Gordon Smith GS1 any recommendations?

zepp76

whilst on the hunt for a single P90 LP style guitar I've come across the Gordon Smith GS1 60 in TV Yellow and I really do like it but was hoping some of you good folk have tried one and can give some advice on wether they are much cop or not? There is nowhere near me that stocks them so I'd be buying blind if and when I can afford one. Are they good from the get go or more of a modding platform? Any advice is much appreciated, thank you.

bluenile

Can't comment on playability etc but there's one currently up for sale in the classifieds at a good price http://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/153409/

dindude

Well I’ve just come down from playing my GS1 that’s in the classifieds for the last hour and I’ve withdrawn it from sale. What was I thinking, it’s got some magic in it that guitar. I’ve modded the electronics but the basics of the guitar are right. I bought mine blind too.

dindude

bluenile said:

Can't comment on playability etc but there's one currently up for sale in the classifieds at a good price http://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/153409/

Ha, see above

pintspiller

The standard GS can lack the sustain of the thicker body AKA Gypsy

1979

I was gifted a GS1 doublecut with a P90 from my brother in law at the Brum show and it’s lovely. Really good quality guitar.  It is the same as @dindude’s and I can understand why he has removed it from sale twice now! Wise move. I tried a few at the show and found the feel of the neck varying depending on the gloss or satin finish. Is it probably worth you taking a trip to their factory shop in Northampton?

equalsql

I worked in and then managed a major musical-instrument retail outlet in the late 80s.

We were dealers for Gibson, Fender et al. Needless to say that I had a big range of guitars to play with when I fancied a noodle and invariably I would always opt for one of the Gordon Smith GS1s to play with.

They were so light and responsive with a killer set up out of the box. The single pickup was incredibly powerful. It was a simple but perfect guitar that was 'the' most fun to play. 

I'm not up to speed on the quality of their latest incarnations, but back then they were just really superb rock machines.

steveledzep

I have a '92 GS1 and it's as above.

zepp76

Thank you all for your replies, I think it could be just what I'm after, now, what to sell?

Musicwolf

zepp76 said:

Thank you all for your replies, I think it could be just what I'm after, now, what to sell?

A kidney?

zepp76

Musicwolf said:

zepp76 said:

Thank you all for your replies, I think it could be just what I'm after, now, what to sell?

A kidney?

Ha I don't think mine would be worth much! I've just been looking on the Gordon Smith website and I can custom order the exact guitar that I'd like for less than £900, that seems like a fantastic price with the specs I chose. I've got to pull my finger out and get this sorted, I'm getting that excited feeling that comes with GAS, hmm a custom ordered guitar for less than nine hundred shekels, what's a fella to do?!

Bigsby

zepp76 said:

 hmm a custom ordered guitar for less than nine hundred shekels, what's a fella to do?!

That's the problem I ran into last year... And the solution turned out to be a rather nice Gordon Smith hanging on the wall behind me.

Funkfingers

I owned a GS1 many years ago. Ripped out the weedy own-brand humbucker and pots. Installed a dogear P90 and CTS pots. The guitar made the expected Junior/Melodymaker noises.

In a skint period, I sold the guitar. At the time, I regretted it. As my tastes in neck profiles changed, I would eventually have found the GS neck too skinny. 

zepp76

Well I'm pretty smitten with this guitar, it'll take me a while to get the money up but I'm going to start saving. Do you good folk think it's worth going for the thicker 44mm body rather than the standard 36mm? Do you think there'll be a better tonal difference by doing so? I'm going to choose a mahogany body and neck rather than the standard poplar and they also have a choice of a thick neck which is just what I'm after. Also, has anyone tried their P90's? Are they good from the get go or should I budget in for an aftermarket jobby? Sorry for all the questions but I want to make sure I'm getting the best choices possible for my tastes.

Funkfingers

zepp76 said:

Also, has anyone tried their P90's? Are they good from the get go or should I budget in for an aftermarket jobbie? 

Good is subjective.

On the other hand, I have never heard a Gordon-Smith "in-house" pickup whose sounds I liked. This may tell you more about me than G-S. 

pintspiller

The Auden-made GSGs have far better quality control than the latter Partington ones. So get one of those if buying blind.

My Gypsy is from 1990 and the headstocktransfer is no better than those I put on my Airfix when I was six. I believe the volume pot of the rhythm pickup never worked from I purchased the guitar in 91 (I rarely use it anyway) and there is visible wood-filler on the back (I think it's quirky as it could easily have just been painted black instead of tobacco sunburnt like the front).

Broken record: try before you buy if you can and save money by buying second hand.