Who owns Gordy and Gordon Smith basses?

[Key-live]

Hi there,
I own 3 Gordon-Smith Guitars and 1 Bass. It is a Gemini with the rotating pick-ups and the tremolo unit. It has a through neck and I think, walnut wings.

The finish is fantastic, John Smith told me it was from 1979. They are a great company and make very nice guitars. Sturdy guitars with great sounds.
They are all really nice people in the workshop, I am lucky I live close to them.

The bass is really heavy but well balanced. It has a clear gloss fingerboard (like a Ricky) and it is edgebound with nice marker dots. The frets are low and very fat indeed. The action is the lowest I have seen. Slight rattle...but some like it this way.
The rotating pickups allow a degree of fine tuning, but they cannot be changed mid song, or even mid set. Infact I think the ones on mine are siezed up a bit.
I am not sure how to describe the sound, but the trem adds a bit of interest to the whole affair.

Once when I was in the factory there was talk of a Warwick styled bass made by one of the guys there for his own use...he said "even though they were really guitar makers rather than bass makers....it was very nice...as in..... very very nice indeed!!!" A mate of mine has a P bass made by them as well..it is fairly old I think (70's or 80's)
If you can find a bass try it and turn some heads....as for the guitars...buy them and use them, they'll not let you down and they usually have an excellent set-up and a powerful sound. Hand made in the north of England, you owe it to yourself and to our country.
Thats it.
Please see the photos attached
K-L

[witterth]

A good mate of mine ( who has sadly passed away ) had a Gordy blue shift.... is that the same one?? he was called Geoff.... see (Bass monster post)
(?) I'd Probably like to buy it, if it is the same one...Pm me if you can....

[waynepunkdude]

I've just bought a GS Les Paul, looking forward to getting it, will post pics when it arrives.

[retroman]

You won't be dissapointed

Mine was beautifully built and finished, and was a joy to play

[waynepunkdude]

[quote name='retroman' post='742787' date='Feb 12 2010, 07:50 AM']You won't be dissapointed

Mine was beautifully built and finished, and was a joy to play [/quote]


This one will be really special as it has been played by one of favurate bands for years so this is going to have a bit of punk history with it, for £15 I couldn't say no.

[retroman]

£15?

[waynepunkdude]

[quote name='retroman' post='743489' date='Feb 12 2010, 08:43 PM']£15? [/quote]


Sorry £150, got it from Rob out of 4FT Fingers.

[retroman]

Sounds like you have got a bargain

[waynepunkdude]

[quote name='retroman' post='743696' date='Feb 13 2010, 08:13 AM']Sounds like you have got a bargain [/quote]


I hope so I need a guitar amp now though.

[H the Bass]

[quote name='nig' post='529210' date='Jun 30 2009, 11:02 PM']When I worked im music shop retail in the mid 80's Keith Hand who went on to run the shop doctor rock, which is still there but sadly I believe Keith has passed on, was part of gordon smith, we stocked gordon smith guitard and he brought in a red and blue shift bass, he was having these built after splitting from gordon smith, I remembered they had a stingray profile neck and were a well built bass, subsequently I went on the hunt for one and got the one in the photo off e bay, it may even be that one ! its a great little bass especially as it has passive soapbars, I will get it out and put up a shot.[/quote]
I have a pre production bright red Gordy blueshift deluxe bass and have been informed probably built by Andy Evans who was Gordons apprentice!It has 2 soapbar pick ups a birdseye maple neck with rosewood fretboard,brass nut,schaller hardware and red matching headstock ,there is no serial number.This was purchased from A1 music in manchester in 84 and i believe was built in 83,i have no intention of selling but does anyone know its worth for insurance?It still looks like it was built yesterday,nearly immaculate i think this will still be around when i've shuffled off this mortal coil,its built like a tank but sustains forever.Regards H the Bass

[waynepunkdude]

Here's my GS LP

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='820982' date='Apr 27 2010, 06:59 PM']Here's my GS LP[/quote]

Damn, I had one just like that that I had to sell to pay the rent back in '98. Seriously regret getting shot of that thing.
Though I did buy it for 150 off a guy who also needed to pay the rent, and sold for 175 4 years later. SO profit!

Though I do believe they go for a lot more than that now.

[Wil]

Wayne that is brilliant. I want it!

[throwoff]

I never bought into the whole Gordon Smith thing really, they are nice guitars but some people rave about them like they are able to slay custom shop Gibsons and Fenders. They really can't!

They're a nice cheap simple guitar but if you have 500 quid to burn there are nicer cheaper options!

Edited April 28, 2010 by throwoff

[GNeuman]

[quote name='H the Bass' post='820569' date='Apr 27 2010, 12:58 PM']I have a pre production bright red Gordy blueshift deluxe bass and have been informed probably built by Andy Evans who was Gordons apprentice!It has 2 soapbar pick ups a birdseye maple neck with rosewood fretboard,brass nut,schaller hardware and red matching headstock ,there is no serial number.This was purchased from A1 music in manchester in 84 and i believe was built in 83,i have no intention of selling but does anyone know its worth for insurance?It still looks like it was built yesterday,nearly immaculate i think this will still be around when i've shuffled off this mortal coil,its built like a tank but sustains forever.Regards H the Bass[/quote]


WOW!! That's an amazing story! I was mates with Andy Evans back in 1983 when he was indeed an apprentice on a YTS scheme working for Gordon and I've actually played that bass! In 1984, I was in my first band and through being a mate with Andy I ordered a black Strat with Gordon which I still have today..Took me months to save up for..Here she is on a video at the end...

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h0kTxByX-M"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h0kTxByX-M[/url]


Back to your bass, back in 84 I wanted our bass player, Pete Condor, to buy your bass from Andy but Pete sadly just didn't have the cash...I remember Andy selling the bass as he was always strapped for cash but didn't know it ended up at A1 Music in Manchester (Christ, they were thieves).

I actually took my Gordy Strat in for a setup to a Swiss guitar repairer and picked her up just yesterday. He was TOTALLY impressed with her; I will never part with my Gordy Strat....

I almost lost my Gordy when the River Limmat in Zürich flooded in Spring 1999. She was in a cellar music room in a building which was situated close to the river which flooded. I called Gordon once I'd retrieved my beloved Strat during the course of 1999 I was working in Belgium at the time but sadly found out he was not making guitars anymore. However, he recommended TJ Walker in Hale who did a superb job in bringing her back to life......


Glad you are still enjoying the bass...God knows what the insurance would be; for sure all Gordon's guitars are under-rated gems, it's a real pity he didn't end up with some mega-band endorsing them whilst he was still in business; might have encouraged him to keep going.......

Best regards

Mike

[GNeuman]

Oh yeh, and I forgot, I also had a battered Gordon Smith bass which I bought for a song in the UK which was also caught in the flood but faired much worse than the Gordy Strat. I left the GS bass on the street one night for someone to pick up which they surprisingly did.

I remember the finish on the GS bass being very poor though.............

[H the Bass]

[quote name='JanSpeeltBas' post='528087' date='Jun 29 2009, 08:33 PM']This is the Blueshift I had wanted to buy...and it's the only one I've ever seen. [/quote]
I have a deluxe version of this bass for sale with twin pick ups hand built by andy Green of pendragon guitars when he worked for Gordon, used as a demo prototype in Manchesters A1 music store, it looks like it was made yesterday!I am looking for around 3-350 quid if you know of anybody thats interested.Regards H

[H the Bass]

[quote name='H the Bass' post='820569' date='Apr 27 2010, 12:58 PM']I have a pre production bright red Gordy blueshift deluxe bass and have been informed probably built by Andy Evans who was Gordons apprentice!It has 2 soapbar pick ups a birdseye maple neck with rosewood fretboard,brass nut,schaller hardware and red matching headstock ,there is no serial number.This was purchased from A1 music in manchester in 84 and i believe was built in 83,i have no intention of selling but does anyone know its worth for insurance?It still looks like it was built yesterday,nearly immaculate i think this will still be around when i've shuffled off this mortal coil,its built like a tank but sustains forever.Regards H the Bass[/quote]
AAGGH i must be mad,up for sale now at a silly £300!

[BigDan]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread gentlemen, but we (Manchester Bass Lounge) are now working in collaboration with Gordon Smith on the design of a new bass guitar! We will market and sell the new model when it comes out later this year. Not giving too much away, but suffice to say it will be light and in-line with Gordon Smith's reputation for making high quality and very playable instruments.

By all means, please contact MBL or Gordon Smith to find out more

[swilmers]

Hello chaps, first post as I have registered based on a Google search of "Gordy Guitars".

Please excuse me for resurecting this rather aold thread!

I have just purchased a Gordy bass and was wondering if any of you knowledgeable people could assist me in providing some information on it?

[attachment=122967:gordy1.jpg]
[attachment=122968:gordy2.jpg]
[attachment=122969:gordy3.jpg]

Many thanks

[cocco]

I think Flat Eric has a headless bass that looks like that one, only without a head. He'll be along shortly I'm sure.

[ash]

[quote name='BigDan' timestamp='1345912587' post='1783090']
Sorry to resurrect an old thread gentlemen, but we (Manchester Bass Lounge) are now working in collaboration with Gordon Smith on the design of a new bass guitar! We will market and sell the new model when it comes out later this year. Not giving too much away, but suffice to say it will be light and in-line with Gordon Smith's reputation for making high quality and very playable instruments.

By all means, please contact MBL or Gordon Smith to find out more
[/quote]

Now that sounds interesting! I've owned three Gordon Smith basses, a semi, a GS and one off Rickenfaker, all very well made and great playing basses.

[FlatEric]

[quote name='cocco' timestamp='1352301715' post='1861289']
I think Flat Eric has a headless bass that looks like that one, only without a head. He'll be along shortly I'm sure.
[/quote]

You rang?

This is mine.



More details here:

[url="http://flatericbassandguitar.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/gordy-headless-bass.html"]http://flatericbassandguitar.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/gordy-headless-bass.html[/url]

Love mine - yours looks like the "Dogs" - not yet seen one, this is the first glance of one,

Sweet!

[swilmers]

It's pretty sweet, Came free with a load of grime and grease and a fair amount of cheese. There is some string wear to the pickup covers and the obligatory fret wear but nothing serious.

Now thal's been cleaned up I'll have a look at setting it up properly.

I tried emailing Gordon Smith guitars but they were not forthcoming with any information on the thing. The couple I bought if off bought it years ago from a music shop in Doncaster and told me it had belonged to a "famous rocker". They couldn't tell me who though.

Edited November 8, 2012 by swilmers

[monsterbassman]

my fretless blueshift but i need a fretted one
[attachment=146170:IMG_3986.jpg .jpg]