lcjones

I appreciate your thoughts and information, zombywolf. Thank you.

Thanks, again ksdaddy. My J50 has a ceramic saddle and I really like it. Keeping an eye out for another ceramic. Yes, the rosewood on the B45 is pretty thunky, not to mention a bridge plate the size of Oklahoma. Tone killer to be sure on the 12. I have a J45 in the shop being worked on with a rosewood saddle. Also with a large bridge plate that's being replaced. I'm hoping that will brighten her up a bit.

Long story short.... I bought the B45 knowing it had high action. The seller said it needed a neck reset. As an experiment, and rather than a traditional neck reset, I have steamed the top using the John Miner method (search John Miner Luthier on Youtube). And frankly, it worked. However, I believe I didn't angle the neck just right. So I believe I'll steam her again. Before steaming ............ During steamings ..... After steaming ......

ksdaddy, Thank you very much, The photos help me quite a bit. Is your action fairly low? Seems it would be if the top has dropped around the bridge area. Is that a ceramic or a bone saddle?

Thank you kindly.

Folks, I have a '66 B45-12 with adj rosewood saddle and trapeze and it has pretty high action. I'm trying to find the fret board plane to the bridge on a normal B45-12 with same rosewood saddle and trapeze. If someone would have the time and inclination, I would request a pic showing a straight edge on the fret board to the bridge/saddle. I'm looking to see if the fret board is aligned even on the top of the bridge or if it aligns higher on to the rosewood saddle. Thanks and appreciation for taking the time. Chap

Attaching the bridge today. The old gal had a week of intense re-hydration therapy. Hydration brought her back to about as normal as it will ever be. Jury still out whether or not to replace that old black pick guard or just leave her without one. Anyway, it'll be a couple more days before she's back together.

The more I read about Gibson ...... This J45 I purchased had a layered b/w/b pick guard. It was lifting up in several places so I wrangled it off. I didn't like it. I swear it looks like the adhesive was carpet tape. Some areas were still tacky. It's been on there a quite a long while by the guard outline against the faded cherry finish. Was this factory?

Thank you folks. I appreciate all the information. I've pictured things up. I'm not a luthier by any stretch but I'm handy .... like pockets on a shirt. This is not a double X braced J. However, it has a bridge plate that is just nuts. My '67 J50 has a beautifully dainty and I believe a maple plate. This J45 has a tectonic plate! The J45 had a hideous black/white layered batwing pick guard that was coming loose. I removed it completely. I was flabbergasted at what I saw. I can't imagine that this was factory. After several hours of elbow grease and KleanStrip paint thinner, I finally removed the glue. It was actually still tacky in places. It literally just peeled off. It also has a broken bridge which I am repairing. We'll see how that goes. No loose braces that I can tell. It apparently had a crack in the top as there is a small 1" square cleat dead center half way between the end pin block and the bridge. She was covered in grit and nicotine. I'm using Howard's Clean-n-Finish to clean it up. Great for getting that nicotine off. More elbow grease! As a former smoker, I can't say anything but getting nicotine off a guitar is just no fun what-so-ever. There's the nicotine towel! Anyway here's some pics of the old gal. The picture with the guard still attached is as I received it.

JC, Thank you for taking the time. It is a bottom belly or belly down rosewood adjustable. Chap

Yes, in fact I do. Chap

I have recently purchased and it's currently in transit to me, a J-45 Cherry burst, No. 804321. Charts list that number as '66 or '69. It is a slope shoulder, not a square shoulder. It has the natural mahogany finish on the headstock with the gold Gibson logo rather than the black painted headstock. Most photos I've seen of pre-69 headstocks are painted black. My question is, was there some cutoff date between natural and painted headstock or was it a random thing? Chap

Zombywoof, Thank you for that information. Yep. This one has the sharp pointed edges in the headstock diamond. I've ordered a rosewood replacement saddle from the Philly guys. Thought I'd start there as that is what is on it. Might try a bone saddle later on. I have other 12 strings that carry a bright tone. So I'm hoping the rosewood saddle gets me a more earthy tone like my J50. Again, appreciate the info.

Hi folks, Thanks ksdaddy for that photo. I appreciate that. Sgt. Pepper, "crossed out number is a keeper"? Is there some significance? In my curiosity and as men are want to do, I took the screws out to have a look see. Honestly it felt like it was glued down. But I didn't force anything and promptly returned the screws. Here she is. She needs TLC to be sure. Rosewood saddle is hosed. Ordered one today. No cracks or splits on top or back. But, she does have a bit of a sunken chest. Hence pretty high action. Hence a neck reset (but....maybe not). And in the process of sinking it cracked a brace. I'm going to try a procedure to restore the top to it's original position. We'll see. Anyway, here she is,

I just bought a Gibson B45-12. The serial number, as I can make it out, is 803128 which I assume is either a 1966 or a 1969 by the charts I have found. It's a cherry-burst model. I can find no model number on the guitar. There is a "G" printed on the neck block inside. On the underside of the top , near the sound hole, the numbers 48005, which has a strike-through in pen ink, and then the number 4803(x) with the last digit covered by bracing tape. It has a screw-on pick guard. Which I though odd. Though, after some google time found at least one photo of a 1966 B45-12N also with a screw-on pick guard. I have not seen a screw-on guard on any year of the B45-12 other that the 1966. My question is.... was this a Gibson "lets try this and see what happens" thing? Or was is a design decision that was rescinded at a later date? I'm just curious as to the Wherefore & Why a screw-on pick guard.

Howdy folks, Posting from south central Kentucky. Kind of been lurking here for a while. Several months ago I acquired a 67 J50 ADJ to which I am absolutely hooked on. I've been a Guild devotee for decades. A number of my favorite artists work with J50's and I just love that deep dark tone they get. I have played the J50 almost exclusively the last three or four months. And, I am a Gordon Lightfoot fan and of his Gibson B45-12's. I've been enamoured over the years with the sound of his 12's. I happened upon a 66 Cherry-burst last week and took full advantage it. She needs some work but she'll be fine. Anyway, just sayin' hey. Chap Jones Kentucky