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2016 J45 Vintage in Acoustic Guitar magazine


BluesKing777

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Saw this - can't wait to try one! Torrefied top convert now...

 

 

http://acousticguitar.com/review-gibson-j-45-vintage-is-a-winning-workhorse/

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

Yeah no kidding! So nice- I 'settled' for a 2016 standard and it is really fantastic.

 

But man the new vintage just looks stellar!!

If'n you get your hands on one- would love here thoughts on the experience :)

 

madhat.

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Yeah no kidding! So nice- I 'settled' for a 2016 standard and it is really fantastic.

 

But man the new vintage just looks stellar!!

If'n you get your hands on one- would love here thoughts on the experience :)

 

madhat.

 

 

I also 'settled' for a Standard J45 about 5 or 6 years ago.....

 

 

It needs an afternoon of playing each - broken in J vs torrefied J with possible lighter build..... Hmmmm Ymmmm Vmmmmm.

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

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I played one of these a couple of days ago. It was nothing short of terrific.

So light and instantly responding - sounded like the place where the sky meets the earth. Loud too - maybe too loud.

A lower action might bring that down to ideal.

 

Also tried a 2016 Standard. Have to say it was just as good. Slightly different (more so to my own 2010 Std. than the TV), , , obviously not torrefied, but in its own right sublime.

 

An interesting observation - the 2 might in fact be equal in value, yet different depending on taste.

Unless you, of course, automatically rates adirondack and hideglue over sitka and modern ditto.

I'm not among those - but would probably take the TV, , , I guess. .

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Yes I've had my standard now for a year and it has changed my musical direction completely . Wouldn't change it for the world the finish has mellowed down and the bass response has really opened up . Going across to the mainland on Monday and will visit our best Gibson guitar store , plenty of Gibsons in stock will be having a look as usual rolleyes.gif

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Also tried a 2016 Standard. Have to say it was just as good. Slightly different (more so to my own 2010 Std. than the TV), , , obviously not torrefied, but in its own right sublime.

An interesting observation - the 2 might in fact be equal in value, yet different depending on taste.

Unless you, of course, automatically rates adirondack and hideglue over sitka and modern ditto.

I'm not among those - but would probably take the TV, , , I guess. .

 

Agree. [thumbup]

 

madhat.

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Great sounding guitar but I wish they had done two things different. Make it a 19 fret neck and use a non belly bridge !

 

 

mayby you just habve to wait for some special run, found this on a german website the other day, this fueled my gas really bad, natural top and that bridge.....

 

http://www.session.de/GIBSON-1947-J-50-2017.html?listtype=search&searchparam=gibson%20j-50

 

 

I wonder, do the vintage j-45 have the advanced top bracing like the true vintage models? If so, this j-50 model looks even more apealing if it combines a torrified top with the standard j-45 bracing

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mayby you just habve to wait for some special run, found this on a german website the other day, this fueled my gas really bad, natural top and that bridge.....

 

http://www.session.de/GIBSON-1947-J-50-2017.html?listtype=search&searchparam=gibson%20j-50

 

 

I wonder, do the vintage j-45 have the advanced top bracing like the true vintage models? If so, this j-50 model looks even more apealing if it combines a torrified top with the standard j-45 bracing

Now that's what I'm talking about. Wish I could read German !

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I actually prefer the J45 Standard. I thought all the TV's/Vintage/Reissue (whatever you want to call them) weren't worth it, and ended up with a new J45 standard for a great price (quite a bit under $2k) from a very well known dealer after auditioning several they had in stock, and a few at some other shops. Just always thought the vintage models were thinner sounding. My J45 Standard is an absolute monster in the low end, and just has this angry grit and growl that I haven't heard in other guitars. I'm not saying the new vintage models aren't worth it, but like others have mentioned, the Standards are sometimes as good or better. I just think many people get too caught up in aesthetics and absolutely have to have the banner logo and white button tuners and Gibson knows this, so they can charge a significant amount for it. All I know is I wouldn't give up my J45 Standard for one of these. The best thing is to play a bunch of them and not get too caught up on what model it is, what the specs say, etc. Just use your ears.

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I actually prefer the J45 Standard. I thought all the TV's/Vintage/Reissue (whatever you want to call them) weren't worth it, and ended up with a new J45 standard for a great price (quite a bit under $2k) from a very well known dealer after auditioning several they had in stock, and a few at some other shops. Just always thought the vintage models were thinner sounding. My J45 Standard is an absolute monster in the low end, and just has this angry grit and growl that I haven't heard in other guitars. I'm not saying the new vintage models aren't worth it, but like others have mentioned, the Standards are sometimes as good or better. I just think many people get too caught up in aesthetics and absolutely have to have the banner logo and white button tuners and Gibson knows this, so they can charge a significant amount for it. All I know is I wouldn't give up my J45 Standard for one of these. The best thing is to play a bunch of them and not get too caught up on what model it is, what the specs say, etc. Just use your ears.

 

I do agree with this- it really is about the individual guitar.

It does seem like Gibson is cranking out some special acoustics right now- I think they have really got it on a dial currently.

 

I will admit liking the aesthetic of the vintage though... Just cool!

 

madhat.

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I do agree with this- it really is about the individual guitar.

It does seem like Gibson is cranking out some special acoustics right now- I think they have really got it on a dial currently.

 

I will admit liking the aesthetic of the vintage though... Just cool!

 

madhat.

 

I prefer the aesthetics as well, I won't lie! But when I played the Standard and they told me $1,800 before tax it was a no-brainer! And it's changed a bit, with the low end becoming more growly and angry! I also own an HD-28 and a 000-15M and play the J45 90% of the time. I'm not a Martin guy at all, and for a while just had the J45 and the 000-15M, but recently acquired the HD-28 in a trade offer I absolutely could not refuse (traded a '13 SG Standard for it to a guy who REALLY wanted the SG but his wife wouldn't let him buy a new guitar, so if he wanted a new guitar he had to get rid of one of his current guitars). I though tit was a scam, but it was legit. The J45 just has way more personality than the Martins, more articulate and more note separation. It's the best all-around I've ever played, but the HD-28 does shine for strumming and open tunings and capo'ing higher up, where the J45 can sound a bit thin/choked. Also, the J45 is probably the most sensitive guitar I've ever played in regards to changes in humidity.

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I think it's all relative to what each person's ears hear. I don't know that the torrefied tops are louder, etc. I've only played two with torrefied tops and they really didn't sound much different from the other guitars hanging with them. I don't doubt there are some "killer" torrefied guitars, but there are also "killer" non-torrefied guitars.

Depends on what you think you're hearing and whether or not you like it. As for right now, considering the added price of the torrefied guitars, one would have to truly sound off-the-charts for me to consider it.

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Google chrome browser will translate a foreign webpage- here ya go

 

Gibson 1947 J-50 2017

 

The Gibson 1947 J-50 2017 is a special version of the workhorse of Gibson. The J-50 is simple: a J-45 in nature. Limited to only 50 pieces, this model a spruce top which has been thermally treated and therefore sounds even fuller and rounder. The old logo on the headstock and the 1930s wide X bracing provide information on the model year. Gibson 1947 J-50 2017:

 

 

 

limited to 50 pieces

Body shape: J-50

Top: Sitka spruce, thermally aged

Neck: Mahogany

Scale: 628 mm

Fingerboard: Rosewood

Inlays: pearl dot inlays

Nut Width: 43.9 mm

Bridge: rosewood, Rectangular

Hardware: Gold

Tuners: Kluson Style

Pickguard: Tortoise, Tear Drop

Color: Natural, VOS

INCLUDING original Gibson Custom Shop case

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I bought a Vintage because of the sound upon my ear and for no other reason. Wasn't even in the market for another guitar at the time, let alone another J-45. I've got some real hours in on it and I'm still damn happy with it.

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I bought a Vintage because of the sound upon my ear and for no other reason. Wasn't even in the market for another guitar at the time, let alone another J-45. I've got some real hours in on it and I'm still damn happy with it.

 

Sounds like found a keeper.

 

madhat.

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I bought a Vintage because of the sound upon my ear and for no other reason. ...

 

Same for me. I sat in a room with some standards, some TVs, a 12 fret Southern Jumbo, and a J-45 Vintage. The Vintage came home with me because I liked the sound. I can't say it's "better" than any of the others, but I sure liked it more.

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I went on a Gibson quest after playing a banner. I just preyed I could find a new Gibson with THAT SOUND. Alas, you can't, but the new J 45 vintage was the most vintage sounding new Gibson I tried. All the New Gibsons are very good sounding guitars.

 

Once I was committed to spending $3500, and I was quoted that by a retailer, I went looking for what that would get me in a vintage Gibson. 60s J 45s are bringing $3000-3500 in good guitar shops. I found a shop with four 60s J 45s and a 42 J 35. The J 35 was exactly what I wanted at twice what I could afford. The 60s J 45s ranged from very good to meh. Then across the room, hanging with some Chinese Epiphones was my 65 Texan. It had a good 85% of the banner tone I was looking for.

 

But back to the new J 45 vintage. Easily to me, the best of the new Gibsons. Really good guitars, just not quite as dry and thumpy as old wood, but scary close. The subtle burst is because of the darkened torrified top.

 

Honorable mention goes to a Sheryl Crow I played.

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