Whilst we produce stock ranges in stock colours and finishes, the heart of our business is the custom shop, creating high-quality, one-of-a-kind guitars as unique as their owners. To that end, we endeavour to provide as much variety as possible across every part of your custom instrument. This page covers a LOT, but if you can’t see something you’re looking for, just ask.
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“The options are… whatever you can think of.” – Doug Sparkes, Head Punk.
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BODY WOODS
Choosing your wood is at the heart of designing your dream guitar, and tonal qualities, visual appearance and weight are all factors to consider. Your combination of body and neck woods will contribute to the sound, visual appearance and comfort of your custom build, ensuring your guitar is as individual as you. Our timber is sustainably sourced, and we have full access to the chain of custody for all the timber we buy.
NECK WOODS
70% of the string vibrations travel along the neck, and as the mass of the neck is much less than that of the body, the influence of the neck on the sound of the guitar is noticeably greater than that of the body itself.
NECK PROFILES
The two traditional Gordon Smith neck profiles; GS thin and GS thick, are designed to aid playability and provide great access throughout the neck. We also offer the opportunity to measure and clone an existing neck, or to build one to your exact custom dimensions.
FINGERBOARDS
Your chosen fingerboard wood makes a significant contribution to the tone of your guitar. Each wood has its’ own personality; visual appearance, tonal quality, playability, feel, as well as how it responds to years of playing.
BRIDGES
Your bridge is a key part of the hardware on your guitar, transferring the tone to the body and accurately holding tuning.
We stock a high-quality range of bridge options to match all guitar designs and price points. We are equally happy to spot-source any specific requirements you may have.
TUNERS
One of the more important decisions to make when specifying your guitar. As well as aesthetics and comfort, these small pieces of engineering play a critical role in the performance of your instrument.
HARDWARE RANGES
We provide a range of high- quality hardware in various finishes to perfectly compliment the aesthetic of your guitar. We will also source anything particular on request.
HOMEWOUND PICKUPS
All of our pickups are fabricated here in the workshop, and continue to be made to the original Gordon Smith specs devised by John and Gordon in the 70’s. We can also custom-wind pickups to your exact specs, or alternatively, you are free to supply your own pickups, or ask us to source something particular.
WIRING LOOMS
All our looms are made in-house, using the very best industry standard components. Gordon Smith looms feature our unique tone loop as standard, significantly expanding the versatility of your guitar.
COLOURS & FINISHES
The options really are anything you can think of..
We carry a range of ‘stock’ colours and stains, but the sections below are not exhaustive. If you would like a particular paint, stain or finish that you can’t see here, just get in touch and let us know.
CAPS & VENEERS
Make your guitar stand out from the crowd with a strikingly figured cap or an eye-catching veneer.
OTHER OPTIONS
Make it your own. Customise the finer details of your guitar for a true one-off. Contact us if you want something you can’t see here.
