gibson quality, at least its consistency before breaking off with Gibson. Some of the earlier Gibson builders, especially JP Moats, convinced Johnny to collaborate with Heritage. I hate to say this but it's true, this was past Johnny's commercial prime anyway.

    Johnny had a dominant role in the design and the build quality of the HJS in the first few years. Eventually the consistency of quality started to drop. I noted that Heritage built some odd Johnny Smiths, too. There were two 18" ones, a rose natural and a blonde. There were also two 15" ones without fretboard inlays. The latter two, to my knowledge, did not have Johnny's signature on the label. Johnny dropped Heritage. But it was Johnny who wanted black hardware and the rose in the headstock. He also wanted the rose offered in the pickguard, which was a $500 upcharge. Johnny then switched to Guild/Benedetto.

    All of the HJSs I've had were excellent. They were light, fragile and resonant. A flower decorating them seemed apropos considering the delicateness of the instrument. Some were tap tuned. But I think that meant little since they basically were all build by those who tuned tops and backs at Gibson anyway. You could pay an extra $500 to have Aaron Cowles take the top and back to his shop a few miles away and do the final carving. Otherwise you might get Marv Lamb to do his standard carve at Heritage, which is highly impressive.

    Wood sourcing at Gibson and at Heritage was JP Moats job. He maintained his premium connections when Gibson moved to Nashville. He continued to contribute to Gibson but stayed in Kalamazoo. He then helped found Heritage.

    The first production year of the HJS was 1989. The last year of production was 2002 as far as I can tell.

    I told this before. Johnny was in Kalamazoo talking with some of the Heritage builders about Johnny's specific desires in the planning of the instrument. Johnny was said to be quite specific. One requirement was to have a "rose natural" finish, a slight pink tint to blonde, sort of a Chablis. Marv Lamb was a master in the spray booth and was trying to find the right shade for Johnny. After looking at several possibilities Johnny wasn't happy. He walked over to a wall in the room where a Playboy calendar was hanging. He pointed to the model's derriere and said this is the shade. And so it was.

    There is a widespread perception that slow growth spruce is more lively for tone than fast growth spruce. The grain tightness indicates to a degree the years of growth, the tighter the older. More figuring is thought to be desirable, including prominent silking and bear claw. Whether it's true or not in some ways doesn't matter. What does matter is that many believe it, making slow growth, highly figured wood more expensive. Heritage upcharged for the "ultra wood package". That was also the case for nicely bookmatched, flamboyant maple.

    Here is my HJS from 1991. While the Heritage Floating #3 pickup is quite decent, I wanted a single coil. I had one built that fit into the original pickup casing. I like it a lot, but like all of the others it fundamentally is an acoustic instrument with a pickup added. It is not like modern L-5s (meaning 1960 or so onward).

    Did I pay too much for this guitar? Maybe. I certainly will have overpaid if I tried to sell it quickly now. This one I thought a lot about. I didn't think there would be many more opportunities for another HJS. Johnny Smith is a paragon to me, so it is important to honor him IMO. Plus he in fact played this instrument, not just signed the label. This was Jay Wolfe's personal guitar that he tried out with Johnny. This story I will be able to bore many people with, including grandchildren and folks in some retirement village. Plus this is a very good specimen.

    Is $5K too much to pay for a HJS? Only if you don't like it or resell it too soon.

    BTW, it sounds great with a single coil lightly wound P-90-ish pickup. A Dearmond would do it proud, too.

    We all like pics!

    Heritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-23667748668_0c8a3e9fba_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-23667748258_2d594485a8_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-30129733828_79efb86acc_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-28044348089_593c49d9fb_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-39790897812_c80c4e7ec0_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-39790898522_a4870c0f70_c-jpgHeritage Johnny Smith vs. Gibson Johnny Smith-39790899652_183e61feb3_c-jpg


    QUOTE]
    During a business trip to Florida in March of 2017 , I stopped at Jay Wolfe’s store and he pulled out his hand picked NOS Heritage beauties. One of them was this lovely Johnny Smith - which to me was the best sounding of the bunch. This guitar IS the guitar Marty G wound up buying shortly thereafter - and mentioned in this post.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  21. #70

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    Quote Originally Posted by QAman
    During a business trip to Florida in March of 2017 , I stopped at Jay Wolfe’s store and he pulled out his hand picked NOS Heritage beauties. One of them was this lovely Johnny Smith - which to me was the best sounding of the bunch. This guitar IS the guitar Marty G wound up buying shortly thereafter - and mentioned in this post.
    I'm glad to hear that. I was worried you'd say it was the second best sounding. That would be unsettling!

  22. #71

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sam Sherry
    No argument here!


    Given that there are two gigantic knots on the treble side I'm surprised that this particular top didn't get a cover-up via sunburst or solid-color.

    Mark, it may be a fantastic top but it certainly doesn't look like luxury wood. That's where actually playing the actual instrument first yields rewards!
    My Blond ( tinted bit) Hollenbeck has some knots in the top and let me tell you. I am willing to put up or shut up on the the sound. I believe this Hollenbeck guitar I have will smoke, and I mean smoke most if not all all guitars. The grain flaws and such have zero to do with the sound. Also the grains per inch generally do not have much to do with the sound. From my prospective the sound is all about the carving and of course getting the top to vibrate to the fullest point. The problem with this thinking is that sometime it does not make for the best of electric sounds on a floater. Remember the deacon is all about the acoustic response.

  23. #72

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    MG, that is the nicest Heritage Johnny there ever was.
    And thank you for mentioning your admiration for Johnny. He is still my guy too.
    I am so glad the nicest HJS ever is in your MOST deserving hands. You will always be the greatest ambassador for the brand.

  24. #73

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    Quote Originally Posted by Woody Sound
    I have heard that from many others too, I'm happy for you. As I stated earlier, I probably just got a lemon.
    Perhaps yours was an exception. I have had good experience with Gibsons from the late 1960’s, but I have seen a few that were not quite right (from various periods).
    Keith

  25. #74

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    I'm a wood guy. My thinking on spruce is that silking is more significant than grain lines per inch. The presence of silking is an indicator of how close the given piece is to being perfectly quarter-sawn. The more silk, the closer the cut is to perfectly radial. This reduces the length, thickness-wise, of the stiffer, denser, grain-line mass, and maximizes the amount of the lighter, more flexible wood between the grain lines. This, in theory, provides for a more flexible and thus responsive top.
    At least that is my thinking.
    Last edited by citizenk74; 12-06-2020 at 12:09 PM. Reason: spellin'

  26. #75

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    Quote Originally Posted by Telerious
    I was specifically looking for a Rose and have one on it's way to me now....a Blonde I saw you were in Seattle which made me think it may have come from Phil who did have an on-line retail site as well. Either way it looks like a nice one lack of pigment notwithstanding Speaking of the Golden Eagle and Seattle there is a nice one at Mike's Guitar Bar in Fremont for $4695. They are not so much as scheduling appointments to try guitars out (during this T o'C) and I get that but they also have a no returns policy Crazy! There's was a Golden Eagle I was going to try and play before I broke for the Rose.

    David
    Oh you found a blonde with a Rose pick guard? Outstanding news! Let’s hope it’s a gem. Where on earth did you find it?