j45nick

I've never seen it reversed. It's a chemical reaction. Get it off the guitar before it damages the finish and all the metal parts near it.

12s (lights) of some type. Depends on the individual guitar and taste of the owner. I prefer PBs such as DR Sunbeams for their warmth, others prefer 80/20 for brightness. If the guitar sounds dull, consider 80/20. Gibson Masterbuilt Premium are almost always a decent choice, but they do not seem to last that long for me. Right now, I have Sunbeams that have been on guitars for a year, and I'm just now getting to the point where I feel like changing them.

Probably LG-2 from between 1947and 1949, with the open-back tuners and black fabric interior side stays. Hard to judge the condition of this one from the pictures. In good condition, worth about $2.5k -$3k. They are good small guitars, but lack the punch of a larger slope-J or the dry bite of earlier L-series like the pre-war L-OO.

I'd like an answer to that one as well. In some cases the prices shown for these on the online dealer websites were actually higher than the list prices on the Gibson website, which made me grumpy. Like you, those models called out like nothing I've seen from Gibson in a long time. "I want", and not just "one"!

That was the way my L-7 was built, as well. I think the longitudinal top braces were slightly V'ed, so that the were slightly wider towards the tailpiece and narrower toward the neck. It was a pretty effective girder design. The arch of the top, combined with the longitudinal bracing, pretty effectively resists the bending moment of the string tension.The top was pretty much built like a tank, and the whole guitar seemed substantial. That was a 1947 model, and it still one of my favorite neck shapes as well. Pretty similar shape to late-1940s flat top necks, and quite a handful.

Sounds good, and keep us posted.

Like everyone says, almost certainly 1950. Post a picture if you can. Visual details sometimes help if there is any ambiguity. I have two J-45's from earlier in the same year. 1949, 1950, and 1951 J-45/50 models are generally identical in details in those three years, and basically have the same value if they are in similar condition.

There are plenty of archtop players here that may respond. I had a 1947 L-7, and used 13s (modern mediums) on it, either flat wounds or hex core round wounds. I use 12s on my flat tops, usually with round cores for slightly lower tension. When I started playing back in the 1960s, we all used mediums (13s) on flat tops. Can't remember what the cores were. We never asked what cores Martin monels or Black Diamonds were wound on. If any guitar can stand heavies, it would probably be a trap-tail carved top-and-back archtop like an L-5/7 or your old Super 400. I looked at one of those, another 1937, at a guitar show in Florida a few years ago , but it was more money than I was prepared to spend. It was a beautiful, one-owner guitar, as I recall. It takes a lot of power to drive those tops if your aren't amplifying the guitar. I would not do this without talking to other archtop owners here, however. That's a lot of string tension on any guitar.

Hah! for those who missed the cultural reference, here it is. The equivalent of the drunken masses yelling "Freebird". At least the BB's had chicken wire between them and the ravening crowds: Rawhide

BK, That's a tough song to sing, and you've done a great job. I had to listen with the lyrics up to understand it all. It's pretty much another generation's take on Eric Bogle's "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda." I'm headed back to Oz for a week or so of work in two weeks. Songs like both of these remind me of the price Anzacs have paid for the follies of their American and British cousins.

Bozz, that Adi top is just spectacular! That is just a gorgeous guitar.

I have yet to meet a guitar that didn't sound good tuned down, in an open tuning. It's not clear how accurately that represents the guitar as most of us would play it, but it does sound really nice.

Maybe it's just a J-45. Maybe that's what they were like in 1995, which pretty much sounds like a more-or-less standard historical configuration, other than the bone nut, banner logo, and pickguard placement. Of course, what's "standard" varies quite a bit by decade and year. The J-45 has evolved a lot over time when you think about it, particularly in the details. Not sure when Gibson went to Grovers and a pickup in the J-45 standard.

To the OP, golpedores are sometimes added to the tops of Spanish-style guitars both to protect tops and serve as amplifiers for Flamenco players who use a lot of percussive blows ("golpes", in Spanish) on the body of their guitars while playing. So essentially, this is a CO set up for Flamenco-style playing

JT with his J50 in 1971. Pickguard has been removed. I first saw him live in the spring of 1969, right after his first album came out. Sat about 10' away from him on the ground outdoors. He sat on a folding chair, with the J-50. Pretty sure it still had a pickguard at that point, as I was looking at his guitar thinking it was just like mine, only with a natural top. I'm not sure I knew the J-50 even existed at that time in my life. I had just turned 22, and he had just turned 21. That was a lifetime ago, but I still remember the guitar. And I still have that J-45. Sweet Baby James

If you're a singer/songwriter, you are probably already aware that all of James Taylor's early stuff was written and performed on a J-50, which is simply a J-45 with a natural top rather than sunburst. That's a pretty good recommendation. Congratulations on the new guitar.

I want some of whatever you're smoking. Actually, maybe not.

What ZW says. It's hard to know if that is the original finish, but the guitar appears to be intact with no obvious signs of damage. I'm guessing the top at least has been refinished, as there's no sign of a pickguard shadow, and no pick damage around the soundhole. ZW and others here will know better about the finishing process used around 1930. The most common issues you may encounter are the need to re-glue braces, plus maybe a neck re-set. More pictures might be helpful, but if it's as good as it appears to be, that's a great price.

I'd call that pretty classic 'hog slope-J tone, and I love it.

I want to here the BK on slide on that one. Go for it, Delta Boy! Not sure there's too many others here who might pull this off. Certainly not me.

The 60's reissue 'bird probably has an adjustable saddle. Some people like that, but others don't.

I would buy the 2016 J-45 Vintage in a heartbeat at that price. I'm prejudiced towards Gibson mahogany slope J's--I have two 1950 J-45's plus an SJ--because of their versatility. If you can play them, make the choice after that. If you can't, I'd go for the J-45, but that's a personal preference. Others here view things differently.

I would not use something like duct tape. The adhesive will transfer inside the hole and/or to the screw, and make a mess of things when you screw it in or out. You won't be able to do a permanent fix after that without some prep work to try to remove adhesive residue from the hole. It's just asking for trouble down the line. A tiny piece of toothpick would be a far better choice if you want to choose an easy but less-than-permanent solution. The only problem with this is if it forces the screw out of alignment with the center of the hole, the screw may not go in straight. If you're uncomfortable with any of this, just take the guitar to a decent tech.

You can't go wrong with a J45. There are numerous versions on the market, new and used. A late model used one is like to be a very good value, whether you go for a standard or one of the more expensive variants, which will be determined by your budget.