Guitar of the Day: 1968 Gibson Johnny Smith Blonde | Norman's Rare Guitars

[@bradc2905]

Wow. Remember on Pulp fiction, they open up the case, there’s a golden glow but they don’t show you what inside? Well it was this guitar.

[@surfgod509]

Growing up in Johnny Smiths shop in which my uncle had been one of the instrument repair specialists and my own father teaching music there fit several years, The Orange lined Gibson case seemed to be one of the favorite case's? And also considered classic... interesting remark, I had to toss my two cents in.... thanks for the Memories... J.D.

[@TheRealBalloonHead]

Mystery solved

[@stevetandysr.2816]

@@surfgod509 I also grew up just 5 houses down from Johnny Smith music . Went to school with his son David . And they lived just one street over from us . I went to Cheyenne Mountain High School . I have no music ability at all . But enjoy classical and jazz .

[@sitarnut]

When my Son owned a guitar shop he received in a Johnny Smith for trade. It was one of the Guild models. He mentioned that out of hundreds of guitars he'd had in through he shop that this Guild, unplugged, was the loudest hollow body guitar he'd ever played.

[@Tonetwisters]

My brother had a music shop in Tallahassee that he opened in 1969. Somewhere around 1975, we got in a brand new sunburst Johnny Smith which I got to play for maybe 30 minutes ... The most amazing quality and sounding guitar I have ever held or played. This blonde version is a gorgeous example and rare.

[@bobsimmons3466]

First Johnny Smith model to be featured on GOTD. This is a Johnny Smith Double. They also came in a one pick up version. What a beautiful instrument and well played as usual.

[@bookmarcreads]

Hats off to Norm and Lemmo for writing such a beautiful tune, Soulful Afternoon. Stays with you long after hearing it. Looking forward to your new album! Thank you all at Norm’s for another year of stellar jams and equally cool rare guitars! Happy holidays!

[@calsurflance5598]

Cable jack is a little awkward, but what a beautiful guitar! Awesome tune , played by the master. Great job Jen, on capturing the tone of all these amazing instruments.🎼🎸🎥

[@jodysheridan604]

That first note was George Benson and it got better from there. I can't wait to hear more, your style and composing does Breezin justice.

[@bgmckddy]

I could listen to this ALL day long!!

[@pouyan_m]

Ohhhh myyyyy god I'm in love with these two songs Michael never disappoints

[@surfgod509]

It's nice to see such appreciation to a work of art...what has gone in to developing rhat particular instrument is nothing less than hardwork and magic... thanks for the Memories and keep up the good work..J.D. jyst a note..you should be able to find an additional input jack on the bottom of the tailpiece, on the middle of backside center of tailpiece, it has two jack inputs....!

[@dexumekubo4928]

Holy Guacamole! This is a fantastic guitar in the hands of a master…..thank you!

[@richardblackledge7402]

Lemmo is amazing every time he shows a new guitar and plays.

[@shadoweng15]

What an amazing guitar! Thank you Michael for doing it justice. Beautiful and artistic

[@stickman55100]

OMG!!!! That is totally STUNNING!!! And with Hang Tags??? WOW!!!

[@CNFir-fs6zs]

Imagine that one can get a doctorate, Phd, after 10 years of learning. Norm has been learning about quality guitars for about 45 years! So when he buys a guitar his choices are based on amazing knowledge. You can see it in his guitars. Wow! Show and tell and sell. Brought to you by 4.5 Phd's Norm in formed.

[@sloanslakedenver]

that guitar = wow! // lemmo's playing = wow!

[@wildbilldurkin1493]

Brother, of all the cool things you've played here, this is my favorite. Bust out the Hammond too.

[@edwalmsley7956]

Very nice playing man. Really enjoyed listening to-thanks. Awesome chops

[@ardiris2715]

Cool looper hack at the start of song #2. Hit the strings quick to get the reverb going and immediately start recording into the looper. (:

[@thelongvirtuesignal8551]

Beautiful.

[@Kevtron9000]

Amazing guitar of the day

[@jfinester]

Gorgeous guitar, and equally gorgeous playing from Mr. Lemmo. But I was hoping we’d get a taste of what the bridge pickup and the two-pickup setting sound like. I’ve never played a Johnny Smith, and the couple of times I heard Johnny play, he used the single-pickup model. When I started trying to play jazz in the mid ‘70s, Johnny Smith, Howard Roberts, and Wes Montgomery were my biggest influences. Not that I can play anything like them, but I sure listened to them a lot! And blonde archtops rule-I used to have a ‘76 Guild X-500 in blonde. Great guitar, until an airline baggage gorilla got hold of it!

[@voodooo69]

Amazing instrument, looks and sound, perfection.

[@stickman55100]

And beautiful playing, as always, from Mr. Lemmo!

[@mtacoustic1]

What does the guitar sound like with little or no reverb? Merry Christmas & Happy New Year all!

[@MrJscottpd41]

Wow Jen, that was some nice closeup work! Kudos!!

[@timhopper8449]

That tone is the only thing sexier than the way that guitar looks. Lemmo just keeps getting better.

[@Walks-With-Pride]

Looking and sounding good! Thanks for the treat!

[@ronniechun-akana6433]

WOW, That Gibson Johnny Smith guitar has the most beautiful tone. But Great Lemmo guitarist too.

[@florianwolf9380]

A REALLY WONDERFUL guitar, irreplaceable - period. If any guitar is close to perfect in my view it is this one. And don't tell my wife, but I looove blondes 😉

[@rickstorm1044]

Smoooottthh Lemmo real smooth

[@knedy]

First time I remember hearing George Benson and had that "wow what guitarist is that?" Was on a Frank Sinatra recording of Mack The Knife and I believe the Quincy Jones lead big band but the guitar stood out so I had to look him up and that was a great rabbit hole to go down. From the jazz to his soul stuff he's truly one of the greats!

[@BR0TH0RITY]

Just great. Delightful

[@Smagledorf]

Love to hear it and love to see it! Such a beaut of a guitar! Loved the tunes too guys! However! Gotta do a Maton!

[@kpslinger6030]

If you haven't figured they only do MIA . . . not aus.

[@denniskramer9657]

@@kpslinger6030 10$ says he posts it again. and and again ad nauseum...

[@michaeldunivan5364]

Atta boy Lemmo ! Merry Christmas y'all.

[@localguy8]

Wow beautiful collaboration Norm n Mike beautiful beautiful 👍🏻🙏❤️🖖

[@sagesearwar462]

Pumped for Lemmo's new record!

[@littlemac844]

Wow. Beautiful

[@mcadamsrandy]

Good Job Mike. You too Norm!

[@davidcairns9263]

Lemo ya dig were others dont dig n keep digin fella ya brilliant

[@Guitfiddlejase]

Johnny hated the double pickup models! As a matter of fact, if Gibson would send a double pickup guitar to Johnny's shop in Colorado Springs, Johnny would remove the double pickup assembly and install a single pickup pickguard before placing the guitar on the wall for sale..(actually all the carved tops were inside a giant display "shadow box" if you will, but you know man..lol) Beautiful guitar Great video!

[@mrmillcake8525]

Call it Breathing. =) Very refreshing!

[@ninoruggieri1332]

What a Guitar and what a Master on the Guitar 🙏🏻🎵🎸

[@jomamma1750]

Nice Tune!! Well written, Thank You!

[@CNFir-fs6zs]

Wonder what that guitar sounds like acoustically. The pickguard covers a lot of the treble f hole so the sound would be a bit stifled. Many jazz guitarists have a smaller pickguard on their archtop with floating pickup(s) so the sound is not blocked acoustically. Still this guitar is beautiful and sounds wonderful plugged in , and probably unplugged. Michael you probably have several solid bodies in your collection. If you have the cash buy this beauty. If Susan buys it for you accept the gift gracefully. If neither is the case, trade some of your solidbodies for it. I'm sure Norm would give you a great deal. You also need a nice old Martin. You sound the best on the jazzmasters, Gibson archtops, and small vintage Martins. How many solidbodies does a guitar junky need? Michael you also sound good on Teles and Strats... Go for quality over quantity. Fewer but keepers. I'm saying this as a guitar nerd too, so it's hard to let some go but in the end a few great guitars is a focused choice. Norm, tell him. .

[@papersquares]

could you maybe turn the spring reverb down a little, it's outta control splashy. otherwise great playing and great guitar, love you guys.

[@JasonCunliffe]

yeah hmm i think that's the backing loop... it gets boring and distracting fast. is so splashy. But the playing is great! I suspect the guitar tone _dry _is too. Even so, a great demo. But more of his music than the instrument itself. Much appreciated. Not complaining. Just wish there was a small appendix or intro. START cleanso we could hear guitar unplugged. Then dry, then dial in a little reverb. Then okay, if you insist or love go quack-splash loopydo loopy do loop loop loop do do

[@bluesharp59]

Thumbs Up and Merry Christmas to you and your fans.

[@vayabroder729]

Gorgeous!

[@allisonholmesmusic97]

I’m not into jazz boxes, but that’s pretty damn sweet

[@mattrogers1946]

How about Moonlight In Vermont?

[@bldejong]

Beautiful guitar. Wish y’all had talked more about Johnny Smith though.

[@kellygrant3074]

Oregon dorm what? Do tell ya'll... Easy does it tonight! EDIT::: Lemmos best jam! 'Now you're just showing off, 'cause that was just amazing'...

[@andrewthomason3857]

Are you demo-ing the guitar or the reverb tank?

[@timlind3129]

Boy this was beautiful

[@paulofreire7520]

Awesome! 👍🏻

[@guppybill]

Merry Christmas all y'all at Norms.

[@stevesaavedra3609]

Great guitar and guitarist

[@bassettraceengines]

Wow !!

[@bb_lz9790]

Lemmo was really looking for Jazz cigarettes!

[@wildbilljr3369]

all them les Paul guitar's behind lemmo between the black one and red one. you know that there all related to each other famly they are and there always there.

[@threeleafflutes]

Now that was cooooool.

[@uniquestringsthings]

Nice guitar👍great demo👌 Merry Christmas everyone and Happy New Year

[@timothyward1310]

Nice tune Lemmo! If that's on the jazz release, I'm a buyer for sure.

[@mrfxm55]

Lem first song played I've heard it a long time didn't know it was yours

[@hoffy1003]

I love the shit out of this guitar.

[@martinleicht5911]

Merry Christmas y'all !! 🍺 😎 👍 ⛄🎄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄❄

[@clockwork914]

Fantastiqué❕

[@Hucho]

Great sound! Did you use a high or low action here ?

[@craigmacgibbon9166]

I wonder if Gibson would do a M2M Les Paul Custom with those Super 400 inlays, but with the middle part in abalone...

[@Wileylikethehawk]

Hot darn that’s nice.

[@whimpypatrol5503]

Guitar and song sounds great, what I could hear of it thru the reverb (I hate reverb). I can add reverb no matter what guitar I play, but I can't play thru such reverb because I can't play reverb. Amp reverb is not a sound of any guitar. If he would have just played 30 seconds no reverb I would know what the guitar sounds like. I think I'll just go buy a strat and a helix and learn to play ambiance instead of a decent guitar and hang guitar playing up. The guitar was probably outside any player's budget anyway, just another catch for an investor/collector to keep prices skyward. Crazy man. Why don't collectors just go buy more vintage cars instead guitars. Collectors keeps guitar prices climbing faster than California houses.

[@SamSveistrup]

Nice

[@hoffy1003]

Isn't this the same as the LeGrande except for the tailpiece???

[@vayabroder729]

Has features from L-5s and Super 400’s.

[@jfinester]

The Johnny Smith predates the LeGrande by a good few years. Johnny Smith models came out around 1961, and I can’t remember when the LeGrande was introduced-late ‘70s maybe? But you’re right; they’re quite similar.

[@varminttank]

You guys hear norm ….. blondes are the best 😆

[@johnstasio6205]

Lemo how cool is that guitar?😎

[@3cardmonty602]

The tune was first called “So Full of Sh*t Afternoon” - Right? Norm

[@territoriolivre4285]

Uau

[@glenkepic3208]

Nice ! Guitar work of art is right. Love the GB ref for Breezin' Late spring, 76, i hear the title track on KSAN. Sweet. Christmas gift that year. Worked it up. Played the intro and well, intro at a shop a few years later at a shop. Dude there was playing a cassette on the way to work. Nice memory.

[@keithnorvell3583]

List the price on the video.

[@guitarman6742]

Beautiful guitar. A bit heavy on the reverb.

[@StandbyCymbalist]

it's a peach

[@whyoudodistomee7681]

Anyone know the first song?

[@billpeck9489]

Breezin, George Benson

[@paolospadaro]

@@billpeck9489 affirmation….. by Benson…..

[@sprague49]

A sexy sounding beauty! Like, the Marilyn Monroe of guitars.

[@vayabroder729]

What about D’Angelicos and Strombergs? 😉

[@joebodynobody764]

Well God damn. That's a sweet axe.....even sweeter tunes.

[@GreenmanXIV]

A hint of Chris Rea, on the beach.

[@TimNelson]

Overlaughing is wince inducing.

[@johnreynolds614]

Why is Norm wearing a purse?

[@bodyman29]

I'm number Juan

[@mattrogers1946]

Number yawn? 😴😴😴

[@bodyman29]

@@mattrogers1946 congratulations to second place 👍

[@mattrogers1946]

@@bodyman29 Too bad no one care about any of that dumbassery, least of all me. But hey, maybe another 12 year old out there on the interweb was impressed....🙄

[@stes3061]

Pass the soy

[@LouCurri]

Too Much reverb.

[@nyacoustics8373]

Another lame lemmo demo to put you to bed 😴

[@billpeck9489]

😭