Anyone got a Smartwood? Let's see it!

[JoeV]

Here's my Smartwood Exotic with Cancharana top. Plays really well, although I think she'd look better with chrome hardware....

The top is awesome, though....

 

[MadStork]

Not a great shot of mine ... Peroba top

 

[xjustice09x]

Peroba top

 

[larry_lalonde]

Those are beautiful guitars...I really want one of those banana ones they had a few years back.

 

[SSSGGG]

Ambay guasa top.


http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i...ent=Smartwood.jpg&slideshow=paused&interval=3

 

[EC1000]

those are all nice.

I know its not the same, but they are kinda makin me gas for a raw power

 

[MadStork]

Ha! A funny thing happened to me this weekend. We had a BIG party at the house - maybe 60 people over - and one of the guys is a guitarist. Been playing for about 40 years, but always bought low end guitars. He asked about mine & I took him upstairs to see them. I had moved them from my office to my bedroom because my office was used to bed a bunch of kids.

He was telling me he wanted to buy a Standard, but hadn't decided on which model, and he is also looking for a high end guitar for his son, who is a phenominal Blues player.

Anyway, I have my Sheraton II, an AMDlx Strat, a custom made Carvin CT6M and my Smartwood.

His eyes popped when he saw the Carvin & he started playing a variety of stuff on it. No amp because that was still in the office. While he was doing that I told him that I always seemed to gravitate to the Smartwood. I love the neck and weight of that guitar.

So he sat the Carvin aside and literally started drooling over the Smartwood.

90 minutes later I came back to the bedroom and he's still sitting on the bed playing the Smartwood. He couldn't/wouldn't put it down, until his wife literally pulled him away from it.

He is definitely a Smartwood fan now.

They are getting hard to find, though ...

 

[Redhod]

JoeV and Madstork, how old are those peroba tops? They're gorgeous. I hadn't seen an example of those.
I was just wondering about Smartwoods the other day. The only guy I know who had one was selling it so he could buy a "normal" Les Paul. He doubted that his had the right tone or something. I was considering buying his Smartwood but after he went moaning about it, I said, well, maybe not.
So -- any judgments on the tone, sound, vibe, etc?

 

[JoeV]

Hi Redhod,

Mine is not a Peroba top. It's a Cancharana.

Very pretty in person.

 

[xjustice09x]

Mine has a peroba top. I think it sounds great. I can't compare it to a normal Les Paul since its the only LP I have. Its hard to compare it to my SG supreme since I have hotter pickups in the LP and 57 classics in my SG. Thats the closest sounding guitar I have to a Les Paul.

I like the smartwoods because they are lightweight and the tummy cut in the back makes it very comfortable to play. I also really like the look of the natural wood.

I got a great deal on mine right before they discontinued them. I see used ones selling for what I paid sometimes even more. I would definately consider getting another one.

 

[MadStork]

JoeV and Madstork, how old are those peroba tops? They're gorgeous. I hadn't seen an example of those.
I was just wondering about Smartwoods the other day. The only guy I know who had one was selling it so he could buy a "normal" Les Paul. He doubted that his had the right tone or something. I was considering buying his Smartwood but after he went moaning about it, I said, well, maybe not.
So -- any judgments on the tone, sound, vibe, etc?

Mine is a 2002

I play mine through a Marshall AVT50, slight distortion, and it sounds terrific. Not your standard Standard sound, but terrific nonetheless. I have considered putting Phat Cats in it, but I think I'll just leave it the way it is. The 490/498 fits this guitar.

Here is the link to the Gibson page:

http://www.gibson.com/products/gibson/LesPaul/Smartwood-Exotics.html