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Mark E
Lokahi
USA
186 Posts |
 Posted - 05/30/2010 : 7:15:40 PM
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Aloha Peoples:
Please forgive a not-really-slack-key question that I bet there are some knowledgeable people out there who can answer. I have been a Johnny Smith fanatic ever since I first heard him over 40 years ago. He played a D'Angelico New Yorker and later some models like a Gibson and Heritage that bear his name. However, all these are way expensive. My question: can anyone steer me to a guitar that gives his sound for less than $3,000?
In case anyone who reads this doesn't know who Johnny Smith is and wonders what he sounds like, here's a link that will let you hear him:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQHRPC81DDg&feature=related
Thanks for your forbearance and any help anyone can give.
Mahalo, Mark E
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Volcano
Akahai
USA
89 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2010 : 03:53:00 AM
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Mark, You should be able to find a Heritage Johnny Smith model for right around 3K. If you wnat to spend considerably less, you will be looking at an imported instrument. The Eastman guitars made in China have a great reputation.
You should note that Johnny Smith was a master at guitar and his tone was more internal than external. Anyway, you should be looking for an L5 style of guitar, a 17" body with a carved spruce top, maple back and sides, and a floating pickup. Good luck! |
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Russell Letson
`Olu`olu
USA
504 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2010 : 05:59:45 AM
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The Wikipedia article on Smith has a section that outlines the design formula for the guitars he endorsed--
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Smith
The basics are as Volcano reports, and I would think that any good carved/solid archtop with a good modern pickup should be able to reproduce the sound. Eastmans can be had at $2500 or less new, are very well built, and come with a version of the Kent Armstrong pickup. The Guild version of the Smith-style guitar (which became the Artist Award after a disagreement the over building process) had a single-coil DeArmond--this combination produces the classic jazz guitar sound, though I suspect that many combinations of guitar, pickup, and amplifier can produce it. What I hear in Smith's sound is a good bit of the instrument's acoustic quality in the lower registers and the expected warm, round mag-pickup tone in the treble.
Not that it's in the price range, but here's a vintage Artist Award, played by my friend and teacher Steve Abshire at Augusta's Swing Week a couple years back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oc8JpBJ7Dk
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2010 : 09:37:50 AM
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A part of the equation is the maple back & sides. Maple is a lot brighter than mahogany, rosewood, or many other more common tone woods. The warmth of the period tube amps may be a big part of it, also. I believe he only had the neck pickup, so there's a little more mellow sound from that, compared to a bridge pickup.What it would cost to convince the owner of a D'Angelico New Yorker to part with it would buy a decent home here in Cleveland.
Unko Paul |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
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hwnmusiclives
`Olu`olu
USA
580 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2010 : 03:38:20 AM
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You may be missing another essential component of Johnny Smith's tone: He played an extra heavy gauge string and tuned his guitar down a whole step.
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Join me for the history of Hawaiian music and its musicians at Ho`olohe Hou at www.hoolohehou.org. |
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Russell Letson
`Olu`olu
USA
504 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2010 : 07:13:23 AM
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According to the link below, Smith's usual tuning was drop-D. Other guitar matters and details of the design formula he favored are there as well--
http://www.chipstern.com/chip_sound_jsfy.htm
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Volcano
Akahai
USA
89 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2010 : 10:10:58 AM
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| Wow! What a great article. Thanks Rusell. Amazingly, Mark, your original question does seem to belong here as JS used a tuning that was remarkably close to Taro Patch. Cool! |
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Johnny Smith's Sound
