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NGD - Custom Gordon Smith Graduate

2K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  Leviathus 
#1 ·
After an almost 3 month wait, I finally picked up my Custom Gordon Smith Graduate.... It is hand built in the UK too!

I've just plugged it in at home and run it through my Helix. Makes me wish I had a tube amp :( Now, I'll always be honest and not swayed by shiny things...

The guitar has no imperfections. I am terrible and picking out niggles. I cannot find any.
The pickups have balls... And the wood resonates beautifully. I always thought my other guitars resonated the best, but this one just goes on and on.

The pickups sing... Usually, for me, bridge pickups are a bit flat, or at least not my preferred pickup selection but on this, I am liking it more than the neck pickup! It is so articulate!

The only things which I am getting used to, is the bridge... Usually I have a trem, so used to resting my hand on it... This I need to adjust my hand more :)

The Moose inlay is strangely off-putting but again, it's getting used to it :)

Other than that, boy what a great guitar! The stainless steel frets are smooth and not like my old jumbo ss frets :) the fretboard is gorgeous and smooth and the action is low and perfect with no buzzing or dead spots.

The pots are quite still .. could be due to the CTS pots in it.

Specification:
Gordon Smith Graduate
Right Handed
Body: Mahogany
Neck: Maple - thin
Fingerboard: Flamed Maple
Top: Flamed Maple
Colour: Red/Black Burst (My own request)
Finish: Gloss front, satin back and sides
Body Binding: Scrape
Bridge: Gotoh 510UB
Pickups: 2 GSG Humbuckers
Tuners: Deluxe Locking 18:1 (Gotoh)
Fretwire: Stainless Steel
Strap Buttons: Gold Straplocks (Gotoh)
Hardware: Gold
Pickup covers: Black, with pole pieces to match hardware
Abalone fret markers - offset 6mm
Abalone moose - 11th/12th/13th fret
CTS/ Switchcraft Wiring Loom
Hard case











 

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#3 ·
Yeah, back in 2015, Gordon Smith was acquired by Auden Guitars in High Ferrers - the original owners retired. Since then, the quality has improved massively. I drove almost 300 miles today to pick it up and got to see their workshop. They are still hand carving them, but a more consistent standard. Still the cheapest hand built price that I could find!

They build about 40 guitars a month, on average.
 
#4 ·
40 a month is fantastic output for a little British company that 30 years ago used to sell their guitars in the adverts in "Metal Hammer" magazine!!! I'm really impressed by yours and having never really considered them before now, I have to say that they're no longer something I'd automatically dismiss!
 
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