fortyearspickn

The terd in the punch bowl.

Nope. It's a J45 Custom Koa. Ltd. Koa is a cousin of Mahogany.

GFL, Cool. Thanks. Wife and I traded in our iphone6s for 12s a few months ago. I"m bound and determined to get away from Apple.

I hate having to go the the Apple Store. Reminds me of what an old USSR Department Store was probably like. "You can have that pair of shoes in any color or size. But we strongly recommend 9 and black." I really disliked how they manipulated their customers with 'iTunes' and now they're herding everyone into "Apple Music". I had loaded a boatload of CDs into iTunes and they kept losing them and otherwise sabotaging them. It makes me slightly nauseous when I see how many people have "Apple Watches". My wife and my 4 kids all have one. I will never buy one. It's annoying enough having a 'phone' in your pocket monitoring your every move, without having a 'watch' beeping at you telling you to 'breathe' or 'move'. And giving you a trophy when you satisfy it's prodding.

I fear the OP may have written us off after Zero Responses 3 months out. He's not signed in for 2 months. Hope he got a good'un.

The brand, spanking new J45 would definitely sound different. Fresh out of the box, new strings just tuned up and the wood not yer adjusted to the humidity and possibly even the temperature. Don't discount it. That said - I think you will always regret not getting a Standard. You've set Gibson as your 'Holy Grail" Brand. You believe the J45, H'Bird and SJ200 are the panacea. (I agree - I own 3 guitars - and that's them). If you were focused on a Hummingbird and found a "Hummingbird Pro" in the store for 1/2 of what a 'standard" (aka REAL) H'Bird costs - and bought it. You would have buyers remorse before you got it home. Guitars are not shoes, hammers or whiskey. They are not even automobiles, jewelry or girlfriends. Musicians have unique relationships with their instruments. Let us know what you decide. Welcome !

I would have to guess saltwater would soak into the wood and glue and after a couple of years, you 'd have driftwood. You should get a Rainsong graphite guitar to keep in your cabana, boy.

I'll take 1/3rd of ALD323s.

Our Justice System needs a chicken soup enema.

Don't leave tuners or capos attached for extended periods of time for a few months. CONGRATS !

Label color use to be orange for all, then Montana shifted to white for standard and orange for custom or other not-standards. There are several possible things a Gibson Five Star Dealer can ask to be changed to make a guitar 'Special Order". Usually they have to get a run of 50 - but the 'specialness' might only be the coloration in the face, the pickguard or the bracing. Marker dots, tuners, rosette, etc. Some things that might not even be described on the "Specifications Sheet" that comes with the new guitar. Of course, if it were a major change - like back/sides tone wood - it would be noted. But a major change is unlikely: If they used maple or Koa for example, it is unlikely they'd call it a Legend. More like a J45 Custom. Your best bet is to contact the Retailer that placed the order for this run of 34 'limited edition' J45 and ask them what they tweaked to make it a special, limited, Legend. I personally would not bother. It was likely not something that would make yours more valuable or desirable than a regular Legend. G'Luck.

Wolfie, To pass on a great guitar, one which feels and sounds better than any other you may ever find, simply because the grain looks like wood, instead of ... not wood, would be an invitation to regret,Returners Remorse, for most here. If it were an expensive new car with actual defects in the paint job or a dining room table that had a big old fugly Knot Hole in it - absolutely return it. It's obvious from this small sample of comments some people don't like bear claws, some don't like red in their sunburst, some don't like grain lines. But most prioritize the tone, playability, fit and finish over pure aesthetics. That said - I think you've already made up your mind to not purchase it. It sounds like you've got access to a store that has a good selection, if it has 2 J45s. IF a brand new one, albeit a great player, has little saddle left - I would definitely pass on it. Most telling - you wrote that you are unhappy with the ''poor spraying job on the sides - its brown, not black. But I guess I can live with that for now." The question might be - are you looking for a good J45 while you continue the search for "The One" ? You might have to follow ALD323's strategy and keep ordering and returning guitars until you find one you believe checks all the boxes. Of course, the dealer may cut you off after getting a half dozen returned for aesthetics. For example, Standard J45s usually have brown sides, not black or near black. G'Luck.

Agree.... excelente post from the OP ! And great of him to let us know how it turned out.

Went out on Monday errand run to accomplish 3 things: Get an oil change, exchange empty propane bottle for a full one, and get a haircut. Had to try 3 places before I could get an oil change, couldn't get a replacement gas tank at Lowes - they didn't have any; haircut place said they didn't have any stylists in (this was mid-day) and would call me if I wanted when a slot became available. They did - 2 hours later and said I had 15 minutes to get there. Every other store seemed to have 'Help Wanted' signs out.

Trying to help the OP from Argentina understand that nearly 50 million people in the US were traveling during this US Holiday, while he was waiting for a response for his pick guard problem, and so Gibson's Service Desk may have been under-staffed. Sorry if that wasn't clear to you. Bet it was to the OP.

I even have trouble with my Air Guitar. Probably need to get a better Humid-Park.

This raises the possibility that, despite the animosity that sometimes raises its ugly head here - even driving beloved members away - this forum probably does much more good for members of all sizes and shapes - than we are aware of. Thanks Demoon. Wow - nearly 11,000 posts. You were busy.

The best place to start is at the beginning! Mads I think 2 of your 5 days were part of our 3 day Holiday Weekend. Many here were also celebrating seeing a light at the end of the tunnel with travel restriction due to lockdowns, nearly 50 million people left town. Many of those took more than the 3 day weekend. So, I think your plan to give them a few more days to get caught up and call them is a good one. Do not be surprised if they expect good evidence of your being the original owner - replacement pick guards might be new and improved over the one that was on your 3 year old/NOS guitar. They're surprisingly expensive if not under warranty. G'Luck.

The plot thickens.

JCV, Same here. Thanks. Thought my problem was one in a million. Very little padding on my fingertips makes callouses really important to keep up. But, doesn't help on the edge of the index finger when barring. I tune mine down a full step to "D" and appreciate the lower range when singing. I'll try 11s on my SJ200 next go round. Thanks again.

Buc needs to be Busking !

Confused... SJ200s are large not small bodied guitars. (SJ=Super Jumbo)?

I'd guess BBP is right. Sort of like calling GM when your Malibu's sideview mirror wiggles. Part of the reason Gibson doesn't sell through retailers that are clueless.

WF - Wow ! your ultra-conservative friend cut off communication with his parents because they kept you on their Christmas Card List? That's unbelievable! I've found many people who claim to be 'in the middle' (aka "Independent") are either confused by the media and can't defend a position, or they are afraid 'to come out' and let their friends and family know whether which way they 'lean' to maintain relationships. Sort of like being afraid to not be 'Politically Correct'. And everything is becoming 'political'. Guitars made in China? United VS Divided ? As we have been pushed to pick sides - it is human nature to defend your position. People tend to stop emailing and texting friends who constantly challenge (actively or passively) positions they've decided are correct. That's why Social Media is so attractive...dare I say 'dangerous' ? You can alienate people you don't know. For fun and profit.

You can see grain continuing through the spot. It appears to be a naturally occurring variation in the wood. You know, like when you buy a leather coat and it comes with a label that states: "Please note that leather is a natural product and may contain marks, blemishes, scars or other imperfections; this is the nature of leather and I believe this adds to the character of a leather item. " If this bothers you, you should return it and buy in person, so you can check for this.