j45nick

I've found I useful when using tape as a positioning guide to use a constant clearance from the pickguard (or whatever it is I am installing that requires precise positioning) to the final placement location. If you set it up so that you have maybe 1/32"-1/16" ( around .5mm) of clearance at each tape reference, you won't accidentally stick the pickguard to your reference tape.

Any tonal differences are largely a function of the fact that guitars are individuals. Over time, there have been a multitude of variations on both the SJ and the J-45. As has been mentioned, things such as cooked versus un-cooked tops, as well as differences in material such as Adi versus sitka tops, and scalloped versus un-scalloped top braces, will create far more tonal differences between guitars than whether a guitar is an SJ or a J-45. I have two J-45s and an SJ, all mahogany bodies and sitka tops. As I've said before, they are clearly siblings, but not identical triplets. There are no tonal differences that you could ascribe to any one of the then being an SJ rather than a J-45. The basic design of the guitars is the same. The primary differences between the SJ and the J-45 of the same body and top materials are cosmetic.

Nice, but too much reverb to give a true sense of the guitar. I looked at some of his other videos, and he tends to do the same thing. He does have some very interesting guitars, however.

Looks like a Honky Tonk Deuce. I think they came in either natural or sunburst. Basically, a rosewood-bodied SJ with special appointments and details. There are several board members here that own them.

Fair enough. It would be interesting to try to nail down the fundamental tonal differences between the scalloped and un-scalloped tops on the 'bird, if there are any. Unfortunately, you would need at least two of each kind for a valid comparison. I have two mahogany slope-Js with scalloped top braces ('06 1943 SJ re-issue, 1950 J-45) and another which is un-scalloped (1950 J-45 re-topped by Gibson in 1968). There is a close family resemblance between the three, but their voices also have unique qualities. The two scalloped-brace guitars are quite similar to each other tonally despite their 50+ year age differences, with the older guitar having a bit more sustain and projection. The un-scalloped guitar is a bit subdued and dry by comparison but nicely balanced with good note separation. Clearly siblings, but not identical triplets. The scalloped and un-scalloped 'birds may have similar family resemblances and differences. At the end of the day, all guitars are individuals, and we need to appreciate each for what it is, warts (if any) and all.

Naphtha. Safe for cured nitro, but do not soak the guitar finish. That is, used it sparingly. Some people here have used dental floss soaked in naphtha to help in removing a pickguard. I have not done this, so cannot comment with any authority on the process.

So, here's a question for you. I went on Gibson's website to verify this characteristic for the new models, by the way. These new 'birds have scalloped top bracing. To the best of my knowledge, Gibson stopped scalloping top braces sometime in the mid-1950's. If that is correct, no 'bird before the Bozeman era would have had scalloped top bracing, and these modern versions may have a significantly different voice compared to a vintage 'bird.

Any case designed for Gibson's LG-series smallbodies should do, since the C-series classicals share the same body plan. Go on the TKL cases website. They give detailed inside dimensions of all their cases. Here's a link to one case that might work: TKL classical case

I like the look of double rings, but it sort of takes a fancy headstock to make them look right. I only have one guitar with tulips--my cherry-red '59 Historic ES-335--and those are single rings. That's a nice-looking set you've got there. They would clean up real nice, while still showing their age. The keys are in really nice shape. The steel base metal rusts through the nickel plating, but Flitz metal polish removes the surface rust and puts enough of a protective coating on that it doesn't come back for a long time. Restoring tuners like these is a bit of a hobby for me. You can almost always make them function well and look good.

After looking at a bunch of photos online, all you can say is that they could be original, but may or may not be original. Most of the photos of '68 models I can find show either three-on-a-plate closed-back Klusons with standard white oval buttons, or individual Kluson closed-backs with oval plastic buttons. Slightly later models appear to show individual closed-backs with either metal keystones, or plastic keystones similar to the ones on your guitar. You can get some idea by pulling off the tuners on one or both sides the next time you change strings. Just remove the screws, and pop them off. The mounting screw pattern for three-on-a-plates is different from the screw hole pattern for individual tuners. If there is only one set of holes in the back of the headstock, and those are the ones for your current tuners, you can reasonably assume the guitar has always had individual tuners. What you can't say is if they had plastic or metal buttons. Sometimes, if the tuners have never been off, there will be bits of finish residue stuck to the back of the base of the tuners, which should correspond to areas of finish missing on the back of he headstock. That, coupled with a single screw hole pattern, would suggest that these may well be the original tuners. In your case, both the tuners and the buttons look to be in exceptional condition, particularly given the obvious finish deterioration on the back of the headstock. I would expect to see some surface corrosion on the metal parts of the tuners, particularly the gear covers, as well as some signs of cracking or crazing on the tuner buttons.

That was a good comparison. In this instance, and for this style of playing, the LG-2 seemed more lively than the J-45. Both of these re-issues have scalloped top bracing, which was probably gone on both original models by 1954-'55. The point he makes about the smaller-bodied guitar being more easily driven by a lighter touch is a good one. When I feel like finger-picking, I am more likely to pick up my L-OO Legend than one of my slope-Js. Flat-picking is another case entirely, where the larger-bodied guitars really start to pull their weight. The retail prices of those two models are only $200 apart, which makes sense given the small differences in labor and materials required.

That shows in the photo of the back of the headstock as well. There is a discontinuity in the grain pattern above and below the scarf. Good spot by bobouz.

Could be. If it were mine, I would be sorely tempted to try to tease that little piece of tape off in one piece to see if there is a hand-written serial number beneath it. Old glue is sometimes brittle enough to do that. If you get it off intact, you can always glue it back in place if you find there is no number underneath it. The actual printing on the label "bleeds" through this tape, so I go back to the strong light suggestion in case that is good enough to see what is beneath the tape.

Buc, being a huge Steely Dan fan, you've done a superb job on the instrumental part of this. It's really hard to compete with Donald Fagan's high end, and you are pushing the limits of yours here. Hard to know if this will work as a busking tune, since it may be virtually unknown to younger folk, despite it's history. Your solo instrumental arrangement here is just about perfect. I miss Fagen and Becker, and still have Aja and Gaucho on my mobile devices. Those are two of the best jazz/rock fusion albums of all time

Zombywoof might be able to help you with that one.

Have a look at this site instead. There are some inconsistencies within the site, but the section that seems to match the best with the serial number, body, and no "made in USA" stamp is the section headlined "Gibson Serial Numbers, Feb 1961 to 1970." Go to the bottom of that particular section. That would place the guitar in 1970. This apparently was a time of inconsistent and repetitive numbering, according to most sources. To the best of my knowledge, Gibson did not begin building guitars in Nashville until 1976. This should be a Kalamazoo guitar. Gibson serial numbers

That serial number, coupled with the square dread body shape and no "made in USA" stamp, says 1970. You would normally expect an inside label, but this was only a year after the switch to that body shape, so it might pre-date labels on that model. Look to see if there is any evidence of a paper label on the inside back, such as glue residue just below the soundhole, that would suggest the guitar once had a label.

FlatBar, thanks for that. Great job on a great song. Part of Prine's appeal to me is that so many of his best songs are reasonably straightforward to play and sing. With my limited vocal and playing skills, that's an important consideration. Much of the material from great singer/songwriters is out of reach one way or another, and I just get discouraged trying to do it. Prine wore his heart on his sleeve, tinged with a lot of self-deprecating irony. His lyrics are often mind-blowingly spot-on. Even when they seem to be simple, they are carefully crafted and devoid of extraneous words. Maximum feeling in the minimum amount of words, We are fortunate that even if we have lost him, we still have his songs.

I believe the J-45 studio has a thinner body than the standard J-45 or J-35, as well as a larger fretboard radius. The studio models are well-suited to performers who play amplified, as they come with a built-in Fishman pickup system. Un-amplified, they are likely to have somewhat different tonal and projection characteristics compared to the full-depth J-45 or J-35 due to the shallower body. The standard J-35 was a bargain when it was introduced at something under $2000. Unless you play amplified on a consistent basis, the full-depth J-35 with mahogany back and sides may get you closer to classic Gibson un-amplified slope-J tone than the J-45 Studio. It would be a no-brainer for me, since I don't play out for audiences at all.

A better choice would be three-on-a-plate open-back tuners, such as the Golden Age ones the Stewmac sells. Gibson has made what might reasonably described as "100% dead accurate reissues", even if a few of the periods details have yielded to modern reality, such as the material used for pickguards. In recent years, those would be the Legend series guitars, which are about as close to the original design and construction details as you can find.

Those were interesting videos. That guitar has some of the same construction characteristics of both of the 1950 J-45s I have, such as the spruce side stays inside, replacing the cloth ones that Gibson used up until sometime in the late 1940s. The one-owner 1950 J-45 I bought last year apparently also has a spruce bridgeplate, like this J-185. That surprised me, as spruce is a very soft wood to use for a bridgeplate. It's a miracle it survived this long, and it did require some conservation last year. The spruce bridgeplate on that J-45 probably made it this far because the guitar was essentially put in the case sometime in the late 1950s or early 1960s, and almost never played again until I bought it in 2019. Needless to say, I am pretty careful when changing strings to make sure the ball ends are seated properly. It surprised me that Ren thought the hole in the rim might be a drain hole. Maybe he was teasing us with that one. Pickup wire holes in rims were common before the days of endpin jacks. I've had two guitars with wire holes in the rims. The only time you might need a drain hole would be if you played a lot in bars where the patrons threw beers at you. I've spilled a beer inside a case, but can't remember having one thrown at me.

This is a new Tiny Desk (Home) concert. Tiny Desk (Home)

Thanks for that, Lars. I've spent much of the last few days watching and listening to Prine on YouTube.

Takes the concept of a "distressed" finish to a new level.

That's a real unicorn, Tom. Can't wait to hear it. Maybe you can get David Dugas to drive it around the block at some point.