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merseybeat1963

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Posts posted by merseybeat1963

  1. Gibson not making Archtops anymore..!!  I read they were suspending taking orders until they can catch up.  Was I lied to ? Isn't $10,000-$11,000  for a guitar enough money !! Goodness gracious what kind of decision is that ? Leaving that end of the business to others ..why ? Is Gibson going into another Norlin Era ? The Gibson originated this kind of guitar. The people who make these need to keep doing them or the way and knowledge to do a good arch top disappears. What is Gibson gonna do when they need to make them again..get Heritage to make them for them ? Right now you got people selling Byrdlands for what the price of the last new ones sold for.Its a joke. I'll even consider ordering a new one Gibson ..come one.

  2. Hi I use Gibson 740XL Guitar Strings..I am almost out of them and Gibson stopped making they're own strings cause Henry didn't want to repair some of the machinery. Towards the the end I ordered packages of singles to make my 740XL sets..(.009-.036)I liked Gibsons (these) Nickel plated Steel strings. Anyone here used to use those strings and found something similar to replace them ?  I'm used to the feel of them. I would be ordering them in singles to make the set up 

    Back then there was an authorized Gibson accessories place..nice guy.. it was named Ax  something..anyone remember so I can contact him if still around?

    thank you

     

     

  3. I tried a 00 Braz (Martin style one) a year or two ago and it was really very good.

    It made me consider one at a shoppe which was Figured Koa and 50% off retail or something new but owner of the shop said

    that the Lowdens were definately a upgrade.Then I took his advice and bought a H&D Braz Slope he liked better than the Lowden F I was thinking about.

    I would never buy one of those ridiculous lightning bolt bridge Breedlove's.

  4. Aster, I don't have too much experience with breaking in either of those models of strings, but if you want an alternative suggestion, I find that Gibson L5 strings work great on a J-160E Reissue such as yours, and feel (to me) like they have a lot of compliance right off the bat.

     

    There's a member of the BeatGearCavern that makes and sells ceramic adjustable bridges. Look there in the "Expert-Textpert/Fixing A Hole" section.

     

    Congrats on your new guitar! Hope you enjoy it.

     

    Red 333

     

    I use those strings on my L5 .011-.049 i love em.

    But these strings are no longer made by Gibson..(Thanks Henry,bad idea)...& I dont like D'Addario hex core strings who are making strings for Gibson now.

  5. Not only is the tone of my SJ-200 Custom full and complex it is also the loudest guitar I have ever played. I also have another jumbo body guitar in the Guild JF-30 and there is no comparison to the volume and tone of my Gibson. True I was attracted by the looks initially and since I didn't get to actually play the guitar before I bought it I was just hoping that the tone and volume would be comparable to my Guild but it as it turned out I was completely blown away by both tone and volume! Never have I been more happy with any other purchase in my life! I still can't believe I own it!! Lol!!

     

    IMG_0246.jpg

     

    Bye Bye Guild.. : )

  6. Hi Ya'll,

     

    I may have contracted G.A.S. again as I've been laying very low for a LONG time. I'm intrigued with the J-200 style guitar. I own an Epi EJ-200CE and it plays just like an electric, but I just don't feel it has all the sound I'm looking for (not a great amount of volume or low end for such a BIG guitar). It is a beautiful appointed guitar. Kind of wanting to move away from the Epi copies to Gibby's with all but my Casino and maybe Texan Epi's.

     

    I haven't found much for explanation on a J vs. SJ in these. Is the SJ just an alleged upgraded/blinged version? Would like to hear other opinions on either and what they have found with sound, playability etc.

     

    Thanks for reading & responding if your so inclined. [biggrin]

     

    Aster

     

    For the most part J or SJ is pretty much (in general) less about what the specific variations of the guitar than what it was being called at the time.

    I think the first ones were SJ then they just shorted name(Southern Jumbo....Jumbo)

    What you should keep more in mind is the big bodied guitar is not really all that efficient in producing a LOUD sound..its more about the tone that assembles inside of it.

    And keep in mind the Gibson version may not be any louder...A/B them with yours.

    A lot of people are intregued with the J200 guitar but it is the looks that is the attraction most of the time.

    • Upvote 1
  7. Thanks for the replies. It is def not maple so I am certain it is a hummingbird made in 1994 and not the reissue. This one has not been played and I believe it was tied up in a divorce. It still had the original strings on it! I have played many from the 90's and it always amazes me how hit or miss some of these can be. I'm really liking this one though.

     

    The lady had he guys guitars tied up in the divorce...!

  8. You will be bitter if they shaft you..

    You should be pushing for a return/exchange not a repair..

    (unless this guitar was one of many that you auditioned and it was magic).

    If it was just one of those "send me a J200"..there is no reason you should stick by it unless they are forcing you to be stuck with it.

    If that is the case, make sure you post who is dealer & I for one will send a complaint as well.

  9. With all due respect, there's no such thing as a "pre-war J-45". The J-45 wasn't introduced until late 1942, by most sources. There were plenty of pre-war round shoulder jumbo Gibsons, but they weren't

    J-45's. Chances are you were playing a J-35 if it was a pre-war model.

     

    Sorry you are right..I should have written 40's ..it was a J45 (I think) it was sunburst (but was 1982-3) In general to me everything before 1945 is PreWar..

    (And Greven was refering to PreWar Gibsons as a whole being exceptional)

  10. I haven't played many but one of the best sounding acoustic guitars I ever played was in 1983 at the Elderly guitar Shoppe,it was a 1940 J-45 with two juicy cracks in its top.

    And from what John Greven (Gruhn Repair guy & luthier) writes the Pre War J45 is THE one to get.

     

    In new as you ask, most Bozeman Montana's are very nice but like any instrument, you have to try them individually ,not mail order it ,cause they always vary.

    For example I saw a J45 Vine on LI at the Music Zoo once..it was the first very ornate one id ever seen..(the inlay really struck me as looking a little crude and unrefined incidently)..but from a little distance a stunner.

    But when I played it ..it was the most incredible dud.. that it had the tone quality of a crate..just like the 60's-88" Gibsons.

    I made it a point to drive out there another couple of times to try it because I could not believe my ears.

    Good luck

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