fortyearspickn

That didn't take long ! Remember - it will take for the new one to get 'broken in'. It may never sound how you remembered the one you have now sounds.

That's a tough one. Absolutely no reason to accept it if it is a separation. Can you 'feel' a crack in the nitro with your finger or fingernail ? As opposed to the line being below the finish? I'd undergo the hassle of bringing it to a qualified luthier for an expert opinion before contacting the store for a resolution. The question I guess for him would be - Is this cosmetic and stabile? or is it indicative of a joint that has separated? THEN you can propose (demand) an appropriate response: Fix it cosmetically, if the former ; replace the guitar if the latter. You might, if it's cosmetic, just accept it (dealer's choice). As noted above - black shows everything AND 90 years from now, you won't notice it ! Let us know what you decide and how it works out.

Thanks to Ol' Fred, we all know .... "If you've seen one Gibson, you've seen one Gibson."

Pulled weeds in backyard for 3 hours. Kept thinking “if I’d done this 2 weeks ago, there would have been half as many. “

On acoustics - sound holes that aren't. Weird shapes and places. Sort of like a guitar Picasso would design.

"I can almost hear her wings'' I bet - If You Could Only Have One - that one would check all the boxes for me. Congrats !

I wonder if a strap should be straight or slightly curved.

Pearl Handled Deck. Dead Man’s Hand. Ace In The Hole but Warrens poetry is certainly the winning hand!

In the interest of hi-tech then ... The newest update to the iconic iPhone ... (16.3.1) has a feature built in by the techies to make our lives better. It, too, will blow your mind. They've 'added' (ie. Snuck in under the radar a difficult change to find) a setting whereby YOUR phone will Not CHARGE when you put it on your charging station, if YOUR phone senses that the source of the energy (electricity) is from an unscrupulous source at the time. IE. not "clean'. I do not pretend to know what that means. Only that it appears you might rush out in the morning thinking your phone is charged and find it is not. Under Settings/Battery/Battery Health and Charging/Clean Energy Charging. There is a toggle they've set to ON for you. On YOUR phone. You can switch it off. Assuming you want to. Glad Apple doesn't manufacture airplanes.

A suggestion if he outstays his welcome ...

Zomb - thanks for that clip of "Carmelita". His guitar break was perfection. Even had Zevon smiling. A jewel in the crown ! All of our heroes are passing.

I'd be inclined to get her to work with Gibson QC - ID the guy who touched the guitar after having a powdered sugar donut on break - and dock his pay. Send a clear message to the entire workforce! You can't fire the QC guy that misses problems if they're random, 1,000 items on a check list, and infrequent. Like the proverbial needle in a haystack. As reported, the fingerprints are not visible at certain angles. Fire QC guys like that - and you won't be able to fill the empty positions. It would seem the better 'Total Quality Management' solution would be to find the actual source of the defect and let QC stomp on it. "You're making my job impossible if you eat donuts and handle guitars." None of us here would do that - powdered, glazed or jelly ! Pinch - it sounds like your guitar had the buzz-kill issue new - not having been tweaked at the store, or with lighter stings put on ? Many here have reported Gibsons are sent from the factory with the action high. Just as bad as having a rattle in a new car - you hesitate to take it back, fearing the dealer (or guitar tech) will do something as a 'quick fix'.

An Epiphone 'Hummingbird' is not in anyway comparable to a Gibson Hummingbird. I played a Gibson with someone that had that Epiphone for over a year - the differences were clear. If you are concerned with the nuances between Gibson's J45 and Gibson's H'Bird - letting a $300 Epiphone influence your decision will be dangerous. It will be difficult enough comparing the two actual Gibsons: if they are in different stores, perhaps a week or two apart with differently aged strings and 'background noise' relying on your memory of how one sounded and felt. The good news - if your shoulder is an issue - you can probably cross the SJ200 off your list.

Congrats. Great looking all around. I bet it sounds even better !

The J45 (and it's cousin the Southern Jumbo) and the H'Bird (and it's cousin the Country Western) vary significantly in specs over the decades. At one point, the J45 was even a square shoulder. So, anyone asking for guidance on 'which is better for me' needs to specify which era. Easier to take an A/B snapshot of what is currently being built than a 30 year old J45 compared to a 10 year old H'Bird. And, to base an opinion based on two indistinct models played in a store 5 years ago ... well, they both had sound holes! My experience with mine is irrelevant because one has koa b/s and one is a TV. But - they are clearly different. With different setups and different strings. My only observation would be - the H'bird costs more, looks nicer but the J45 outsells it, I'd guess 10 to 1. I think someone who loves acoustics would get really happy real quick, for a long time purchasing either one. Sort of a 'Me love you long time, Joe - want a happy ending?"

.... sound holes, every guitar has one.

Wow. Perfect strap for that Black Beauty! Nope. Wasn’t under the tree. Thanks for the reminder. I guess I’ll have to self-gift one!

Dave, Welcome. Hope you get the help you need here. Not an easy answer, because J45s are quite varied - a hundred variations over the past several decades. although many were based on color and/or different Back/Side wood. The 'standard' J45 for decades was hugely popular with singer/songwriters ("The Workhorse") and for that reason, Gibson started creating related models. Even an "Inspired By Gibson" Epiphone for $750. That adds to the confusion in trying to get a handle on something as simple as "Which J45?" But, your having narrowed it down to a New One - makes it easier. !!! You say you've only tried one - so we don't know if you have the luxury of trying a dozen or so to kick the tires on, or if you are into the on line order and return mode, or the keep it for a year or so to decide ("Catch and Release'). The iconic version - with mahogany B/S all are a bit different, but not dramatically so! And, once selected - you can tweak the sound based on your string selection. As with anything - the actual purchase is complicated by the fact available inventory turns over regularly - so the one you tried, for example that 60s Model - may be gone in a week. So, if I were me - I'd narrow it down to a sub-species, such as the 60s version - by trying a few of each model, and then get that model if and when (at what price) you feel comfortable. One note, Gibsons are usually shipped with high action, so take that into account. Sometimes, it's just a leap of faith. G'Luck.

Wow !

That's more than double what the OP said he was going to spend.

We moved TO Massachusetts FROM Miami. Use to be predictable each winter - the local news crews would go out to the beach and take pix of tourists in their Speedos while the natives looked on in their Fur Coats.

Mine may be different - Pit Boss - instructions say to not use soap and water on the pan. I'm guessing it's steel and would rust. The grilles - I scrape and stick in the dishwasher and that does the trick. Mine is clean - so far - because I've only used it 3x and have been lana about keeping it clean.

If you're next Bucket Lister after the Guild is a Gibson - maybe you should get on the waiting list now !

Spent 2 hours cleaning up my pellet grill after 8 hours smoking yesterday. A brisket and for a few less hours a turkey breast. Pulled weeds for 2 hours.. just in the front. Grass is brown, but the stupid weeds pop their green heads up early and BANG ! Noodled on the SJ200 while catching up on 2 more episodes o f “Jack Ryan” on Amazon. Having moved from Central Mass, and experienced blizzards in April, I felt really guilty out there in the sunny 80s today. Not!

Stupid Question: how different would this be from an SJ 200?