MissouriPicker

We know this gal who several years ago tripped and fell into a cactus she had at home. Landed on her arm and shoulder. She had lots of pain on that side of her body for several months. Don't know that it had anything to do with arthritis or if any toxin from the cactus quills caused arthritis-like symptoms. She talked about it a lot because it really bothered her. Eventually she was back-to-normal. That's been a good 4-5 years ago and we still see her every couple months and she's been fine and hasn't mentioned it for ages..........For what it's worth, I've read that it can take several months (depending on the plant) for all the cactus quills to finally either dissolve or work their way out. Lots of tiny quills can be far more difficult to deal with than large ones that are more easily seen. I hope your pain soon comes to an end.

The End of The World----Skeeter Davis

The End of The World----Skeeter Davis

No offense to Epis and those who love them. Most of them, especially the Masterbilt models, are nice instruments (and I currently own two Epis, one a Masterbilt), but they are not the equal of my Gibsons. No way in hell. The Epis are still good guitars, but not like my Gibsons. My EJ200 is nowhere near my J100. Nice guitar and very playable until you compare it to something like the J100, etc. The difference in tone and volume is very apparent and it's not due to the cutaway. It's due to the quality of wood and build. It was fine for the few months I've had the EJ200, because I wanted a super jumbo again, but now that I've got the J100 there is simply no valid comparison between the two guitars. The Epi is a $400 guitar and the J100 is a $3000 guitar. Both super jumbos and both made out of wood and both function as guitars, but that's where the similarities end. I know there are people who claim they can't tell the difference between a $400 guitar and a $2000-4000 and in 99% of the cases I think they're full of it. Some folks are fine with an instrument that is simply a nice guitar, but if one is looking for something more they will easily notice the differences between a Gibson/Martin and an Epi/Fender/etc. And I'm not knocking Epis. They're pretty much the equal and sometimes the superior of the other guitars in their class, but they are not Gibsons/Martins. I don't expect Epi lovers to agree with this and that's fine. I hope they play their guitars for decades and decades. I've owned Gibsons and some Martins for years now and it's difficult to find one of the less expensive guitar brands that are supplying what I'm expecting to feel and hear. I often buy less expensive brands because I think a particular model looks cool and plays nicely, but I rarely keep them very long, because aside from the initial attraction there's not much there to keep my interest...........Anyway, if one can't hear the differences in these guitars they'll likely disagree with me. If they can hear the differences, they likely know what I'm trying to say.

That sounds great, Sal. You've got a good Neil Young kind of sound going with this song. The harp sounds super. Adds a lot of character to the song. Thanks for reminding me of how folksy a lot of the The Stones music is. Sweet rendition.

Welcome to the forum. You'll typically find the answers you're looking-for in here. Lots of lots of real knowledgeable folks in here.

I'd forgotten about this old thread. Kind of nice to see it kick-started......I guess it all comes down to what "over-rated and under-rated" means to each of us. We could be talking about measureable attributes like build quality, sound, playability, or things that are purely human, like desirability.

Thanks, Red. I thought it was just the Lennon guitar that had the P90 for authenticity reasons. Didn't know they were doing the same with the solid wood models. We don't hear too much about these guitars. Haven't seen one of the Gibson models being used in the last few years, at least. I run into an Epi model every-now-and-then.

From what I understand, if it's a John Lennon J160e, it has a P90.........If it's a J160e that is not the Lennon model, it has a P100.

I suspect all of the modern J200s (90's to the present) are all solid wood). Likely true for the vast majority of Gibby models. I wouldn't be surprised at anything from the "Norlin era." Lots of changes at Gibson during that time. No doubt there were some sweet guitars made, but a lot of quality issues occurred and some models tended to go downhill until the late 80's. Before approx. the real late 60's when Norlin took over, I have idea. Some say Norlin got involved in Gibson in 66. .......... Aside from that, there are many people who feel that a laminate guitar is better and stronger than solid wood. I'm always expecting solid top and solid back & sides in any Gibsons or Martins I look at, but things can change. I prefer solid wood over laminate, but I'm conditioned to believing that solid is automatically better. Don't know if that's actually true.

Exactly. I have no interest in what kind of cutting technique was used on the wood. That's not even on the radar when I'm buying a guitar. Nor am I checking inside the guitar for a spot of glue under the bridge. I don't care what kind of bracing it has either. All I'm looking for is whether or not the guitar is what I want and worth the price. If I don't like the guitar, I don't care if God made it and cut the wood with an angelic saw, I still won't buy it. I think all of my better guitars are pretty much "top shelf" instruments to my ears, hands, and guts, but that in no way means they are better then another instrument considered "top shelf" by someone else. What guitars cost means nothing if you really like the guitar. I think all this "my guitar is better than yours, because" attitude is bullcrap and needs to be put where the sun don't shine. Perhaps I'm one of a "dying breed," but I don't consider my J45TV a better guitar than my J15, or my Koa AJ better than my Rosewood AJ, Hummingbird, etc. (actually the bird is pretty special). They all cost different amounts of money, but they're all "top shelf" instruments and the cost means nothing. They are all splendid guitars.

Ghost, those are really nice-looking guitars. I don't doubt the craftsmanship that goes into building one. Just not for me. Too pretty for me. Nothing to do with what they sell for. To some people they are undoubtedly worth it and I wish them well with their choice. It's more about that kind of guitar not being "me." It's just a real personal thing. If I can't identify with the guitar, then I don't want it. I can easily identify with most Gibsons, Martin dreads like the D28, D35 and their immediate families. And I definitely identify with the J15.

Amen, Ghost. You nailed it......I can't stand the direction some people took this thread. What started-out as a thoughtful review of what I think is a great guitar was twisted into "my guitar is better than yours because it cost more." What a bunch of crap dished-out by crappy people.........BTW, I've never heard of a Caldersmith guitar, but I bet it burns too...lol...........Play the guitars you love and don't let the elites rain on your parade.

Nope.....that fancy sawed-wood on the J45 froze solid and when one of the kids pissed on it, it shattered into thousands of little pieces.

Yep, young'uns, the winter of 2016 was the worst in history. Me and your maw fig'erd we was finished. It's nuth'in short of a miracle that we's here today. The huge piles of kindlin' we'd stored-up were burn't and gone by February and the coldest blast of Old Man Winter's breath was yet to come. For sure, it looked like we were goners. Thank God and Gibson for the J15.

Yep, 5-piece neck on the Dove. I've read "pros & cons" on whether or not the multi-piece neck is better than the solid. I don't know and likely don't really care. I've owned some real "killer" guitars (and my J15 is one of them) and I imagine they all had multi-piece necks. I've read that the glue that is used is actually stronger than the wood. Either way, I've never had a neck break. I don't even think about it.

Had my J15 for a year now. Real nice guitar. It definitely gets its fair share of playing time. I've used it at quite a few gigs and the playability is "top shelf." There's something about the Gibson slope-shouldered guitars that appeals to me. Maybe it's the appearance, size, tone, feel, etc., or all of the above, but whatever it is, they are sweet. ..........I hope you enjoy yours for many years.

Entertaining thread. I've always considered it to be in Am, because it's a somber and melancholy song. There's a video somewhere on You Tube where Keith Richards talks about changing the position of just one finger throughout the entire song. Don't know if he was talking about lead guitar or rhythm. Anyways, "Angie" is one of those songs that fits easily into The Stones legend/mojo/lure. Here's a page that gives some perspective on the song. What the actual facts are----who knows? http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=560

Collecting and displaying is a different universe from buying and playing. I can see the lure of the expensive guitars, but I just can't see spending that kind of money unless I can resell it for a good profit. As someone who buys a guitar so I can play it, if I had 10,000 to spend on guitars, I'd likely buy 3-4-5 of them... Beyond that, aside from it being called an Elvis Presely guitar, it has absolutely no connection to Elvis. Again, I really do understand the attraction of these guitars with the artist's name on them, etc, but I think they're way-over-priced. However, if one is a collector, it can be a very different viewpoint.

For myself, they all have one very important and very similar quality in regards to sound. They all sound great. I typically don't have to wonder which guitar to take to a gig. All my Gibsons fit the music I like to play. Whether or not I take my J45 or J15 isn't the issue. It mostly depends on what guitar I used at my last gig. If it's been a couple weeks since a guitar was used at a gig, chances are it's coming with me that night. If it's time for "the bird," I take it. At home I pretty much play them all every 2-3 days. All the tone woods have their own sound if one listens to them carefully, but usually I'm just playing them and enjoying the sound. Besides, most folks in an audience couldn't care less what guitar you and I are playing.

Still 1499 in The U.S. Maybe they're still selling 2015s and the price will jump when they start with the new model year..........The J15 is the equal of most any guitars around. I have no idea what Gibson's plans for it are. They might build it for a few years, then put the design "on the shelf" for a while, then a ten years from now make another run and give it an Adi top. Who knows? Anyway, it's far more than a "nice" guitar. Like any other top notch guitar, it can be a lifetime instrument.........No issues with this guitar. It's a gentle howitzer.