Mahogany top J45

[livemusic]

I have the J30 in my sig and love it. I keep it in open tuning. It has cool tuners, those that are kinda cream-greenish color, I don't know what you call it. Haven't played it in awhile, I think it is square shouldered.

[E-minor7]

Very well chosen modifications. And the guitar sounds stellar. Already fatter, , , richer than the treasured 50.

I trust your prophesy about this one bein' a keeper*. May perform miracles in the years to come.

*the fill-drill-hole urge reveals it, doesn't it. .

Look forward to hear more from this brown slope.

Played 2 new all hog Marts last winter. Both grabbed me by the guts.

 

Now back to changing steel on my 2 square maple fliers.

 

[j45nick]

 

Now back to changing steel on my 2 square maple fliers.

 

 

Dove and Firebird?

[vw1300]

Ok, It's almost a month later. This guitar still floors me. It might not be everyone's cup of joe, but to me it is dark, powerful, and flat our perfect for my vocals. I find myself reaching for it way too often!

 

 

Holy cow - I admit I'm something of a lurker, but I step away for a month or two and Sal's bought another guitar? Last time I checked in you just bought the AJ and were loving it. Congratulations - nothing beats a great deal on an outstanding guitar! Just wondering - do you still have the AJ?

 

Charlie

[Dave F]

...*the fill-drill-hole urge reveals it, doesn't it. . .....

 

 

This does sound serious, doesn't it?

I bet the rest of the herd is getting nervous.

[MorrisrownSal]

I have the Bird, the AJ, the J50, the J45 Mahogany, and a J45 standard on loan...

So yeah... no problem here. In control. :)

[E-minor7]

Dove and Firebird?

Sure - they last received new steel on Dec. 9th 2015. Try to re-string them with the same brand on the same date.

This time Masterbuilt 80/20.

And now a Q U didn't see from a week ago or so (I'm sure Sal will allow us space).

How was your old squire-45 braced when it returned from the late 60s Kalamazoo franken-stunt ?

 

This does sound serious, doesn't it?

I bet the rest of the herd is getting nervous.

For some reason especially the Bird.

 

I have the Bird, the AJ, the J50, the J45 Mahogany, and a J45 standard on loan...

So yeah... no problem here. In control. :)

45s are terrific and my black nut 2010 is a sheer monster compared to my pals Historic Collection (still have a slight roof of compression though).

It's hard to believe they are the same model with so few years between them.

Enjoy the ride - isn't it like bein' 6 and having special access to a carousel, trying all the animals.

[j45nick]

And now a Q U didn't see from a week ago or so (I'm sure Sal will allow us space).

How was your old squire-45 braced when it returned from the late 60s Kalamazoo franken-stunt ?

 

 

Back bracing was untouched, so it is still the early post-war tall, thin knife-edge bracing. New top bracing is standard X-brace, with braces that are un-scalloped, but tapered in both width and height towards their ends at the kerfing. All joints in the top bracing have muslin strips at joints, such as the x-brace intersection and the ends of the tone bars where they butt into the x-brace. Ends of braces do not appear to be tucked under kerfing. I suspect the top kerfing is still the original.

 

When the guitar came back in 1968, it had the big ply bridgeplate and the adj bridge. It also had a curious transverse floating support with a screw jack appliance just behind the soundhole, presumably to keep the top from rotating forward in front of the bridge under string pressure. I removed that brace and its associated hardware out shortly after I got the guitar back (September 1968), as it struck me as unnecessary, and a tone-killer. Others have described that as a floating brace, I believe.

 

When Ross Teigen did all the work on this guitar in 2010, he removed the ply bridgeplate, the adj bridge and all associated hardware, plugged the top holes for the adj screws, put in a new, smaller maple bridgeplate, and fabricated a new Brazilian slot-through bridge like the original. He also removed the remains of the support structure for that floating brace, which were glued to the sides of the guitar.

 

He also slightly thinned the top while he had the neck off for a re-set.

 

All in all, the guitar now sounds (to my ear, at least) much closer to a post-war guitar than it has since the mid-1960's, when it still had the original top. Quite dry, good clarity without the ringing sustain of many modern slope-Js.

 

The tone, however is radically different from that of my other 'hog slope J (1943 SJ re-issue from late 2006). I keep telling people these guitars may look similar and have the same woods, but like the trees they came from, they are all individuals.

 

I'm convinced that modern Gibsons are more similar in tone to each other because the building processes instituted by Ren have produced more consistent results. That's not a bad thing.

[E-minor7]

Back bracing was untouched, so it is still the early post-war tall, thin knife-edge bracing. New top bracing is standard X-brace, with braces that are un-scalloped, but tapered in both width and height towards their ends at the kerfing. All joints in the top bracing have muslin strips at joints, such as the x-brace intersection and the ends of the tone bars where they butt into the x-brace. Ends of braces do not appear to be tucked under kerfing. I suspect the top kerfing is still the original.

 

When the guitar came back in 1968, it had the big ply bridgeplate and the adj bridge. It also had a curious transverse floating support with a screw jack appliance just behind the soundhole, presumably to keep the top from rotating forward in front of the bridge under string pressure. I removed that brace and its associated hardware out shortly after I got the guitar back (September 1968), as it struck me as unnecessary, and a tone-killer. Others have described that as a floating brace, I believe.

 

When Ross Teigen did all the work on this guitar in 2010, he removed the ply bridgeplate, the adj bridge and all associated hardware, plugged the top holes for the adj screws, put in a new, smaller maple bridgeplate, and fabricated a new Brazilian slot-through bridge like the original. He also removed the remains of the support structure for that floating brace, which were glued to the sides of the guitar.

 

He also slightly thinned the top while he had the neck off for a re-set.

 

All in all, the guitar now sounds (to my ear, at least) much closer to a post-war guitar than it has since the mid-1960's, when it still had the original top. Quite dry, good clarity without the ringing sustain of many modern slope-Js.

 

The tone, however is radically different from that of my other 'hog slope J (1943 SJ re-issue from late 2006). I keep telling people these guitars may look similar and have the same woods, but like the trees they came from, they are all individuals.

 

I'm convinced that modern Gibsons are more similar in tone to each other because the building processes instituted by Ren have produced more consistent results. That's not a bad thing.

A nice over-vue on one of the Forum's more spectacular guitars.

The floating brace you talk about was probably the so called JLD-system - https://www.google.d...NJVhfiQEq8DbLM:

Had one in the 1953 J-45 and removed it, which really sat the deer free.

 

Allow me to post a pic of yours before modification. Can't remember when it was born. Late 50s. . ?

1960's ~

[E-minor7]

'Xcuse me for the side-road above, Sal - but sometimes one 45 triggers another.

 

Now back to all-hog.

[j45nick]

Allow me to post a pic of yours before modification. Can't remember when it was born. Late 50s. . ?

1960's ~

 

 

FON is 3644. That places it between 1948 and 1950. that picture was taken in either very late 1966 or very early 1967. If it was late '66, I was 19 years old.

 

Time flies.

 

Another member here has a J-45 with FON 3645, I believe.

 

When that picture was taken, the guitar was about 16-18 years old, and was pretty worn out: loose braces, worn frets, deep divots in the fretboard, jackhole in the side, curling pickguard. It had been a working guitar all its life, which was probably the reason it sounded so good, despite all the buzzing from loose braces. Saddle was high, neck angle was perfect.

 

I was in love with it. Still love it, despite its changes over the years.

 

None of us looks like we did 50+ years ago...

[MorrisrownSal]

Divert away... Great pic Nick! Hippie sandals and everything

[OldCowboy]

FON is 3644. That places it between 1948 and 1950. that picture was taken in either very late 1966 or very early 1967. If it was late '66, I was 19 years old.

 

Time flies.

 

Another member here has a J-45 with FON 3645, I believe.

 

When that picture was taken, the guitar was about 16-18 years old, and was pretty worn out: loose braces, worn frets, deep divots in the fretboard, jackhole in the side, curling pickguard. It had been a working guitar all its life, which was probably the reason it sounded so good, despite all the buzzing from loose braces. Saddle was high, neck angle was perfect.

 

I was in love with it. Still love it, despite its changes over the years.

 

None of us looks like we did 50+ years ago...

Amen to that last line! People who disdain a bit of age and character in guitars and the players thereof just don't get it☺

[blindboygrunt]

Divert away... Great pic Nick! Hippie sandals and everything

 

I was doing my very best not to mention the sandals

 

 

Now the pump don’t work

[j45nick]

I was doing my very best not to mention the sandals

 

 

Now the pump dont work

 

'cuz the vandals took the handles AND my sandals!

 

I was sort of attached to those sandals. Anyone of my vintage probably owned a pair at some point, except maybe the old cowpoke, who might have been busy getting fitted for his new Jungle Boots about that time.

 

And you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows...

[uncle fester]

[/b][/size]1960's ~ [/font]

 

 

Man that's awesome! I don't know if it's another thread... but geeze, if anyone else has picks of themselves back in the day that they're willing to share, would love to see them. It got me looking through some of my old snapshots, nothing guitar related, but was a fun walk down memory lane for myself, beards, beads and long hair to boot.

[j45nick]

A nice over-vue on one of the Forum's more spectacular guitars.

The floating brace you talk about was probably the so called JLD-system - https://www.google.d...NJVhfiQEq8DbLM:

 

 

No, it was an entirely different arrangement that may have served a similar purpose. I have heard of other Gibsons in the late 1960's (specifically, J-200's) fitted with the same "appliance" Gibson put in my J-45 in 1968, but have never seen a drawing. From memory, there were two vertical mahogany pieces glued to the sides of the guitar, with a transverse floating brace under the top resting on these, in the middle of which was a vertical metal screwpost adjusted by a thumbscrew that butted up against the underside of the big plywood bridgeplate just behind the apex of the x-brace.

 

The concept would be functionally similar to the Bridge Doctor, but entirely different in design.

 

I cut all of this out of the guitar in 1968, except for the mahogany side stays, thinking the whole arrangement was something Gibson accidentally left in place while re-topping the guitar. Ross Teigen removed the remains of those mahogany side posts when he did extensive work on the guitar a few years ago. I have the remains of those pieces in my parts bin, but the rest of the parts are long gone. Ross also removed and replaced the big ply bridgeplate with a normal-sized maple one, and the remains of the old ply plate in my parts bin are too badly damaged to see where the adjusting post might have landed on it.

 

I bet someone here --somebody like ZW--knows exactly what this was, and why Gibson did it.