Description
Guild's relationship with Johnny lasted for only a brief period, from about the mid-fifties until around '61 when he jumped over to Gibson. So it's always a rare treat when we come across a true vintage Johnny Smith Award, especially one as cool as this! Featuring a carved spruce top, flamed maple neck & lots of gorgeous bird's eye figuring in the back of the body - absolutely stunning! Sonically this beauty is a guitarist's dream & delivers warm, robust tones with a rich, natural acoustic resonance. Professionally inspected & set up by the experts here at Cream City Music, so it plays & sounds fantastic!
Cosmetic Condition: Good honest play wear - various nicks, chips, dents & dings; scratches, weather checking & some mild finish wear. There are a couple of filled holes in the top, one near the treble-side F-hole just under the control box & the other is up closer to the neck near the pickguard screw hole. There's also an area on the side where a previous pickguard bracket used to be. The repairs were professionally done & hardly noticeable. Overall the guitar has a great look to it with a wonderful, authentic vintage vibe & gorgeous patina.
Neck: Slender profile maple neck with beautiful flame figuring. Multi-layer binding with black side-dots. Ebony fingerboard with abalone & mother of pearl block inlays. Frets are in great shape with only a tiny bit of wear & tons of life in them. Bound headstock with intricate mother of pearl & abalone inlays. Grover Imperial tuners are in perfect working condition. 1 11/16" nut width; 24 3/4" scale length. Neck is straight & truss rod works fine.
Body: Carved spruce top with single cutaway & dual F-holes. 5-ply top & back binding with 3-ply binding in the F-holes. Guild "harp" tailpiece with compensated rosewood bridge. 3-ply black "stairstep" pickguard & gold hardware. Maple back & sides with some absolutely stunning bird's eye figuring in the arched back. Guitar weighs a delightful 6 lbs 14.5 oz. Under 7 lbs!
Electronics: Vintage DeArmond floating neck pickup with pickguard-mounted control box. Master volume & tone controls with rhythm switch. 1/8" input jack with appropriate-sized cable included. All electronics are in good working condition.
Case: Original hardshell case included. The case shows some wear & tear with strips of tape around the edges. The handle is not original & is broken on one side.
