Heritage JS The Rose

**sbeishline** · 10-25-2025, 08:43 PM

Hi all!

No affiliation, but I know there’s a love for Heritage instruments and figured I would pass this along:

Johnny Smith The Rose at GC in Allentown, PA. Listed as if it’s still available, but ya never know. Looks purdy, and the price doesn’t seem astronomical given prices these days.

Used Heritage JOHNNY SMITH THE ROSE NATURAL Hollow Body Electric Guitar NATURAL | Guitar Center

**tomvwash** · 10-25-2025, 10:33 PM

Originally Posted by sbeishline

Hi all!

No affiliation, but I know there’s a love for Heritage instruments and figured I would pass this along:

Johnny Smith The Rose at GC in Allentown, PA. Listed as if it’s still available, but ya never know. Looks purdy, and the price doesn’t seem astronomical given prices these days.

Used Heritage JOHNNY SMITH THE ROSE NATURAL Hollow Body Electric Guitar NATURAL | Guitar Center

What kind of a pickup would one install on this? Nice Heritage.

**nyc chaz** · 10-25-2025, 10:44 PM

I've never seen a Heritage Johnny Smith without a pickup,maybe it was a special order.Don't know how GC is listing that as an electric guitar when there are not any electronics on it.That price is about the going rate especially when you add in the cost of having a pickup installed.

**tomvwash** · 10-25-2025, 11:08 PM

Originally Posted by nyc chaz

I've never seen a Heritage Johnny Smith without a pickup,maybe it was a special order.Don't know how GC is listing that as an electric guitar when there are not any electronics on it.That price is about the going rate especially when you add in the cost of having a pickup installed.

Also on Musician's Friend:
Heritage Used Heritage JOHNNY SMITH THE ROSE NATURAL Hollow Body Electric Guitar NATURAL | Musician's Friend

**sbeishline** · 10-25-2025, 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by tomvwash

What kind of a pickup would one install on this? Nice Heritage.

Easiest I’d guess, one could do a neck or pickguard mounted floater with the tone/volume controls on/under the pickguard.

**sbeishline** · 10-25-2025, 11:50 PM

Originally Posted by tomvwash

Also on Musician's Friend:
Heritage Used Heritage JOHNNY SMITH THE ROSE NATURAL Hollow Body Electric Guitar NATURAL | Musician's Friend

Interesting. Are GC and MF affiliates? I wasn’t aware of that.

**nyc chaz** · 10-25-2025, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by sbeishline

Interesting. Are GC and MF affiliates? I wasn’t aware of that.

GC owns Musician's Friend.

**tomvwash** · 10-26-2025, 12:05 AM

Originally Posted by sbeishline

Easiest I’d guess, one could do a neck or pickguard mounted floater with the tone/volume controls on/under the pickguard.

6K after taxes and a pickup installation, or close to. A little high?

**sbeishline** · 10-26-2025, 12:27 AM

Originally Posted by tomvwash

6K after taxes and a pickup installation, or close to. A little high?

Good point. I agree it’s a bit high given it still needs to be electrified, if desired. Maybe with some haggling they’d knock some off.

**deacon Mark** · 10-26-2025, 03:49 AM

I have 2 of these guitars and they are better than any GJS i have ever owned, and better than the vast majority of them period. Heritage did these right because Johnny signed the labels and they were the old school builders. I doubt anyone would be disappointed and you will not see them made again. I have no interest in the sale but if this is your thing go at it.

**58flame** · 10-26-2025, 08:08 AM

Is the gold hardware original?

In any event, too much. By about a grand.

**Rickco** · 10-26-2025, 07:09 PM

They dont give the year, the description says mahogany neck. Youd think for a 5K+ git theyd make some effort to inform a potential buyer what their looking at. Nice thing with them is if you decide you dont like it easy returns. Whats the build difference between a JS Rose and an early acoustically made GE? Im asking because Ive seen a few "floater" GEs come up for some pretty attractive prices on Rev and others.

**tomvwash** · 10-26-2025, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by Rickco

They dont give the year, the description says mahogany neck. Youd think for a 5K+ git theyd make some effort to inform a potential buyer what their looking at. Nice thing with them is if you decide you dont like it easy returns. Whats the build difference between a JS Rose and an early acoustically made GE? Im asking because Ive seen a few "floater" GEs come up for some pretty attractive prices on Rev and others.

G is in the SN headstock. 1990? I gave it serious thought, but to shell out more dollars for the pickup, I don't think so, and odd that there is not one already mounted.

**2bornot2bop** · 10-26-2025, 10:48 PM

Originally Posted by tomvwash

6K after taxes and a pickup installation, or close to. A little high?

I sold this one in 2016 for $4999.

Heritage JS The Rose-img_1911-jpeg

**Hammertone** · 10-27-2025, 05:55 AM

Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop

I sold this one in 2016 for $4999.

Heritage JS The Rose-img_1911-jpeg

Inflation Calculator indicates that your $4,999 in 2016 is $6,765 in 2025.

**58flame** · 10-27-2025, 07:45 AM

There was a sunburst Rose that sold on reverb 2 months ago for $4200. It had a pickup.

**Stringswinger** · 10-27-2025, 11:52 AM

It may be that guitars are a depreciating asset these days. Supply and demand always rules.

**nyc chaz** · 10-27-2025, 12:23 PM

I bought a Heritage Johnny Smith for 5K two years ago.It was one of the most dead sounding guitars i ever played.Even my luthier was surprised that a carved top guitar was that bad.I returned the guitar and got my money back.Every guitar is an individual,can't just judge it by the name on the headstock and think a guitar is good or bad.

**2bornot2bop** · 10-27-2025, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by Hammertone

Inflation Calculator indicates that your $4,999 in 2016 is $6,765 in 2025.

Almost $7k?! That JS was worth every penny.

**pawlowski6132** · 10-27-2025, 10:10 PM

Originally Posted by tomvwash

What kind of a pickup would one install on this? Nice Heritage.

None.

**brownbagpro** · 10-27-2025, 10:40 PM

I would use my Dearmond Rythm Chief-1100 "monkey on a stick". Works and sounds great on my archtop Eastman AR-905.

**sbeishline** · 10-27-2025, 11:10 PM

Originally Posted by brownbagpro

I would use my Dearmond Rythm Chief-1100 "monkey on a stick". Works and sounds great on my archtop Eastman AR-905.

Forgot about that. Great idea.

**Marty Grass** · 10-28-2025, 08:14 AM

Originally Posted by nyc chaz

I bought a Heritage Johnny Smith for 5K two years ago.It was one of the most dead sounding guitars i ever played.Even my luthier was surprised that a carved top guitar was that bad.I returned the guitar and got my money back.Every guitar is an individual,can't just judge it by the name on the headstock and think a guitar is good or bad.

I'm sorry you got the one dead one. I don't know how that happened. My experience has been with the ebony bridges not being notched well, which is an easy fix. Sometimes I put on a TOM to brighten it.

I have six of them. I've scoped the interiors. All mine look fine.

**Woody Sound** · 10-28-2025, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by sbeishline

Interesting. Are GC and MF affiliates? I wasn’t aware of that.

Most of their used guitars are listed on both sites, with the same item numbers.

**nyc chaz** · 10-28-2025, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by Marty Grass

I'm sorry you got the one dead one. I don't know how that happened. My experience has been with the ebony bridges not being notched well, which is an easy fix. Sometimes I put on a TOM to brighten it.

I have six of them. I've scoped the interiors. All mine look fine.

Nobody was more disappointed than me.The luthier i took it to is a good jazz guitarist and played with guys like Bucky Pizzarelli.After he played it for a minute,he turned to me and said i thought these guitars were all carved to which i told him it was.It even shocked him how bad it was.A friend of mine bought a Golden Eagle a few years ago and it was pretty dead sounding too.It happens,not every guitar turns out great.