QuestionMark

I played with some tortoise shell picks. I’m not too sure I ever actually noticed the changeover because the legal artificial replacements looked very similar, but I recall people at the time of the changeover talking about how picks that looked like tortoise shell were no longer real tortoise shell. I always favored the pointy clear Dunlop clear thumb picks and either the clear Dunlap finger picks or metal fingerpicks rather than actual or fake tortoise shell versions or over flat picks for sure. I may actually have an actual tortoise shell flat pick somewhere in the house that a mandolin player gave me that seems to be quite a bit thicker and less flexible than most other flat picks. Whether it’s real tortoise shell or not, I have no clue. QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

I use a Rare Earth Humbucker soundhole pickup with the cord hanging out from the soundhole. Fully removeable and usable between guitars, no changes to the guitar needed. Just is my preference. QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff

And this is where? Please provide background… QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

I have a 1973 Gibson SJ Deluxe in my collection. Or, it might be a 1972. Whatever, I bought it new in 1974. Sound wise, it is great. Probably my best sounding guitar. Problems have never been related to its sound. It developed a crack in from of the soundhole that I had a Gibson repair person fix years ago. It also developed a warping of the neck that I had Gibson heat Press back into its proper shape about 20 years ago. It’s stayed unwarped since. It’s always had action a bit higher than today’s standard towards the sound hole. That was never a problem until I learned how to play up the neck. It looks like it would play worse up there than it actually does. (It’s got great action in the first position of the neck.). It has a thin neck, but I don’t find that a problem. It’s a high quality guitar that has had some quirks. I like it, though and it does sound really great! Just my experience with a guitar from that period. QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

Cool story! QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff

May his memory be a blessing. QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff

Congrats on the new guitar! QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

Great playing! QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

I saw him with the Band when they toured with Dylan during Dylan’s first night of Dylan’s return to touring after his reclusive period after his mortar cycle accident. That was in Chicago in January 1974. It eventually led to Dylan and the Band’s Down in the Flood album. The first night was organized differently than the album. Dylan sang a couple of songs and then the Band sang a couple of songs (or vise versa). Dylan played along with the Band songs and the Band played along with Dylan on his songs except for a couple of Dylan solo songs. The trade off between the Band and Dylan lasted throughout the concert. The energy was phenomenal. QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff

He was a great one for sure. The songs he wrote and his detailed description of being on the road in the movie The Last Waltz and what it did to him, stand out as masterpieces. May his memory be a blessing. QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

This one surprised me when I first heard it and I’ve since listed to it numerous times. It’s from Ringo Starr’s latest EP and the track is called Free Your Soul and it not only has Ringo exploring a Latinx rhythm, but it has also has a fantastic Latinx nylon acoustic guitar in it. The song is co-written by Ringo. QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

Sounds great! It definitely has “that” sound and “that” look! Very cool! QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff

If it’s a vintage Gibson-made Epiphone from the former Gibson-Epiphone factory in Kalamazoo, the FT-30 Caballero finish was nitrocellulose. Nitrocellulose never fully hardens. If it’s a reissue FT -30 Caballero made overseas it polyurethane. If it a NY Epiphone FT 30 pre-Gibson ownership), it likely was nitrocellulose. If it is a a Japanese made FT 30 from the 70s , which they may have made, it likely was polyurethane. That Goof Off stuff must be pretty strong. QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

I gig about 2-4 times a week in the late Spring and Summer months. And play at home every day for anywhere from 2 minutes to an hour. My Martin Authentic Acoustic strings have surprisingly been lasting 6 months or more. Although, I do switch off instruments every once in awhile. QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff

No clue what a Gibson AA bridge is either. QM aka “ Jazzznan” Jeff

I played a J-25 at a guitar show a number of years ago. It had kind of a cheap feel to it, to my recollection. Though it was selling for a cheap price, I passed on it with no regret. QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

Looks good! Nice guitar! QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

Very cool looking guitar! Great looking repair! QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

It might be a J-45. The upper bout looks to be smaller than the lower bout like on a J-45 rather than on a LG3 (or faded LG2) where the upper bout is more the same size as the lower bout. A J-45 is more bell shaped like the one in the photo than a LG3. Unless it’s the camera angle making the upper bout look a lot smaller than the lower bout. QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

If I’m not mistaken, that particular year was a transition year for the SJ. There was the newer block inlay version of the natural (non-sunburst) version called the SJ Deluxe and the SJN, the holdover from the 60s version. The N stood for natural. The SJ Deluxe had the unpopular Norlin era 70s volute on the back of the neck, The SJN did not. Some of the early Deluxe versions for the early years of the 70s may not have have double X bracing, unlike the ones that appeared as the decade progressed. The SJN did not. I saw one SJN with a teardrop pickguard where the SJ Deluxe had a multi pointed pickguard. The binding also differed between the two versions if I recall. Last time I looked, the SJN sold for more than the SJD based on the Vintage Guitar Guide as it did not have the attributes associated with what’s known as the Norlin era version. I think the SJN had the 60s neck angle rather than the neck angle that changed with the 70s. Also the SJN may have had the Made in USA imprint on the back of the headstock although I can’t say that for sure. The SJ Deluxe did not have an adjustable bridge. I have a 1972 SJ Deluxe in natural in my collection, the reason I learned what the SJN was. Where the Norlin era gets a bad rap, my SJD is a great sounding guitar although it has had some typical Norlin era problems throughout the years associated with the unpopular Norlin changes. Some minor top cracks (which a Gibson repairman fixed) , broken then repaired headstock (by a Gibson repairman) by the volute to solve broken headstocks but in actuality made it worse because the volute technically was not at the weak spot in the neck (or something), high looking action on the neck towards the soundhole, twisting of the neck (which a Gibson repairman fixed by heating the neck). I purchased my SJD new. New Light or Medium Martin Authentic Acoustic Strings and a bone saddle or a good set up) if it doesn’t have one already should rejuvenate the SJN QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

Well said! QM aka “ Jazzman” Jeff

I wonder what all of your feelings are about JC, although this string already shows a handful of opinions. In my opinion, since Gibson’s owner is a turnaround company, I think JC did a pretty good job in his role. Gibson was at a crossroads after the Henry era, and here we all are, today, and Gibson is still around, hasn’t been sold to a Chinese company, and still has a pretty good reputation as a quality guitar making company headquartered in the US. Plus, he brought guitar dealers back into the fold! For sure he capitalized on the J-45 name from an acoustic perspective, but if it helped keep them in business, that’s a small price to have paid. I thought he tried to balance the traditional and the new pretty good. Or, at least he tried. Plus, he portrayed himself as a guitar fan in his public personna. We can all joke about his Levi’s experience, but Levi’s is also still around. I hope the new person keeps building on what JC did and keeps Gibson a US company and a quality guitar maker. Just my opinion, whether you agree or disagree. QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

Anyone know what actually happened to JC? QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

May his memory be a blessing. QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff

When I went directly to an authorized Gibson Repairperson, he looked my guitar over, asked me a number of questions about my care of the instrument, and then drew his conclusion that my guitar’s repair should be covered under Gibson’s Lifetime Warranty. The guitar was about 12 years old and the bridge lifted. He told me he concluded that Gibson did not put an adequate amount of glue under the bridge at the factory to satisfactorily hold it. He inspected if the wood was dried out from lack of humidity over the years, etc. and determined it was well taken care of as a guitar and from a humidity perspective. He then, while I was there, called Gibson and told them his finding and told them it needs to be covered under their warrantee. Gibson, approved his recommendation on the phone and gave him an approval number so he could bill them for the repair of my guitar. He also told me I’d be responsible for any charges for a set up that he does whereas Gibson would only be responsible for his resetting and regluing the bridge. He said it would again be continued to covered under Gibson’s lifetime warranty because of his authorized warranty work. He fixed it himself without sending it to Gibson and Gibson paid him for his work under my guitar’s warranty. I was quite pleased with his work, his inspection, and his advocacy and integrity with Gibson on my behalf. And, with Gibson! In my case an authorized Gibson actually inspected the guitar and then, based on his integrity and inspection, obtained approval from Gibson. He told me he does warranty work for Gibson through Guitar Center, also. Each week he picks up guitars from Guitar Center that people bring in for warranty work. He mentioned, Guitar Center techs only do things like set ups or string changes, otherwise he does the warranty work or harder work if not covered under warranty. I don’t know if it works this way at all of them, but that’s how he works with Guitar Centers. That was about 4 years ago. Just my experience. QM aka “Jazzman” Jeff