1963 Gibson Johnny Smith with vintage Dearmond Pickup

**rtt** · 03-29-2023, 11:19 AM

Hi. Im new to the forum. I was on here years and years ago but i could not remember by username or password. Im posting this to see if anyone is interested. $10,000. USD

I purchased this guitar from one of my good friends who was one of Illya Lushtak's students. He bought this guitar from Illya when he learned it was for sale. There are recordings, to my understanding, of Illya playing this on records with Jimmy Cobb, Cedar Walton, Frank Wess, Hank Jones and more. I fell in love with this guitar years ago and asked the previous owner to contact me if he ever wanted to sell it. 10 or 15 years later I finally got the call.

***I do have the original Johnny Smith pickup that came with the guitar and the original bridge.Also i have Ilyas original pickguard that i replaced*** (thanks Sam!)

The guitar has the original Lifton case. It has had a headstock repair which i had checked out by Gary Zimnicki, a wonderful luthier and he said that whoever did the repair was masterful in his work. I aslo had Mr. Zimnicki repair all cracks and binding and assess any problems. The frets are just two years old and since this is not my daily guitar they are in wonderful shape. Illya had a non original pickguard and a tone and volume control which were wheels underneath it. I found a Gibson L5 pickguard and tone and volume control and had them professionally installed. The input jack and lead wires were all gone through and Ive been told this Dearmond pickup is all original.

I do not play this guitar daily as it should be played. Finances being what they are I am happy to have looked over this ancient beast for the last year and a half and try to put some love and care into it. Ive been offered money from collectors but something just feels wrong about that. I would rather it go to a player. I am not sure what Im asking but I dont even know what the current market is for this. Reverb is a great tool to assess a round about price but the reality is someone can post a guitar on there asking alot of money and it just sit there for months and even years. Please ask any questions and i hope to post in depth photos really soon. Thank you all, and happy practicing!

**deacon Mark** · 03-29-2023, 11:44 AM

The only question to ask is what is the price? You are selling a guitar and you have to know what you need to get to sell the guitar. This is standard and obvious. No one on the forum can be a buyer and a seller at the same time. Please figure out a price and if you cannot then remove the listing because it cannot be for sale without a price.

**rtt** · 03-29-2023, 11:56 AM

a price is added

**deacon Mark** · 03-29-2023, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by rtt

a price is added

Thank you at least it is a place to start. I am personally not interested in the guitar but at least those who are can tell the price.

**rtt** · 03-29-2023, 01:49 PM

Thank you, Deaconmark!!!

**Tgmusic** · 03-30-2023, 01:40 PM

Hey was the body refinished?

**wintermoon** · 03-30-2023, 02:10 PM

Just a note, that case is not original to the guitar, the orig case would be either a brown w pink lining or more likely black w yellow lining
glwts....

**rtt** · 03-30-2023, 02:54 PM

Hey,

As I understand it, the man who repaired the headstock painted the headstock to hide the lines of the repair. So the back of the headstock was refinished after the repair but the rest of the guitar was not. I hope that helps

**rtt** · 03-30-2023, 02:57 PM

Thanks for the info. I was told it was the original Lifton case made specifically for the guitar due to the longer headstock on the Johnny Smith. Do you by chance have any photos of an original Johnny Smith case? I would be interested in seeing. I have a reunion blues gig bag that fit my L5 and my Zeidler but it does not fit the Johnny Smith. The headstock sticks out by like 3 inches.

**wintermoon** · 03-30-2023, 03:00 PM

**wintermoon** · 03-30-2023, 03:01 PM

what model Zeidler is it if I may ask?

**rtt** · 03-30-2023, 03:06 PM

Thanks Wintermoon! I wonder why the guitar fits so good in this Lifton case? Maybe it was just a go to archtop case. Its the longer headstock part that puzzles me. I was looking for a gig bag online that would fit it but couldnt ever find one.

The Zeidler is serisal number 0124 but I dont know what model. An achtop but not the deluxe "squiggly" extra fretboard. I dont know if that helps

**wintermoon** · 03-30-2023, 03:12 PM

the model would be on the label, do you have a pic?
John was a close friend.

**rtt** · 03-30-2023, 03:31 PM

youre right. it says model : Jazz and it says sept. 1994. maybe the serial number is actually a 0724. His writing is beautiful but i cant tell if its a 1 or a 7

**wintermoon** · 03-30-2023, 03:37 PM

Probably 1, he didn't make 724 instruments
Post a pic of the guitar if you can.

**rtt** · 03-30-2023, 03:49 PM

pm sent.

**wintermoon** · 03-30-2023, 03:59 PM

Right back at you

**omphalopsychos** · 03-30-2023, 04:16 PM

yo i wanna see the zeidler too.

btw this JS is awesome. I'm not in the market but I hope it goes to a great player. It certainly sounds awesome and deserves it.

**rtt** · 03-30-2023, 04:30 PM

Pm-ed you. I hope it does too. That is why i was hesitant to put up a price. It may run off someone who might not think they have enough money. But, if youre practicing daily and really care about this stuff then Im willing to work with someone as long as they guard it and love it. in my eyes its a part of the tradition and lineage of jazz in our world. Originally my friend was going to sell it to someone to part it out. I begged him not to and told him the guitar deserves a good home with someone who can focus on it. not to get too nostalgic but those were my feelings

**TMA** · 04-02-2023, 07:12 PM

Just a short side note….

I was in a local music store looking a period correct case for my 1952 L-5C. He had none for sale but had a case for a Johnny Smith hanging on the wall from the mid ‘60’s. He told me that Johnny Smith was adamant with Gibson, insisting that….every JS model that Gibson sold must include a hardshell case AND the corresponding zippered canvas case “bag”.

He did describe for me what the case I was looking for, should look like.

Can’t verify the accuracy of that statement but it sounded interesting.

FWIW

Tom

**wintermoon** · 04-02-2023, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by TMA

Just a short side note….

I was in a local music store looking a period correct case for my 1952 L-5C. He had none for sale but had a case for a Johnny Smith hanging on the wall from the mid ‘60’s. He told me that Johnny Smith was adamant with Gibson, insisting that….every JS model that Gibson sold must include a hardshell case AND the corresponding zippered canvas case “bag”.

He did describe for me what the case I was looking for, should look like.

Can’t verify the accuracy of that statement but it sounded interesting.

FWIW

Tom

Brown w pink lining and 4 latches is correct for a 52 L-5

**Woody Sound** · 04-02-2023, 08:40 PM

Originally Posted by wintermoon

I had a '69 JS with that same case and the black canvas cover. The neck ended up with a brutally bowed and body joint humped neck. I sold it with full disclosure of that, the buyer wanted it anyway and left great fb.

**Tgmusic** · 04-03-2023, 01:57 PM

Has this been refinished?

**WahmBomAh** · 04-03-2023, 02:07 PM

Looks and sounds like a beauty!
Anyone else think the font for the serial number is odd?
Doesn`t look original to me.
Maybe the repair salvaged the headstock overlay but used new wood for the headstock? Or maybe an overlay on the back?
Good luck with it ...it`s a fine guitar that has been played!!! Love it

**sgcim** · 04-03-2023, 08:34 PM

Originally Posted by rtt

Hi. Im new to the forum. I was on here years and years ago but i could not remember by username or password. Im posting this to see if anyone is interested. $10,000. USD

I purchased this guitar from one of my good friends who was one of Illya Lushtak's students. He bought this guitar from Illya when he learned it was for sale. There are recordings, to my understanding, of Illya playing this on records with Jimmy Cobb, Cedar Walton, Frank Wess, Hank Jones and more. I fell in love with this guitar years ago and asked the previous owner to contact me if he ever wanted to sell it. 10 or 15 years later I finally got the call.

***I do have the original Johnny Smith pickup that came with the guitar and the original bridge.Also i have Ilyas original pickguard that i replaced*** (thanks Sam!)

The guitar has the original Lifton case. It has had a headstock repair which i had checked out by Gary Zimnicki, a wonderful luthier and he said that whoever did the repair was masterful in his work. I aslo had Mr. Zimnicki repair all cracks and binding and assess any problems. The frets are just two years old and since this is not my daily guitar they are in wonderful shape. Illya had a non original pickguard and a tone and volume control which were wheels underneath it. I found a Gibson L5 pickguard and tone and volume control and had them professionally installed. The input jack and lead wires were all gone through and Ive been told this Dearmond pickup is all original.

I do not play this guitar daily as it should be played. Finances being what they are I am happy to have looked over this ancient beast for the last year and a half and try to put some love and care into it. Ive been offered money from collectors but something just feels wrong about that. I would rather it go to a player. I am not sure what Im asking but I dont even know what the current market is for this. Reverb is a great tool to assess a round about price but the reality is someone can post a guitar on there asking alot of money and it just sit there for months and even years. Please ask any questions and i hope to post in depth photos really soon. Thank you all, and happy practicing!

What song was that you played on it?
Nice playing, and a nice bridge.