Roy Smeck

Born in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1900, LeRoy G.A. Schmeck – better known as Roy Smeck – was a multi-instrumentalist who performed and recorded with the guitar, Hawaiian guitar, ukulele and banjo. His virtuosity earned him the nickname,  ‘The Wizard of the Strings’.

The short Vitaphone film ‘His Pastimes’, showcases Smeck’s skills on the Hawaiian guitar, the ukulele and the banjo. A natural showman, Roy Smeck would spin the ukulele mid performance while ‘tap dancing’ on its body with his fingers! 

With the introduction of the Roy Smeck Radio Grande and Roy Smeck Stage Deluxe in 1934, he became one of the few prewar performers to have their own Gibson signature model. Both instruments were flattop acoustic Hawaiian guitars designed to be played flat on the lap. Earlier, Smeck’s name had appeared on instruments by Washburn (Lyon & Healy), the Harmony Vita-Uke and Vita-Guitar, Bacon & Day ‘s Roy Smeck Silver Bell banjo line and later, Gibson-built Recording King lap steels from Montgomery Ward and various Harmony instruments.

Roy Smeck with friends. The instrument to the left of the photo is an octachord, which is an eight-string Hawaiian guitar.

Smeck toured globally and made over 500 recordings for various labels. He fronted various bands including The Roy Smeck Trio, The Roy Smeck Quartet and Roy Smeck’s Novelty Orchestra, performed at Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidential inaugural ball in 1933 and at George VI’s coronation review in 1937.

Roy Smeck died in New York City in 1994 aged 94.

Click the links to view L-5s serial numbers 94201 and 97670, both of which belonged to Roy Smeck.