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I've been looking for an SG faded for a while I was after a cheap but decent lightweight humbucking guitar.

Saw this in the window of my local guitar store today. Played really well, I didn't really know much about gordon smith so I did some quick research on my iphone while I was trying it out, Got them down to £330 from £379, I am quite happy with it, has a beautiful acoustic tone but the pickup isn't the best, I will replace it soon and may replace the wraparound with some sort of intonatable bridge.

I'd quite like to know how old it is, apparently Gordon Smith's serial numbers reflect the order in which the guitars left the factory, mine has a serial number in the mid 3000's which I think is from the early 90's anyone else with a gordon smith please tell me when yours was made and a rough serial number.

Heres some (crappy) pics,


Truss rod adjustment goes on under the pickguard.


Nasty looking flakey belt buckle blister in the finish but I don't care.


Action is alot lower than I am used to, I keep overshooting when I bend the strings, I was pensive about the brass nut but it's fine.


Next to my LP special.

Nice Gordon Smth man but damn I LOVE your LP Special. Congrats.

I think the plain (as opposed to black) headstock makes it fairly old. The best way to tell is to email or call gordon smith themselves. A lot of people who sell them on ebay (I've bene after one for years but never taken the plunge, so I've seen dozens of ebay listings) mention having got in touch with them to find out about the age and that sort of thing.

They're great guitars. £330 from a store isn't a bad price at all, on ebay you might be able to pick one up for £270-300 but you almost definitely wouldn't be able to try it first and give it a proper look over. Though I'm glad you talked them down as £375 is a bit much.

lel @ triangle pick

looks vintage

Nice score - as James has said, that's a nice price for a GS from a shop: I've just got one myself this week (although have neglected to make much of a thread about it yet, since I'm far too busy playing it...). The serial number might well make it pretty early - mine was finished last week, and the serial is 11xxx. Don't be too hasty in switching the pickup out - they wind them themselves, and are meant to be lovely. Also, in case you haven't already discovered this, the tone pot is push/pull to coil split the humbucker.

great looking guitar, I like the simplicity of it all.

Great. The unfinished headstock gives it an awesome homemade look. The more I see these Gordon Smiths the more I want one!

P.s. benecol, where's this thread on yours, eh?

Cool, i had a GS1.5 with the single coil in the neck position.. cracking guitars! I REALLY like that Les Paul as well which is rare coming from me

I heard someone on here had a custom GS made recently but i have'nt seen a thread yet...

Fran wrote:Cool, i had a GS1.5 with the single coil in the neck position.

That's what I want, in 12 string, P90 in the bridge.

Fran wrote:I heard someone on here had a custom GS made recently but i have'nt seen a thread yet...

I've lost interest, tbh.

I've sent Gordon Smith an email about the age but still no reply as of yet. More crappy pics.

Finally got some quality time with her this evening, it was set up with 12's when I bought her which were too painful on my feeble fingers, broke out a spare set of 10's and these two,


I had noticed that the g string had been binding in the nut when I bent it, although it was returning to pitch I was unhappy with it, the 10's don't have the same problem but I squirted some nut sauce into her just to be sure (pun intended), its all good now.


Took me a hour or so but I have the intonation pretty much dead on, only the g string is still a little sharp at the octave. The bridge has to stick out a bit on the bass side but it doesn't really bother me. The frets are a bit scratchy but no there are 10's on her I am not noticing it.


I also opened her up and there is hardly any space in there, the baby pots are cute.


Another pic with my les paul, I think I really lucked out with this guitar considering I was after a faded SG, The faded LP specials were pathetic in comparison to mine. I think the GS1 is much better than the faded SG's I'd played.

JesusRancher wrote:I think the GS1 is much better than the faded SG's I'd played.

A shed-load better. You definitely made the right choice there.

+1.
I hate these threads. Makes me regret past sales and gives me GAS.

was this second hand at gak per chance? saw one last week thought it looked aces!

THEGREATJONZINI wrote:was this second hand at gak per chance? saw one last week thought it looked aces!

Thats the one.

ha! was in that shop today looking at the shiny shiny!

GAK makes me feel poor, seems that every time I go in there prices have shot up.

Everything on their website is cheap but instore it's a different story.

Got an email back from GSG,

Hi Richard,

Thanks for your email. Serial No. 034xx is a GS 1 in natural satin finish built Sept 1989.
Would have been built from Brazilian Mahogany with a Rosewood fingerboard.

Hope this helps,
Cheers
Linda

Nice, anyone know of anyone who will make a custom scratchplate in the UK? I am kinda thinking maybe a paisley would look pretty awesome.

Someone from here might make you one. I don't know who is an option for it but there's a chance someone will.