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bobouz

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Everything posted by bobouz

  1. 70th B-day coming up in a little over a week, with five happy years of retirement in the books. Body & mind working pretty well, living in a small coastal town, and still having fun with music. When I was thirty, I hated my job & figured I’d be lucky to make it to fifty!
  2. In 2007, I returned a SG purchased new in 2002, due to a split in the mahogany body. I was offered a choice of equivalent replacements, and the whole experience with Nashville’s repair & customer service departments was totally professional. I’m guessing you’re in good hands & it all will work out well. Although you’ve crossed the major hurdles, the hardest part now is just waiting!
  3. bobouz

    NUGD

    Gorgeous wood on that one - Congrats & Enjoy!
  4. AC, the best bet would probably be for you to take the guitar in to a luthier to get a nice setup done. Then watch a few tutorials on truss rod adjustment so you'll be able to approach it properly in the future, if need be. From the factory setting, only tiny increments would normally be needed to dial it in. A 90 degree turn, let alone 360, would be considered massive & potentially dangerous if tightening. Hope it all gets sorted out to your satisfaction.
  5. The CJ-165 was introduced in 2006, and the CJ-165ec was released the following year. The model was produced through at least 2012 (with a name change to J-165 thrown in for good measure). I have a maple-bodied 2007 CJ-165ec, with rosewood board & bridge. Super comfortable body to play sitting down. Gibson’s recent Parlor model has identical dimensions (except for being shallower in depth), and there also was the Avant Guard version that preceded it. So in actuality, Gibson’s 15” small jumbo body has now been on Bozeman’s radar for the last fifteen years.
  6. bobouz

    J-185EC

    Looks nice & straightforward. I’ve got a 2007 CJ-165ec (which is a slightly smaller sibling), with very nice build quality on my example from the same year. Check the usual things such as saddle height, neck angle, working electronics, structural integrity, etc. Hope it works out for you!
  7. Along with noticing that it was an LG-2, the bridge immediately caught my eye as being a bit wonky - and check out those rather aggressive ramping cuts for each string!
  8. It’s simply another option from Gibson, and I think that’s great! Anyone with enough money to spend on this will inevitably consider it a Montana Gibson, just like anyone looking to buy a ‘60s Kalamazoo-made Epiphone knows, in reality it’s a Kalamazoo Gibson. And quite correctly, market values reflect just that. Bravo to Gibson for experimenting with the revival of USA-made Epis.
  9. I bought a brand new J-150 in 2001 for $1850. Also bought my 2000 J-100xtra new for $1500, and still have that one. Doubt I’d be able to bring myself to pay today’s prices!
  10. This is very typical of Guitar Center. Once something hits the floor, it can suffer terribly, but they’ll still ask full price for it. Then it becomes a matter of negotiating with them at the point of sale, or as in this case, after you’ve received it via an internet sale & threaten to return it. One thing to consider: Traditionally, GC has run 15% discounts a number of times per year. Things may have changed, but I’ve never purchased an instrument from them without getting 15% off. They also will price match any sale price from another retail entity on regular stock items, including Musician’s Friend online - which they own. MF will sometimes run sales that CG is not running. At any rate, the good news is that you can always choose to do a full return, so the ball is totally in your court!
  11. Gibson's adjustable truss rod first appeared on a few production instruments in late 1921. It was officially in regular production and touted as a structural selling point in 1922. I have an early 1922 Gibson 'A' mandolin with an adjustable trussrod - a very early trussrod example. It works perfectly to this day, and the ebony fingerboard is straight as a arrow. In fact, although worn with ample signs of player use, the entire mandolin is free of cracks and 100% structurally sound. Not bad for an instrument that'll be 100 years old next year!
  12. First, let me qualify this by saying I’m a fingerpicker almost exclusively. What I look for is a balanced tone from low to high notes, with relatively little sustain or overtones - but I do need a reasonably strong bass that doesn’t get lost in my drop-thumb style. This particular Martin does that well, with a rich but direct delivery. It’s actually a long-scale, and although I prefer short-scale, the neck has a slim profile combined with a 1-11/16” nut width which makes it an easy player (however I still don’t care for the 16” fingerboard radius!). It is not harsh in any way, and projects well for it’s small size. With all of the above said, every example is going to be different, and this is one of few Martins that I’ve found satisfying enough to actually purchase.
  13. I haven’t looked at Martin’s lineup in a long time, so I checked it out and yes, they’ve currently returned to ebony on the 16 Series - nice to see. Now if these had a 1-11/16” nut width and 12” fretboard radius, they would indeed have a significant slice of my attention. I played a 1970 00-18 for over twenty years, and currently have a 2000 000-16 (spruce/mahogany w ebony B&B), as well as a 2001 custom dread (spruce/rosewood w ebony B&B) structurally based on the 16 Series, but with a number of Style-45 appointments. Looks to me like the 16 Series once again is offering a solid value at it’s given price point.
  14. Actually, the 16-Series has long had models with solid rosewood back & sides. I considered them a great buy until Martin started slapping Micarta (and then Richlite) on their fingerboards & bridges in 2001 (just a personal thing). Edit: Prior to the above change in ‘01, the board & bridge was striped ebony, a wonderfully smooth wood.
  15. A vote here for keeping it as is if you like the tone. The adjustable saddle changes how string vibrations are transferred to the body - in effect creating more of an archtop bridge relationship. Typically, this results in a slightly metallic quality that many players enjoy, including myself. Frank Ford’s comments in the link above are common luthier-speak. They always rip this design to shreds from an ideal-construction perspective. But in creating this goofy design, Gibson also created a wonderfully unique tone. So if it is structurally stable & you enjoy the tone, I would leave it be. Change it out & the tone will change, but perhaps to something your ears find less desirable - and I say this from having experienced it first hand.
  16. Although most folks prefer Klusons for appearance, I greatly prefer Grovers for functionality. I installed similar Grover tulips on my 2002 J-45 Rosewood, but with a nickel finish. And most of my other guitars have regular or mini Grovers, sometimes with swapped out buttons.
  17. Glad it all worked out for you. Enjoy the new guitar!
  18. Fun to compare, in particular the 00-18 & L-2. Thanks for sharing!
  19. Martin trails a wee bit at my house by a score of 17 to 2.
  20. These are relatively minor quibbles of course, but I typically prefer headstocks that are wider at the top, and have a distinctive shape. Gibson, Guild (not Gruhn’s snakeheads), Gallagher, and some Epiphone, Breedlove, & Ibanez shapes are to my liking, in particular the Guild Chesterfield & Gibson flowerpot. Martin’s shape is terribly boring, but it does widen towards the top & the script logo is nice. The Iris headstock doesn’t work well for me on any level, but it certainly is not the worst. To brush up against the other end of the spectrum, the Seagull headstock would be patently representative of how not to do it!
  21. Hope you’re continuing to enjoy that lovely guitar!
  22. Started riding in 1969 after graduation from high school. The bike was a Honda 305 Superhawk, followed by a 305 Scrambler & another Superhawk. It was all about handling & twisty roads for me. A Kawasaki & another Honda followed - but those 305s were near & dear to my heart, as I took them on some very long trips & never had a breakdown. Also moved on one from Arizona to Oregon with all my worldly possessions! Worked for five years in Honda-Yamaha / Harley-Kawasaki shops in the late ‘70s & early ‘80s, and finally quit riding after years of bundling up to ride to work in the rain, cold, & occasional hailstorm. Been tempted many times to buy another bike, but never have to date. As BoSoxBiker said, be safe. Keep your peripheral vision working constantly & don’t ever assume another vehicle sees you. I avoided numerous accidents because of some hyper-defensive riding habits. Stay alert & enjoy.
  23. That J-185 clone looks nice - except for what's happening above the nut. Neither the headstock's shape or graphics are my cup of tea.
  24. Looks really nice with the plain pickguard!
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