Gordon Smith Guitars merge with Blackstar Amps

not_the_dj

http://www.musicinstrumentnews.co.uk/2017/07/24/blackstar-merge-gordon-smith-auden/

Neil

Blimey! 

A British super group! 

richardhomer

Given Blackstar's international success, I would imagine their distribution channels and profile would be attractive to Auden/GS.

I hope the deal works out well for both parties.

DrCornelius

I've never played a Gordon Smith but like the idea of a sensibly priced UK built LPJ type.  For those who've played one are they any good ?

Musicman20

It is probably a great idea, but I imagine there might be scope for them to have some instruments made abroad due to Blackstar's connections?

bermudianbrit

I had always understood that GS weren't that great? But as above, never played one.

darthed1981

not_the_dj said:

http://www.musicinstrumentnews.co.uk/2017/07/24/blackstar-merge-gordon-smith-auden/

Watch this space, I predict...

Far East made Blackstar branded guitars!  For like, no money!

normula1

Many years ago I had a hankering for a semi-solid Gypsy, but two things put me off: the truss rod cover at the end of the neck always looked wrong to me and the controls always seemed to be too close together.
A friend had a Graduate that was brilliant.

SteveRobinson

Musicman20 said:

It is probably a great idea, but I imagine there might be scope for them to have some instruments made abroad due to Blackstar's connections?

I'm pretty sure that Auden acoustic guitars are (essentially) made in China already.

crunchman

bermudianbrit said:

I had always understood that GS weren't that great? But as above, never played one.

I know the old ones (20 plus years ago) were good guitars.  Personally I'm not a fan of the brass nut and the neck profiles but they were genuinely well made.

By all accounts the ones made in the last few years of the original owner's time were pretty ropey.

Since Auden bought him out when he retired I think the quality is meant to be back up again.

Sassafras

bermudianbrit said:

I had always understood that GS weren't that great? But as above, never played one.

The 2 I had were excellent. One in particular was outstanding.

richardhomer

SteveRobinson said:

Musicman20 said:

It is probably a great idea, but I imagine there might be scope for them to have some instruments made abroad due to Blackstar's connections?

I'm pretty sure that Auden acoustic guitars are (essentially) made in China already.

I believe they are 'British' in much the same way as Duesenberg are 'German'....

amarok1971

I have 4 from the old factory, the older ones are great, the later ones look like something like a 10 year old me made in my first woodwork class.

markv

I have a 2011 GS2/60 (so old factory) and I love it. From what I've heard I was probably lucky. Or maybe I'm just undiscriminating. I had another one, a GS1.5, 20 or so years ago and that was a cracking guitar too. I'd have more if I could justify it.

I really hope this is good news and that the GS brand stays and are still made in the UK, but gets better distribution. I like the no-nonsense, unpretentious air of them. 

professorben

bermudianbrit said:

I had always understood that GS weren't that great? But as above, never played one.

Outstanding guitars and value for money, really really brilliant. 

However  this is based on the guitars being made 20+ years ago, not touched one since. 

photek

Same story here, I had a superb GS1 back in the day, seriously good guitar.

I wonder where they are gonna fit the ISF control

jaygtr

I had one in the early nineties ,it was reasonably built, sounded good, and I loved the neck. 
Unfortunately the fret work wasn't the best, and it was very neck heavy, and uncomfortable to play standing up , despite the light weight.
7/10 I'll give it. 

Philly_Q

I had a late '80s GS1 with a P-90 (I added a Strat neck pickup) and an early '90s GS2/60.  Both good straightforward guitars, more than a little rustic in construction (as I've said before) but the playability was fine.  The GS1 in particular had a ridiculously thin neck, but I guess that was in vogue at the time.  Both had two-piece mahogany bodies, although I think they switched to red cedar or something in the latter years (and still use it in the new company).

I thought the new ones would be a step up in quality control, but the reviews seem very mixed.  I was under the impression that Auden were UK-made so I assumed there'd be a load of in-house luthiers adding their fearsome acoustic-building skills to the GS range, but it seems that's not the case.

As for this Blackstar deal, I presume it means Far East-made Gordon Smiths "inspected" in the UK, or something like that.  I wonder how it'll affect prices?

digitalscream

Holy hell. Blackstar are finally making something in the UK

musicman100

SteveRobinson said:

Musicman20 said:

It is probably a great idea, but I imagine there might be scope for them to have some instruments made abroad due to Blackstar's connections?

I'm pretty sure that Auden acoustic guitars are (essentially) made in China already.

Aren't they just set up over? 

Funkfingers

Difficult to decide whether this merger constitutes an expansion or a contraction. Has there been any word on office and administration staff number reductions? 

It is possible to imagine that a shift from modest scale UK guitar production to large scale "offshore" manufacture would reduce respect for the Gordon-Smith brand name. 

Philly_Q said:
GS1 ... straightforward guitars, more than a little rustic in construction ... but the playability was fine.

Pretty accurate assessment, IMO. The GS1 that owned and foolishly sold was the beginning of my obsession with P90-equiped mahogany slab guitars. This has lasted ever since.