sbpark Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 Scored this really nice 2013 J35 off of Reverb for a killer price. First time buying an acoustic online without playing it first, but I really have my heart set on a J35, and although I tried giving my money to a local mom and pop shop, they did their absolute best to make it very difficult for me to give them their money. Well, I saved well over $600 buying this already set up and in great shape used guitar off of a guy on Reverb, instead of paying full retail for a poorly set up new J35 that had a poorly cut nut and corroded strings, surprisingly from a Gibson Five Star Dealer. Just hoping she sounds decent, given the way these guitars seem to sound different from one example to the next. I found this out first hand when shopping for my J45 Standard. All the guitars I played were first rate as far as fit and finish, but all sounded quite a bit different from each other. Hoping to have the guitar here the end of next week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 Congrats! I think I saw this for just over a - grand on reverb. Looks in excellent condition. And you can always turn around and sell it later for that same price! Great deal, great guitar, smart move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hogeye Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 This may be the worst example of stringing a guitar I have ever seen. It's a wonder it plays at all. Don't even try to play the poor thing just cut the strings off and string it properly and it will sound much better and the poor cut nut problem will disappear. The J-35 is a monster of a guitar and it will play well for you for many years. I like sunburst guitars but if I had a shot at this guitar I think I might take it. Strung properly will make this a real cannon and you should prepare to invest in some ear protection as she will blow your hair back. Congrats on buying one of Gibson's best designs ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 This may be the worst example of stringing a guitar I have ever seen. It's a wonder it plays at all. Don't even try to play the poor thing just cut the strings off and string it properly and it will sound much better and the poor cut nut problem will disappear. The J-35 is a monster of a guitar and it will play well for you for many years. I like sunburst guitars but if I had a shot at this guitar I think I might take it. Strung properly will make this a real cannon and you should prepare to invest in some ear protection as she will blow your hair back. Congrats on buying one of Gibson's best designs ever. I agree.. Nice Guitar too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbpark Posted September 5, 2015 Author Share Posted September 5, 2015 Congrats! I think I saw this for just over a - grand on reverb. Looks in excellent condition. And you can always turn around and sell it later for that same price! Great deal, great guitar, smart move. There was one for a just over a grand, that sold for a grand +$50 shipping. I got beat out on that one, but got this one for $1050 +$50 shipping. I think this one is nicer. The other one that was for sale looked like the nut slot for the low E was cut really close to the edge of the but for some reason. From the pics this one looks a little nicer, and I like how it looks like the top has darkened a little over the last couple years. Of course, that could just be the way the pics came out. Either way, the seller seems like a super nice guy, replied to messages super fast and is supposed to be shipping it out today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbpark Posted September 5, 2015 Author Share Posted September 5, 2015 This may be the worst example of stringing a guitar I have ever seen. It's a wonder it plays at all. Don't even try to play the poor thing just cut the strings off and string it properly and it will sound much better and the poor cut nut problem will disappear. The J-35 is a monster of a guitar and it will play well for you for many years. I like sunburst guitars but if I had a shot at this guitar I think I might take it. Strung properly will make this a real cannon and you should prepare to invest in some ear protection as she will blow your hair back. Congrats on buying one of Gibson's best designs ever. Who said it has a poorly cut nut?! I didn't string it this way. These are pics from the seller! The poorly cut nut was on a brand new J35 I tried the other day at a Five Star Dealer. Guitar sounded great but DID have a poorly cut nut that definitely needed attention. Slots were definitely cut too shallow on that example. I do agree with you regarding preferring sunburnt on a slope shoulder, but since I have J45 Standard, this is a nice way to mix it up a little bit! I'd respectfully disagree that the J35 is a cannon (but I did listen/watch a clip of Robert Plant's guitar player, Skin playing a J35 and it DID sound huge in his hands!), and have played several of them, but maybe I just had the unfortunate experience of the new I played at several different shops were just not that 'big' sounding, which is fine, because my J45 really IS a cannon! I just really like the size and feel of a short scale slope shoulder, but wanted something different than my J45, and the J35 seems to be the ticket. Totally different sound compared to the J45. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 Who said it has a poorly cut nut?! I didn't string it this way. These are pics from the seller! The poorly cut nut was on a brand new J35 I tried the other day at a Five Star Dealer. Guitar sounded great but DID have a poorly cut nut that definitely needed attention. Slots were definitely cut too shallow on that example. I do agree with you regarding preferring sunburnt on a slope shoulder, but since I have J45 Standard, this is a nice way to mix it up a little bit! I'd respectfully disagree that the J35 is a cannon (but I did listen/watch a clip of Robert Plant's guitar player, Skin playing a J35 and it DID sound huge in his hands!), and have played several of them, but maybe I just had the unfortunate experience of the new I played at several different shops were just not that 'big' sounding, which is fine, because my J45 really IS a cannon! I just really like the size and feel of a short scale slope shoulder, but wanted something different than my J45, and the J35 seems to be the ticket. Totally different sound compared to the J45. I dont think Hogeye was refering to you SbPark.. The Nut cut does not look like a Gibson set up job ( looks like a after the fact cut after it was removed from the box) .. strings are to rest on top of a slight groove , not in a valley groove.. that will kill tone .. as for the strings, top to bottom , not bottom to top. wrong angle.. thats a good way to create tension on the top the wrong way.. not only that, it will muffle the tone.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 These things just keep looking better and better. 2013 I think Ren Ferguson was still there - that was a great year for those. Congrats !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbpark Posted September 6, 2015 Author Share Posted September 6, 2015 I dont think Hogeye was refering to you SbPark.. The Nut cut does not look like a Gibson set up job ( looks like a after the fact cut after it was removed from the box) .. strings are to rest on top of a slight groove , not in a valley groove.. that will kill tone .. as for the strings, top to bottom , not bottom to top. wrong angle.. thats a good way to create tension on the top the wrong way.. not only that, it will muffle the tone.. I agree the guitar is not strung properly. I just thought he was referring to this particular guitar, because I mentioned my experience with a different J35 in another thread, where I went to a Five Star Dealer and liked one of the J35's they had, but the but was cut poorly, resulting in everything in first position pulling sharp. Didn't surprise me though, because as much as I like Gibson's, they not thing they seem to not be able to do it cut a nut properly from the factory! Same with Epiphones! No worries though, it's a quick and easy fix to file the nut slots proper. The owner did mention that it has be professionally set up by a tech, so I'm hoping it plays well once I get a hold of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 You guys with these J35s sure are adding fuel to the fire. The more I see of this guitar, the more I see it having its own beauty and flair like the J15. I look forward to hearing your comments after the guitar arrives and you've played it for a while. Congrats on a good purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bozz Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Congrats, that is a great looking J-35. And a great price too. Hogeye is right, that forward shifted bracing makes it a regular boombox. I love mine and probably play it more than my other higher priced Gibsons. Mine is about 18 months old and the lower end is starting to come in real good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyboy Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Got mine earlier this year from evil bay.This was my 2nd Gibby acoustic after 1973 j-50 adjustable bridge.Love it,love it,love it...!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 That's a much healthier looking saddle than the OP's. Loads of room for setting it up there. Congratulations jimmy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 I'd agree a little about the pickguard, but then sometimes I like them, the tuners are prefect though Don't tell me you'd prefer those big silver things!:-/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pesh Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 +1 on the pickguard;, but a good score all the same. HNGD! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Grunt... I see what you mean about the OP's saddle.... There is very little....indicative of a possible neck reset coming? OP... Hope we are not bumming you out, and I especially hope we are wrong, but if it hasn't shipped yet, call the seller and ask for more pics of the bridge and saddle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Yeah, if the guitar was well set up then n the saddle might not bother me , but judging by the strings and how they are wound , I'd say it wasn't set up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 My reaction to the op's saddle is that it looks fine. Probably has action in the low to medium low range = from the angles we see on the pics, the saddle radius and height look very similar to my 2009 J-45, which has easy comfy low action. My J-45 was setup a few years ago with a medium-low action, and over time either the nut slot wear, saddle wear, or the top - whatever it is, the action is now on the low side. Or maybe my fingers have just gotten stronger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boyd Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 This was my 2nd Gibby acoustic after 1973 j-50 adjustable bridge. You have an adjustable bridge on a 1973 J-50? I have a 1974 with a regular bridge and have never seen the adjustable bridge on a J-50 as late as 1973. Sorry to go off-topic. Happy NGD sbpark! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Yeah Dan, I'm not one of the guys who thinks that break angle over a saddle is the making or breaking of a guitar. My j45 doesn't have a lot left in it (has more than the guitar down above) , but I don't need to lower the action. I'd like more just for a safer future, but I'm not losing sleep. I'm not saying an anything other than as a bought unplayed guitar I'm hoping that it all works out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbpark Posted September 7, 2015 Author Share Posted September 7, 2015 Grunt... I see what you mean about the OP's saddle.... There is very little....indicative of a possible neck reset coming? OP... Hope we are not bumming you out, and I especially hope we are wrong, but if it hasn't shipped yet, call the seller and ask for more pics of the bridge and saddle? Not bumming me out one bit. The guitar has been set up (not by the seller, but but a tech/luthier he apparently took the guitar to). That doesn't mean that the tech strung the guitar like that. Remember people, strings wear out and the seller probably change the strings at some point. It's a 2013, so I'm sure it's seen more than one set of strings on it. Also, in the member's J35 that was picked up off of Ebay, that guitar may have never had a set up and has high action. In regards to my guitar, it may have really low action. No worries there, because I have a couple Tusq saddles made for the J34/J35 and a bone saddle here as well. In the case that it's neck, then I'll just sell the guitar for what I paid, nothing lost, nothing gained. It's just a guitar, it's not then end of the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hogeye Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 I didn't mean to imply that your guitar wasn't a great example of a J-35. I just wanted you to know that if it didn't sound great coming out of the box just restring it properly and you will hear the tone monster you should get. I really didn't comment on the low saddle as it is almost impossible to see the height from the photo I was looking at. There can be all sorts of lens distortion from that angle and I have no idea of what is going on there. When the slots for the saddle are as deep as the ones pictured then the guitar has every chance of buzzing and intonating improperly. Just get a file and knock the top of the saddle down so the groves only cover 1/2 of the string. Of course anyone could have strung the guitar so it's no big deal. It will take you 10 minutes to restring with the strings you like and you should do it anyway. This is a wonderful design and no badly cut nut and bad stringing can hold this baby down. Enjoy a wonderful find and let us know how you are bonding with it. I love the fire stripe pickguard and you have a great example of one. The guitar looks like a million bucks and you should be very happy to get such a nice example of the father of the J-45. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyboy Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Not bumming me out one bit. The guitar has been set up (not by the seller, but but a tech/luthier he apparently took the guitar to). That doesn't mean that the tech strung the guitar like that. Remember people, strings wear out and the seller probably change the strings at some point. It's a 2013, so I'm sure it's seen more than one set of strings on it. Also, in the member's J35 that was picked up off of Ebay, that guitar may have never had a set up and has high action. In regards to my guitar, it may have really low action. No worries there, because I have a couple Tusq saddles made for the J34/J35 and a bone saddle here as well. In the case that it's neck, then I'll just sell the guitar for what I paid, nothing lost, nothing gained. It's just a guitar, it's not then end of the world. Nothing wrong with your J35 my friend.Mine was brand new one.Seller was a pawnshop and someone pawn it left it there unpaid.When I open up the case,everything was brand new.Case candy package still in the plastic bag and that's why my j35 looks like that. You have an adjustable bridge on a 1973 J-50? I have a 1974 with a regular bridge and have never seen the adjustable bridge on a J-50 as late as 1973. Sorry to go off-topic. Happy NGD sbpark! Yes,mine is a square shoulder one.It has an adjustable bridge.If you really want to see.I will post some pics later along with the serial number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boyd Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 That's OK, no need to prove it to me. I just thought they stopped doing this around 1970. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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