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Help with a purchase decision


seamonkey

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Essentially, we are chasing our tails here. As Jinder has pointed out, you can take three different versions of what is nominally the near-exact same guitar, and they may all sound somewhat different from each other. We can't really give you much in the way of valuable input on this. Your ears would tell you in five minutes of playing which of the three J-45 versions fills the gap in your collection the best.

 

Any of these J-45's should sound somewhat different from the long-scale, rosewood AJ, even though they share the same body style. The exact differences are almost impossible to forecast, since we don't know what your AJ is like, or what these particular J-45 variants are like

 

There have been lengthy discussions of both AJ's and J-45's here, and the takeaway is that without playing them side-by-side, with the same strings on them, it's almost impossible to say how much difference there will be between the guitars you are looking at, and the guitars you already own. Some AJ's are big and booming, great flatpickers that will hold their own in a bluegrass jam, others are quieter and more balanced. Few J-45's are what I would call loud boomers, but some will make you sit up and pay attention with great articulation and clarity, whether strummed, flatpicked, or fingerpicked.

 

Adi tops generally have a dryer sound than sitka, but that's just a generalization, and may not apply to any two particular instruments. The differences may not show up clearly until the guitars are 20 years or more older.

 

How would you describe the sound of your 'bird vs your AJ, and what tonal difference are you seeking?

 

 

thanks. i'm pretty aware that most guitars even the same model are different, and strings, picks etc make a big difference, but not having played an "Early J45) or a TV, or an Adi top, the generalizations are quite helpful, especially since it's hard to find someone who's ever played an "Early". the TVs i figured must be pretty great. i think my AJ sounds generally like an AJ should, warm, but loud with a pronounced bottom end and sparking highs. likewise, my Bird has that nice piano like quality and is a great strummer. i guess with a J45 i'm looking for something particularly J45ish, which from the ones i've played seem pretty even across the midrange and slightly warm. if the Adi top TV strengthens the bass and the treble, it may be too much like the AJ

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i guess with a J45 i'm looking for something particularly J45ish, which from the ones i've played seem pretty even across the midrange and slightly warm. if the Adi top TV strengthens the bass and the treble, it may be too much like the AJ

 

J-45's in general are balanced, with a mid-range focus. We've done a fair amount of tests here to try to see if members can consistently differentiate tonally between adi and sitka-topped versions of the same guitar, and they can't. There are too many variables that affect tone. If your AJ is adi-topped, it may be that a sitka-topped J-45 will provide more tonal difference.

 

But it may well not.

 

If you are buying blind, with no chance to play, just buy the one that appeals to you most on condition, features, and price. You can change tonal balance dramatically through string choice.

 

Good luck in your search.

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The 1990 could have the Fullerplast finish rather the nitrocellulose lacquer. The 1998 is definitely a nitro finish, which is preferable by most accounts.

 

 

It will also have the paddle neck joint. The Fullperplast finish will not impact sound but it is tougher to touch up and repair The paddle neck joint will also not impact sound but depending on who you ask they are a lot tougher to work on or no problem at all.

 

All in all though, I know a few folks who swear that guitars built in the late 1980s and early 1990s are the best sounding instruments to come out of Bozeman. Just hearsay though.

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J-45's in general are balanced, with a mid-range focus. We've done a fair amount of tests here to try to see if members can consistently differentiate tonally between adi and sitka-topped versions of the same guitar, and they can't. There are too many variables that affect tone. If your AJ is adi-topped, it may be that a sitka-topped J-45 will provide more tonal difference.

 

But it may well not.

 

If you are buying blind, with no chance to play, just buy the one that appeals to you most on condition, features, and price. You can change tonal balance dramatically through string choice.

 

Good luck in your search.

 

 

Thanks!

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  • 2 weeks later...

the J45 Early arrived today. it's eery. it's been kept by a collector, and down to the string tags is a brand new 20 year old guitar! i ad thought it would be a 1 3/4 " neck, but it's still really nice. i can't remember if i ever learned hoe to post pics or not. anyway, thanks for the help. i can't believe they accepted my offer! it's light as a feather and rings like a bell

 

apparently haven't figured out the picture thing yet...

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Congrats! I think you'll bond with it, having spent not just money, but time in this search! Sounds like a keeper!

I felt really dissed when I got a black case instead of tan (Cali Girl) on my H'Bird. But, I've come to realize - the case sits in the closet. The guitar's the thing!

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