'42 Legend $3400

[Mr. Paul]

Never played one of these but I know lots of folks really like this model and it seems the others I've seen for sale used have been priced $4K+

 

https://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/listing/gibson-montana-limited-1942-j-45-legend-sunburst-2016-s012/18219418

[Dave F]

Per the PR released with the first J45 Legends that came out, they were painstaking reproductions of Eldon Whitford's sample all the way down to the saw marks on the bracing, resurrecting the original machines that were used.

The one shown on CME looks like a bright, shiny, brand new guitar unlike the older legends. I don't know what other changes there may be such as the special woods that were used.

Here's a picture of mine.

 

[EuroAussie]

Save up a bit more and get the real thing. The tone difference really is workth the extra cash.

[Red 333]

It is speced differently for a Legend. It has the AJ/J-35 style pickguard instead of the teardrop, a standard black instead of period specific reproduction "red line" case, and a high gloss finish and bright white bindings instead of aged. It also has an orange label (most Legends had none like a true 1942 model), which suggests to me that this is either a special variant built for CME or another retailer, or perhaps for the Japanese market (there was a special run of them for Japan with gloss finishes, if I recall).

 

If I remember correctly, I saw a vintage Gibson that was said to be a '42 J-45 that had the AJ/J-35 style guard and a banner (and maybe the J-35's headstock shape?)--if not that than some mix of a J-35 and J-45 cosmetics*--so maybe this particular Legend is not meant to replicate Whitford's but some exact or hypothetical transitional model. Or it just may be Gibson being Gibson and using what's available in the parts bin (which in itself is historically accurate in a way!) and using it because a firestripe teardrop guard was unavailable. The other thing I can think of is someone put the wrong guard on and they didn't want to remove it at the factory because the finish was still not dry enough to remove without potential damage, so they boxed it up and sent it out.

 

And I respectfully disagree with EA about the Legend models not being equal to their inspiration. I've encountered a number of vintage '42s that were not to equal to the Legends (in general), so it all depends on the individual instrument. And decent '42s sell for quite a bit more than the instrument in question. Almost two to maybe two and a half times as much.

 

Red 333

 

EDIT *It was labeled on the sale tag as a '42 J-35.

[thegreatgumbino]

2106 was the year Fuller’s did a special run of 1942 J45 Legends that have fortified backs and sides in addition to the soundboard. I’ve played 4 or 5 of them in their shop, and was very impressed by them. They didn’t come with a Redline case. I’m fairly certain they said Fuller’s reissue on the label though.

[Lars68]

I guess I might be too much of a traditionalist but a J-45 without a teardrop guard would be a dealbreaker for me, unless it could be replaced without traces of the old guard.

 

Lars

[Dave F]

Here's my vintage one next to the Legend.

 

 

[Red 333]

Here's my vintage one next to the Legend.

 

 

I love the guard on your vintage J-45, and how it just peeks out of the edges of the burst. I sure wish the firestripe guards on the Legends were less contrasty and looked more like your vintage guard.

 

Red 333

[Red 333]

2106 was the year Fuller’s did a special run of 1942 J45 Legends that have fortified backs and sides in addition to the soundboard. I’ve played 4 or 5 of them in their shop, and was very impressed by them. They didn’t come with a Redline case. I’m fairly certain they said Fuller’s reissue on the label though.

 

I can't read the label, but I suspected having one meant it was a special build for a dealer like CME (Chicago Music Exchange). Fuller's would also be an excellent candidate for having commissioned such a build. The Legend being offered certainly fits your description of what Fuller's had offered.

 

For the record, I LIKE the gloss finish and brighter binding.

 

Red 333

[Dave F]

 

For the record, I LIKE the gloss finish and brighter binding.

 

Red 333

 

I’m with you on that.

[zombywoof]

Interesting that the Legend nor any of the other versions based on a 1942 J45 have the outer rosette ring. Years back when I stumbled across my J-50 I initially thought it was a '43 J-45 that had lost its finish. JTs book, of course, was not out so deciphering the FON was not an easy task. Later when I talked to JT and my repair guy we were able to figure out that it was a '42 J-50 that had a burst shot on it to cover a screw up in the top build which had subsequently been removed. The combination of the FON and the lack of the outer rosette ring was the clincher. Maybe Gibson lost that outer ring later in 1942 as celluloid was starting to get a bit scarcer than it had been. And yeah, if you look under the hood it is apparent that Gibson did not think it worth their while to task one of their more skilled people to do a final sanding of the bracing. All kinds of tooling marks visible.

[kelly campbell]

I’m with you on that.

 

 

Me too

[kelly campbell]

Beautiful guitar..

[EuroAussie]

Ive played a number of 30's Martins and Gibson while in Australia at Twang Central, and ill tell ya one thing folks ... you just cant recreate the tone of an 80 year old guitar.

[j45nick]

I notice that in the listing, nut width is listed as 1 11/16", rather than the 1 3/4" of the "standard" J-45 Legend. Wonder also if it is all hide-glue construction like the legend, and whether it has fabric side stays like other period-correct Legend models.

 

As is often the case Gibson's nomenclature is not particularly helpful here.

[Hi-Wire]

Seems like a lot of differences. Still, looks. like a nice guitar. I have a 2012 Legend, and had one of the early prototypes as well, think it was 2006. This is my favourite acoustic I have owned, no question, and there has been a lot of really expensive high end stuff bought and sold along the way. No way I would ever be parted with this. I have never had a guitar that has improved so much, it just seems to sound better and better all the time.

[Mr. Paul]

Thanks for the education, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that there is more than one model sporting the "Legend" name.

 

Here's the original Legend, newly arrived at Music Emporium, beautiful guitar. The usual $4200 priceI've seen on these.

 

https://themusicemporium.com/new-arrivals/gibson-1942-j-45-legend-2016.7752

[Dave F]

Thanks for the education, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that there is more than one model sporting the "Legend" name.

 

Here's the original Legend, newly arrived at Music Emporium, beautiful guitar. The usual $4200 priceI've seen on these.

 

https://themusicemporium.com/new-arrivals/gibson-1942-j-45-legend-2016.7752

That’s not one of the originals either. The originals have a coffee colored binding, little heavier VOS finish and no label.

[Mr. Paul]

That’s not one of the originals either. The originals have a coffee colored binding, little heavier VOS finish and no label.

 

LOL when is a "Legend" not a "Legend"

[j45nick]

LOL when is a "Legend" not a "Legend"

 

 

Unfortunately, the term "Legend" has been used a bit loosely. Originally, there were two Legend models: the L-OO Legend, an exact reproduction of Lee Roy Parnell's 1937 L-OO, and the J-45 Legend, which is an equally-exact reproduction of Eldon Whitford's banner J-45.

 

Both of those models were and are highly coveted as genuine, exact reproductions of specific vintage models, rather than as an amalgamation of characteristics from different time periods, which has been a hallmark of Gibson Acoustic production for many models.

 

Other models have certainly clouded the issue of what constitutes a "Legend". They may be very good guitars, but they may or may not be comparable in characteristics to those two original Legend models.

[Hi-Wire]

Here is mine. LOVE this thing.