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No J185 to be found


Orval

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Hello,

 

I've been looking to buy a J185 but it's crazy but true, here in Europe there simply are none to be found.

Is that model so unpopular that Gibson doesn't make them anymore? I think it is one of the coolest of them all, those iron crosses are just so stylish.

What do you guys think?

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I bought this a few years ago. They are very nice guitars. I think it depends if you like the sound of maple. Don't buy one thinking it's a rosewood or mahogany guitar, you'll be disappointed.

 

IMHO if you mainly 'plug in' the tone woods play less a factor.

 

11311004_lg5_zpsd8qzh4si.jpg

 

 

 

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Wow Dave, that's exactly what I mean by cool! Great pic!

Of course a guitars first purpose is to sound good, maybe it"s a curse for the J185 to look like a J200 but be smaller in body, but is it also smaller in sound or just different?

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Based on the ones I've had, it's not that much smaller or less loud. I had a J200 standard maple which was a very nice guitar and this J185. I thought they sounded the same. I decided to move the J200 and keep the J185 just because the J185 was a little more comfortable and I have two other custom J200's.

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I love mine., it's a great guitar and I prefer it over the J-200 both in sound and size. Gibson never promoted this model properly from the get go and it was also overshadowed by its more ornate big brother the J-200. they still do runs of them occasionally but I haven't found many in stores here in the USA.

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When I was at the 2007 Homecoming we got to sample many new Gibson acoustics at Music Villa. There was a blonde 185 on the rack that screamed my name, not only with tone, but neck shape, beauty, action.... I didn't have a credit card but if I did, I would have left with it.

 

Side note, I know the necks are CNC but this one felt different. Wider, flatter, more friendly nut spacing, I don't know... it just 'was'.

 

Two ships that passed in the night I'm afraid.

 

2u53yvl.jpg

2m5gmkw.jpg

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2u53yvl.jpg

2m5gmkw.jpg

My natural finish 2012 J-185 is exactly like this one: No crosses on the bridge, and Grover tuners. These two changes are perfect for me because the crosses are my least favorite feature, and tulip tuners on this particular model are my second least favorite feature. So not only is this guitar aesthetically, for me, the perfect J-185, but out of all my acoustics, It also would tonally be my desert island keeper.

 

As with any given model, J-185s are not all created equal. Some will sound rather lifeless, the majority will sound relatively pedestrian, and some will sound like angles singing & swirling all around your auditory senses.

 

The trick is to find one that provides a gateway to those angelic tones.

 

Hope it happens for you!

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The J-185 is one of the best maple guitars Gibson has ever delivered. I still prefer it over its super jumbo counterpart. I'm one of those few who are into the J-180, the funky version of the J-185, with its large dual pickguards and striking ebony design.

 

sD4x5nA.jpg

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Bobouz, glad that you found the perfect J185 for your tastes and ears.

For me it would have to be crosses and tulip tuners, and a big neck while we're at it, but different strokes...

I haven't played many J200s, impressive every time but I can imagine that it would be too big a guitar to be confortably playing all night long.

That's why I (think) I like the J185, just as cool a Gibson design as the J200, just a little more managable.

But as I said, there aren't any to try, let alone to order from a dealer here in Europe <_<

 

And those Everly J180 are something else! I like them very much, but you have to be a real man to get up on stage and play one [biggrin] but I would buy one in a heartbeat if I could find one.

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I had one from the early 2000's that I picked up in a steal locally (I think about $700). I loved the feel, body shape, and light weight, but I was too sloppy a player for the maple at that time. I traded it to a forum member. 10 or so years later, I am thinking about taking a look a look at this one locally.

 

https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/msg/6049117723.html

 

* other than to feed my recent extended case of Gas, I have no need for the guitar. So maybe someone here will buy it before I get the chance

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Orval - Also wanted to mention that 1999 marked a breakout year for Gibson, with a significantly revised lineup of acoustic models. It was the beginning of a serious effort to closely recreate many of Gibson's most iconic acoustics, including the J-185. Imho, any J-185 from that date forward would merit consideration.

 

Back in 2001, I came extremely close to purchasing a new J-185 which had been on sale - but upon returning to buy it, the sale had been over for one day & the dealer would not honor the sale price (even though we had discussed the guitar a few days prior without mention of the sale ending soon). That particular guitar was clearly a stellar instrument, but I passed on it because the regular price was above what I had budgeted for the purchase. It took me until 2012 to once again find the right one!

 

Indeed, the good ones are out there - even if it means purchasing from overseas. Quality dealers in the USA such as Elderly & Gruhn might be a good place to start (Elderly had one for sale not long ago). Remain patient & enjoy the hunt.

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The J185 is one of those outstanding guitars that might suffer from a wrong perception. Maybe that's part of why not that many are around, new or used. With most guitar makers, if they make a Jumbo, it's very likely the "big dog" of the line in regards to size and possibly also price. With Gibson it's different. They also make a line of Super Jumbos. I'm only speaking for myself, but I want the bigger guitar. I've owned two super jumbos and never had a strong interest in a J185. Has nothing at all to do with the quality of the J185, but it's almost as if it became the "poor sister" of the super jumbos. I want the super jumbo size like Dylan, Cash, Peter Townsend, and Emmy Lo Harris have played. Again, the J185 is a high class beauty, but publicly tends to "stand in the shadow" of her well known sisters.

 

I hope you can find yourself a sweet J185. There are surely some around, but once someone finds one, they don't want to part with it.....Good luck in your search.

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J-185s are lovely instruments, and -- when "right" -- can be wonderful things. But that's true of any guitar model you can mention, I think. Myself, I like the model a lot, but have been on The Hunt for many years. Currently, it's my favourite model, but that is also partially due to having now found some wonderful examples of it.

 

As with any maker and model, though, there can be/are duds, so-so examples, good, and great examples. And what some folks think of as "great", others may consider to be "meh".

 

These two were made about 50 years and 1300 miles apart:

 

IMGP7147-1_zps4556d705.jpg

 

Fred

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J-185s are lovely instruments, and -- when "right" -- can be wonderful things. But that's true of any guitar model you can mention, I think. Myself, I like the model a lot, but have been on The Hunt for many years. Currently, it's my favourite model, but that is also partially due to having now found some wonderful examples of it.

 

As with any maker and model, though, there can be/are duds, so-so examples, good, and great examples. And what some folks think of as "great", others may consider to be "meh".

 

These two were made about 50 years and 1300 miles apart:

 

IMGP7147-1_zps4556d705.jpg

 

Fred

 

Fred,

 

Is there any sonic similarities between both guitars ?

 

 

 

JC

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I had a J185 for a few months. I tried to like the sound, but couldn't. Felt like a wimpy version of a J200.

 

Thats been my expereince with J-185's. They look amazing, play nice, and I like maple, but just seem to lack bite and power.

 

And I diefinitely believe that tonewoods have a huge impact on the plugged in tone. Maple sounds by far the best to me when going down the amplified route. Even with exactly same pickups.

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Thats been my expereince with J-185's. They look amazing, play nice, and I like maple, but just seem to lack bite and power.

 

And I diefinitely believe that tonewoods have a huge impact on the plugged in tone. Maple sounds by far the best to me when going down the amplified route. Even with exactly same pickups.

 

My sentiments exactly, EA. I've bought and sold 2 of them just because they look and play so cool. In the end, sound made me sell them.

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My sentiments exactly, EA. I've bought and sold 2 of them just because they look and play so cool. In the end, sound made me sell them.

But how many have you played? If it's only been the two (or a few more), I would have to believe you simply haven't come across a stellar example.

 

True, we can all only go by our own experiences, but I absolutely believe in the bell curve effect when it comes to guitars. The majority of any given model will be rather mediocre, a few will be dogs, and a few will be superb.

 

The vast majority of quality guitars I play in stores do almost nothing for me. Very rarely will one come along that seems to be something special. Of the J-185s I've played, only two have had a tone that created a lasting impression, and those represent the signature sound yardstick by which I measure this model. Luckily, I could actually afford one of those guitars at the time!

 

Same goes for jumbos, round-shoulders, and small bodies. The good ones will represent a signature sound that, once you've experienced it, becomes imbedded in your senses.

 

We've had a few threads here lately discussing the ever dwindling network of Gibson dealers. Unfortunately, in this day & age of internet purchases, how in the world will you know if you have a superb example of a given model? If the brown truck delivers something you like or don't like, so be it. But there is no way to accurately generalize about any given model based on what just arrived on your doorstep.

 

What a strange way to buy a guitar!

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We've had a few threads here lately discussing the ever dwindling network of Gibson dealers. Unfortunately, in this day & age of internet purchases, how in the world will you know if you have a superb example of a given model? If the brown truck delivers something you like or don't like, so be it. But there is no way to accurately generalize about any given model based on what just arrived on your doorstep.

 

Exactly! We can all discuss the scenario of an ideal guitar-buying situation, but we all know that the scenario rarely, if ever happens. If you find a J185 in great shape and you like it and it plays and sounds good, then that's the guitar for you. Play it and enjoy it. Don't sweat the subjective opinions of everyone else. I like all of my Gibsons. Don't recall comparing them against any other guitar of the same model line. Bought them simply because they sound/feel good to me. Several have been purchased over the internet. Someone else might think what I like is just "okay" sounding or "not bad," etc. I really don't care and you shouldn't either. I think I've got some sweet examples of the models I own. That's all that matters to me. It's not brain surgery" (BBG loves the "brain surgery" threads). It's simply----you like it or you don't. If you like it you play it. If you don't, it sits in the case or you get rid of it.

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But how many have you played? If it's only been the two (or a few more), I would have to believe you simply haven't come across a stellar example

 

Well, I have played more than a few. Don't really know what you mean that I haven't come across a "stellar" example? How many need to be played to find one? And please don't take this as Gibson bashing, I think they make some of the finest guitars today. In fact, every other Gibson I have ever played and owned were great guitars. I guess a J185 is just not for me.

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