Gordon Smith Classic T & Classic S Updates for 2019. Words Fail Me (Well...Almost!)

Sadly one of the Classic S models I wanted to show you in this video was sold and taken away before I was able to do the video. The customer saw the guitar within minutes of it being personally delivered by Doug from Gordon Smith. He was so desperate to play it - was set up on the same day and away it went - I never even saw it!!!!

All I can say is what is happening at Gordon Smith guitars is incredibly special.

Doug and his team listen to what I want and work tirelessly to provide me guitars that meet my requirements and they are simply blowing me away with what they are producing.

Never has there been a more exciting time in British Guitar Building history. You don't have to pay £2000 or £3000 for a hand made electric guitar of the highest standards from the UK. For under £1500 the World is your oyster at Gordon Smith.

Anyway... enough rambling.... there is enough of that in the video no doubt.

[WeskerDyszel]

I just bought the Classic S featured in this video, and for anyone who's watching this I just wanted to do a short explanation on why I chose to pull the trigger.


As a guitarist, I find myself being sentimental about brands. For me, the fender Stratocaster is an iconic part history, not just for guitar, but for music as a whole. I would absolutely love to own a Fender, for the name, the iconography, and to own something that represents my own little bit of the ancestry of rock and roll - but unfortunately, the company itself does not make this easy. For all my sentimentality, I could not bring myself to drop any amount of cash on any guitar they currently offer. I understand that companies of a certain size have to make concessions for the sake of logistics, but a few weeks ago, when sitting down and testing a range of their offerings from 500 - 2000 pounds, I had to wonder where my money was going. Features that should be a given don't make an appearance until your spending serious money - to get rolled fretboard edges, you have to be spending upwards of 1500 pounds! Bad fretwork, cheap pots, poor finishes, the list goes on. I really wanted to love them, but I just couldn't justify the money.


Yesterday I went in to Richards, where the very patient Richard mk2 allowed me to sit and try a whole bunch of guitars, and I ended up playing this Classic S for nearly 2 hours, and it was everything i'd ever wanted from a Strat. You have to wonder how a small British company can get it so right while Fender, the company who are meant to make the archetypal Strat, get it so wrong. I really tried to find something about this guitar that I didn't like, and just couldn't. Construction, finish, everything was faultless. I joked with Richard about hoping it was still there come payday, and he quite honestly said that it definitely wouldn't, so I went home and a few hours later I decided that I couldn't pass this guitar up.


The fact that all Fender had to do to get my money, as an unashamed Fender fanboy, was make a passable guitar, speaks volumes as to how little effort they put in to their products, and the quality Gordon Smith can put forwards for the price really bolsters my faith in small, bespoke builders, as well as (for me at least) validating Richard's whole philosophy on the guitar market as a whole.


Thanks again to Richard ( and Richard 2) for being so hospitable in store, and if you're reading this, buy a Gordon Smith.

[guitarsmurf]

That double bound Tele is just gorgeous. 🤤

[MichelleTaylor]

As a pro guitarist and dedicated Gordon Smith user I can back up every word you say, Gordon Smith guitars are quite simply outstanding!
My Gibson and Fender customs etc just gather dust the past few years ( and I even have a second GS in production right now) .
Congrats on your great presentations of these guitars. ❤️👍🏻

[aaroncampbell]

Thanks for the introduction to Gordon Smith guitars. Will be buying a couple, they look fantastic.

[rowbags]

They all look superb, but the Thinline and double-bound Classic Ts are just gorgeous. I can totally recommend Gordon Smith guitars to anyone who hasn't tried them - I bought a Sea Foam Green Classic T from Richard a couple months ago and it's fantastic. :)

[cateye]

Richard, you are doing a great job in getting Gordon Smith on the world guitar map.The Thinline Classic T looks amazing, P90 pickups are my favourite pu by far. I own three GS's of John Smith, and a new Gordon Smith GS 1 in Morris Minor Clipper Blue. I have always wanted a thinline by Gordon Smith with that pu configuration, and a spalted something on the body. I think spalted finishes are so beautiful...

[leftyamazed]

Yum Yum! I love those guitars. The Classic T burst with binding is my favourite is the one I'd take home (but lefty version)

[PJ-ffjy]

Stunning. I visited GS a few weeks ago, tried a few electrics and can honestly say GS would be my first port of call for a new electric, easily on par with my US Fender Strat. Similarly the Audens look and sound awesome.

[donharrold]

Strat looks gorgeous. Lighter sunburst double bound telecaster is stunning too

[johnhandcock]

All of them are great! The Old Man NC Thank You For your information about G.S

[oliverk]

Great looking guitars glad they are making the Classic S again may have to get me

[damianrjames]

Totally agree with you about the name thing. A greet axe is a great axe and it doesn’t matter which name is on the headstock...

[donharrold]

The cherry sunburst Tele with double white binding is stunning.

[johnsmale]

Long story cut short. I'd been saving for a Gibson Les Paul, my Aunt left me some money and I was able to buy the guitar that I thought I'd wanted. It was a new 2016 Standard and the longer I owned it the less I liked it. I sold it a few months later and after a bit of research into bespoke British guitars I ordered a Gordon Smith Graduate double cut to my specifications and colours. It is simply perfect and unique. I'd buy another in a heartbeat - if I had room. They ooze quality and craftsmanship. They are beautiful. Treat yourself.

[jonathanking]

Awesome guitars Rich - the t-styles are just beautiful

[aevoguitars]

hi, i worked with gordon for a long time also with john smith. good to see their still going strong!

[WeskerDyszel]

That tortoiseshell binding is something else, good lord

[rejnertjansson]

A review of the Classic T with the tortoise binding please. Or the thinline with the apple top! Thanks

[mikecampbell]

Loved them all. Really interested in the thinline T or the double bound T styles.

[martinlegg]

Fun vid, like watching a kid in a sweet shop (I mean that in the nicest possible way). The guitars look amazing.