NotARockstar

Really appreciate all the responses - this helps me a lot in deciding how to proceed. And have confidence that it's strictly aesthetic. Given that, the only reason to return for me is practical: resale value. In a perfect world I'd go and play 10 examples and pick by ear (not aesthetics, I actually don't care if it's a keeper), but since I can't do that I'd prefer to have a guitar I can pass on at a better price should I find an example of this model that sounds or plays better for me - I can't afford to do otherwise and this was always my plan with this one. Gearbasher gave me the idea to hunt down photos and sure enough, you do see this in a few, but it's nowhere near as bad. The nut issue I only mention because come on, really? At this price point you can't cut a nut properly? To be specific: action is fine (will take it down a hair later) - saddle and nut height + truss rod are all decent so in terms of playability it's very close to my preferences with no obvious fret issues. The retailer in question is high volume and would not have made changes but they did inspect it. It's that the high e slot is not cut cleanly resulting in a plunky sound. b & g are also sticky but some graphite cured that. It's an easy fix - I generally do all my own work. It's interesting to hear, essentially, "Gibson may not be for you" over a quality control/quality of construction issue. I can see that to live with this brand you have to learn to think about these things differently. I've already determined a J-45 is very much is for me. It plays and sounds like nothing else I own and would pick up another if I end up returning this one. So again, thanks for the perspective and info. Really helps! At this point I'm inclined to let it slide and pretend it gives the guitar character, but I'm going to contact Gibson support with (better) photos and see what they say.

Thanks for this! I knew this was the construction method but didn't know what they were called. It helps a lot to get a sense of how prevalent this is. To be honest, it simply didn't occur to me that a less than perfect finish would be the norm on a $2700 guitar, thus thinking it might indicate a more serious issue. If this were a Martin (also nitro) this type of finish flaw would be unthinkable. Yeah, I was expecting a more, uh, "organic" construction and don't consider this a bad thing, but was concerned about resale value. If this is "normal" for Gibsons, assuming I can find someone who has also drunk the kool-aid, then that's less of a problem. Maybe I can market it as deserving a premium for the "genuine Gibson vibe". On the less than perfect setup: sure, I can fix the nut and do whatever else it needs and that really doesn't bother me except on principle at this price point. All this said, yes... it has that thing and that's what matters in the end. There is something in the voicing of this guitar that is pretty magical. I do the singer-songwriter thing and have struggled for years to get my #1 to work well with my singing whereas this J-45 was just instantly right. Alas, that's not gonna stop me, at least until bonding is complete, from feeling that it doesn't represent particularly good value. It's like spending large $ at a fine restaurant and yeah the food is great but the waiter is condescending and your fork was dirty.

Hello! First time Gibson owner here, and new to the forum. Two weeks ago I received a new 50's Original J-45. Unfortunately because of where I live I had no choice but to purchase online. Upon receiving it I got it under a bright shop light and inspected every inch of it and found nothing other than that somebody had played it rather enthusiastically for a few minutes with a pick - I figured maybe at the factory - not something I'm gonna return a guitar over :) Alas, just a couple of days ago I noticed something that is either new or that I somehow didn't notice before despite putting on new strings - there are very obvious lines where the headstock was glued together as if that process wasn't done well/fully dried before applying the finish. It basically looks like a crack which may or may not be only in the finish. It runs straight the full length of the headstock on both sides and is about .11" from the tuning peg holes. I've done my best to capture this in the photo, but it is not easy to take a picture of. And before someone says it: No, it is not the reflection of the string. It's very clear in the right light and you can feel this line with your finger. To me this clearly and obviously a manufacturer defect whether functional (down the road) or simply aesthetic and I'll be contacting the store I bought from to arrange a return. But should I refund or exchange? I wanted to get some perspective from experienced Gibson folks: Is this just what you get with Gibsons? Is it common? What would you do? Do you think I could expect a better example on an exchange or should I hold out for in-person inspection (I'd have to drive 4-6hrs one way)? Are the infamous Gibson quality control issues true after all? Aside from a poorly cut nut and some tuning instability the guitar is great and I feel I definitely made the right choice on model (sound I wanted, love the neck). But not a great intro to the brand.