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seamonkey

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Posts posted by seamonkey

    Thomastik-Infeld Spectrum strings

    in Gibson Acoustic

    Posted

    On 4/15/2021 at 5:42 PM, Jinder said:

    Hi all,

                Has anyone else tried these wires? Normally way more expensive than I can justify, but I bagged a set last year when they were heavily reduced, stashed them in my studio filing cabinet and forgot about them...I plucked them out yesterday and put them on my SJ200 after finally losing patience with the Optimas that haven’t ever worked for me on that guitar.

    First thoughts on the Spectrums are that they sound and feel utterly unique. No “new” string metallic zing, VERY smooth under the fingers and unusually high tension across the D and G strings, tapering off to lower tension relatively on the A and E down below and the B and E up top.

    Initially, sound wise I felt they were a bit dull. However, with a day of adapting to them, I think I was mistaking an understated complexity for dullness. Each individual string has an identity and doesn’t just sound like a lower or higher pitched version of the one next door. The bottom E and A sound a little woolly taken out of context, but in a chord or a fingerstyle passage with bass movement, they just sit there and fill up the bottom end beautifully with a spreading, full warmth. 
     

    The midrange is focused and tight and the top end rich and articulate. These aren’t average workaday strings by any means-they took some getting used to as a player as they sounded played in as soon as they were fitted. Being round core strings, I had to do the usual dance of fitting them, tuning and stretching them and playing them in before cutting the ends, but that wasn’t a major issue. They are silk wrapped at both ends, so protect both bridgeplate and machineheads from wear, which is a nice touch.

    My only concern is whether they will fade quickly...being warm strings, if they fade off by 25% it will likely be game over, but I have absolutely no roadmap for these strings as they are quite untypical of anything I have used before.

    I perhaps wouldn’t use these on an already overly warm guitar or anything lacking definition. My SJ200 is very balanced and has an immense character (think big, bold, loud and articulate with big but focused bass) which generally comes through whatever strings are on it, so makes for an excellent testbed for different wires. 
     

    I’d love to know if anyone else has tried them and, if so, what you think.

    Hi, Jinder (also known as one of the reasons i bought my J45 Early) i use Spectrums a lot. amazing strings, and beautiful as well. i've been on a round core kick for a while, Newtones on the Early right now, the Spectrums, 12s and 13s are probably the best sounding best quality strings i've used, although as you said they are not for every guitar, but i've found that the tension is less than others i use, and to me, a 12 sounds like a 12 but feels like an 11, which may be true of most round cores, but particularly true of these. maybe it's the real silk they use. i use their BeBop strings on 4 different hollow body electrics and will probably never change! hope you're doing well. Rick 

    • Like 1

    SJ-200 1990s Model Info

    in Gibson Acoustic

    Posted

    On 6/13/2019 at 2:19 PM, slimt said:

    I bought my first J100 extra with the only gibson good enough in 91. As the same for the J45s .  I believe in 92  some of the specials had that logo in pearl.   The j35s that were discontinued had that as well.  

    Most of the early 90s Gibson acoustics were showing those cracks down the side of the board on the top. Not sure why.  

    looking at a 1990 Black J100. any way to tell from serial number whether it would be sycamore 

     

    "Early J-45" designation

    in Gibson Acoustic

    Posted

    A little more info on the "Early" . It was designed by Ren Ferguson (one of his first attempts at a reissue) Using molds from Kalamazoo J45s. 1 23/32 neck, and virtually identical in specs to a '52-'54 J45. From communications with owners and luthiers, it's held in high regard

    "Early J-45" designation

    in Gibson Acoustic

    Posted

    Hi. I just got what is essentially a NOS 1998 Early. Hang tags, looks like it's never been played. I believe a dealer put it away. Anyway, gorgeous, VERY lightweight, perfect fit and finish. Nice round neck. No electronics, no strap button on the neck. I thought it was going to be a 1 3/4" neck, but all I could squeeze out of it was 1 23/32, which is cool because that's such a Gibson standard. REALLY loud, and pretty bright as well. The case doesn't have much of that awesome sweetness that it imparts to my later Gibbys, so it just has a wonderful woody aroma. I'm still searching for more info on exactly what this was patterned on.

    Advanced Jumbo "Pro"

    in Gibson Acoustic

    Posted

    I went shopping last week for a J-45 TV. I played a bunch of guitars to get my bearings (unfortunately Guitar Center was the only spot that had a good inventory of Gibby's).

     

    As much as I wanted the TV that was there - even had them put on new strings - I kept coming back to something called the Advanced Jumbo Pro. It was loud, but not obnoxious. It was clear as a bell, lovely deep, chimey lows, and played really well.

     

    For over $1000 difference, I ended up walking out with this AJ Pro. When I got home I started looking around for what it was and couldn't find any except at GC. The guitar sounds amazing. I played the heck out of it over the weekend. Even recorded it. It sounds like a Gibson should - clearly it has the AJ lineage, but I'm having issues around the fact that it's not a well known member of the Gibson lineup.

     

    Should I keep it? Or should I go try a true AJ somewhere? What are your thoughts on Gibson's like this that are made specifically around custom dealer specs?

     

    Dang. I'm torn. It's one of the nicest guitars I've ever played though. Tempted to keep it, even if one day I have to go out and get a true AJ....

     

     

    i know this was 7 years ago, but i was just raving about my 2013 AJ Pro. i hope you kept it! they are amazingly consistent

    Advanced Jumbo "Pro"

    in Gibson Acoustic

    Posted

    I went shopping last week for a J-45 TV. I played a bunch of guitars to get my bearings (unfortunately Guitar Center was the only spot that had a good inventory of Gibby's).

     

    As much as I wanted the TV that was there - even had them put on new strings - I kept coming back to something called the Advanced Jumbo Pro. It was loud, but not obnoxious. It was clear as a bell, lovely deep, chimey lows, and played really well.

     

    For over $1000 difference, I ended up walking out with this AJ Pro. When I got home I started looking around for what it was and couldn't find any except at GC. The guitar sounds amazing. I played the heck out of it over the weekend. Even recorded it. It sounds like a Gibson should - clearly it has the AJ lineage, but I'm having issues around the fact that it's not a well known member of the Gibson lineup.

     

    Should I keep it? Or should I go try a true AJ somewhere? What are your thoughts on Gibson's like this that are made specifically around custom dealer specs?

     

    Dang. I'm torn. It's one of the nicest guitars I've ever played though. Tempted to keep it, even if one day I have to go out and get a true AJ....

     

     

    i know this was 7 years ago, but i was just raving about my 2013 AJ Pro. i hope you kept it! they are amazingly consistent

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