In 1961, world-renowned jazz guitarist, Johnny Smith went to Gibson with a request to make an exquisite archtop guitar that would holds its own as an acoustic, but also had electric capabilities for live use. The result was the archetype of archtops; the pinnacle of jazz guitar design that changed how these guitars were made. Originally called The Johnny Smith Guitar, the name has been changed to LeGrand; a perfect name for the ultimate jazzbox in style, sound, and built quality. The LeGrand has always been a select model manufactured in limited numbers, and only 963 of the original Johnny Smith version (identical in all but name) were produced between 1962 and 1979. Every detail of this guitar is still built in Johnny Smith’s vision.
Starting with the body, the soundboard is carved from a solid piece of high-grade spruce, while the back and sides are carved from high-grade maple. The top is supported by the X-bracing that Smith requested specifically for its acoustic properties. A floating BJB pickup, which was borrowed from an Epiphone Seth Lover design, has zero contact with the body, allowing the ultimate purity in acoustic resonance. For the same reason the single volume control and input jack are attached to the floating pickguard. At Smith’s request, the body style is based on the venerable Gibson L-5, with a shallower 3” depth, while the neck and headstock are based on the Super 400.
Premium appointments add to the class and functionality of this instrument. A six finger tailpiece has individual fine-tuning adjustment screws for each string. Multi-ply binding on the top and back of the body, fingerboard, headstock and pickguard add refinement, as do the the abalone split-block fingerboard inlays; and the bound f-holes. All hardware is gold plated, including the ABR-1 bridge mounted atop an ebony base. All this adds to THE peerless jazz instrument, a specimen of build perfection and artistry.