[drathbun]

I hardly recognized it as a Gibson. I was in a local guitar shop yesterday and saw one of these Custom Shop J45's on the wall. I had to look in the soundhole to see what model it was. With the inlaid abalone on the headstock and rosette, the natural finish and herringbone purfling, I didn't know what this thing was!

I played it for about five minutes. I've never had a J45 grab me before, but what an amazing instrument! That deep warm resonant bass... woohoo!

Does anyone have one of these beauties?

[Gruffchris]

drathbun, on 27 March 2012 - 11:19 AM, said:

I hardly recognized it as a Gibson. I was in a local guitar shop yesterday and saw one of these Custom Shop J45's on the wall. I had to look in the soundhole to see what model it was. With the inlaid abalone on the headstock and rosette, the natural finish and herringbone purfling, I didn't know what this thing was!

I played it for about five minutes. I've never had a J45 grab me before, but what an amazing instrument! That deep warm resonant bass... woohoo!

Does anyone have one of these beauties?

Hey,

Yes I have a custom shop J-45, not the one you are describing, but i don't think it's to dissimilar

[j45nick]

It's sort of like takin' your cousin off the farm in Mississippi, dressing her up, putting makeup on her, and plunking her down in NYC. Underneath it all, she's still a simple country girl at heart, no matter how much paint she wears. And you know it the second she opens her mouth.

(Being descended from a long line of Southern farmers, I can say that with impunity...... )

Of course, my own J-45 has a tiny bit of bling about her as well......

[vincentw]

These are very nice J-45s.

[whirligig]

A total awesome sounding guitar!! I've had mine since oct 2010 and I'm very happy with it.

[Lilac Lion]

I like my Custom J-45 very much, but maybe I'm taking him for granted at least until someone starts oooing and awwing over him. Everyone wants to look, touch and play. I wouldn't call him a gentleman either. Despite the bling and the burst, he can get down and dirty. From the start I called my j-45 a he--definitely male energy going on with this one.

[retrorod]

j45nick, on 27 March 2012 - 03:31 PM, said:

It's sort of like takin' your cousin off the farm in Mississippi, dressing her up, putting makeup on her, and plunking her down in NYC. Underneath it all, she's still a simple country girl at heart, no matter how much paint she wears. And you know it the second she opens her mouth.

(Being descended from a long line of Southern farmers, I can say that with impunity...... )

Of course, my own J-45 has a tiny bit of bling about her as well......

Yes...a tiny bit, Nick! I think that you need to finish out the fingerboard inlays and go "full blown"....
What a great history that you and that 45 have togather....
I still have my first 'good guitar'....a '67 Garcia classical that my dad bought new for me at 14. I don,t play it anymore, but it is in good shape.

[j45nick]

retrorod, on 27 March 2012 - 06:03 PM, said:

Yes...a tiny bit, Nick! I think that you need to finish out the fingerboard inlays and go "full blown"....
What a great history that you and that 45 have togather....
I still have my first 'good guitar'....a '67 Garcia classical that my dad bought for me at 14. I don,t play it anymore, but it is in good shape.

Rod, you never forget your first......real guitar.

[drathbun]

whirligig, on 27 March 2012 - 04:10 PM, said:

A total awesome sounding guitar!! I've had mine since oct 2010 and I'm very happy with it.

That's the one! I'm going back to play it again tomorrow. I'll take a few snaps too.

[drathbun]

Lilac Lion, on 27 March 2012 - 05:52 PM, said:

I like my Custom J-45 very much, but maybe I'm taking him for granted at least until someone starts oooing and awwing over him. Everyone wants to look, touch and play. I wouldn't call him a gentleman either. Despite the bling and the burst, he can get down and dirty. From the start I called my j-45 a he--definitely male energy going on with this one.

Fascinating that you ascribe a male gender to the instrument since most consider guitars a female shape. I suppose that's because mostly men see that shape.

[Hairy Dave]

I have the vintage sunburst model. Love it!

[Madman_Greg]

drathbun, on 27 March 2012 - 11:19 AM, said:

I hardly recognized it as a Gibson. I was in a local guitar shop yesterday and saw one of these Custom Shop J45's on the wall. I had to look in the soundhole to see what model it was. With the inlaid abalone on the headstock and rosette, the natural finish and herringbone purfling, I didn't know what this thing was!

I played it for about five minutes. I've never had a J45 grab me before, but what an amazing instrument! That deep warm resonant bass... woohoo!

Does anyone have one of these beauties?

One minor correction, if thats OK, I believe the model is a Custom which is part of the standard Gibson line, a Custom Shop is something entirely different

[Hairy Dave]

Madman_Greg, on 28 March 2012 - 08:45 AM, said:

One minor correction, if thats OK, I believe the model is a Custom which is part of the standard Gibson line, a Custom Shop is something entirely different

True.

[Lilac Lion]

drathbun, on 27 March 2012 - 10:50 PM, said:

Fascinating that you ascribe a male gender to the instrument since most consider guitars a female shape. I suppose that's because mostly men see that shape.

Hi Dave!

Ask more female guitar players. I would probably consider something like the curvey Jumbos and Super Jumbos female---not sure, I havent sat one in my lap yet. Glad to be on the forum, BTW. Trigger, my j-45, is a custom, not a custom shop.

[drathbun]

Madman_Greg, on 28 March 2012 - 08:45 AM, said:

One minor correction, if thats OK, I believe the model is a Custom which is part of the standard Gibson line, a Custom Shop is something entirely different

Thanks Greg! Another bit of confusion by the experts of confusion at Gibson. Would that be a standard studio deluxe custom model or a studio deluxe custom standard?

[57classic]

I went into a 5 star dealer today to play a J 185 TV. I played that and a J185 Std. Both nice, the TV was much nicer, very lively but not the guitar for me. I saw a J45 Custom in vintage sunburst. WOW. It sounded amazing and played like butter without having been set up. Man, I left before buying it but haven't stopped thinking about it. They will sell it for $2475.00 if I write a check but sales tax is another $150.00+. The tax over the life of the guitar is no big deal but buying online can give you 45 days to ponder the purchase. Not sure about this because it will mean selling my SWD which has a cutaway that I like. I knew this would happen if I went into that store.

[ParlourMan]

Did it sound several hundred and one cutaway better than your SWD, or is an NGD the lure?

There's the question. Forums tend to be enablers, junkies encouraging junkies to take one more hit in that fashion I'll say if you can answer yes to the first question then do it.....

* Usual no responsibility disclaimer applies.


Good luck with your choice.

[57classic]

ParlourMan, on 11 April 2012 - 03:46 PM, said:

Did it sound several hundred and one cutaway better than your SWD, or is an NGD the lure?

There's the question. Forums tend to be enablers, junkies encouraging junkies to take one more hit in that fashion I'll say if you can answer yes to the first question then do it.....

* Usual no responsibility disclaimer applies.


Good luck with your choice.

You nailed it PM. That is the very question I'm wrestling with. If it wasn't an either/or situation the decision would be easier. I played another SWD in the store but perhaps I should take mine in and A/B them. Fortunately I have a couple of other things which take priority over this to tend to first. Hopefully the adrenalin rush subsides.

[pfox14]

Man, if I only had the scratch for one of these