NYRedneck Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Hi all, I was seeking information on a guitar I have and believe is a J45. Today I sent a photo to someone that said it was a 61 J45. I wasn't positive if it was indeed a J45, but I got my answer :) I believe it is actually a 65 and not a 61. It is a 6 digit S\N and I cannot make out the last digit for sure but according to a chart I observed online it just may be a 65. Either way, this guitar plays so nice and sounds amazing. I have read some news about the ADJ saddle which I assume is what i have?? I see or feel or hear no issues with this guitar. Love this guitar <3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 I believe that's the special upside down edition. Maybe one of the other forum members know what year they made them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYRedneck Posted March 24, 2017 Author Share Posted March 24, 2017 I believe that's the special upside down edition. Maybe one of the other forum members know what year they made them. I tried rotating the photo but no joy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Looks IDENTICAL to my '67 J45, even the playwear is similar, although mine is a touch heavier on playwear. The narrow nut width and specs would suggest it's late '65-'67. Great guitars if you can live with the slim neck, which I certainly can despite having vast hands! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Whatever year it is, it looks like a really sweet guitar and equally important is the fact that you enjoy playing it. Easy to bond with a guitar like this. I can't tell you much about the saddle (always been above my pay grade and knowledge), but I wouldn't let anyone talk me into changing anything on the guitar you describe and show. Looks like a truly "keeper" instrument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Definitely a mid/late 1960's cherryburst J-45 with ceramic adjustable saddle. Tuners have been changed. The guitar looks good, but well-played judging from the fretboard wear. If you could tell us the parts of the serial number you can read, we might be able to pin it down closer, but serial numbers in this era duplicate, so it may be impossible to date with precision. Probably pre-1968, from several features, so '65-'67 might be a reasonable guess. Could even be a couple of years earlier from characteristics. If you could give us the width of the nut on the fretboard side with precision--should be between 1 9/16" and 1 11/16"--that could help as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYRedneck Posted March 24, 2017 Author Share Posted March 24, 2017 I have been playing electric guitars for years and would dabble on acoustic occasionally. I have a 1968 Guild F30 that my dad gave me and was in very poor shape. I had the guitar repaired and brought back to life and love it to death but the J45 sounds so much warmer and different than the F30. It is one of if not the best sound I have ever heard :). They both have small necks and I have no issue with either of them but I do have small hands so its quite comfortable for me. Wow :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYRedneck Posted March 24, 2017 Author Share Posted March 24, 2017 Thanks :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYRedneck Posted March 24, 2017 Author Share Posted March 24, 2017 Definitely a mid/late 1960's cherryburst J-45 with ceramic adjustable saddle. Tuners have been changed. The guitar looks good, but well-played judging from the fretboard wear. If you could tell us the parts of the serial number you can read, we might be able to pin it down closer, but serial numbers in this era duplicate, so it may be impossible to date with precision. Probably pre-1968, from several features, so '65-'67 might be a reasonable guess. Could even be a couple of years earlier from characteristics. If you could give us the width of the nut on the fretboard side with precision--should be between 1 9/16" and 1 11/16"--that could help as well. I believe I did measure the nut and it seemed closer to 1 9/16 than 1 11/16 but I am not with the guitar at this time, I will measure again this weekend. S\N is 358688 I believe. Last number is hard to read and could be a 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliasphobias Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Oh, I like that. I really like the cherrybursts! So much so that I end playing catch and release with one every few years. There is so much variation in those 'bursts; darker, lighter, real vibrant (like yours seems to be), and the ones where the red has faded out almost entirely. My last one had the 1 9/16" neck, which I can get used to, but it screws me up going back to 1 3/4". Despite everything being wrong with them (hahaa), plywood bridge plate, adjustable hardware etc. they can sound fantastic. Enjoy! Welcome here! Try not to pay any attention to the broken glasses and knocked over bar stools. BTW the thicker pickguard and serial number pretty much confirms, as close as you'll get, mid '60s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 I believe I did measure the nut and it seemed closer to 1 9/16 than 1 11/16 but I am not with the guitar at this time, I will measure again this weekend. S\N is 358688 I believe. Last number is hard to read and could be a 6 If it starts with 358, it's most likely 1965, which makes sense with other other details, like the belly-up bridge with ceramic saddle. Basically, what you've got is a guitar that is the real sister to Donovan's 1965 J-45. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYRedneck Posted March 24, 2017 Author Share Posted March 24, 2017 If it starts with 358, it's most likely 1965, which makes sense with other other details, like the belly-up bridge with ceramic saddle. Basically, what you've got is a guitar that is the real sister to Donovan's 1965 J-45. Sweeeeeet !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Basically, what you've got is a guitar that is the real sister to Donovan's 1965 J-45. Yes, and that one sounded good (thought it was a 64'er) - so did the 2 pre-65's cherry-b's I've tried - both with adjustable ceramic saddle. Some might question this porcelain concept, but if you like it, don't bother. They carry one of the unique 'modern' Gibson-sounds and offer a fantastic bass. I still dream about the 1962'er met 3 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proclaimer888 Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Nice look'n guitar ya got there.....bet she's got some stories to tell.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYRedneck Posted April 17, 2017 Author Share Posted April 17, 2017 Can anyone put an app value on this guitar? I am not looking to sell it but I am trying to get an approximate value of the guitar in its current condition. The guitar looks like it has had a repair done to the back where there is evidence of a small crack but looks like it was repaired by a pro. There is some checking and we can see the tuners have been replaced all in all this guitar sounds warm and wonderful. I am not expert but i am guessing on the low end 2500.00 and 3500 on the high? Am I close? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boyd Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 Very nice! :) Looks almost the same as my 1965 J-50 (the only difference between the 45 and 50 is the finish). The tuners look like the pearl plastic Gibson ones that Guitar Center stocks. I put the same tuners on my 1974 J-50 when it was repaired five years ago. I would not have used these if I'd known there were very nice replicas of the original available. FWIW, here are the original tuners on my 1965 J-50, I think they would be the same on the J-45. I replaced them with new Kluson replicas that look just like the originals but operate much smoother. As for the cost, I really don't follow that as closely as others around here. But I did shop for my J-50 in 2015 and saw prices in the $2400 to $3000 range for mid 60's guitars. Got mine at Guitar Center and they were originally asking $3300. It sat around there for many months and they lowered the price to $2400. I offered $2000 and they didn't even push back (although the manager made some phone calls before approving the sale). Maybe that means they paid less than $2000 for it? That also might say something about the market for one of these. I'd say your cost estimate is high unless there's something special about it. But I really like mine and don't mind the narrow neck. Mine has the rosewood bridge but it looks like yours is ceramic or tusq or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYRedneck Posted April 17, 2017 Author Share Posted April 17, 2017 Very nice! :) Looks almost the same as my 1965 J-50 (the only difference between the 45 and 50 is the finish). The tuners look like the pearl plastic Gibson ones that Guitar Center stocks. I put the same tuners on my 1974 J-50 when it was repaired five years ago. I would not have used these if I'd known there were very nice replicas of the original available. FWIW, here are the original tuners on my 1965 J-50, I think they would be the same on the J-45. I replaced them with new Kluson replicas that look just like the originals but operate much smoother. As for the cost, I really don't follow that as closely as others around here. But I did shop for my J-50 in 2015 and saw prices in the $2400 to $3000 range for mid 60's guitars. Got mine at Guitar Center and they were originally asking $3300. It sat around there for many months and they lowered the price to $2400. I offered $2000 and they didn't even push back (although the manager made some phone calls before approving the sale). Maybe that means they paid less than $2000 for it? That also might say something about the market for one of these. I'd say your cost estimate is high unless there's something special about it. But I really like mine and don't mind the narrow neck. Mine has the rosewood bridge but it looks like yours is ceramic or tusq or something? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 You can get a ballpark idea of current prices by checking listings on Reverb.com - as long as you keep in mind that if someone accepts offers, they're probably willing to take 10-20% less w/o too much fuss.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 Well played, but nice! Leave it as is, you've got a sweetheart there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 I had one nearly identical to yours that was my main guitar for 3 or 4 years in the early 1970's. Wonderful to play and fine-sounding. Don't recall why I let it go - some parts of the '70s are kind of, um, unclear in my memory. Likely couldn't play it now because the fretboard was narrow and I can't navigate one of those as well as I did back then - you can train big hands, but not big arthritic hands😄 Mine was a 1966. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Yeah, a guitar like that I would leave alone. That's a "vintage" I could live with, providing the price wasn't "highway robbery." Looks great and I wouldn't care what kind of finish it had, if it was peeling, had some marks on it, had an adjustable bridge or the London Bridge. I'd play-the-hell out of it. If it's the guitar "you need," I hope you get it and at a good price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boyd Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 I hope you get it and at a good price. The way I understood it, he already owns the guitar and was just trying to find out more about it. In the OP he said "I was seeking information on a guitar I have" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 Hi all, I was seeking information on a guitar I have and believe is a J45. Today I sent a photo to someone that said it was a 61 J45. I wasn't positive if it was indeed a J45, but I got my answer :) I believe it is actually a 65 and not a 61. It is a 6 digit S\N and I cannot make out the last digit for sure but according to a chart I observed online it just may be a 65. Either way, this guitar plays so nice and sounds amazing. I have read some news about the ADJ saddle which I assume is what i have?? I see or feel or hear no issues with this guitar. Love this guitar <3 I have a 2006 Gibson J45 1964 Custom Shop Reissue in my collection in cherry sunburst. Looks identical, except for the Custom Shop logo on the back of its neck. (And mine came with the reissue's tusq adj saddle rather than the original's ceramic one...which, I have since replaced with an adj bone saddle). Otherwise, I've compared mine to a 1965 side by side, though never an actual 1964, and they are seemingly quite identical. I suspect all of the mid 60s J45's from that original era are pretty similar except for disimilarities that are inherent with all hand made guitar's being individualistic a bit...a cool thing. QM aka Jazzman Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted April 18, 2017 Share Posted April 18, 2017 G;ad he's got it. Got caught-up in the thread and thought he was still looking at it. Hope it works well for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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