jedzep Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 I'm thinking about checking this out, about an hour's drive away. All orig, as an adj bridge model, it's not a real sought after or particularly valuable model. But say the description is accurate through and through. I've seen additional pics, which show the bridge work to be sharp and clean, but I hate the p'guard and would hopefully be able to peel it off. My question...is it a $1700 guitar or a $1000 guitar, or somewhere in between? http://theunofficialmartinguitarforum.yuku.com/topic/161824/1961-J45-1700-shipped Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 unbelievable looking action. pickguard is also unbelievable , but in a bad way. easy fixed though. hard to swallow that price being here in Ireland with no chance of getting anything like that anywhere near that price. even at 1700 dollars. good luck with it jed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 If it's the non-laminate type I think an offer of $1400 would be fair.... I think it would be worth the hour drive to at least check her out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin 1940D28 Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Play it, then decide. Might be a real sleeper. Gotta be better than any newer stuff! 1940 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fp Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 I think the year is wrong. A 61, at least all the ones I've seen have a single ring rosette. If this was worth $1700 it would have sold by now, been for sale for some time now ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 I think the year is wrong. A 61, at least all the ones I've seen have a single ring rosette. If this was worth $1700 it would have sold by now, been for sale for some time now ! Thanks for the refocus. I was wondering about the top in general. It doesn't look like a burst that was sanded blonde, so I'm still questioning that it's not a J-50. The rosette has to be checked into for correct ID of the year and model. Haven't asked about the FON yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliasphobias Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Anytime I see an improper pickguard I automatically assume that what is under is more ugly. Usually heavy wear and tear. G'luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 I'm imagining heavy wear under that non-standard pick guard. Look at the sound hole under the high e string…lots of wear. A new fret job locally would cost between $300-400. to take off old frets. I'd ask for better pics of the fret board….rosewood fretboards can have plenty of divots at the cowboy chords where players didn't clip their nails. Ask about action and height of saddle above bridge, and top of saddle to top of guitar to see if it needs a neck reset…….personally, at that price, I would pass…..needs too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phelonious Ponk Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 I'm imagining heavy wear under that non-standard pick guard. Look at the sound hole under the high e string…lots of wear. A new fret job locally would cost between $300-400. to take off old frets. I'd ask for better pics of the fret board….rosewood fretboards can have plenty of divots at the cowboy chords where players didn't clip their nails. Ask about action and height of saddle above bridge, and top of saddle to top of guitar to see if it needs a neck reset…….personally, at that price, I would pass…..needs too much. I wouldn't, but not because it is worn and has a huge ugly guard hiding who knows what. I wouldn't because for that money a J-35 off of the wall at GC is probably a better guitar. P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Not sure what the comment about laminate and non-laminate J-45s means but is the seller saying that the original finish (which I assume was a cherry burst) has totally faded away? I have seen this claimed before but I can't help believe there would not be some traces of it left. Soundwise it could very well be a winner. But the make or break thing about the guitar will be the neck. Despite the description provided by the seller, the necks on the 1960 through 1962 Gibsons are about as skinny as you are ever going to see on an acoustic. So if you are thinking about jumping on the guitar you had better be sure you are comfortable with that slim profile neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayyj Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 I've seen quite a few cases recently where overspray seems to mean 'I'm clearly not going to get away with pretending this is the original finish, but I don't want to take the hit in value associated with a refinish... so oversprayed sounds good.' Plenty of faded Cherry Sunbursts out there but not to the point you can’t tell what they were - so if it's stamped as a J-45 it's got to be a stripped top. I'd agree the date needs confirming as well, although you see double rings starting to creep in the following year - and if it's a '62 it probably doesn't make much difference in terms of value. That dent on the top to the bass side of the fingerboard is pretty horrible. The pickguard is awful and probably hiding some heavy pickwear, but if you took it off and the damage was too great to go with the correct style guard you could probably replace it with something similar but less roughly cut out. It's always going to to have a quirky players look to it anyway, so a Hummingbird shape guard hiding some ugly wear wouldn't be the end of the world. To me it would come down to how it rated as an instrument - doesn't exactly look like something you could quickly flip for a profit, but if it sounded great and filled a gap in the arsenal (and it is early rather than late 60s) it's not an outrageous price, particularly if there's haggling room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted July 28, 2014 Author Share Posted July 28, 2014 Good logic and love of the instrument make this a good place to get opinions and advice. While I do miss my old J-45 I have to go back to the reason I parted with it. I'm comfortable with a smaller bod guitar. I passed on it though because the owner told me that the p'guard was glued on before the overspray, which means it would have to stay on unless I was ready for the possibility of another refinish. I know it's a dumb reason to push it off, but I didn't think I could look at that freekin' pickguard every day. Also...I still have a neck reset and an involved rebracing of the L0. When that comes back, it might quell the GAS...for a little while anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Good logic and love of the instrument make this a good place to get opinions and advice. While I do miss my old J-45 I have to go back to the reason I parted with it. I'm comfortable with a smaller bod guitar. I passed on it though because the owner told me that the p'guard was glued on before the overspray, which means it would have to stay on unless I was ready for the possibility of another refinish. I know it's a dumb reason to push it off, but I didn't think I could look at that freekin' pickguard every day. Also...I still have a neck reset and an involved rebracing of the L0. When that comes back, it might quell the GAS...for a little while anyway. Put your cash into the L-0! Or maybe wait for a nice 50s J45 to head your way? BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 Yep, I'm vested in the L0, BK. The old timer that was the orig owner called it provenance when he listed it. I picked it apart and reminded the family that it's 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. The 'tool' has to function mechanically before it can be fully appreciated aesthetically, and I want to just enjoy it's feel and tone. I feel priveleged that they entrusted it to me so I'll throw the cash into extending it's life. There are plenty J's out there should I jones for one, but I'm convinced that adding a 00 or 000 Martin to the brood will round everything out nicely. Besides, my kid is 10 times the player I'll ever be. Hopefully he'll keep it alive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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