egoidealmusic

I assume it's only because of the newer style tuners because I can't see what else it would be.

BluesKing777 they'll figure it out soon and then raise the price! 🤨

But the 50s J-45 is actually a little bit cheaper than the standard!

I've played both. I own a 2021 50s J-45 and a buddy of mine owns a 2019 standard (not exact years, but pretty close), and I very much prefer the 50s--and so does he! There's a bit darker of a sound to the 50s that I just love (and I think you can hear it in that clip). I don't know if the chunkier neck has anything to do with it or if it's the bone saddle and nut instead of the tusq his has. Can't recommend the 50s more!

Is "Rosewoo" how it would have been written instead of "Rosewood"??? Also, it may be that the guitar is just extremely dried out (many other signs of that), but it looks like the bridge was removed and glued back improperly. Good friend of mine has a J-35 that a GC butchered on repair that looks just like that. 😞

Thanks, all. I'm looking for the mellowing sound that ebony has, which is more important than the aesthetics to me. The current pins are--I think--Tusq. White, and you can see production lines (i.e. from a mould) on them. Definitely harder than plastic, but I just can't be sure. The nut and saddle were apparently originally Tusq and have been replaced with bone, so that's why I'm assuming Tusq (the Gibson page says nothing about them). The maple pins just look too much like the color of the top, but I might try them as it's an inexpensive start before paying for Ivory or bone.

Wondering about your thoughts on pins that might have the sound of ebony pins (a mellower sound) but that are white. My new LG-2 has plastic pins which I want to replace and I like the sound of ebony but want to keep the white aesthetic look. Don't want to make it sound brighter so definitley not Tusq. 🙂

For orginal "old time" I think of the Carter Family playing "No Depression" through Doc Watson. But I could also think of something like certail Uncle Tupelo songs (like their cover of "No Depression") that were conjuring that sound. No help at all, but just a thought.

Thanks for all the thoughts, folks. I've ordered both a teardrop and a batwing (can use whichever I don't put on this guitar on another) and will share photos once they arrive! And I'll try to play easy on her until then...

That tiger stripe looks fantastic, Dave F. That's the color of the material I have from StewMac, so maybe I'm wrong that it would be too much!

It would be an LG-3 back in the day, but it's a 2014 American Eagle LG-2--the sunburst version is the Americana. Doing some research it seems there were two versions of the American Eagle: one without a pickguard with vintage style white button tuners and one wtih a teardrop guard with all metal tuners--not sure which came first. I got it at Reverb for less than $1500 and, like I mentioned, it seems that it was barely played since it came off the factory floor 8 years ago.

E-minor7 they seem pretty organic to me--no complaints about the texture of the pattern, only saying that it's a lot more red than the Gibson fire stripe (or tiger stripe or whatever). That is, it's a beautiful pattern, I just worry that it wouldn't look good with this natural top with how red the stripe is. Like I said, with a redder sunburst like there is on the RK it looks great, but I'm concered it would be way too orange on this guitar.

I very much do too, MissouriPicker, (which is why my J will always be #1) but just wanted another with a different sound. I really like this, but it just can't compare with that bigger, boomier sound!

Dave F I'm sorry to have outed you like that! Your secret is safe here on the forum, I hope... 😉

Dave F a solid idea. Did the Martin freak out having a Gibson shaped guard forced on it??? I think that's illegal in some states!!!

well, at least it would be a smaller beaver...

Sgt. Pepper hahaha so I take it you're voting for the more minimalist teardrop?

Thanks for the thoughts, E-minor7. It's a pretty red tiger stripe (or firestripe) from Stewmac, and that's my main concern that the red would be a bit too loud as opposed to the more yellow tiger stripe you see elsewhere. https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/materials/pickguard-materials/acoustic-pickguard-blanks I made a pickguard for my all solid Recording King parlor guitar, but that sunburst is pretty red so it works really well. I just don't want to detract from the nicely aged looking natural top of this LG-2.

That's how I'm leaning too, RBSinTo. I've got some tiger stripe material so I could make my own, but I think it would be way too flashy for the simple look of this guitar. And I'd love to leave it totally clean, jedzep, but like I said I've chewed through into the wood on my J in about 6 months. Am I too hard a strummer? Probably. Should I try to be easier? Probably. Is it going to happen at this point in my life? Highly unlikely. Hence the need for a guard! 🙃 Of course, I don't care about resale value, so maybe I should just let it wear in to my strumming style!

I'm with you, Jinder. I've had this for about 5 hours and I'm loving it. It's not my J-45 which could never be replaced, but it's a really sweet sound with great balance--as you say, a great all-rounder. Maybe you can weigh in on a post I just started about considering adding a pickguard! And I get the cost of divorce issue...I was dumb enough to do it twice!

He folks, So I Just recieved this fantastic LG-2 American Eagle. Seems as if it was never played--not even a hint of a dent on the 3rd fret--and it sounds fantastic. I love the look of it without a pickguard (not sure if the pic does it justice but the wood is gorgeous), but I'm a pretty heavy strummer and I'm worried about chewing through it quickly, so I'm wondering if you folks would recommend adding a pickguard. And, if so, just for shits and giggles, what kind you would add. I think Salfromchatham added a batwing style guard which I love, but I've also seen some with the traditional Gibson teardrop style. And yes, I realize this is a bees nest I'm opening up and I'm ok with that!

Thanks for the thoughts! Did you add that pickguard yourself, Salfromchatham ? Most seem to come without a pickguard.

Asked this in another thread but thought to avoid confustion I'd start a new one. Has anyone played one of these? Seems like other than the bridge being belly up it looks very similar to the new LG-2 naturals that are being produced now.

Totally spinning off of my original question, does anyone have knowledge of the American Eagle LG-2? I really like the thinner bridge on the older and newer LG-2s, but there's a number of these out there for a good bit less and if it's just aesthetics, well. Just curious.

Well, everything is going to sounds weak compared to those two! To your larger point, though, it's interesting that there do seem to be some who say that what Gibson is building now (aside from the QC issues that flair up) are some of the best that they've made in many decades. I'm not experienced enough to say that myself, but every newer one I've played has sounded great.