southrodney Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 Howdy, does anyone have any preference, knowlege or expertise as to the best year of production for j45's at the Bozeman plant? im in the market for a newer one, they seem solid, just want to make sure i get the right one. i prefer a banner reissue or a true vintage/ new vintages model. -southrodney Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StijnV Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Hi, There is not really one best year of production for J-45's. The 40s, 50s, 60s are all ok, for a 70s and/or early 80s J-45 maybe check twice before you buy (Norlin years), but there will be good J-45's from those years also, it's not that they were all bad. I have myself a J-45 rosewood from 2005, which I really use a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilac Lion Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Hi, There is not really one best year of production for J-45's. The 40s, 50s, 60s are all ok, for a 70s and/or early 80s J-45 maybe check twice before you buy (Norlin years), but there will be good J-45's from those years also, it's not that they were all bad. I have myself a J-45 rosewood from 2005, which I really use a lot. Just Curious. What strings/gauge are you using on your J-45 RW? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruffchris Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I know this is hijacking the topic a little, but i would also like to know which strings you have found to be best with the RW model? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motherofpearl Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I know this is hijacking the topic a little, but i would also like to know which strings you have found to be best with the RW model? How is the rosewood model anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisA83 Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Howdy, does anyone have any preference, knowlege or expertise as to the best year of production for j45's at the Bozeman plant? im in the market for a newer one, they seem solid, just want to make sure i get the right one. i prefer a banner reissue or a true vintage/ new vintages model. -southrodney I don't think you can go wrong with a True Vintage, which are 2008 (for the limited issue run) onwards. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruffchris Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 How is the rosewood model anyway? Well I've had this one for 1.5 months now and i'm still in love, lol. I dug out my old cheaper guitar for the first time the other day, played it for 5 mins, then back it went. It was like i'd got a new guitar again :) I'm only a at home strummer and nowhere near as good or accomplished as most on this forum, but in my humble opinion she sounds great.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I don't think you can go wrong with a True Vintage, which are 2008 (for the limited issue run) onwards. Agreed (except for the 2008 date -- the first TVs were 2007s). The variation for year to year in 2007-2011 was negligible compared to the variation between individual guitars built in the same year. Knowing the date doesn't help won't when picking one. -- Bob R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojorule Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 Agreed (except for the 2008 date -- the first TVs were 2007s). The variation for year to year in 2007-2011 was negligible compared to the variation between individual guitars built in the same year. Knowing the date doesn't help won't when picking one. -- Bob R No indeed Bob, and you are right, but I'm still going to boost the value of my Woody and Parlour Man's by stating that the first half of 2011 was undoubtedly the best moment in Bozeman's history for the manufacture of Gibson slopeshoulders. If we make this statement enough it will become self-fulfilling. PM, please chime in and back me up here! Also to the effect that the Woody is like a True Vintage model with bracing that is truer to the banner-era originals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruffchris Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 No indeed Bob, and you are right, but I'm still going to boost the value of my Woody and Parlour Man's by stating that the first half of 2011 was undoubtedly the best moment in Bozeman's history for the manufacture of Gibson slopeshoulders. If we make this statement enough it will become self-fulfilling. PM, please chime in and back me up here! Also to the effect that the Woody is like a True Vintage model with bracing that is truer to the banner-era originals. I agree 110%, except it's not early 2011's it's all of 2011, with November being the peak, Ren made a perfect guitar in NOV '11, so good he had to leave gibson cause he new he couldn't beat it, i'm afraid it's all down hill from here @Rar, hey bud, I think your answer will ring the truest, from what i've read on this and other forums, it seems that there are prime examples through out the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParlourMan Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 ...I'm still going to boost the value of my Woody and Parlour Man's by stating that the first half of 2011 was undoubtedly the best moment in Bozeman's history for the manufacture of Gibson slopeshoulders. Preach it, brother! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 Ill add to that as my Aaron Lewis SJ was also built during this exact period ... Preach it, brother! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madman_Greg Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 As a side bar question to this thread, say you have a guitar that was stamped as built on a particular date on the neck / label etc..... What exactly was the start date, I am guessing some of the neck, sides etc..... are built and stock piled. So what exactly does the date mean, at what point of manufacture does it relate to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParlourMan Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 As a side bar question to this thread, say you have a guitar that was stamped as built on a particular date on the neck / label etc..... What exactly was the start date, I am guessing some of the neck, sides etc..... are built and stock piled. So what exactly does the date mean, at what point of manufacture does it relate to Surely it would be completion date, or final finishing date, as in when the guitar is considered as 'finished' / 'ready to be shipped as part of an order' etc... the facility isn';t the biggest, so I can't seem them having a whole backlog of parts laying about for long periods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasAK Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 The nut width changed some over those years, but I am notsure about the bracing or any of the other specs. The bracing and some of thes specs do change from model to model. chasAK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 What exactly was the start date, I am guessing some of the neck, sides etc..... are built and stock piled. It's the date the neck makes it to the end of the neck assembly line, prior to the neck being joined to a body. This is still quite early on, time-wise, in the build. -- Bob R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickax Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Over the years, I've owned 45's from 96, 2010 and 2011 along with a WM45 from the mid 90's. They were all great Guitars but my favorite is my 2011 J-45TV. The rest were sold along the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParlourMan Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 It's the date the neck makes it to the end of the neck assembly line, prior to the neck being joined to a body. This is still quite early on, time-wise, in the build. -- Bob R OK, so I was wildly wrong, then.... ;) Cheers Bob, makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merseybeat1963 Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I haven't played many but one of the best sounding acoustic guitars I ever played was in 1983 at the Elderly guitar Shoppe,it was a 1940 J-45 with two juicy cracks in its top. And from what John Greven (Gruhn Repair guy & luthier) writes the Pre War J45 is THE one to get. In new as you ask, most Bozeman Montana's are very nice but like any instrument, you have to try them individually ,not mail order it ,cause they always vary. For example I saw a J45 Vine on LI at the Music Zoo once..it was the first very ornate one id ever seen..(the inlay really struck me as looking a little crude and unrefined incidently)..but from a little distance a stunner. But when I played it ..it was the most incredible dud.. that it had the tone quality of a crate..just like the 60's-88" Gibsons. I made it a point to drive out there another couple of times to try it because I could not believe my ears. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 I haven't played many but one of the best sounding acoustic guitars I ever played was in 1983 at the Elderly guitar Shoppe,it was a 1940 J-45 with two juicy cracks in its top. And from what John Greven (Gruhn Repair guy & luthier) writes the Pre War J45 is THE one to get. In new as you ask, most Bozeman Montana's are very nice but like any instrument, you have to try them individually ,not mail order it ,cause they always vary. For example I saw a J45 Vine on LI at the Music Zoo once..it was the first very ornate one id ever seen..(the inlay really struck me as looking a little crude and unrefined incidently)..but from a little distance a stunner. But when I played it ..it was the most incredible dud.. that it had the tone quality of a crate..just like the 60's-88" Gibsons. I made it a point to drive out there another couple of times to try it because I could not believe my ears. Good luck With all due respect, there's no such thing as a "pre-war J-45". The J-45 wasn't introduced until late 1942, by most sources. There were plenty of pre-war round shoulder jumbo Gibsons, but they weren't J-45's. Chances are you were playing a J-35 if it was a pre-war model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojorule Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 With all due respect, there's no such thing as a "pre-war J-45". The J-45 wasn't introduced until late 1942, by most sources. There were plenty of pre-war round shoulder jumbo Gibsons, but they weren't J-45's. Chances are you were playing a J-35 if it was a pre-war model. Indeed Nick. You begin to restore my faith in the idea that Americans do actually know the date of Pearl Harbor. The linked marketing material from the big G admen themselves had left me wondering. Check out the first sentence of the blurb: Mystic Rosewood Clouds the Dates The rosewood may be mystic, but the ad writing is just plain mystifying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Indeed Nick. You begin to restore my faith in the idea that Americans do actually know the date of Pearl Harbor. The linked marketing material from the big G admen themselves had left me wondering. Check out the first sentence of the blurb: Mystic Rosewood Clouds the Dates The rosewood may be mystic, but the ad writing is just plain mystifying. How quickly we forget our history..... Of course, to most Americans, there was no WW 2 prior to Pearl Harbor. Never mind that most of Europe had been pounded for two years before that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merseybeat1963 Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 With all due respect, there's no such thing as a "pre-war J-45". The J-45 wasn't introduced until late 1942, by most sources. There were plenty of pre-war round shoulder jumbo Gibsons, but they weren't J-45's. Chances are you were playing a J-35 if it was a pre-war model. Sorry you are right..I should have written 40's ..it was a J45 (I think) it was sunburst (but was 1982-3) In general to me everything before 1945 is PreWar.. (And Greven was refering to PreWar Gibsons as a whole being exceptional) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruffchris Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 That Mystic rosewood is a fine guitar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Howdy, does anyone have any preference, knowlege or expertise as to the best year of production for j45's at the Bozeman plant? im in the market for a newer one, they seem solid, just want to make sure i get the right one. i prefer a banner reissue or a true vintage/ new vintages model. -southrodney J-45 TV: 2010(pre Lacey Act) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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