Gordon-Smith Guitars
Gordon-Smith Guitars is a manufacturer of hand-crafted electric guitars originally based in Partington near Manchester, England. They are the UK's longest-established electric guitar manufacturer[1] and have been called the English equivalent to Gibson on that basis.[2]
The company was founded in 1979 and is named after its founders, Gordon Whitham and John Smith. In April 2015 Gordon-Smith Guitars was acquired by British-based Auden Guitars.[3][4]
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The company aims to produce quality guitars for working musicians and say that they make "guitars, not furniture".[5]
Gordon-Smith Guitars are among the highest-rated manufacturers, according to the Ethical Consumer's table for use of sustainable woods in guitar construction.[6]
Range
The Gordon-Smith range includes models clearly inspired by classic guitars such as the Gibson Les Paul Junior, Gibson Les Paul, Gibson Flying V, Gibson Explorer, Fender Stratocaster and Fender Telecaster. The company also produces original designs such as the Galaxy. All models currently use a brass nut, compared to the plastic nut used by many other manufacturers.
The company offers many options for customising guitars, including a choice of hardware and finishes, single- or double-cutaway and left- or right-handed guitars. Twelve-string and double-necked versions of the range are also available.
Gordon-Smith produce their own pickups in-house.[7][8]
Their humbucker pickups are coil-tapped as standard to give players access to a broader palette of sounds.
Players
The company does not offer any celebrity endorsements. Guitarists known to have used Gordon-Smith guitars include:
- Mick Abrahams of Jethro Tull and Blodwyn Pig[9]
- Aaron Barrett of Reel Big Fish and The Forces of Evil
- Billy Bragg
- Nicky Garratt of U.K. Subs[10]
- Dee Dee Ramone of Ramones
- Kloot Per W of Polyphonic Size and De Lama's
- Pete Shelley of The Buzzcocks
- John Squire of The Stone Roses
- Midge Ure of Thin Lizzy and Ultravox
- Members of The Futureheads
- Nicke Andersson of The Hellacopters
- Larry Hibbitt of Hundred Reasons
- Adam Pearson and Mike Varjak of The Sisters Of Mercy[11]
- Frankie Stubbs and Dickie Hammond of Leatherface
- Members of Snuff
- James Dean Bradfield of Manic Street Preachers[12]
- Dave Wolfenden of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
- Bill McQueen of China Drum
- William McGonagle of Hell Is For Heroes
- JW of Hookworms
- John Otway
Notes
- ↑ Burrluck, Dave (1 November 2011). "Gordon-Smith GS2 60 Review". Guitarist Magazine. Future Publishing. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
- ↑ Erlewine, Dan (Winter 2000). "Luthiers of England, Part U". GuitarMaker Magazine. The Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans (40).
- ↑ "Gordon Smith / Auden Guitars Update". Gordon-Smith Guitars. 12 April 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- ↑ Troake, Rhys (6 May 2015). "Auden acquires Gordon Smith Guitars". MI Pro. NewBay Media. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- ↑ "About Us". Gordon-Smith Guitars. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
- ↑ "Free buyer's guide to electric guitars". Ethical Consumer. Archived from the original on 22 December 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
- ↑ "FAQ". Gordon-Smith Guitars. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
- ↑ "The Truth About Gordon-Smith Guitar Pickups". Richards Guitars. 15 April 2012. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
- ↑ "Mick's Gear". Squirrel Music. Blodwyn Pig. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
- ↑ Garratt, Nicky (23 August 2010). "Nicky Garratt's Guitar Notes!". U.K. Subs. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
- ↑ "Guitars". The Sisters of Mercy. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
- ↑ Manic Street Preachers - Motown Junk. Retrieved 27 February 2015.