The Jeffrey “Chubby” Smith guitar and audio sale is an opportunity for tone chasers to test out nearly 100 handmade, one-of-a-kind guitars.
Alongside guitars made by Smith, folks can browse name-brand guitars, vintage speakers, amplifiers, other instruments and more. Event proceeds will benefit Audio-Reader, based at the University of Kansas, and the Smith-Mulvihill family.
Smith was a lifelong musician who, according to his obituary, played guitar every single day until he was no longer able to.
Not only did he make his own instruments — he wrote songs, worked for Kansas Public Radio as an audio engineer and built a studio that fellow musicians used as a recording space.
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“Chubby was a great friend to so many, a prolific musician, and a huge part of the Lawrence music scene back in the day,” Beth McKenzie, development director for Audio-Reader, said via email. “I’ve heard a couple of people say, ‘if you were part of the Lawrence music scene, you knew Chubby Smith.'”
“The Chubby Smith Collection: Guitar & Audio Sale” will run from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24 at the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire St. Guitars will also be on display Friday and Saturday ahead of the event.
Guitars and basses cost between $100 and $500.
“All guitars and amplifiers are offered as-is. Each guitar has been inspected and tested and is functioning normally — or at least as Chubby intended!” according to the event page. “Any known exceptions will be noted on the guitar’s description card.”
Shoppers can test out guitars unamplified at the sale. Organizers noted that guitars might take some tweaking to suit a player’s preference since they are individualized, handmade instruments.
There will be live music by The Eudoras and a cash bar. Find out more about the event and purchasing information online at this link.
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Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), reporter and news editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at [email protected].
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