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Mickthemiller

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Posts posted by Mickthemiller

    HP635W

    in Gibson Acoustic

    Posted

    Even though the pound had fallen against the dollar these HP series are dropping in price and dealers like Andertons seem to have a lot in stock. Maybe they will turn out to be a bargain in the summer sales.

    What is the most highly over-rated and under-rated acoustic guitar brand?????

    in Gibson Acoustic

    Posted

    I'm still trying to work out what the question means! So I tried to break it down in my head. Price, bling, sound, general quality etc. Any guitar with an over inflated price, talking over $15000 or over here £12,000, just has to be over rated. You don't pay that sort of price for sound and playability. Bling, any guitar with more than decent wood, good tuners, reasonable binding etc must be over rated. MOP on every edge and nook and cranny does not improve what a guitars does. Sound, any guitar that sounds good to the player is not over rated, unless it falls into the super price or super bling category. Under rated guitars are generally those that are cheap but have good tone and playability. It all boils down to value for money really, but then that depends on how much money you have, or in some cases, want to invest. Personally, I think Epiphones make some good acoustics, Recording Kings always feel stiff to me, I like my J15 and generally think Martins and Gibsons fall into the middle ground, not over or under rated. One of my favourite guitars is a Harley Benton all sold dread cedar/hog which just sings, £220. I have never seen a Taylor that I lusted after, but I think they are over rated because so many seen to be priced far too high for laminate B&S. Just me trying to work it all out in my head! I could be totally wrong, mixed up or just plain ignorant msp_confused.gif

     

    Gibson J15 - Review

    in Gibson Acoustic

    Posted

    My point about the finish (natural) being cheaper to produce on a J15 was that it would take less labour, therefore less time, therefore lower costs. I do accept that guitar manufacturers will choose better looking fronts for natural finish guitars, but I would not call the spruce on these J15s a being exceptional quality. I would also accept that there could be a conversation at the point of spraying the sunburst in which some one says "hold it, that's a beautiful top, we'll make that a natural finish and get a premium price for it" - It's a business - so any way to get a bit more is worth a try.

     

    I bend to Hogeye's greater knowledge but as I stated I have never seen anyone ask advice about a guitar back collapsing or twisting, but I have seen many regarding fronts and necks.In all the guitars I have had I have seen two fronts collapse, many bows in necks and twisted headstocks (take a look at yours and see that this is common)

    Gibson J15 - Review

    in Gibson Acoustic

    Posted

    Summing up. The J15 is an inexpensive guitar in comparison to other Gibsons. Agreed? There has to be a way this was achieved. Agreed? We seem to agree that the wood was sourced in the USA, making it cheaper. The neck seems to be constructed well, three piece like many top end guitars with quarter sawn timber. The top is spruce, it seems to me that it is not the finest spruce out there but it is quarter sawn too. The bracing is reasonable but it does not look like quarter sawn timber to me, I'm open to opinions that differ here. The kerfing looks like mahogany. The back is not quarter sawn, it's just solid walnut. The finish on the guitar is minimal. No stains . No fancy inlays. No sunburst. The tuners are about the cheapest reasonable tuners on the market. Nut and saddle also cheapest reasonable. So we are left with a guitar hat is made at probably the lowest outlay possible. I don't know if it makes much profit for Gibson. It could be a loss leader to encourage players to use Gibsons and maybe move up to higher priced guitars. At this point I think I need to point out that a lot of Gibsons do seem to be very expensive for what you get above and beyond the ordinary. But then so are Martins. Anyway, as I was saying we end up with a guitar made from the cheapest components out there, well sort of. IMHO it sounds fine and plays well. Now that back! Well any guitar back for that matter. Backs, as I see it, do not take as much strain and stress as the rest of a guitar. They are braced generally more heavily than tops as they do not have to vibrate/flex like a top. Necks and tops take all the stress as does the bridge. Let's look at complaints regarding, "my guitar is breaking up, twisting, lifting, bowing", etc. How many times have we read in these pages, "the back of my guitar has collapsed". I can't think of an instance. So if Gibson were thinking of saving money all round on the J15 which bit would they take the greatest risk on? You got it in one!

    Gibson J15 - Review

    in Gibson Acoustic

    Posted

    One of the major uses of walnut is gun stocks. Now I could be wrong but wouldn't gun makers want to use a reliable timber that is not going to fall apart? All I read about walnut is that it is a durable timber and the reason it is inexpensive is because the trees are cropped for generations then replaced.

    Gibson J15 - Review

    in Gibson Acoustic

    Posted

    Well I've taken this very seriously and spent some time trawling the net especially our sister board AGF. There is some dispute re quart sawn and flat sawn timber. It seems many guitar builders see little difference in strength and or tone. Interestingly I read that curly maple (much desired amongst some guitarists) cannot be sourced from quarter sawn timber. It seems Taylor Guitars (spit) have done a video on the subject. Finally, well maybe not, I love the back on my J15.

    Gibson J15 - Review

    in Gibson Acoustic

    Posted

    I think hogeye is talking about the backs of j15's .

    Im not siding with him. Just sayin.

    Looking forward to how this all pans out.

    I really dont think anyones guitar is going to crumple while youre half way through house of the rising sun.

     

    One of those cases where ignorance is bliss.

    Placing a little seed of doubt and disappointment in someones head who is loving a guitar is curse of the internet.

     

    Thanks, my misreading, although I thought we were talking the neck in this thread. Doh!!

    Gibson J15 - Review

    in Gibson Acoustic

    Posted

    I think I'll liven up the discussion just a bit. The three piece neck is far superior to a one piece neck and the 5 piece is the holy grail. You shouldn't worry about the neck of your J-15. However... The back is a mess. It's totally flat sawn on every photo that I've see of all J-15 guitars. Anyone that knows anything about guitars and wood will tell you that flat sawn wood looks great on a coffee table but is not the first choice for guitars. Gibson chose to go with the cheapest wood available and then went for the cheapest cut of that wood. This is just about one step above firewood. With all the photos showing the back of all the J-15's posted on this forum all have flat sawn backs. This suggests a conscious effort to bring you the very least quality of wood.

     

     

     

    There have been many threads here by respected knowledgeable folks that will tell you the danger of flat sawn wood. Yes it is pretty and I love the look but would never own such a guitar. Quarter sawn is the only wood to choose for back, sides, and top.

     

    Let the real discussion begin...

     

    I refer you all to mojos second post (3rd in the thread) with the picture of the head stock. Look at the end grain. If that is not quarter sawn I will eat my J15, and that too has quarter sawn neck wood.

    Gibson J15 - Review

    in Gibson Acoustic

    Posted

    As mentioned by Avery, superstar luthier James Olson uses a 5 piece laminated neck on his guitars. He's doing something right as his current base price is a staggering $15k.....wish I had bought one back in 1997 when his base price was $4200 [crying]

    FB_IMG_1453363900945.jpg

    Wow even that small section of the Olson is super duper fabo !! Reminds me must by a lotto ticket

    Gibson J15 - Review

    in Gibson Acoustic

    Posted

    Had mine a couple of months. I do like the walnut stripe on the neck, multi-piece necks look sooooo coooool and boutique acoustics often have multi layered necks. One thing I would have missed out is the extra thin ring on the rosette. The one inner ring would have been fine and maybe saved a few pennies!

    2016 SJ-100 Walnut!

    in Gibson Acoustic

    Posted

    From the Gibson website - it does describe the picture as Honeyburst but then lists Yellow, Brown and Cherry [confused]

     

    see link http://www.gibson.com/Products/Acoustic-Instruments/2016/SJ-100-Walnut.aspx

     

    Honeyburst Color Code: HB Surface Texture: Smooth/ Hi Gloss 90 Sheen Lacquer Sealer: 1-1.5 mils Top: SNBST YELLOW / ANY0033, TBCO BROWN / NAB0531, CHERRY / NAR0121 Top Coat: Smooth/ Hi Gloss 90 Sheen Lacquer Scraped: Fingerboard Sides and Nut

     

    Dead Strings

    in Gibson Acoustic

    Posted

    I used to use D'Addrio's on acoustics,

     

    Till I made the move about 12 years ago to Elixrs.

     

    IMO, Nothing beats these for longevity, nothing...

     

    Wow 12 years on one set of strings - impressive :rolleyes:

     

    Kiddin'

    Strings - Nut - Saddle - Pins - They are essential to TONE!

    in Gibson Acoustic

    Posted

    Hallo guys,

    I would appreciate some suggestions concerning strings.

    I have a new J45 Cobra burst.

    Changed the tusk nut&saddle with bone and took out the piezo.

    Currently expecting for the bone pins to come.

     

    Please tell me what would be the best 12-54 or 12-56 strings for this baby.

    The easiest thing for me is to put some Elixir 12-56 PhBr, but I don't like easy solutions...msp_sneaky.gif

     

    Tell me what 12-54 or 12-56 would you put on your J45?

     

    If it ain't broke don't fix it - keep to the Elixirs

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