Johnny Smith Guitars


Johnny Smith's name has been associated with several different makers instruments over the years - Guild, D'Angelico, Gibson and Heritage all produced Johnny Smith Models - see below. In an interview with Just Jazz Guitar he stated that although a Guild Model bore his name he never owned a Guild guitar. He merely posed with them for publicity shots. Below is a Guild Artist Award/ Johnny Smith Model. The basic difference between this and later Artist Award Models (not bearing the JS name) is that this guitar has a narrower waist.

The guitar heard on most of the Roost recordings must therefore be the D'Angelico shown below. This instrument bears the name "Johnny Smith" between the 14th and 15th frets and is, presumably the same one as is shown in the book "Acquired of the Angels", by Paul W. Schmidt and numbered '1963' in John D'Angelico's Ledger. The ledger calls it, uniquely, an Excel "1000" Cutaway but the headstock bears the inscription "New Yorker" and the width is 17" whereas most New Yorkers were 18".

Originally this guitar had a DeArmond pickup but this has been changed to a Gibson JS Model. Other differences are that in the photographs shown in the book "Acquired of the Angels" the original Grover stairstep machines have been replaced by what look to be Gibsons with tulip shaped buttons. The guitar is also reported to have been refinished Natural at some stage and later back to sunburst. The D'Angelico Ledger shows at least five other entries with the name Johnny Smith after the serial number and model name.

The Gibson Johnny Smith Model. Made from 1961 to around 1988. Also made with a second pickup mounted on the pickguard.

The Heritage Johnny Smith Model. This guitar is currently in production and is made at the former Gibson factory by Heritage.