Gordon Smith Guitars is a manufacturer of hand-crafted electric guitars. They are the UK's longest-established electric guitar manufacturer and have been called the English equivalent to Gibson on that basis.

History

The company was founded in 1974 and is named after its founders, Gordon Whitham and John Smith. In April 2015 Gordon Smith Guitars was acquired by British-based Auden Guitars and production moved from Partington near Manchester, England to Audens Guitars' workshop in Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire. The company aims to produce quality guitars for working musicians and say that they make "guitars, not furniture". Gordon Smith Guitars are among the highest-rated manufacturers for use of sustainable woods in guitar construction, according to the Ethical Consumer.

Range

The Gordon Smith range includes original designs, such as the Galaxy, as well as S-style, T-style and LP-style models. All models currently use a brass nut. The company offers many options for customising guitars, including a choice of hardware and finishes, single- or double-cutaway and left- or right-handed guitars. Twelve-string and double-necked versions of the range are also available. Gordon Smith produce their own pickups in-house. Their humbucker pickups are coil-tapped as standard to give players access to a broader palette of sounds.

Awards

Guitarist magazine reviewed the Gordon Smith GS1000 and gave it their Gold award.

Players

The company does not offer celebrity endorsements. Guitarists known to have used Gordon Smith guitars include: