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Post by tonywoods on Jul 15, 2015 11:31:57 GMT
I’m toying with the idea of getting a Gibson J45. Not being an aficionado of archaic guitars with a big hole in them that don’t need an amplifier I thought to throw it open to the Soundboard collective to give me their thoughts and what to look out for if the GAS attack can’t be resisted.
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Martin
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Post by Martin on Jul 15, 2015 11:51:01 GMT
The most important thing is to make sure you've got the best tonewood. Sniffing the soundhole is a good way to judge this, then sitting back and 'ahhing...' appreciatively Alternatively, I think they're great guitars, but having read reviews and user reports over the years, the main thing seems to be it's best to play them and try them in person. I know this is good advice generally, but in the case of Gibson, it seems to be that their quality variance can be higher than some others, and there can be a lot of very good and very mediocre examples out there.
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Jul 15, 2015 11:58:48 GMT
Gibsons? I know naaaartheeeeeng!
But, new or used?
Keith
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Riverman
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Post by Riverman on Jul 15, 2015 12:00:01 GMT
Hi tonywoodsI've heard it put like this: Taylors are the Lexus of guitar brands, Martin are the Mercedes, and Gibson are the Alfa Romeos...in other words, full of character but often deeply flawed! In my experience it's necessary to try a lot of Gibsons (whether new or used) before you find one that a) is set up properly, and b) sounds half decent from the off. A number of guitar shop people have told me that they're the most inconsistent of the major American manufacturers, and I can believe it. Trying before buying, and factoring in the cost of a good set up, is pretty much essential in my view. That said, there is nothing to compare with the sound of a really good mahogany top shouldered jumbo like a J45 or Southern Jumbo. That dry, thumpy bass is incredibly characterful and I've never heard it from any other make. It doesn't suit all styles of music of course, but not many guitars do. And if you like sunburst - and I do - they look fabulous too. So for me it's a case of caveat emptor. I can't imagine a Gibson ever being my main, let alone only guitar, but I'm sure glad I've got one. Well two actually... oh no, hang on...three...
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Riverman
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Post by Riverman on Jul 15, 2015 12:02:55 GMT
I suppose I should also declare that one of mine is potentially for sale, not because I wouldn't love to keep it but because I have two that are quite similar and I need to be a bit more ruthless about rationalising the collection. PM me if you want details.
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Post by tonywoods on Jul 15, 2015 12:34:27 GMT
I too have a number of Gibsons >3 and love every one of them although only one of them was bought new. Could well be interested. PM on it's way.
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Post by tonywoods on Jul 15, 2015 12:56:37 GMT
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Riverman
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Post by Riverman on Jul 15, 2015 13:31:57 GMT
That said, there is nothing to compare with the sound of a really good mahogany top shouldered jumbo like a J45 or Southern Jumbo. Not sure why, when I typed "slope", my spell checker decided to change it to "top"...
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 15, 2015 21:49:49 GMT
If you can find a great J45 you will be in seventh heaven ..
... But you will have to search!
Can we not leave this GAS thing to those in the USA?
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Post by creamburmese on Jul 16, 2015 15:47:17 GMT
I owned a Gibson J45 TV - I really wanted something to make a lot of noise, and it had the advantage of a short scale and easy-play neck. I bought it used, but I wouldn't have bought it at all if I hadn't tried the only one in our local big box guitar shop and been blown away by the sound. Much more resonant than the other J45's in the store. And it sold really quickly. So I thought it was the hot hide glue etc etc and bought a J45TV used, sight unseen that was reported to have a big sound - when it came it was a good guitar, loud certainly, but NOT the same as the guitar I had played in the shop. In fact the shop itself got a new J45TV in that wasn't a patch on the first one - and as far as I know that one still hasn't sold. I eventually sold on my Gibson - I was still looking for that sound and it really was too big for me... When you find a good one they are really really good and you will know it - and you should buy it right then, because if you don't, the next person probably will! There is definitely variability, just as with any other guitar - maybe the Gibson bell curve is just a little flatter with a few more outliers than say Taylors - who knows...
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Post by pnut on Jul 16, 2015 20:11:12 GMT
Using the bell curve analogy I'd say if Taylor was the Himalayas Gibson was the Fens! I'm not a big Taylor fan and I've always fancied a J 45, maybe just me but over the years of window shopping I've done that's what I've experienced.
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Martin
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Post by Martin on Jul 20, 2015 14:37:13 GMT
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Post by Wild Violet on Jul 20, 2015 21:37:34 GMT
Using the bell curve analogy I'd say if Taylor was the Himalayas Gibson was the Fens! I'm not a big Taylor fan and I've always fancied a J 45, maybe just me but over the years of window shopping I've done that's what I've experienced. I've found this to be pretty accurate: Martin = Good Ol' Boys Gibson = Bad Boys Taylor = Choir Boys
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Post by fatfingerjohn on Jul 20, 2015 21:43:08 GMT
Using the bell curve analogy I'd say if Taylor was the Himalayas Gibson was the Fens! I'm not a big Taylor fan and I've always fancied a J 45, maybe just me but over the years of window shopping I've done that's what I've experienced. I've found this to be pretty accurate: Martin = Good Ol' Boys Gibson = Bad Boys Taylor = Choir Boys Looks like I'd better get hold of some choral music ....
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 21, 2015 12:06:00 GMT
Using the bell curve analogy I'd say if Taylor was the Himalayas Gibson was the Fens! I'm not a big Taylor fan and I've always fancied a J 45, maybe just me but over the years of window shopping I've done that's what I've experienced. It is a funny one this. I've always loved the J45 and always wanted one — but I have played some really dreadful ones! One of the best small bodied (OM side) guitars I ever played was a Taylor 812 — I wish I had bought it. I have never really played another one that did that for me though. I don't really do Lowden although the early O I met years ago (before I had heard of the company) was stupendous. I wish I'd bought that one. And a small bodied cedar/mahogony Lowden was one of the best blues guitars I have ever heard. The expensive Pierre Bensusan model did nothing for me. I've played many very boring Martins but one of two gorgeous ones. The Gibson Robert johnson model was probably the best fun guitar I've played in recent years (Ralph Mctell reckons his is his best recording guitars). Just goes to show — you need to play the damn things a lot before you make a decision!
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