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Purchase plan: J-45 TV, 20th ANNI J-35 or 5-STAR J-35, Which should I pick ?

gotomsdos

By gotomsdos
in Gibson Acoustic

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ataylor

ataylor

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I think OP gotomsdos is in China? This is maybe making it difficult to visit a Gibson Dealer store? Not sure but my advice would be to pick a well known reputable online store that ships overseas?

 

I did not realize Wildwood did not ship overseas. Maybe the OP could try Fullers Vintage Guitar in Houston. I don't know if they ship overseas or not.

 

Ah -- being overseas would make it a little more difficult. Either of those dealers would be great, I'm sure there are others.

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fortyearspickn

fortyearspickn

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I'm really confused. I think I understood Goto is in China, but while can't play/compare Gibsons personally he is primarily concerned with how they sound. Sadly, if you don't live in Houston with Fullers, or even next door to a Guitar Center - you don't have the same advantages as others. If your are further disadvantaged by having a finely tuned ear and acquired taste for the classic Gibson sound you may be in a 'no win' situation. Most others here, in similar situations have tried one guitar after the other over a period of years until finally finding their "Go To" guitar. (Sorry, I couldn't resist the irony!) That might mean you either buy locally what you can try out even if not Gibson, or order from overseas from a reputable international Gibson dealer.

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  • 3 weeks later...
gotomsdos

gotomsdos

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Hi, folks ! Happy Silent Night !!

I just got that Luthier's Choice Gibson J-35, no problem, sound very good. a good fate. but the case seems to be the same ordinary case as J45 Standard's, right? and the case has no lock. I wonder if yours is the same.

Thank you all !

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gotomsdos

gotomsdos

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Nice looking, gotomsdos. Glad it arrived quickly and in good shape. How's it play and sound? Are you happy?

 

Red 333

Thank you Red 333 !

I found I can only upload 2 pics. very strange.

To see more pics, the following URL is where I bought:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/120818377950?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

 

It sounds very good, has a big volume, it comes out sound only with a light finger touch. I don't know if this is good or not good. Highs(string 1) are very brilliant. But when I strum mids and highs of open G chord, mids cover highs, highs don't stand out. (the opposite with martin HD28). So I try to keep down my finger strength... just gently play it...hehe

 

I made very much preparations for the purchase, this is my first overseas guitar online buy. Almost everybody says good of it. e.g. a guy in Montana Gibson forum says he owned Fuller's 1939 J-35, and then he got the 5 star J-35, he prefered the latter, so he sold the former, (understandable, price difference is about $1000). etc...

 

And the other day I found the ebay seller also had a 5 star L-00(?) by Ren Ferguson at $3400 on his ebay, but it disappeared.

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Harmonics101

Harmonics101

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My vote goes to the J45TV.

 

Sole reason being its got a red spruce top.

 

Does anyone know if the bracing specs are different between the three ? If so, then maybe that needs to be taken into consideration.

 

If you are a sitka top type of a person, and I'm assuming that's what the other two 'special' Gibsons are, then you may have a dilemma I don't suffer from.

 

I'm always on the lookout for that red spruce loudness and punch if you can be patient for the red spruce to age gracefully.

 

Now, if you are strictly purchasing the guitar for return on investment, you are asking the wrong person for advice.

 

I'd stick to the red spruce J45TV and leave the Ren Ferguson specials for the collector non playing audience but that's just me.

 

Good Luck with your choices, wish i had your problem [unsure]

 

Harmonics101

 

I see the purchase of the J35 has already taken place ? Good luck and enjoy

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gotomsdos

gotomsdos

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I'd stick to the red spruce J45TV and leave the Ren Ferguson specials for the collector non playing audience but that's just me.

 

Oh, Tone is my first, this is why I picked Ren's instead of J45 TV as bulk production.

It's reason that there is a far greater possibility of high tone quality from Ren than bulk production.

I just got the Ren's J-35. Sounds very close to a vintage J-35 in my ears. It's a no regret buy. Thank you all !

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gotomsdos

gotomsdos

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Nice looking, gotomsdos. Glad it arrived quickly and in good shape. How's it play and sound? Are you happy?

 

Red 333

I just reduced the size of pics, so I could add some more pics.

It has brilliant mids and highs, sounds very crisp, clear, and very woody, very similar to those sound clips of vintage J35s (especially 30s) on the youtube. Feel its stuff of top and b/s is very dry (just like its sound), very light-weighted, and it has a big volume, to my astonishment (in my impression, Gibson is a low volume sheep, hehe....)

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gotomsdos

gotomsdos

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My vote goes to the J45TV.

 

Sole reason being its got a red spruce top.

 

Does anyone know if the bracing specs are different between the three ? If so, then maybe that needs to be taken into consideration.

 

If you are a sitka top type of a person, and I'm assuming that's what the other two 'special' Gibsons are, then you may have a dilemma I don't suffer from.

 

I'm always on the lookout for that red spruce loudness and punch if you can be patient for the red spruce to age gracefully.

 

Now, if you are strictly purchasing the guitar for return on investment, you are asking the wrong person for advice.

 

I'd stick to the red spruce J45TV and leave the Ren Ferguson specials for the collector non playing audience but that's just me.

 

Good Luck with your choices, wish i had your problem [unsure]

 

Harmonics101

 

I see the purchase of the J35 has already taken place ? Good luck and enjoy

 

Thank you all !

But the J35 was a rare opportunity to hunt while J45 TV is everywhere to buy. That's why I hunted J35 right away.

More pics here:

(Hope everybody likes the widest grains spaces I've ever seen, of adirondack top ! )

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Red 333

Red 333

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Thank you Harmonics101 !

But the J35 was a rare opportunity to hunt while J45 TV is everywhere to buy. That's why I hunted J35 right away.

More pics here:

(Hope everybody likes the widest grains spaces I've ever seen, of adirondack top ! )

 

Beautiful, gotomsdos!

 

Red 333

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j45nick

j45nick

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Thank you Harmonics101 !

But the J35 was a rare opportunity to hunt while J45 TV is everywhere to buy. That's why I hunted J35 right away.

More pics here:

(Hope everybody likes the widest grains spaces I've ever seen, of adirondack top ! )

 

Widely-spaced growth rings are more typical of the "red" spruces, such as Adirondack and Carpathian (which is pretty white for a "red" spruce). I've never seen a real engineering analyis of why different spruces have different tonal characteristics, but I'm sure it would stir up a lot of conflicting opinions.

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rar

rar

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My Gibson luthier's choice J-35's bride pins look like plastic.

What stuff pins does Vintage J-35 use ?

Just noticed no one answered this. The answer is: Vintage J-35s used plastic.

 

-- Bob R

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gotomsdos

gotomsdos

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Widely-spaced growth rings are more typical of the "red" spruces, such as Adirondack and Carpathian (which is pretty white for a "red" spruce).

I wonder why adi is called "red" spruce !

in my eyes, sitka is darker than adi. adi is just whiter than sitka.

(The color of my J35's adi was buffed into a bit light brown, I guess it was originally white.)

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rar

rar

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Isn't that what you get/got as the factory default on all Gibsons now and forever?

Almost. A few customs come with non-plastic pins, but I've seen customs that list for over $20,000 with plastic.

 

-- Bob R

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Del Nilppeznaf

Del Nilppeznaf

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i just recently put some tusq pins into my j45 . result - no change whatsoever .

 

I have wondered about what actual change in tone would result in the change of pins also. Can't get my head around the actual physics of it... I suppose a different/ denser material could cause the vibration of the string and ball end to 'transfer' , for want of a better word, more strongly into the bridge and top of the guitar ?

 

some people obviously do hear a difference..so

 

Another thought tho... if it did make a significant difference, wouldn't luthiers like Ren and all the others who have worked at Gibson, Martin, insist on supplying top end guitars with bone pins, along with nut and saddle?

 

just thinking :)

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