Huley

Thanks, Paul! I’m definitely happy to have it in my collection. Never thought I’d get the chance.

These are all such great points, thank you! Especially reminding me to be aware of my environmental surroundings. The humidity has been higher than usual, and I’m sure it’s contributing to that dampening effect.

Thank you! I’d been resisting, but I think I’ll have to try the 80/20s. I’ve seen this come up for SJ-200s a few times now, so there’s got to be something to it.

Great recommendations! I appreciate it very much. I’ve always wanted to try those EBs, so this gives me a good excuse to finally do it!

Thanks for the advice! I’m not usually a fan of 80/20s either, but definitely worth giving it a shot to see how the guitar takes to them.

Well, I did it. After selling a kidney on the black market (for less than expected), I finally managed to scrape enough money together to purchase the Gibson Historic 2020 SJ-200 Pre-War. Rejoice! And let me tell you, pictures don’t due this thing justice. It is drop dead GORGEOUS! Now comes the fun/frustrating part, which is dialing everything in to fit my sound & style. This is my first rosewood b/s guitar, and it’s not falling for my usual mahogany tricks (i.e. ebony bridge pins, medium D’Addario PB EJ-17s). I feel like she’s capable of more tone than she’s giving. Great balanced mids & highs, but the low end is much tamer than I expected. Almost muddy, even. I know it’s all subjective, but does anyone with rosewood experience have string recommendations or advice? I’m a straight up strummer. No finger/flat picking of any kind. Imagine what singer-songwriters were doing in the 90s, and that’s my sound in a nutshell. Or if you’re super curious, search Spotify for Twelve Days in June. That handsome fella in the red & white raglan shirt is me. 😉 Thank you! Dave

You absolutely did! I really appreciate all the wonderful advice. I was driving myself mad. 😄

Thank you! I’m feeling really good about the decision. It should be here today, so I’m looking forward to a very productive and potentially sleepless night. Ha!

Excellent point! I hadn't really thought about that. To best honest, I'm not sure I've ever used a guitar with a slim neck profile. I'll have to pay closer attention to that.

Thank you! That's something I've really been wondering about. I see lots of J-45s in modern music, but not necessarily in my genre. For example, Halsey was recently the musical guest on SNL and she was rockin' a J-45 (as best I could tell). I also see them with folk revival bands like Mumford & Sons, etc, which is waaaaay outside my style of music. But I still think this will be a great guitar for me overall. I do love me some jangly, resonant tones!

I confirmed with the seller that it's a fixed bone saddle.

Completely agreed! I couldn't pass up that guitar at that price, so it's now on its way to me. Very excited!

Thanks! The SG was a long overdue present to myself, and I love myself for it. 😉

Hey, everyone! My name is Dave and I'm a singer-songwriter from the greater Seattle area who records/performs under the name Twelve Days in June. I just recently joined the forums because after nearly three decades, I finally purchased my first Gibson: a 2016 SG Standard. It's the guitar I'd wanted since I was a teenager, and I couldn't be happier! Now I'm looking to level-up my acoustic game, and the forums have provided some excellent recommendations. I'm looking forward to adding another Gibson to my arsenal in the very near future. It's nice to meet you all, and I'm excited to get to know you better!

You guys have all been freakin' awesome, and more helpful than you know! I've found a couple of great looking options that are within my budget, so at least my selection pool has been significantly narrowed down. 😁 Option 1: 2016 J-45 Vintage (I absolutely LOVE the thermally aged spruce top!) Option 2: 1999 Hummingbird 60's Reissue Both guitars are used, but in excellent condition, and are both under $2,500. At least it will be a fun way to go into debt, right? Ha!

Thank you guys very much! I really appreciate all your expert opinions, and I’m very excited to pick out my next guitar.

I know variations of this exact question have been asked a million times and that there is no “right” answer, but I need some help. I’m in the market for a new Gibson and live in a small town where I am unable to try high-end guitars. I’m strictly a strummer (no picking ever) and I play alternative rock music with mostly open chords. I was originally leaning toward the J-45, but I’ve seen many people say it’s a better tool for flat pickers. So, then I looked at the Bird thinking it may fit my play style better, but opinions seems fairly uneven. I can’t afford a SJ-200, so I looked at the J-185... and the southern jumbo... and the advanced jumbo... I’ve essentially made ZERO progress. Let’s remove cost from the conversation. If you were in my shoes, which path would you take? Which Gibson is the best match for a strumming singer-songwriter who plays mostly in small clubs and coffee houses? Thank you!!