Description
The G. E. Smith Vintage Guitar/Amp Collection
If you have ever watched the Saturday Night Live band back some of the greatest names in music, then you probably saw G.E. Smith on guitar. G.E. has been THE rock-steady guitar sound behind SNL, Hall & Oates, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, MoonAlice and many more.
Recently, G.E. had been thinking about selling some of the gear he'd collected during his long career. While looking for an established, knowledgeable and trusted buyer, he ran across our shop and liked what he saw. After checking out the store's bona fides, he decided to touch base with John Majdalani, Cream City Music store co-owner and head vintage buyer.
Fortunately, John and G.E. hit it off immediately, and G.E. asked John to come out east to see, in person, the portion of his collection he was no longer using. When John arrived at G.E.'s, he was invited down to the basement, and they spent the next 8 hours deep-diving through the whole thing: amps then guitars--all the while jibber-jabbering about gear, life, food and rock'n'roll war stories.
The collection turned out to be a total of 60 pieces--roughly 30 guitars and 30 amps...an astonishing wealth of great vintage gear. At the end of the long day, as John was packing everything into the truck, G.E. sat on the tailgate and played a goodbye tune on his old, trustworthy 1960 Black Beauty Les Paul.
Most of the collection is currently at Cream City Music and consists of some of the most extraordinary vintage pieces we have seen in many years. If you're in the area, it's truly worth a visit to the store to see this gear. If you can't make here though, take a look at our website and social media over the next few weeks to see these items as they are posted for sale.
What makes this guitar special: This 100-year old piece of Gibson history is an absolute gem, with terrific full bodied resonance and a beautiful voice. The 16” bout projects a full low-end, with a chimey high end and creamy midrange punch. The patina on this piece is sublime as well, with gorgeous finish checking patterns throughout, and a richness in the red finish that only comes from age. The hand-inlaid appointments are fully intact and a marvel to behold, and the chunky V neck is comfortable as can be. A true piece of history, and one that you can actually play!
Cosmetic condition: Terrific shape for its age, with some light wear & tear throughout. Various scratches, dents, dings, nicks, chips, and scuffs are present, with visible finish checking throughout. The original tuners have been replaced with modern Waverly’s, and the holes from the originals have been filled. A previous owner had a stinger painted on the back of the headstock ages ago, which likely occurred when the holes were filled. Some of the pearl inlay on the headstock has chipped away with time, and a previous owner carved their name (Thompson) onto the front of the guitar. The bridge has been taken down to increase playability, and the original pickguard is not included.
Body: Double bound solid mahogany back and sides with hand-carved spruce top in red sunburst finish. Bound soundhole with hand-inlaid diamond rosette. Trapeze tailpiece with tortoise celluloid plate. Compensated ebony bridge with floating ebony base.
Weight: 4 lb, 5.4 oz
Neck: Chunky V-shaped mahogany neck finished in natural with black side dots and pearl dot inlays. Bound ebony fingerboard is in great shape, and original frets show surprisingly little wear. Bound headstock with pearl “The Gibson” logo and replacement Waverly tuners that function perfectly. Neck is straight and plays great. Action measures 7/64” on the bass side and 5/64” on the treble side at the 12th fret.
Case: Original hard shell case included.
