1968 Gibson Johnny Smith Signature

1968 Gibson Johnny Smith signature archtop. This classic Gibson archtop features solid wood construction with a carved Maple back and carved Spruce top which makes this guitar extremely lively and resonant. Plays great with a super-comfy medium-C profile neck and sounds fantastic when plugged in with a warm, classic jazz box tone from the single floating Johnny Smith humbucker. All original excluding a replaced bridge (the base is original) and in very good shape with minor dings, light scratches throughout, and moderate playwear. An amazing archtop! Includes original hardshell case & cover.

Check out the feature from our luthier Tyler in the ECG Newsletter:

"It’s funny that one of the most unique voices in 20th century popular guitar had one of the most generic names imaginable. John Henry Smith, though bearing no relation to the famous West Virginia steel-driving man, could certainly swing a mean hammer in a musical sense. In addition to a prolific list of credits, Johnny also famously lent his name to an impressive number of signature guitars over the years. In addition to his most famous D’Angelico, Johnny Smith models have been offered by Guild, Gibson, and later Heritage. Consistent with his clean-cut image, his signature models didn’t stray far from the standard 17” acoustic archtop design produced so ubiquitously in the 40s and 50s, but were always subtly distinctive in their own way.  

In the eyes of archtop purists, (I include myself in this group) the advent of the magnetic pickup was about the most horrifying trend to ever strike the world of jazz guitar. The process of voicing of the top became simply a matter of reducing feedback at high volume, the exact antithesis of creating a dynamic and responsive acoustic instrument. It was like modifying a Ferrari to pull a trailer. It was the best of neither world. Johnny Smith circumvented this issue by designating the use of a neck extension-mounted pickup in combination with pick guard-mounted electronics, a configuration that today is the industry standard. This relieved the soundboard of all unnecessary mass, allowing an amplified signal to coexist with an acoustically pleasing instrument. This particular guitar is a 1968 model and remains in remarkably clean condition. With the exception of a replaced bridge, it is completely original and is a shining example of Gibson’s pre-Norlin archtop prowess."