Guild Johnny Smith, Guild Benedetto Johnny Smith, Heritage Johnny Smith

[Marty Grass]

I got one of the last Guild AAs, the Patriarch series. It's post Benedetto. The finish was thin in comparison. I heard today from the guy who bought that from me years ago. He's still happy with it.

I don't understand the thick finish on the Benedetto series, but it is beautiful.

[Stringswinger]

I got one of the last Guild AAs, the Patriarch series. It's post Benedetto. The finish was thin in comparison. I heard today from the guy who bought that from me years ago. He's still happy with it.

I don't understand the thick finish on the Benedetto series, but it is beautiful.

My Westerly RI built Guild Benedetto Artist Awards did not have a thick finish. I think the thick finish was only on those GBAA's and GBJSA's made in Corona California and it might have something to do with California's absurdly strict laws.

[Marty Grass]

I got my GBJSA from a great guy who worked at Fender. He was the artist representative for Fender and did not play jazz. Here is what he told me.

The "front office" told him and some others that there were some unsold Benedetto guitars that Fender wanted to offer to employees to get rid of them. There were maybe four, as I recall. He looked at them and got either one or two. My guess is that the price was very good for him. He had only one when I caught up with him.

This one is it: Guild Benedetto Johnny Smith Award 2002 Opulent Brown | Reverb

[Max405]

MG, wow that is a beautiful guitar. Even the case is supreme!
JD

[Jabberwocky]

I got my GBJSA from a great guy who worked at Fender. He was the artist representative for Fender and did not play jazz. Here is what he told me.

The "front office" told him and some others that there were some unsold Benedetto guitars that Fender wanted to offer to employees to get rid of them. There were maybe four, as I recall. He looked at them and got either one or two. My guess is that the price was very good for him. He had only one when I caught up with him.

This one is it: Guild Benedetto Johnny Smith Award 2002 Opulent Brown | Reverb

FMIC was flogging them off for $3500 each. Steve Hoffman, the guy from Classic Records, posted about buying one for that price in about 2006. The GBJSA had an MAP of $7000 originally and sold for about $5600, street price. $5600 was a lot of money back then, between 1999 and 2005.

[2bornot2bop]

I got my GBJSA from a great guy who worked at Fender. He was the artist representative for Fender and did not play jazz. Here is what he told me.

The "front office" told him and some others that there were some unsold Benedetto guitars that Fender wanted to offer to employees to get rid of them. There were maybe four, as I recall. He looked at them and got either one or two. My guess is that the price was very good for him. He had only one when I caught up with him.

This one is it: Guild Benedetto Johnny Smith Award 2002 Opulent Brown | Reverb

Wasn’t that guitar listed on this forum?

[Marty Grass]

It was by. me. Someone got it and sold it to Grinning Elk, if I'm recalling correctly.

[rob taft]

I own a GBAA that I purchased new in 2000 for $5500. The first one I received in Mar of 2001 but it had some finish flaws that were in my opinion unacceptable for a guitar in this price range. The replacement arrived in or around July of 2001. The finish which is Opulent Brown is very thin. This guitar is one of my best playing and sounding guitars I own. The unamplified tone is very articulate but soft in volume. The floating Benedetto pickup suits this guitar perfectly in my opinion. If I was purchasing a used GBAA today, I would focus on the early Westerly built guitars.

[Max405]

It was by. me. Someone got it and sold it to Grinning Elk, if I'm recalling correctly.

Marty, I remember being by Patrick’s house one night and I could have sworn he told me the HE SOLD an Artist Award to Grinning Elk. I wonder if it was the same one?
JD

[Marty Grass]

Marty, I remember being by Patrick’s house one night and I could have sworn he told me the HE SOLD an Artist Award to Grinning Elk. I wonder if it was the same one?
JD

My recollection is the same as yours. But I sold a GBJSA to someone who then sold it to Grinning Elk. Something like that. Grinning Elk popped up twice for us.