FT-79 Texan '65 vs the $400 Re-issue

[Tates]

So, I own a guitar I don't deserve. I'm not a very good player. Forty Years old, played my guitar periodically throughout college, put it away, picked up again, etc.

 

However, I do love this guitar. No guitar feels at home in my hands the way my Texan does. But I am running into money issues...

 

While I hate the thought of having to sell my guitar, and think of it as an absolute last resort, and I'd never be able to replace it, how does the $400 re-issue compare to the original? I know it has a pickup, which I doubt I'd ever use, but tonally and structurally, how does it fare. I know reviews are decent, but I've never read a one-on-one comparison.

 

If I do have to sell it, would the new, cheaper version, feel and sound the same/similar? I've never played an acoustic in my life that sounds or feels like current.

 

Thanks. (and i can't try it myself, as nowhere local carries it)

[stein]

There really isn't any comparing the two. They are going to be worlds apart not just in price, but in quality.

 

A closer comparison might be the "Gibson vs Epiphone" debates, where some try and compare the budget priced Epi versions to the Gibson counterparts. While the Epiphones have their fans, none agree or argue that the quality and the sound are close to each other. It's more a matter of hoe good the Epi versions are for the money spent.

 

Or, maybe compare a vintage Gibson to a modern reissue. That's more complicated. While many think that Gibson is making acoustics that are as good or better than they ever have, judging an old guitar vs a new one has challenges. It gets into the effects of age, the effects of being played, and then what individual guitars sound like, as all are different.

 

Your guitar is definitely in the vintage Gibson category as far as quality goes. And what you might do is consider the cost of a new Gibson vs how much you might expect to get selling yours.

 

Can't give an opinion if you would be able to ever come close, being as your own personal guitar is going to sound the way it does and only can be judged in person or by the person who might want it. But as anyone who has or has had a number of good guitars knows, once you sell it there is no replacing it really. There is only deciding how much to spend on the next one. 400 bucks is not likely to come close to getting you anywhere near as good.

[Cougar]

If I do have to sell it, would the new, cheaper version, feel and sound the same/similar?

 

Welcome to the boards, Tates. As Stein said, no, a new IB64 Texan will feel and sound different. How different, I don't know, since I've never played an original Texan. I have to wonder, though, if much of the high price ($2,000-4,000 [or more?]) of the original is because Paul McCartney famously played one. The reissue is a good little guitar, and if you don't play that much, you might be OK with it, but it won't be as good as your original.

[OldCowboy]

What you have, I've owned two, should equal a J-45 from the same era. Sure hope you can manage to keep it. All the best....

[Tates]

Thanks everyone!

[Red 333]

 

While I hate the thought of having to sell my guitar, and think of it as an absolute last resort, and I'd never be able to replace it, how does the $400 re-issue compare to the original?

 

The IB Texan is a fine guitar, and many owners are very happy to have one. Be aware, though, that while it cosmetically resembles your Texan, it's top and back bracing are very different (at least the early examples that I saw were). So while the IB Texan may sound fine, it may sound different from what you're used to.

 

I know you be under a great deal of financial pressure, but before selling, consider your own statement that you would never be able to replace your vintage Texan later. If it means a great deal to you, I hope you are able to find other ways to raise the funds you need.

 

Red 333

[Tates]

The IB Texan is a fine guitar, and many owners are very happy to have one. Be aware, though, that while it cosmetically resembles your Texan, it's top and back bracing are very different (at least the early examples that I saw were). So while the IB Texan may sound fine, it may sound different from what you're used to.

 

I know you be under a great deal of financial pressure, but before selling, consider your own statement that you would never be able to replace your vintage Texan later. If it means a great deal to you, I hope you are able to find other ways to raise the funds you need.

 

Red 333

 

Thanks. I'm not at that point yet, but this guitar is worth more than my car, so it's obviously got to be put on the table if the situation calls for it. It would be nice if the cheaper version had similar tonal qualities, and a neck that felt the same. At least playing the neck would feel like home.

 

What is the different type of bracing, and how does bracing affect overall tone?

[AzariahJames]

I think the neck on the originals are a bit thinner than the reissue, so it won't feel the same as yours. You may like its feel, or it might be a bit of a transition for you.

[Leonard McCoy]

I think the neck on the originals are a bit thinner than the reissue, so it won't feel the same as yours. You may like its feel, or it might be a bit of a transition for you.

While the neck profile between the original Texan and the remake are one and the same (flat C shape, SlimTaper), vintage Texans have a narrower neck -- either 1 5/8" or even 1.55" depending on the model -- giving them a very special play feel. The reissue has a nut width of 1.68".

[Br1ck]

No, no, no ,no and no.

 

The price of and old Texan is what it is because it sounds great. I happen to get along with the neck just fine, and I believe the long scale length contributed to the fact that when I had 4 60s J 45s to compare it with, along with a 1941 J 35, the Texan won, except for the unaffordable to me 41.

 

Old wood, Gibson factory build,and lots of play time can't be replicated by a new Epi, or even a new Gibson.