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Gibson Le Grand |
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Name = Material * Tone²
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Click on images
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Notes: Shortly
after the endorsement and cooperation between Johnny Smith
and Gibson the decision was made to produce a new, modern version
based on the Johnny Smith model without bearing the dedicated
signature name. Starting in 1993 the Le Grand made its debut and is
now part of Gibson's Custom, Art & Historic Collection.
Materials: 17“ wide and 3" deep body with handcarved, fine grained
solid select Sitka Spruce top, highly figured solid five-piece
flamed Maple neck, highly flamed tiger striped solid Maple
back and sides, straight-end Ebony fretboard, nut width 1
11/16“, scale lenghth 25" and 14/20 frets, pearl and abalone
single and double split-block position markers, split diamond
peghead inlay, 7-ply body binding, 5-ply neck, head and pickguard
binding, triple bound f-holes, polished bone nut, solid Ebony
bridge base plate with tie pearl inlays.
Hardware: It features a gold-plated finger-style jazz tailpiece with individual fine tuner,
fully adjustable ABR-1 bridge, “Le Grand“ engraved truss rod cover,
quintuple-bound tortoise pickguard with ebony volume knob and with a BJB pickup mounted.
Schaller M6 tuners with Gibson name on it.
Facts: Built in 1998 in Nashville, basically the Le
Grand has a thinner L-5 body with cross bracing. Only minor
modifications have been made compared to the Johnny Smith
model and the most obvious difference is the fancier finger-style tailpiece.
Just as its predecessor, it also features a graceful Venetian cutaway and a Super 400 neck.
It has an orange label just as in the good ol' days and the finish is a beautiful tobacco sunburst
bringing out the deepest 3D flames.
Condition: The guitar is in perfect shape and near mint overall.
The frets are original and the entire guitar is in absolutely collector's condition.
Everything is original to the guitar and the gold-plating is shiny like on its first day.
The tuners work totally smooth. This is an issue-free example
of the finest archtops available and truly a sight to behold.
Playability: The peghead design results in a remarkably well-balanced instrument.
Action is low with no buzz and the neck profile is the comfty
rounded C. The neck is straight and plays without any effort.
Tone: Acoustically the Le Grand has a fast response with unbelievable lush and sophisticated tone.
Plugged in, the BJB floating pickup with gold cover mounted to the pickguard produces a smooth, mellow tone
without feedback. The voice is open and very clear, with lots of treble and a strong bass.
Case: Original Gibson genuine leather hardshell case with blue plush interior in very good
condition. All latches, hinges and handle work fine.
Setup: This instrument is strung with medium gauge round wound strings (.012-.054).
The guitar will accommodate heavier or lighter gauge strings, according to your preference.
The entire guitar is inspected, fingerboard oiled, bridge intonation adjusted.
To Summarize: Mr. Einstein has teached us that everything
is relative and Gibson seems to have done good calculation
with his formula...the relativity theory works even for guitars:
Provided that best materials are used the result is superb
tone that equals the name Le Grand. But seriously, the Le
Grand is a top-of-the-line instrument from the manufacturer
who invented the archtop guitar almost one century ago: The Gibson Company
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