jibberish

Well, I wouldn't swap a pickguard out, and the tuners (on vintage guitars) wouldn't be Grovers anyway, and only swapped if they didn't work. Nuts, saddles, tuners. The body of a guitar has an inherent sound. That may be either improved or worsened with an ADJ saddle. So if I don't like the sound of the guitar to begin with, I wouldn't buy. If I loved the sound of a 1962 ADJ J-45, I buy it and improve it. And I will always save $3-5 for a 1958-68 J-45 rather than a Waterloo.

Correct. All of that has to do with my personal preference and precondition to have my guitars as lean as possible. By that, I mean that a bulky and heavy bridge/saddle and components would go. I also prefer the teardrop pickguard. I also get rid of any heavy Grover mushroom tuners and replace with tuners with buttons. Would I do this on a guitar that I adored and couldn't imagine fiddling with? Of course not. But all things being equal, what I just said is my conviction. Aesthetically (which is more deeply subjective and personal), I find everything I just mentioned to be quite ugly. I am quite sure there are people that would hear and feel my guitars and find them equally ugly.

1) How much does it cost to convert an ADJ bridge/saddle into a standard one with bone saddle?2) What are your thoughts and/or experiences on this modification?

Whatcha think of this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1959-Gibson-LG1-Acoustic-Guitar/124506043312?hash=item1cfd2373b0:g:GpEAAOSwPk5f64HF

So, size-wise, what is the hierarchy (and yes, I am only talking about sunbursts)?

Size-wise, how does the LG-1 compare to the J-45? If a vintage J-45 costs too much, would an LG-1 be the next step down? (I know its not apples to apples, both not dreds) I guess what I'm getting at is: If a 1959 J-45 costs $5k...and a 1959 LG-1 costs $2.5-3K...and both are sunbursts, and you think both sound awesome...what differences might one find that do not appear to the naked eye?

The pickguard on the guitar in question looks like different material than was originally used. It looks like something cut from an All Parts blank. Anyone else notice this?

Would the stamp inside a J-45 ADJ ever read "J-45 ADJ BRIDGE?" Don't they usually read simply "J-45 ADJ?" Doesn't the pickguard look weird? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1960-J-45-Adj-Bridge-Gibson-Sunburst-Acoustic-Guitar-W-Case-R5830-WOW/324577369166?hash=item4b92519c4e:g:gA4AAOSwfuBgez9O

Thanks, Zombie and Nick. It's all purely aesthetics. I'd take a teardrop over the long pickguard the same way I'd take a D-18 or 28 over a gaudy D-45. Along about 1954 when the longer pickguard was introduced didn't they also start using the adjustable saddle? I don't find those aesthetically appealing either. Don't even get me started on the late 60s when the shoulders got started getting square! lol

Bridge looks crooked to me.

I certainly agree with what you said. If I am holding a guitar and I'm in love with it's sound, I do not care what shape the pickguard is. All things being equal, however, I would prefer less of anything attached to the top. So a teardrop pickguard for me. Also, I'd prefer the smaller profiled rectangle bridge. No belly-up/down for me.

Incidentally, my friend's Bird, my old Bird, and apparently the one in your bottom pic all suffer from some pickguard adhesion issue. If you like the white replacement one in that pic, then keep it. Otherwise, replacing the pickguard can be tricky. I believe Gibson, in order to curb fake Gibsons, does not sell Gibson replacement Bird p-guards. All Parts sells them. Although I seem to remember hearing things about theirs not being the exact size. Perhaps others here can chime in. Lastly, I always remove the Grover mushroom tuners from my Gibsons. They look robotic to me. White/Cream buttons, or if you like the western flair, the Keystone/Tulips would be a nice swap. It would also make the neck and headstock of your guitar feel lighter. Kluson and Gotoh make fine tuners that stay in tune. I stand by those companies.

Ahhh, I see now. I had it mixed up in my head. Thank you!

Screw the Studio. Go with the used one. Furthermore, unlike cars, I'd buy the oldest I could find. I couldn't stand the shallow neck profile of the Bird. So I sold my 2012 Bird for 2,500 last summer. That money paid for both a 2010 J-45, and a 1955 ES-125.

Mmmmm...not sure. I thought that TRUSS RODS were indeed inside all J-45s....but they were not ADJUSTABLE until a certain year., ie, no access to them. I think the adjustables were introduced in the late '40s.

So the adjustable truss rod was introduced in '42? What accounts for your '43-'44 footnote?

I agree with everything nodehopper (the OP) said eleven years ago. Personally, I have found that monel strings sound best on my J-45, even the Martin ones! Unless you are trying to shred on the J-45 like a horse's ***, I believe the heavier the strings, the better. 12's minimum. StewMac prices are crap. Bob Colosi is to whom your business should go.

Overwhelmed looking this up on my own. If I wanted a vintage Gibson J-45 with and adjustable truss rod and the teardrop pickguard, what between what years would I look? 1947-1954?

What a fantastic answer and great resource. Thank you!

Nobody?

What size allen key is needed for the headstock truss rod in EJ-200s?

You've always been a horse's ***. So this post isn't very surprising.

Do Les Pauls typically have a neck like a Hummingbird? Which LPs since 2000 have the beefiest necks?