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Identifying my source of GAS


uncle fester

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Hi folks, irrationally i'm starting to scope out what i want to look for next. In general, the families I'm considering are: Southern Jumbo, Hummingbird, and J50

 

the details of what i'm looking for are


  •  
  • need to have: regular scale, wide big neck, thick frets, no negative reputations around tone.
  • nice to have: early 60s or older, southern jumbo / h bird inlays (love them)
     
     

 

Do people have any input on general era's timeframes that would be better to look at across these (already, I believe early 60's Hummingbirds, but beware after 65 or so)

 

Thank you all again for input.

 

Rgds - billroy

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Best advice I can think of is to play as many as you can find and determine what sounds and feels best to you. when you mention 'regular scale', do you mean long or short scale? As for what constitutes proper fingerboard width, the variation you sound like you'd prefer to avoid was typical of many mid to late 60's models. The matter of a big neck is also a bit of a judgment call, plus the fact that all necks from any given era won't be clones in terms of heft. This probably sounds kind of frustrating, but Gibson guitars can be like that if your requirements are too predetermined. As I suggested, take 'em one at a time☺

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Best advice I can think of is to play as many as you can find and determine what sounds and feels best to you. when you mention 'regular scale', do you mean long or short scale? As for what constitutes proper fingerboard width, the variation you sound like you'd prefer to avoid was typical of many mid to late 60's models. The matter of a big neck is also a bit of a judgment call, plus the fact that all necks from any given era won't be clones in terms of heft. This probably sounds kind of frustrating, but Gibson guitars can be like that if your requirements are too predetermined. As I suggested, take 'em one at a time☺

 

 

Thank you, very much appreciate the input. I agree with the 'play as many as possible' strategy - my limitation is access without significant travel. Regardless my hunt has started, and there's nothing but goodness in this type of hunt.

 

Rgds - billroy

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Thank you, very much appreciate the input. I agree with the 'play as many as possible' strategy - my limitation is access without significant travel. Regardless my hunt has started, and there's nothing but goodness in this type of hunt.

 

Rgds - billroy

 

 

ergo the problem with finding a Gibson Dealer that has stock for guys like us to test drive in Massachusetts, where you're mostly forced into dealing with Guitar Center. and, uhm, no thanks .... "dude" ....

 

I guess to test drive something, but to purchase from them,, uh-uh..

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Thank you, very much appreciate the input. I agree with the 'play as many as possible' strategy - my limitation is access without significant travel. Regardless my hunt has started, and there's nothing but goodness in this type of hunt.

 

Rgds - billroy

I agree - availability is bad and getting worse all the time. At least, if you're looking at vintage, there's a better possibility of coming across something you can evaluate hands on. A lot of the fun of searching left a few years ago, and it's a darn shame.

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Hi folks, irrationally i'm starting to scope out what i want to look for next. In general, the families I'm considering are: Southern Jumbo, Hummingbird, and J50

 

the details of what i'm looking for are


  •  
  • need to have: regular scale, wide big neck, thick frets, no negative reputations around tone.
  • nice to have: early 60s or older, southern jumbo / h bird inlays (love them)
     
     

 

Do people have any input on general era's timeframes that would be better to look at across these (already, I believe early 60's Hummingbirds, but beware after 65 or so)

 

Thank you all again for input.

 

Rgds - billroy

 

 

 

The wide, big neck part of your wishlist is the fly in the ointment....

 

Generally, Gibson made hopefully what people wanted and hence would buy, but big necks to me means the 30s, 1 3/4” nut with fat V necks. Around 39-40, they mainly changed to 1 11/16” nuts with varying neck sizes right up to the late 50s and 60s where they slipped in the skinnies!...1 5/8 or 1 9/16....and a pencil neck.

 

Then the current models with 1.72” nut and a medium slim neck....

 

You are going to have to drive to try anything except the newer models. Or buy online.

 

 

BluesKing777.

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Thank you all again. I would expect I will settle on something in the 1 11/16 range, opening my options a bit, but being aware to avoid the 'skinnies'. Regardless, I now have a mission and new era of guitars to learn about (the 30s :)... see what type of trouble that knowledge can get me in.

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Thank you all again. I would expect I will settle on something in the 1 11/16 range, opening my options a bit, but being aware to avoid the 'skinnies'. Regardless, I now have a mission and new era of guitars to learn about (the 30s :)... see what type of trouble that knowledge can get me in.

 

 

I noticed a 59 J50 at Elderly..... :rolleyes:

 

 

BluesKing777.

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If you can find one, do try an early ‘60s Epi Frontier-I played one recently (the Gram Parsons/Altamont guitar) which was possibly the greatest sounding acoustic I’ve ever laid ears/eyes/hands on. Just huge, thumping but refined tone. Glorious!

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If you can find one, do try an early ‘60s Epi Frontier-I played one recently (the Gram Parsons/Altamont guitar) which was possibly the greatest sounding acoustic I’ve ever laid ears/eyes/hands on. Just huge, thumping but refined tone. Glorious!

 

I had never considered Epis (had never considered them on par with Gibsons). Just doing a quick wickipedia and then checking out some of the guitars on reverb etc... they sure are nice looking guitars if anything, and considering how the companies were rivals to each other (under the same company, but separate)... would love to play one. Appreciate the lead.

 

Again... they are pretty! i like both the minimal burst and natural, hmmmm....

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I noticed a 59 J50 at Elderly..... :rolleyes:

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

That's a very nice instrument as well, and doesn't seem that bad of a price. I wasn't sure, but was that a link to a divorce lawyer next to it? :).

 

This does bring us to the 'have to play' them part of the conversation though. My J45 is all mahogany, thinking I want to try some rosewood, not knowing the availability from those eras, but just thinking a different tone wood could be interesting at least to try. Maybe maple, but I don't think I'm ready for that, that's when I'm ready to put my big boy pants on and start looking at J200s ; )

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If you can find one, do try an early ‘60s Epi Frontier-I played one recently (the Gram Parsons/Altamont guitar) which was possibly the greatest sounding acoustic I’ve ever laid ears/eyes/hands on. Just huge, thumping but refined tone. Glorious!

 

A few months back I passed on '64 Epi Frontier a friend of mine offered me. No reason other than I was not in the mood to buy anything at the moment. But this is why though I do not need to go searching for guitars. They just tend to show up. That same week a 1951 J-50 also made an appearance. Said no to that one as well.

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From what you describe I’d look for a 1950s SJ or SJN/Country Western.

 

Good to see Stubee checking in again, although he really should get thee away from photobucket, and over to imgur.com.

 

Agree about the older SJ or SJN/Country Western, as I'm a bit 'bursted out at this time. . . except, of course, for that Autumnburst on Buc's 12 fret J-45 (finally, a photo of one in natural light to get a sense of the burst).

 

Don't worry about all the macho "my neck is bigger than your neck" stuff- the standard (non-skinny 60's) Gibson neck can be made to work for all but the most ham-fisted. However, there are some Roy Smeck reissues made from time to time- this Centennial issue from '94 (there were also natural finished ones made) is worth checking out, if nothing more than for Mark Stutman's fine photography skills: http://www.folkwaymusic.com/museum/gibson-guitars/gibson-roy-smeck-1994-0413/. The fret markers might hold more interest for those who have seen enough of the split parallelogram inlays on the SJ's and 'Birds. They also have a greater nut width, but the neck profile has more of a "v" to it, and the increased body depth (check out the 3/4 angle photo of the back/heel) might take it away from the punchy, mid-happy J-45 sound.

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