fortyearspickn

No it wasn't.

I would guess part of the UMGF negativity comes from high expectations based on the name - not factoring in the fact you are paying $500 and not $5,000 and it's made in Mexico, not Nazareth. And, how often a person uses the word 'crap' in his product reviews is probably a function of how long he's been cooped up with no one to talk to except people on Social Media! I'm appreciative of Gibson's approach of maintaining their brand 'quality' and letting Epiphones be their entry level/student/starter guitars. But, that's all marketing - brand definition, etc. Obviously - the lumber you hold in your hands... Love the one you're with? Ginger VS Mary Ann ?

Bring the troops home by Christmas, Jinder ! Peace.

Yes she does. This is an old classic. One of my favorites.

WEIRD 12 YEAR OLD ZOMBIE THREAD. First time poster. Comment off topic. Click on Link At Your Own Risk !

I stopped believing all the reported scare stories when after months of telling us to wipe down groceries with disinfectant - they said - "Never Mind". CDC this week changed guidance on re-using masks. It's been 10 months - they just figured out 'best practices' for masks !!! I thought they were a billion dollar outfit charged with "CONTROLLING DISEASE". They've made lots of changes and reversals in the past year and should have had this one piece of information nailed. Experts like this are telling us they can measure the rise in the earths temperature by a couple of degrees over a couple of millennia. And cows are a big part of the problem. Pffft.

A unique holiday that traditionally has brought us closer together as families and Americans, this year is different. Even different than during The Great Depression, The Spanish Flu, WWII .... We are being told to 'shelter in place' for the holiday, but we hear of scores of mayors and governors who threaten us with fines and jail time if we don't follow their 'guidelines' - who get caught ignoring them. Maybe we, here, can come together with some positive, reconciling anecdotes about what we're planning for this day - or what we've done on prior holidays. This year,, we are getting together with our two of our sons, whose families we regularly have visited with over the past months. My fondest memory of earlier celebrations - back when I was 19 or 20, driving into Brooklyn to pick up my grandmother and great aunt to bring them to our home for the day. They would always have a glass of sherry. They had a lot to be thankful for: Together, in the early 1920s, they brought my father and his sister as toddlers over from England/Ireland to find a new life here. Me? I am thankful that I've lived long enough to realize how much I have to be thankful for. Maybe that will be what I say when I am called on to say Grace at our meal later today.

If I were me, I'd leave the current strings on for another 4 weeks and see what they sound like once they hit their stride. And your ears adjust to voice of the newbie. The sound of new strings deteriorates quickly and, I think more noticeably for me - on my maple SJ-200. That is not the guitar I grab if I want a shiny, bright silver bell ringing sound. Having said that - Martin Retros here.

Bert - I'd jump on getting a new H'Bird. Best way to get over 'the one that got away'. You need to forgive and forget. You'll find it opens up your mind to really enjoy playing that new one.

I think we here, collectively speaking, are "The Man" .

Access to health care has taken a back seat to focusing on the China Flu for the past 10 months. My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer a month before they closed hospital admissions for everything except 'emergencies'. She was one of the last to get surgery and Radiation Therapy before they shut the doors to keep beds empty. Now she's in the 'medically fragile' group (had lung cancer 6 years ago which she also beat), so she and I (and our 4 kids and their families) have not been able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Fortunately, with the vaccine just around the corner - if the FDA gets off their axe and begins their review of Pfizer's application.

Prayers headed your way, friend.

And, in the past couple of years - the J45 has seen spin-offs in a different direction, not just different colors or tone woods. Now they are available with cutaways and slimmer bodies. Guitar Center has at least a half dozen different models. As far as quality, I believe the late 60s to early 80s were spotty, not just for Gibson, after the heady experience of the folk boom. But since you stipulated recently made - you should have no problem. As BobOz indicated - anything in the current century should be good. Brand new comes with a warranty. Used - you're on your own and, like with a car, you don't know how it was cared for or why it's being sold. There are occasional complaints that come up, probably less than 1% of the total new (warranted) ones produced. In the past few years - most complaints seemed to be cosmetic things, easily fixed (or ignored!). Plastic endpins, then whether the pick guard covered too much of the rosette. Wanting an iconic guitar for your first 'good one' seems to scream "J45". I have a J45 (in Koa) and I play it 2x as much as my J200 and H'Bird combined. You should consider if you are a Type A or a Type B guitarist. Will this most likely be your 'Keeper" or will it just be a guitar your 'Dating' until the right one comes along? If (A) - make sure you play some Martins and Taylors in your pre-established price range, so you don't experience "Buyers Remorse". G'Luck, and let us know how it goes, no matter which direction you take! And, WELCOME !

Would that have included the ACLU ?

You can download an app on your phone of the Constitution. Comes in handy when you can't get through to your court appointed attorney.