fortyearspickn

I have an old 8 Track that will fit in the space your ash tray use to be.

Yeah. You can buy stuff ... or you can invest in YOUR LIFE !

So, you've had the SJ200 long enough now to form an opinion .... which of these 3 do you ENJOY playing the most ? Regardless of how much they cost...

I forgot to use my sarcasm font.

JHeath, you only need ONE buyer. You don't need to price it so sell to half the potential buyers, or the 'average' buyer. As you know, it is the type of instrument a real player would be looking for - not a collector. Your description underscores the value and viability of your banner J45. Unless you are needing cash fast - I'd price it just below $7K and just wait. It's sort of like fishing, I imagine. You put a lot of money into a boat, rods, lures, travel, time - don't sell the fish for what Walmart sells them for. Yours is a little more desirable. Let us know how it goes. G'Luck.

bev84, This is truly the happiest story I've seen on here in months! Inherited pre-war Banner J45s is certainly inspiring to those of us who have given up finding one in a Pawn Shop, but you have landed a real keeper and player. You obviously know and love guitars to have found it, found out more about it, took the risk and snagged it. CONGRATULATIONS !! (Not to mention - talking down $100 instead of asking 'why so cheap?' )

Good idea. Deering Banjo (one of the top brands in terms of quantity and quality) does something similar. About once a month. Not just a 'concert', but talking about the music and the instrument. Gibson won't go that route. More likely to offer a free pair of Levis to anyone who buys a $3K guitar. The records will probably be in 45rRiPM.

Agree. Another first time poster here this month had no receipt, apparently hadn't registered his warranty and held the guitar for 3 years before noticing the defects and contacting Gibson. They addressed his complaint and worked on the guitar - swirl marks in the finish. He told us about another 'defect' that was clearly not done in the factory. There's always two sides to every story - this First Time Poster may have a legitimate issue - but he doesn't present his side very well. One wonders if he (or 'they') were equally ineffective in communicating with Gibson.

Dr B, We moved to South Houston in the mid-80s, in the Pasadena School District. Wish I'd gone to Gilley's at least once before it was burned down. I hate to ask, but whatever happened to that beauteous Guild ?

If someone who has attained enough status to use his name recognition to sell something and make a little extra cash - no one can stop them - or the thousands of marketing weenies lined up to sign them up. Look at Shaquille O'Neal - he's on TV every 5 minutes selling cars, pizza, pain meds, et al. If a pro guitarist has a brand or model he has used for decades, which helped him gain his fame and fortune, and which is associated with him already - he would be silly not to 'endorse' it and get paid. Gibson's new CEO - James "JC" Curleigh, who cut his teeth selling Levis to what he believes is the same demographic group - would sign up Shaq if he thought it would sell guitars.

See - that is exactly what the OP is hoping for. Social Media Shakedowns - is what these folks have devolved into doing. Sort of like 'Extortion Lite'. They attempt to publicly shame a big company to the point where they get a few thousand 'likes' (notice BS hasn't gotten any here), then the company feels they need to 'settle out of court'. Problem is - appeasement is a black hole.

BS kiddy - Great First Post ! Is this how Millennials get attention? Hoping to get a free set of strings? I'm recalling an adage - "Life is tough... "

First - CONfreakingGRATULATIONS on your new J45! Sounds like it's a match ! Welcome to the club; Remember - not just the case, but everything in the room absorbs and expels moisture at a different rate. You could put the case out in the sun for 20 minutes and dry it out. Doesn't sound bad. For me - I just keep the room between 40% and 60% and find the guitars, which I leave out 24/7 - stay in tune. G'Luck !

Many of these companies do this. Some have a separate page with lengthy lists of anyone who has ever risen above the fray. It's just marketing. Some get 'spokesperson' level endorsers they feel will lend 'authenticity' to their marketing. Guitars are cheaper than race cars. (That affected my retirement hobby decisions.)

Gc29, It sounds like you're aware of the intrinsic value of this instrument/work of art. But I thought I'd put a different perspective on it. I've got 10 grandchildren. When I pass on, I will be most concerned not with which grandchild gets a few thousand $ and what they do with it, but which grandchild gets which of my Gibsons and what they do with it. I've given 'lessons' to 3 of them so far, and have told them that, at times - their guitar may be their only friend., they need to nurture the relationship. Not by keeping it in the case and humidified - but by learning something new every time they are feeling free and creative. So they can have that shared joy with their guitar for when they aren't. Your grandfather certainly is hoping you will get as much happiness out of music as he did, and this guitar is how he chose to share that with you. G'Luck !

It's certainly worth a 100 mile trip. Impossible to be 100% sure from photos - but it looks genuine. Make sure the s/n on the headstock is the same as on the orange label. I wouldn't press him on 'why so cheap?', he may have second thoughts. 😀 The two streaks from the sound hole down are not uncommon, and they match due to the bookmarking. Herringbone body trim and placement of the P/U control in the sound hole and the case are all positives. G'Luck.

3 years on new nitrocellulose - tuner, capo, strap, strings... A newbie screw up and he want's a new guitar because he's gonna pass it down to his son.

Common contemporary ploy - flood 'social media' with complaints about a product and embarrass the accused of 'settling out of court'. Perry has also posted this complaint in other threads here on other sub-forums. His story has more holes than a screen door.

Perry, Nitrocellulose is the final finish they use - it is still 'sticky' when the guitar is brand spanking new. You remember that from 3 years back. It will absorb stains and will ripple and waffle if something foreign is left on it. Skinny Boy Jackson above may have discovered the origin of the mystery X. It is not a 'reject' mark: if you didn't leave a tuner or capo on, someone might have in SAsh. Again, that's why you inspect the guitar in the store and go over it with a 10x the day you bring it home. The marks on the back - I still don't believe they are from buffing - more likely something in the case interacting with the nitrocellulose. Maybe a couple of rolled up strings? You praise the guitar specialty store that sold you an allegedly defective guitar for providing you with the receipt. Why did you need that receipt? Did you not register your new purchase with Gibson 3 years ago? Your final complaint is that Gibson said they'd return it but you haven't received it. You didn't mention how long you've been waiting. Sorry - this is all on you. You came here for support from the forum members and to embarrass Gibson on social media. Didn't work - so you dismiss our objectivity. Fine. Ask yourself honestly - if you took this case as you laid it out here, to Small Claims Court - do you think you'd have a snowball's chance in he1i of winning ? How about the Court of Popular Opinion? I submit "there's not a court in the land..". Do you think even "AmazingAmazon" would back you?

NN, Yeah. Funny how all the hundreds of allergies people have now, didn't exist before the FDA decided anything could be added to our food.

Gibson may have shipped a guitar with flaws, their final QC should have caught any issues and sent it back. But it is the responsibility of the dealer to have inspected it, caught them, rejected it and sent it back. You, as purchaser should have inspected it, caught it and Not Purchased it. Once walk out the door - there is always the possibility they can say it was clean when they sold it to you. Someone at Gibson or SAsh put that yellow X on the back of the headstock for a reason. JCV asked when you bought it: If it took you more than a couple of days to notice it and report the issues to Sash, you may be pushing on a rope. If it was sitting in Sash for several years - the damage (which doesn't look like a buffing issue, but I can't tell from the photos) could have occurred there. Strange they didn't take it out of the case and encourage you to play it. Lots of questions. Don't think you'll get any answers here.

Agree. A very slightly damp cloth removes most of the stuff if it's not allowed to build up to the grunge level. You're not really cleaning, protecting or polishing wood - your treating nitrocellulose. Except, of course on the fretboard and bridge. So, I just use Gibson Orange Pump once a year. I'm guessing if you have rust particles on your strings, you'll be using the same cloth, because you won't care that much if the small particles scratch the body's finish.

Mihc, Wowsers - really great. I'd wear that everywhere. My 5 years of schooling in Espanol has finally paid off. No shyte !

Aaaah ... Sorry WF. I said they combined cola and caffeine. I should have said cola and COFFEE. Coffee, and then they expanded to add a couple of different flavors to the two. Cola Coffee MANGO, Cola Coffee VANILLA , Cola Coffee Pickle next ? ....

Those videos were great. Able to hear the acoustics now and then, especially at the end. Sort of creates a high water mark for what I"d like mine to sound like. Of course more than half of the 'sound' is in the hands of the player. True test is when I watch a video like these 2 - do I go back and watch again. Yep ! Thanks Em7th. I use to keep my strings long and braided - because I hated getting stabbed by the B string when it was clipped. I may go back... I think I only changed to the cleaner cut look because 'everyone else was doing it.".