Incoming a second time: Heritage Johnny Smith

[Marty Grass]

About 10 years ago I bought this guitar from someone in Ohio. He wasn't a player, but a friend of his recommended he invest in a couple of new guitars at a guitar show in Cincinnati, if I recall right. This is a Heritage Johnny Smith with an 18" body. I sold it the next year. Fortunately for me, he agreed to sell the HJS back.

There were two 18" HJS made AFAIK. Both were in Cincinnati. Don Dean, of Scotty Moore and Elvis fame, ended up with one. That one is a natural and is 3 1/4" deep. The incoming is the traditional 3" deep.
The natural finish one was owned by a guy well known to the forum who had the Floating #3 pickup rebuilt by Kent Armstrong, making it a little hotter. You can hear a difference.

This is the incoming sister of the natural. It's a rose natural and has the standard Floating #3, which to me sounds warmer.

I'm excited! Every guitar has a story that makes it unique.

[skykomishone]

Very cool Marty!

[stringmann]

Tnx for posting + congrats Marty, and Joey D makes such lovely music!

[guitarcarver]

Wow! What an amazingly beautiful specimen. So rare. It looks to be in great condition. It couldn't go to a better person. Congrats sir.

[Archie]

Marty all guitars sound unique but my HRJS is one of my fav’s, if not my fav and I have 3 out out of the 4, Johnny Smith models made.

Excited for you.

[Max405]

Who’s that fat bastard trying to play that beautiful guitar?
I remember that day. I had shingles and I was in massive pain.
That was like 60lbs ago. Man I was a load!
MG, we’ve talked about this offline a couple of times and I reiterate, I couldn’t be happier for you!
Really, really excited.
Now one more guitar you need. Patrick’s old Natural DA replica. You gotta have that one.
Enjoy DMG!
JD

[skykomishone]

JD,
That sound you got with the HJS is thick enough to cut with a knife brother.
You're awesome!
Lots of Johnny Smith threads I know you're reading them all.
A dear friend just snagged an early Benedetto Johnny Smith Guild Artist Award and I'm going to play it soon. Maybe today.

[Marty Grass]

The guitar arrived. The guitar was stripped of strings and padding was put around the tailpiece and under the pickguard. FedEx did the rest and checked the guitar. It arrived the next day at FedEx, and I picked it up. The new box was crushed and torn on a corner. I took pictures at FedEx and opened the box at home.

The guitar and case survived intact. It came with a lot of documentation from 9 years ago that the guy I sold it to obtained.

The guy I got it from obtained it from Don Dean, the king of 18" archtops (sorta). Heritage noted that they did only make two of these guitars. Both were made exactly the way they built them at Gibson except the size.

I forgot how low the action will go without buzzing. It's very impressive. I put TI 12s Jazz. The guitar is pretty loud and sounds great.

There is a signed label by Johnny Smith, and there is a second label handwritten saying it is an 18" Johnny Smith and is signed by the four original Heritage Company orders.

I included some quick photos to show the impressive woods. The grain is tighter in the middle and widens at the side. So I had to research as to whether the opinion that tight grain is more responsive. The Heritage old timers and Aaron Cowles said it's a myth. A review of the Internet opinions by good luthiers say no tonal differences, probably because thickness and carving dwarfs any grain tightness factor.

Anyway, I'm happy.

[Max405]

Beautiful MG.
I can see that hint of rose. Just like the bottom of that pinup gal.
What a real treat it must be to have both 18” HJS’s.
With the rose.
Thank God the gorillas at FedEx did succeed in ruining a truly one of a kind guitar.
Enjoy!
Joe D

[Max405]

JD,
That sound you got with the HJS is thick enough to cut with a knife brother.
You're awesome!
Lots of Johnny Smith threads I know you're reading them all.
A dear friend just snagged an early Benedetto Johnny Smith Guild Artist Award and I'm going to play it soon. Maybe today.

Thank you Sky. You are the best.
I can’t wait to hear about the GBJSAA. I’ve always wanted one of those.
I remember 2b had a beautiful one he was selling years ago that I lost out on because my wife’s approval came a hair too late.
They are very peculiarly long scale guitars. I never understood why.
Speaking of scale… MG, you have one left to get. Patrick’s old HDA, the 16-3/4” Natural. That would about do it.
Like SS says, A life well lived..
JD

[joebonni]

Johnny Smith guitar is like the D'angelico EXL-1 in many ways. However Johnny was such a bad dude that he even wrote songs for the Rock & Rollers. Funny how the Ventures always get credit for that song and they had nothing to do with but just make it a cover..........

[2bornot2bop]

Thank you Sky. You are the best.
I can’t wait to hear about the GBJSAA. I’ve always wanted one of those.
I remember 2b had a beautiful one he was selling years ago that I lost out on because my wife’s approval came a hair too late.
They are very peculiarly long scale guitars. I never understood why.
Speaking of scale… MG, you have one left to get. Patrick’s old HDA, the 16-3/4” Natural. That would about do it.
Like SS says, A life well lived..
JD

If I had only known that you were waiting for approval I’d not have sold it my friend! You’d have loved that guitar, and even signed by Johnny Smith on the back of the headstock staring right at you as you played.

[2bornot2bop]

The guitar arrived. The guitar was stripped of strings and padding was put around the tailpiece and under the pickguard. FedEx did the rest and checked the guitar. It arrived the next day at FedEx, and I picked it up. The new box was crushed and torn on a corner. I took pictures at FedEx and opened the box at home.

The guitar and case survived intact. It came with a lot of documentation from 9 years ago that the guy I sold it to obtained.

The guy I got it from obtained it from Don Dean, the king of 18" archtops (sorta). Heritage noted that they did only make two of these guitars. Both were made exactly the way they built them at Gibson except the size.

I forgot how low the action will go without buzzing. It's very impressive. I put TI 12s Jazz. The guitar is pretty loud and sounds great.

There is a signed label by Johnny Smith, and there is a second label handwritten saying it is an 18" Johnny Smith and is signed by the four original Heritage Company orders.

I included some quick photos to show the impressive woods. The grain is tighter in the middle and widens at the side. So I had to research as to whether the opinion that tight grain is more responsive. The Heritage old timers and Aaron Cowles said it's a myth. A review of the Internet opinions by good luthiers say no tonal differences, probably because thickness and carving dwarfs any grain tightness factor.

Anyway, I'm happy.

I’ve always enjoyed your stories Mark!

Nuthing like a HJS!

[Archie]

Looks great Marty. Play in good health.

Tight or straight grain in spruce seems to be more of an aesthetic consideration.

4:20

[deacon Mark]

The guitar arrived. The guitar was stripped of strings and padding was put around the tailpiece and under the pickguard. FedEx did the rest and checked the guitar. It arrived the next day at FedEx, and I picked it up. The new box was crushed and torn on a corner. I took pictures at FedEx and opened the box at home.

The guitar and case survived intact. It came with a lot of documentation from 9 years ago that the guy I sold it to obtained.

The guy I got it from obtained it from Don Dean, the king of 18" archtops (sorta). Heritage noted that they did only make two of these guitars. Both were made exactly the way they built them at Gibson except the size.

I forgot how low the action will go without buzzing. It's very impressive. I put TI 12s Jazz. The guitar is pretty loud and sounds great.

There is a signed label by Johnny Smith, and there is a second label handwritten saying it is an 18" Johnny Smith and is signed by the four original Heritage Company orders.

I included some quick photos to show the impressive woods. The grain is tighter in the middle and widens at the side. So I had to research as to whether the opinion that tight grain is more responsive. The Heritage old timers and Aaron Cowles said it's a myth. A review of the Internet opinions by good luthiers say no tonal differences, probably because thickness and carving dwarfs any grain tightness factor.




Anyway, I'm happy.

Bill Barker always said that the grain pattern of being wider was no really true. He said carving and tuning were the key. He thought actually the wider grain made for a mellower sound and warmer. The problem began with violins and the great take of original Stradivarius Violin's that had super tight grain over 35 per inch or some crazy figure. Then of course it was assumed that guitars have to be that way too. However, guitars are not voilins and sound not generated the same way.

[jads57]

So from what I remember from playing a Heritage JS, is that the top and possibly the back is carved thinner than the Gibson version?

Also didn’t the fingerboard on the Gibson version go into the top itself all the way to to the end? Not exactly sure but definitely would make them different from each other.

[Archie]

So from what I remember from playing a Heritage JS, is that the top and possibly the back is carved thinner than the Gibson version?

Also didn’t the fingerboard on the Gibson version go into the top itself all the way to to the end? Not exactly sure but definitely would make them different from each other.

The top on my Heritage JS is thicker than you would think. It's not just about the width of the binding on the F-holes. Especially since the f hole binding on mine is actually thinner than the surrounding spruce, giving the appearance of thinness..

[Marty Grass]

One of these days I'll scope it to see what the innards look like.