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vw1300

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  1. What's the number on the back of the headstock? That will help with figuring out the year. Looks like a '70s Country Western.
  2. I'm glad you posted that - I went to Fuller's a few years ago with my 2006 AJ to compare to a new custom shop AJ with a very striking natural red spruce top - gorgeous guitar. The price was within reach too, all I had to do was pull the trigger. But it sounded stiff and cold, my regular sitka AJ sounded so much sweeter. Maybe it would open up in 10 years? They told me red spruce is like that sometimes, but don't buy a guitar that might sound good in 10 years, buy one that sounds good today. That's one reason why I liked the guys there - no hard sell. Of course they knew they'd sell it soon anyway. But still.
  3. A few years ago I played a '72 SJ at Elderly. I didn't expect to like it but I did - I think the above sums it up nicely for that guitar.
  4. Does anyone know what the difference was between the Blue Ridge and Heritage? Both are described as "natural spruce top, solid book matched rosewood back and rims". Also - can anyone comment on the J-55, which apparently had an arched back - was this like a Gospel but with a mahogany back/sides? Did it sound better than the braced backs of the J45/J50 etc? Just wondering. I played a '72 SJ at Elderly a few years ago and liked it, so I do believe that Norlin let some good guitars escape the plant during the '70s
  5. IMO they're not original. The open back tuners on those guitars look impossibly clean and shiny for being 50+ years old. All of those guitars are currently in Japan and are overpriced (at least for the American market) by about 100% anyway.
  6. I did order a cheap digital calipers to measure the neck on my 2001 J-50: nut width = 1.72" = 1 23/32 inch depth @ first fret = 0.82" depth @ ninth fret = 0.88 I took these measurement with the strings on, then subtracted off the thickness of the 3rd string which was the thickest one the calipers touched. For reference, here's Wildwood's specs on a new '60s J-45 (no standards listed in stock: 0.83", 0.96" And a new G-45: 0.87", 0.92" So I'm thinking my J-50 is a fairly slim neck.
  7. Indeed. Another way of looking at it is that this is a chance to get his music out there and on the air, maybe someone will google it to find out what the song is and who is singing it. I wonder who holds the rights to his music and performances?
  8. congratulations! Looks good.
  9. Yes, US$. By the way, I had originally wanted a J-45 because of the burst finish but got a really great deal on this J-50, now I like the natural top/red-brown pick guard as much as a sunburst.
  10. I have a 2001 J-50 that I got from Gruhn's in 2010. I think the sound has opened up and aged well over the last 10 years. I would consider these early 2000's versions more of a 1957-ish reissue with a fixed bridge, single rosette, and thin batwing pick guard. Regarding prices, they have been stable, it seems like there are always nice ones in the mid-teens if you look around. They've made plenty of the J-45/J-50 guitars (especially J-45) in the last 20 years so there is a large supply, I don't see them going way up in value. Others have commented on the chunky neck of this era, I would definitely not call mine chunky but it is possible they vary in girth. IMG_1435 by vw1300, on Flickr Charlie
  11. I'm playing bluegrass these days and the AJ works really well for that - projective when I want to be, or if someone else takes a lead I'll just sort of play barre chords up the neck and it will blend in nicely without disappearing. However, it's rare to see someone perform with an AJ or boutique AJ - I think Martin pretty much owns the bluegrass space with the D-18 and D-28 (and other boutique makers with their own versions), it's a music genre with its own traditions and the really famous players all played Martins. This is likely due to the fact that so few original AJs were made that they were really an obscure guitar for decades. Personally, I prefer the "rustic and rough" sound as EA put it over the sweeter Martin sound and use that to sound different from all the other guitarists with their square Martins.
  12. A lot depends on condition - for example the neck condition and string height, as well as cosmetics (finish checking, wear, scratches) or the presence of any cracks in the wood. Having the original case helps too. If you have a guitar shop near you, it's worth spending a few $ to have it appraised, having a realistic asking sales price will help a speed up a sale. You can post some pictures here and the knowledgable forum members can give their opinions, though nothing beats an in-person inspection. If it's a 1970s era SJ, these generally go for $1000-2000 depending on condition etc. as noted above.
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