J185cat

I owned a 2005 with Koa back and sides so not your standard version. I eventually sold it because I didn’t think it suited my style but here are some of my impressions. One, has to the most comfortable to play guitar I have ever owned. It just seems to sit right and combined with the short scale, it was a joy to play. Two, it is very evenly balanced across the entire fretboard, this was especially true after the Koa had a few years to open up (Koa is stubborn). Three, mine had more sustain on individual notes than I expected, maybe a result of the Koa again? So why did I sell it? I describe myself as an old chord brasher (another way of saying I’m not that good) so I find that the guitars I gravitate to more are like the AJ, J45 and D28. More bass, more volume. The J185 to me is a more “refined” guitar, extremely well suited to finger picking and when my friends who are accomplished than me at that art I loved it. Hope this helps some.

“More Panzer Paint”

My HB (99) has a lovely, soft tone. Plenty of bass etc. But what it does not have in my opinion is that”punch” to cut through in a mix of guitars. I think may well be due to the fact that the mid range is scooped somewhat. Solo, sitting on the sofa or on the deck I love it but would not be the one I would take to a jam. Now I’m sure others will come on here and give countless examples of just the opposite but that is my experience.

Yeah that’s right. I was getting the two models mixed somehow. What happens when you rely on memory.

Okay Dave. How does she sound? To early to get an accurate opinion?

I would pick the AJ to fill that spot.

That was not the point. I was just saying they have done it before and it should not be a problem.

I may be wrong about this but I think Gibson did an Emily Lou Harris version of the J200 back in the 2000’s that was a shorter scale. Hey, it’s Gibson. Probably would be easier to ask what they haven’t made.

drool! I was sitting here playing one of mine and you had to go do this. Seriously, that is awesome, congrats👍

Yeah I would love to try that one.

If this is one you can see in person I would. I can say this, my AJ is easily my favorite guitar.

Sarg you may remember a few years back my posting about buying a custom shop D28 with Audi top and braces from Wildwood. That guitar had a weird issue at the beginning where you could move the guitar back and forth and hear this strange clinking sound like a piece of metal loose inside the truss rod cavity. Took it to a very well know and trusted Martin FA repairman, he heard and said it might be a piece of glue or something. Said he didn’t think Martin would replace it. I kept the guitar because it sounded so good. Fortunately after some time the noise went away and now I’m glad I didn’t try to send it back. So, the myth that all Martins are constructed on Mount Olympus by the hands of the Gods and are therefore perfect is just that, a myth.

Very nice! Those J185’s are fun to play aren’t they?

Purple Haze

My Dad’s HBird had pretty heavy haze so I went at it with Virtuoso Cleaner and improved the look greatly. It was not 100% but much, much better. That tells me that at least on this guitar the haze is in the nitro and not under or I would not have seen any difference. I also would think that if there was water vapor beneath the nitro it would release from the wood.