stevegarside

Hi all. I'm based in the UK. Anyone got an L-1 Blues Tribute they are looking to part with?..

Hi all I am interested in an 'Orville by Gibson' L-1 guitar (circa 1992), which I have seen on-line. It isn't referred to as 'a Robert Johnson' signature model. Just a plain L-1. Does anyone know if this guitar is a solid wood guitar - or is it laminate? Thanks, Steven

You are not kidding. One store on Reverb has a used RJ on for £3200. Ridiculous.

I'm not sure precisely the years they have been re-issued in. There have been two incarnations though - a L-1 '1928 Blues Tribute' and a 'Robert Johnson'. They differ in spec a little, such as tone woods used and neck profile. I hesitated on a 2012 RJ a few weeks ago, which was for sale for a relative snip, and now I'm well and truly kicking myself.

Hi Has anyone got a recent re-issue L-1 for sale? I'm not so interested in the Robert Johnson as I don't like signature guitars. I'm based in the UK, in Manchester.

Hi all I don't know if anyone has had the same experience of guitars that feel more 'roomy' at the picking end than some of your others - only for you to find their is no difference in string spacing in practice? Is the feeling of room just an illusion brought about by neck width and radius? For example, I have a Martin OM which in theory is a tight 2 1/4 at the bridge, and it feels tight compared to my Gibson j-185. I don't like picking with it and it's consequently a strummer. However, when I measured it at the actual playing part of the guitar - for me at the middle of the sound hole on both guitars - it's exactly the same as the Gibson. The Gibson neck is chunkier so that clearly must be a factor in shaping the hand, and creating an illusion of space as it positions the fingers more accurately. Plus, the strings on the Gibson get wider closer to the bridge, giving the appearance of space. But no-one really plays there. Strange.

Thanks to everyone for the replies and the advice. Very much appreciated. I am just going to give it time rather than rush it back. It's just so damned comfortable and pretty to give up on it. That narrow waist, coupled with the wide lower bout is wonderful. And Jalex's comments have convinced me there could be real rewards in patience. I don't mind the fairly weak low bottom either, as I like mid-range punchy. (My favourite guitar is a Martin all-solid Ovangkol which is extremely well-balanced. A fabulous strummer). It's the stiffness that bothers me, so I think I'm minded to follow Jinder who has had such a success with removing under saddle pick ups. As I've resolved to live with it for 18 months at least, I might as well give it a few tweaks! All the best.

Sensible advice I think Paul - thanks mate.

Cheers Larry - it's good to know you have had a positive experience! It seems that everyone who has done the same has said the impact on the tone is either positive - or neutral. Not heard anyone say it made the tone worse. And the lower action sounds like a nice bonus. I'm certainly keeping this open as a long-term option if the guitar doesn't lose it's stiffness, as I really want to keep this guitar. It's so comfortable and pleasurable to play - I was worried it might be too large but it's fabulous with the narrow waist. All the best.

Appreciate your comments Jeff - thanks for the reply. Giving it a play-in period and trying heavier strings to help it resonate and open up, sounds like a plan. Definitely one I will try before performing any surgery.

Hi - thanks Brucebubs for the reply and the suggestion. I am a fan of Sunbeams, though haven't tried them on it yet so will add to the list of possible remedies. I like 'warm and mellow' strings, especially Thomastik Plectrums. These are on it at the moment and have helped the tone a bit. Just feels like the top isn't vibrating enough, hence why I thought about the pickup removal. It might just be a question of wait and see - and move it on in 12 months or so if doesn't win me round. Cheers, Steven

Hi all - new forum member here I have a new Gibson j-185 ('Original', 2020 model). It looks fabulous, has a great neck and is super-comfortable - but I'm a bit underwhelmed with its acoustic tone. It seems so 'stiff' and lacking in resonance. All I hear and sense are the strings, rather than the body of the guitar. It's sounds like a laminate rather than a 3 grand plus instrument. To some extent I know this might be a function of the maple back and sides, but still I did expect more. Anyone else have the same experience? Did the tone improve noticeably over time with this guitar? Also, I wondered if removing the under-saddle pickup might improve the resonance and tone - and noticed someone else (Jinder) had posted on this, mentioning the big improvement he had on a not-dissimilar maple SJ00. Anyone else had a similar experience? I am never going to gig the guitar so I am not bothered about losing the PU, other than in affecting possible resale value. I'd appreciate any views on the J-185 - and whether anyone thinks removing the pickup is a good idea/utterly crazy. Cheers, Steven

Hi all - new forum member. I have a new Gibson j-185 which looks fabulous, have a great neck and is super-comfortable - but I'm very underwhelmed with the acoustic tone. It seems so 'stiff' and lacking in resonance. All I hear and sense are the strings, rather than the body of the guitar. It's sounds like a laminate rather than a 3 grand plus instrument. I thought about removing the under-saddle pick-up to improve tone - and noticed you (Jinder) have posted on this, mentioning the big improvement on a not dissimilar maple SJ00. I am never going to gig it so I am not too bothered about losing the PU, other than in possible resale value. Can you add any more about your experience? Would you say go for it if you knew it was a keeper? Thanks, Steven